A group of Swedish Marines deployed to Afghanistan have created a video of themselves lip-syncing "Greased Lightning" from the 1978 musical "Grease."

SEE ALSO: Marine Band Absolutely Crushes Macklemore's 'Thriftshop' In Epic Birthday Performance

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The Marine Scout Sniper school is the most elite military sniper school on earth, and one of the toughest special operations courses in the U.S. Military.

See the Scout Snipers >

Not only do the Army, Navy, and the Air Force send troops here, but foreign services like the Israelis and the British, often trade students for the opportunity to earn the Marine Sniper designation.

One of the profiled students in this Discovery video was actually attached to the unit I covered in Afghanistan. Not only did he supply the company with absurdly accurate intelligence on the enemy, but he also took a couple of them out when we needed it most.

Those are the two primary missions of Marine Scout Snipers: Recon and targeted strikes on enemy personnel and equipment. They can be more devastating on enemy forces than a plane full of bombs.

There are fewer than 300 active snipers in the U.S. Marine Corps — and only four schools including this one in Camp Pendleton, California

The 32 elite students who enter the course need almost perfect physical fitness (PT) scores, expert rifle qualifications, and superior intelligence test scores

Here is where Professionally Instructed Gunmen (PIG), become Hunters Of Gunmen (HOG)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has reviewed the case of a Marine sergeant honored for heroism in Iraq and agreed with two other Pentagon chiefs that the evidence is insufficient to merit the highest military award for valor, the Pentagon said on Friday.

Supporters have criticized the department for denying Marine Sergeant Rafael Peralta's nomination for the Medal of Honor for his actions in Fallujah in 2004, when pulled a grenade under his body to shield his comrades from the explosion, even as he was already dying of a fatal head wound.

The five members of his squad were eyewitnesses to Peralta's actions and nominated him for the honor, but some medical experts have raised doubts as to whether he could have consciously moved the grenade under his body given the damage caused by the bullet wound.

"After extensively familiarizing himself with the history of Sergeant Peralta's nomination, Secretary Hagel determined the totality of the evidence does not meet the 'proof beyond a reasonable doubt' Medal of Honor award standard," the Pentagon said in a statement.

Peralta's case has become a cause celebre among Marines and others. While Defense Secretary Robert Gates initially denied the Medal of Honor nomination, he approved Peralta for the Navy Cross, the second-highest military award for valor for members of the Navy and Marine Corps.

Supporters and lawmakers have continued to lobby for reconsideration of Peralta's case. Gates' successor, Leon Panetta, reviewed the case and decided against reopening it. Hagel became the third defense chief to examine the case, acting at the request of California lawmakers.

Although denied the Medal of Honor, Peralta has become a symbol of heroism among Marines and was further honored just last year by the Navy, which named its 65th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer after him.

A native of Mexico, Peralta immigrated illegally to the United States and graduated from high school in California. He joined the Marine Corps as soon as he received his legal residency card and later became a U.S. citizen.

Hagel's decision in the Peralta case coincided with a White House announcement that President Barack Obama will award the Medal of Honor to 24 Army veterans from Vietnam, Korea and World War Two, most of them Jews or Hispanics who may have been previously denied the award due to prejudice.

Obama will award the medals during a White House ceremony on March 18.

The announcement follows a 12-year review initiated by Congress in 2002. Lawmakers directed a review of service records from previous wars to ensure that Jewish or Hispanic soldiers were not awarded lesser medals due to prejudice.

During the course of the review, several soldiers who were not Jewish or Hispanic were found to meet the criteria for the medal and the law was amended to allow them to receive the honor as well.

Only three of the soldiers, all Vietnam veterans, are still living. The rest will receive the award posthumously.

This is not the first review to ensure prejudice was not a factor in the awarding the medal. An Army review in the 1990s looked at records from the Second World War and concluded that while no African Americans had received the Medal of Honor, seven should have qualified.

President Bill Clinton presented the awards in 1997.

A similar review of the records of Asian and Pacific Islander veterans from World War Two resulted in 22 Medals of Honor, which Clinton presented in 2000.

(Reporting by David Alexander, editing by G Crosse)

DON'T MISS: The Pentagon Needs To Give Marine Sgt. Rafael Peralta The Medal Of Honor He Deserves

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The raising of the flag at Iwo Jima, 69 years ago, is perhaps the most iconic image of World War Two.

No other picture so succinctly and evocatively captures the triumph of the Allied forces, while also highlighting the critical role that U.S. troops played in the Pacific. The picture has become an enduring symbol of the steadfastness and strength of the Marine Corps.

Joe Rosenthal, at the time an unknown Associated Press photographer, is the man behind the photo. Although it was technically the second flag raising on Iwo Jima, which shows five Marines and a Navy Corpsman, it is no less important. The first flag planted was replaced as it was too small to be seen from the coast.

Rosenthal, in an attempt to position himself properly for the shot, almost actually missed the flag raising. In a desperate attempt to capture the scene, Rosenthal shot the image without the use of his viewfinder. His gut instinct certainly hit the mark; he went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for his image.

Almost immediately, though, the overall quality of the framing led to accusations that Rosenthal had framed the picture.

