Mail Call

8 seasons available

Host R. Lee Ermey, a retired staff sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps, reads mail and answers viewer questions about past and present military matters.
Mail Call
S8 E1

The National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio.

Mail Call
S8 E2

Hurlburt Field Air Force Base in Florida; Air Force Special Operations; training to detect car bombs and explosives; AC-130 heavily armed plane.

Mail Call
S8 E3

On location in Fort Knox, Ky.; recon-officer training course; Apache attack helicopter; profile of Gen. George S. Patton.

Mail Call
S8 E4

The military's Pinnacle body armor; the Punitive Expedition against Mexico; the M-274 mechanical mule.

Mail Call
S8 E5

San Diego's Strategic Operations Training Center; guns and gear used by the Red Coats used against American rebels in the War of Independence.

Mail Call
S8 E6

The M-8 armored car, a World War II scout car; the Mauser C-96 pistol; war dogs.

Mail Call
S8 E7

The Digital Video and Imagery Distribution System in Atlanta.

Mail Call
S8 E9

P-51s and P-47s from the Tennessee Museum of Aviation's collection; gear of the World War II Marines; the Marine Corps' V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor.

Ermey's Hottest Rides
S8 E98

Host R. Lee Ermey's favorite military vehicles.

Ermey's Biggest Bangs
S8 E99

Host R. Lee Ermey's favorite weapons and biggest explosions.

MK-19 Grenade Launcher; PPSH-41; WWII Weasel; Vertijet
S7 E1

Grenade launcher; Russian submachine gun; World War II Weasel; Gunny's Fabulous Flops.

Beach Master; DLI; Hooch; Eureka MPTGS Type 3 Tent; Cabanatuan Raid; Arisaka Rifle
S7 E2

Floating low truck used for search and rescue; the Defense Language Institute; origins of the word "hooch"; raid at Cabanatuan.

German Renaissance; 9 mm Luger P-08; AFN; Battle of Britain
S7 E3

The weapons of the 16th-century German Renaissance; Luger live-fire demonstration; the American Forces Network.

DOD Firefighter; USMC Martial Arts Training; Little David
S7 E4

Crash vehicle; napalm; martial arts; the Nambu pistol; remote-control-weapon platform. Host: R. Lee Ermey.

Improvised Explosive Devices; 1st Marine Raiders; Rough Riders
S7 E5

Improvised explosive devices at Camp Pendleton; the USMC Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit; the first Marine Raiders and their experience at Guadalcanal.

Army's National Training Center
S7 E6

Fort Irwin, Calif., home of the U.S. Army's National Training Center.

Amphibious Assault Vehicle; Colt Peacemaker; Merrill's Marauders
S7 E7

Naval base in Coronado, Calif.; beach-invasion training exercise; Colt Peacemaker; quick-draw champion.

Minot AFB
S7 E8

Host R. Lee Ermey travels to Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota, a home of B-52 bombers.

Knob Creek Gun Range
S7 E9

Knob Creek Gun Range in West Point, Ky. Host: R. Lee Ermey.

Potato Digger; Smith; P-38; Wire Dawgs
S7 E10

An 1895 Colt firearm; Maynard "Snuffy" Smith; can opener; Marines in charge of keeping lines of communication clear.

War in the Pacific
S7 E11

Patriotic events on the USS Intrepid celebrate the 60th anniversary of the U.S. victory over Japan; the war in the Pacific.

Hurricane Katrina
S7 E12

Host R. Lee Ermey, a retired staff sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps, reads mail and answers viewer questions about past and present military matters.

The Ballista; Pedersen Device; Up-Armoring Humvees; Rhino PAK; The Peashooter
S6 E1

A 2,000-year-old spear-thrower; WWI-era automatic weapon; getting armor protection for thin-skinned Humvees; turning a vehicle into an armored transport; first single-wing aircraft.

NORAD
S6 E2

The super-secret facilities of NORAD and the Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center. Host: R. Lee Ermey.

Afghanistan
S6 E3

The role of the Marine Corps in Afghanistan; gathering intelligence and promoting goodwill among Afghans; Ch-53 Super Stallion; Cobra attack helicopter; MTVR; Medical Corpsmen.

The Pentagon
S6 E4

Touring the Pentagon, the massive nerve center of U.S. military operations.

SS Lane Victory
S6 E5

World War II era victory-ship; Merchant Marine and Navy Armed Guard; fully-armed robot warrior; Navajo Code Talkers.

29 Palms
S6 E6

Marine Corps Training Command Center; Military Operations on Urban Terrain; Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle; Battle of Belleau Wood.

