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August 16 marks National Airborne Day, a moment to honor the United States’ daring airborne forces. The elite paratroopers who have taken to the skies and shaped modern warfare.On August 16, 1940, 48 volunteers from the U.S. Army Parachute Test Platoon executed the first official U.S. military parachute jump at Fort Benning, Georgia. What began as a bold test of airborne deployment would prove to be the dawn of a new military era. That leap from the sky quickly transformed into a powerful strategy....

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Ranger

August 7 marks National Purple Heart Day, a solemn observance honoring those U.S. service members who were wounded, or paid the ultimate price, in service to their country.On August 7, 1782, General George Washington established the Badge of Military Merit, a simple purple heart-shaped cloth meant to recognize “singularly meritorious action” by enlisted soldiers and non-commissioned officers. This early version of the Purple Heart was awarded to only a handful of troops during the Revolutionary...

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