This controversy still remains. Fortunately, an official video of the flag raising by a Marine photographer shows that the events transpired naturally, and exactly as Rosenthal had claimed.

Rosenthal's photo has gone on to become a deeply ingrained cultural image for America. The U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, in Washington, D.C., is modeled after this photo. President Roosevelt also used the image to promote war bonds at the end of the war, and it was featured on stamps.

It's important to note that, while the image evoked a feeling of American victory, it was shot only five days into the Iwo Jima campaign. The battle went on for many more weeks, and three of the Marines who raised the flag were later killed in action.

Although Rosenthal's image has become synonymous with the courage of the Marines, many still debate the value of invading Iwo Jima.

The battle was particularly bloody, being the only battle in which the U.S. Marine Corps suffered more casualties than the Japanese Army. The Japanese were well entrenched on the island when the U.S. decided to invade. Iwo Jima's topography, being a mountainous island, also proved extremely difficult for U.S. troops.

However, Iwo Jima proved of extreme tactical importance to the U.S. policy of island hopping to the Japanese mainland. For this, the military command decided that the 26,000 American casualties was worth the island.

This cost, and the grand accomplishment, of the campaign is forever immortalized in Rosenthal's photograph.

SEE ALSO: This Collection Of War Photography Holds Some Of The Most Haunting Images You'll Ever See

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Marine Corps veteran William Kyle Carpenter will become the Marine's third Medal of Honor recipient since the start of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Marine Corps Times writes, citing unnamed officials.

Carpenter, a medically retired corporal who's 24 now, has been praised publicly since reports emerged that he risked his own life to save his friend.

Hope Hodge Seck, of the Marine Corps Times, reports:

Carpenter’s Medal of Honor nomination stems from reports that, as a 21-year-old lance corporal, he intentionally covered a grenade to save the life of his friend, Lance Cpl. Nicholas Eufrazio on Nov. 21, 2010, as the two Marines were standing guard on a rooftop in the Marjah district of Afghanistan’s Helmand province. Both men survived the blast, but were badly wounded.

Carpenter — whose Medal of Honor has not been officially announced — had serious injuries, including the loss of his right eye, the blowing out of his right ear drum, a fractured nose, and destruction of his lower jaw and cheek bones. Carpenter's face is marked by shrapnel scars from the grenade's explosion.

Lance Corporal Eufrazio was rendered unable to speak until late 2012 due to his own injuries.

Carpenter has made amazing strides in recovery since 2010. He's now able to participate in activities that many would have found impossible given his injuries, including doing pull-ups after having his right arm broken in more than 30 places.

Carpenter's story of friendship, sacrifice, and recovery has turned him into an Internet celebrity. Currently, his Facebook page Operation Kyle, which documented his road to recovery, has over 13,000 likes.

Speaking to the Marine Corps Times, Carpenter said "I'm still here and kicking and, you know, I have all my limbs so you'll never hear me complain."

Carpenter was previously honored in his native South Carolina in the form of a resolution that thanked him for his heroism.

NOW WATCH: Meet The Top Graduate Of America's Finest Military Academy – West Point

SEE ALSO: 24 Soldiers, Forgotten and Discriminated Against, Will Finally Be Awarded A Medal Of Honor

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There should never be a doubt in anyone's mind as to the professionalism and the discipline of the U.S. Marine Corps.

To exemplify the Marine Corps' high standards, the Silent Drill Platoon was formed in 1948.

Composed of a 24-man rifle platoon, the Silent Drill Platoon performs at various venues across the country, and represents the Marine Corps abroad. In their shows, they move with incredible precision — marching, moving into different formations, and tossing rifles — without the use of any commands.

Their silence, put simply, is what makes their shows so awesome to watch.

Below are some remarkable photos recently released by the Pentagon of the Silent Drill Platoon carrying out an exhibition drill, as 'Fat Albert' of the Blue Angels flies overhead.

Marines for the Silent Drill Platoon are selected from the two Schools of Infantry, located at Camp Pendleton, California and Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

After selection, Marines serve a two-year ceremonial tour.

The Silent Drill Platoon's training begins at Marine Barracks Washington, and is later moved to Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, in Arizona.

The Silent Drill Platoon still carries out regular infantry training, while also fulfilling their ceremonial duties.

As uniformity is a key asset for the platoon, all members must be between 5'11" and 6'1" while also being in the median for their weight.

After completing duty with the Silent Drill Platoon, two Marines have the opportunity to become rifle inspectors.

Rifle inspectors, along with the platoon's drill master, pass on the specialty knowledge, training, and traditions of the Silent Drill Platoon.

The overall routine of the platoon include precise drill movements and handling of their 10-and-one-half-pound M1 Garand rifles.

Below is a video of the platoon in action.

SEE ALSO: The Pentagon Has Selected 2013's Most Intense Military Training Photos

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Walter George Bruhl Jr., a Sergeant in the Marine Corps during the Korean War, passed away Sunday, March 9.

Before passing, Bruhl penned his own obituary. And now the witty and beautiful homage has gone viral.

According to his own words:

"Walt was a Marine Corps veteran of the Korean War having served from October 0f 1951 to September of 1954, with overseas duty in Japan from June of 1953 till August of 1954. He attained the rank of Sergeant. He chose this path because of Hollywood propaganda, to which he succumbed as a child during WWII, and his cousin Ella, who joined the corps in 1943."

