This book is for the young adult who is interested in enlisting in the United States Marine Corps. It will walk him or her through the enlistment and recruit training process: making the decision to join the military, talking to recruiters, getting qualified, preparing for and learning what to expect at basic recruit training. The goal of the McFarland Joining the Military book series is to help young people who might be curious about serving in the military decide if military service is right for them, which branch is the best fit, and if they are qualified for and prepared for military service. Includes lists of books, web links, and videos; a glossary; and an index.

All new photo collection of the famed 88mm in its anti-air and tank roles on a variety of war fronts.

The illustrious history of the Third Marine Division is retold in this exceptional volume. The story begins at Camp Pendleton and follows the 3rd through New Zealand, Bougainville, Guadalcanal, Guam, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf. Third marine personal stories complement the history of the division with humor, tragedy, and bravery. Medal of Honor recipients listed. Indexed.

This new textbook gathers an international roster of top security studies scholars to provide an overview of Asia-Pacific's international relations and pressing contemporary security issues. It is a suitable introduction for undergraduate and masters students' use in international relations and security studies courses. Merging a strong theoretical component with rich contemporary and historical empirical examples, Asia-Pacific Security examines the region's key players and challenges as well as a spectrum of proposed solutions for improving regional stability. Major topics include in-depth looks at the United States' relationship with China; Security concerns presented by small and microstates, the region's largest group of nations; threats posed by terrorism and insurgency; the region's accelerating arms race and the potential for an Asian war; the possible roles of multilateralism, security communities, and human security as part of solutions to regional problems.

U.S. Marine Corps aviation unit insignia from 1941-1946. (From Prologue) During WWI Marine Corps Aviation personnel used a shoulder sleeve insignia. Marine Corps aviation unit insignia first came into use during the mid 1920's with the Ace Of Spades insignia of the 1st Air Squadron and the Running Red Devil insignia of VF-3M.

This book covers the short gun versions of the armored fighting vehicles known as the Sturmgeschutz.

Discover the spiritually incisive strategies for peacefully resolving conflict in this masterpiece of military strategy. Written 2,500 years ago by Chinese general Sun Tzu, The Art of War is a poetic and potent treatise on military strategy still in use in war colleges around the world. Yet its principles transcend warfare and have practical applications to all the conflicts and crises we face in our lives—in our workplaces, our families, even within ourselves. Thomas Huynh guides you through Sun Tzu's masterwork, highlighting principles that encourage a perceptive and spiritual approach to conflict, enabling you to: Prevent conflicts before they arise Peacefully and quickly resolve conflicts when they do arise Act with courage, intelligence and benevolence in adversarial situations Convert potential enemies into friends Control your emotions before they control you Now you can experience the effectiveness of Sun Tzu's teachings even if you have no previous knowledge of The Art of War. Insightful yet unobtrusive facing-page commentary explains the subtleties of the text, allowing you to unlock the power of its teachings and help prevent and resolve the conflicts in your own life.

At 8:15 a.m. on August 6th, 1945, the Japanese port city of Hiroshima was struck by the world's first atomic bomb. Built in the US by the top-secret Manhattan Project and delivered by a B-29 Superfortress, a revolutionary long-range bomber, the weapon destroyed large swaths of the city, instantly killing tens of thousands. The world would never be the same again.

The Hiroshima Men's unique narrative recounts the decade-long journey towards this first atomic attack. It charts the race for nuclear technology before, and during the Second World War, as the allies fought the axis powers in Europe, North Africa, China, and across the vastness of the Pacific, and is seen through the experiences of several key characters: General Leslie Groves, leader of the Manhattan Project alongside Robert Oppenheimer; pioneering Army Air Force bomber pilot Colonel Paul Tibbets II; the mayor of Hiroshima, Senkichi Awaya, who would die alongside over eighty-thousand of his fellow citizens; and Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist John Hersey, who travelled to post-war Japan to expose the devastation the bomb had inflicted upon the city, and in a historic New Yorker article, described in unflinching detail the dangers posed by its deadly after-effect, radiation poisoning.

