Military Technology and its Awesomeness

by Chris Vegvary

What kind of modern world are we living in, where 3D printers exist that can produce fish scales to improve armor, or hypersonic spy planes exist, or a drone the size of a dragonfly can see what you’re doing without you knowing? It’s all happening so fast, and yet, technology works that way. It moves fast. One year, you have the top-of-the-line computer system, and by the next year, it’s been obsolete for the last decade somehow.

Fish Scale Armor?

Robots carry weapons into battle. How much longer before we have an army of Robocop-type (or Terminator-style) androids to do all the ground work for us? Obviously that technology is nowhere near completion, if it’s being considered at all, but one can dream. Drones may also being considered as pets in the future. What’s up, technology? You keep getting better all the time, but I still have yet to see an actual flying car, or a hover-tank, or how about some of that cloaking technology that makes you invisible to the human eye? That’s ok, I believe that one day, all the good stuff us non-military folk want to see in the way of military technology will be provided to us through patience.

Tiny, tiny drones

Build us an android, guys. We want to see something like Bishop from the movie Aliens, something that can function on its own while seeming indistinguishable from another human being. I know it’s going to take time, but when our technology gets to that level, I can’t wait to see what good surprises are in store for the military. Flamethrower sentry units? If they don’t exist, let’s see it happen. I’m not going to pretend to dictate the course of military technology (although that would be awesome), but I do like to suggest things even if I know they’re not necessarily feasible. Who knows what the future will bring…

This android requires a mechanic

But enough about that. While we’re living in modern times, it might be nice to use all the gear you can in order to get the job (whatever that may be) done. Therefore, under this article there are some links to certain military items that you may need to get by in today’s world. Check them out, you just might find several things you like.

Camping supplies - Knives/Tools - Bags/Packs - Hunting supplies

Is There a Real Life Iron Man in the U.S. Military's Near Future?

Is There a Real-Life Iron Man in the US Military’s Near Future?
by Chris Vegvary

In a world where there’s no such thing as people who possess the ability to fly without the use of a machine, or people who are invulnerable to any kind of pain or disease, it seems like the government has realized that the closest thing we might get to a real-life superhero (using that term as defining a person with extraordinary or supernatural powers) is the Marvel Comics character, Iron Man. To that end, there appears to be a project in the works for the US Military to start making suits based on the Iron Man suit, but unfortunately, it will not be able to fly anytime soon. Even though it can’t fly, just the thought of our armed forces out there being protected by suits based on Iron Man is a pretty interesting idea. Although today's Flightsuits are pretty cool, imagine one that lets you fly!

Will such a suit allow the wearer to fire repulsor beams from their hands and chest? My guess would be no, not anytime in the near future after they’re made, but think of the level of protection a piece of armor like that could provide. It can’t fly, but what if it can jump? What if it features hydraulics on the feet that can somehow launch the wearer some amount of feet into the air? It’s all just speculation on my part, but like I said, the idea is interesting, and there’s so many things that can be done with it.

Consider, if you will, the War Machine suit from the film Iron Man 2. You could have a suit with a shoulder-mounted cannon, machine gun or otherwise (I’m talking future tech here), along with several compartments hiding smaller, more tactical weapons to surprise the enemy with. The possibilities are kind of mind-blowing when you think about it. However, all this makes me consider one thing: what is the user interface supposed to be like? By which I also mean, how are the weapons controlled? If it’s anything like the A.I. Jarvis in the Iron Man film series, then my guess is it relies on your brain patterns and other ultra-high-tech such-and-suchery to know when to fire which weapon (again, future tech).

While this sort of thing is probably a decade or so down the road from being fully operational, what with all the testing still required (considering it’s still in the planning stages, I believe), it’s really interesting to see that the military is taking cues from our beloved fictional characters, because honestly, we feel like their technology is more advanced than ours, a little too advanced, and we kind of want that technology. To me, that’s awesome.