Bruhl's son, Martin Bruhl, told NPR that his father was a lover of life and managed to bring smiles to the faces of everyone he met. The  humor throughout were apparently prime examples of Bruhl's exuberance.

"There will be no viewing since his wife refuses to honor his request to have him standing in the corner of the room with a glass of Jack Daniels in his hand so that he would appear natural to visitors," he wrote.

The whole thing is great, but the end shows that Bruhl wanted to make certain that his death would bring joy to others:

"Instead of flowers, Walt would hope you will do an unexpected and unsolicited act of kindness for some poor unfortunate soul in his name."

Below is the full obituary.

(h/t Military Times)

SEE ALSO: People Are Calling This Speech By Marine General 'Mad Dog' Mattis 'The Most Motivating Speech Of All Time'

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Marine Corps veteran Elegance Bratton is set to graduate from Columbia University with honors in May, at the same time his documentary, "Pier Kids: The Life," enters post-production. But life has not always been this rosy for Bratton. He was homeless for 10 years after Bratton could no longer stand his mother's insults and insinuations about his possible homosexuality.

When arguing one night the known secret of Bratton's sexuality, she responded by saying "I don't want a f----- in this house," Bratton told Business Insider.

"I did not know that night was going to the beginning of 10 years [of homelessness]," Bratton says. "That night, at 16, I was beginning to learn the lessons that sustained me for the next 10 years."

The following decade was agonizing for Bratton. Drifting among acquaintances' houses, welcoming college students' lodgings, and homeless shelters, Bratton slept where he could throughout New York City. Fellow homeless teens at Manhattan's Pier 45 provided the closest thing he had to a family; this feeling of belonging is one of the key elements that Bratton is attempting to capture in his film.

Bratton was not alone in his struggles. According to LGBTQ Nation, 1.6 million homeless teens sleep in public shelters or public areas in the U.S. About 40% of them are LGBT youth.

For 10 years Bratton struggled to make ends meet. The constant stress of not knowing where he was staying each night took a toll on Bratton, and he ran into trouble with the law for shoplifting food. During this time, Bratton admitted he also stole books of photography and poetry to keep himself entertained during the day while he wasn't working his minimum-wage job at Kinko's. After he was finished with the books, Bratton would then sell them to make what little money he could.

At 25, Bratton could not count on the kindness of strangers. "I was no longer the young cool kid with books of poetry and cool clothing who could be a street poet," he says. "I had hair on my face by then. At 25, I looked like a homeless black man."

One morning Bratton woke up at 5:30 as a shelter in Trenton was emptying out. Back on the street, Bratton made eye contact with a Marine in uniform who came over and asked him if he had ever considered joining the service.

Before he could process what was happening, Bratton was serving as a Combat Camera Production Specialist in Camp H.M. Smith in Hawaii, shooting videos and taking photographs.

Finding himself working in photography as a Marine came as a massive surprise to Bratton, who joined the Marines expecting to be a "grunt" serving on the frontlines. Instead, he scored well enough on his entry aptitude exams to qualify for essentially any position he wanted.

"I went in with the intention of escaping art because I couldn't support myself as an artist," Bratton says. "I went in with the intention of going to the front lines and dying over there. If I died in this uniform, because of my service to this country, I'd be honored. I'd be in a coffin draped in a flag, instead of in some plywood box or whatever happens to the homeless."

Because of a knee injury suffered during training, Bratton never made his deployment to the front lines in Iraq. Through perseverance in developing his photography skills and guidance from his superiors, Bratton went from making copies at his base to having generals call him for recommendations on graphic design and editing.

It wasn't easy to serve in the Marines as a gay man during the era of "don't ask, don't tell."

"Homophobia is the norm," Bratton says. "The idea is to make a better gay joke than the day before, to spot weakness in the other recruits and tear it down so that the target either strengthens up or feels so broken down that they're shipped out of the Corps."

Despite the adversity, Bratton flourished in the Marines. Now, majoring in African-American studies at Columbia, Bratton now feels as if his life is settling down.

His film, "Pier Kids: The Life," is being made with the blessings and help of Columbia faculty. But it is entirely Bratton's own project. The documentary — which focuses on the lives of three homeless LGBT teens in New York City alongside Bratton's own journey — hopes to provide a way for LGBT youth of color to bring up their struggles and identity with their parents and family.

“Elegance embodies the core values of a liberal education. The documentary is even more powerful because, as a homeless gay youth of color, he experienced what the pier kids, who have been invisible and forgotten for years, still experience today,” School of General Studies Dean Peter J. Awn, professor of Islam, told ABC.

In Awn's opinion, the film could be a way for New Yorkers to connect with the homeless teens they see on the street and might view as troublemakers.

"The idea [of the film] is to flatten the distance between the viewer and the people being viewed," Bratton says. Through this flattening, Bratton hopes to help LGBT youth of color to speak to family members about their sexuality.

Bratton acknowledges that the documentary owes a great debt to the Marine Corps. "It taught me how to make movies," Bratton says. "'Pier Kids' wouldn't have happened without the Marine Corps. With all the welts and bruises that came along with it, I'm grateful to the Marine Corps."

