German Army Deutsches Heer
Logo of the German Army
Active	1955–present
Country	Federal Republic of Germany
Role	Land force
Size	73,823[1]
Motto	To protect, help, moderate, and fight Schützen, helfen, vermitteln, kämpfen
Colors	Blue, Grey and White
Anniversaries	November 12, 1955
Engagements	United Nations Operations in Somalia Aftermath of the Balkan Wars 1995-1999 Kosovo War War in Afghanistan
Decorations	Badge of Honour of the Bundeswehr Military Proficiency Badge Badge of Marksmanship Service Medal Flood Service Medal
Commanders
Current commander	Lieutenant General Werner Freers
Notable commanders	General Ulrich de Maizière General Ernst Ferber, COMAFCENT 1973–1975 Lieutenant General Jörg Schönbohm, later Undersecretary of Defense

The German Army (German: Deutsches Heer, Heer pronounced [ˈheːɐ̯] ( listen)) is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The Heer was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Marine (Navy) and the Luftwaffe (Air Force). In the aftermath of the German reunification of 1990, the Landstreitkräfte (Land Forces) of the National People's Army of the former German Democratic Republic were partially integrated into the Heer.

A German Army, equipped, organized and trained following a single doctrine, and permanently unified under one command dates from 1871, and the unification of Germany under the leadership of Prussia. From 1871 to 1919 the title Deutsches Heer or German Army was the official name of the army. This was the title the army carried during the First World War. From 1921 to 1935 under the Weimar Republic the army's title was Reichsheer (Empire Defence). From 1935 to 1945 the title was Heer (Army), part of the Wehrmacht, the name of Germany's armed forces under the Third Reich. From 1938, the Heer was first involved in the occupation of Czechoslovakia and then the successor events that led to the Second World War. The Heer effectively ceased to exist in 1945. Germany was split into two regions from 1945 and in the East the Landstreitkräfte was eventually created. In the West the Deutsches Heer or German Army became part of the West German Bundeswehr. The two armies faced each other across the Inner German Border, respectively part of the Warsaw Pact and NATO. Since 1990 the reunified army has been involved in peacekeeping operations in Somalia, and since 2002, fighting with the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.

Traditions can be traced between the Imperial Deutsches Heer, the Reichswehr and the Wehrmacht Heer. However after the Second World War the architects of the new Bundeswehr Heer choose not to continue any traditions of any of the previous armies and the new army of the Federal Republic of Germany. The only permitted historical antecedants for today's Bundeswehr Heer are the 1807 to 1814 Prussian military reformers and the servicemen who participated actively in the resistance against the Nazi regime, specifically the officers involved in the 20 July plot.

History[link]

This section includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (December 2011)

Overview[link]

German Army infantry in formal uniform, 1898

Since Germany first became a modern unified state in 1871, previous names of German unified ground forces have included:

• 1871–1919 Deutsches Heer or German Army, part of Imperial Forces (Reichsheer was also used)
• 1921–1935 Reichsheer or National^[2] Army, part of the Reichswehr
• 1935–1945 Heer or Army, part of the Wehrmacht
• 1956–1990 Landstreitkräfte, ground forces of East German Nationale Volksarmee
• 1955–present Heer or Army, part of the Bundeswehr

Pre-1914[link]

After the reform movement of the Prussian Army following a series of disastrous defeats at the hands of her enemies in the 18th century, internal analysis of the lessons learned had informed Prussian civilian and military leadership that, while individual soldiers were first rate, command structures, staff organisation and generalship was a hit-and-miss affair, more dependent on the martial skills of the King and the individual members of the German nobility who dominated the military profession. Too often, military talent was brought together only after the Nation faced a crisis. There was little effective organizational work in between wars. The rise of the German General Staff, an institution that sought to institutionalize military excellence, brought the German Army back from years of atrophy and the humiliation of Napoleon's capture of Berlin. With membership in the officer corps extended to all qualified German-speaking men via national examinations, the improved education of the military schools, and selection from the top 1% graduates of the Kriegsakademie, a new class of top-notch leaders arose, and the German Army was set on a course for near-total dominance in Europe.

Following the defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo the Prussian Kingdom had years of military successes in the 19th and 20th centuries. Every able bodied man between the ages of 17 and 45 was liable for military service. There were 4 classes of service - Active (Aktiv), Reserve, Landwehr and Landsturm. The Landwehr and Landsturm were only called up at times of war. The basic unit of the army at this time was the Regiment. Regiments were typically raised and supported by a specific city or region. Each regiment was then stationed near its home city. The Reserve regiment was often made up of past members of the local regiment. The Landwehr and Landsturm units were also organized the same way. An individual could spend all 22 years of military service surrounded by friends and family. While this system created close ties within regiments, it also meant that the entire population of young men from a city or region could be wiped out in one battle.

World War I 1914–1918[link]

German infantry (wearing characteristic, early-war pickelhaube helmets with cloth covers) during the 1914 Battle of the Marne.

The German Army that fought in World War I was not a truly single, unified army. Before unification, each monarchy (for example, the Great Dukedoms of Hesse and Baden) had its own army. The unification of Germany in January 1871 and the formation of the German Empire brought most of them under the command of the Prussian army, which became the nucleus of the Armies of the German Empire (Deutsches Reichsheer), though each continued to wear its own uniforms and insignias. Furthermore, the four German kingdoms that existed after the Napoleonic era - Bavaria, Prussia, Saxony and Württemberg - kept their own armies until the end of WWI. The peacetime commander-in-chief of each army was its king. After the declaration of war, the emperor (Kaiser) became the commander-in-chief of all the armed forces.

In 1914 the German army fielded 50 active divisions and 48 in reserve. By 1918, the number of divisions had risen to a total of 251.

Reichswehr 1918–1935[link]

Following the end of World War I and the collapse of the German Empire, most of the German Army (Heer) was demobilized or simply dissolved. Many former soldiers drifted into small paramilitary groups known as Free Corps (Freikorps). The Free Corps were generally groups of 100 men or fewer that protected a neighbourhood or town.

On 6 March 1919 an army known as the Provisional German Defence Force (Vorläufige Reichswehr) was formed with about 400,000 men, many drawn from the Free Corps. On 30 September that same year, the Transitional Army (Übergangsheer) was created from the Defence Force and the Free Corps.

Finally, on 1 January 1921 the 100,000 man Army of the Weimar Republic (Reichswehr) was formed with seven Infantry Divisions and three Cavalry Divisions. It was troops from the Army of the Weimar Republic who crushed Adolf Hitler's Munich Beer Hall Putsch in November 1923.

Heer 1935–1945[link]

German volksgrenadiers in Luxembourg, December 1944

Under the Treaty of Versailles, the Reichswehr was only allowed 100,000 men split between the Army and the Navy. Following the 1932 German elections the Nazi Party came to power and began to abrogate the treaty. The Army was made part of the Wehrmacht in May 1935 with the passing of the "Law for the Reconstruction of the National Defence Forces". The Wehrmacht included not just the Army and Navy but also a third branch known as the Luftwaffe. Initially, the Army was expanded to 21 divisional-sized units and smaller formations. Between 1935 and 1945 this force grew to consist of hundreds of divisions and thousands of smaller supporting units. Between 1939 and 1945 close to 16 million served in the Army. Over 3 million were killed and over 4.1 million were wounded. Of the 7,361 men awarded the initial grade of the highest German combat honor of World War II, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, 4,777 were from the Army, making up 65% of the total awarded. The Allies dissolved the German Army on 20 August 1946.

Recreation of an army in West Germany[link]

Bundeswehr soldiers with MG1 and HK G3 during a 1960s maneuver. In the background is a Schützenpanzer Kurz.

Just one year after the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany and its increasing links with the West under the policy-making of Konrad Adenauer, the Consultative Assembly of Europe began to consider the formation of a European Defence Community with German participation on 11 August 1950. Formerly high-ranking German Wehrmacht soldiers outlined in the Himmeroder memorandum for the first time an outline of a new "German contingent in an international force for the defense of Western Europe." For the German land forces the memorandum saw prior to 1952 the formation of a 250,000 strong army. The military saw the need for the formation of twelve Panzer divisions and six corps staffs with accompanying Corps troops, as only armored divisions could muster a fighting force to throw back the numerically far superior forces of the Warsaw Pact.^[3]

On 26 October 1950 Theodor Blank was appointed "officer of the Federal Chancellor for the Strengthening of Allied Troops questions". This Defence Ministry forerunner was known somewhat euphemistically as the Blank Office (Amt Blank), but explicitly used to prepare for the rearmament of West Germany (Wiederbewaffnung).^[4] By March 1954 the Blank Office had laid plans for the new German army. Plans foresaw the formation of six infantry, four armoured, and two mechanised infantry divisions, as a German contribution to the defense of Western Europe in the framework of a European Defence Community.^[3] Following a decision of the London Nine Power Conference of 28 September to 3 October 1954, Germany's entry into NATO with effect from 9 May 1955 was accepted as a replacement for the failed European Defence Community plan. Only after accession to NATO in 1955 was the Blank Office was converted to the Defence Ministry after the Bundestag on 8 February 1952 had approved a German contribution to the defense of Western Europe. Also necessary for the creation of a Defence Ministry was the amendment of the Basic Law, since 26 February 1954, with the insertion of an article regarding defence of the sovereignty of the federal government.^[5] Theodor Blank became the first Defence Minister. The army formed the nucleus of the V Branch of the Department of Defence. Subdivisions included were VA Leadership and Training, VB Organisation and VC Logistics.

