The US is sending 300 troops into Cameroon to help combat Boko Haram, the violent extremist group known for having kidnapped 276 female students in Nigeria last year.

The group has used mass violence across West Africa, and is responsible for multiple suicide bombings in Cameroon in the past month alone.

Cameroon's government has asked the US for help, which prompted the decision to send troops.

"This deployment will be part of an effort to conduct airborne intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations in the region," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said. "The troops will be armed, but just for self-defense — they will not be engaging in combat."

According to Obama, the troops will remain in Cameroon until no longer needed there.

Story by Allan Smith and editing by Jeremy Dreyfuss

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Measuring at just 17 inches long and nearly 2 inches wide, Raytheon's new "Pike" precision-guided missile can hit targets more than 1.3 miles away, James Smith, director of advanced land warfare systems at Raytheon told Military​.com.

"Pike uses a digital, semi-active laser seeker to engage both fixed and slow-moving, mid-range targets," Smith said. "This new guided munition can provide the warfighter with precision, extended-range capability never before seen in a hand-held weapon on the battlefield."

The release claimed that the 1.5 pound missile can launch from today's standard M320 launcher, and engage a rocket motor a few feet after leaving the barrel. From there, it flies nearly smokeless, making it harder for enemies to track or detect, until hitting fixed or slow moving target up to 1.3 miles away. 

"In the current configuration, the warfighter will enter programmable laser codes prior to loading Pike into its launcher. Spiral development calls for multiple-round simultaneous programming and targeting with data link capabilities."

The M79 40mm grenade launcher was first put into action by US troops in Vietnam, where the cartoonish "bloop" noise it made earned it a couple cute nicknames (Bloop Gun, Bloop Tube, or Thumper Gun, for example) that undersold its destructive capabilities.

At first, the M79 was a standalone weapon, resembling a shotgun with a short, wide barrel. Later, the M79 gave way to newer models, like the M203, or today's M320.

Grenade launchers became available as an attachment for assualt rifles, appearing below muzzels of heavy duty operators from special forces troops, to border patrol guards, to over-the-top movie druglords like Scarface's Tony Montana.

Grenade launchers became known as effective medium range tools, sending grenades much farther than a human arm could throw, but still had an arched trajectory that limited range and required some finesse to properly land.

Another benefit of the launchers was it's ability to fire a range of different grenades for different situations, like fragmentation, white phospherous, or smoke. Raytheon's update to this weapons system leaves the launcher unchanged, and simply offers a high tech new munition.

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NOW WATCH: Investigators say flight MH17 was struck by a Russian-made surface-to-air missile

If a bad guy wants to mess with someone, they should probably make sure that someone is not a Gurkha.

Gurkha are a legendary class of Nepalese warriors whose lineage dates back to the Middle Ages. Gurkhas fought first against the British during the colonial era, and the Brits were so impressed by their ability in combat, they decided to enlist them in their military efforts.

They’ve been with the British since the days of the British East India company, through to World War II, and even through the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their distinctive knife, the Khukuri, is symbolic of their heroism, bravery, and skill in combat.

A true testament to their ability is praise for their prowess from friend and foe alike. Indian Army Chief of Staff Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, once stated “If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying or is a Gurkha.”

Prince Charles once said, “In the world there is only one secure place, that’s when you are between Gurkhas.” Osama bin Laden once claimed he would “eat Americans alive” if he had Gurkhas on his side. Adolf Hitler said of them, “If I had Gurkhas, no armies in the world would defeat me.”

On Sep. 2, 2010, when Bishnu Prasad Shrestha was returning home after a voluntary retirement from the Indian Army, the train incident happened. At around midnight on the Maurya Express train from Ranchi to Gorakhpur, 40 armed bandits boarded the train and started looting the passengers.

He allowed himself to be robbed by the gun- and knife-toting train robbers. When they soon began to mess with an 18-year-old girl in front of her parents, who were watching helplessly, he couldn’t sit down any longer. Shrestha lost it.

He took out his Khukuri and fought the entire group of 40 robbers single-handedly, killing three of them and injuring eight others. The rest fled. After the incident, he explained:

“They started snatching jewelry, cell phones, cash, laptops and other belongings from the passengers. They had carried out their robbery with swords, blades and pistols. The pistols may have been fake as they didn’t fire. The girl cried for help, saying ´You are a soldier, please save a sister.’ I prevented her from being raped, thinking of her as my own sister. 