After graduating from Columbia, Bratton plans to attend NYU's Tisch School of the Arts for an MFA in directing so that he can continue his career in film. Bratton will also be promoting his new photobook"Bound By Night," which tells the story of the House Ballroom scene in the U.S.

Below is a teaser for the film which, dependent upon donations, Bratton hopes to finish by the winter of 2015:

SEE ALSO: 24-Year-Old Who Covered A Grenade To Save His Friend Will Reportedly Receive The Medal Of Honor

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More women will be assigned to previously closed combat arms units following a force integration plan sent to the Marine Corps top leadership, the Marine Corps Times reports.

The integration of women into all combat roles is supposed to be accomplished by January 1, 2016 as part of former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta's rescinding of the Direct Ground Combat and Assignment Rule in 2013. This directive had previously excluded women from direct ground combat.

Currently, integration of women into the Marine Corps is tied to four experimental lines of effort.

According to the Marine Corps Times, these lines of integration are:

• Expanding the effort to include female Marines in previously closed non-infantry combat units.
• Allowing female Marines, after graduating from recruit training, to volunteer for more military occupational speciality training schools before moving onto their assigned MOSs.
• The establishment of a ground combat element experimental task force. A quarter of this force will be composed of women, and it will be used to study the physical, social, and psychological impact of having integrated infantry.
• The opening of 11 more specialties to female Marines, rendering only 20 of the Corps' 335 primary MOSs closed to women.

Based upon the success of these measures, Commandant Gen. Jim Amos may request extensions past the 2016 deadline for carrying out integration.

Amos maintains that his decision to integrate the Marines will be based upon the success of being able to field a Marine Corps that is ready to fight and win at short notice.

The Marines have been experimenting for more than a year with passing women through the Corps infantry training course. Women have been held to the same physical standards as men and there have already been examples of women successfully passing the training.

The women were part of a 100-Marine pilot program created to test the viability of women in Infantry training. Despite their graduation from infantry training, they still reported to their original non-combat MOS.

The Marine Corps is still collecting data as to the effects of a gender integrated force. Lt. Col. David Nevers, General Amos' spokesman, told the Marine Corps Times that as of yet no "institutional perspective" has been formed on integration.

SEE ALSO: The 11 Things You Might Not Know About The US Marine Corps

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When Second Lt. Sage Santangelo recently attempted the prestigious Marine Corps' Infantry Officer Course at Quantico, the 10 women who came before her had failed the test.

Santangelo also ended up failing the course, a defeat she attributes to inferior training that women marines receive compared to men, rather than an inherent weakness in women.

The Infantry Officer Course is an arduous 13-week course that aims to push Marines to their physical and mental breaking point in an effort to train only the best as infantry officers. Of 14 women who attempted to pass the course at Quantico, all but one failed within the first day.

In a recent Washington Post column, Santangelo attributes these failures to a double standard women face during their entire time in the Marine Corps.

From the beginning of training in Officer Candidates Schools, women have few chances to compete against men. The schools are segregated based on sex and women are held to a lower set of standards, according to Santangelo.

Santangelo, in The Washington Post, notes:

In the Physical Fitness Test, for example, a male perfect score is achieved by an 18-minute three-mile run, 20 pull-ups and 100 sit-ups in two minutes. A female perfect score is a 21-minute three-mile run, a 70-second flexed-arm hang and 100 sit-ups in two minutes. There was a move to shift from arm hangs to pull-ups for women last year. Yet 55 percent of female recruits were unable to meet the minimum of three, and the plan was put on hold.

This difference in passable criteria sets the tone that women can't compete on a similar level as men, according to Santangelo.

Since it was opened to women in 2012, 14 females have attempted and failed the course at Quantico. Meanwhile, 13 women have passed the slightly less intense two-month enlisted infantry training course at Camp Geiger, N.C.

SEE ALSO: Before Female Infantry Officers Serve In The Marines, They Have To Survive This Killer Course

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon said on Wednesday it was bolstering the size of its Europe-based crisis response force to 675 Marines by sending 175 new troops to a Romanian base near the Black Sea at a time of tensions over Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula.

The Marines are part of a crisis response team headquartered in Moron, Spain, and primarily meant for operations in Africa, although they can be sent anywhere, a Pentagon spokesman said. The decision to increase the force with Marines based in Romania was made last year before the current crisis, he said.

But it came on the heels of news on Tuesday that General Philip Breedlove, the top U.S. officer in Europe, is considering moving a U.S. warship into the Black Sea in the coming days to reassure NATO allies and exercise with partners.

Army Colonel Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, confirmed the department was looking at sending a ship to the Black Sea. He didn't rule out exercises with the Ukrainian navy, but added the ship's schedule of activities was still being decided.

"This is to reassure our allies of our commitment to the region. ... It is a direct result of the current situation in Ukraine," Warren told reporters.

But Warren said the decision to send 175 Marines to Mihail Kogalniceanu military base in Romania, near the Black Sea port of Constanta, was made before Russia seized control of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula.

Some 265 Marines are already stationed at the Romanian base as part of a Black Sea Rotational Force that conducts training and other efforts to help build the military capacity of partners in the region.

Other U.S. forces also are stationed at the Romanian base, which is taking over as a transit hub for equipment being flown in and out of Afghanistan following the decision to close the transit center at Manas in Kyrgyzstan this summer.

