Blake Stilwell

5 days ago | military.com | Blake Stilwell

Between 1978 and 1985, Russian radar expert Adolf Tolkachev passed Soviet military secrets to his CIA handlers that saved the United States an estimated $2 billion in defense research developments. It was an intelligence coup that earned him the nickname "the Billion Dollar Spy." Despite the care he took to maintain his position inside the Soviet Union's military apparatus and to protect himself and his family from the Soviet internal security service, he was discovered and executed.

5 days ago | wearethemighty.com | Blake Stilwell

Sure, troops getting bitten and envenomated by poisonous snakes isn’t high on the list of things the Department of Defense needs to worry about. It’s probably not even in the top 100, but for the guy in the unit who was bitten by a Saw-Scaled Viper while out on patrol. That particular viper is active at night, very common in Afghanistan, and is responsible for the most deaths by snake bite. It would take about 15 minutes to become one of the biggest issues a troop has out in the field.

1 week ago | military.com | Blake Stilwell

In 2004, brother and sister duo Rob and Brittany Bergquist started a small campaign to help a soldier deployed to Afghanistan. His wireless bill had ballooned to a whopping $8,000 as he tried to keep in touch with his wife and son. The Bergquists learned two valuable lessons. First, they were good at fundraising. Second, Americans want to help their service members and veterans. “I was getting ready for school one morning, and I heard the story of this guy.

1 week ago | military.com | Blake Stilwell

In 1921, the United Kingdom's foreign secretary, Earl Curzon of Kedleston, said of George Washington:“... he was a great Englishman, one of the greatest Englishmen who ever lived; because though he fought us and vanquished us, he was fighting for ideals and principles which were as sacred to us as they were to the American people. … [His] merits were recognized by Englishmen even in his lifetime.

1 week ago | military.com | Blake Stilwell

Tsutomu Yamaguchi was a marine engineer, working for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, on a monthslong business trip to Hiroshima. On Aug. 6, 1945, he was preparing to leave the city when he realized he forgot his identification. He was on his way back to the office when the first atomic bomb ever used in combat, dubbed "Little Boy," detonated just two miles away. While 160,000 people died from the bomb, he survived but was left with a ruptured eardrum and burns covering much of the top half of his body.