During the fight, he took a serious knife wound on his left hand and the girl took a small cut on her neck.

He was able to recover what the bandits stole, 200 cell phones, 40 laptops, a significant amount of jewelry, and nearly $10,000 in cash.

When the intended rape victim’s family offered him a large cash reward, he refused it, saying:

“Fighting the enemy in battle is my duty as a soldier. Taking on the thugs on the train was my duty as a human being.”

Bishnu Prasad Shrestha held himself to the traditions of his Gurkha regiment and training.

Today, Gurkhas fight with British, American, Indian, Nepalese, and Malaysian forces all over the world. After their service ends, they usually return to Nepal to become subsistence farmers. In 2009, the United Kingdom granted pensions at settlement rights to any Gurkha who served the UK for at least four years.

SEE ALSO: The craziest small arms maneuvers by South Korean SWAT, in 9 GIFs

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NOW WATCH: Here's what it's like to drive on one of 'the world's most dangerous roads'

The Department of Defense has released the name of the first American soldier killed in the line of fire during operations against ISIS, the Army Times reports. 

Master Sgt. Joshua L. Wheeler died on October 22 after injuries from small arms fire during a raid in northern Iraq that liberated 69 people from an ISIS-run prison. Wheeler was one of the Delta Force commandos who participated in the raid in conjunction with Kurdish forces. 

According to the Army Times, Wheeler, who was from Roland, Oklahoma, first joined the Army in 1995 as an infantryman. After enlisting, he "served in the 75th Ranger Regiment, deploying three times to support combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, before being assigned to USASOC headquarters. He deployed 11 times after that to Iraq and Afghanistan, according to information released by USASOC." 

Wheeler was the first US casualty of the ongoing operations against ISIS in Syria and Iraq. 

Although Wheeler died during the operation, the raid against the ISIS prison in Hawija, Iraq was a success. The operation freed 69 hostages, while five senior ISIS militants were captured.

The US launched the operation "after receiving information that the hostages faced imminent mass execution" at the hands of ISIS, Reuters reports citing a statement by Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook. The hostages included 20 members of the Iraqi Security Forces. 

The New York Times reports that during the operation Kurdish forces took the lead while US Special Operations Forces, helicopters, and airstrikes provided support. Four Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers were also wounded in the operation, the Army Times reports. 

After the completion of the raid Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, US Central Command commander, released the following statement: 

"Last night, Iraqi forces, supported by a US Special Operations team in their advise and assist capacity, conducted a complex and highly-successful operation that resulted in the freeing of approximately 70 hostages held by ISIL in an prison near Hawijah, Iraq. We commend and congratulate the brave individuals who participated in this successful operation that saved many lives, and we deeply mourn the loss of one of our own who died while supporting his Iraqi comrades engaged in a tough fight.  Our gratitude and heartfelt condolences go out to this young man's family, his teammates and friends."

SEE ALSO: US Special Forces mounted a risky hostage-rescue operation in Iraq

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Russia's Chief Military Prosecutor's Office has opened an investigation into the death in Syria of Russian serviceman Vadim Kostenko.

The office issued a statement on October 28 saying that preliminary results of the investigation confirm the Russian Defense Ministry's assertions that Kostenko committed suicide by hanging himself because of problems in a personal relationship.

The statement stressed that the probe is continuing and "all the circumstances of the serviceman's death will be investigated."

Kostenko's relatives say they doubt he committed suicide, saying they spoke with him by telephone on the day of his death and that he was cheerful.

Novaya Gazeta reported on October 28 that Kostenko's family has requested an independent autopsy.

Kostenko's is the first confirmed death of a Russian serviceman in Syria since Moscow began a campaign of air strikes there on September 30.

See interviews with Vadim Kostenko's friends and neighbors below:

SEE ALSO: Nigerian troops rescue 338 people held by Boko Haram: army

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NOW WATCH: Investigators say flight MH17 was struck by a Russian-made surface-to-air missile

A US military blimp, part of a multi-billion dollar surveillance program, has broken free of its tether in Maryland and was floating across the northeastern United States. 

The rogue blimp is one of two airships that is part of the JLENS program — Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor Systems — built and designed by Raytheon. 

The blimp, before breaking loose, was tethered alongside the other JLENS blimp in the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. The blimps were intended to be responsible for defending against possible cruise-missile attacks and other potential threats to Washington, DC, and other East Coast cities through the use of high-detailed radar imaging.