To accommodate the additional Marines, U.S. officials in Romania sought and received permission from the government to have up to 600 Marines in the country at any given time, Warren said.

He said the intent was to maintain the Black Sea Rotational Force of about 300 Marines and 175 Marines for the crisis response force plus some "head room" for additional personnel when troops who are rotating into the country overlap with those departing. The Black Sea Force is due to rotate soon, he said.

The 175 additional Marines being sent to Romania will be coming from Camp Lejeune in North Carolina and will be attached to the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force - Crisis Response, which was created in the wake of the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

"This ... is frankly not linked to the current situation in Ukraine," Warren said. "They belong to Africom (U.S. Africa Command) and the purpose of them is to be able to respond to crises, really throughout the region."

The new Marines will expand the size of the crisis response force to 675 from 500.

(Editing by Eric Walsh)

SEE ALSO: The Baltics Are Buzzing With NATO Planes Amid Crisis In Ukraine

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In a bid to increase the Marine Corps' crisis-response ability, the Corps is experimenting with using tablets to provide troops with real-time intelligence, the Marine Corps Times reports.

Marines will be using Samsung tablets that wirelessly connect through an encrypted internal wifi network hosted on a MV-22 Osprey. The Samsung tablets are standard off-the-shelf technology that have not been modified for combat use.

All Samsung tablets have been built with security advice from the NSA that allows even off-the-shelf models to be effectively used for encrypting and compartmentalizing certain pieces of data, according to a source familiar with the program tells us.

Providing Marines with tablets allows them constantly to review their mission, make tactical updates, view current aerial photographs of the target, and trade information with each other through a secured connection.

Since it can take hours for Marines to move from mission briefing to landing, during which time targets may have moved, these devices can significantly increase the effectiveness of the Marines.

A Marine Corps Times video explaining how the tablets will play into overall Marine strategy is below.

SEE ALSO: Google Turns Down Military Funding For Its Scary, Powerful Robots

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The helicopter kicked up a cloud of freshly fallen snow that partly obscured the ground below, but despite the poor visibility, it gently touched down in a landing that was unremarkable except for the fact no one was at the controls.

The helicopter, filmed during testing by the Naval Research Laboratory, was piloted by a 100-pound (45-kg) sensor and software package that officials said can turn any rotary-winged aircraft into a virtually autonomous drone able to fly with minimal input from the Marine Corps troops it was designed to serve.

Rear Admiral Matthew Klunder, chief of Naval Research, said the sensor and software pack is "truly leap-ahead technology" that will let a Marine with no flight experience issue landing instructions to a cargo helicopter via tablet computer after just a few minutes of training.

Klunder, who will preview the technology for industry and military leaders at a conference in Washington on Tuesday, said the aim of the project was to give troops a simple tool for battlefield resupply, reducing the casualties inherent in using ground convoys to deliver food, water and weapons.

An Army study of data from 2003 to 2007 showed that one person was killed or wounded for every 24 fuel resupply convoys in Afghanistan and one was killed or wounded for every 29 water resupply convoys.

Marines have used another unmanned cargo helicopter system, K-MAX, to shift millions of pounds of food, water and other gear in Afghanistan. But officials said K-MAX requires detailed planning, preparation of the landing site and a highly trained operator who controls the flight from beginning to end.

Brigadier General Kevin Killea, the head of the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory, said the new system can be instructed to touch down at an unprepared landing site and will figure out the details on its own using its sensors, including electro-optical, infrared and light detection and ranging, or LIDAR.

"It's taking unmanned aerial systems to the next level by introducing autonomy, and autonomy that works," Killea told reporters.

"In order to do that," he added, "you have to solve the problem of degraded visual environments," such as those caused by blowing snow or sand.

"This technology has to solve that problem in order for it to work," Killea said. "You can't have an 80 percent solution with an autonomous system going into an unprepared site. It's got to have it figured out."

The tablet computer interface has a topographical map overlay and buttons around the sides that allow the user to issue instructions or communicate with the craft, giving it permission to land or creating no-fly zones to tell the chopper to avoid danger areas. Otherwise the craft navigates on its own.

Officials said the system had been tested on three different types of helicopters so far. Two different prototypes of the technology module are being developed, one by Lockheed Martin and the other by Aurora Flight Sciences.

The project is funded for another four years, so researchers hope to use that time to expand the technology's autonomous capabilities.

"Right now, ... the way we have this set up, it's asking for permission to land. I want it to ... eventually tell the Marine, 'This is where I'm landing and unless you don't like that, leave me alone,'" said Max Snell, the program manager for the project.

Klunder said if an emergency arose, researchers could have the system ready to field within a year or two.

"If that need was there and required," he said, "the technology is what's important and we've proved that it works."

(Reporting by David Alexander; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

NOW WATCH: 9 Ways Drones Are Overcoming Their Bad Reputation

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Expense and stupidity too big to camouflage.

"I WEAR camo so I can feel safe," says Sean, a member of the navy reserve. He cannot quite fathom why his combat uniform is different from that of other American servicemen in the field, depending on whether they are members of the army, the air force or the marines.

