HOLLYWOOD — In the build up to a third world war possibly breaking out on the Korean peninsula, many critics have expressed concerns it will not live up to the hype, sources confirmed today.
“It just seems unlikely that anything will beat the first two,” says documentarian and critic Ken Burns. “And if history teaches us anything, look at Return of the Jedi, Back to the Future III, and Matrix Revolutions. All were massive disappointments.”
World War I and II came out in the first half of the 20th century, and are still the most popular in history. More than 70 years later, video games, movie rights, and other merchandise still turn huge profits. For the third World War to come close, it will need a wildly compelling story, gripping action, and a solid cast. But critics remain skeptical.
One big concern is the cast, according to insiders. The Greatest Generation delivered a remarkable performance in WWII but are unavailable to shoot in WWIII, and rumors that the Adequate Generation will be cast for the role does little to ease skeptics’ minds.
Another concern is how to tie-up loose ends from the previous war. At the end of WWII, President Harry Truman introduced the nuclear bomb and changed the entire concept of warfare. Critics are torn on whether the next war should address the bomb or just ignore it completely.
Despite skepticism among critics, a huge turn out is projected. World War III does not yet have a start date, but front row seats are available now at your local recruiter.
U.S. Air Force Basic Military Training trainees carry weapons at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland on August 2, 2024. (U.S. Air Force photo by Ava Leone)
Well, here we go again. The United States Air Force had a brief moment of clarity—just a moment—when it looked like they might start treating their own recruits like real warfighters by letting them carry actual M4 rifles during basic training.
But predictably, that moment passed faster than a Beltway politician dodging accountability.
According to the Air Force’s top brass, arming trainees with real, live-fire-capable rifles throughout boot camp is just too hard. Too many “logistical challenges,” they say. Too much responsibility. Heaven forbid young Americans who sign up to wear the uniform actually handle the tools of war early on—tools they’ll be expected to be intimately familiar with when the real fight starts.
Instead, they’re sticking with glorified toys: inert M4s that look real, feel real, but don’t go bang. Maj. Gen. Wolfe Davidson, who oversees the whole training pipeline, confirmed they’re not moving forward with real rifles “in the near term.” You know what that means—it’s code for never, unless they get forced into it by reality.
Let’s be clear: The Marines do it. The Army does it. Hell, even most ROTC programs give their kids more trigger time. But the Air Force? Nope. They’re convinced a red-plastic-tipped dummy gun is enough to create a “warfighter mindset.”
And that’s the problem.
We’ve got high-ranking Air Force officials saying we’re on the brink of a near-peer war with China or Russia.
We’ve got high-ranking Air Force officials saying we’re on the brink of a near-peer war with China or Russia. They’re right. The next war won’t be fought from cushy air-conditioned offices—it’ll be brutal, ugly, and real. But if you believe that, and you still won’t arm the next generation of Airmen with anything more than a cosplay rifle, you’re not preparing for war. You’re playing pretend.
Security concerns? Too many weapons to store? Not enough instructors? Guess what—none of that stopped our grandfathers from winning WWII. They figured it out with clipboards, paper maps, and grit. But now, in the era of biometric locks and digital armories, the world’s most advanced Air Force can’t figure out how to responsibly issue a basic firearm to a grown adult?
Meanwhile, here’s what Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had to say just three months ago in his Message to the Force:
“We will remain the strongest and most lethal force in the world… All of this will be done with a focus on lethality, meritocracy, accountability, standards, and readiness.”
So let’s ask the obvious: how exactly does marching around with a red-tipped plastic toy gun meet the Secretary’s call for lethality? How does locking a non-functioning rifle in a dorm room locker restore the warrior ethos?
It doesn’t.
This is what happens when political correctness meets the profession of arms. Instead of sharpening the spear, the Air Force dulled it—again.
Sure, they still make the recruits look like they’re carrying rifles. They march them around with fake M4s, let them break them down—oh wait, you can’t—and then practice holding them. It’s like handing someone a rubber knife and calling them a chef.
You can’t fake warfighting. And you sure as hell can’t fake the Second Amendment. That right—the one to keep and bear arms—isn’t just a civilian right. It’s a warrior’s foundation. If the Air Force can’t trust its own people with real rifles in basic training, maybe it shouldn’t be trusted to send them into combat either.
We’re raising a generation of soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines to fight enemies who are armed to the teeth and trained from childhood. And instead of meeting that threat with strength, we’re stuffing red and blue plastic into warrior’s M4 barrels and calling it a day.
Lock and load, America. Because the people in charge of defending this country still think the scariest thing in a barracks is a loaded rifle.
About Tred Law
Tred Law is your everyday patriot with a deep love for this country and a no-compromise approach to the Second Amendment. He does not write articles for Ammoland every week, but when he does write, it is usually about liberals Fing with his right to keep and bear arms.
A multi-million-dollar U.S. warplane fell off the Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier into the Red Sea on Monday in an accident that injured one sailor, the Navy said.
A tractor that was towing the fighter plane — a model that cost $67 million in 2021 — also slipped off the ship into the sea.
“The F/A-18E was actively under tow in the hangar bay when the move crew lost control of the aircraft. The aircraft and tow tractor were lost overboard,” the Navy said in a statement.
“Sailors towing the aircraft took immediate action to move clear of the aircraft before it fell overboard,” it said. “All personnel are accounted for, with one sailor sustaining a minor injury.”
The carrier and its other planes remain in action and the incident is under investigation, the Navy added. No details of recovery work were released.
It is the second F/A-18 operating off the Truman to be lost in less than six months, after another was mistakenly shot down by the USS Gettysburg guided missile cruiser late last year in incident that both pilots survived.
The Truman is one of two U.S. aircraft carriers operating in the Middle East, where U.S. forces have been hammering Yemen’s Huthi rebels with strikes since mid-March in an attempt to end the threat they pose to ships in the region
————————————————————————————– This is going to be one hell of a board of inquiry and I feel sorry for that Junior Sailor. Grumpy
Claude Strother is an avid outdoorsman. He hunts and fishes and has always kept a journal of his experiences.
In his 82 years, he has learned to become an expert turkey caller. His friends and family take him with them to call.
Since 1975, he has had 247 kills, including four Royal Slams and eight Grand Slams. Strother has helped his loved ones take over 75 turkeys by doing the calling.
Even when one of his friends takes a turkey, he jots it down in his journal.
His latest story is one he will never forget.
“It was big,” Strother said. “It was a monster.”
It isn’t a big buck or a monster bass Strother is talking about, and this time, he was the one being hunted.
Last Friday, Strother decided to take a short turkey hunting excursion in Wilcox County. It was there that a bobcat attacked him.
“All of a sudden, I thought somebody hit me with a baseball bat,” Strother recalled. “Knocked me forward and I looked back and nothing, then I looked forward and this giant bobcat was trotting off.”
Strother wasn’t seriously injured, and he was able to take photos of his injuries. The bobcat’s claws left gashes in his face, close to his eyes.
Although his head was sore for a few days, he said he plans to go right back to the same spot and call for turkeys. His inspirational story serves as a reminder never to let fear get in the way of life’s adventures.
U.S. Air Force Basic Military Training trainees carry weapons at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland on August 2, 2024. (U.S. Air Force photo by Ava Leone)
A multi-million-dollar U.S. warplane fell off the Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier into the Red Sea on Monday in an accident that injured one sailor, the Navy said.
Claude Strother is an avid outdoorsman. He hunts and fishes and has always kept a journal of his experiences.