The two JLENS blimps were designed to operate in concert. One of them provides constant 360-degree scanning, covering a circular area from North Carolina to central Ohio to upstate New York, even as the blimp remains stationary over suburban Baltimore. The other focuses on more specific targets. Together, the blimps track missiles, aircraft, and drones in a 340-mile radius. 

Both blimps were designed to be unarmed and unmanned. But the surveillance they provide would be relayed to air, ground, and ship-based weapons which would be used to intercept an incoming cruise missile. 

According to Defense News, the JLENS blimps are designed to stay in the air for 30-day stretches at a time while reaching a tethered altitude of 10,000 feet. From that height, the blimps were intended to provide surveillance across air, land, and sea.

Raytheon notes that the blimp floats by helium-filled aerostats — and that the program's radars were intended to “protect a territory roughly the size of Texas from airborne threats." 

As of the end of 2014, the JLENS project cost the government $2.8 billion. Congress has approved another $43.3 million for the first year of the JLENS operational test. 

Ultimately, despite the massive cost of the program, the JLENS was intended to save the government money. 

"The analysis we've done says it's about five to seven times less than operating a fleet of aircraft to cover the same area over the same time period," Douglas Burgess, Raytheon's JLENS program director, told the Air Force Times in 2014. 

Despite the supposed benefits of JLENS, the program had been plagued with roadblocks even before one of the blimps managed to escape. According to an investigation by The Los Angeles Times, the blimps have faced such issues as being unable to distinguish friendly and threatening aircraft, being grounded by bad weather, and being incapable of providing continuous surveillance for 30-day periods. 

SEE ALSO: Fighter jets are tracking a US military blimp that broke loose and is floating across the country

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NOW WATCH: Here are the workhorse fighter jets Russia is using in Syria

The Army has a few ways it breaks down deployments, chief among them is the “Army Force Generation Cycle.” But that looks at how Big Army assigns different units to different missions. Here’s how deployment cycles actually work for soldiers.

SEE ALSO: Here's why the US military is replacing the M16

1. It starts by getting sweet new uniforms.

For soldiers, pre-deployment is a special time when one can shed the Universal Camouflage Pattern and put on a camouflage that actually works. Also that switch and the IR flags lets everyone know that a soldier is about to go to combat, allowing them to feel really special at the PX and commissaries.

2. Packing, repacking, then packing other stuff

Those new uniforms will get sweaty quickly as the unit packs, repacks, and stows gear for the deployment. Connexes and vehicles traveling by ship go first, then everything moving by plane, and then personal gear has to get packed away. All of it will have to be unpacked for inspection at least once during the process, and probably twenty times.

3. Being jammed like sardines into a flying can

Finally, the soldiers get to actually deploy. To do this, they get on a plane with limited access to hygiene facilities and then jam themselves in so tight that they can barely breath without inhaling each other’s sweat. Ladies, tell us again how you like a man in uniform, but go ahead and cover your nose while you do it.

The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee blasted the Army's effort to replace its M9 pistol today, criticizing the program as being full of "red tape" that will result in millions of wasted defense dollars.

Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, has released a new report in the "America's Most Wanted: Indefensible" series that targets the Army's Modular Handgun System, "exposing the Army's costly misfire in which it has taken 10 years and wasted potentially tens of millions of dollars in order to purchase simple handguns," according to a Oct. 29 press release.

Army has launched its long-awaited competition to replace the M9 9mm pistol in late August by offering gun makers the chance to supply the service with a new Modular Handgun System and the ammo to go with it.

The XM17 MHS request for proposals calls on gun makers to submit packages that include full-size and compact versions of their handgun and hundreds of thousands of rounds for testing.

In a break from tradition, the Army is also requiring competing firms to prove that they are capable of delivering millions of rounds of pistol ammunition per month in addition to delivering thousands of new handguns per month, according to the request.

Gun makers have until Jan. 28 to submit proposals.

Small arms experts have estimated that just the paperwork and unnecessary requirements could easily add $50 or more to the cost of each handgun, leading to $15 million wasted on paperwork and bureaucracy," according to the report.

"Worse, the Army may fail to field a handgun at all, because of the way it has structured this weapon system acquisition."

McCain criticized the service for spending a decade on the program, resulting in "nothing but a 350-page document micromanaging extremely unimportant details and byzantine rules the Army wants followed, many of which are totally unnecessary and anticompetitive."

"This failed program underscores the importance of fully reforming our broken defense acquisition system so that we can cut unnecessary red tape, maintain a modern fighting force, and stay ahead of our adversaries around the world," according to the press release.

