Apr 27, 2012

After a 2 1/2 hour firefight in Afghanistan Iowa National Guard Solders started wondering how they could carry loads of crew-served weapon ammunition over rough terrain like Jesse Ventura did in the movie "Predator."

Jan 9, 2012

Halfway along a 24-mile bike route through the German countryside of Rheinland Pfalz, Staff Sgt. Barry Homberg took a break from pedaling to refuel and reflect on a journey that had been longer than the 11 miles he'd already pedaled that crisp autumn day.

Jan 1, 2012

Perhaps the most telling signs of the 2011 Best Warrior Competition were written on the faces and bodies of its competitors in the contest's final hours.

Jan 1, 2012

As a young man in the '60s, Homer Hickam was idealistic and eager to experience what he thought would be the adventure of war. But if someone asked him to go secure a hill today, he joked, he would just sit back and ask for another gin and tonic.

Jan 1, 2012

For three weeks in November approximately 3,800 Soldiers and 1,000 vehicles of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, traveled into the New Mexico wilderness, to test and evaluate dozens of computerized, digital systems that could give the Army a future tactical edge, during an exercise called the Network Integration Evaluation 12.1.

Jan 1, 2012

"These kids come here with a sense of purpose and focus, laser-sharp focus. They know what they want to do. They know where they're headed, and doing Army ROTC provides a structure for them to enforce and develop discipline."

Jan 1, 2012

Sergeant 1st Class Leo Hess, an Army reservist and firefighter, traveled all the way from Afghanistan to Washington, D.C., to show his thanks to the town of Gilbert, Ariz. for its support of the military.

Jan 1, 2012

Engines rumbled in the background as hundreds of people lined up to attend the Army Ten Miler Expo this past October. Vehicles from all across the Army lined the lawn of the D.C. Armory: Helicopters, semitrucks and Humvees all waited to be inspected by the crowd.

Jan 1, 2012

When Ernest Fessenden sent his brother Staff Sgt. Chris Fessenden a remote-controlled truck in Afghanistan, he hoped that the truck would help keep his brother safe. It did that and more.

Dec 1, 2011

BY Dec. 31, a large portion of the United States presence in Iraq will be gone -- but not all of it.

Dec 1, 2011

ELECTRICITY, water, schools, hospitals, transportation networks and an active police force are among the things often taken for granted in the United States. In Iraq however, these services are greatly appreciated. United States Forces-Iraq has been working to develop these and other "civil capacity" elements there in advance of USF-I's departure from the country at the end of 2011.

Dec 1, 2011

BEGINNING in 2012, Iraqis will be responsible for defending their own borders and air space, and for policing their own people, both inside and outside their cities.

Dec 1, 2011

IN 2008, there were more than 500 military bases in Iraq manned by U.S. military personnel. Before United States Forces-Iraq leaves that country at the end of 2011, the future of each installation must be determined, and an appropriate transition must be made to either the Iraqis or the U.S. State Department.

Dec 1, 2011

THE number of military units packing up equipment and personal belongings is increasing as the U.S. continues to prepare its exit from Iraq as part of Operation New Dawn. But before anything crosses over U.S. borders, everything that is shipped back to the States must go through a thorough customs inspection.

Dec 1, 2011

BUILDING a strong and effective noncommissioned officer corps that lives up to the title of "backbone" takes time. Iraq lost experienced NCOs through attrition during the Iraq-Iran War and years of sanctions, as well as the invasion in 2003 and subsequent dissolution of the old Iraqi army.

Nov 4, 2011

Moving into any career is difficult, no matter where you start or where you're going. You must consider many things: Personal interests that translate into job skills, how to build a resume and, most importantly, the interview process. But when a Soldier moves into a civilian career field, it can be infinitely more difficult.

Nov 1, 2011

The Army is always trying to improve the standard of care Soldiers receive today. But with the emphasis on the new veterans returning, sometimes the veterans from previous wars are unintentionally forgotten.

Nov 1, 2011

Most teenagers spend their summers working, hanging out with their friends and grumbling about reading assigned for the coming school year. Very few would voluntarily give up a chunk of their vacations to study World War II history, and fewer still would do it eagerly.