The actual history of the army began in 1955. The first soldiers of the army began their service on 12 November 1955 in Andernach.^[6] In April 1957, the first conscripts were called up. The army saw itself explicitly not succeeding the defeated Wehrmacht, but as following the Prussian military reforms and military resistance against National Socialism, such as the Wehrmacht group which mounted the failed 20 July plot to assassinate Hitler in 1944. Nevertheless, the officer corps was made up especially of Wehrmacht officers for lack of alternatives for a long time. The first Chief of the Army was the former General der Panzertruppe Hans Rottiger, who had been involved in the drafting of the Himmeroder memorandum.

From the beginning, the new army was firmly embedded in the NATO structure and was planned to field in 1959, as part of Army Structure I, twelve army divisions. To 1966 saw the NATO strategy of massive nuclear retaliation in the event of an attack on conventional forces in Europe against superior Soviet forces. In 1956 the first troops of the Army set up seven training companies in Andernach and began the building of schools and army troops. On 1 April 1957, the first conscripts arrived for service in the army. The first military organisations created were instructional battalions, officer schools, and the Army Academy, the forerunner to the Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr in Hamburg.^[5] The total of twelve planned armoured and infantry divisions now began to be established, the existing units were split approximately every six months in two groups. However the creation of all the planned twelve divisions did not take place until 1965. At the end of 1958 the strength of the army was about 100,000 men. The army was equipped first with American material, such as the M-47 Patton main battle tank. Three corps were formed from 1957 - the I Corps, II Corps, and the III Corps.

The land forces of the Bundeswehr were first, the German Army, and secondly, the Territorial Army. The army was firmly situated within the NATO command structure. Later in 1957, the "Office for territorial defense" was established as the highest Territorial Army authority. The Territorial Defence was under the command directly of the Federal Ministry of Defence. In a narrower sense, the territorial defence was a separate organisation equal to the army, navy and air force. The units of the Territorial Defence was under national command and were not integrated into the NATO command structure. The main function of the Territorial Army was maintaining the operational freedom of NATO forces through providing rear area defence against saboteurs, enemy special forces, and the like.

M47 Patton tank in service with the Bundeswehr, 1960

The development of Soviet tactical nuclear weapons required the development of a new Army structure even before Army Structure I was fully achieved. To minimize the effects of attacks with battlefield nuclear weapons on the armed forces, 28,000 strong and semi-immobile classical Divisions were broken down into smaller and more mobile Brigades. These smaller units were also to be capable of self-sustainment on the atomic battlefield for several days, to be capable of to move out of defense and quick counter attacks. The new armoured and mechanized brigades were capable of combined arms combat. Each division was to be composed of three brigades. The armoured brigades consisted of an armoured infantry battalion, two armoured battalions, an armoured artillery battalion and a supply battalion. The mechanized brigades consisted of a motorized infantry battalion, two mechanized infantry battalions, an armored battalion, a field artillery battalion and a supply battalion. The mechanized divisions were designated "Panzer Grenadier Division". By the end of 1959, a total of 11 divisions and 27 brigades had been set up.

Post Cold War[link]

Helicopter of the German Army Aviation Corps in Northern Iraq in 1991

After 1990, the Heer absorbed the army of socialist East Germany, a part of the Nationale Volksarmee. The former East German forces were initially commanded by the Bunderwehr Command East under command of Lieutenant General Jörg Schönbohm and disbanded on 30 June 1991.^[7] In the aftermath of the merger, the German Army consisted of four Corps (including IV Corps at Potsdam in the former DDR) with a manpower of 360,000 men. It was continuously downsized from this point. In 1994 III Corps was reorganised as the German Army Forces Command. In 1996, the 25th Airborne Brigade was converted into a new command leading the Army's special forces, known as the Kommando Spezialkräfte.

The 2001 onwards restructuring of the German Army saw it move to a seven division structure – 5 mechanized (each with two mechanized brigades), 1 special forces, and one airmobile.

In 2003, three Corps still existed, each including various combat formations and a maintenance brigade. I. German/Dutch Corps, a joint German-Netherlands organization, used to control in peacetime the 1st Panzer and 7th Panzer Divisions as well as Dutch formations. The 1st Panzer would have reported to the corps in wartime while the 7th would be posted to the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps. II Corps was German in peacetime but would have exchanged a division with the V U.S. Corps in time of war (the 5th Panzer). 5th Panzer Division disbanded as of 30 June 2001. In peacetime it also commanded the 10th Panzer Division, which was allocated to Eurocorps and which parents the German half of the Franco-German Brigade. The 1st Mountain Division at Munich was also under this headquarters.

The IV Corps was headquartered at Potsdam in eastern Germany and controlled two Panzer-Grenadier Divisions, the 13th and 14th. The 14th Panzer-Grenadier Division also took control of units in Western Germany re-subordinated from the 6th Division when it lost its command function. It would have made up the German contribution to the Multinational Corps Northeast in time of war. IV Corps also used to have under its command the Military District Command I, the 1st Air Mechanised Brigade, and the Berlin Command (de:Standortkommando Berlin).

Current army[link]

All corps have now been disbanded or transferred to a multinational level such as Multinational Corps North East. IV Corps was reorganized and on 31 March 2002 became an overseas deployment command, the Einsatzführungskommando der Bundeswehr, like the British Permanent Joint Headquarters.

A total of 73,823 soldiers are currently on active service in the German Army.^[1]

A planned army reorganisation/reduction in 2012 will see the disbandment of the 13th Mechanized Infantry Division headquarters, a merge of the Airmobile Operations Division and Special Operations Division headquarters, the disbandment of the 1st Airmobile Brigade, and reshuffling of units between divisions.^{[citation needed]} No heavy brigades will be disbanded, but the two remaining heavy divisions will command three rather than two brigades.

Current structure of the German Army[link]

Structure of the German Army until 2012 (click to enlarge)

Structure of the German Army after 2012 (click to enlarge)

1st Armoured

10th Armoured

13th Mechanised

Special
Operations

Airmobile

Franco-
German

German Army - major combat units - 2011
large pin - division, small pin - brigade

The German Army is commanded by the Inspector of the Army (Inspekteur des Heeres) based at the Federal Ministry of Defence in Berlin and Bonn. The major commands are the German Army Office in Cologne and the German Army Command in Koblenz. In 2002 a number of army units and their personnel were transferred to the newly formed Joint Support Service (Streitkräftebasis) and Joint Medical Service branches.^[8]

• Lieutenant General Werner Freers
• Army Staff at the Federal Ministry of Defence

German Army Office[link]

The German Army Office in Cologne (Heeresamt) is the superior authority for all supporting elements of the Army, such as schools and education centres. It is commanded by a Major General, currently MajGen Joachim Clauß.

• NBC Defence and Self-Protection School in Sonthofen
• Military Police and Headquarters Services School in Sonthofen
• Artillery School in Idar-Oberstein
• Three Officer Candidate Battalions in Idar-Oberstein, Munster and Hammelburg
• Special Operations Training Centre (formerly International Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol School) in Pfullendorf
• Army Warfighting Simulation Centre in Wildflecken
• Army Combat Training Centre in Letzlingen
• School of Army Aviation in Bückeburg
• Training Centre Munster for
  • Army Air Defence
  • Armour
  • Reconnaissance
• Mountain and Winter Combat School in Mittenwald
• Infantry School in Hammelburg
• Airborne Operations and Air Transport School in Altenstadt
• Army Officers' Academy in Dresden with Army Tactics Centre
• Army NCO Academies (three at different locations)
• Engineer School and Army School of Structural Engineering in Ingolstadt (formerly in Munich)
• Army Maintenance School and Army School of Engineering in Aachen

German Army Command[link]

Bundeswehr Teilstreitkräfte or TSK (Branches) Heer Luftwaffe Marine Organisationsbereiche (Organisational areas) Sanitätsdienst Streitkräftebasis

German Army soldiers from Paratrooper Battalion 261 on board an armoured personnel carrier in Somalia in 1993

A German Army soldier demonstrates the equipment of the IdZ program.

The German Army Command in Koblenz (Heeresführungskommando) exercises command and control over all combat units. It is commanded by a Lieutenant General. These units include two armour divisions, two mechanized infantry divisions, the Division for Specialized Operations and the Airmobile Division. Depending on their size and role, brigades can be commanded either by a Brigadier General alike or a Colonel. Unlike other European armies such of neighbouring Netherlands and France, regiments are not a common form of organization and are thus rare in the German army. Battalions are directly subordinate to brigades or to divisions as divisional troops.