One of the major goals of the MHS effort is to adopt a pistol chambered for a more potent round than the current 9mm, weapons officials said. The U.S. military replaced the .45 caliber 1911 pistol with the M9 in 1985 and began using the 9mm NATO round at that time.

MHS is set to cost at least $350 million and potentially millions more if it results in the selection of a more potent pistol caliber, sources said.

The competition will also evaluate expanding or fragmenting ammunition, such as hollow-point bullets, that have been used by law enforcement agencies for years. Earlier this summer, the Army's draft solicitation cited a new Defense Department policy that allows for the use of "special purpose ammunition."

The winner will have to be able to deliver 6,300 full-size pistols per month within a year and 3,000 compact pistols per month with in a year, according to the RFP.

The winning contractor will have to be able to ramp up to delivering 2.8 million rounds of ball ammunition per month within three years and 1.6 million rounds of special-purpose ammunition per month within three years, according the RFP.

"One of the principles of a commercial-off-the-shelf acquisition is that the government must be clear on what it is seeking to buy. This lack of clarity will likely result in top handgun makers not competing as many of them are not large defense contractors, which means that our soldiers won't necessarily get the best handgun that commercial industry has to offer," the report states.

"Or perhaps that's the whole point, and the Army already has a preferred outcome in mind and is just going through the motions with this 'competition.'

"By purchasing both handguns and ammunition from a single vendor on a single contract, the total value of which could exceed $1.2B, the Army's selection process favors larger companies over smaller ones and increases the risk that the Army will not select the best performing weapon, ammunition, silencer, holster and training system components available."

Current plans call for the Army to purchase more than 280,000 full-size handguns and 7,000 compact versions, Army officials maintain. The other military services participating in the MHS program may order an additional 212,000 systems above the Army quantity.

SEE ALSO: 25 phrases that only people in the military will understand

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NOW WATCH: Bernie Sanders is surprisingly pro-gun

The military has very talented photographers in its ranks, and they constantly attempt to capture what life as a service member is like during training and at war. This is the best of what they shot this week:

SEE ALSO: Top Metrojet official says 'only possible explanation' of Russian aircraft crash 'could be an external impact on the airplane'

AIR FORCE: A C-130 Hercules receives fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker Oct. 22, 2015, over the Atlantic Ocean. The two aircraft, assigned to Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, were training in Trident Juncture, an exercise designed to help militaries respond more effectively to regional crises with NATO allies and partners — improving security of borders, ensuring energy security and countering threats of terrorism.

Two pilots, assigned to the 71st Rescue Squadron at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., fly a C-130J Super Hercules during rescue and refueling training near Beja Air Base, Portugal, Oct. 23, 2015. The training was in support of Trident Juncture 2015, the largest NATO exercise conducted in the past 20 years, involving more than 35,000 troops from over 30 NATO member nations and partners.

ARMY: Soldiers, assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade, and Italian soldiers, assigned to Folgore Brigade, Esercito Italiano conduct a combined airborne operation at Lidia Drop Zone, Siena, Italy, during Exercise Mangusta 15, Oct. 26, 2015.

The Pentagon has suspended its multi-billion dollar trial blimp program outside of Washington, DC, after one of the blimps broke loose and floated around the country, The Los Angeles Times reports. 

The rogue blimp, which eventually landed in Pennsylvania after being trailed by F-16 fighter jets from New Jersey, was part of the Army's trial JLENS program — Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor Systems — which was built and designed by Raytheon. 

Before the blimp escaped, the JLENS program was taking part in a three-year operational exercise that was intended to determine the program's utility. However, following the escape, the Army has said that it will halt the program until it completes an investigation into what had happened. 

“It’s going to be a complete and thorough investigation, and it takes time,” Army spokesman Dov Schwartz told The Times. 

This suspension of the program was reiterated by Army Maj. Beth R. Smith — who said, on behalf of NORAD, that “[f]uture actions regarding the JLENS exercise will be made following the conclusion of the investigation.”

The loose blimp caused major disturbances throughout the northeast of the US. The blimp had an estimated 6,700 feet of cable dangling from behind it. As the blimp slowly lowered toward the ground, the dangling tether knocked down power lines and caused power outages for more than 20,000 people.  

The blimp also disrupted air traffic, necessitating the two trailing F-16s to update the FAA with the blimp's location. 