And soon it may be different no longer; for after years of ludicrously expensive design rivalry, the defence appropriation for 2014 prohibits the services from designing new uniforms, unless they will be used by all members of the armed forces.

Remarkably, the Department of Defence has no single department dedicated to researching, developing and procuring the best uniforms for all troops. This caused no problems before 2002, when nearly every serviceman had a choice between a greenish camouflage uniform or a "coffee stain" desert pattern. But over the past 12 years the services have each created their own style of camouflage. The effect has been both costly, and occasionally embarrassing.

The marines led the way in 2002 with a versatile and effective new combat uniform, which also served to boost corps morale because the marine insignia was embedded in the design. This inspired a cascade of one-upsmanship among the other services.

The air force, for instance, spent several years and more than $3m designing a new "tiger-stripe" uniform that proved unsuitable for combat--the camouflage was ineffective, the trousers were uncomfortable and the fabric was too heavy, leading to "heat build-up". The navy spent a lot less money developing the "aquaflage" uniform; but that is a silly blue ensemble that works best where sailors may least wish to blend, in the water.

The worst offender has been the army. The service spent years and about $3.2m developing its own "universal" camouflage. This pattern was designed to work anywhere, but proved useless nearly everywhere. Soon after it was introduced in 2005, soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan began complaining that the pattern turned them into targets.

Troops from Syria and China were clearly better equipped. Reports suggest that a high-ranking military official had chosen the pattern without consulting the data from years of studies. The army is said to have spent at least $5 billion on uniforms and equipment printed in this camouflage, which is still in use. In an emergency measure, the army kitted out soldiers in Afghanistan in a new pattern starting in 2010, spending more than $38.8m on replacement gear in fiscal 2010 and 2011.

Part of the problem, explains Timothy O'Neill, a retired lieutenant-colonel and camouflage expert, is that officers can be a bit too preoccupied with a uniform's "CDI [chicks dig it] factor". This vanity, together with bungled trials, missteps and a lack of co-operation, put the cost of developing these uniforms at more than $12m, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in 2012.

This does not include the extra costs--which the GAO estimates in the tens of millions of dollars--of managing the stock and supply of so many different combat uniforms. Nor does it include the high costs of replacing ineffective camouflage in the field. The armed forces spent around $300m on camouflage uniforms in 2011 alone.

Stunned by these price tags, Congress in 2010 directed the Department of Defence to raise standards and cut costs. But little has been done. Many soldiers see the wisdom of returning to a shared uniform. But not the marines, who will stick to their pattern "like a hobo on a ham sandwich", in the words of General James Amos, commandant of the marine corps.

It is unclear what all this means for the army, which has been spending millions of dollars testing different patterns for a new camouflage since 2010. It recently started tests for possible new uniforms, which will continue until the end of September.

Replacing the service's flawed camouflage and equipment could cost another $4 billion over five years, according to the GAO. "Research and development in government is always a long and painstaking process," says Mr O'Neill. "But if it were easy, then the government would waste even more money, and faster."

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Cobra Gold, established as a military training exercise between the U.S. and Thailand in 1982, has gone on to become the largest multinational military exercise in Southeast Asia.

Although the exercises started off as bilateral exercises meant to increase ties between the United States and Thailand, Cobra Gold has morphed into a multinational exercise program. Cobra Gold 2014, completed in February, hosted the militaries of seven countries: Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and the United States.

Exercises in Cobra Gold 2014 included simulated assault scenarios, jungle survival lessons, and civic assistance programs in underdeveloped regions of Thailand.

A Thai Navy instructor demonstrates how to capture a cobra to U.S. Marines as part of a jungle survival exercise. Cobra blood is surprisingly hydrating and can be used as last resort if a Marine is lost in the jungle without supplies.

U.S. Marines also adjust to eating bugs as part of the jungle survival exercise.

Here a Marine kills a chicken with his teeth as part of the same exercise.

U.S. Marines react as a cobra gets dangerously close during the jungle survival exercise.

During jungle survival exercises, Marines also eat scorpions with the Thai Navy.

Aside from jungle survival exercises, Cobra Gold also features joint military operations.

Here Royal Thai Marines, alongside U.S. Marines, assault a beachhead as part of the combat portion of Cobra Gold.

Royal Thai and U.S. Marines are seen here preparing for an aerial transport exercise in a V-22 Osprey.

Cobra Gold also features humanitarian aspects. Marines are seen building a school.

U.S. Marines also engage the local population as part of Cobra Gold.

SEE ALSO: Here's The Military Exercise That Has North Korea Freaking Out

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This intense photo shows a U.S. Marine killing a chicken with his teeth in the joint-military exercise Cobra Gold. 

Cobra Gold, an annual military exercise that started in 1982 with joint operations between Thailand and the United States, has grown into the largest joint-military exercise in Southeast Asia.

A major component of Cobra Gold is training for jungle survival. U.S. Marines receive training in tactics such as killing chickens and drinking snake blood from Thai Navy officers. The goal is to teach Marines how to survive if they become lost in the wilderness without supplies.

Cobra Gold 2014, completed in February, hosted the militaries of seven countries: Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and the United States.

SEE ALSO: More crazy photos from COBRA GOLD

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The jury is still out on the $71 million Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey, even after decades in action.