Civil War Special
S6 E7

Guns and gear of the Civil War, ranging from rifles to artillery; cooking up salt pork and hardtack; Zouave bayonet training.

Iwo Jima Special
S6 E8

Marines, Navy Corpsmen and Coast Guard sailors tell of their participation in the Battle of Iwo Jima.

Gator Navy
S6 E9

Amphibious assault fleet; Landing Craft Utility; Landing Amphibious Assault Carrier; ship repair; Rosie the Riveter; Battle of the Coral Sea; Operation Desert Storm.

B-2
S6 E10

Taking a B-2 Stealth Bomber on a mock bomb-run; atomic bomb missions of World War II.

Mail Call
S6 E11

Abrams M1-A1 tank; Gen. Creighton Abrams profile; battles of Kasserine Pass and El Guettar; tribute to reporter Ernie Pyle; full-body armor.

Mail Call
S6 E12

Benelli M4 shotgun; tribute to Sergeant 1st Class Paul Smith; battle of Ia Drang; ME-163 Komet fighter-plane; the Gunny gets a Porsche.

Krag-Jorgenson Rifle; Maine; Blackbird; Northern Warfare Training Center; Stalingrad
S5 E1

Spanish-American War rifle; remembering the Maine; SR-71 Blackbird; the U-2 spy plane; training for extreme battlefield conditions; the Battle of Stalingrad.

Navy Marine Mammals; WC54 Ambulance; Desert Ducks
S5 E3

The Navy Marine Mammals program; the chain of evacuation in World War II; WC54 ambulance; the Desert Ducks.

Musketeer; Hellcat & Zero; U.S. Army's High Altitude Rescue Team; XR-8 Syncopter
S5 E4

Gear of the French Musketeers; fighter planes of World War II; High Altitude Rescue Team; XR-8 Syncopter.

Marine Corps Marksmanship; The BAT; Maritime Safety & Security Teams
S5 E5

Marine Corps marksmen; coast artillery of World War II; BAT missile; Maritime Safety and Security Teams; first plane to cross the Atlantic.

Silencers; Flashbang Grenade; WWII Japanese Gear; HITRON Teams
S5 E6

Silencers; flashbang grenade; weapons and gear of Japanese soldiers of World War II; U.S. Coast Guard HITRON teams; CH-54 Skycrane.

Javelin Anti-Tank Missile; Tankgewehr 1918; P-3 Orion; SOG
S5 E7

Javelin anti-tank missile; Tankgewehr 1918; P-3 Orion aircraft; sub-hunting planes of World War II; weapons, gear and tactics used by the Studies and Observations Group in the Vietnam War.

The War of 1812
S5 E8

Weapons of the War of 1812; camp life at historic Fort Miegs; siege at Fort McHenry; USS Constitution.

Military Sidearms; Glock Handguns; MG42; WWII British Commando Weapons; Gun Truck Alley
S5 E9

Military sidearms; Glock handguns; German MG42; weapons and gear of the British commandos of World War II; troop convoy protection.

XM8; Spencer; AC-47 Spooky; Small Diameter Bomb; Gotha Bomber
S5 E10

Military rifle XM8; Civil War-era repeating rifle; Vietnam War gunship; people sniffer; Small Diameter Bomb; German heavy bomber.

Rapid Fielding Initiative; Anti-Tank and Anti-Anti-Tank; Blimp Sub-hunters; Cloud Car
S5 E11

Rapid Fielding Initiative; German army's anti-tank crews; anti-anti-tank weapons; blimps; German "cloud car" spy basket.

Zoaves; Flying Wing; ICBM; Swift Boats
S5 E12

Civil War Zouaves; World War II bayonet charge; the Northrop YB-35.

Celebrity Golf Tournament, Gala Ball, and Auction
S5 E13

History of the USO; athletes in the military; private beaches and ski resorts for military personnel.

Golden Knights; WWII Army Air Force or Air Corps?; Flying Tigers; AC-130U Spooky
S4 E1

Lee jumps with the Golden Knights; history of the U.S. Air Force; Flying Tigers; blood chit; AC-130U Spooky gunship; P-61 Black Widow.

Blimp; Miitary Shotguns; Navy Graveyard; Poop Deck
S4 E2

Blimp; aerial reconnaissance during the U.S. Civil War; military shot guns; grapeshot revolver; Navy Graveyard; G.I. jargon: "poop."

