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World War II significantly changed human history. It reshaped economic systems, global institutions, international law, and political power. Fought between 1939 and 1945, WWII resulted in millions of deaths and marked the end of old empires while signaling the beginning of a rules-based international order that influences most global affairs today. It redrew borders and refined how nations cooperate, interact, and compete on the global stage.

WWII resulted in the economic and military depletion of global powers such as Germany, France, and Britain, making the United States and the Soviet Union the new world powers. This shift also created a bipolar world order that eventually led to the Cold War. When World War II ended, the United States was already an economic powerhouse, producing half the world’s goods and holding a chunk of global gold reserves. This economic strength ensures that the US has a say over economic systems, global policies, and alliances. Simultaneously, the Soviet Union expanded its influence across much of Eastern Europe, forging ideological and geopolitical divisions that affected international relations.

After the League of Nations failed to prevent a second World War, the affected world powers established the United Nations to promote peace, conflict resolution, and cooperation. The United Nations had a Charter that emphasized principles like self-determination, international cooperation, and collective security. The United Nations eventually became the custodian of the modern global world order. It provided a platform for conflict resolution and diplomacy among countries. The UN also promotes human rights and international law while coordinating humanitarian and development efforts.

Next, WWII encouraged countries to work together to prevent future economic crises. Leaders came together at the Bretton Woods Conference to create the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. These organizations aimed to stabilize currencies, support economic cooperation, and fund postwar reconstruction. Trade agreements also emerged to encourage open markets and reduce barriers between nations. Together, these efforts created a structured and cooperative global economy that still supports international trade and finance today.

Reconstruction efforts after the war also helped spread capitalism and strengthen global partnerships. The Marshall Plan provided significant financial support to rebuild Western Europe, restore industries, and stabilize economies. This initiative not only accelerated recovery but also strengthened political alliances and encouraged economic integration among European nations. Over time, these efforts contributed to the development of cooperative institutions and reinforced the influence of market-based economic systems across much of the Western world.

The war also led to the development of stronger international laws and human rights protections. The scale of the atrocities committed during the conflict pushed the global community to establish clear standards for justice and accountability. War crimes trials introduced the concept of crimes against humanity, while international agreements set expectations for protecting individuals and preventing future abuses.

President Theodore Roosevelt enjoyed many impactful achievements during his presidency, including the realization of one of the country's long-term goals: the construction of a trans-isthmian canal. Throughout the 19th century, the American and British governments, along with prominent business leaders, desired a means of quickly and cheaply shipping goods between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. With this goal in mind, the nations began collaborating on a joint project in 1850; however, the Anglo-American canal in the Central American Republic of Nicaragua never progressed beyond initial planning stages.

Meanwhile, France engaged the Province of Colombia in more productive discussions about the construction of a canal through Panama. Ferdinand de Lesseps, who had previously built the Suez Canal in Egypt, led the project, which began excavating in 1880. The project proved extremely arduous, with laborers succumbing to yellow fever, malaria, and a myriad of other tropical diseases. An estimated 20,000 workers perished during the nine-year project, which de Lesseps ultimately abandoned before the turn of the century.

American interest in the Panama Canal, however, remained unabated. President Roosevelt oversaw the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty in 1901, which supplanted the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty and permitted American builders to construct and maintain their own canal in the region. Following extensive, intense discussions, the United States Senate opted to build the canal in Panama. Within just six months, Secretary of State John Hay had completed a treaty with Colombian Foreign Minister Tomás Herrán that outlined plans for the canal.

Initially, the Colombian government deemed the financial terms of the deal untenable and rejected the agreement. In response, President Roosevelt sent US warships to Panama City on the Pacific coast and Colón on the Atlantic coast, effectively laying siege to Colombia, with a goal of facilitating Panamanian independence. Colombian ground forces struggled to navigate the harsh jungle environments of Panama, and the country successfully announced its independence in 1903.