• 40px Division Intervention Forces/ 1st Armoured Division (Hannover)
  • Divisional troops
  • Panzerlehrbrigade 9 (9th Armoured Demonstration Brigade)
  • Panzerbrigade 21 (21st Armoured Brigade "Lipperland")

• 40px 10th Armoured Division (Sigmaringen)
  • Divisional troops
  • 12th Armoured Brigade "Oberpfalz"
  • 23rd Mountain Infantry Brigade "Bayern"

• 40px 13th Mechanized Infantry Division (Leipzig)
  • Divisional troops
  • 37th Mechanized Infantry Brigade "Freistaat Sachsen"
  • 41st Mechanized Infantry Brigade "Vorpommern"

• Special Operations Division (Regensburg)
  • Divisional troops
  • Special Forces Command (brigade-equivalent)
  • 26th Airborne Brigade "Saarland"
  • 31st Airborne Brigade "Oldenburg"

• Airmobile Operations Division (Veitshöchheim)
  • Divisional troops
  • Airmobile Brigade 1
  • Army Combat Support Brigade

• Eurocorps (Straßburg)
  • Command Support Brigade
  • German elements in two permanent battalions and one staff company

• 1 (German/Netherlands) Corps (Münster)
  • German elements in two permanent battalions and one staff company

• Multinational Corps North East (Stettin)
  • 610th Signal Battalion
  • German elements

• 40px Franco-German Brigade Müllheim

• Army Central Dump Herongen

• Army Central Dump Pirmasens

• Central Mobilisation Base in Brück

Truppengattungen[link]

The German Army has eleven different branches of troops, designated as Truppengattungen. Each Truppengattung is responsible for training and readiness of its units and disposes of its own schools and centres of excellence for doing so. Optically this distinction can be made by the branch colour, called Waffenfarbe which is displayed by a cord attached to the rank insignia, and the colour of their beret with a specific badge attached to it.

Beret Colour (Army only and Security Units of Navy and Air Force)

• Black: Armoured Corps, Reconnaissance Corps
• Green: Mechanized Infantry and Rifles Corps
• Dark Red: Aviation Corps, Airborne Corps, Special Forces, formations assigned to airborne division
• Light Red: Combat Support Corps and Military Police
• Dark Blue: Medical Corps
• Navy Blue: Multinational Units, Officer Cadet Battalions, Navy and Air Force Security Units
• Bright Blue: Troops with United Nations Missions

Grey mountain cap (Bergmütze): Mountain Troops Gebirgsjäger

Waffenfarbe (Army and army support branch only)

• 

  Military Police/
  Signal/
  Army Air Defence/
  Army Air Corps

• 

  NBC/
  Artillery/
  Army Reconnaissance
  

• 

  Infantry as Airborne, Mountain Infantry, Light Infantry (Rifles), Mechanized Infantry/
  Armoured Troops/
  Engineers

• 

  Army Bands/
  Supplies, Maintenance and Transportation Troops/
  Medical Corps

• Bright Red:General ranks (only "Kragenspiegel", not "Litze"),
• Crimson: General Staff

Rank structure[link]

The rank structure of the German army is adjusted to the rank structure of the NATO. Unlike its predecessors, the modern German Army does not use the rank of Colonel General. The highest rank for an army officer is Lieutenant General, as the rank of Full General is reserved for the Armed Forces chief of staff or officers serving as NATO officers. Officer cadets do not pass through all enlisted ranks, but are directly promoted to Lieutenant after 36 months of service.
Equivalent US Army ranks are shown below according to "STANAG 2116 NSA MC LO (EDITION 6) – NATO CODES FOR GRADES OF MILITARY PERSONNEL":

Officers of the German Army
General (General) Gen	Lieutenant General (Generalleutnant) GenLt/GL	Major General (Generalmajor) GenMaj/GM	Brigadier General (Brigadegeneral) BrigGen/BG	Colonel (Oberst) Oberst/O	Lieutenant Colonel (Oberstleutnant) Oberstlt/OTL
OF-9	OF-8	OF-7	OF-6	OF-5	OF-4

Officers of the German Army
Major (Major) Maj/M	Staff Captain (Stabshauptmann) StHptm/SH	Captain (Hauptmann) Hptm/H	1st Lieutenant (Oberleutnant) OLt /OL	2nd Lieutenant (Leutnant) Lt/L
OF-3	OF-2	OF-2	OF-1	OF-1

Non-Commissioned Officers of the German Army
Sergeant Major (Oberstabsfeldwebel) OStFw/OSF	First Sergeant (Stabsfeldwebel) StFw/SF	Master Sergeant (officer cadet) (Oberfähnrich) OFähnr/OFR	Master Sergeant (Hauptfeldwebel) HptFw/HF	Sergeant 1st Class (Oberfeldwebel) OFw/OF
OR-9	OR-8	OR-8	OR-7	OR-6

Non-Commissioned Officers of the German Army
Staff Sergeant (officer cadet) (Fähnrich) Fähnr/FR	Staff Sergeant (Feldwebel) Fw/F	Sergeant (Stabsunteroffizier) StUffz/SU	Corporal (officer cadet) (Fahnenjunker) Fhj/FJ	Corporal (Unteroffizier) Uffz/U
OR-6	OR-6	OR-5	OR-5	OR-5

Enlisted Ranks of the German Army
Corporal Specialist (Oberstabsgefreiter) OStGefr/OSG	Specialist (Stabsgefreiter) StGefr/SG	Lance Corporal (Hauptgefreiter) HptGefr/HG	Private 1st Class (NCO cadet) (Obergefreiter UA) OGefr/OG	Private First Class (Obergefreiter) OGefr/OG
OR-4	OR-4	OR-3	OR-3	OR-3

Enlisted Ranks of the German Army
Private 1st Class (officer cadet) (Gefreiter OA) Gefr/G	Private 1st Class (Sergeant cadet) (Gefreiter FA) Gefr/G	Private 1st Class (NCO cadet) (Gefreiter UA) Gefr/G	Private 1st Class (Gefreiter) Gefr/G	Private (Soldat) S
OR-2	OR-2	OR-2	OR-2	OR-1

Weapons[link]

Standard light weapons[link]

• Heckler & Koch G36—5.56 mm x 45 assault rifle (Version G36K and G36C for several branches including Special Forces)
• Heckler & Koch MG4—5.56 mm light machine gun
• MG3—7.62 mm x 51 machine gun
• G8—7.62 mm x 51 automatic rifle, only used by special forces
• HK21E—7.62 mm x 51 machine gun, only used by special forces
• M3M-12.7 mm x 99 heavy machine gun, used on armored vehicles and CH-53 helicopters
• Heckler & Koch MP7—4.6 mm x 30 submachine gun, replacing the MP2
• MP2—9 x 19 mm submachine gun
• Heckler & Koch MP5—9 x 19 mm submachine gun, used by various units like the Feldjäger and special forces
• Heckler & Koch P8—9 x 19 mm pistol
• Remington 870 - shotgun, used in small numbers by special forces and the military police (Feldjäger)
• G22—7.62 mm x 66.5B sniper rifle
• G24—sniper rifle, only used by special forces
• G82—sniper rifle
• G3A3ZF-DMR—7.62 mm x 51—modified version of the HK G3, designated marksman rifle
• G28—modified version of the HKMR308, designated marksman rifle
• Dynamit Nobel Panzerfaust 3—anti-tank rocket launcher
• RGW90 AS—rocket launcher
• Raytheon Fliegerfaust 2 (FIM-92 Stinger)—infrared homing surface-to-air missile
• MILAN—anti-tank guided missile system
• Granatpistole 40mm—grenade launcher
• HK GMG—grenade autocannon
• AG36—grenade launcher
• KM2000—172 mm tantō style blade standard combat knife

• 

  Gewehr G36 with AG36 grenade launcher

• 

  KM2000 & P8 pistol

• 

  MG4

• 

  Panzerfaust 3

• 

  G82

• 

  G22

• 

  HK GMG

• 

  MP7A1

• 

  MG3

• 

  Granatpistole 40mm

• 

  A German Army door gunner mans an M3M on board a CH-53 helicopter.

Reconnaissance systems[link]

• Wisent (vehicle)
• Fennek (wheeled armoured reconnaissance vehicle), replacing the Spähpanzer Luchs
• Luna X 2000 (reconnaissance drone system)
• KZO (reconnaissance drone system)
• Aladin (reconnaissance drone system)
• Camcopter S-100 (VTOL reconnaissance drone system, procurement planned)^[9]
• MIKADO (mini reconnaissance drone system)
• Fancopter (mini reconnaissance drone system)
• RASIT (radar system), being phased out
• BÜR (ground surveillance radar system, based on Dingo 2)

• 

  Luna X 2000 UAV

• 

  EMT Aladin UAV

• 

  Fennek

• 

  MIKADO

• 

  Fancopter

• 

  BÜR

Combat vehicles[link]

Armoured vehicles[link]

Leopard 2A6

Puma (IFV) demonstrator for mobility-VS2 with weight simulators

GTK Boxer

• Leopard 2 (Main Battle Tank)
  • A4, being phased out
  • A5
  • A6
• Marder 1 A3/A5 (infantry fighting vehicle)
• Spz Puma (infantry fighting vehicle), replaces the Marder in the Mechanized Infantry, being delivered
• Wiesel 1/2 (armoured weapons carrier)
  • as a reconnaissance vehicle for the airborne troops
  • with autocannon 20 mm
  • with TOW anti-tank guided missile
  • with mortar 120 mm
  • as a radar vehicle for the light air defence system (LeFlaSys)
  • as a command vehicle for the LeFlaSys
  • as an engineer reconnaissance vehicle
  • with Stinger equipped for the LeFlaSys
  • as a medical vehicle for the airborne troops
• M113 A2 (multirole armoured vehicle) being phased out (594)
• GTK Boxer (multirole armoured fighting vehicle) to replace M113 and TPz Fuchs (planned)
• IAI Harop (unmanned combat aerial vehicle), loitering munition in combination with Rheinmetall KZO, ordered
• Dingo 1/2 (armoured wheeled vehicle)
• Eagle IV (armoured wheeled vehicle)
• LAPV Enok (light armoured patrol vehicle)
• Grizzly (armoured wheeled vehicle)
• AGF Serval (reconnaissance and combat vehicle)
• DURO III (armoured wheeled vehicle)
• YAK (armoured wheeled vehicle), based on DURO III
• Mungo ESK (armoured transport vehicle)
• TPz Fuchs (multirole armoured vehicle)
• BV 206 S (tracked armoured transport vehicle)

