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Useful Military Information

Explaining U.S. Marine Corps Basic Training (Boot Camp)

Explaining U.S. Marine Corps Basic Training (Boot Camp)

Many Marine veterans have said that the Marine Corps training they underwent on enlisting was the most challenging experience of their lives. Around the world, the reputation of Marines being the toughest fighting force is respected, and the statistics support it: Marine Corps boot camp recruits suffer more broken bones than any comparable boot camp! What Training Do Marines Go Through? Basic training, also known as boot camp, is a process that all United States Marines must go through to call...

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Preserving Military Service History

Preserving Military Service History

Many military veterans are, rightly, proud of their service to their country and want to record it for future generations to note. Others might take it further and indulge an interest not only in their own service history but of their whole unit history. Of course, the US Armed Forces keep detailed military records to the extent that they are able. Multiple buildings house substantial military service records, from the United States’ founding to modern-day. Records from the Revolutionary War...

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Explaining Air Force Military Operations

Explaining Air Force Military Operations

How much do you know about the Air Force operations undertaken in this country’s history? The United States Air Force has been striving for excellence in its military operations since its founding in 1947. It has been responsible for some of the most awe-inspiring feats of logistics, both in wartime and times of peace. Imagery from a Training. Air Force Doctrine All US Air Force operations are oriented around the official Air Force Doctrine. Responsibility for developing doctrine rests on the...

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Explaining Marine Corps Units

Explaining Marine Corps Units

Marine Corps Unit Structure Marine Corps forces vary in the organization depending on the needs and manpower of a unit: Marines' smallest division is a fire team, which is three Marines and a team leader, usually a corporal.Three fire teams (12 Marines) comprise a squad led by a squad leader, usually a sergeant.Three squads (39 Marines) comprise a platoon with a leadership team of a platoon sergeant and platoon commander (usually a 1st or 2nd lieutenant). The platoon leadership also benefit...

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Military Associations: Veterans of Foreign Wars

Military Associations: Veterans of Foreign Wars

There are many notable US veterans organizations, but one of the most notable is surely the Veterans of Foreign Wars. The VFW organization is over 100 years old, founded in 1913 in Denver, Colorado. Multiple veterans organizations founded in 1899 on returning to the country after the Spanish-American War consolidated to form the VFW. It currently counts its membership at over 1.15 million. The only way of obtaining membership in the VFW is by being an American citizen, served in the United...

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Military Associations: The American Legion

Military Associations: The American Legion

Perhaps the most well-known veterans organization in the country, the American Legion is a non-profit organization of US war veterans, with a membership of approximately 1.8 million. A thousand members of the American Expeditionary Force founded the Legion in Paris in 1919 as a patriotic veterans organization devoted to mutual helpfulness. The American Legion was chartered and incorporated by Congress in 1919 and has enjoyed a high profile since its largest veterans organization. Ten of the...

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Understanding Military Job Codes

Understanding Military Job Codes

As the world’s largest employer, the United States Department of Defense has a complex system of military job codes to help manage employment in various military branches. However, each branch’s job code functions differently. Military Occupational Specialty Codes The United States Army and United States Marine Corps, the MOS code, or military occupational specialty code, is used to identify specific military jobs. This system is distinct from the standard occupational classification (SOC)...

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What is a Military Shadow Box?

What is a Military Shadow Box?

A shadow box is typically an enclosed, deep frame, glass-front display case for items of personal or artistic significance to be grouped and shown together. The items are typically held a short distance above the material backing the box, which creates a striking visual distinction. Shadow boxes can be used to display ceremonial weapons, medal ribbons and medals, unit and combat patches, rank insignia, and other meaningful items from a veteran’s military career. Why Are They Called Shadow...

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World War II Veterans

World War II Veterans

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How Many World War II Veterans are Still Alive Today? According to Pew Research, the number of living WWII veterans dropped to under 300,000 in 2020 from over 930,000 in 2015. The oldest of these veterans is Lawrence Brooks, an Army veteran born in Louisiana in September 1909, drafted at the age of 31, and sent to the Pacific front with the 91st Engineers. One of the 1.2 million African-Americans served during the war, PFC Brooks mainly cooked and cleaned for his superior officers. The...

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Explaining U.S. Coast Guard Operations

Explaining U.S. Coast Guard Operations

While being one of the smaller branches of the United States Armed Forces, the U.S. Coast Guard is vital to the United States defense and broader protection. Coast Guard operations range from air and sea rescues to drug trafficking interceptions. The U.S. Coast Guard were also a vital force in the support of D-Day, Vietnam War brown water operations and protection services in the Persian Gulf. Missions of the United States Coast Guard Broadly, the Coast Guard is responsible for three...

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What is the New United States Space Force?

What is the New United States Space Force?

If you haven’t been paying attention to military news for the last few years, you could easily be forgiven for asking, ‘What is the Space Force?’ Though it sounds like something out of a cheap science fiction novel, it constitutes a significant proportion of the ongoing defense budget. President Donald Trump instituted several changes in the Department of Defense policy during his tenure as commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces, but none more dramatic than creating a new branch....

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