Mail Call

Season 1

Retired Marine Gunnery Sergeant R. Lee Ermey takes viewers' questions concerning military hardware and technology, then consults with experts to answer them. Topics covered to date include gas masks, Gatling guns, night vision equipment, and samurai swords.

Where to Watch Season 1

13 Episodes

Tank; Gatling Gun; Samurai Sword
E1
Tank; Gatling Gun; Samurai SwordSteering a World War II tank; Gatling gun's speed; power of the samurai sword.
Knight's Armor; WWI Backpack; Landmine
E2
Knight's Armor; WWI Backpack; LandmineParts of 15th-century armor; World War I infantry backpack; ingredients of a land mine.
Flak Vest; Medieval Crossbow; WWI Pilots
E3
Flak Vest; Medieval Crossbow; WWI PilotsBody armor; accuracy of a medieval crossbow; how World War I pilots shot through their propellers.
Civil War Cannoneers; Night Vision; Clearing a Minefield
E4
Civil War Cannoneers; Night Vision; Clearing a MinefieldAiming Civil War artillery pieces; how night-vision technology works; how to clear a minefield.
Landing Craft, Air Cushion Hovercraft (LCAC); U.S. Cavalry Saddles; Gas Masks
E5
Landing Craft, Air Cushion Hovercraft (LCAC); U.S. Cavalry Saddles; Gas MasksOperating the LCAC; cavalry saddles used in the Old West; how gas masks work.
Mortar; WWII GIs' Personal Items; Native-American Arrows
E6
Mortar; WWII GIs' Personal Items; Native-American ArrowsManeuverable artillery; musket; Navy airships; precision flying team; pirates; depth charges
Re-Fueling a Fighter Jet; Naval Signal Flags; GI Chow
E7
Re-Fueling a Fighter Jet; Naval Signal Flags; GI ChowHow to refuel a fighter jet in mid-air; how ships send messages using signal flags; what soldiers eat.
Revolutionary WarMusket; Jousting; Foxholes
E8
Revolutionary WarMusket; Jousting; FoxholesHow fast a Revolutionary War soldier could fire a musket; jousting; how to dig a foxhole.
The Pilum; WWII Radios; First Rockets
E9
The Pilum; WWII Radios; First RocketsThe ancient Roman pilum is designed to penetrate armor; World War II army radios; how rockets were first used on the battlefield.
Ninja Weapons; Flamethrower; Military Dogs
E10
Ninja Weapons; Flamethrower; Military DogsThe weapons of the Japanese Ninja; how flamethrowers work; what military dogs do.
Grenades; Dog Tags; Dinner in a Pouch
E11
Grenades; Dog Tags; Dinner in a PouchHow do grenades work? What is a Low Altitude Parachute Extraction System (LAPES) Drop? What's the purpose of dog tags? Why did the German WWI helmet have a spike? What do American soldiers eat in the field today?
The Jeep; HIMARS; Hurricanes
E12
The Jeep; HIMARS; HurricanesHost R. Lee Ermey learns all about the Jeep, the rocket launcher called HIMARS and how and why the military hunts down hurricanes.
Future Gear; Marine Camouflage; Army's New Armored Vehicle
E13
Future Gear; Marine Camouflage; Army's New Armored VehiclePossible gear for troops on tomorrow's battlefields; Marines design their new camouflage pattern; the Stryker.