Promotional material for the multi-task aircraft says it combines "the speed of the plane and the hovering ability of a helicopter," bringing "more capabilities to the mission than any other aircraft on the market."

The Marines love it for its versatility and are under contract to buy 360 of them, and the Air Force and Navy are buying around 50 each, according to Defense Tech, but the Army considers it too expensive. It does cost three times as much as a Black Hawk helicopter.

 Development of the V-22 originated with the Department of Defense's Joint Service take-off/landing Experimental aircraft in 1981. Bell Helicopter and Boeing Aircraft were awarded a joint development contract to produce the tiltrotor aircraft.

The V-22's first flight was in 1989. It has since been deployed by the Marines in 2007 and the Air Force in 2009 in both combat and rescue operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, and Libya.

It is not without critics. The first model from the 1990s and early 2000s was rushed to the field and suffered from worrying accidents including fatal crashes. A redesigned version of the Osprey was released in response, and the safety record has much improved since 2001 despite a certain stigma sticking with the aircraft. 

Below are promotional photos of the V-22 Osprey released by Bell Helicopter and the U.S. Marine Corps.

V-22 Osprey's can carry up to 24 combat troops, 20,000 pounds of internal cargo, or 15,000 pounds of external cargo.

The unique propellers of the Osprey allows the craft to hover like a helicopter ...

... or fly at altitudes and speeds that normally only turboprop planes can reach.

These unique wings allow for the Osprey to take off and land vertically, allowing them to launch from areas without the need for a runway.

The Osprey's design allows it to effectively take part in search and rescue, logistics support, and assault due to its hybrid design.

V-22s also have the option of being outfitted with an M240 machine gun (pictured), a 7.62 mm Gatling gun, or belly mounted turret guns.

Currently, the Marines are slated to purchase 360 MV-22s, the Navy will purchase 48 MV-22s, and the Air Force will receive 50 CV-22 variants.

SEE ALSO: We Stepped Aboard A V-22 Osprey To Find Out Why People Love And Hate This Aircraft

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"This is Michael Moore," said Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein referring to the Bloomberg News reporter. "This is the thin, good looking guy. Not the fat–" 

"I think it's time to go. It's time to take him home," Blankfein's wife Laura quickly interrupted.

Blankfein was on a roll last night at the Team Rubicon fundraiser at the New York Stock Exchange.

Blankfein was also wearing an interesting red Hermès bull-market themed tie.

"I knew I was going to be at the stock exchange... see bulls running up and bears running down," he said, showing us the front and the flipside of the tie as it accidentally dipped into his drink.

The Dow had just closed at a record high, so we asked him if it was a lucky tie.

It turns out it's not. He just wanted to be festive.

Team Rubicon is a non-profit made up of military vets and medical professionals that assists with disaster relief. It began with 8 members and now has over 15,000 volunteers. They're currently on the ground in Arkansas leading the response efforts in the wake of the tornadoes.

Blankfein kept the mood light, wise-cracking with everyone all night. 

A few financial reporters even witnessed his encounter with some JPMorgan folks.

"We're JPMorgan," a member of the group replied.

"Ohhhh," said Blankfein's wife Laura as he made a hand gesture toward them clearly joking about some sort of rivalry between the firms. 

Blankfein then began to tell a story about a dinner he had with some of the surviving CEOs of the financial crisis.

"Laura and I were out to dinner with Jamie [Dimon] and –"

"Peter Sands," Laura chimed in referring to Standard Chartered's CEO.

"The three of us were out. Jamie and his wife. We had a grand ole' time going over financial crisis..."

"War stories. Our war stories," Laura added.

"Because if you look in the books, go check who are still in their CEO jobs from the start of the crisis," he said

"Hmm not many," a reporter was pondering it.

"Do I have to do all your work for you?! I do a lot," Blankfein joked. 

There was a large turn out of Goldman Sachs folks showing their support for the non-profit. ABC News' Bob Woodruff, who was seriously injured by a road side bomb in Iraq in 2006, was the master of ceremonies. Blankfein was Team Rubicon's distinguished guest. 

In 2012, Goldman teamed up with Team Rubicon following Hurricane Sandy to clean up the Rockaways. Even Blankfein went out there in his dad jeans to help with the clean up.

The organization's co-founder and president Jake Wood, who was a Marine Corps scout sniper and sergeant, told a story about how Blankfein and his wife Laura grabbed shovels to help clean out a home that was lived in by a widow for 60 years.

"Lloyd didn't hesitate to climb down to his dark, dingy and wet basement. He earned a new accolade that day."

That day, Blankfein's wife also found the 80-year-old widow's wedding album. She spent two hours carefully peeling and salvaging the photos.  

Blankfein then took the stage to make some remarks. It was like watching a comedian.

"Every time I stand next to Jake I feel like a different species," he said referring to Wood's height. Wood has over a foot on the Goldman chief executive.

Blankfein then proceeded to demonstrate what it was like when he was carrying stuff out of the basement of the Rockaway home.

"I've never been in my own basement," he began.

"You can imagine what this looked like as heavy items were based from here to here to here to HERE!" referring again to Wood's height.

"I regained my arm about six months ago."