Before breaking loose, the blimp was tethered alongside another JLENS airship in the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. The blimps were intended to be responsible for defending against possible cruise-missile attacks and other potential threats to Washington, DC, and other East Coast cities through the use of high-detailed radar imaging.

The two JLENS blimps were designed to operate in concert. One of them provides constant 360-degree scanning, covering a circular area from North Carolina to central Ohio to upstate New York, even as the blimp remains stationary over suburban Baltimore. The other focused on more specific targets. Together, the blimps were intended to track missiles, aircraft, and drones in a 340-mile radius. 

As of the end of 2014, the JLENS project cost the government $2.8 billion. Congress had approved another $43.3 million for the first year of the JLENS operational test. 

Despite the supposed capabilities of JLENS, the program had been plagued with roadblocks even before one of the blimps managed to escape.

According to a previous investigation by The Los Angeles Times, the blimps have faced such issues as being unable to distinguish friendly and threatening aircraft, being grounded by bad weather, and being incapable of providing continuous surveillance for 30-day periods. 

SEE ALSO: Fighter jets tracked down a US military blimp that broke loose and floated across the country

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NOW WATCH: ISIS has its hands on a huge weapon

NATO has conducted its largest military exercise in over a decade.

The alliance has been flexing its muscles with around 36,000 troops engaged in combat scenarios on the ground, and a number of test missions using dozens of jets, tanks and carrier ships.

Check out NATO's mega-exercise captured in these stunning photos.

Produced by Lamar Salter

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Getting stuck in a minefield is the kind of situation where soiling yourself is understandable but not helpful. Most nations have agreed to stop buying mines and to destroy existing stockpiles, but minefields from decades ago are still a threat to modern troops.

Two airmen were stuck in a minefield just outside Bagram Air Force Base, Afghanistan in 2004. A group of British paratroopers were trapped by a field in 2006.

Here are some strategies that help troops get out alive:

Don’t move, but do call for help.

It’s much better to call this dog and have sniff out a safe route than to try and find a route out on your own. Photo: US Air Force Tech. Sgt. Samuel Padilla

If at all possible, don’t move. Call for help. It’s best if you can just call out verbally, but use a phone or radio if you have to. Minimize your transmissions. The signals could trigger remote-operated mines.

Hopefully, a nearby unit will be able to grab you. The British paratroopers were rescued by Blackhawk helicopters with winches and the U.S. airmen were saved by Army engineers.

Until rescue arrives, it’s imperative that movement is limited. In the British emergency, onesoldier stumbled while trying to catch a water bottle and lost his leg. Another slipped off the rock he was standing on and lost his foot.

Step in existing footsteps and tire marks

If no help is coming, there’s a threat of enemy attack, or you can’t wait for rescue, you may have to escape the minefield on your own.

Aim for existing footprints or tire tracks. These areas are less likely to have mines since the explosives would’ve been triggered by the soldiers and vehicles that moved over them before.

At the very least your own footprints leading into the field will be present, so follow them out. Remember to step in the actual footprint, matching your earlier position as closely as possible. Missing by just an inch could trigger a dormant mine.

Mines like the Claymore are commonly triggered by tripwires, so look carefully while moving. Photo: US Army Staff Sgt. Tramel Garrett

Remember to also watch out for trip wires as you step. You may not have snagged a wire on the way in, but these near-invisible wires could still be triggered by your passage out.

Finding your own way out

Of course, sometimes no help is coming and your earlier route may be impassable. In this scenario, you’ll have to clear your own way out.

First, look for any minefield markings you may have missed. Markers painted white and red, signs with a skull and crossbones, or signs with the word “mines” on it could mark the edge of the field. If you can’t see markers, try to exit as close to where you entered as possible.

Obviously, ground-penetrating radar or a metal detector is the best way to search out potential mines in your escape route.

As an alternative, you can slide a stick into the ground at an angle. Most mines are sensitive to downward pressure, so something entering the dirt at an angle is less likely to trigger it. Getting onto your hands and knees to do this is dangerous, so scan your area carefully before getting down.

If possible, leave anything metal with a buddy. Some mines are triggered magnetically and a rifle, compass, or even dog tags could cause an explosion. Once you get out safely, he can follow your path and get out behind you.

SEE ALSO: 'Hope to see you again': US and China warships keep crossing paths in the South China Sea

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NOW WATCH: Syria is dropping unguided bombs from helicopters, and they're killing tons of innocent people

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AIR FORCE: Airmen from the 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron load a missile-guided bomb into an F-35A Lightning II at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Oct. 16, 2015. Flightline munitions load training allows crews to practice in a realistic work environment.

