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Dow Jones: Top Highs and Lows Since 1929
Learn Stock Market Dow Jones: Top Highs and Lows Since 1929
Markets tend to rise as the economy expands, the Dow is no exception, although it reflects periods of volatility, is the second-oldest U.S. market index still in use.
For much of the U.S. stock market's history, the highs, lows, bull market runs, and shocking crashes have been captured best for the public and many investors by the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
This stock market index, also known as the Dow or DIJA, tracks 30 large blue-chip companies on the NYSE and Nasdaq. Although the Dow isn't as big as the S&P 500 or the Nasdaq, neither of them has been as influential or popular enough to be the subject of a Broadway musical.
The Dow is the second-oldest U.S. market index still in use, after the Dow Jones Transportation Index. It was formed in 1896 with 12 mostly industrial stocks and has been fixed at 30 since 1928. The index evolves over time and its stocks are sometimes removed and replaced. Unlike the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq, the Dow weights stocks by price rather than by market capitalization derived by multiplying share prices by the number of shares outstanding.
What is the highest the DOW has ever been?
As of March 2022, the Dow Jones's all-time high at market close was 36,799.65, on Jan. 4, 2022. It reached a higher level the next day, at 36,952.65, but closed below its all-time high.
Since 2009, when the longest bull market in U.S. stock market history began. The Dow has consistently hit new highs since then. That bull run intensified during the two year period from 2019 to its all-time high in January 2022. World events that contributed to this run include:
Trade talks between the U.S. and China, which led to 22 record closes in 2019;
President Donald Trump's transition out of office in late 2020, which led to the Dow breaking the 30,000 mark;
Promising news that the COVID-19 pandemic would not require further lockdowns, which led to consistent high closes in 2021.
What is the largest single-day point gain?
The Dow gained 2,117.72 points—the biggest single-day point gain in history—on March 24 after Trump announced the country could be up and running by Easter.
Nearly all the Dow's historic point gains and losses occurred in 2020 on news of stimulus packages and vaccines, but also on disappointments regarding the pandemic's effect on the global economy.
What are the highest records set since 2020?
Since 2020, the Dow has reach multiple milestone highs:
2020. The Dow set a record high of 28,868.80 on Jan. 2 and another record a week later. It reached a milestone of 29,000 on Jan. 15. After experiencing three of the biggest drops in history during the spring, it broke 30,000 on Nov. 24, and ended the year at a record high of 30,606.48.
2021. The Dow crossed the 31,000 mark on Jan. 7, reaching an all-time high on Jan. 20 of 31.188.38. COVID pandemic recovery news, including strong retail sales and lower unemployment benefit claims, spurred the Dow on. On March 10, the Dow closed above 32,000 for the first time, and then closed above 33,000 on March 17. On April 15, it reached a new high, closing at 34,035.99. It rose further during the year, reaching 35,625.40 on Aug. 16, closing at a new record high.
2022. The year started with a bang as the Dow closed at 36,799.65 on Jan. 4, its all-time high to date. However, the stock market indexes, including the Dow, declined after that amid tighter monetary policy from the Federal Reserve, the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, rising energy prices and lingering investor concerns about new variants of the coronavirus.
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What is the lowest the Dow has ever been?
Investors in recent years have become accustomed to record highs for the Dow, but there have been some pronounced drops as well. Still, there has never been as dramatic a fall as the Great Depression, in which the Dow lost nearly 90% of its value over just three years. It reached its all-time low of 41.22 in 1932.
Largest drop in one year period
The subprime mortgage and credit crisis in 2007-2008 that began the Great Recession was the period of most volatility in recent history, which led to the biggest drop in the Dow's value in a one-year period. On Oct. 9, 2007, the Dow hit a pre-recession high, closing at 14,164.53, despite growing concerns about the subprime mortgage crisis. Banks had offered easy home loans to virtually everyone, even those with bad credit. Falling home prices throughout 2007 prompted defaults on subprime mortgages. The Federal Reserve began buying banks' mortgages, recognizing that banks didn't have enough liquidity.
Heading into 2008, job losses were mounting, economic growth had slowed, and in March the Fed had to prop up the struggling investment bank Bear Stearns, which would have failed. By the middle of the year, the U.S. Treasury Department had to bail out the government-sponsored Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac agencies, guaranteeing $25 billion of their mortgage loans and $300 billion in new loans. Investment bank Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy on Sept. 15, 2008, and the Dow dropped more than 200 points. A day later, the Fed announced a bailout of the insurance company American International Group, which had run out of cash paying off credit default swaps it had issued against the failed mortgage-backed securities. On Sept. 1, the Dow fell 449.36 points.
The stock market crash of 2008 happened on Sept. 29, 2008, and the Dow fell by 777.68 points in intraday trading, when Congress couldn't agree on passing a bill to spend $700 billion to prop up the U.S. financial system (it passed a few days later). The Dow ended 2008 at 8,779.39, down almost 34% for the year. By March 5, 2009, the market had fallen by more than half from its previous high point and the Dow closed at 6,594.44.
It took about five years for stocks to recover. The Dow returned to its October 2007 highs in March 2013.
Largest single-day percentage drop
The Dow's largest percentage drop in history happened when the market crashed on October 19, 1987—on what is now known as Black Monday—and the Dow lost 22.6% in a single day.
Largest single-day point drop
The largest single-day drop for the Dow occurred on March 16, 2020. It dropped 2,997 points after President Trump announced that coronavirus shutdowns could extend until August of that year. The Dow had already dropped by 2,013.76 points on March 3, and 2,352.60 points on March 12 on fears of an oil price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia and continued coronavirus fears.
A brief history of the Dow Jones from 1929–2013
1929 Great Depression. The Dow falls by 90% in less than four years during The Great Depression, reaching its low of 41.22 on July 8, 1932. It would take until 1954—25 years—to retain its September 1929 high.