Nov 1, 2011

John McCormick is a survivor. He survived two combat tours in Vietnam and came out a hero. He survived deep depression and suicidal ideation and came out addicted to alcohol. He survived his substance abuse and came out with a message for today's troops who face the same fight: You can conquer it all, but you don't have to go it alone.

Nov 1, 2011

Soldiers of all ages and disabilities participated in the 2011 Warrior Games. Injuries, illnesses and wounds vanished amid the enthusiastic cheers of onlookers and the athletic precision present in every event.

Nov 1, 2011

Retired Chief Warrant Officer 4 Daniel "Dan" Laguna should be dead. The former Green Beret should have died several times, actually.

Nov 1, 2011

On their patrols through a mountain village, Capt. Scott DeWitt's Soldiers knew they were safe from sniper fire. Sensors and unmanned aerial systems scanned the tops of buildings, rapidly feeding information and images to the smartphones carried by the Soldiers below.

Nov 1, 2011

The U.S. Army Security Assistance Command is known as the "Army's face to the world," maintaining relationships with more than 150 countries through its role in Foreign Military Sales.

Nov 1, 2011

Harry DeSmet Thompson is one of the 10th Mountain Division's oldest surviving "muleskinners."

Oct 28, 2011

The Civil War buildings at Fort Monroe, Va., are rumored to be haunted by Civil War era apparitions. Haunted or not, the place is creepy at night.

Oct 14, 2011

WHEN Soldiers open up pocket sandwiches in Afghanistan, they probably care a lot less about how they were developed than how they taste and whether they curb hunger.

Oct 14, 2011

SOLDIERS should always have their say.

Oct 14, 2011

Four times a year 30 Soldiers report to the Natick Soldier Systems Center to help researchers conduct medical studies and equipment testing to determine where to spend, or not spend, millions of taxpayer dollars.

Oct 13, 2011

The Integrated Logistics Support Center at Natick Soldier Systems Center has saved the Army refurbished more than 1,300 Mobile Kitchen Trailers, more 100 Containerized Kitchens and about 100 Laundry Advanced Design Systems returning from Iraq and Afghanistan since 2004.

Oct 7, 2011

The Force Provider system furnishes everything 150 Soldiers need; climate-controlled billeting, shower, latrine, kitchen, power distribution, even morale, welfare and recreation facilities.

Oct 6, 2011

From their heads to their toes, if Soldiers wear it these days, the Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center at Natick Soldier Systems Center, Mass., likely had a hand in developing it.

Oct 5, 2011

Solutions to problems don't usually fall from the sky. Exceptions to this rule come in the form of good ideas generated by the airdrop professionals at Natick Soldier Systems Center in Massachusetts, whose best answers to tough questions normally float gently to earth. With Soldiers fighting in remote areas of Afghanistan where resupply often must come from the air, that won't change anytime soon.

Oct 1, 2011

THE Natick Soldier Systems Center provides the science behind the Soldier. It's the only place in the world that is totally focused on the Soldier. This is what the folks at the NSSC in Massachusetts focus on every day. They answer questions like, "How can we give Soldiers all the nutrients they need while operating at high altitudes in the mountains of Afghanistan," and "How can we lighten the load of a foot Soldier on patrol in Iraq?" At Natick, it's all about the Soldier.

Oct 1, 2011

SO you like to go to extremes. The Natick Soldier Systems Center has just the place for you: the Doriot Climatic Chambers.

Sep 20, 2011

In the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, appearance is almost everything and plastic surgery -- to achieve the perfect body, the perfect face, and perfect skin -- is commonplace if tabloids and TV shows can be believed.

Aug 25, 2011

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq -- Statistics often tell only part of a story, but when it comes to raw numbers, the tale of Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment, 77th Sustainment Brigade, 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command lingers as one of precision and triumph over adversity.

Aug 25, 2011

Soldiers recall the fateful day on 9/11.

Aug 25, 2011

Their mission is one of the most challenging the Army has to offer: providing command, control and operational support to the high-risk detention operations at Guantanamo Bay.

Aug 25, 2011

It would have been so easy. All Staff Sgt. Tiffany Skelton had to do was take a few extra pills--she was on Zoloft, Paxil and three others--and she would drift off into a peaceful, permanent sleep.