Artillery[link]

Wiesel 2 lePzMrs (Lightweight Armoured Mortar of Advanced Mortar System)

• M270 MLRS (227 mm multiple rocket launcher)
• PzH 2000 (155 mm self-propelled howitzer)
• Wiesel 2 lePzMrs, advanced mortar system
• ABRA (artillery radar system), being phased out
• Mortar TAMPELLA (120 mm)
• Mortar "R" (120 mm)
• COBRA (counter artillery radar system)
• ATMAS (artillery weather measure system)
• SMA (artillery sound measure system)

Air defence systems[link]

A Gepard of the German Army

Wiesel 2 – in the Ozelot anti-air version of LeFlaSys

• Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer Gepard 1 A2 (self-propelled anti air gun), will be formally phased out in late 2010 and then replaced by SysFla in the upcoming years.
• LeFlaSys (light anti-aircraft missile system), based on Wiesel 2
• MANTIS (stationary counter rocket, artillery, and mortar system for base protection), to be delivered in 2011
• SysFla (system air defence – mobile and stationary platforms using the LFK NG and MANTIS), under development
• LÜR (radar system), being phased out

Engineer equipment[link]

• Dachs (tracked engineer tank)
• Büffel (tracked salvage tank)
• Biber (bridge layer)
• Panzerschnellbrücke 2 (bridge layer), replacing the Biber
• Mine Skorpion (mine layer)
• Keiler (mine breaker)
• M3 Amphibious Rig (amphibious vehicle)
• Motorboot 3 (motorboat)
• Medium Girder Bridge (bridge system)
• Faltfestbrücke (solid bridge system)
• Faltschwimmbrücke (swimming bridge system)
• Pontoon bridge
• Faltstraßensystem (mobile roadway system)

Aircraft inventory[link]

German NH90

EC 135 of the German Army

Heavy tractor trailer Elefant whilst loading a Leopard 2A4

Wolf

MAN HX/SX Series Mobility Elite Series HX: High Mobility Truck SX: Extreme Mobility Truck since 2010

The German Army operates more than 320 helicopters. Nearly all were built in Germany while nearly 40% are indigenous designs. 40 Eurocopter Tiger and 80 NH90 helicopters have been ordered.

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	Quantity[10]	Notes
Attack helicopter
Eurocopter Tiger	Europe	Attack helicopter		11	40 (ordered), entered service
Transport helicopter
NHI NH90	Europe	Transport helicopter	NH90 TTH	16	80 (ordered); will receive former Luftwaffe examples
Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion	United States	Transport helicopter	CH-53G/CH-53GS	101	110 built by VFW; to be reduced to 66 and transferred to the Luftwaffe in change for NH90s
Utility helicopter
UH-1 Iroquois	United States	Utility helicopter	UH-1D	82	Being withdrawn; built by Dornier
Bölkow Bo 105	Germany	Utility helicopter	105P	104
Eurocopter EC 135	Europe	Utility helicopter	EC135	15

Logistic equipment[link]

• SLT 50-3 Elefant (heavy tractor trailer, tank transporter)
• Berge- und Kranfahrzeug, BKF 30.40 (salvage vehicle)

Non-combat vehicles[link]

• Mercedes-Benz 250 GD "Wolf"
• KTM LC4 Military 27 PS, motorcycle
• ATV Yamaha Kodiak 400, Quad
• LKW 2t mil gl, 4x4 (Unimog)
• LKW 5t mil gl, 4x4
• LKW 5t mil, 4x4
• LKW 7t mil gl, 6x6
• LKW 7t mil, 6x6
• LKW 10t mil gl, 8x8
• LKW 15t mil gl, 8x8
• LKW 15t mil gl MULTI, 8x8
• Volkswagen T platform (T3/T4)
• Snowmobile Ski-Doo

See also[link]

• Kaiserliche Armee
• Bundeswehr
• History of Germany during World War II
• Infantryman of the Future
• Prussian Army
• Reichswehr
• Tank Battalions of the German Army 1956 - 2008

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Hubatscheck, Gerhard (2006), 50 Jahre Heer. Der Soldat und seine Ausrüstung, Sulzvach: Report-Verlag, ISBN 978-3-932385-21-6 
• Wheeler-Bennet, Sir John (2005), The Nemesis of Power: German Army in Politics, 1918-1945 (2nd ed.), New York: Palgrave Macmillan Publishing Company, ISBN 978-1-4039-1812-3 
• Catherine M. Kelleher, ‘Fundamentals of German Security: The Creation of the Bundeswehr: Continuity and Change,’ in Stephen F. Szabo (ed.), The Bundeswehr and Western Security, St. Martin’s Press, New York, 1990.

External links[link]

• Official Homepage of the German Army (Heer) in German

Historical links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Heer (Bundeswehr)

• German Army pre 1914
• German Army 1914-1918
• German Army Organization 1914
• German Infantry Photographs from World War II - Colour photographs of German infantry during World War II
• Gebirgsjaeger - German Mountain Troops
• Axis History - Axis History site including German troops.

v t e Military of Germany (Bundeswehr)      Army  Navy  Air Force  Joint Medical Service        Joint Support Service

War Machine (James Rupert Rhodes) is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in comic books set in the Marvel Comics universe. The character of James Rhodes first appeared in Iron Man #118 (January 1979) by David Michelinie, John Byrne and Bob Layton. The War Machine armor, which became Rhodes' signature armored battlesuit, was designed by Len Kaminski and Kevin Hopgood.

Also known by his nickname Rhodey, Rhodes has been a featured character in the Iron Man animated series, Iron Man: Armored Adventures and The Invincible Iron Man animated film. He was first portrayed by actor Terrence Howard in the 2008 film Iron Man. Don Cheadle replaced Howard in the 2010 sequel Iron Man 2 and will reprise the role in Iron Man 3.

Publication history[link]

In addition to Iron Man and his own title War Machine, Rhodes has been featured in the ensemble titles West Coast Avengers; Force Works by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning; Sentinel Squad O*N*E; The Crew by Christopher Priest; and Avengers: The Initiative by Dan Slott and Christos Gage. Rhodes was also featured in the alternate-reality Marvel MAX imprint's U.S. War Machine series by Chuck Austen, and U.S. War Machine 2.0, by Austen and Christian Moore.

In the series Iron Man: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Rhodes was featured in the storyline "War Machine: Weapon of S.H.I.E.L.D." written by Gage and artist Sean Chen.^[1] In this tie-in to the company-wide storyline "Secret Invasion", War Machine replaced Iron Man as the protagonist for the final three issues of the series.^[2] This led into a second War Machine ongoing series, written by Greg Pak with art by Leonardo Manco,^[3][4][5] which lasted 12 issues.^[6][7] Featured in the ensemble title Secret Avengers, War Machine is the lead character of the series Iron Man 2.0 by writer Nick Spencer and artist Barry Kitson.

Fictional character biography[link]

Origins[link]

James Rupert Rhodes,from the South Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was a lieutenant colonel in the United States Marine Corps who served tours of duty in Southeast Asia. A combat pilot, he was stranded in the jungle behind enemy lines after his helicopter was shot down by Viet Cong rocket fire. He encounters Iron Man, who escaped from Wong-Chu's prison camp in his prototype suit of powered armor, for the first time. Defeating the Viet Cong soldiers that ambushed them, Rhodes and Iron Man discovered an enemy rocket base that was the origin of the rocket fire that grounded Rhodes in the first place. Destroying the base with a stolen Viet Cong helicopter, Rhodes and Iron Man flew the helicopter back to the American defense perimeter.^[8] At the base hospital in Saigon, Stark arrives in person to thank Rhodes for helping Iron Man and to offer Rhodes a job as his personal pilot. After the Vietnam War was over and after taking several career paths including mercenary work, Rhodes finally took Stark's offer and became Stark's personal pilot, chief aviation engineer for Stark International, and one of Stark's closest friends.