1945 recession. The Dow rises 19.2% during a recession due to strong business spending, even after wartime government spending drops.
1948-49 recession. The U.S. economy begins to adjust to peacetime production levels, and the Dow drops 16% from 193.16 on June 15, 1948 to 161.60 on June 13, 1949.
1953 recession. The Dow falls 10.1% on Jan. 2 to 262.54 on Sept. 1, then reaches a new high of 382.74 on Nov. 23, 1954. Military demobilization after the Korean War causes a 10-month recession, after which the Dow finally beats its pre-Depression high.
1960 recession. The economic downturn of the recession prompts a fall in the Dow of 13.9% from Dec. 31, 1959, to 585.24 by Nov. 1, 1960. In February 1961, President John F. Kennedy uses stimulus spending to end the recession.
1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. The U.S. enacts a trade embargo against Cuba on Feb. 7, 1962, and the Dow drops 26.5% to 536.76 in June. The crisis ends on Oct. 28, 1962.
1970 recession. Between Dec. 3, 1968, and May 26, 1970, the Dow drops 30% to a low of 651.16.
1973-75 recession. The Dow declined by 45% from 1,051.70 on Jan. 11, 1973, to 598.64 on Dec. 4, 1974, in part because of the end of the gold standard by President Richard M. Nixon.
1980–82 recession. After a 16% drop from a 903.84 high on Feb. 13, 1980, to 759.13 on April 21, 1980, the Fed lowers the federal funds rate (the interest rate for banks to loan money overnight to each other) to 8.5%. The Dow rises to 1,024.05 on April 27, 1981. The Fed then raises rates to combat inflation, which reduces business spending. The Dow drops 22.4% to 776.92 by Aug. 12, 1982.
1987 stock market crash. The Dow experiences its largest single-day percentage drop of 22.6% on Oct. 19,1987. The so-called Black Monday crash is caused in part by computer trading that forces sell orders when the market turns down.
1990-91 recession. Iraq invades Kuwait on Aug. 2, 1990, and the Dow falls 17% in three months.
1998 currency crisis. Thailand ends its peg of the baht to the U.S. dollar and currency values fall in Southeast Asia. The Dow falls 554.26 points on Oct. 27 1997, its biggest point loss at that time, and the U.S. stock market suspends trading. On Aug. 17, 1998, Russia devalues the ruble and defaults on its bonds. The Dow starts to fall the next day from 8,714.64 to 7,539.06 by Aug. 31, down by 13%.
2001 recession. The Dow ends a long bull market on Jan. 14, 2000, in part due to the strength of the Internet business and the subsequent bursting of the dot-com bubble. But it then falls on March 7, 2000, rebounds to 11,124.83 on April 25, and falls again to 9,973.46 by March 14, 2001, beginning the 2001 recession. It then enters a period of volatility and drops to 8,920.70 after markets open following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The recession ends in November 2002 after a period of uncertainty about war.
2008-09 recession. The Sept. 29, 2008, stock market crash is among the most dramatic in U.S. history to date, falling 777.68 points in intraday trading. Although the market drop, at 50%, is less than the 90% drop during the Great Depression, it takes only 17 months to reach bottom, compared with four years in the 1930s. The Dow falls 13% in October 2008 and hits a new low for the year of 7,552.29 in November 2008. It reaches its lowest point in the bear market on March 5, 2009, of 6,594.44.
2008. In the midst of a recession, the Dow has two milestone days of gains. On Oct. 13, the Dow gains 936 points after governments and central banks pour money into the markets to jumpstart the global economy. Two weeks later, on Oct. 28, the Dow rises 889 on optimism that the Fed would cut the interest rate.
2013 recovery. The Dow finally recovers its losses from the Great Recession on March 15, when it closes at 14,253.77. It had taken five years to surpass its previous record of 14,164.53, from October 9, 2007. During 2013, the Dow reaches several milestones: it gains 26.5% for the year, higher than any year on record, and rises above 15,000 for the first time in May, and then above 16,000 in November.
Historically, markets tend to rise as the economy expands, and the Dow is no exception. Although the Dow reflects periods of volatility, its annualized average returns for the 10 years ended June 30, 2019, shows an increase of 15.03%; its 20-year return—which includes the market peak of 2000, the bursting of the dot-com bubble, and the market losses of 2008—also ended June 30, 2019 was 7.03%.
If you're looking for a long-term investment strategy, we've got you covered. Titan's award-winning, expert-managed portfolios offer investors of all income levels the potential to grow their wealth over the long-term. Why wait? Sign-up takes less than five minutes.
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18 photos that show the intensity of keeping warships supplied at sea
This is what happened when the Navy banned alcohol on its ships
Posted On August 07, 2020 00:43:27
On July 1, 1914, infamous buzzkill and then-Navy Secretary Josephus Daniels implemented General Order No. 99:
"The use or introduction for drinking purposes of alcoholic liquors on board any naval vessel, or within any navy yard or station, is strictly prohibited, and commanding officers will be held directly responsible for the enforcement of this order."
Daniels was a supporter of the Temperance Movement, a turn-of-the-century social movement which supported a nationwide alcohol ban and actively worked to pass legislation against the beverage. Some of those laws are still in effect.
Hampering Sunday Funday for a century.
The U.S. Navy used to honor the grand tradition of giving their sailors a daily portion of grog, which started out as a half-pint of rum and then later, good ol' American whiskey. If a sailor didn't drink, they earned an extra per diem for it, the 2016 equivalent of around $1.44. The ration was reduced to a gill (quarter-pint) in 1842 and then eliminated during the Civil War (but the Confederate Navy kept the tradition in an effort to recruit sailors from other countries).
Coffee is almost the same… right?
American sailors were allowed to keep their own stores of liquor and beer on board until 1899 when their sale was restricted. The new rules barred "enlisted men, either on board ship, or within the limits of navy yards, naval stations, or Marine barracks, except in the medical department." When Daniels issued General Order No. 99, the only alcohol aboard U.S. ships was reserved for the officers of the wardroom and the Captain's Mess.