While Goldman has been a big financial supporter of Team Rubicon, Blankfein said the firm is also doing its part by hiring military vets. He told us that some of the traits he likes that vets possess is that they're capable, smart, mature, confident and they have good leadership skills.

It was fascinating to watch Blankfein in action as he worked the room.

"Lloyd's hysterical. I think that's the thing people don't understand—is how approachable he is," Wood told us afterward.

"Once he starts rolling, he just starts. He would be seemingly unapproachable, but as soon as you get around to him, he's the life of everything. He's got a joke for everything." 

Of course, all the fun was for a much bigger cause. The event raised more than $400,000 for Team Rubicon.

Watch below to learn more about Team Rubicon:  

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Anton Sattler says he could not have made his award-winning CHOSIN documentary or its spin-off graphic novels without what he learned in the Marine Corps.

First of all, the Marines taught him how to thrive under stress with limited resources and how to make order out of chaos.

"Filmmaking is very much that," Sattler told Business Insider. "You need to be able to make quick decisions, especially while making a documentary. You need to be able to make changes and manage the chaos to get the job done." 

Second, in the Marines he learned a story so powerful that he felt compelled to tell it to a wider audience: the 1950 Chosin Reservoir Campaign, when 15,000 U.S. soldiers and Marines were surrounded by 120,000 Chinese soldiers in Korea and fought their way 78 miles to the sea, also rescuing 98,000 refugees. 

"If you aren't into the Marine Corps or aren't a military history buff it's not really well known," Sattler said. For the Marine Corps, though, it is the stuff of legend. This sense of tradition has always played a large part in Sattler's life.

Sattler graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2002 with a B.A. in film studies and English. Driven by a sense of duty, he immediately enlisted with the Marines. 

"I have a pretty long history of military service in my family. They've served in every military conflict since pretty much the turn of the last century, so after 9/11 it felt like my time to enlist," he said.

Sattler served two tours in Iraq, first as an infantry platoon commander in Al Qa'im and then as a company executive officer in Ramadi. Once he returned to America, Sattler served as an operations officer on recruiting duty in Baltimore. After six years of active duty, Anton transferred to the reserves with a dream.

"I left the Marines in 2008, moved to New York, had a film degree, and I knew I wanted to make movies," he said.

Through a mutual friend, Sattler met fellow Marine Corps veteran Brian Iglesias, who had also served in Ramadi and was also interested in making films. They joined together to form Veterans Expeditionary Media. 

"I walked out of the military with enough money to survive for a year, in one of the most expensive cities in the world, and I cashed it all in to make a movie," Sattler said.

To put together their documentary, CHOSIN, Sattler and Iglesias traveled across the country and interviewed 186 veterans in 27 cities across 14 states. Along this journey the overwhelming kindness of the veteran's families reinforced the essential truth that the military is one extended family.

"You're not alone," Sattler said. "You have an extended family of people in the military, or families of people who served in the military, who are happy to help you."

CHOSIN went on to win best documentary at the 2010 GI Film Festival. It has spawned two graphic novels, Chosin: Hold the Line and Chosin: To the Sea. An animated short film, CHOSIN: Baptized by Fire, is due to be released in May 2014.

After CHOSIN premiered in 2010, Sattler decided to return to school for a degree in marketing. He is set to graduate from Baruch College in New York in May 2014.

"Marketing for me seems like a weird arc, but for me it's where creativity and business meet," Sattler said. "Making the film helped me learn how to wear both hats."

Below is a trailer for CHOSIN: 

CHOSIN will be making its cable premier this Memorial Day, Monday, May 26, on the American Heroes Channel at 9pm/8pm Central Time. 

SEE ALSO: The incredible story of a homeless teenager who went on to become a star Marine

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The sinking of the USS Indianapolis by the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II was the single greatest loss of life at sea in the history of the U.S. Navy. 

Out of a crew of 1,196 sailors, 300 went down with the ship, which sank within 12 minutes of being torpedoed. Hundreds more succumbed to hypothermia, dehydration, starvation, and shark attacks as they waited for five days in the open sea for rescue. Faced with a shortage of life vests and life boats, only 317 sailors ultimately survived the attack. 

In a new book, "Out of the Depths," Marine and USS Indianapolis veteran Edgar Harrell shares his harrowing experience of the wreck, his struggle for survival, and his ultimate rescue. 

Below are some of Harrell's photos of the Indianapolis.

The USS Indianapolis conducted multiple operations against Japanese naval installations throughout the Pacific during World War II.

Among the many dangers the Indianapolis faced, one of the most terrifying was the Japanese use of kamikaze attacks.

Still, the Indianapolis successfully took part in campaigns as far apart as New Guinea and the Aleutian Islands. 

The Indianapolis' last mission was the delivery of half the world's existing enriched uranium to Tinian Island for use in the atomic bomb Little Boy. 

Four days after delivering the uranium, on July 30, 1945, two Japanese torpedoes tore through the Indianapolis. 

The ship rolled over and sunk almost immediately. The survivors of the initial wreck found themselves stranded for five days in the middle of the Pacific with almost no supplies, vests, or lifeboats. 

Of the 1,196 sailors onboard the Indianapolis, Harrell was one of only 317 to survive. 

Check out his full account in his book»

SEE ALSO: Amazing pictures of the US Navy from 116 years ago

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