Military

Want to join the service? One prerequisite for joining any branch of the U.S. military is a test called the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). But what do the scores of this test mean, and how do they affect Army jobs?

By Denise Harrison

Care of our public spaces and buildings, plus our environment, is a big job. Fortunately, we have the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, an organization trained and tasked with the challenge. So how can you work with this group?

By Denise Harrison

Air traffic control specialists (ATCS), known also as air traffic controllers, are the crossing guards of the friendly (and sometimes not-so-friendly) skies.

By Chris Opfer

Israel's Iron Dome defense system is capable of intercepting - and destroying - thousands of incoming rockets targeting civilian areas. Here's how the sophisticated system works.

By John Donovan

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

By Alia Hoyt

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

Firearms get the historical spotlight, but what about the projectiles they hurl at insane speeds? Here are the innovations that gave rise to modern ammunition. Think of it as 10 rounds of ammo info.

By William Harris

From constructing bridges to blowing them up, combat engineers must have a head for spatial thinking and a heart that isn't faint. Ready to learn about these military enlistees who are as much action as they are equation?

By Kate Kershner

It's a delicate, hair-raising business that usually ends in triumph, but can, in certain circumstances, end in tragedy. Welcome to the world of a bomb squad technician. It's explosive.

By William Harris

Would you believe there are videos showing toddlers opening gun safes? Turns out some of them are not very secure. Why is that, and what should you look for when buying one?

By Julia Layton

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

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

Back in 1983 when the Cold War was in full swing, the U.S. was looking for an effective new tactic to deter a nuclear strike. The "Star Wars" missile defensive initiative, however, wasn't it. Why not?

By Jonathan Atteberry

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on NATO to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine, but so far NATO has refused. Could a no-fly zone bring Putin's invasion to an end? How would it be enforced?

By Patrick J. Kiger

The U.S. Navy SEALs exemplify unconventional warfare. Find out how conventional and unconventional warfare differ in this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

Was a dog really the first to encounter bin Laden? We may never know, but we do know that man's best friend has been serving in wars for centuries, getting soldiers smokes, sniffing out bombs and patrolling borders. Why do canines make such good soldiers?

By William Harris

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

By Diana Brown

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

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 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

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

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