Afghanistan

Ultramarine blue, or "true blue," was once more valuable than gold. In 1824, a synthetic version called French ultramarine made the color more accessible. But ultramarine blue made from real lapis lazuli can sell for over $60 an ounce today.

In 2019, an improvised explosive device ripped through a US Army patrol in Afghanistan, leaving combat cameraman Ian Ives with life-changing injuries.

The former CIA counterterrorism officer John Kiriakou looks at counterterrorism scenes in movies and TV and breaks them down for realism.

David Packouz is a former arms trader. In 2005, he joined the arms dealer Efraim Diveroli at AEY, bidding on contracts for the US military. In 2007, AEY won a $300 million contract to supply munitions to Afghanistan. Packouz was part of a cover-up to disguise the true identity of the ammunition, concealing that it was of Chinese origin.

A United States Army officer shares a modified combat rig that could offer service members a more optimized alternative to the traditional TAPS, or tactical assault panel system. In November, we spoke with 1st Lt.