Military History Archives - Task & Purpose

By Patrick Baker Aug 13, 2020

History

How the battle of Iwo Jima defined shared moments

In this video we cover the BAR and it’s role in the famous battle of Iwo Jima. Weighing in at...

By John Wilkens, The San Diego Union-Tribune Jul 26, 2020

News

Racial justice turns to Navy ships named for Confederate battles, segregationists

Statues have been toppled. Flags have been lowered. America's reckoning with its history of racism has spread across the country...

By Task & Purpose Mar 4, 2020

Military Tech

Why was the Army’s XM-8 Future Weapon Series Canceled?

In the 1990's H&K developed the XM29 OICW to replace the M-16. What followed was a multiple decades-long adventure through...

By Task & Purpose Mar 4, 2020

Military Tech

NEW Special Forces Guns the MG 338 and Barrett MRAD .338 NM

SOCOM is officially testing out the SIG Sauer MG338 Norma Magnum chambered replacement for the M240 Bravo. Will this finally...

By Task & Purpose Mar 3, 2020

History

Infantry Evolution Army Marines From Rome to Rifles v3

In this video, we discover the cultural changes that played an unseen hand in the development of warfare. Did you...

By Task & Purpose Mar 3, 2020

Analysis

Where Will the Infantry Fight Future Wars?

Why is the US military investing half a billion bucks into fighting underground? Drone swarms and chemical attacks could destroy...

By Task & Purpose Mar 3, 2020

History

How the Last Major Cavalry Charge Ended

Horseback units were made obsolete by the end of World War I but that didn't stop an Italian Cavalry unit...

By Chris Capelluto Feb 28, 2020

Analysis

How Infantry Warfare Evolved in Military History

The infantry has changed from Ancient Rome to the modern conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. In this video, we discover...

By Task & Purpose Feb 27, 2020

History

History of Animals in the Military: from Bears to Bees

Everyone knows about Army and Marine Corps dogs and horses. Military history shows us they will try anything once, with...

By Chris Capelluto Dec 16, 2019

History

The Battle of the Bulge hero who saved his entire battalion

December 16 marks the anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. This is the story of Medal of Honor recipient...

By Chris Capelluto Dec 7, 2019

Analysis

The history and evolution of military body armor

Military body armor has improved drastically over the last few centuries, and we have the details how

By Chris Capelluto Nov 21, 2019

History

Combat engineers: Destroying things and building them back up again

Combat engineers: Destroying things then building them back up

By Patrick Baker Oct 23, 2019

popular

Flask & Purpose: That time General MacArthur roasted the president

Flask & Purpose discusses great Generals and the speeches they gave upon leaving.

By Chris Capelluto Oct 9, 2019

Entertainment

The .50 cal Barrett sniper rifle’s strange origin story

Not many people know the creator of the .50 cal sniper rifle was originally a professional photographer who was inspired...

By Chris Capelluto Sep 11, 2019

Analysis

FN-SCAR: Is it worth it?

The SCAR rifle is loved by special ops. But it's still not going to replace the M4 for everyone.

By Anthony King Jan 3, 2019

popular

4 Myths Of Mission Command Everyone Should Reconsider

1. The Wehrmacht was the best at it and their military excellence relied on it. The idea of Mission Command...

By Tom Ricks Nov 12, 2018

The Long March

5 New Military History Books Worth Reading

Yesterday the New York Times Book Review ran my new survey of books about military history. Here are some highlights:...

By Adam Linehan Oct 22, 2018

Bullet Points

The Army Tried To Bury A Critical Report On All Its Failings In The Iraq War

An unclassified 1,300-page “unvarnished history” of the Iraq War is at the center of a heated debate among Army leaders...

By Dan Grazier Sep 13, 2018

The Long March

Why The OODA Loop Is Forever

John Boyd forever changed the way the United States fights wars, both on the ground and in the air. This...

By Tom Ricks Sep 7, 2018

The Long March

That Time The Red Army Lost 9,000 Tanks In 2 Months, And Other Military History Facts We Didn’t Know

The Red Army lost 9,000 tanks in just two months, July and August 1943. Think about that. The minority white...

By Tom Ricks Aug 13, 2018

The Long March

The US Tradition Of Civilian Control Of The Military Started Here

Editor’s note: The Long March will be closed for inventory the month of August. We regret any inconvenience this causes...

By Joseph T. Glatthaar Jul 26, 2018

The Long March

Book Excerpt: How The US Military Professionalized In The Early 19th Century

The year 1817 marked a dramatic transformation in the U.S. military establishment. After several people turned down President James Monroe’s...

By Tom Ricks Jun 13, 2018

The Long March

Have The Germans Really Changed Much In The Last 2,000 Years?

On a recent flight to Texas the other day I read, for the first time, Tacitus’ study “The Germania,” mainly...

By Tom Ricks May 30, 2018

The Long March

The 8 Military History Books Tom Just Recommended

On Sunday the NY Times ran one of my occasional surveys of new books on military history and national security...

By Adam Linehan May 8, 2018

News

World War II Vet And OSS Legend Finally Honored With Nation’s Highest Civilian Medal

As a member of the elite Office of Strategic Services, Frank A. Gleason spent the final year of World War...

Military History

News

Featured in Military History

How the battle of Iwo Jima defined shared moments

Racial justice turns to Navy ships named for Confederate battles, segregationists

Why was the Army’s XM-8 Future Weapon Series Canceled?

NEW Special Forces Guns the MG 338 and Barrett MRAD .338 NM

Infantry Evolution Army Marines From Rome to Rifles v3

Where Will the Infantry Fight Future Wars?

How the Last Major Cavalry Charge Ended

How Infantry Warfare Evolved in Military History

History of Animals in the Military: from Bears to Bees

The Battle of the Bulge hero who saved his entire battalion

The history and evolution of military body armor

Combat engineers: Destroying things and building them back up again

Flask & Purpose: That time General MacArthur roasted the president

The .50 cal Barrett sniper rifle’s strange origin story

FN-SCAR: Is it worth it?

4 Myths Of Mission Command Everyone Should Reconsider

5 New Military History Books Worth Reading

The Army Tried To Bury A Critical Report On All Its Failings In The Iraq War

Why The OODA Loop Is Forever

That Time The Red Army Lost 9,000 Tanks In 2 Months, And Other Military History Facts We Didn’t Know

The US Tradition Of Civilian Control Of The Military Started Here

Book Excerpt: How The US Military Professionalized In The Early 19th Century

Have The Germans Really Changed Much In The Last 2,000 Years?

The 8 Military History Books Tom Just Recommended

World War II Vet And OSS Legend Finally Honored With Nation’s Highest Civilian Medal