Free Republic

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden signed an order Monday reversing a Trump-era Pentagon policy that largely barred transgender individuals from serving in the military. The new order, which Biden signed in the Oval Office during a meeting with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, overturns a ban ordered by President Donald Trump in a tweet during his first year in office. It immediately prohibits any service member from being forced out of the military on the basis of gender identity. The decision comes as Biden plans to turn his attention to equity issues that he believes continue to shadow nearly all aspects...

In February 2021, the Italian Navy’s aircraft carrier Cavour will begin qualification with the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II, the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) of the Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. The carrier recently completed its maintenance and modernization efforts required to accommodate and operate the F-35B. The carrier, the flagship of the Marina Militare (Italian Navy) will reach Naval Station Norfolk in mid-February to start the F-35B qualification, which is expected to take around six weeks. Similar in size to the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) F-35A variant, the F-35B sacrifices about a third of the fuel volume...

For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces. Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today! ~ Hall of Heroes ~ Harold O. Messerschmidt Info from here. Harold O. Messerschmidt (1923 – September 17, 1944) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II. Messerschmidt joined the Army from Chester, Pennsylvania in May 1943, and by September 17, 1944 was serving as a Sergeant in Company L, 30th Infantry Regiment,...

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter has been described as one of the most advanced combat systems in service anywhere in the world. In addition to its stealth capabilities, the all-weather, multirole, fifth-generation aircraft is a true warbird, and the F-35A conventional take-off and landing variant is armed with four internal stations as well as six external hardpoints on its wings with a capacity to carry 5,700 pounds internally, and 15,000 pounds externally.

We live in an unpredictable and unreliable world these days. Many factors of life are not what they used to be, and home security is a new or renewed concern for many. Part of any home security plan should include a reliable firearm, and few hold the reputation of reliability that belongs to the revolver. While lacking the magazine capacity of most full-size semi-auto pistols, the venerable wheel gun is virtually impossible to jam and often chambered in powerful cartridges like the .357 Magnum that put plenty of energy on target. There are many good revolvers out there to protect...

Join with fellow FREEPERS to pray for AMERICA: For those in Authority in Government, Family, Military, Business, Healthcare, Education, Churches, and the Media. I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone: for kings and all those in authority that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. ~ 1 Timothy 2:1-2 Religion Forum Threads labeled [Prayer] are closed to debate of any kind.

DON'T GET NUKED The Navy and Marine Corps rightly spend much of their time on chemical, biological and radiological training. As bombs and triggering devices become more mobile and terrorists become more sophisticated, it is important to prepare ourselves for disaster while hoping that it will be avoided. Regarding chemical and biological warfare, it is especially difficult to believe that something so small and invisible can be so deadly and dangerous. Just a little toxin in the air . . . and the next thing you know you're doing the "funky chicken" on the ground. Bad attitudes can be...

The 20th century saw the development of many weapons that could have ended civilization as we know it, but nothing compares to the potentially devastating power of the Soviet Union‘s epic “Tsar Bomba.” It will be remembered as the most powerful nuclear bomb ever built, and it had a blast that was more powerful than 50 million tons of TNT.

In the 1980s an idea was conceived by military planners to develop a hypersonic spy plane that could reach Mach 5+, making it truly the fastest manned aircraft ever to fly. While there have been reported sightings of the prototypes, the SR-91 Aurora, if it even existed, likely never made it much best the concept stage.

***** Tunes For Our Troops ~ Andy Williams ~ *****~ Support The Artists You Hear Throughout The Canteen ! ~ ***** Warning: Not all music may be appropriate for children! Please click with caution. Thank you! Tunes For The Troops This music is provided for the entertainment of our Troops, Veterans, Allies & their families! Enjoy the variety of musical selections that the Canteen DJs provide throughout the thread. Please ping any DJ with your requests for the Troops! All music is removed on Monday.Thanks to all the DJs for their time & effort providing entertainment for the Troops!...

