Squareheads, Blockheads and Other Epithets As Applied to German Soldiers of World War I

During World War I the belligerent soldiers had many names for each other, most of which were epithets or slang. Here are some of the names that were applied to the German soldiers by the Americans.

Spectra and Kevlar - Not a Fashion Statement

Over the years, many improvements have been made in military and police garments to increase safety and create bullet proof body armor that is both comfortable and protective. However, in the past, being safe has meant a certain amount of bulk and discomfort, as well as added weight and mass for soldiers and officers facing combat on the battle fields and in urban wars.

Pe-Trae-Us Rhymes With?

US Army General David Petraeus has been tasked by President George W. Bush with making his latest surge in Iraq work. Given troop strength, Gen. Petraeus knows it is a fool's mission. For the sake of ambition, he has pretended that it's doable. As a consequence more will die or be maimed.

German Memories - Attack on Roman Forces by Germanic Teutons & Cimbri

During the late 2nd century BC, the Teutons were marching south along with their neighbors, the Cimbri and the Ambrones, and attacking Roman Italy. The Cimbri were ferocious warriors who did not fear death. The host was followed by women and children on carts. Aged women dressed in white sacrificed the prisoners of war and sprinkled their blood, the nature of which allowed them to see what was to come. After several battles with the Boii and other Celtic tribes, the Cimbri and other tribes appeared 113 BC in Noricum ( the today's Austria), where they invaded the lands of one of Rome's allies, the Taurisci.

Business, Sports, War and Competition

Sometimes it seems that many military men who specialize in the history and philosophy of human warfare fail to see the similarities of human conflict with sports, business, politics and competition in general. If one were to remove themselves from the death and destruction caused by such acts, perhaps they might indeed readily see the truth of such.

Why We Need a Military Despite Critics from San Francisco

Perhaps you have heard about the city councilman or county commissioner in San Francisco who said on TV in an interview that he did not feel the US needed a military? Many veterans, historians and intellectuals could not believe their ears. Perhaps you are one of them, personally I was appalled. Then to make matters worse the gentleman asked:

Robots in the Modern Battlespace

Today the United States has many robotic fighting tools in theatre that are used every day, from the predator drones to the anti-IED robotic bomb squad units. There are hand-held UAVs as well. Currently being tested along our borders and in Iraq and Afghanistan are technologies I am not at liberty to discuss at this time - perhaps it will be all public knowledge in the near future. Indeed it does not take a rocket-scientist to figure it out - one only needs to read the defense industry rags from around the Globe.

The Use of Human Shields in Warfare

One more recent tactic being implemented by some rogue combatants and rogue nation-states is to use human shields, knowing the striking force will have to deal with the media backlash in the event they attempt to hit the target anyway. Luckily with very accurate smart munitions, this will not always work, but sometimes the tactic does work, for instance an enemy command and control which is located in the basement underneath a civilian school, hospital, religious location or apartment complex.

Mobile Missile Launchers - Hiding from Satellites

In the age of robotic mobile missile launchers and autonomous or tele-robotic border patrol sentry units any defending nation, which anticipates a surprise attack will strategically place their weaponry to protect it from the incoming attack. Tactics such as camouflage and turning off electronic signatures will be employed. We know from Gulf War I and Gulf War II that the opposing military often attempted to hide their military equipment inside of structures, behind buildings or dug into the local terrain. Indeed none of this is too surprising - it is just using caution to better the odds.

The Electronic Attack Option

Electronic Attack is an option of modern first strike military action, but it is not always the best option. This is because if you go too heavy handed and take out ALL the electronics, then it will be difficult to intercept transmission for Intelligence Gathering or use the electronic transmissions as homing beacons to pick secondary targets. One error that is often made as nations reach a political impasse and stop talking is that the rhetoric heats up and some nations over boast their military defense systems.

Future Fighting Force Needs

The future of warfare is indeed changing and so are the materials that are being used. We need to use more carbon nano-tubes in our war toys. We can use Carbon Nano Tubes with Lead Atoms inside to protect our equipment from Electronic Attack.

Ignoring, Ignorance or Iranian Insurgents?

Al Jazeera has stated that the Bush Administration ignored warnings of possible chaos going into Baghdad. Yet that simply is a copy of a headline in the New York Times, in which some top ranking Democrats are attempting to make some additional casting cattle calls. President Bush did not ignore the information, rather he took it duly into consideration. You must understand Saddam needed to be removed, that meant going in to get him, where he abandoned his army and hid for his life. In hindsight, it might appear that President Bush made the wrong decision, but in actuality it is the right one he chose.

CUAV Strategy Considerations

Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicles of the future will fight along side their human counterparts for a while, until eventually they will be so superior, that a human would not stand a chance. Of course CUAVs cannot beat enemy fighter pilots until they can modify their software and learn thru artificial intelligence. Indeed, there is also going to need to be some redesigning of these systems and their flight control surfaces. Many UAVs has spoilers to help them steer, but for the CUAVs to be truly agile the CUAV Spoilers need to be re-designed to remain efficient without killing lift or unnecessarily creating drag to maneuver as this is a bad strategy. As things advance efficiency is the most important.

US Marines - A Strong History Of Bravery And Service

The United States Marines are a highly specialized branch of the U.S. Military, known for their rapid deployment and amphibious warfare abilities.