You think Ray Mabus is persona non grata? Sailors used to boo this guy on the street.
A creative reader can probably imagine what happened when the sailors learned about the ban. Daniels was not a popular guy but commanders rushed to sell what they had left – and they had a lot left. The Navy decided each ship should hold one last blowout to say fair winds and following seas to their beloved drink.
U.S. ships the world over moved to comply with the order. Many ships held banquets with food, others had theme parties, and some held funeral processions for their departing friend. A few ships just poured whatever they had left into a giant bowl. Pictures of these parties are hard to find– not only because cameras were rare in 1914. Presumably, the sailors didn't want to make every American party for the next 60 years seem lame by comparison.
And Cher wouldn't board the Battleship Missouri for another 75 years.
The Navy banned alcohol entirely for a total of six years. Selling booze on shore and in clubs was reinstated after Congress passed the 21st Amendment, repealing Prohibition. President Jimmy Carter's Secretary of the Navy Edward Hidalgo (himself a WWII-era Navy veteran) changed the rules to allow the sailors two beers a day to sailors at sea for 45 days or more.
If there's a direct opposite of a Blue Falcon, this shipmate is it.
Here's what the Coast Guard is cutting back on during the shutdown
While the Coast Guard is not slowing down in its most important national security operations as the U.S. enters its fifth week of a government shutdown, some activities have been halted or curtailed, and many newly minted Coasties find themselves stuck at recruit training, without funding to head to their first duty stations.
Lt. Cmdr. Scott McBride, a Coast Guard spokesman, told Military.com that recruits whose new units are not well suited to support them during the shutdown or lack the means to return home in the interim "will remain attached to the Training Center [in Cape May, New Jersey] for the duration of the lapse."
"There have been no immediate operational impacts related to recruit training; however, it is difficult to project the impact that the lapse in appropriations will have on mission readiness months or years from now," he said Jan. 23, 2019.
There are currently 395 recruits in training. Seventy-six new Coasties graduated Jan. 18, 2019, he said.
Those who have the option to return home may receive a stipend from the government even as the shutdown continues.
Coast Guard cutter Bertholf on a counterdrug patrol in the eastern Pacific Ocean, March 11, 2018.
(Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Trees)
"While the partial government shutdown prevents our ability to provide advance payment of reimbursable transfer expenses, it does not prevent us from issuing plane tickets for recruits to travel directly to units with the capacity to support them during the shutdown," McBride said.
Often, recruits have the opportunity to return home for leave before reporting to their first assigned unit.
"In these cases, we have been able to coordinate temporary hometown recruiting assignments that allow graduates to make their desired trip home for leave, assist the workforce recruiting effort and temporarily defer execution of their permanent transfer and associated costs," McBride said. "For those who choose this option, there may be out-of-pocket costs, if the cost of a ticket home exceeds the cost allowance of government transportation to their new unit."
The Coast Guard will continue to monitor the situation but said that it does not plan on letting recruits leave Cape May without an approved transfer plan with appropriately allocated resources.
Elsewhere in the Coast Guard, the shutdown is also taking a toll on operations.
Boardings for safety checks, the issuance or renewals of merchant documentation and licensing, fisheries enforcement patrols and routine maintenance of aids to navigation have been delayed or downsized, McBride said.
Other modified operations include administrative functions, training, and maintenance for surface and aviation fleets, he said in an email.
"The Coast Guard will continue operations required by law that provide for national security or that protect life and property," he said, including monitoring coast lines, ports, harbors and inland waterways, as well as maritime intercept and environmental defense operations.
But for the men and women conducting these high-stress operations or deploying, the pressure is mounting as they go without paychecks, not knowing how they can provide for their families back home, said Steven Cantrell, who served as the 12th master chief petty officer for the service.
Family and friends reunite with crew members on Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf's flight deck upon the cutter's after a 90-day deployment, Sept. 4, 2018.
(Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Matthew S. Masaschi)
"They still have to go out and do their job and focus on the mission when sometimes it's a very unforgiving environment," he said in an interview with Military.com on Jan. 23, 2019. He retired from the position in 2018.
"I wouldn't presume to think that anybody wouldn't give it 100 percent," Cantrell said, adding that the current situation does "weigh on people."
Members of the Coast Guard, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, missed their first paychecks Jan. 15, 2019. If the shutdown continues, they will miss their second at the end of the month.
While shutdowns have occurred before, support services for members and families "will have to expand if it goes any longer," Cantrell said.
Coasties have been relying on donations, loans and even food pantries to sustain their families as they take on necessary duties such as search-and-rescue operations.
"It's one thing to sit back and go, 'Wow, why would I want to do that?' Because they don't have the option to say, 'Well, I'm just going to go home.' They've been deemed essential," Cantrell said, adding that morale is "probably low" in places around the country.
(Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Frank Iannazzo-Simmons)
Cantrell said he is hopeful the next generation of service members' desire to serve will outweigh the current problems.
"People know it's not the Coast Guard that's doing this. And I'm 100 percent sure [leaders] have prepped the battlespace for those recruits to know what's going on in the service. And they do a really good job… at the Training Center … [to get them] excited about the Coast Guard," he said.
While frustrations remain, Cantrell said he thinks it's unlikely there will be a significant or long-term national security impact, given the service has seen fluctuating or dwindling budgets before and was still able to press on.
But "it's a bitter pill to swallow even as a retiree, and I just can't imagine the young folks out there worrying about things that they shouldn't have to worry about," he said.
This article originally appeared on Military.com. Follow @militarydotcom on Twitter.