Aug 25, 2011

September 2011

Aug 25, 2011

The U.S. Army Center of Military History provided Soldiers magazine with a compilation of data, illustrating some of the key events that have occurred in Afghanistan and Iraq over the past 10 years.

Aug 24, 2011

September 11, 2001 dawned as a perfect late summer day with beautiful weather and a clear blue sky. It was the kind of day almost anyone would be happy to spend outdoors"anyone, that is, but now-New York National Guard Capt. Thor Johannessen.

Aug 24, 2011

The Army builds Soldiers' discipline with strict routine, and civilians find comfort in the daily routines of their lives. But when a routine is disrupted, how do you adapt? How do you respond when your morning commute is shattered with the news that your office has been collapsed by a plane?

Jul 22, 2011

The U.S. Army is a well-trained, well-equipped fighting force. And behind every weapon, piece of armor and training that prepares and protects Soldiers in battle are teams of scientists and engineers who are solving complex problems and driving future capabilities.

Jul 22, 2011

Imagine going from looking at the outside of a building, to seeing the internal workings of its electrical system simply by walking around a display case. The sophistication of 3-D holographic technology allows just that.

Jul 22, 2011

TRAINING is integral to the nation’s fighting force, and the Army Research Laboratory is reaching out to moviemakers and storytellers to ensure that Soldiers get the most realistic and relevant training available.

Jul 22, 2011

AS Army Chief of Staff Gen. Martin E. Dempsey and other senior leaders define what the Army will look like in 2020, another group in the “D” ring of the Pentagon focuses on a black digital clock labeled “BRAC 2005 DEADLINE.”

Jul 22, 2011

SOLDIERS from the 399th Combat Support Hospital instructed Malawi Defense Force medical staff and Soldiers from the 404th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, May 5, at the Kamuzu Barracks, on a variety of procedures to help them better respond to combat-related injuries. The four-day course was designed to be an information-sharing exercise between the MDF and U.S. Soldiers who participated in MEDREACH 11, a humanitarian medical exercise that took place in Malawi.

Jul 22, 2011

SOLDIERS from the Uganda Peoples Defense Force and Georgia National Guard trained and lived together in the bush north of Soroti as part of Atlas Drop 11.

Jul 15, 2011

Spc. Nicholas C. Johnson, an infantryman assigned to Company A, 1st Battalion, 35th Armor Regiment, has been working with the Connecting Soldiers to Digital Applications.

Jul 14, 2011

“When the explosion came, it was like being in the middle of an earthquake. We were shaken just like that,” said Sgt. Mahad Ahmed, a U.S. Soldier for the 36th Infantry Division.

Jul 14, 2011

Several active and retired Soldiers from the 99th RSC and other Army Reserve units are giving young adults from around the world the opportunity to live in and learn about the United States through a student-exchange program.

Jul 14, 2011

"We do something the Army needs to get back into doing. A lot of the units don't have time to train. Why? Deployments, deployments, deployments. We fill a critical void," said Sgt. 1st Class James L. Mills.

Jul 13, 2011

Sgt. Mahad Ahmed was a member of Saddam's army when the U.S. liberated Iraq. He is now deployed to Iraq as a member of the Texas Army National Guard, helping improve his homeland.

Jul 12, 2011

A small, raptor-like unmanned aerial system called the ScanEagle is providing Soldiers in Iraq with an ever-vigilant eye in the sky.

Jun 29, 2011

The image is as tragic as it is iconic: A grieving widow or mother sobs and clutches Old Glory like a lifeline while a proud, decorated Soldier in dress blues and white gloves kneels and murmurs condolences “on behalf of a grateful nation.”

Jun 29, 2011

The Boy Scouts of America is the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. For 100 years, the award-winning Boys’ Life magazine has chronicled scouting’s commitment to give young Americans the tools, experiences and knowledge they need to make the world a better place.

Jun 29, 2011

One of the most valuable things a leader can leave behind is a lesson"a piece of information or experience that others can use to improve. The longest-serving sergeant major of the Army left this lesson: Take what you have learned and pass it on.

Jun 29, 2011

Every year the Army makes brand-new second lieutenants, whose job it becomes to lead American Soldiers.