With a new ally in the Republic of Panama, Roosevelt began talks with Philippe Bunau-Varilla, the French engineer who had worked on de Lesseps' canal project. Varilla served the new Panama government as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, allowing him to renegotiate the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty of 1903. The resulting agreement allotted the US a 10-mile strip of land for canal construction at the cost of $10 million, up front, plus an annual annuity of $250,000. More importantly for the Republic of Panama, the US agreed to uphold Panamanian independence.

With the legal framework now in place, American builders set to work on the Panama Canal, which took more than a decade to finish. Upon its completion in 1914, the Panama Canal stood as a symbol of America's technological advances and economic influence. At the time, the canal also represented an impressive foreign policy achievement, linking the US to an emerging Central American nation.

The Normandy landings during World War II, better known as D-Day, Operation Neptune, and the first phase of Operation Overlord, was the most comprehensive amphibious invasion ever recorded. On June 6, 1944, Allied forces commanded upwards of 6,000 ships and landing vehicles to mobilize over 150,000 troops on multiple beaches along the coast of Normandy, France. D-Day was followed by several additional phases of Operation Overlord, which, while lengthy and extremely costly, convinced German leaders that they could not continue the war.

The term "D-Day" simply means "day," indicating that it was the first day of the massive military campaign known as Operation Overlord. D-Day involved naval, air, and land assaults along the coast of France, which was, at the time, occupied by Nazi forces. Shortly after Allied forces began parachuting into northern France, ground troops began to invade five beaches: Juno, Omaha, Gold, Utah, and Sword. The Allies ultimately succeeded in establishing a strategic foothold on the coast, which they could use to progress their invasion of occupied France.

While D-Day occurred midway through 1944, the Allies had established the defeat of Germany as their principal military aim as early as 1941. Until then, German forces had primarily been involved with the Soviet Union on the eastern front. D-Day and Operation Overlord would serve a dual purpose of relieving pressure on the Soviets and liberating France, thus diminishing Germany's hold on Western Europe.

The delay in moving against Germany was partially due to the staggering complexity involved with coordinating the landings at Normandy. Initial planning began following the evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940, but D-Day preparations did not begin in earnest until the Tehran Conference. Working with British, American, and Canadian tacticians, Lieutenant-General Frederick Morgan first submitted plans for the invasion in 1943, roughly one year before the invasion took place, and production began later that year. At this point, General Dwight D. Eisenhower started coordinating naval, air, and land strategies, which included numerous deception campaigns designed to lure German forces from Normandy and weaken the resistance Allied forces would face upon landing.

The numbers involved with the Normandy planning and landing processes are hard to envision. British factories received nearly 10 million tons of supplies and equipment from North America during the first half of 1944. In addition to transporting these materials, the United States sent more than 1.4 million servicemen across the Atlantic.

That said, the mission was a truly global effort. In addition to Great Britain, the US, and Canada, D-Day was supported by Australia, Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, and several other nations. This massive mobilization resulted in more than 18,000 paratroopers landing amidst over 14,000 sorties; the Allies had already secured air supremacy in Northern France and faced little resistance from the Luftwaffe.

Meanwhile, Project Neptune consisted of close to 7,000 battleships, destroyers, escorts, and other craft conveying in excess of 132,000 ground troops to the five assault beaches. The ships also assaulted German coastal defenses with a series of bombardments.

The United States government operates several major intelligence agencies, including the National Security Agency (NSA), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and the National Security Agency. These organizations provide government leaders with essential information on domestic and international activities. While they are expected to collaborate, their differing roles and methods have sometimes led to conflicts, resulting in various reorganizations and restructuring.

The NSA is the oldest of the three intelligence agencies. The organization was formed in 1917, just a few weeks after Congress declared war on Germany and entered World War I. One of the agency's first acts was to establish a code and cipher decryption unit, the Cable and Telegraph Section. Following the war, the agency created the Black Chamber, the first government organization to perform cryptanalytics during times of peace.