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Soldiers in training save choking infant
It was another assignment for Pfcs. Marco Garcia and Jovany Castillo, two soldiers inching toward completing the second phase of the Army's Practical Nurse Course at William Beaumont Army Medical Center. The basic task of measuring vital signs of patients at a local hospital was the assignment, an important but mundane task for health care professionals. Little did they know, their training would be tested in an unforeseen way.
Castillo and Garcia had been together throughout their Army journey since enlisting in October 2017. Together they had endured Army basic training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, went on to Advanced Individual Training for the first phase of the Practical Nurse Course at Fort Sam Houston, Texas and ended up at Fort Bliss, Texas for the final phase of the course before arriving to their first permanent assignment.
Working alongside each other, the two soldiers made their rounds through patients, mostly children, checking temperatures, blood pressure and pulses.
"We were going around the department, and went into one room where a [toddler] was sitting up in a chair, watching TV eating cereal," explained Castillo, 25 and native of Huntington Beach, California. "Mom was right behind her on her phone, so we asked if it was alright to get the [patient's] vitals."
After consenting, the two began recording the patient's vitals as they had practiced dozens of times before.
"One thing we're taught is to interact with the patient, even if it's an infant," said Garcia, 26 and native of Spring, Texas. "[The patient] was placing a lot of cereal in their mouth, so we let the mom know but said [the toddler] was okay."
Moments later, while the two soldiers were still checking the patient, the child began to gasp for air, as the excess cereal had apparently obstructed her airway, springing the two soldiers to action.
Army Achievement Medal | Medals of America
"For a second I thought 'Is this really happening?' but right away I went to the baby, while [Garcia] went to go get help," said Castillo. "I was in shock a little, but got over it right away."
"We looked at each other and [Castillo] went over to help," said Garcia. "Since he was helping, I went to get a nurse. I trusted him, I knew he was going to do what he needed to do."
According to Castillo, the patient's mother had picked up the patient and began tapping the back of the patient in a manner that would have further lodged the obstruction into the trachea, so he instructed her on proper infant choking procedures while assisting the child.
"[The mother] had the baby, I just adjusted her hands and showed her the correct position, then I started tapping the baby's back," said Castillo. "Honestly, those were the longest three or four seconds of my life because I was so scared for the little baby. I kept on [patting her back] until I finally heard her take a breath and that's when I was relieved."
"When I got back the baby was crying the nurses checked on the baby and made sure everything was okay," said Garcia.
"It was quick thinking on [the soldiers'] part," said Robyn Gerbitz, a Registered Nurse and one of the Practical Nurse Course Instructors at WBAMC. "They took the initiative immediately, we could have had a very bad [outcome]."
One of Gerbitz' lessons for new soldiers includes introducing them to the mantra, "respiratory leads to cardiac," defining the link between pulmonary and cardiac arrests due to buildup of carbonic acid and lowered oxygen levels in the bloodstream.
"We do a lot of hands-on work in clinical rotations," said Gerbitz. "These guys are quick thinkers, I'm very proud of them."
Whether Garcia and Castillo's quick reaction was a reflection of their medical training kicking in is not certain, since the two soldiers are still weeks away from completing the rigorous 58-week curriculum.
"Instructors make sure we understand and are well equipped to deal with such situations," said Castillo. "For me, it kind of just happened and I'm happy the way things turned out, it was a rush."
Before joining the Army, Castillo was going to college while working at a fast food restaurant and Garcia worked with produce at a grocery store. Neither soldier ever thought they would be saving someone's life just a year into their military service.
"It's definitely something I joined to do, to help people," said Garcia. "You learn something new every day. This is a stepping stone for sure."
After ensuring the baby was stable, the pair just went about their duties and continued checking other patients' vitals.
"I had just walked in and the nurses told me about the situation," said Gerbitz. "The director [of the local hospital] recognized the Soldiers right then and there. They reacted humbly, went about their duties. I believe wherever they go, they're going to make good nurses."
This article originally appeared on the United States Army. Follow @USArmy on Twitter.
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This disabled vet employs wounded warriors at his awesome restaurant
On the streets of Long Beach, California, a new restaurant has opened where a quadriplegic Navy veteran focuses on hiring other disabled people — especially veterans — to staff the business.
Daniel Tapia, the owner of the restaurant 4th and Olive, told Fox LA, "I'm referred to what's known as a walking quad, a high functioning quadriplegic. So, I can walk and move but I have a limited strength and feeling in my hands and feet."
Daniel Tapia is a disabled Navy veteran and co-owner of 4th and Olive. (Photo: YouTube/SupposeWeExpose)
Tapia was a sommelier at another southern California restaurant until he was fired in 2014. Short on employment opportunities and hopeful that he could fight disability discrimination, he decided to launch his own establishment that would provide job opportunities for other disabled veterans.
Some of the vets, like Air Force veteran and bartender John Putnam, are fighting physical battles, but the restaurant also hires people with PTSD and traumatic brain injuries.
John Putnam is a disabled Air Force veteran who now works as a bartender at 4th and Olive. (Photo: YouTube/SupposeWeExpose)
Co-owner and chef Alex McGroarty told Fox that the veterans are great employees.
"They work really hard," he said. "If they've had a little trouble in the past, they are going to be really loyal and work hard for you."
"By and large, it's been a great process hiring these vets, and we can't wait to hire more," Tapia said in a recent YouTube video.
4th and Olive is located in Long Beach, California and serves food from the Alsace region of France.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pZONuhGZmE
The Army's new grenade has a split personality
Army engineers at Picatinny Arsenal are working on a new hand grenade design that will allow soldiers to choose between fragmentation or concussion effects.
It also features some other updates like an electronic fuse and an ambidextrous design that's easier to throw.
(Graphic: U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center)
The Enhanced Tactical Multi-Purpose grenade will be the Army's first new hand grenade design in 40 years. It's also the first time that soldiers will get a concussion grenade in about the same amount of time.
The ET-MP will feature a fragmentation setting which will work similarly to the current design, the M67, where an explosive charge creates shrapnel that flies at high speeds into enemy fighters.
