Military

Code breakers use logic and intuition to uncover secret information. From ciphers in ancient Greece to modern computer encryption schemes, codes are becoming more complex and harder to solve. Who are the people breaking codes and how do they do it?

By Jonathan Strickland

Delta Force is the U.S. military's most elite tactical combat group. Yet the government refuses to deny its existence. Does a well-funded secret force that, allegedly, answers only to the president make the U.S. more secure or more vulnerable?

By Josh Clark & Sascha Bos

You probably have no idea what explosives smell like. But dogs can be trained to detect that distinctive smell, even if it's just wafting through the air.

By Susan L. Nasr

High-profile shootings often make people wonder if the victim or victims would still be alive if no guns had been available. But is that true? Are people more reckless simply because they have a gun?

By Becky Striepe

We're not talking about one of those laughable get-ups that celebs don when they want to go incognito for a latte. Nope, we're talking elaborate disguises -- from operatic to scientific.

By William Harris

President Joe Biden announced new regulations surrounding ghost guns. What are these untraceable guns that allow a purchaser to assemble them from parts?

By Patrick J. Kiger

New evidence shows that Big Tobacco specifically targeted U.S soldiers, because they were "less educated" among other reasons.

By Alia Hoyt

U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmers routinely jump out of helicopters into dangerous waters, risking their lives to save others.

By Patrick J. Kiger

Members of the U.S. armed forces and their loyal dogs have always had a special relationship – so special that the canine usually outranks its handler. What's behind this military tradition?

By Nathan Chandler

President Vladimir Putin ordered a partial mobilization in Russia during an address to the nation. What does that mean for citizens there and in Ukraine?

By Sarah Gleim

Underwater military bases sound super-cool, but what are the odds they truly exist?

By Diana Brown

Without question, they save lives — but they aren't 100 percent failsafe.

By Jerad W. Alexander

Sand turned to glass at White Sands Missile Range. What do we know today about the remnants of the world's first nuclear blast?

By Mark Mancini

The Trump administration wants to develop a new generation of low-yield nuclear weapons that could be used without launching an all-out nuclear war.

By Patrick J. Kiger

The history of the secret spy training school may be overlooked, but Camp X played a vital role in intelligence gathering during World War II.

By Ed Grabianowski

For instance, gun silencers don't make guns all that quiet.

By Dave Roos

Despite the phrase "going ballistic," the term "ballistic" refers to how a missile travels through the air, not its explosive capability.

By Patrick J. Kiger

The MOAB is the largest nonnuclear bomb ever used by the U.S. So what makes it OK to drop this bomb and not a nuclear warhead? We dive in to find out.

By John Donovan

Would populations boom and violence cease? Or would humans and human nature essentially remain the same?

By Christian Sager

In one of its more bizarre moments, the U.S. Army created voice tapes of allegedly wandering souls to depress Viet Cong morale.

By Alia Hoyt

It may make you run. It may make you throw up. It will definitely make you cry. It's tear gas, and it's no fun to be hit with.

By Robert Lamb

The term "semi-automatic weapon" is used in the U.S. media often. But what does it really mean? Is it just another term for a machine gun?

By Chris Opfer

Students at the actual TOPGUN school aren't as cocky as the characters in the movies, but the fictional version gets a lot of other things right.

By Patrick J. Kiger

Picture yourself deep behind enemy lines, taking calculated risks to gather information about the enemy. This is Army reconnaissance work. How can you earn yourself a spot among the reconnaissance ranks?

By Thorin Klosowski

Whether they're on the front lines treating soldiers' battle wounds or stateside caring for veterans, Army nurses are a trusted and respected part of the U.S. military. Think you have what it takes to be one of the military's medical elite?

By Caitlin Uttley