During World War II, numerous problems arose regarding the organization and its interactions with other intelligence agencies, including the CIA, which had been formed as a replacement for the Office of Strategic Services in the lead-up to the Cold War. The organization that would come to be known as the NSA consisted of multiple smaller organizations collectively known as the Armed Forces Security Agency (AFSA). Agency leaders repeatedly failed to centralize communications intelligence from its various subchapters.

President Harry S. Truman led an investigation into the AFSA's failings, resulting in the reformation of several intelligence communities into the NSA. However, the National Security Act of 1947 also created the Office of the National Security Advisor, a senior aide tasked with providing information directly to the president, though the first advisor was not named until 1953.

America's three leading intelligence communities have distinct roles. The NSA is charged with monitoring, collecting, and interpreting global data that has intelligence and counterintelligence value. The agency is specifically known for its efforts in signals intelligence, meaning intelligence is gathered by intercepting electronic signals as opposed to direct communications. Similarly, the NSA is responsible for safeguarding American communications networks and data systems.

The CIA, meanwhile, is a foreign intelligence service that acquires data through much broader, more diverse operations, including covert field operations. The biggest difference between the CIA and the NSA is that the CIA focuses on collecting information via human intelligence rather than signals intelligence.

The NSA and CIA are expected to share information to better ensure the safety of the American people and government. The combination of signals and human intelligence should provide the president with a robust understanding of various international and domestic situations. Unfortunately, the two agencies have come into conflict on numerous occasions.

The lack of cooperation between intelligence agencies is somewhat understandable. The CIA and NSA are both large and highly secretive government agencies. Agents are provided information on a need-to-know basis. With a purposefully limited understanding of the larger operation, agents struggle to effectively share and gather intelligence reports from peers in equally secretive organizations.

Other times, the disagreements and conflicts between intelligence agencies are far more petty. Between 1970 and 2018, the CIA collaborated with the West German Federal Intelligence Service on Operation Rubicon, described as the "intelligence coup of the century." Leaked documents about the operation demonstrated how the NSA became involved in the operation and frequently bickered with the CIA, including disagreements about ownership stakes in the Swiss-based cryptology company Crypto AG, as well as basic elements of tradecraft.

Open-source intelligence (OSINT) uses public data such as news, social media, and records to create actionable insights. Raw data becomes intelligence through analysis and answering specific questions. Journalists, social engineers, human rights groups, the military, and governments use OSINT.

The intelligence cycle has five steps. First, the intelligence community assesses a request to determine the required information and the best sources. Then, the team gathers data passively (using publicly available data without direct engagement) or actively via direct interaction. Direct engagement tactics include adding the target on social media, messaging, or commenting on their post. The team then collates and sorts the collected data for easier analysis. Analysts identify patterns, interpret findings, and generate actionable insights. A complete report answers the intelligence question and recommends the next action step.

OSINT is a critical asset for government leaders and military personnel, providing real-time intelligence for strategic and operational decision-making. The intelligence community (IC) uses OSINT to ensure national security and defend national interests. The IC's strategic objectives include supplying relevant data to improve government leaders' and military personnel's situational awareness, optimizing the insights from publicly accessible information, and broadening the reach of open-source data gathering. The IC also aims to make OSINT the foundation of other specialties and integrate it with other intelligence work.

The intelligence community can effectively protect citizens only through interagency collaboration and access to the most accurate, timely intelligence. The President's Intelligence Advisory Board (PIAB) emerged to address the disconnect in the IC and give presidents independent counsel. In 1956, friction between the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency caused intelligence failures regarding the USSR, including the IC misjudging Soviet military capabilities and intentions. More recently, President Obama underused PIAB and President Biden was slow to reactivate it after taking office.