This thrilling account takes the reader from the corridors of the White House to the laboratories and test sites of New Mexico; from the air war above Nazi Germany and the savage reconquest of the Pacific to the deadly firebombing air raids across the Japanese Home Islands. The Hiroshima Men also includes Japanese perspectives - a vital aspect often missing from Western narratives - to complete MacGregor's nuanced, deeply human account of the bombing's meaning and aftermath.

Noted authority Steven J. Zaloga charts the development, combat use, and influence of man-portable air defense systems, from the late 1960s to the present day. The first attempts at developing a man-portable air defense system (MANPADS) based around a guided missile began in the mid-1950s, as a response to the increased speed and maneuverability of jet aircraft. This book charts the technological evolution of the MANPADS and explores their combat usage and the lessons from these encounters. Besides detailing the missiles, it also surveys the various methods developed as countermeasures to the MANPADS threat. The first generation of MANPADS, such as the US Army's Redeye and the Soviet Strela-2 (SA-7 Grail), saw combat use in the Vietnam War in 1972 and the Yom Kippur War of 1973. The next generation of infrared-guided MANPADS, such as the US Stinger and Soviet Igla, came to prominence following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Since the 1970s, MANPADS have been used in innumerable wars, border conflicts, civil wars and insurrections. Featuring specially commissioned artwork and carefully chosen photographs, this study tells the story of these lethally effective weapons, from their origins to their use today.

Firearms have been studied by imperial historians mainly as means of human destruction and material production. Yet firearms have always been invested with a whole array of additional social and symbolical meanings. By placing these meanings at the centre of analysis, the essays presented in this volume extend the study of the gun beyond the confines of military history and the examination of its impact on specific colonial encounters. By bringing cultural perspectives to bear on this most pervasive of technological artefacts, the contributors explore the densely interwoven relationships between firearms and broad processes of social change. In so doing, they contribute to a fuller understanding of some of the most significant consequences of British and American imperial expansions. Not the least original feature of the book is its global frame of reference. Bringing together historians of different periods and regions, A Cultural History of Firearms in the Age of Empire overcomes traditional compartmentalisations of historical knowledge and encourages the drawing of novel and illuminating comparisons across time and space.

Shown are the various caliber heavy guns used by the German infantry during World Wars I & II.

For many years the designs found on engraved handguns has been found quite interesting. This book identifies the motifs employed, and determines engraving characteristics of various arms producing companies. To accomplish this, examples of .22 calibre handguns from 1855 to the mid-1870s have been examined and photographed, and a system of identification has been structured. By using this system, one may determine styles used within a particular manufacturer, or to compare similar styles used by more than one company. Among the manufacturers covered are: American Arms Co., Colt, Hopkins & Allen, Marlin, Reid, Remington, Smith & Wesson, Whitneyville, and many others.

This book presents the sound locators, fire control systems, and searchlights used by Germany in conjunction with anti-aircraft fire.

This book covers the guns that were emplaced along the Atlantic Wall by Germany during WWII.

A comprehensive history and typology of the European knightly sword from c.1050 to c.1550, that draws on evidence from literature and art as well as from archaeology. The resplendent image of the medieval knight is symbolised by his sword, a lethal weapon on the battlefield and a badge of chivalry in that complex social code. Ewart Oakeshott draws on his extensive research to recount the history of the sword from the knightly successors of the Viking weapon to the emergence of the Renaissance sword - roughly from 1050 to 1550. Evidence for dating is adduced from literature and art as well as from archaeology, and a detailed chronological typology of swords is developed, based on entire swords, pommel-forms, cross-guards, and the grip and scabbard. With clear illustrations and invaluable photographic plates The Sword in the Age of Chivalryoffers first-class reference material for all weapons enthusiasts. The late EWART OAKESHOTT was an authority on the arms and armour of medieval Europe. His other books include Records of the Medieval Sword and TheArchaeology of Weapons.

The 24th Infantry Division, the Victory Division, has distinguished itself as one of the most outstanding divisions in the United States Army. The soldiers who graced the ranks of the 24th Infantry Division earned the distinct of being the first to inflict enemy casualties on December 7, 1941, in defiance of the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor. As a result the Division's motto was selected to be "First to Fight!" Dubbed "Taro Leafers" because of the Division's Hawaii birthplace, their motto took on new meaning as they proved their ability to respond rapidly to crises anywhere in the world.