Staff Sgt. Christopher Rector, a 459th Airlift Squadron special missions aviator, keeps his eyes on the water off the coast of Tokyo Oct. 28, 2015. The crew delivered simulated medical supplies to Miakejima Island, showcasing Yokota’s ability to augment the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s disaster relief efforts.

ARMY: U.S. Army Soldiers, assigned to 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, act as opposing forces during react-to-contact training, part of Exercise Combined Resolve V at U.S. Army Europe’s Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, Oct. 29, 2015.

US military officials have proposed boosting troop numbers in Europe to deter potential Russian aggression across the continent and against NATO members, The Wall Street Journal reports. 

Currently, the US Army maintains two brigades in Europe. Each brigade has approximately 3,500 soldiers, with an additional brigade based in the US that rotates into and out of Europe. 

Speaking at the Reagan National Defense Forum over the weekend, US Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said he would like to increase both the number of brigades based in Europe and the number of US-based brigades intended for rotation into the European theater. 

The Journal notes that Milley said during the forum that ideally, the newly formed US brigades would include mixed capabilities, including helicopter-attack teams, artillery units, and engineering groups. 

However, Milley noted during the forum that the key to increasing US troop placements throughout Europe was a delicate balancing act. He noted that although Russian aggression demanded a strong response to deter future aggression, too large a deployment could only further heighten hostilities. 

“The challenge here is to deter further aggression without triggering that which you are trying to deter,” Gen. Milley said. “It is a very difficult proposition.”

According to The Journal, Milley said the Army was also currently engaging in developing new training programs intended to counter Russia's military operations. The new Army training focuses on preparing soldiers to deal with unconventional hybrid tactics, such as what Russia used in Crimea and eastern Ukraine. 

Although Milley floated the idea of boosting deployments throughout Europe, the plan still has to be approved by the White House before it can be put into effect. 

The US's and Russia's relationship is currently under intense strain as Moscow tries to check US influence across the world. In Syria, Russia is bombing CIA-backed rebels that are trying to overthrow the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. In a sign of the tension, the US has moved dog fighting jets into Turkey that could be used to engage with Russian and Syrian aircraft in the event of establishing a no-fly zone. 

And in Europe, NATO concluded its largest military exercise in more than a decade on November 6. Although the exercise has been in the works for two years, elements of the exercise have been reworked to better address NATO's growing discomfort with Russia following Moscow's annexation of Crimea and military activities in eastern Ukraine. 

SEE ALSO: Here are the most dramatic photos from NATO's mega-exercise in Europe

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NOW WATCH: A giant US military blimp broke loose and traveled 130 miles

You can learn a thing or two from the lasting wisdom of the world's greatest generals.

Duty, honor, integrity, and, believe it or not, investment strategies.

We've put together a list of 13 brilliant insights from military leaders that are just as relevant to investors as they are to soldiers.

After all, there's nothing more important than character and brains.

Be wary of the day-to-day noise, and focus on the long term and big picture.

Gen. Omar Bradley

"It is time that we steered by the stars, not by the lights of each passing ship."

There's a lot of noise when it comes to the markets — whether the daily chatter of Finance Twitter, the talking heads on business television, or the high-frequency sell-side research notes. But that doesn't mean you have to listen to all the hysteria. And as Benjamin Graham noted, "It is absurd to think that the general public can ever make money out of market forecasts."

Source: The Intelligent Investor, An Inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do About It

Don't forget to reallocate your portfolio with time.

Napoleon

"One must change one's tactics every 10 years if one wishes to maintain one's superiority."

As you get older, it's important to change up your portfolio. For example, many recommend that as people get closer to retirement, they should gradually shift into bonds.

Source: Words from the Wise

Take the time to do your homework.

Gen. George S. Patton 

"Take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash."

"We're all just guessing, but some of us have fancier math," Josh Brown once tweeted. As Peter Lynch noted, however, "investing without research is like playing stud poker and never looking at the cards."

Source: Executive Economics: Ten Tools for Business Decision Makers, One Up On Wall Street

From the legendary M1 Garand to today’s M4 and M16 rifles, standard-issue infantry rifles have been the ubiquitous icons of the troops who carried them. But throughout America’s wars, some decidedly non-standard small arms have been put into service when a particular situation or circumstance calls for a unique weapon.