Jun 29, 2011

May 21, 2009: Aberdeen Test Center employees Douglas Mauzy, Mark Henry and Joseph Gray were conducting an accuracy and fire-control test in a Soviet-era T-55 tank at the H-Field Firing Range on the Edgewood Area of Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.

Jun 29, 2011

Jun 1, 2011

THE Army’s Child, Youth and School Services’ Strong Beginnings pre-kindergarten program, designed for 4- to 5-year-old children, prepares young students for school with lessons in everything from science and technology to how to hold a carton of milk or carry a food tray.

May 31, 2011

WANT to voice your concerns about life on the installation to top Army leaders? Need help adjusting to post-deployment life, or maybe just a sympathetic ear? There's a Family program to help with each of these issues, and for just about any others today's Army Families face.

May 31, 2011

THE Army is working to ease the challenges of military children who move, on average, three times more often than their non-military peers and attend up to nine schools before graduating.

May 31, 2011

FROM strolling barefoot on the sandy shores of Waikiki, to exploring medieval European castles or the exotic city of Seoul, Armed Forces Recreation Center resorts provide an array of affordable, world-class vacation opportunities for eligible guests.

May 31, 2011

ACTIVE-duty, Reserve and National Guard Soldiers who are competitive on the national and international levels in any Olympic sport can apply for the Army World Class Athlete Program.

May 31, 2011

WARRIOR Adventure Quest is a training tool designed to introduce recently redeployed Soldiers to activities that serve as alternatives to potentially destructive behaviors.

May 31, 2011

WHILE providing premier recreation opportunities for Soldiers returning from combat is a challenge, it is particularly difficult for Soldiers who were wounded in combat.

May 31, 2011

FIRST Swing” Golf Clinics offer warriors in transition an alternative to traditional rehabilitation efforts.

May 31, 2011

EACH year, 14 to 18 active-duty and reserve-component Soldiers are selected to serve as cast members of the U.S. Army Soldier Show.

May 31, 2011

OPERATION Rising Star, the annual singing contest for U.S. military personnel and Family members, was originally licensed through Freemantle Media to mirror Fox’s most popular TV show, “American Idol,” complete with a trip to Hollywood for the winner.

May 31, 2011

THE Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command recently developed and produced an iPhone application, bringing its resources to customers and employees on a mobile platform.

May 31, 2011

WARRIOR Zones offer high-tech recreation opportunities for Soldiers who want to get out of their barracks rooms but stay on their installations.

Apr 29, 2011

In September 2010, the Army surgeon general authorized the creation of a task force to build a culture of trust throughout Army medicine-continuing its heritage of bringing value and inspiring trust with patients. As the surgeon general stated: "The Culture of Trust Initiative will permeate all facets of Army medicine."

Apr 26, 2011

May 2011

Apr 26, 2011

"A health care team that knows you well, takes care of your needs, coordinates other parts of the health care system and keeps the patient at the center-would you like that kind of care' People who answer yes to that will be happy with what we're doing," said Lt. Col. Timothy Caffrey, primary care staff officer at U.S. Army Medical Command headquarters.

Apr 26, 2011

Anyone who has ever deployed knows there are many protective actions that need to be taken prior to going overseas.

Apr 26, 2011

"Medic!" This cry has been heard on battlefields for centuries, beginning with Baron Dominique-Jean Larrey's establishment of battlefield medical treatment during the Napoleonic wars.

Apr 26, 2011

Gold and platinum aren't rare elements on today's front lines. Army doctors, nurses and medics are measuring the speeds of battlefield care in a "golden hour" and a few "platinum minutes" daily in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Apr 26, 2011

Some practices of military medicine were largely unchanged over the past decade, until 2008 when the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine was established. The AFIRM set out to research the feats of regeneration that the human body is capable of, and determine how those feats could translate to medical breakthroughs with the potential to change medicine.

Apr 26, 2011

A joint initiative between the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs aims to simplify and streamline the delivery of disability services and benefits for wounded, injured or ill servicemembers who are unable to continue service.

Apr 25, 2011

The enemy is stealthy. The enemy is lethal. The enemy is among us. Invading its host, it employs every subversive strategy-evading surveillance, blending in. It travels swiftly and undetected, replicates by the thousands and eventually overwhelms its target.