President Trump, concerned about OSINT and IC functions, pledged reforms for better oversight. He had previously accused intelligence agencies of leaking a report alleging Russian compromising information on him, damaging his relations with IC. To rebuild IC trust, President Trump appointed Devin Nunes as PIAB chairman before his second term began. Mirroring President Eisenhower, Trump prioritizes independent, non-partisan assessments and ensuring effective intelligence capabilities. Nunes' appointment aims to bring fresh perspectives and signals Trump's dedication to IC enhancement.

Beyond leadership, the IC's success depends on strategic OSINT initiatives. According to the 2024-2026 strategy, а key focus area is streamlining the intelligence community's open-source data collection to cut redundancy and promote broader data dissemination. This approach aims to maximize the value of publicly and commercially available intelligence while guiding investments to improve OSINT operations. Additionally, the strategy emphasizes monitoring data usage and mission impact for efficient resource allocation.

The second strategic objective is to unify and manage open-source collection efforts across the IC. This approach aims to optimize intelligence gathering to address evolving national security threats while ensuring privacy and civil liberties compliance. Establishing а common framework for OSINT collection will help identify intelligence gaps and assign clear responsibilities.

The third goal is advancing technological capabilities to enhance OSINT analysis. Continuous adaptation is essential for delivering credible, real-time intelligence to policymakers. Current tools include human language technologies, machine learning, and AI, which streamline data processing and improve intelligence accuracy.

The military award for valor, the Medal of Honor, is presented to recipients who’ve demonstrated exceptional gallantry to risk their lives beyond their call of duty. Recipients have exemplified valor, love for their country and fellow citizens, and selfless service. The President of the United States presents the award on behalf of the U.S. Congress. Since the establishment of the Medal of Honor during the Civil War, 3,517 Americans have received the nation’s highest military award, but only 63 patriots are still alive. In 1990, Congress set aside March 25th to commemorate the National Medal of Honor Day, celebrated annually since 1991. Congress decided to commemorate the day annually to boost public awareness about the Medal of Honor and how national, state, and local organizations could appreciate Medal of Honor recipients.

June 6, 1944 witnessed the 80th anniversary of the Allied invasion of Normandy, which helped defeat the Germans and end World War Two. In commemoration, the Navy SEAL Museum in Florida dedicated a monument park on a Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer dune precipice at Omaha Beach. The U.S. Naval Combat Demolition Units/Scouts and Raiders Monument Park overlooks Dog Red, a mission-critical Allied landing zone.

The park features a series of slabs of French sandstone inscribed with events from D-Day. Sand is brought from locations worldwide where Navy SEALs and demolition units have seen combat service incorporated into the monument's interior. A rusted metal hedgehog barrier is set in this sandy stratum. Crafted from angled metal beams bolted together, the barrier halts the tanks' progress.

According to Studio X Design architect Matt Pearson, the park aims to celebrate and acknowledge the heroic events of D-Day rather than serve as a place of somber reflection. Elements of the 7,500-square-foot interactive park include stone benches, canopy trees, and an eight-foot, granite-hewn statue of a demolitioneer.

Awarded by the US President and presented in the US Congress’ name, the Medal of Honor has been received by 3,517 Americans since being instituted in the Civil War. Among the recipients still with us is retired Navy SEAL Michael Thornton, who embodies humility, selfless service, valor, and love of country and fellow man.

Serving on several tours to Vietnam, Thornton received his Medal of Honor for an incident when on a three-person Navy SEAL patrol focused on intelligence gathering and capturing prisoners at a naval base that was now enemy-occupied. Having reached land, Thornton and his comrades traveled on foot when they encountered heavy fire that quickly overpowered them. Outnumbered, they called to support naval gunfire and participated in a firefight. When encirclement became imminent, they returned to the waterline.

It was at this point that Thornton’s bravery came to the fore. Learning that enemy fire had taken out SEAL Thomas Norris, leaving him presumably dead, Thornton headed to the spot Norris had fallen, killing a pair of enemy soldiers who were preparing to overrun the position. Hefting his wounded comrade over his shoulder, he brought him to the shoreline and swam, towing the Norris in the water until they were rescued two hours later.