The United States military’s Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter is considered one of the most deadly and capable aircraft anywhere in the world today and it has been suggested it is unrivaled as well. However, at least one Russian test pilot has suggested that the F-35 would be no match for Russia’s own Sukhoi Su-57. While both are fifth-generation, multirole fighters designed to destroy all types of air, ground, and naval targets, Magomed Tolboyev, a renowned test pilot who celebrated his 70th birthday on January 20, said that the Russian Su-57 would have the advantage were it...

The 20th century saw the development of many weapons that could have ended civilization as we know it, but nothing compares to the potentially devastating power of the Soviet Union‘s epic “Tsar Bomba.” It will be remembered as the most powerful nuclear bomb ever built, and it had a blast that was more powerful than 50 million tons of TNT.

The Tromix Micro-12 resembles the iconic AK-47 in a slimmed-down profile while the shotgun certainly has a general look and characteristic of a modern Kalashnikov firearm. That of course is by design – literally, as in this is an AK design rebuilt and improved in the USA. The compact 12 gauge shotguns are essentially modified by Tromix from those based on the Saiga shotguns manufactured in Russia by Izhmash/Kalashnikov. However, here is where things get a bit tricky.

The Second World War saw significant advances in tanks, and throughout the war, all of the major powers sought to build bigger, heavier, and more powerful tanks. Keeping in step with those efforts was another move to develop better weapons to then take out and destroy the enemy’s tanks. When the war began the Germans and British, as well as other nations such as Finland, employed oversized rifles, and these were largely antiquated against even the earliest tanks of the war. Soon new efforts were developed to counter the tanks. Here is our effort to lay out what we consider...

Currently, there are only a few, combat-ready, fifth-generation fighter aircraft models in the world. Two of those are American-built and include Lockheed Martin’s F-22 Raptor, which entered service with the United States Air Force in 2005; and the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, which entered service in 2015. While the Russian Sukhoi Su-57 finally entered service in December 2020, China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has operated its own fifth-generation fighter since 2017, the J-20. China’s Stealth Fighter, but with a Flaw It is the Chengdu J-20 – also known as “Mighty Dragon.” The single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather multi-role combat...

Thousands of National Guardsmen were forced to vacate congressional grounds on Thursday and have been photographed having to sleep in parking garages while temperatures in the nation’s capital were set to dip down to near-freezing temperatures. The photos of the living conditions that the National Guardsmen were forced to endure come after Democrats took complete control of the federal government this week following Joe Biden being sworn in as the nation’s 46th president. “Yesterday dozens of senators and congressmen walked down our lines taking photos, shaking our hands and thanking us for our service,” a National Guardsmen told Politico. “Within...

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. FReeper Canteen Just Hangin' Cafe Come on in, we're open Need a place just to hang out? This is it. We serve coffee, tea, conversation and music. Our AWESOME military, our AWESOME allies, and their families are welcomed and honored here. No worries in the FReeper Canteen Just Hangin' Cafe. Grab a cup and start a conversation. You never know who you might meet in the Cafe. Glad you could...

In August 2020 the United States Air Force was set to receive its 250th Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II, and with that milestone, the fifth-generation multirole stealth warplane became the third-largest fighter fleet in the service’s fleet. That number also accounted for nearly half of the total F-35s of all variants delivered worldwide to that point. The Air Force’s program of record is to purchase and acquire a total of 1,763 F-35As – and 48 of the advanced aircraft have been requested in each of the last three budgets, while Congress has also increased the purchase in recent funding cycles.

Biden forgets to salute Marines. Hears the command “Salute the Marines” in his earpiece, then SAYS those words out loud instead of saluting Marines. (Video)

Though not all the wartime military equipment made by Italy was top-notch, the Beretta Model 38 submachine gun was highly regarded by both the Axis and Allies. The Back Story Students of military history are no doubt familiar with the wide range of weaponry that made their combat debut during that conflict. Not only were new firearms seen for the first time, but new classes of firearms also proved their worth on austere, far-flung battlefields.