The all new Iron Man[link]

Due to Obadiah Stane's actions, Stark International was losing foreign contracts and going into heavy debt. With Stark's company and personal life in disarray, Stark relapsed into alcoholism.^[9] After an intoxicated Stark was defeated by Magma, Rhodes donned the Iron Man armor for the first time and defeated Magma.^[10] Stark asked Rhodes to be Iron Man while Stark continued his life of alcoholism. Rhodes, along with scientist Morley Erwin, quit Stark International and sent the remaining Iron Man armors into the ocean to protect Stark’s technology from Stane and S.H.I.E.L.D., who monitored the Stane takeover. Morley Erwin maintained the Iron Man armor and served as Rhodes’ technical support while Rhodes fought villains such as the Mandarin, Thunderball, the Zodiac, and the Radioactive Man as Iron Man. He became a charter member of the West Coast Avengers^[11] and fought in the Beyonder's "Secret Wars".^[12][13][14] Rhodes, Morley Erwin, and Morley's sister Dr. Clytemnestra Erwin planned to create a new electronics firm based in California. Rhodes took mercenary jobs to provide money for the armor's upkeep and to fund the company.^[15] Recovering from his alcoholism, Tony Stark joined the three and they formed the company Circuits Maximus. Due to the armor’s helmet being tailored to Stark’s brainwaves, Rhodes developed headaches and grew more erratic and aggressive.^[16] Stark helped Rhodes maintain the armor, but Rhodes' paranoia and hatred made him believe that Stark wanted to retake the armor.^[17] During a battle with Vibro, Rhodes went on a rampage to capture the villain and Stark was forced to wear his new testbed armor (resembling Stark's first Iron Man armor) to stop Rhodes and talk him out of his rage.^[18]

Rhodes sought help from Dr. Henry Pym to cure his headaches while Stark delivered Rhodes’ resignation to the Avengers and revealed his identity to Hawkeye and Mockingbird.^[19] Pym sent Rhodes to Dr. Michael Twoyoungmen (Shaman of Alpha Flight) and Rhodes cured himself of his headaches via a journey through a mystic dimension called "The Gorge" that revealed Rhodes’ guilt of feeling unworthy of the armor.^[20] While Rhodes was finally at peace and left his armor behind in the dimension, the armor was empowered by The Omnos, a being of extra-dimensional energy, and was returned to Rhodes.^[21] Rhodes resumed operating as Iron Man with Stark using his own testbed armor to assist Rhodes. Due to a bomb sent by Stane to Circuits Maximus that injured Rhodes and killed Morley Erwin, Stark became active as Iron Man again, donning his newly-completed "Silver Centurion" model, and defeated Stane.^[22]

Out of the armor[link]

Rhodes remained at Stark's side as Stark regained his personal fortune and built a new corporation, Stark Enterprises, remaining in California. Rhodes donned the red-and-gold armor once more when A.I.M. attacked the under-construction Stark space station. However, the armor's seals had been damaged in a shuttle explosion, causing Rhodes to suffer severe burns upon reentry; he survived only by Stark using his own armor as a heat shield to minimize Rhodes' exposure.^[23] After Rhodes recovered, he continued to play a key role in assisting Stark, particularly during the first Armor Wars storyline.^{[volume & issue needed]}

When Stark was shot by Kathy Dare and left paralyzed, he needed a fill-in for the role of Iron Man. Rhodes refused, citing the history between him and the armor, "not all of it good". Stark would call upon the former Force, Clay Wilson (known as Carl Walker at this point), to fill in, wearing the modified Stealth armor, until Stark could modify his regular armor to allow him to function normally inside the suit.^[24] Rhodes would reluctantly return to the armor to fight the Mandarin at the behest of the Chinese government, in order to allow Stark to seek medical assistance in their country. In the end, Stark (using a remote-control set of armor) and Rhodes team up with the Mandarin to stop the larger threat of the Makulan dragons.^[25]

Iron Man once again and the birth of War Machine[link]

The Masters Of Silence, three Japanese warriors tricked by Justin Hammer into attacking Iron Man, defeated Stark with technology that enabled them to not be affected by repulsors or unibeams.^[26] To combat the threat, Stark designed the "Variable Threat Response Battle Suit, Model XVI, Mark I" (nicknamed "War Machine"), a more heavily armed version of the Iron Man armor designed for all-out warfare. After Stark's apparent death in the comic book, he left Rhodes in control of Stark Enterprises as its new CEO, along with a new Variable Threat Response Battle Suit designed especially for Rhodes to continue the Iron Man legacy.^[27] As Iron Man once again, Rhodes used the armor and fought against threats such as the Living Laser, the second Spymaster, Blacklash, the Beetle, and Atom Smasher.

Upon the revelation that Stark was alive, Rhodes quit Stark Enterprises and the friendship between the two was fractured.^[28] After teaming with Iron Man against battledroids programmed to kill Rhodes, Stark wanted Rhodes to keep the Variable Threat Response Battle Suit stating that the armor always belonged to Rhodes.^[29] Rhodes eventually kept the armor and later adopted the name of War Machine.^[30] When the robot Ultimo went on a rampage, Rhodes called together Harold "Happy" Hogan, Bethany Cabe, Eddie March, "Carl Walker" and Michael O'Brien to pilot various Iron Man armors to take down Ultimo as the Iron Legion.^[31] He rejoined the West Coast Avengers as War Machine and served with the team until he resigned after an argument with Iron Man during an Avengers team meeting.^[32] During the beginning of the War Machine series, Rhodes was approached by Vincent Cetewayo, noted activist from the African country of Imaya and founder of the human rights organization Worldwatch Incorporated.^[33] Cetewayo offered Rhodes the position of Worldwatch's Executive Director, but the offer was declined. Cetewayo was kidnapped by Imayan forces led by the dictator President Eda Arul. Receiving no aid from S.H.I.E.L.D. or the Avengers, Rhodes traveled to Imaya as War Machine to free Cetewayo. Joined by Deathlok, the two evaded capture from a S.H.I.E.L.D. unit led by Major Bathsheva "Sheva" Joseph and joined the fight to liberate Imaya.^[34] Rhodes successfully led Imayan rebels into combat against Arul's forces, but failed to save Cetewayo from being killed by the Advisor, the apparent mastermind of Arul's rise to power. Shaken by the death of Cetewayo and finding something worth fighting for, Rhodes takes the position of Worldwatch's Executive Director and hired Sheva Joseph, who left S.H.I.E.L.D. after her assignment in Imaya.^[35]

During the Hands of the Mandarin crossover, Stark disapproved of the actions of War Machine in Imaya and demanded that Rhodes relinquish the armor when he returned to Stark Enterprises to get the specifications for his armor.^[36] The two men battled each other until the fight was stopped by Bethany Cabe, the Head Of Security for Stark Enterprises.^[37][38] While their armor was rebooting, the Mandarin captured Rhodes and Stark, discovering their identities. Century of the superhero team Force Works rescued Rhodes, but his armor was useless thanks to the Mandarin’s anti-technology field. Rhodes and Stark reconciled and joined with Force Works to stop the Mandarin and his Avatars from using the Heart Of Darkness for their plans of conquest.^[39] Stark gave Rhodes the blueprints to the War Machine armor and a fully upgraded armor with new armaments was made.^[40] Rhodes continued to use the War Machine armor in a solo superhero career, occasionally fighting alongside Stark and Force Works.

The Warwear[link]

After the events of the "Time War" storyline, in which Rhodes teamed up with Captain America, Bucky and Sgt. Nick Fury & his Howling Commandos to stop Neo-Nazis from sending modern weaponry to Nazi Germany, the War Machine armor was lost in the time stream.^[41] Rhodes returned to civilian life, but he ended up acquiring a brand new alien armor known as the Eidolon Warwear after meeting a mysterious woman named Skye and fighting an alien known as a Lictor.^[42] Skye was sent to teach Rhodes to use the Warwear and revealed that Rhodes was chosen to fight against Stark (who was under the control of Immortus disguised as Kang the Conqueror).^[43] Skye was fatally wounded by Dirge, another Eidolon Warrior sent by Immortus, and Rhodes defeated him in combat. Stark eventually breaks free of Immortus' control and sacrificed his life while Rhodes foiled Immortus' plot by using Dirge's Warwear to destroy the Starcore satellite armed with a chronographic weapon. S.H.I.E.L.D. was made aware of down, but Rhodes evaded capture. To protect Worldwatch, he resigns as Executive Director.^[44]

In Tales of the Marvel Universe, Rhodes rejoined Stark Enterprises to protect his friend's legacy while the Japanese company Fujikawa Industries bought out Stark Enterprises. Rhodes was kept around to help with the transition to Stark-Fujikawa. He was offered the job of President Of Corporate Liaison Operations, but kept away from Fujikawa's attempt to discover the secrets to Stark's Iron Man armor technology contained in a single gauntlet. Rhodes infiltrated the security system at Stark-Fujikawa's Research and Development facility, recovered the gauntlet, and purged the Fujikawa database of all Iron Man armor technology data by downloading the Eidolon Warwear directly into the Fujikawa computers to attack the system. Losing the armor as a result of the sabotage mission, Rhodes quits Stark-Fujikawa.^[45] After serving as one of Stark's trustees when Iron Man was presumed dead after the final battle with Onslaught, Rhodes starts his own marine salvage business called "Rhodes Recovery" and retires from superheroics.^[46]

Post War Machine[link]

Despite staying in retirement and focusing on his salvaging company, Rhodes assisted Stark on occasion. In volume three of Iron Man, He helped Stark defeat freelance mercenary and arms dealer Parnell Jacobs, who was masquerading as a villainous War Machine.^[47] A former friend and mercenary partner of Rhodes, Jacobs was under the employ of Sunset Bain and piloted a version of the War Machine armor based on armor parts that Jacobs found from the discarded original and reverse engineering by Stuart Clarke.^[48] ta with allegiance only to himself.^[49] Joining forces with these two men along with Josiah X as Justice, Rhodes and The Crew took on the 66 Bridges gang and their CEO Nigel "Triage" Blacque.^[50]

