Today, we see these toys as everyday items for kids. From keeping children occupied and bringing joy, to lining store shelves for decades, we rarely consider the history of how these toys came to be. But without the influence of Uncle Sam, they would have never seen the light of day.
Take a look at these familiar toys that started as government projects.
Tanks, planes, and battleships
Related: 100-year-old Marine reunited with tank he drove on Iwo Jima
Because of ongoing wars, children became more interested in the vehicles that were used.
Author: Michael
Hundreds of federalized National Guard troops will begin leaving Portland and Chicago in the coming days, weeks after they were ordered to the cities by the Trump administration to aid law enforcement deal with what it called rampant crime and chaos.
The drawdown affects both National Guard troops federalized and sent to cities in their own states and ones deployed from other states, such as members of the Texas National Guard. The news, first reported by ABC News, was confirmed by a defense official.
Troops from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit launched several days of training today in Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean island nation only miles from Venezuela.
According to both the U.S. embassy in Trinidad and Tobago and the nation’s security forces, Marines from the 22nd MEU will be carrying out night-time training throughout the country today through Nov. 21. The move comes as tensions between the United States and Venezuela continue to escalate and the United States carried out its 20th announced strike on alleged drug trafficking boats in the region.
In a post from the U.S.
Key Points: Saudi F-35 Sale Summed Up in 3 Words – Rewrite the Rules
-Donald Trump’s bid to sell F-35s to Saudi Arabia collides with decades of U.S. law meant to preserve Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge—but it also exposes how much the regional map has changed.
F-35I Adir High in the Sky. Image Credit: IDF/Creative Commons.
F-35I Adir Fighter. Image Credit: Israeli Air Force.
F-35I Adir. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
There are few moments as perfect as the deployment homecoming. There’s the hug at the airport, the flag-waving kids, the tearful reunion in front of a very tired TSA agent. It feels like the end of a feel-good movie; now cue the music and roll credits.
Related: 10 Things you only know if you’ve given birth on Tricare
Except it’s not the end. It’s barely the end of the First Act. Buckle up, buttercup, this blockbuster is showing in homes all around the US of A. Because after the hugs come the hiccups.
Key Points and Summary – F-35 vs F-47 Summed Up in 3 Words: Fewer Now, Stronger
-The F-35 was supposed to be the backbone of U.S. airpower, yet the Air Force is cutting near-term buys just as great-power rivalry intensifies. That slowdown reflects more than cost and Block 4 delays; it marks a strategic pivot under Trump’s “America First” grand strategy. Resources are being redirected to the F-47, a sixth-generation NGAD fighter built for hemispheric defense, China deterrence, and teaming with autonomous drones.
An aircraft from the U.S.
Key Points and Summary – America Built 24 Essex-class Aircraft Carriers Fast. It Can’t Do Anything Like That Now
-The Essex-class aircraft carriers turned the U.S. Navy into a true superpower.
Essex-Class USS Intrepid Aircraft Carrier. Image Credit: National Security Journal.
USS Intrepid Essex-Class Aircraft Carrier. Image Credit: National Security Journal.
-Built in astonishing numbers and speed during World War II, these ships became the backbone of American sea power from 1943 through Korea and Vietnam, modernized again and again for jets and even the space age.
Key Points and Summary – Russia’s Kirov-Class Battlecruiser Reboot Has ‘Museum Piece’ Written All Over It
-Russia is pouring billions of dollars and decades of work into resurrecting a Kirov-class nuclear battlecruiser, Admiral Nakhimov, as the likely future flagship of its navy.
-On the surface, the ship looks terrifying: nuclear propulsion, heavy armor, and a magazine stuffed with long-range missiles.
Russian Navy Kirov-Class. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Kirov-Class from the Russian Navy. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
This video describes the military situation in
A Russian Su-57 fifth generation fighter has for the first time landed in the United Arab Emirates to participate in the Dubai Airshow, as the country has continued to intensify efforts to market the aircraft abroad. With the Russian Aerospace Forces’ small Su-57 fleet being engaged in high intensity hostilities in the Ukrainain theatre, a prototype airframe has been used to showcase the aircraft’s capabilities abroad, including at the Zhuhai Airshow in China in November 2024, and at India’s largest air show, Aero India, in February 2025.