Act 1 Segment 1: What can you tell me about the Avenger air defense system? Host R. Lee Ermey heads out to the Marine Corps base in 29 Palms, California to check out the Avenger. The mobile Avenger vehicle has a rotating turret capable of launching 8 Stinger missiles before re-loading. The Gunny watches as the Marines knock some pint sized unmanned drones out of the sky at ranges up to 5 miles away. The Avenger also comes equipped with an electronically controlled .50 caliber machine gun for close range aerial kills. So no matter where Marines ground forces go, they can have good protection from any "unfriendly skies." Short Answer 1: So then what's the difference between a Stinger and a Red Eye missile? The Red Eye came along first, appearing in 1958. It was an effective shoulder-mounted surface to air missile with an infra-red seeker that locked on to the hot exhaust of an aircraft and... ka-boom. The Stinger started replacing the Red Eye in the early 1980s. Stingers can turn more quickly and have more refined infra-red equipment which is less likely to get fooled by flares. Act 2 Segment 2: How are military firefighters trained differently than their civilian counter-parts. The Mail Call team heads down to the Garland Firefighting Academy in San Angelo, Texas to feel the burn. The Garland Academy trains thousands of military firefighters each year for all four branches of the military. Trainees practice on burning aircraft hulls, literal "burning classrooms," overturned t...
Act 1 Segment 1: What can you tell me about the Avenger air defense system? Host R. Lee Ermey heads ...