SEE ALSO: 11 quotes that show the great leadership of General George Patton

1. Stinger Machine Gun

This World War II weapon originated not from American arms designers or military ordnance boards, but from the creative minds of a few Marines from the 5th Marine Division. Using salvaged versions the aircraft mounted version of the Browning M1919 machine gun called the ANM2 (pictured above), the Stinger was constructed using an M1 carbine stock, a simple trigger, a Browning automatic rifle bipod, and an improvised 100-round box magazine.

Because it was based off the ANM2, the Stinger’s rate of fire was over 1200 rounds per minute, three times that of the normal M1919. It was truly devastating firepower in a infantry-portable package. One Marine, Cpl. Tony Stein, would demonstrate the Stinger’s effectiveness during the Iwo Jima landings on Feb. 19, 1945.

During the initial amphibious assault, Stein single handedly used his Stinger to suppress and assault multiple enemy pillboxes. Shedding his boots and helmet to move faster, Stein made eight trips back and forth across the beach, retrieving more ammunition and evacuating the wounded.

For his actions with the Stinger, Stein was award the Medal of Honor, which he received posthumously after being killed in action on Mar. 1.

The Stinger was a rare weapon; only six were ever made, and no surviving examples exist today. But is was a testament to the ingenuity of crafty and creative enlisted troops who wanted to get new capabilities out of their small arms.

The Stinger also foreshadowed the concept of the medium or general purpose machine gun, exemplified today in weapons like the 7.62x51mm M240 machine gun.

2. M3 Carbine

While it may seem like a Buck Rogers sci-fi prop, this weapon system was ahead of its time. It originated as an protype late in World War II. Provisionally called the T3, the system consisted of early versions of an image intensification scope and infrared illuminator mounted on a custom-built M2 carbine and powered by an external backpack battery.

Several T3s served during the invasion of Okinawa, inflicting a significant number of casualties on the Japanese forces, and was effective against night infiltrations of American lines. After the war, an improved version that could be mounted on standard M1 and M2 carbines using a conversion kit was developed. Type classified the M3, it also sported improved optics, increasing the view range to 125 yards.

M3s also saw use in the Korean War, but the M3 never was popular with troops; the heavy battery pack, fragile electronics, and the underpowered .30 caliber round didn’t sell troops to the idea of turning a six-pound rifle into a 34-pound monster. But the M3 demonstrated the potential of a night-fighting weapon, setting the stage for today’s infrared and thermal optics systems.

3. SOG-Modified RPD Machine Gun

The RPD machine gun is normally associated with the of the early Soviet military and various third-world arsenals. Nevertheless, the weapons got some unconventional modifications from an unconventional American unit.

During the Vietnam War, Military Assistance Command, Vietnam established a “black” special operations group under the innocuous sounding designation of Studies and Observation Group; the new unit consisted of Army Special Forces, Navy SEALs, and Marine Force Reconnaissance personnel. In 1965 and 1966, this unit was given permission to begin cross border operations into Laos and Cambodia, with the objective of observing and interdicting logical operations on the Ho Chi Minh trail.

Given the covert nature of their missions, SOG operators often carried non-U.S. weapons into the field.

The RPD was a gas piston-operated machine developed at the tail end of World War II by Soviet small arms designer Vasily Degtyaryov. It was chambered in the same 7.62x39mm intermediate rifle as the famous AK-47.

Given its place in Vietcong and North Vietnamese hands, the RPD was suited for SOG’s unconventional needs, but went a step beyond. SOG operators cut the RPD’s barrel down to the end of the gas tube and shortened the stock, bringing the overall length down to just 31 inches. SOG also modified the RPD’s drum magazine to hold 125 rounds instead of the usual 100, as well as adding a piece of linoleum to muffle rattling inside the drum.

These modifications created a compact, yet still controllable machine gun that only weighed 12 pounds. For a small, outnumbered SOG recon team trying to break contact with pursuing forces, the custom RPD was the last word in portable firepower.

Members of the military have a special language that is very much their own — these are 5 phrases that civilians would never know.

Here's a cheat sheet on what some of their most unique phrases mean. 

Produced by Eames Yates. Original reporting by Jeremy Bender. 

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Dalton Fury spent more than 20 years in the US Army as a Ranger and then as a Delta Force operator.

Fury is the pseudonym he uses for his writing, since his time in Delta Force, one of the US's most secretive and elite forces, has required him to conceal his true identity.

He made one public appearance, in Hollywood-grade facial prosthetics and colored contact lenses, on "60 Minutes" in 2008 to discuss his role leading the Delta Force mission in the 2001 Battle of Tora Bora intended to eliminate Osama bin Laden, as depicted in his New York Times bestseller, "Kill Bin Laden."

