by Sonner Kehrt, The War Horse On a late spring day in 1945, a boyish-looking 17-year-old reported to the Naval Station Great Lakes, just north of Chicago. His name was James Ryals, but everyone called him by his middle name, Jerry. Jerry had been so eager to serve that he’d …

Has Ukraine been using Russian next-generation Man Portable Air Defense System (MANPADS) units that its forces captured from Vladimir Putin’s army? Sources inside Donbas tell Soldier of Fortune that Ukrainian troops have been seen using the relatively new SA-25 VERBA 9K333 systems, which are believed to be the most advanced …

What military capabilities would Finland and Sweden bring to NATO if the two Nordic countries are accepted into the alliance? Both bring know-how, particularly in terms of operating in cold, austere environments, and in the icy waters of the region. The Swedish Armed Forces Subarctic Warfare Center trains its own …

Russia’s campaign in the Donbas region of Ukraine has “lost momentum and fallen significantly behind schedule,” and likely will not accelerate its advance during the next month, according to British military intelligence. “Despite small-scale initial advances, Russia has failed to achieve substantial territorial gains over the past month whilst sustaining …

The U.S. Army in World War II also issued playing cards, including a deck of aircraft silhouettes to help soldiers on the ground identify friends from foes.