Rhodes later becomes a key member of the Office of National Emergency (O*N*E) and the head combat instructor for Sentinel Squad O*N*E.^[51] He began developing doubts about the nature of his job, such as being ordered to arrest the Black Panther and Storm when they refused to sign SHRA.^[52]

Return[link]

When Rhodes served as a military consultant at a base in Dubai, a terrorist attack left Rhodes severely injured. Stark arrived in Dubai and rebuilt him with new limbs, bionics, and cybernetics. Rhodes once again becomes War Machine and was made field commander and a director of Camp Hammond to help train SHRA registered recruits of the Fifty State Initiative program.^[53] When the Skrulls invaded earth and unleashed a virus that disabled all Starktech systems along with Rhodes' life-support systems, he is forced to rely on Baron Von Blitzschlag's electrical powers to keep him alive while managing to activate a cluster of emergency generators in his armor that incorporated Stanetech parts in its design.^[54][55]

In the War Machine: Weapon Of S.H.I.E.L.D. storyline, Rhodes received a secret holographic message with coordinates after the global Starktech failure. Despite an intercepting Skrull fleet, Rhodes found a secret cloaked satellite in outer space with Suzanne "Suzi" Endo at the satellite ahead of him. Endo was there to help because of her background in cybernetics and Rhodes viewed another message from Stark revealing that Rhodes' armor, as well as the satellite, was independent from all Earth systems with Rhodes himself as a part of Stark's contingency plan. A Skrull fleet followed Rhodes to the satellite and Endo revealed that the satellite is a functional weapon with Rhodes being the key to its activation. With the satellite linked to Rhodes, it transformed into a giant "War Machine" robotic form.^[56] Destroying the Skrull fleet, he left the satellite to Russian airspace to destroy an escaping Skull ship. He made his way to a weapons depot in Tatischevo where the Winter Guard was protecting the nuclear weapons from the Skrulls. The Winter Guard ordered him to leave under the orders of the Russian military, but Rhodes ignored and was captured on a Skrull warship.^[57] He escaped and with Endo's help, used the warship to destroy the Skull fleet with the Winter Guard disobeying orders so that they could aid Rhodes. The last Super-Skrull attempted to detonate the nuclear warheads by turning himself into energy, but Rhodes used his armor's capabilities to absorb the energy.^[58]

"Dark Reign"[link]

In "Dark Reign: New Nation", Rhodes faced Anton Aubuisson, a corrupt former French soldier with the Roxxon Energy Corporation in negotiations with the Anunquit tribe in western Canada. Rhodes defeated Aubuisson and discovered the use of Ultimo technology given to Aubuisson by Eaglestar International, a corrupt paramilitary defense contracting firm. This led to Rhodes traveling to Santo Marco and finding Parnell Jacobs, once believed to be killed by Stuart Clarke.^[59] Rhodes recruits Jacobs to be his "one-man pit crew" to stop Eaglestar's efforts after informing him that Jacobs' estranged wife Dr. Glenda Sandoval, a medic with Eaglestar, was in forced imprisonment. In a side story, a team under the direction of Bethany Cabe developed a clone body for Rhodes to take over. The team's facility was attacked and the clone body was taken by Norman Osborn.^[60] Rhodes, with support from Jacobs and Cabe, invades the Eaglestar headquarters in the nation of Aqiria. Rescuing Sandoval and dealing with threats such as the Dark Avenger Ares and civilians infected with Ultimo technology, Rhodes deduced that the Ultimo technology came from the United States where Ultimo was last seen. Rhodes took on the mission of destroying the Ultimo components with Sandoval, Cabe, Jacobs, former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Jake Oh, and a returning Suzi Endo as "Team War Machine".^[61] The team faced the threat of Ultimo in the form of Morgan Stark, Tony Stark's cousin, with the help of Rhodes' former West Coast Avengers teammates and Norman Osborn in a temporary alliance.^[62] While Rhodes was captured after ruining Osborn's plan to make Ultimo his weapon, his team exposed the "Bainesville Ten", a group of high ranking officials and industry captains responsible for worldwide crimes. Despite Osborn's efforts to distract from the indictment of the group by putting Rhodes on trial at The Hague for war crimes, Rhodes and his team foiled Osborn's scheme with Rhodes himself transferred to his clone body after saving the life of a child.^[63]

In the "Stark Disassembled" storyline, Rhodes went to Broxton, Oklahoma where Tony Stark was left in a persistent vegetative state. Following recorded instructions from Stark, Rhodes extracted wires from Pepper Potts' Rescue suit and connected Captain America's shield to the implant on Stark's chest, which would be started by Thor's lightning, in order to reboot Stark's brain.^[64]

Heroic Age[link]

After the Siege storyline, War Machine joined the new Secret Avengers team, alongside Beast, Nova, Steve Rogers, Valkyrie, and Moon Knight.^[65]

Due to a government contract between Tony Stark's "Stark Resilent" company and The Pentagon, War Machine was assigned a new position as the US military's own "Iron Man". Now at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, Rhodes is under the command of General Babbage, who has a personal grudge against Rhodes for his actions when he battled Ultimo and Norman Osborn in the previous War Machine series. His first assignment was to track down Palmer Addley, a former weapons designer for DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Addley is committing terrorist acts around the world, despite having been dead for months. When War Machine confronts the alleged dead man, Addley's response is to drop a nuclear weapon on him. Rhodes survives, but this prompts Tony Stark to replace his armor with a far more advanced model: the "Iron Man 2.0" armor.^[66]

During the Fear Itself storyline, War Machine is seen in Washington DC helping Ant-Man and Beast. War Machine learns from the Prince of Orphans that the "Eighth City" has been opened.^[67] War Machine then travels to Beijing and assists the Immortal Weapons in closing the portal, but not before having to battle Iron Fist who was unintentionally interfering with their mission by blocking the Immortal Weapon's connection to the city due to having become possessed by Agamotto's power. With Dr. Strange's help, Iron Fist is brought down and the portal is safely closed.^[68]

Powers and abilities[link]

Skills[link]

Rhodes was trained as an aircraft pilot and studied aviation engineering while in service with the United States Marine Corps. He is knowledgeable in aircraft operation/maintenance and has piloted various aircraft at Stark Enterprises. Rhodes is an experienced soldier trained in unarmed combat and military weaponry such as small arms. In addition to being a pilot, engineer, soldier, and businessman, Rhodes derives multiple abilities from various hi-tech armors, either designed by Stark Industries or extraterrestrial in nature. With his years of experience with both the Iron Man and War Machine powered armors, Rhodes is skilled in armored combat and uses a more physical fighting style compared to Stark.

Armors[link]

Iron Man Armor V[link]

• First Appearance: Iron Man #85 (April 1976)

Rhodes' first armor as Iron Man was a solar charged carbon-composite based steel mesh armor which provided him with superhuman-level strength and durability. It was armed with repulsors in each palm of the armor's gauntlets and a multifunctional unibeam projector in the chest.

War Machine Armor (Variable Threat Response Battle Suit Mark II, Model JRXL-1000)[link]

• First Appearance: Iron Man #284 (September 1992)

The original Variable Threat Response Battle Suit Mark I was a version of the Iron Man armor utilizing laser guided munitions. Stark gave Rhodes a modified version of the armor, Mark II Model JRXL-1000, created just for him with the inclusion of repulsors and a unibeam projector. The armor could be modified with various modular weapons and has an improved tactical computer system with automatic targeting. Additional weapons included pulse bolt generators, retractable shoulder minigun, variable-configured double-barrel cannons on each gauntlet, gauntlet mounted flamethrower, plasma blade on the left gauntlet, missile box launcher, micro-rocket launcher, particle beam discharger, and an electromagnetic pulse generator in the unibeam projector that could shut down any electronic device in a 50-mile radius. The armor also included a photon emitter that created a force shield, forcefield-based stealth technology, boot-jet propulsion, and a self-contained breathing system.

The second version of the armor, reconfigured by Stark, contained upgraded improvements such as heat seeking missile launchers, pulse cannon, and retractable weapon pods located on its back. Rhodes utilized different types of specialty ammunition as well as non-lethal weapons such as rubber bullets. Though Rhodes lost the original armor, he still possessed a functional prototype helmet and gauntlet.

Eidolon Warwear[link]

• First Appearance: War Machine #18 (September 1995)

The armor is a symbiotic bio-armor system of alien origin and provided Rhodes with superhuman strength, durability, and speed. The armor responded to Rhodes' commands and created weapons based on his thoughts and needs. When inactive, it was concealed inside a "mandala" or tattoo-like mark on Rhodes' chest. The left arm is capable of firing destructive energy blasts while the right arm is able to morph into a blade. The armor can "unskin" remote drones that are capable of feats such as discharging various types of energy, infiltrating electronic/computer systems, creating energy fields, and completing basic tasks. If the drone are destroyed, Rhodes feels pain due to the symbiotic connection. The armor can morph into a "full battle mode," which provided unspecified enhancement to both the armor and Rhodes himself. It was also capable of space travel with an unlimited life support system. During battle, the armor would have the strange ability to "sing" alien war songs.

Sentinel Squad Armor[link]

• First Appearance: Sentinel Squad O.N.E. #1 (March 2006)

During the Sentinel Squad O*N*E series, he used an armor that was similar to the design of previous Iron Man powered armors and was based on the primary Sentinel piloted armors that the squad used in combat. The armor was derived of S.H.I.E.L.D. technology and Stark-designed upgrades. Rhodes also piloted a larger advanced Sentinel model codenamed "War Machine". The armors were constructed of a unique mix of steel and fiberglass and contained many offensive and defensive improvements in weaponry and enhancements.