A concussion mode will work in a similar way to the Army's old MK3A2 concussion grenade. Concussion grenades work by overpressuring the surrounding air, causing a blast wave that can kill enemies in bunkers. The Mk3A2 also served in a limited role for blasting and demolition, a role the new grenade could be capable of as well.
The MK3A2 was retired in 1975 because of asbestos used in the design.
(Photo: U.S. Army Project Manager Close Combat Systems)
Concussion grenades are also good for killing enemies in the open. Concussion grenades usually have a 2 to 3-meter kill radius in the open while a fragmentation grenade is usually lethal for 5 meters or more.
The ET-MP will also feature a new, electronic fuse which provides a much more accurate timing mechanism, allowing the fuze to be accurate to microseconds. The M213 fuze used in current grenades is timed for 4-5 seconds but, due to variances in how long it takes the internal powder train to burn, can actually detonate in as little as 3 seconds.
As an added bonus, the grenade will work the same way for left and right-handed throwers. The M67 requires that left-handed soldiers prepare the grenade and throw it upside down.
The requirements for the new grenade were developed with input from active-duty troops and training cadre who instruct service members on how to use grenades.
The U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center is leading the research into the new design. The Project Manager Close Combat Systems, an agency that fields munitions and equipment for use by troops, is expected to receive the final grenade in 2020.
More information about the new grenade can be found in the ARDEC press release.
Veterans are more likely to have trouble sleeping – here's the fix
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
You quit coffee, tea and chocolate! You put up black out curtains and got rid of all the screens in your bedroom. You even tried counting sheep. But still you find yourself lying awake, unable to sleep. Sleep Hygiene tips help many people. But they don't work all the time and they don't work for everybody — especially if you have been experiencing sleep problems for a long time.
Sleepless nights are not uncommon, but if they persist for weeks at a time and impact your life, it could be that insomnia, nightmares or other sleep problems are affecting your well-being. Insomnia after returning from deployment is one aspect of military service that relates to sleep problems. Training to be alert through the night, working extended shifts and upsetting memories from combat zones can all affect sleep, even after separating from service. This means that if you are a veteran, you are more likely to have trouble sleeping than civilians.
Sleeping Better Feeling Better
Treatment is key to improving both your physical and mental health
Sleep problems often occur with PTSD, depression, anxiety and chronic pain, and can lead to trouble concentrating, challenging emotions, and a feeling of hopelessness that could worsen thoughts of suicide. So, it's a good idea to talk to your doctor early, when you first notice changes in your sleep that impact your functioning. Proven treatments for insomnia are more effective than sleep medications in the long-term without the side effects.
"Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, CBT-I, targets behaviors and thoughts that perpetuate sleep problems, and is a treatment that has demonstrated longer-term effects than sleep medications", says Dr. Sarra Nazem, a VA psychologist and researcher. "Imagery Rehearsal Therapy, IRT, is a treatment that involves re-scripting nightmares which can lead to decreases in nightmare severity and frequency."
Take the Sleep Check-up to understand your own sleep. And remember, sleeping better means feeling better in all ways.
If you or a veteran you know is in crisis call the Veterans Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255 or text 838255.
This article originally appeared on the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Follow @DeptVetAffairs on Twitter.
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Rambo has some fight left in him in the trailer for 'Rambo: Last Blood'
Alex Hollings
The trailer for "Rambo: Last Blood" has been released, and this time, John Rambo's fighting right here at home. It's been 37 years since the first Rambo film hit theaters, yet somehow the titular character remains a fan favorite among veterans young and old. At first glance, this new movie looks just like Rambo's previous outings: ripe with gritty violence and fiery explosions, but just beneath the surface, the Rambo franchise offers America's veterans a whole lot more.
Rambo: Last Blood (2019 Movie) Teaser Trailer— Sylvester Stallone
The Rambo franchise has always filled a unique role in the American cultural lexicon. Over the decades (yeah, decades), the franchise has shifted under the weight of popular sentiment across a wide spectrum of themes, delivering vastly different stories through the lens of the same main character.
From a troubled special operations veteran struggling to find his place in the "civilized" world, to a killing machine with a heart in the jungles of Burma, John Rambo's character has long been a reflection of American fears about what war is, and more importantly, what it does to us. While Rambo may not offer us the most poignant approach to society's ills, it has always been there like a cultural Rosetta Stone, translating contemporary fears into blockbuster action using the same visual language sold to the coveted blockbuster demographics that came before us. The world changes, but Rambo stays the same.
Okay, so maybe his knives get bigger.
(Orion Pictures)
In Rambo's newest (and likely last) outing, the legendary character appears to have finally come home – working on a farm that, logic dictates, is close enough to the Mexican border to find the legendary warfighter squaring off against a powerful cartel. Unlike in previous Rambo films, which have shown the character traveling the world to fight the enemy, Last Blood brings the fight right to Rambo's door. Of course, in keeping with the character's (perhaps repetitive) journey, he seems reluctant to get involved at first, until an unseen catalyst forces his hand.
In many ways, the Rambo franchise has taken on its own sort of veteran journey, starting with the character's struggle to find a place for himself after a war that gave him purpose, maturing into the story of a reluctant expert in his field, and now, proving that we veterans can still fight for what matters even as we get older. Rambo is indeed warrior-wish-fulfillment, but not in the ways its critics might imagine. The violence depicted in Rambo may be rad, but the violence isn't the message, it's the medium.
Rambo films are always about finding a purpose that's bigger than yourself. Purpose, for many veterans, is exactly what we feel like we lack after we put up our boots for the last time. We may not see ourselves in John Rambo, but in the ludicrous universe these movies inhabit, we do see one of our own — struggling and winning, thanks to the same hard work, grit, and determination we prize in ourselves.
Unlike most veterans, John Rambo has always been able to pull off a bandana, though.