An illustrated history of Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida.

An illustrated history of Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida

This book features the most significant military rotary-wing aircraft currently in service around the world. The book also looks at the many different types of aircraft manufactured and designed within the European Union, and from the former Soviet Union. Helicopters have been grouped according to their respective countries. This book will certainly generate interest for readers of war related equipment and the role played by the helicopters.

German heavy artillery as used on all fronts and with a variety of sizes and capabilities.

This is the absorbing story of the development, combat use and legacy of the influential sidearms used by the armed forces of the Soviet Union. Featuring archive and present-day photography and specially commissioned artwork, this is the story of the pistols that armed the forces of the Soviet Union and its allies during and after World War II. In 1930 the TT, a single-action semi-automatic pistol developed by Fedor Vasilyevich Tokarev and firing 7.62x25mm ammunition, began to supplement the venerable Nagant M1895 revolver in Soviet military service. From 1933 the TT-33, a simplified version, was also issued; all three would equip Soviet and proxy forces throughout and after World War II, seeing action across the globe. In 1951 a new pistol designed by Nikolay Fyodorovich Makarov entered Soviet service; it became the primary Soviet military and police sidearm during the Cold War era and continued in use into the 21st century. The 9x18mm Makarov round was used in various weapons used by Soviet allies, notably the Czech vz 82, the Hungarian FEG PA63 and the Polish P64 and P83.The PM was quickly joined by the Stechkin machine pistol. Other specialized versions of the Makarov were developed, including the PB suppressed version and the 5.45x18mm PSM, a more compact version. Initially developed in 1990, the improved PMM version of the Makarov was intended primarily to increase the stopping power of the 9x18mm round by chambering a higher-pressure load. In this study, noted weaponry expert Leroy Thompson tells the story of the Tokarev, Makarov, Stechkin and other handguns in service with Soviet and other forces around the world, exploring the development, combat use and legacy of these formidable firearms.

In this wide-ranging work, Jacques Richardson documents the application of scientific research to the evolution of modern weapons, including some of the most lethal, such as nuclear-tipped missiles, biological agents, poison gas, silent submarines and stealth aircraft. He shows how the natural, engineering, information and environmental sciences are thoroughly exploited - and how social science is applied to recruitment, battlefield management and logistics, as well as the careful preparation of terrorist acts.

Describes the application of research to the evolution of weapons. It shows how natural, engineering, information and environmental sciences are exploited how even social science is applied to recruitment, battlefield and logistical management, and careful preparation of terroristic acts.

Provides a detailed account of the use and the design of the German heavy 24 cm cannon.

This book is the history of the highly trained officers and men who went by the cover name Beach Jumpers. Their top-secret mission was to create and sustain the illusion that a military landing was imminent at Beach A when in fact U.S. allied troops would hit the beaches 100 miles away at Beach X. During World War II, their tactics were extremely successful in Sicily, Salerno, Southern France, and the Philippines. Beach Jumpers later served ashore and afloat in Vietnam. Their descendants, called Fleet Tactical Deception Groups, continue their important, highly classified work today. This work details the development, major operations, weapons, and leaders of this deception group.

The Beach Jumpers began as a naval task group under the direct control of the fleet commander. The group consisted of specialists, officers, and men, trained to conduct tactical cover and deception missions, to include radio and radar countermeasures. The program was initiated by Douglas E. Fairbanks, Jr., the movie actor and son of the silent-screen star, who had studied at the HMS Tormentor Advanced Training and Amphibious Operations Base then at the Commando Training School, Ancharry Castle, Scotland. Dwyer's account follows the Beach Jumpers through training at Camp Bradford and Ocracoke and their first mission, Operation Husky, during the invasion of Sicily. Accounts are given of the invasion of Salerno and of operations on a number of Mediterranean islands. In addition, Dwyer recounts the exploits of the Beach Jumpers in the Pacific theater of operations. Part II traces the exploits of the Beach Jumpers and their descendants in Vietnam and during the post-Vietnam era. The volume includes maps, photos, and a diagram.