So unfortunately, we don’t have Iron Man suits available on ARMY NAVY SHOP for you to look at, but if you’re in the military, or you know someone who is in the military, and you happen to be looking for any type of gear including military clothing, accessories, flags, backpacks, and so much more, follow any of the links in this article and check out all our good stuff!

Obama Cuts Military Pay Raises To 1% - 50 cents a day for some!!!

Obama cuts military pay raises to 1%

Holy cow! I'm writing this as the world waits to see if Obama will get Congess to approve blowing the crap out of Syria. What many don't know is that during all of this, he reduced military raises to only 1%. Hey buddy, these are the guys defending out Nation. A private in the US Army starts out at around $350 a week. Lucky him, next year he'll get a big 3 1/2 dollar a week raise. Hmmmm, let's see, so Mr President, You're asking our American youth to join the military, defend our country, risk winding up dead or missing limbs, and how you show your appriciation is we'll be raising their already meager salaries in 2014 by 50 cents a day! What a bargain!

God Bless Our Troops

Sorry folks, but I don't understand how we sit back and watch this nonsense. Nothing against unions, teachers, etc. God bless any organization that can bargain in good faith to get a good salary for workers. The National average pay for teachers back in 2011 was $56,069 a year, so I'm sure it's a bit higher now. God knows teachers deserve a good salary, and many deserve more than what they are making.... but c'mon man, are we saying that a soldier, making a mere $18,200 a year , around one third of what a teacher makes, should only get a 50 cent a day raise? 

This Obama guy originally said he was going after the rich - that they should pay more in taxes. Now he cuts military raises  to 1%.  These patriotic guys, who are defending our country deserve more than a half a buck a day Mr. President! If we wind up in another war, how long do you think it will be before you'll have to bring back the draft? Patriotic or not, many of our youth will just weigh it out and say that for just a little less, they'd rather work at McDonalds and risk being burned on a griddle. At least at McDonalds, if they do a good job they'll get a raise, and when they do it will surely be more than a half a buck a day!

God Bless America and the men and women that defend it!

Army Navy Shop

Yesterday Was Purple Heart Recognition Day and I'm Pissed!

I hope anyone reading this will forgive my rant - I usually don't do this, but there is something wrong in this Country, when it is all over the news that our President was on the Jay Leno show and there is hardly a mention of the brave men and women who were seriously wounded defending our freedoms. How many of us even knew that yesterday, August 7th was Purple Heart Recognition Day?

I checked Huffington Post this morning - and if you search for it, you'll find it, but what about the first page?
Doesn't it matter that the Purple Heart is a symbol of our appreciation to soldiers and their families, who sacrificed?  Isn't that more important than three people winning the PowerBall? That made headlines on Yahoo!

It's time the Press got their priorities straight. Even the Conservative Fox News got it wrong. The big new yesterday was that 'terror threats mount as President Obama laughs it up with Jay Leno'. I'm not a fan of Obama, and I'm sure it's important news, and I don't want to make this political, but c'mon guys - where's your story on honoring those who gave you the right to broadcast in the first place?

I'm pissed! We all sit in our comfy little homes pretending that the freedoms we take for granted just fell on us - that they just are. Men and women died or lost limbs for those rights! We all know about Kim Kardashian having a baby, but who knows the name Travis Mills? There is a picture of him below:

Travis Mills

There have been about two million Purple Hearts given to our fallen and injured since George Washington gave the first one to Sergeant William Brown of the 5th Connecticut Regiment of the Connecticut Line.
Two million sacrifices, and yet most Americans don't even know what the Purple Heart looks like. We know what our flag looks like. We should know what the award given to those who defended our flag and paid dearly  looks like!



Well folks, I'm an American, and I'm proud, and I'm pissed! I'm pissed that the freedoms that the press have - the freedoms that they have because of people like Travis Mills, are being abused!