(Lionsgate)
While it may seem lofty (and even silly) to attribute such serious thought to a film with the almost comical title of "Rambo: Last Blood," it's just as silly to dismiss the lasting effect John Rambo has had on generations of moviegoers. The first Rambo film hit theaters three years before I was born and twenty-four years before I put on a uniform for the first time, but somehow, the movie weaseled its way into my brain, informing some of my expectations about service and its social and political costs. The movie gave Vietnam veterans like my father a melodramatic and passionate spokesman — because hard emotions don't trade in nuance, and neither does Rambo. And it spurred a series of sequels, each tailored specifically to their times and the conflicts weighing on American minds.
Last Blood's Rambo is no different; as an aging veteran offers us one more wish fulfilled, proving that even as we get older, we can still fight just like we always have, and we can still sacrifice for a cause that's worthy.
Is Rambo realistic? Of course not. Is it ham-fisted storytelling? Absolutely.
Will I be there opening night? You bet I will.
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Army wants to know how a soldier was shot during expert test
Army officials at Fort Polk, Louisiana, are trying to determine how a soldier was shot during training in October 2018 since the incident did not occur during a live-fire event.
The soldier from 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, was shot accidentally while going through Expert Infantryman Badge (EIB) testing at 2 p.m. Oct. 26, 2018, according to Kim Reischling, a spokeswoman for Fort Polk.
The Army did not release the soldier's name, but Reischling said he is in stable condition.
Infantry soldiers participate in testing each year to show they have mastered their core infantry skills and to earn the EIB, a distinctive badge consisting of a silver musket on a blue field.
Expert Infantryman Badge candidates wait at the start of the 12-mile foot march before the sun rises, April 3, 2014.
The testing requires soldiers to pass a day-and-night land navigation course; complete a 12-mile road march with their weapon, individual equipment and a 35-pound rucksack within three hours; and pass several individual tests involving weapons, first aid and patrolling techniques.
Soldiers are required to have their weapons with them during EIB testing, but there "shouldn't have been live rounds" present when the soldier was shot, Reischling said.
The incident remains under investigation, she said.
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Army tests laser that shoots down drones
WATM Partners
During a recent Army exercise, a prototype laser shot down so many drones that its operator started losing count. "I took down, I want to say, twelve?" Staff Sgt. Eric Davis told reporters. "It was extremely effective."
The Army has made air defense an urgent priority, especially against drones. Once icons of American technological supremacy, unmanned aircraft have proliferated to adversaries around the world. The Islamic State uses them for ad hoc bombing attacks; the Russian army to spot Ukrainian units for artillery barrages.
So last month's Maneuver Fires Integrated Experiment threw 14 different types of drones against a slate of counter-UAS technologies, from a .50 caliber machine gun loaded with special drone-killing rounds, to acoustic sensors that listened for incoming drones, to jammers mounted on rugged, air-droppable Polaris 4x4s.
But the laser was the star.
The Army wants to arm the versatile Stryker combat vehicle with high-energy lasers to defeat a variety of threats — including drones. (Photo: US Army)
"We had a lot of fun with the Stryker vehicle this time," said John Haithcock, the civilian director of the Fires Battle Lab at Fort Sill, which hosts the exercise. The Stryker is a moderately armored eight-wheel-drive vehicle, lighter than an M1 tank or M2 Bradley but much heavier and more robust than a Humvee or MRAP, and its boxy hull has proved adaptable to a host of variants.
Earlier MFIX exercises had tested a counter-drone Stryker, with radar and optical sensors to detect drones, plus jammers to scramble drones' datalinks, causing them to lose contact with their operators and even crash. Two prototypes of this CMIC vehicle (Counter-UAS Mobile Integrated Capability) are now in Europe with the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, the unit on the cutting edge of testing new technology to counter the Russians.
But there's still space and electrical power to spare on the CMIC Stryker, so for April's MFIX the Army added the 5 kilowatt laser, derived from the Boeing-General Dynamics MEHEL 2-kw prototype. For November's MFIX, they plan to double the power, 10 kilowatts, which will let it kill drones faster — since the beam delivers more energy per second — and further away. If November's tests go equally well, Haithcock said, the 10 kw laser Stryker will graduate to an Army-led Joint Warfighting Assessment at Fort Bliss, Texas, where soldiers will test it in all-out mock battle.
Not that the MFIX exercise was easy: Soldiers operating the laser Stryker had to contend with real drones and simulated artillery barrages. Just managing the Stryker's complex capabilities — laser, radar, jammers, sensors — was challenging. In fact, a big part of the experiment was assessing whether the soldiers' suffered "task saturation," a polite way of saying "overloaded."
"The crew on the Stryker had never worked together….We didn't know each other," Staff Sgt. Davis said. "(But) all the systems were pretty easy to use, and after 15-20 minutes, I was able to program all the different types of equipment."
Once the shooting started, he managed to multi-task, Davis said: "I was able to troubleshoot the radar while I was using the laser." The artillerymen manning the laser Stryker were even able to continue acting as forward observers, spotting targets for artillery attack, at the same time they defended the force against incoming drones.
A Stryker-mounted 10 kw laser should be far more maneuverable and survivable on the front lines than the Army's early experiment, a 10 kw weapon on an unarmored heavy truck. (The truck's still in play as a platform for a 60 kw long-range laser to kill artillery rockets). But a Stryker is too much hardware for the Army's light infantry brigades, which mostly move on foot with a smattering of Humvees and other offroad vehicles.
For those forces, this MFIX experimented with splitting the CMIC kit of sensors and jammers across two Polaris MRZR 4x4s. The Army also tested a heavy-duty jammer called the Anti-UAV Defense System (AUDS), currently mounted on a cargo pallet in the back of a medium truck but potentially Polaris-transportable as well. No word whether they can make a laser that compact — at least, not yet.
