If you’d like to see the Wright brothers’ original airplane patent, documents signed by Voltaire or some of the …
Hurricane Sandy Scuttles Halloween Plans
This year, Halloween is nothing if not flexible. Storm-affected towns do their best to keep a soaked holiday still spooky.
Sandy’s Other Storm Clouds
The damage caused by Hurricane Sandy was shockingly widespread and severe. It will be days before we fully understand the actual cost to those communities most directly affected—and weeks before we can estimate the cost to our …
BattlelandWar Story
Rumor Boards of War
Major Charlie Wilson deployed twice to the Iraq war: first, into Kuwait in 2003 and 2004, and then to Balad in 2005 and 2006, both times as an S-1 — personnel officer.
In that slot, he got to see a lot about what makes …
BattlelandSuicide
21st Century Scurvy? Solving the Suicide Scourge
At first glance it sounds preposterous. Give Soldiers Omega 3, a substance found in fish oil, and they will stop killing themselves?
A leader in this research, Dr. Joseph Hibbeln, points out historical precedents. Sailors, …
Sandy: The Rare Natural Disaster That Isn’t Expected to Boost Gas Prices
Hurricanes are often associated with soaring gas prices, and sometimes even complaints from drivers about price gouging by gas stations as well. Experts, however, say that Sandy’s effects on gas prices will be mild.
In Love With Paris
A soldier pets Paris, a military working dog, during a security patrol in Khak-E-Safed, Farah province, Oct. 30.
Smoke-Free Laws Are Saving Lives
You can’t smoke in most restaurants and malls, and those laws may be responsible for saving thousands of lives.
BattlelandSpecial Operations
School Daze
A couple of months ago, Battleland noted something called the Joint Special Operations University at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.
Joint was a Pentagon buzzword at the time of the first Gulf War in 1991, and Special …
A City of Light and a City of Darkness: How Sandy Created Two Manhattans
In a flash, Hurricane Sandy darkened the heart of New York City, even as much of the rest of the metropolis seemed to live on
Hurricane Sandy: When Jersey Shore Meets Survivor
The lovely seaside communities of New Jersey (not the TV show) stood in the way of the superstorm as it barreled ashore
Climate Change and Sandy: Why We Need to Prepare for a Warmer World
After a campaign season in which it was the missing in action issue, climate change roared back into relevancy in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Bill McKibben, the writer-turned-activist behind 350.org, put it in stark terms.
“Known But to God”
Specialist Brett Hyde keeping guard over the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier during Hurricane Sandy, Oct. 29. Gives one chills, and a certain sense of pride, that troops honor their unknown compatriots at Arlington National Cemetery 24/7.