Stanetech Based War Machine Armor[link]

• First Appearance: Avengers: The Initiative #1 (March 2007)

Used during Avengers: The Initiative to volume two of War Machine, this version of the War Machine armor shows all the abilities of the previous iterations with bleeding edge military ballistics and weaponry. Unlike previous War Machine armors, the armor incorporated advanced components derived from Obadiah Stane's reverse engineering of older Iron Man armor that made him immune to any Starktech based systems attack. Rhodes' bionics required an added life support system with cybernetic implants linked to the armor's systems. The armor is composed of alloys such as titanium and Wakandan vibranium, coated for stealth capabilities, and capable of space and underwater travel. Armaments included sonic generators, pulse bolts, a minigun, and a retractable unibeam projector. The armor can interface with any system and has interlocking capabilities that integrated mechanical constructs to repair and upgrade the armor. During the second War Machine series, Rhodes used this ability to merge with jet fighters and tanks deliberately to gain their technology and weapons. At the end of the series, Rhodes (Now in a cloned version of his body) is seen wearing a non-cybernetic version of the armor.

War Machine Armor V[link]

• First Appearance: Secret Avengers #1 (May 2010)

Used during issues of Secret Avengers and appearances in other comic series, this upgraded incarnation of the Variable Threat Response Battle Suit has a similar design to the movie version of the War Machine armor with armaments similar to previous incarnations such as a retractable shoulder minigun, repulsor technology, and shoulder missile launcher. The armor was destroyed by a nuclear attack in the first arc of the series Iron Man 2.0.

"Iron Man 2.0" War Machine Armor[link]

• First Appearance: Iron Man 2.0 #3 (April 2011)

Created in the series Iron Man 2.0 by Tony Stark, this War Machine armor is a complete redesign after the destruction of the previous model. Designed by Iron Man 2.0 artist Barry Kitson, the armor emphasizes stealth, recon, infiltration, and combat readiness.^[69] Unlike its predecessors, it is a slimmed down armor with no visible external weaponry such as shoulder miniguns or missile launchers. The armor's color scheme is gunmetal with black detailing and has two lines on the helmet's left eye area that glows according to the repulsor reactor's color. The armor utilizes upgraded technology such as an updated Chameleon Mode (previously a feature of the "Silver Centurion" Iron Man armor) for optical invisibility, holographic projection, and camouflage purposes. The armor also possesses Ghost technology to phase through solid objects, scanner invisibility to become undetectable to all targeting systems, and a Combat Mode that can deploy weaponry which is normally hidden and increase the size and bulk of the armor. But the armor has limitations such as strain of the armor's repulsor reactor, disorientation from the Chameleon Mode, and the inability to be both invisible and intangible at the same time due to a compatibility issue.

Other versions[link]

Iron Man Noir[link]

In the Marvel Noir universe, James "Jimmy" Rhodes appears as Tony Stark's assistant/friend in the mini-series, Iron Man: Noir.^[70]

1602[link]

In Marvel 1602: New World, there is a character named Rhodes, a Moor who is the engineer of the armor worn by the Spanish nobleman Lord Iron. Rhodes accompanied Lord Iron to the New World and assists in Lord Iron's mission to hunt down David Banner, former advisor to King James I of England and the man who tortured Lord Iron when he was captured by the British.^[71]

Amalgam Comics[link]

In the Amalgam Comics Universe created by Marvel Comics and DC Comics, there is a character named Stewart Rhodes that appears in the comic Iron Lantern #1. A pilot and engineer employed at Stark Aircraft, he knows the secret of Hal Stark's double life as Iron Lantern. Stewart Rhodes is the amalgam of James Rhodes and John Stewart.^[72]

[edit] Marvel Zombies

In Marvel Zombies: Dead Days, War Machine is seen amongst the crowd of heroes who have survived the Zombie plague so far. His fate is not depicted.

In Marvel Zombies Return, Zombie Giant Man finds a way to enter parallel universes and invades a universe that resembles the time period in which Tony Stark was an alcoholic. Giant Man infected the parallel universe's Happy Hogan, Pepper Potts and a number of people at Stark Industries. The James Rhodes from the parallel universe finds the Iron Man armor located in a bathroom and puts it on to reach Stark. After Stark sacrifices himself to kill as many zombies as possible, Rhodes takes the name Iron Man and announces he will help the police fend off the zombies.^[73] He also becomes a member of this reality's Illuminati.^[74] Years later, Rhodes joins the New Avengers in a heavily armed suit reminiscent of the War Machine armor but in the Iron Man color scheme. This Rhodes is at least partly cybernetic, having escaped falling victim to the zombie virus himself by cutting off his limbs after being bitten in order to protect himself from the virus, the armor consisting at least partly of cybernetic limbs rather than a simple suit. The Avengers team assembled consists of Iron Man and the zombified Spider-Man, Hulk and Wolverine. Rhodes sacrifices one of his last three fingers to lure the Zombie Avengers to the Savage land. Then, using a nanite virus developed by Spider-Man, the team defeats the zombie Avengers, eradicating the zombie menace.^[75]

MC2[link]

In the MC2 alternate future, Rhodes gained superhuman powers after exposing himself to experimental microscopic robots. While Tony Stark had intended to test them on himself, Rhodes did not feel it would be right for Stark to unnecessarily risk his life. Although now blessed with exponentially-increasing invulnerability and an impressive array of energy-based attacks, the nanites slowly corrupt Rhodes' mind, eventually destroying his personality and leaving him as little more than a very powerful, humanoid robot. He eventually works as a personal bodyguard for Tony Stark, and although he adopts a superhero uniform (vaguely reminiscent of Superman, though with a different color scheme and no chest insignia) neither he nor Stark bother to come up with a moniker for him. Spider-Girl refers to him as "Fred" for most of her series, for simple lack of anything else to call him.^[76]

U.S. War Machine[link]

In the alternate-reality MAX imprint series U.S. War Machine, Tony Stark announces he is retiring from developing weapons after he and his bodyguard James Rhodes, who had piloted the MPI-2100 Mobile Infantry Suit a.k.a. the "War Machine" armor, had used lethal force in the defeat of foreign tyrant Doctor Doom's armies. He stated he was mothballing the War Machine armor and presented the SI1-211 "Iron Man" as his new bodyguard. Rhodes, however, uses the War Machine armor to fight rogue agents of the terrorist group Advanced Idea Mechanics, and after killing two of them is fired by Stark.^[77] Afterward, former War Machine pilot Parnell Jacobs attacks Rhodes at home in an attempt to steal the War Machine armor. After Rhodes defeats Jacobs, Colonel Nick Fury, head of the espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D., has Rhodes and Jacobs brought in to the agency's headquarters, the Skycarrier.^[78]

Jacobs reveals that his wife, Glenda Sandoval, was taken hostage by A.I.M., with the promise of release if Jacobs delivered the original War Machine armor. But Jacobs had sold that armor to another terrorist group, HYDRA, to gain money when he learned his wife was pregnant. S.H.I.E.L.D. retrieves the armor from HYDRA and, with the guidance of 12-year-old-genius armament designer "Scotch", reverse-engineers its technology to create its own version of the War Machine armor for a planned Special Operations division, dubbed "U.S. War Machine", with Rhodes in charge. Targeting A.I.M.,^[79] the team includes Jacobs, Dum Dum Dugan, and Sheva Josephs.

In the sequel series U.S. War Machine 2.0., Stark is furious that S.H.I.E.L.D.'s U.S. War Machine division exists and combats it as Iron Man accompanied by his own armored forces—Happy Hogan, Bethany Cabe, and Eddie March—in MPI-2100 Mobile Infantry Suits.^[80] Rhodes, now a major, and his division team with Captain America (James "Bucky" Barnes), Sam Wilson, and Clint Barton, to stop Doctor Doom from detonating stolen nuclear weapons planted on the Millennium Wheel in London.^[81]

Ultimate Marvel[link]

