summary:
             The M777 howitzer is used to to provide support for the infantry troops. The M777 is a much smaller and lighter cannon than the older one, it is almost 9,000 pounds lighter. The fact that it's lighter makes it easier to transport and requires less men to operate the cannon. The weight also allows the trucks that transport the cannons to carry more ammunition.

analysis:
           The M777 will help troops that are in need of assistance and is a faster and more efficient way to destroy the enemy.

question:
            how do you think the M777 will help troops?

citation:
M777 [Web]. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaOdd1xuudM

summary:
             Navy Seals is known to be on of the hardest training known to man kind. The program BUD/S is part of the training that the cadets have to go through in order to become Navy Seals. BUD/S  has a failure rate of 70%. The first week itself is known as Hell Week. on the first day the men are tested physically with almost 24 hours of push-ups, sit-ups and any other type of physical training.
analysis:
           It gives me a little bit of relief knowing that they're training the people they choose to defend our country to the max.
question:
            How would you feels if you weren't so sure about how the people who are put to defend our country were not trained well?

citation:
Navy seals bud/s class 234-part 1- welcome to bud/s[Web]. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQFRePXMI9M

summary:

              Before World War 2 segregation did not allow African-Americans to recruit into the Marines Corps. Then, in 1942 approximately 20,000 recruits were trained at Montford Point Camp. Even though their training was segregated, they went through the same process as all the other recruits earning them the title of "Marine." These Montford Point Marines went on to play critical roles in some battles like battle of Iwo Jima, the Chosin Reservoir and the Tet offensive.

analysis:
            Since this act, the Marine Corp has become a stronger military force. It made all the men, black and white, come together as one. Today, anyone is allowed to enlist in the Military no matter what color they are.

reflection question:
                            Why did it take so long for the Marine Corp to accept African-Americans?



   

summary:
              Basically, the military shifted from a peacetime military to a continuously wartime military. Even the types of wars have changed. They're not the tank-on-tank battles that soldiers have been training for. They're counterinsurgency campaigns, in which junior officers must assume as much initiative as commanders and all soldiers must be as attentive to community relations as to combat. A basic Army unit has been scaled down from a division of about 12,000 soldiers to a brigade of about 4,000 soldiers. Tanks and field artillery officers are not as important as they used to be. Manned air-crafts are now being controlled in a base by a joy-stick.

analysis:
            The military is becoming more technology friendly. They are trying not to put so many men out in war so that the risks of being killed are not as high. High armored weapons like a tank is not essential anymore to winning a battle.

reflection question:
                            Why did it take something as big as a terrorist attack for the military to be more aware of things?


Kaplan, Fred. "Our Soldiers and Generals Have Adapted Well to the Post-9/11 World. Here's How They Did It." Slate Magazine. The Slate Group, 2 Sept. 2011. Web. 04 Mar. 2012. <http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/war_stories/2011/09/the_post911_military.2.html>.

summary:
              This article talks about the future of robot soldiers. Scientists and people in the Pentagon predict that robot soldiers will be a major fighting force in the American Military. Gordon Johnson of the Joint Forces Command at the Pentagon says " They don't get hungry, they're not afraid. They don't forget their orders. They don't care if the guy next to them has just been shot. Will they do a better job than humans? Yes." Military planners say robot soldiers will think, see and react increasingly like humans. Robot soldiers are not yet running but there are several hundred robots digging up roadside bombs in Iraq, scouring caves in Afghanistan and serving as armed sentries at weapon depots. 


analysis:
            It shocks me how technology has improved throughout the years. Weapons used to take minutes to reload and now the Military is looking into robot soldiers. Even though robot soldiers are not being used today it is a good start to saving thousands of lives. The idea of a machine doing a soldiers job in genius, it may take a lot of money and time but the outcome is worth it.


reflection:
              Besides robot soldiers saving lives, how will this affect the lives of soldiers that depend on the Military for a paycheck?




citation:
WEINER, TIM. "New Model Army Soldier Rolls Closer to Battle." The New York Times. The New York Times, 16 Feb. 2005. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/16/technology/16robots.html?pagewanted=3>.

summary:
             There is a new grenade launcher called the XM25. This launcher is the future of Army victories. This gun can fire a new type of explosive that is laser-guided, radio controlled, and carried on an onboard targeting CPU. The rifle has a gauge that tells the grenade how far it has to travel. The soldier can then set the exact position where the 25-millimeter grenade will explode. Each grenade has a small magnetic transducer that interacts with the Earth's magnetic field which means that the grenade can track how far it has traveled in real time. This rifle can hit enemies hiding in trenches and even snipers hiding in a building. Field tests will begin soon with hopes of it becoming a aregular duty weapon.

analysis:
           Some soldiers don't have the best aim, this rifle can help change that. With increased accuracy and more kills more battles can be won which leads to less war. The use of this gun is also useful for saving lives. No ones lives have to be put at risk when going into a trench blind. Instead they can use the tracker to set when the grenade will explode.

reflection:
             How can this rifle's advancement help advance other weapons?



citation:

Smith, Dan. "New Army Rifle Fires Laser-Guided Smart Bullets With Onboard Targeting Chips | Popular Science." Popular Science | New Technology, Science News, The Future Now. Copyright © 2009 Popular Science. Web. 19 Feb. 2012. <http://www.popsci.com/military-aviation-amp-space/article/2009-06/smart-bullets>.

I chose the Military as my topic because I would like to learn more about its history and its past battles.

How have past battle helped develop Military technology and fighting tactics?