Free Republic

It was named one of Time magazine’s best inventions of 2008, but Raytheon’s Active Protection System (APS), formerly known as “Quick Kill,” was nowhere to be found on the floor of the Washington Convention Center at the Army’s annual conference this week. I asked the Raytheon folks about its status and the best they could come up with was that the program is “maturing”; there was no APS on display nor were there videos showing field tests of the system. By contrast, over at the Israeli Military Industries booth, the Israelis were showing video of their “Iron Fist” APS in...

From a reader: I just went to this link and, in the "Type your nominee here!" field, entered "Barack Obama." The winner of this Nissan-sponsored promotion will actually receive one official vote for the Heisman award as sort of the people's choice. You can actually go back and vote once each day between now and the Heisman award in December.

TEL AVIV, Israel, Aug. 11 (UPI) -- Israel's Merkava IV main battle tanks will be equipped with the Trophy anti-missile system following a series of successful tests last week. Israeli army  chiefs have been pushing for the system since 22 Merkavas were damaged by Russian Kornet anti-tank guided missiles during the war with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon in the summer of 2006. The system was developed over 10 years by the Rafael Armament Development Authority in collaboration with Israel Aircraft Industries' Elta Group. Rafael offered the system to the military several years ago, but it was turned down because...

WASHINGTON (AP) — John McCain and Bill Richardson got their most prized keepsakes 40 years apart, from the same hand. Richardson got his Ted Williams' autographed baseball as a boy during an outing to Fenway Park with his dad in the mid-1950s, before he became a top prep-school and college pitcher. McCain got his in a visit to a childhood hero just 10 years ago. Their common treasure was revealed when AP asked presidential candidates to name their most prized possession. Fred Thompson's campaign answered tongue in cheek. The responses:

FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT Showing support and boosting the morale of our military and our allied military and the family members of the above. Honoring those who have served before. FOOTBALL FACTS Thanks for joining us once again as we look at some football facts. This time we’ll look at "From a regional to a National sport. From 1930-1958" In the early 1930s, the college game continued to grow, particularly in the south, bolstered by fierce rivalries such as the "Third Saturday in October"—a rivalry between Alabama and Tennessee. While prior to the mid-1920s most national powers came from...

Fred Thompson's Trophy Wife Susan Estrich Friday, July 13, 2007 Fred Thompson, would-be presidential candidate, is 64 years old and looks it. His wife, Jeri, is two years younger than one of his daughters and looks even younger than her 40 years. They have had two babies together since they married in 2002. Does it matter? Imagine if Hillary Clinton were married to a 36-year-old stud. She'd be laughed out of town. Imagine, at 60, if she decided she wanted two more children. Too old, we'd all be screaming. So, does anyone care when Fred Thompson does it? There have...

Fred Thompson is going to present a problem for a mainstream media that is used to reporting on political candidates who enjoy the affections of younger women – just as long as their wives don't find out. The media isn't quite sure how to handle a man who has a comprehensive past with the ladies, is probably running for office and yet isn't busy herding more illicit humps into his closet than an Abu Dhabi camel smuggler with the cops banging on the front door. Back in his single days, Thompson date

Trophy Skull Sheds Light on Ancient Wari Empire Earthwatch volunteers working with Dr. Mary Glowacki (Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research) in Peru unearthed a previously unknown cemetery and found a trophy skull from the Wari civilization. The finds give researchers further insight into the rise and fall of the Wari Empire that lived high in the Andes 1,500 to 1,000 years ago. Courtesy of Mary Glowacki Earthwatch-supported archaeologist Dr. Mary Glowacki (Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research) holds a vessel excavated from an elite cemetary at the ancient Wari site of Cotocotuyoc. Spectacular finds include the "trophy" skull of a warrior...

WASHINGTON - Rocket-propelled grenades, or RPGs, are a favorite weapon of insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are cheap, easy to use and deadly. RPGs have killed nearly 40 Americans in Afghanistan and more than 130 in Iraq, including 21-year-old Pvt. Dennis Miller. “They were in Ramadi, and his tank was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade,” says Miller’s mother, Kathy. “Little Denny never knew what hit him.” Sixteen months ago, commanders in Iraq began asking the Pentagon for a new system to counter RPGs and other anti-tank weapons. Last year, a special Pentagon unit thought it found a solution in...

WASHINGTON, April 20, 2006 – The NBA and Toyota announced April 18 the launch of a 2006 Finals Trophy Tour to five military bases in the heartland of the U.S. The 2006 Finals Trophy Tour will visit Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., May 13; Fort Leavenworth, Kan., May 19; Fort Bliss, Texas, June 1; Fort Riley, Kan., June 24; and Fort Carson, Colo., July 3, according to an NBA news release. The tour was developed by Toyota and the NBA, in conjunction with the United Service Organizations, to thank the U.S. armed forces for their dedication and service. The customized...

NEW YORK - From John Cappelletti to Mike Rozier, running backs once walked off with 11 consecutive Heisman Trophies. Recently, though, quarterbacks have been too tough to pass up. The last five Heisman winners have been QBs. Reggie Bush is a good bet to snap that streak Saturday night and become the 41st ball carrier to tuck away college football's most prestigious individual award since Chicago halfback Jay Berwanger won the first in 1935. USC's untouchable tailback is the favorite after capping a brilliant junior season with two breathtaking performances and an outrageous average of 8.9 yards a carry. "That's...

Before Navy can retain the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy by beating Army on Saturday, the Midshipmen will first have to find it. The trophy, awarded annually to the winner of the football competition between the three major service academies, was stolen Monday night from the team locker room, Navy spokesman Scott Strasemeier said Wednesday. The trophy had been on display in a locked glass case for the past two years at Bancroft Hall, the school's dormitory. It was moved to the football building to provide motivation for the players, but sometime after 9:30 p.m., the 170-pound trophy was taken from the locked...

A "trophy" video appearing to show security guards in Baghdad randomly shooting Iraqi civilians has sparked two investigations after it was posted on the internet, the Sunday Telegraph can reveal. The video has sparked concern that private security companies, which are not subject to any form of regulation either in Britain or in Iraq, could be responsible for the deaths of hundreds of innocent Iraqis. The video, which first appeared on a website that has been linked unofficially to Aegis Defence Services, contained four separate clips, in which security guards open fire with automatic rifles at civilian cars. All of...

Navy doesn’t need much motivation By MARK SCHLABACH Published: Wednesday, Sep. 29, 2004 A few minutes after Navy beat Army last December, Athletic Director Chet Gladchuk had an order for Capt. Greg Cooper, the academy’s deputy director of athletics. “Go get the trophy,” Gladchuk told him. Two days later, Cooper flew to the Air Force Academy, where he gladly accepted the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy from the Falcons. But later that day, when Cooper arrived at Colorado Springs, Colo., Airport with the trophy delicately packed in its metal box, airline officials told him they couldn’t fit the box through the boarding door...

Maryland legislature has approved a trophy bear hunt in Alleghy County Maryland in October. The request for a Bear Hunt was promoted by hunters. There are only 300 bears in Maryland. This is an indicriminate killing of bears for 'sport', not the killing or problem bears. There is no provision cubs left orphaned by the killing. Bears are basically shy and avoid humans unless humans move into bear country and leave food out to attract bears. As was done in Yellostone, bears can be trained to stay away from Human food. Please CALL GOV EHRLICH now at 1-800-811-8336 to state...