4 restaurants you've been dreaming of while deployed
Ruddy Cano
The last month of deployment can either drag slowly on or fly by, depending on how you keep your mind busy. If you're looking for an escape from the drudgery, keep yourself distracted. And there's no better way to keep your mind off the present quite like imaging all of the food you'll eat when you arrive stateside. America is the melting pot of all the world's cultures, which also means we have the very best of the world's cuisine.
I can guarantee you, based on personal experience, that the question of, "what're you going to eat first?" will come up. If you're looking to start the discussion off with a delectable imaginary dining experience, fantasize about the spots on this list:
'Murica!
(Pinch Kitchen/Facebook)
Pinch Kitchen — Miami
Restaurants overseas never perfectly nail the taste of American cuisine — and I do not mean fast food (admittedly, foreign countries can't get that right, either). If you're lucky enough to be stationed in Florida, or you're planning on using some of your post-deployment leave days down south, make sure to stop by Pinch Kitchen in Miami, Florida.
They take American classics and add a dash of this and that to really bring out the taste in the classic meals we love. Now, before people start saying that hamburgers and hotdogs are not American because they originated from Germany, I'll say this: Just like we did to the moon, we put our flag on them and now they belong to us.
Two executive chefs, John Gallo and Rene Reyes, put every effort into ensuring the food is perfect, the ambiance is unpretentious, and the place is filled with all of our favorite beers.
This is a piece of art that you're encouraged to eat. What a concept.
(Delmonico Steakhouse)
Delmonico Steakhouse — Las Vegas
If Vegas is in your future, do not miss Delmonico Steakhouse. The genius in the kitchen is Emeril John Lagassé III who, as you might know, had his own show on the Food Network. This restaurant is more upscale, and I'd strongly recommend taking someone you're more serious with than that stripper you just met thirty minutes ago.
Regardless, the filet mignon and other steaks here are so good you'll wish you were exclusively carnivorous. Treat yourself to a quality meal because you've earned it. Vegas has buffets and deals around every corner, and there are plenty of comfort foods for after you have stumbled out of the casino (and almost married that stripper I told you not to take to the Steakhouse while successfully evading capture from the police and being black-out drunk). So, take some time to enjoy a meal that isn't self-served, warrior.
It's a family restaurant… I swear!
(Twin Peaks, Front Burner Restaurants, LP.)
Twin Peaks is a sports bar that started in Texas, but now has franchises all over the U.S. and is the primary competitor of Hooters. They serve beer at 29 degrees and have a made-from-scratch menu that includes American favorites, like burgers and nachos. It's themed like a hunting lodge and goes to great lengths to put forth a degree of manliness, like offering "man-size" 22oz beers.
It's a wholesome family restaurant with friendly waitresses that will make sure your table receives the attention a patron deserves. The themed events are fun and, sometimes, they have bikini car washes. The best part is that new franchises are opening every year so you won't have to travel far if you're lucky.
Worth every penny.
(Sushi Iki)
Sushi Iki — Los Angeles
Sushi Iki is in Los Angeles County, not the city itself. It's in what the locals call "The Valley," a barren wasteland of broken dreams. Just kidding — the Valley's fine. It's just really far from Hollywood, Santa Monica, or anything LA you've seen on television. However, don't let the distance from your hotel deter you from this place; the sushi is legendary.
The variety of fish and shellfish served here can't be found in just any sushi restaurant, and some are prepared so fresh that they were alive when you walked in the door. This is an expensive restaurant, but if you find yourself in L.A. this is one of those places you should not miss. Expect to pay around 0 per person for the full experience and for something modest.
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These 3 active duty officers served as National Security Advisor before McMaster
With the news that Army Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster has been chosen to serve as National Security Advisor to President Donald Trump, this marks the fourth time an active-duty military officer has filled this position.
Here is a look at the previous three.
Air Force Lt. Gen Brent Scowcroft meeting with Vice President Nelson Rockefeller during his tenure as Deputy National Security Advisor. Scowcroft would later become the National Security Advisor – serving 28 days until retiring from the Air Force. He later served under George H. W. Bush. (White House photo)
1. Air Force Lt. Gen. Brent Scowcroft
Brent Scowcroft was active-duty for less than a month while serving as National Security Advisor to President Gerald Ford, taking the job on Nov. 3, 1975, and retiring on Dec. 1, 1975. Still, he is technically the first active-duty military officer to serve in this position.
Scowcroft served for the remainder of the Ford administration, then was tapped to serve as National Security Advisor for a second stint under George H. W. Bush – holding that post for the entirety of that presidency. During his second run as NSA, Scowcroft's tenure saw the fall of the Berlin Wall, Operation Desert Storm, and the collapse of the Soviet Union.
(Official U.S. Navy biography photo)
2. Navy Vice Adm. John M. Poindexter
Perhaps the most notorious active-duty officer to hold the position due to his involvement in the Iran-Contra affair, Poindexter was National Security Advisor to President Ronald Reagan during the 1986 Freedom of Navigation exercises in the Gulf of Sidra that turned violent, Operation El Dorado Canyon, and the Reykjavik Summit in October, 1986.
Poindexter was initially convicted on five charges connected with Iran-Contra, but the convictions were tossed out on appeal. In 1987, he retired at the rank of Rear Admiral (Upper Half).
Colin Powell briefing President Ronald Reagan in 1988. (Photo from Reagan Presidential Library)
3. Army Lt. Gen. Colin L. Powell
Probably the most notable active-duty officer to serve in the post, Colin Powell served as National Security Advisor from November 1987 to the end of Ronald Reagan's second term. While he was in that position, the U.S. and Iran had a series of clashes culminating in Operation Praying Mantis and the downing of an Iranian Airbus by the guided-missile cruiser USS Vincennes (CG 49).
After his tenure as National Security Advisor, Powell went on to serve as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff – then was Secretary of State during George W. Bush's first term as president.