James Rhodes first appears as a prep school student and the victim of frequent bullying at the school due to his ethnicity, that he comes from a poorer family and the fact that he's there because of the school's racial quota.^[82] He finds an unlikely friend in a young Tony Stark who defends him against the bullies - much to his dismay because it only serves to attract more attention to himself and, thus, increase his torment. Stark is keen on Rhodes being his friend, while Rhodes, initially, is uneasy about Stark and his burgeoning friendship. Later, after Stark is severely attacked at school and is aided by Rhodes (which turns out to be a peripheral attack on Stark's father), both leave the school and with Stark's father's help, are accepted into the Baxter Building's School for Exceptional Children along with Rhodes's sister, one, because they are all strikingly intelligent, but also for their own protection. Both begin work on different projects and eventually, Stark takes Rhodes into his confidence and allows Rhodes a chance to wear and help design some of the armor he and his father have innovated. Rhodes and Stark's friendship strengthens and Rhodes is later seen making another armor version named "War Machine" which he is going to trade with Stark's "Iron Man" armor when both are fully developed. A couple of years later, Stark and Rhodes, in their respective armor, team up as fake "Robots" to take out a terrorist group for the government.^[83] This origin, however, was retconned as being a fictionalized history of Tony Stark's early years. Years later, Rhodes, now a Colonel, is seen sporting a new War Machine armor created by Tony Stark's older brother Gregory Stark of which both are, for some reason, now estranged, which he uses to save two abducted U.S. army officers from the hands of the Taliban. Once the officers had been secured, Rhodes decides to kill the unarmed civils and the enemy after they surrendered, giving the first glimpse into a more ruthless, apathetic and even sadistic War Machine; a far cry from earlier views of Rhodes. Later, in France, he attempts to capture a seemingly rogue Captain America as part of the reactivated "Project Avengers" with new armor that is quite larger, is bloated with numerous ballistic weapons (far more than Tony Stark's Iron Man armor), and can also, evidently, even transform into a German sports car. Rhodes is almost able to capture Captain America, but their last confrontation involves Cap being in a room full of school children. Rhodes' ruthlessness is shown ever further as he contemplates continuing his attack, until Cap reminds him that any "Collateral Damage" involving school children would be a Public Relations and Political nightmare prompting War Machine to back off, but for all the wrong reasons. He continues to work for Fury, also recruiting Tyrone Cash during the Ghost Rider incident, and is one of the last Avengers (with Hawkeye, Blade, and Punisher) led by Fury, until his return to S.H.I.E.L.D. Director.^[84][85][86]

In other media[link]

Collections[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• World of Black Heroes: War Machine Biography
• War Machine at Marvel.com
• War Machine at the Internet Movie Database

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2007)

10 Years is an American alternative metal band, formed in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1999.

History[link]

[edit] Early Years, Into the Half Moon (1999–2001)

10 Years was initially formed in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1999 with singer Mike Underdown, drummer Brian Vodinh, bassist Lewis Cosby, and guitarists Ryan "Tater" Johnson (also of The American Plague) and Matt Wantland. In 2001, Cosby left and the band recruited Andy Parks on bass. They independently recorded Into the Half Moon the same year.

[edit] Killing All That Holds You, The Autumn Effect (2002–2006)

Lead vocalist Mike Underdown left the band to pursue a career in acting and start up a new band 'Courage, You Bastards' in Los Angeles, Ca. 10 Years soon recruited current vocalist Jesse Hasek from another local band. In 2002, Parks decided to leave the band and Cosby returned. The band then released their independent album Killing All That Holds You in 2004.

10 Years was then signed to Universal Records in 2005 and released their major label debut, The Autumn Effect on August 16, 2005 with the songs "Wasteland" and "Through the Iris" picking up regional radio play. Their first single, "Wasteland" spent over 12 months on the rock charts, finally reaching #1 at active rock radio in December 2005.

That same summer, the band toured with Disturbed and Ill Niño. In the fall of 2005, they toured with Breaking Benjamin and Smile Empty Soul, then followed up with the Masters of Horror tour with Mudvayne and Sevendust. They opened for Korn and Mudvayne on Korn's See You on the Other Side tour. They also toured with Korn and Deftones on the Family Values Tour, which started in late July 2006.

In mid February 2006, "Wasteland" reached #1 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. "Wasteland" has been certified Gold by the RIAA.

In mid-2006, the band toured Australia in a lineup which included Hatebreed, Disturbed and Korn.

Their first music video, "Wasteland", addresses the social problem of human rights as well as addiction around the world. The video received a nomination for Best Direction and Best Art Direction at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards, but did not win either.

On March 27, 2006, an EP was released on iTunes containing acoustic versions of "Wasteland" and other tracks from The Autumn Effect.

[edit] Division (2006–2008)

On November 19, 2006, 10 Years unveiled and confirmed the title Division for their second album.^[1] The band would begin recording Division in late June 2007 after spending the better part of a year writing.

Lewis told in an interview that the album is "so different from the first one [The Autumn Effect], but it's still 10 Years," and, "It just sounds like [the songs] would be from a totally different album, which was, you know, the goal."^[2] It was also revealed that the track titled "Focus" was co-written with Stone Temple Pilots and former Army of Anyone guitarist Dean DeLeo.^[1]

On May 21, 2007 a demo song titled "All Your Lies" from Division was released onto their MySpace along with a post stating the band had chosen producer Rick Parasher to produce the new album.^[3] On September 7, the band announced on their MySpace that the album was finished and would be released in 2008, following a tour with Dir En Grey, Sevendust, Operator, Thousand Foot Krutch and Chevelle.

On January 29, 2008, "Beautiful," the new single from Division, was released to iTunes and a snippet was also posted on the band's MySpace page. Division was released on May 13, 2008 after being pushed back due to finalization of the album's artwork.^[4]

10 Years was featured on the Revolution Stage of Linkin Park's Summer Projekt Revolution 2008 tour with Atreyu, Hawthorne Heights and Armor For Sleep.

They went on tour with Mudvayne until mid December 2008.

[edit] Feeding the Wolves (2009–2011)

10 Years announced that their upcoming third major label album would be entitled Feeding the Wolves. The album was produced by Grammy-nominated producer Howard Benson and mixed by Chris "Lord" Alge. The band has mentioned the album is of their heaviest material to date and "very similar to some of their early songs."

Throughout the first half of 2010, the band went back and forth between putting on live shows and working in the studio. Before the album was released, the band debuted new songs at live performances such as "Dead in the Water", "Now is the Time", and the new album's first single ""Shoot It Out" ". ^[5][6]

On June 12, 2010, ""Shoot It Out" " was featured on Sirius/XM Radio. The track was released to radio later that month,^[7] and was made available for download on iTunes July 6.^[8] Feeding the Wolves was released on August 31, 2010.

To promote the album's release, the band opened Shinedown's 2010 Carnival of Madness summer tour alongside Chevelle, Puddle of Mudd, and Sevendust.^[9] In the fall they joined Sevendust again on the Hard Drive Live tour with support from Since October and Anew Revolution.

In December, the band went on a mini-headline tour,^[10] where they played some older songs that they had not played in some time. February 2011, their new single "Fix Me" releases to radio while they headline a spring tour with Hollywood Undead.

On June 17 and 18 the band shot a music video for "Fix Me" in Columbus, Ohio with production company Thunder Down Country.^[11] The video was released via YouTube on August 9, 2011.^[12]

[edit] Minus The Machine Palehorse Records (2012-present)

On twitter the band has shown pictures of Brian Vodinh's home basement turned studio for future workings on their next album.

On April 2nd, 2012, the band announced on Facebook that their upcoming record, Minus The Machine, is to be released on July 30th on their own independent label, Palehorse Records, which the band stated is a part of Warner Music Group's Independent Label Group. They also announced a 4-week headlining tour to support the record, which begins on June 27th in New Orleans.

On May 11th, the band unveiled the cover art of the album and it was announced that the album's release has been pushed back to July 31st.^{[citation needed]} 10 Years will release their first single "Backlash" on radio and iTunes on June 21st.

Band members[link]

Current

• Jesse Hasek – Vocals (2002–present)
• Ryan "Tater" Johnson – Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals (1999–present)
• Lewis "Big Lew" Cosby – Bass (1999–2001, 2002-present)
• Brian Vodinh – Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals (2009–present) Drums (1999–present)

Live

• Matt Brown – Drums (2010-present)
• Sam Anderson – Drums (2010)
• Kyle Mayer – Drums (2010)
• Brandon Estelle - Drums (2010-2011) and select dates.

Former

• Mike Underdown – Vocals (1999–2001)
• Andy Parks - Bass (2001–2002)
• Matt Wantland – Guitar (1999–2009)

Timeline[link]

id:Vocals value:red legend:Vocals
id:Bass value:orange legend:Bass
id:Rhythm_Guitar value:blue legend:Rhythm_Guitar
id:Lead_guitar value:green legend:Lead_Guitar
id:drums value:yellow legend:Drums
id:lines value:black legend:Studio Albums

at:01/01/2001 color:black layer:back
at:27/08/2004 color:black layer:back
at:16/08/2005 color:black layer:back
at:01/05/2008 color:black layer:back
at:31/08/2010 color:black layer:back

bar:mike text:"Mike Underdown"
bar:jesse text:"Jesse Hasek"
bar:tater text:"Ryan Tater Johnson"
bar:wantland text:"Matt Wantland"
bar:andy text:"Andy Parks"
bar:lewis text:"Lewis Cosby"
bar:brian text:"Brian Vodinh"
bar:kyle text:"Kyle Mayer"
bar:sam text:"Sam Anderson"
bar:matt text:"Matt Brown"

width:10 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)
bar:mike from:start till:01/01/2001 color:Vocals
bar:jesse from:02/01/2001 till:end color:Vocals
bar:tater from:start till:end color:Lead_Guitar
bar:wantland from:start till:03/05/2009 color:Rhythm_Guitar
bar:brian from:start till:31/08/2010 color:Drums
bar:brian from:05/05/2009 till:end color:Rhythm_Guitar
bar:lewis from:start till:01/01/2001 color:Bass
bar:lewis from:02/01/2002 till:end color:Bass
bar:andy from:02/01/2001 till:01/01/2002 color:Bass
bar:kyle from:06/06/2010 till:05/07/2010 color:Drums
bar:sam from:06/07/2010 till:31/07/2010 color:Drums
bar:matt from:01/08/2010 till:end color:Drums

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Extended plays[link]

• 2006: Acoustic EP

Singles[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Site
• 10 Years on Myspace