Apr 25, 2011

Pain is everywhere. It can be dull and fleeting muscle aches or fiery, chronic back pain. It can be the result of day-to-day life or stem from a specific injury-in other words, pain is unavoidable.

Apr 25, 2011

What do a Soldier, a pro football player and hometown girls' soccer team have in common' A propensity for traumatic brain injuries.

Apr 25, 2011

Soldiers take care of Soldiers. Period. It doesn't matter whether it's a commander or noncommissioned officer keeping an eye on a young specialist, or two battle buddies watching out for each other. It doesn't matter if it's carrying a wounded comrade off a battlefield, or making sure a traumatized warrior gets the help he or she needs.

Apr 25, 2011

As far as the Army surgeon general is concerned, even one patient is one too many.

Mar 28, 2011

THE U.S. Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps plays an active role in telling America's story. It's through its uniqueness that it is able to pass on a passion for music and history that its members say inspires and teaches the next generation.

Mar 28, 2011

Building on the success of Army Child, Youth and School Services, DoD plans to launch an initiative this year to improve the quality and quantity of child care available for Reserve Component personnel and families living in areas not directly supported by a military installation child care system.

Mar 28, 2011

BECAUSE Soldiers and their Families often report to a new duty assignment before seeking community services, the Exceptional Family Member Program is now reaching out to them through unit Family readiness support assistants.

Mar 28, 2011

Although there was a mini boom of construction during the 80s, over the past four fiscal years the Army's Child, Youth and School Services experienced an unprecedented surge in construction, resulting in increased access to modern, affordable child development centers for Army Families around the world.

Mar 28, 2011

THERE'S more than one way Army journalists convey Soldiers' stories so they resonate with different members of the Army Family. Former Soldiers Radio and Television director Jini Ryan and SRTV producer Chip Filiault reached out to the children of Soldiers and Department of Defense civilians to get answers to questions from a young person's perspective. The segment, called Army Kids, aired in Army Newswatch, the Army's flagship broadcast, and brought their reports into the homes of military Families around the world.

Mar 28, 2011

THE Army's Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command supports a variety of sports and fitness programs for children aged 3 to 18, involving more than 83,000 youth annually, with some 68,000 participating in team or individual sports.

Mar 28, 2011

LIVE homework help, part of a student support program dubbed Study Strong, is available from the Army's Child, Youth & School Services both in school-age and middle school/teen facilities and at home. It can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at Tutor.com/army.

Mar 28, 2011

ELMO wanted to play ball with one of his favorite people: his Uncle Jack. The problem' Uncle Jack was dead, and no matter how many times Daddy, Mommy and Aunt Jill tried to explain that meant Elmo would never see him again, at three-and-a-half, Elmo just couldn't understand why he wasn't coming to their family picnic or that Elmo couldn't call him on the phone.

Mar 28, 2011

IN an era of persistent conflict, our Army Families are called upon to endure many hardships and are no less critical to mission success than our Soldiers. Repeated deployments and extended separations place a severe strain on our Families, which in turn affects combat readiness, as well as enlistment and retention efforts.

Mar 28, 2011

LETTERS from loved ones can serve as morale boosters for deployed servicemembers. Soldiers magazine reached out to Army families, asking them to share letters Soldiers' children had written to their deployed parents. While space limitations preclude us from printing every letter received, the next several pages showcase a selection of submissions from kids of all ages across the country. On behalf of everyone at Soldiers magazine, thank you to all the Army kids who serve as sources of support and encouragement, not only to their deployed parents, but also to the other Family members who wait for them to return.

Mar 28, 2011

Aedan Turner, 4, plays with his dad, Maj. Dennis Turner. Dennis is a nurse anesthetist at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. (Photo by Tawny Campbell)

Feb 23, 2011

Soldiers Magazine, March 2011, Medal of Honor

Feb 23, 2011

There's a lot of American military history in the Kwajalein Atoll-on Kwajalein itself, and Roi-Namur in the northeast side of the island chain.

Feb 23, 2011

Mark Bradford makes sure Mother Nature is going to cooperate with the mission at the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site on Kwajalein, an atoll in the western Pacific.