As a note for the fashion-watchers, while all three predecessors wore suits, We Are The Mighty has learned from a source close to senior Trump staffers that incoming Nationals Security Advisor McMaster has been given the option to wear his uniform while holding the post.
A spokesperson for Scowcroft noted, "It is not against the law but it is not usually done."
Neither Powell nor the White House Press Office responded to a WATM request for comment by post time.
US strikes Syria over chemical weapons attack
President Donald Trump announced "precision strikes" on Syria on April 13, 2018, in response to a suspected chemical weapons attack that reportedly killed dozens of people there earlier this month.
Britain and France have joined the US in the military operation, Trump said.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime was suspected of orchestrating a chlorine attack against the rebel-held town of Douma, near the capital of Damascus, on April 7. Although exact figures were unclear, the attack is believed to have killed dozens, many of them children. The New York Times said at least 43 of the victims showed signs of having been exposed to "highly toxic chemicals."
"This massacre was a significant escalation in a pattern of chemical weapons use by that very terrible regime," Trump said on Friday.
USS Ross (DDG 71) fires a tomahawk land-attack missile on April 7, 2017.
(US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Robert S. Price)
Trump called the incident a "heinous attack on innocent" Syrians and vowed that the US would respond: "This is about humanity; it can't be allowed to happen."
Trump also accused Russia and Iran of being "responsible for supporting, equipping, and financing" Assad's regime: "What kind of a nation wants to be associated with the mass murder of innocent men, women, and children," Trump asked.
Also read: What you can do to help people in war-torn Syria
"The nations of the world can be judged by the friends they keep," the president said. "No nation can succeed in the long run by promoting rogue states, brutal tyrants, and murderous dictators."
Trump continued: "Russia must decide if it will continue down this dark path or if it will join with civilized nations as a force for stability and peace. Hopefully, someday we'll get along with Russia, and maybe even Iran. But maybe not."
Britain and France join in the military action
In a statement on Friday, British Prime Minister Theresa May said: "We cannot allow the use of chemical weapons to become normalized — within Syria, on the streets of the UK, or anywhere else in our world. We would have preferred an alternative path. But on this occasion there is none.
"History teaches us that the international community must defend the global rules and standards that keep us all safe. That is what our country has always done. And what we will continue to do."
An international uproar over chemical weapons
The chemical attack prompted several nations to respond, including the UK, France, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Israel. Trump had reportedly talked to UK Prime Minister Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron this week, both of whom believed that the Syrian regime should be held accountable.
"I just want to say very clearly, that if they use chemical weapons, they are going to pay a very, very stiff price," Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said.
Although Trump reportedly advocated for a broad military strike that would punish Syria, and to an extent, its allies Russia and Iran, he is believed to have been met with resistance from Mattis and other military officials, who feared the White House lacked a broad strategy, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
The latest chemical attack follows the suspected Syrian-sponsored sarin attack in April 2017, which reportedly killed 89 people. The US responded by firing 59 Tomahawk missiles at a Syrian airbase that was suspected of playing a role in the chemical attacks.
Despite overwhelming evidence of the government's involvement in the attacks, Syria has denied responsibility for both incidents.
In addition to Assad's denials, Russia, one of Syria's staunchest allies, has also dismissed the allegations as "fake news," and said its own experts found no "trace of chlorine or any other chemical substance used against civilians."
On Tuesday, Russia took its response a step further and vetoed the US-backed United Nations resolution that condemned the apparent chemical attack.
US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley rebuked the decision and called it a "sad day."
"When the people of Douma, along with the rest of the international community, looked to this council to act, one country stood in the way," Haley said. "History will record that. History will record that, on this day, Russia chose protecting a monster over the lives of the Syrian people."
This story is developing. Refresh this post for updates.
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'1917' dethrones 'Rise of Skywalker' at the box office
We like to make fun of the Golden Globes. With awards given out by a voting body of around 90 people, it's easy to take shots when it comes to its relevancy during award season. But one thing we can't dispute is the award show can be a huge marketing tool, and that was evident this weekend with "1917."
Universal's World War I drama from director Sam Mendes ("Skyfall"), that is told in stle that resembles the look of having continuous shot (in reality there were multiple shots), won the Globes' top prize, best motion picture — drama, and that catapulted it to must-see-status this weekend.
The result: "1917" dethroned "Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker" from the number one spot at the domestic box office with its estimated .5 million take.
(Lucasfilm)
Mendes' movie had been in limited release since Christmas (to date, "1917" has brought in .39 million, worldwide), building awareness as well as award season buzz, but this weekend was its coming out party. Clearly moviegoers wanted to catch a glimpse of the movie that beat out the likes of "The Irishman" and "Joker" at the Golden Globes (Mendes also won the best director Globe). They also wanted to see for themselves how in the world Mendes and the movie's cinematographer, Roger Deakins, pulled off the one-shot look of the movie.
We'll find out Monday morning how "1917" will be received by Academy voters, as Oscar nominations are announced then. But for now, you have to tip your hat to Universal for how it has released its latest original title.
That's the other element of this box office win. Universal has cracked the code when it comes to getting top dollar out of its non IP/sequel titles. In 2019 it did better than any other studio by having three original titles top the box office their opening weekends ("Us," "Good Boys," and "Abominable"), and it's continuing that in the new year.
(Universal)
There are only so many weekend slots on the calendar that are not gobbled up by big tentpole titles, but recently Universal has been the king of finding those spots where its original titles can shine. And in the case of "1917," with its big Golden Globes night, that just amplified things. Its .5 million take tops its early projections of million to million, and updated projection of million.
Disney's "Rise of Skywalker" came in second place with .1 million. The movie's global cume to date is just under id="listicle-2644736909″ billion, 9.6 million. But Disney also had to deal with a dud this weekend, too, with its release of Fox's "Underwater." The thriller starring Kristen Stewart only took in million on over 2,700 screens.
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