Fury said he wrote the book to set the record straight and donated all profits to a veterans' organization. He has since made a career of writing novels.

Fury sent us a collection of leadership lessons he learned in Delta Force and Rangers, which we've summarized below.

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1. Play well with your team, but remain the alpha.

Fury says that you need to "play well with others," as they say, but as the leader of a team you need to embrace the role of being a model for your subordinates.

"Arrogance, in measured amounts and used prudently, actually benefits an organization," he writes. "Of course, you have to be able to back this up with results versus rhetoric."

2. Let things go.

In 1994, Fury and his fellow Rangers would take monthly visits to the Ft. Benning cemetery to pay respects to the Rangers who were killed in the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu. After several of these visits, now retired Lieutenant General Frank Kearney gathered his unit and told them that it was time to move on from their grief and frustration, and that the cemetery visits would stop. 

"We had done what we could for those heroes, and it was time to honor them by physically and mentally preparing for the next action," Fury writes. "It was respectful, spot-on, and the right thing to do."

He says that this moment stuck with him, because it showed him that focusing on failures and disappointments held a team back.

3. Trust your instincts.

There have been several moments in his military career, Fury says, where a leader's confident, quick decision-making meant the difference between either a massive failure or victory.

For example, in the 2002 Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan, the Army's plan was falling apart from the outset. Senior leaders on remote bases were recommending Delta Force retreat, according to Fury, and couldn't agree on a plan. Then the Delta Force commander in charge of the operation, Pete Blaber, contacted his leadership and gave them a concrete plan of action. It ended up a major victory.

You'll never guess how camouflage helmets are made – the process is mindblowing.

Helmets are dyed with a process called hydrographics, which is kind of like printing with water, and also known as "immersion printing."

First, a thin film made of polyvinyl alcohol is printed with the camouflage pattern, and placed above a pool of water. After about a minute, the film dissolves into dye, which is when the helmets are dipped into the water.

The technique works for different patterns, as well as for different products and materials.

For now, the United States military uses fabric for camouflage, but this might be how they do it in the future.

Story by Jacob Shamsian and editing by Jeremy Dreyfuss

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President Barack Obama awarded the nation's highest military honor to a former Army captain on November 12th. Forent Groberg tackled a suicide bomber while serving in Afghanistan in August of 2012.

Groberg is credited with saving fellow soldiers' lives through his actions. He was also badly injured in the attack, which killed four people.

The ceremony took place at the White House and marks only the 10th time a living service member has received the Medal of Honor for actions in Afghanistan or Iraq. Seven more were posthumously awarded the medal.

Groberg was born in Poissy, France. He became a naturalized US citizen in 2001, the same year he graduated from high school in Maryland. He also competed in track and cross country at the University of Maryland before entering the Army in 2008.

Groberg deployed to Afghanistan's Kunar Province in November 2009 and again in February 2012. He was helping to escort two brigade commanders, three batallion commanders, and an Afghan general to a meeting with an Afghan provincial governor when his unit encountered a suicide bomber, in what Groberg described to the US Army News and Media as "the worst day of my life."

Initially, the bombers used motorcycles as a distraction while the real bomber prepared to charge the unit. "A man came out of a building, he was walking backwards, which was eerie. Then he started walking towards us," said Groberg in the interview with the US Army.​

Groberg, with assistance from another soldier in the security detail, Sgt. Andrew Mahoney, tackled him to the ground where the bomber's vest detonated.

"I pushed him as hard as I could, and I just wanted to get him as far away from guys as possible," said Groberg.

When the bomber hit the ground, he released the detonator. The blast killed four of Groberg's company. Thanks to Groberg's heroism, the rest survived.

"I remember waking up and my leg had the fibula sticking out," Groberg recalled for US Army News and Media. "My skin was melting."

Groberg spent nearly three years recovering at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and endured more than 30 surgeries.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald spoke about Groberg during a Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. He said Groberg is emblematic of the sacrifices made by every generation of veterans.

"Captain Groberg acted in a manner that saved the lives of many of his comrades. Tragically, he could not save them all," McDonald said.

"When he was informed last month that he would receive the Medal of Honor, he said, and I quote, 'This medal belongs to them," McDonald added. 

Watch the full interview with Florent Groberg below:

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NOW WATCH: The 5 weirdest phrases only people in the military understand