My Long Road to the SA-35

My dad was so annoyed by this phone call — the teacher had it on speaker phone in the office — that I could hear his sigh and eye roll through the speaker. The teacher demanded a parent/teacher meeting to sit down and discuss my behavior. My crime? Instead of reading the assigned material in ...

By Bradley Johnson •

M40 Sniper Rifle – A Vietnam War Icon

The M40 rifle might be the most recognizable of all American sniper rifles. Its birth coincided with a need for a precision instrument in the steamy jungles of Vietnam, and its legacy was built by those who relied on its performance. Its accuracy, reliability, and endurance have given rise to a g...

By Cory Ross •

POTD: Sniper Diplomacy in Lampung - HK G28 vs. M110

When U.S. Marines, Japanese soldiers, and Indonesian Marines share a firing line, the only language that matters is muzzle discipline and hits. During Exercise Super Garuda Shield 26 near Lampung, Indonesia, a scout with Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Marine Rotational Force...

By Eric B •

Alamo Scouts: America’s Undefeated WWII Recon Force

The Alamo Scouts emerged from one of the most demanding and complex theaters of World War II, the vast and unforgiving Southwest Pacific. By late 1943, Allied forces under General Douglas MacArthur were pushing steadily northward along the New Guinea coast, preparing for the eventual return to th...

By Eugene Nielsen •

‘Tropic Lightning’ Enables Soldiers to Forge C2 Capabilities in the Dirt

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii — Leaning forward, his face smudged with camouflage paint, U.S. Army Maj. Nathan Sitterley analyzed the flow of data across his laptop screen. From inside a tactical operations center at East Range, the battalion executive officer for the 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry ...

By Eric G •

How the AMPV Killed the M113

If you spend five minutes talking to anyone who has served in an Armored Brigade Combat Team, they’ll tell you that the tanks and infantry fighting vehicles usually get all the glory. The public fixates on the 120mm smoothbore cannons and 25mm Bushmaster chainguns punching holes in targets acro...

By Mason Berryman •

The 30 Year Search for the Army’s Squad Automatic Weapon

As the introduction of the SIG M250 potentially opens a new chapter in the U.S. Army's squad automatic weapon story, or more accurately, the GPMG role, it is worth looking back at the excitement around the M249 when it was adopted. The U.S. Army type-classified the M249 on February 1, 1982, ...

By Lynndon Schooler •
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