Military

Much of the bunker looks the same as it did when it was fully functional.

Switzerland’s Historic Bunkers Get a New Lease on Life

As the shadow of war fades, the country’s former fallout shelters now house everything from museums to cheese factories

The Peacekeeper missile was the most powerful weapon in the U.S. military's arsenal until its decommissioning in 2005. This photo is of a test launch in California in 1983.

Wyoming Is Turning a Former Cold War Nuclear Missile Site Into a Tourist Attraction

The U.S. Air Force is working to recreate a Cold War stronghold

Hospital Apprentices second class Ruth C. Isaacs, Katherine Horton and Inez Patterson (left to right) were the first black WAVES to enter the Hospital Corps School at National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, MD. Photographed March 2, 1945.

Photographs Document Some of the First Black Women to Serve With the U.S. Navy

Black women were not allowed to join WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) until 1944

Three F-14 Tomcats fly in a tight formation over the Red Sea during Operation Desert Storm. The F-14s primary function was to intercept multiple airborne threats in all weather conditions and at night.

Operation Desert Storm Was Not Won By Smart Weaponry Alone

Despite the "science fiction"-like technology deployed, 90 percent of ammunitions used in Desert Storm were actually “dumb weapons"

A typical U.S. Army Meal, Ready-to-Eat.

Here’s What Military Rations From Around the World Are Made Of

From bibimbap to beans

A dog mascot named Whisky in the arms of his captain Wolfgang Erhart on board a German ship in the harbor of New York in 1962

The British Navy Has a Long History of Adopting Animal Mascots

Ships’ pets included dogs, cats and some other animals that were more unusual

A new Smithsonian Book by Gus Lee tells the untold story of Norman Schwarzkopf's work with young cadets at West Point.

How the Unflinching Norman Schwarzkopf Became One Man’s Guiding Light

In a new book, the general who successfully commanded one of the largest military operations in the Middle East is remembered by a man he mentored

Archival Footage of Parachuting Military Dogs

Shot in 1948, this incredible footage shows paratroop dogs landing in the Arctic to learn how to rescue plane crash victims

During the Cold War, the Military Had Plans to Wage War in Space

The U.S. Army's Future Weapons Office proposed theoretical ways to defend non-existant lunar bases

Soldiers of the 44th Division at Fort Dix, New Jersey, in a gas mask drill. The experiments however, exposed troops to chemical weapons without such protection.

The Tragic Aftermath of Mustard Gas Experiments in World War II

An NPR investigation is looking for victims of the U.S. military tests

The Telegram That Broke News of the Civil War

After Confederate forces seized Fort Sumter, a U.S. Army officer dashed off this message to Washington

That Time When Custer Stole a Horse

The theft of a prize-winning stallion gave the famous general a glimpse of a future that could have been

Thirty Years Later, We Still Don't Truly Know Who Betrayed These Spies

Was there a fourth mole in the U.S. intelligence system that blew these secret agents' covers?

Ask Smithsonian: How Does Night Vision Work?

The ability to see in the dark is becoming more accurate and more portable

Fireworks go off over the Moskva River.

Dazzling Photos of Russia's First Annual Pyrotechnic Festival

At an international fireworks competition in Moscow, leading companies stretched far beyond pyrotechnics' ancient origins

This concept drawing shows a swarm of "Gremlin" drones.

The U.S. Military Named Their Swarming Drones After This Fairy Tale

These "Gremlins" take their cue from WWII fighter pilots' lucky charms

U.S. Army Spc. Amanda Vasquez, with Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, salutes the flag in 2009.

The First Two Female Army Rangers Are About to Graduate

After completing a grueling course, two women have proved they have what it takes to join the Army's best

The Cape Hatteras Light of North Carolina, on the Atlantic Ocean.

The Lonely, Lifesaving Job of Lighthouse Keepers, Revealed at the National Lighthouse Museum

A new museum in Staten Island tells the stories of men and women who ran lighthouses throughout America’s history and shows off some unique antiques

Whatever Happened to the Wild Camels of the American West?

Initially seen as the Army's answer to how to settle the frontier, the camels eventually became a literal beast of burden, with no home on the range

A vintage Antonov An-2 in Poland.

North Korea's Military Still Uses Stealth Planes From the 1940s

The An-2 can hover and fly backwards

Page 14 of 17