Famous saying of General Douglas MacArthur "Old soldiers never die, they just fade away." In the US, the Armed Forces Day is commemorated every 3rd Saturday of May. The AF Week starts on the 2nd Saturday of May and concludes on the 3rd Sunday of May that's why the Armed Forces Day falls on Saturday, the day before the Armed Forces Week ends. In the year 2013 the Armed Forces Day falls on May 18. The first celebration or commemoration of this great day was held on the 20th of May 1950. The celebration was made on Aug 31, 1949 to give honor to those Americans who worked and served in the five U.S. military branches namely, the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard after integration of the military branches in the U.S. Dept. of Defense. How do you celebrate this day?

In the United States military forces, war dogs are associated with the troops and they take significant part in the war game. The SEAL Team Six and the most popular "Soldier Dog" named Cairo were commissioned to capture or kill Osama Bin Laden way back in 2011. In the operation, Cairo used his dog senses and canine skills to accomplish the mission of killing Bin Laden. This Dog was effective aid in the triumph of the operation. Other military dogs are used as sniffing dogs to discover threats (similar to what you see at the airports), some are guards and companions of the military troops, some are used for search and rescue operations. The war dogs are also used to guide and lead the soldiers in dark and treacherous places. Closeness and faithfulness are developed between the handlers and trainers. They are genuine lovers of dogs and with their beloved friends, they are an indispensable members of the military. According to Maria Goodavage, author of the new book "Soldier Dogs", dogs' extreme sensitivities and alertness make them great in the battlefield. She added that dog's sense of smell is stronger and greater than human thus they can recognize if danger and fear are at hand much more effectively. Dogs are more vigilant than we are and they are always ready to attack. There is inseparable relationship between trained dog and his military master as they often sleep and eat together, moreover play together. Greatness of military dogs is achieved by the patience and compassion of their handlers. Dog is man's best friend and a great companion and protector in times of danger and war. The training of dogs, especially the Belgian Malinois dogs, is usually conducted in Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. Texas. Training is tough and tiresome for both the handlers and the canines during the preparation for the battlefield or a special mission. The course also includes lessons and training for the development of extreme physical tolerance and mental readiness. Trainers at Lackland are also required to know basic commands in different languages. Some smaller dogs like the tiny Jack Russell terrier "Lars J274" are also included in the Navy services. These dogs are great in sniffing bombs in submarines. Breeding and training of military or war dogs are customary practice in Germany and Netherlands. After the accomplishment of the mission or when the war is over, the military dogs are brought back to the United States and oftentimes are adopted by their handlers which bring them home to their families. However, during Vietnam era, war dogs were treated harshly and the poor dogs were abandoned and even erased after the service. Unfortunately, today dogs are still treated only as tools and instruments in the war instead of co members of the team. In 2012, bipartisan Canine Members of the Armed Forces Act presently proposes its way through both houses of Congress to have clear and definite plan for the retirement, adoption, care and appreciation of military working dogs.

According to Boeing, the company has recently retrofitted fighter jets that have since been retired and transformed them into drones. Last week an F-16 that was stored for 15 years in an Arizona facility flew last week with the cockpit empty. The Lockheed Martin aircraft was controlled from the ground by two pilots of the US Air Force. The drone took off from a base located in Florida and flew over the Gulf of Mexico at 40,000 feet (12.2kilometers). The retrofitted jet reached Mach 1.47 or 1,800km/h (1,119mph). Boeing said that this innovative approach could one day be used in pilot training particularly when they are provided a target for firing practice. This F-16 is not the first former fighter plane to be re-commissioned as a drone. An F-4 Phantom was used for target practice by the American Air Force in the past.

The best Harlem shake ever. This helicopter pilot has guts and determination. I won't spoil it for you, but watch out for the twist at the end :). Enjoy.

There was an unexpected surprise for the National Air and Space Museum visitors as the United States Air Force Band trickled in to perform selected pieces from Johann Sebastian Bach's portfolio. This was the initial from the twenty nine planned flashmobs by the USAF choir and band.

The art of war has since evolved especially in the past two decades. In the 21st century the Air Force of any country has become the backbone of its defense strategy. The Air Force is now an integral element in ensuring a country's security from invasion of other sovereign states. The general agreement is that with evidence of clear air dominance no other country will dare strike a particular territory. The past twenty years has seen numerous advancements in flight technology and in aeronautical engineering. These days, fighter jets are not just faster and more capable of advanced maneuvers. They are also better equipped and have more capability for waging war. Now, electronic warfare is the norm and communications are radar have improved by leaps and bounds. These fighter planes are also designed with better visual range and increased missile range. In addition there is greater availability of a wider range of weapons that can be carried by supersonic jet planes. At this moment, the evolution of fighter jets is still ongoing. Scientists are currently hard at work to create jets that are not only stealthy and difficult to detect but they aspire to build better ones that are virtually impossible. Here, we have made for you a compilation of the top ten fighter jets that are being used by armies all over the world. The list is based on the following criteria: evaluation of the jets performance in warfare and their advanced features.

Check out these amazing flybys from all the corners of the world. Hats off to all the Air Force pilots. Keep up the good work.

The federal government shutdown gives an adverse and negative result to some families whose loved ones are killed for the service of the nation. They will not receive the assistance and aid from the government to cover the cost of funeral and other expenses entitled to them by the death of their beloved. The denial of support brings more pain and suffering to the family. Over the weekend, five U.S. service members were slayed in Afghanistan and their families were informed that they will not receive the $100,000.00 for burial expenses and death gratuity. Generally this benefit is received within 36 hours from the time of death. The money is used to help the surviving family needs until they recuperate. The amount is also used to augment the budget of flying to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to view the remains of their loved ones in flag-draped caskets. According to Gayle Tzemach Lemmon of the Council on Foreign Relations, the government in Washington is not in session, however, we are still requiring people to go to war for us. And if something happens, the rest of the families are left hanging. What are your thoughts?

Major Harold Hering asked what he thought was a clever question. However, the irony is that the higher brass did not think so and dismissed him. Major Hering inquired on the missile launch order's two-man rule. (This involves two independent operators verifying and agreeing on the validity of an order to launch). Major Hering was part of the Air Rescue Service during the Vietnam War. He was serving as Minuteman missile crewman, a 21 year career man in the Air Force when he asked the fateful question. He was expecting to be promoted to Lt. Colonel at that time. It was late in the year 1973 during a training activity at Vandenberg Air Force Base when he inquired about how can one know when an order is received to launch missiles the president who gave the order is still sane. Major Hering's question revealed a critical flaw in the two-man rule. Until now the fail safe protocols on nuclear missile launch hinge on the identity of the President and not his sanity. Do you think that this a fair question? Leave a comment

The General Atomics Avenger, formerly known as the Predator C is an unmanned combat air vehicle. This war machine is built for the US Military by the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. This drone first took to the air in April 4, 2009. The Avenger is different from other drones like MQ-1 Predator and the MQ-9 Reaper (Predator B) because it has stealth features and a turbofan engine. The stealth features of this vehicle are: 1) S-shaped exhaust for lower heat and decreased radar signature, 2) internal weapons storage. This new Avenger drone is capable of carrying the Lynx aperture radar equipment and supporting MQ-9 weapons. It can also be fitted with the electro-optical targeting system (EOTS) similar to that of the F-35 Lightning II. This drone also has the ALERT (Advanced Low-observable Embedded Reconnaissance Targeting) system. The General Atomics Avenger requires similar ground supportive systems as the MQ-9 & MQ-1 models. The infrastructure, communications networks, and ground control center are no different.