The left is bashing the right, the right is bashing the left, and the people in the middle - most of America, are left listening to a bunch of bullshit fed to us by our 'un-biased' press!
...Only my opinion, but WE THE PEOPLE are sick of it!

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Our Website Strongly Supports America - ArmyNavyShop.com

What's All This Talk About Challenge Coins?

So, what the hell is a challenge coin anyway? Most people in the military know exactly what they are, but I figured a blog is a good place to write about challenge coins and to let those who do not know in on the secret.

 

U. S. Air Force Europe Challenge Coin

 

Challenge Coins were first used during World War I as a morale booster and to reward soldiers for their service. Today's challenge coins are beautifully made and reflect the particular branch of the military the person is/was in or whatever profession the person belongs to. 

 

But more important than that, and why they are called 'challenge coins' in the first place is the meaning behind them. When someone throws a challenge coin on the bar, he is challenging everyone in his group to produce their coin also. The last person to produce his has to buy a round for his entire group. That is the most common use, but some groups carry it farther, with playful beatings etc.

 

An excellent gift for any soldier returning from duty is a challenge coin for his particular branch of the military. Many coins today will signify what branch, what ship, what aircraft etc. There are even Challenge Coins made for civilians, like law enforcement officers  and firemen. It is a proud symbol and the people who own them carry them at all times.

Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan Challenge Coin 

 

Whether you are looking for one coin for someone's birthday or you want to give your entire group a token of your appreciation, challenge coins are an excellent choice. Army Navy Shop carries hundreds of styles, so take a peek.

New Tee Shirts!

ArmyNavyShop.com has some new tee shirts worth mentioning! We recently attended a trade show and picked up some new suppliers. We now offer tee shirts for hunters, gun enthusiasts and even firemen. Here are a few samples of these fine tee shirts:

Fireman Tee Shirt

 

NRA Tee Shirt

 

Hunter Tee Shirt

 

LOTS MORE AT ARMY NAVY SHOP!

 

 

 

 

Help Rebuild New Jersey - from an Army Navy Store

If you are from the Jersey shore as we are, then you can understand the toll Hurricane Sandy has taken on our lives. Everything has changed and nothing can possibly ever go back to the way it was. Although the warehouse that holds our online army navy store products was not damaged or flooded, we were without power, so had to shut down for a few days. We were one of the few lucky ones. For years, our shore was hit with minor storms and always left unscathed. There was never a cause for concern. When you spoke about the jersey shore, it was about its enjoyment and beauty.

The New Jersey shore areas are known for their funnel cakes, amusement rides, games and gorgeous beaches. Out-of-towners travelled this way for fun, excitement, golden tans and relaxation. Point Pleasant beach and Jenkinsons Boardwalk was always known for being very family oriented. It was a great place to take your family and enjoy the ocean air.

There are plenty of other shore points that were known for summer vacationing. Some of those places are Seaside Heights, Sea Bright, Belmar, Long Beach Island and Atlantic City. A very popular MTV reality show, “Jersey Shore” brought a huge amount of money and fame to the area of Seaside Heights. Fans of the show would travel to the area just to catch a glimpse of their famous cast member.

Unfortunately, due to Hurricane Sandy that struck the last week in October, these areas are in ruins. There are multi-million dollar homes that are full of sand and water. Some of these homes were dragged out to sea and others were completely ripped to shreds. There are a ton of people without homes and left with absolutely nothing.

Fortunately, there are people that are doing whatever they can to donate or help out these people affected by the hurricane. There are food pantries that are filled with canned goods, bottled water, blankets and other necessities. Also, filled with baby products as well; things like diapers and formula. It is a horrible time for New Jersey and other states affected by this horrible storm. Although, with the help of wonderful people; we can start fresh and rebuild.

If you are wondering how you can help, there are tons of local groups, as well as federal associations that are pitching in. You can look online to see what drives are open and what days. The best website to visit is www.ready.gov. Another great way to help would be to visit your local army navy store and purchase supplies to send to these people affected. Every little bit counts. Please lend a hand!