Steve Balestrieri

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

At 80,000 Feet, the SR-71 Crew Could See 3.5 Trillion More Stars Than Anyone on the Ground. The Sky Was Black. Stars Were Visible in Daylight.

I can never read enough SR-71 stories. It is one of the most intriguing aircraft ever produced, and it was so far ahead of...

Steve BalestrieriApril 15, 2026

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Military Word of the Day: Triethylborane (How the SR-71 Blackbird Hit Mach 3)

Lockheed’s SR-71 Blackbird first flew more than 62 years ago, and it remains as the fastest crewed jet ever. The Blackbird outran more than...

Steve BalestrieriApril 15, 2026

Trillions - 19FortyFive

You Can Join the Army With a Marijuana Conviction Now. You Still Can’t Smoke.

The use of marijuana or any usage of cannabis is currently prohibited in the United States military, but historically, it has been used recreationally...

Steve BalestrieriApril 14, 2026

Basic Combat Training, also known as “boot camp,” is the process in transforming civilian volunteers into Soldiers. Over 10 weeks, trainees will go through four phases that cover Army core values, physical training, first aid, hand grenades, obstacle course, basic rifle marksmanship, navigation, and three separate field exercises. Basic training produces Soldiers that are disciplined, resilient, physically fit and competent in their basic skills who can successfully contribute as members of a team when they arrive at their first unit of assignment. (US Army photo by Robin Hicks)

The Embassy

Psychology Suggests the ‘On-Again, Off-Again’ War Is the Most Psychologically Damaging Kind. U.S. Troops and Their Families Are Living It.

Mental Health and Psychological Stress In The On-Again, Off-Again Campaign Against Iran: US military warfighters facing the threats associated with combat operations over Iran...

Steve BalestrieriApril 14, 2026

A U.S. Sailor performs a safety scan of the catapult track as an F/A-18E Super Hornet aircraft positions for launch from the flight deck while underway in the Caribbean Sea, Nov. 25, 2025. U.S. military forces are deployed to the Caribbean in support of Operation Southern Spear, the U.S. Southern Command mission, Department of War-directed operations, and the president’s priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the homeland. (U.S. Navy photo)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

‘I Won’t Use It’: The U.S. Navy’s Autopilot Can Land a Jet on an Aircraft Carrier. Pilots Won’t Use It.

The U.S. Navy has systems capable of guiding an airplane in for a landing—some aircraft can land completely on autopilot. The very first airplane...

Steve BalestrieriApril 13, 2026

AT SEA (Jan. 16, 2024) The Nimitz class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), back, and the Kongo-class helicopter destroyer JS Kongo (DDG-173) from the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force sail together during a trilateral exercise, Jan. 16. The exercise allowed maritime forces from Japan, Republic of Korea, and U.S. to train together to enhance coordination on maritime domain awareness and other shared security interests. Vinson, flagship of Carrier Strike Group ONE, is deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Charles J. Scudella III)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

A 100,000-Ton Aircraft Carrier Drag-Raced a Cruiser in the Middle of the Ocean. It Was Only Using 3 of 4 Engines. It Almost Won

A nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, despite weighing over 100,000 tons, uses its massive nuclear reactors to move at speeds over 30 knots or almost 35...

Steve BalestrieriApril 13, 2026

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

F-14 Pilot Reveals When Air Traffic Controllers Asked Him to Buzz the Tower So They Could See for Themselves a U.S. Navy Tomcat

We all remember the iconic scene in the first “Top Gun” film. Maverick, played by Tom Cruise, tells his Radar Intercept Officer (RIO), “Sorry,...

Steve BalestrieriApril 13, 2026

The Embassy

Without Bias: U.S. Navy EA-18G Pilot Reveals Why Russian Fighters are So Much Worse Than Their Western Counterparts

While Russian combat aircraft excel in raw speed, maneuverability, and durability for rugged environments, they lack the advanced stealth, radar systems, and multi-role versatility...

Steve BalestrieriApril 13, 2026

A U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II conducts a combat air patrol over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, May 13, 2025. The A-10 Thunderbolt II can patrol over battle areas for extended periods of time and operate in low visibility conditions. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Staff Sgt. John C.B. Ennis)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

USAF A-10 Warthog Pilot Explains Why Fighter Pilots Run Air Conditioning At Full Cold When Flying in Alaska in the Wintertime

Taken at face value, the thought of A-10 Warthog and pilots of other military aircraft running the air conditioning full blast while flying in...

Steve BalestrieriApril 13, 2026

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

More Boomers, Please: The U.S. Navy Wants 4 More Columbia-Class Nuclear Missile Submarines

The US Navy is planning to build a dozen of the new Columbia SSBN guided-missile submarines, but it’d rather have 16. And they need...

Steve BalestrieriApril 11, 2026

19FortyFive

Steve Balestrieri

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

At 80,000 Feet, the SR-71 Crew Could See 3.5 Trillion More Stars Than Anyone on the Ground. The Sky Was Black. Stars Were Visible in Daylight.

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Military Word of the Day: Triethylborane (How the SR-71 Blackbird Hit Mach 3)

Trillions - 19FortyFive

You Can Join the Army With a Marijuana Conviction Now. You Still Can’t Smoke.

The Embassy

Psychology Suggests the ‘On-Again, Off-Again’ War Is the Most Psychologically Damaging Kind. U.S. Troops and Their Families Are Living It.

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

‘I Won’t Use It’: The U.S. Navy’s Autopilot Can Land a Jet on an Aircraft Carrier. Pilots Won’t Use It.

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

A 100,000-Ton Aircraft Carrier Drag-Raced a Cruiser in the Middle of the Ocean. It Was Only Using 3 of 4 Engines. It Almost Won

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

F-14 Pilot Reveals When Air Traffic Controllers Asked Him to Buzz the Tower So They Could See for Themselves a U.S. Navy Tomcat

The Embassy

Without Bias: U.S. Navy EA-18G Pilot Reveals Why Russian Fighters are So Much Worse Than Their Western Counterparts

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

USAF A-10 Warthog Pilot Explains Why Fighter Pilots Run Air Conditioning At Full Cold When Flying in Alaska in the Wintertime

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

More Boomers, Please: The U.S. Navy Wants 4 More Columbia-Class Nuclear Missile Submarines

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