Guided Missile Destroyer; WWI Aircraft & Aces; Marine Corps FAST Teams
S4 E3

The USS Preble, a guided missile destroyer; World War I aircraft and aces; Marine anti-terrorism teams.

Grease Gun; Sten Gun; E-3 Sentry AWACS; J-Stars; Vietnam Fire Support Bases; Charlie
S4 E4

Submachine guns; high-tech aerial command and control centers; fire support bases; slang term "Charlie."

Longbow; National Technical Systems; WWI Machine Gun; P-51 Mustang; WWII Flight Jacket
S4 E5

Medieval longbows; testing weapons and equipment; World War I Chauchat machine gun; restored P-51 Mustang; World War II flight jacket.

Heavy Support Vehicles; Dragon Wagon; Rappel; Alice Gear; WWII Merchant Ships; Deep Six
S4 E6

Army heavy-support vehicles; recovery vehicle; Ranger training; all-purpose lightweight individual carriers; Liberty and Victory ships; term "deep six."

Army Air Ambulance; 1st Special Service Force; Johnson Rifle; MiG-15 vs. the F-86; P-59
S4 E7

Blackhawk helicopter; America's First Special Service Force; Johnson Rifle; Cold War superjets; the first U.S. operational jet.

Fastest Army Vehicle; Uncle Sam; Tank Destroyers; Anti-Tank Rifle; Dive Bomber; Sea Dart
S4 E8

Dragster race; Uncle Sam recruitment poster; tank destroyers; elephant gun; dive bomber scream; America's attempt to put a jet fighter on water skis.

Mail Call: 48
S4 E9

R. Lee Ermey gets together with Navy SEALs to demonstrate their weapons; examine the history of the Navy's fierce frogmen; and goes back to 1918 to view the world's first cruise missile.

506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division
S4 E10

"Band of Brothers" theme; D-Day paratrooper gear; weapons; World War II communications and medical gear.

Submarine
S4 E11

Nuclear-attack submarine: diving, steering and sonar; torpedoes and Tomahawk missiles; reactor; chow.

Mark V Special Ops Craft; U.S. Gunboat; German Paratroopers; German Junkers; M113 APC; K-Rations
S4 E12

The Navy's fastest boat; Revolutionary War gunboat; German paratrooper gear and plane; Battle Taxi; ration boxes.

Bren Gun & Carrier; Special Forces Final Exam; Beasts of Burden; Predator; 1st RPV
S4 E13

WWII light machine-gun; Tankette; Operation Robin Sage; handling pack beasts; remote-controlled vehicle; Weary Willy.

D-Day Special
S4 E14

On location in Dover, England and Normandy, France, Ermey focuses on the technology deployed on D-Day.

M-1 Garand Rifle; First Assault Rifle; JATO; Golden Knights Parachute Team; Barrage Balloons
S3 E1

M-1 Garand rifle; German MP-44, the world's first assault rifle; jet-assisted takeoff; the Army's Golden Knights parachute team.

Rocket-Assisted Projectile; WWII German Gustav; Tent Tech; Pup Tent; Tomahawk; Slingshot
S3 E2

Rocket-propelled artillery; artillery gun that fires the largest caliber shell; tents; tomahawks; slings.

M-16; Viet Cong Booby Traps; Super-Secret Ravens; Wild Weasels; Vietnam River Patrol Boats; Green Berets
S3 E3

Military rifles in Vietnam; booby traps; the Ravens; the Wild Weasels; river-patrol boats; the Green Berets.

Marine Sniper Rifle; BlowGun; Mulberry Harbor
S3 E4

Rifle; blowgun; floating concrete caissons bridge the English Channel; weapons of the French resistance; improvements in front-line medical care; origins of the word "berserk."

Sniper School; Hand Signals; Ho Chi Minh Trail; Motorcycles; Loading Palettes; C-119
S3 E5

Snipers; hand signals; Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh Trail; motorcycles; tanks; the C-119 Flying Boxcar. Host: R. Lee Ermey.

Armored Scout Car; Water-Cooled Machine Gun; Fart Sack; Shuteye; Nazi U-Boats; Stealth Ship
S3 E6

Armored scout cars; water-cooled machine guns; sleeping bag; sleeping on the battlefield; German U-boats; Navy ship invisible to radar.

WWII Half Track; Arctic Vehicles; Weird Weapons; Navy Hydrofoil; Combat Controller
S3 E8

World War II M2A2 half-track; Snow Train; strange weapons used by the Allies in World War II; Navy hydrofoils; Air Force combat controllers; Marine Corps gunnery sergeants.

Military Pilot Training; Flak; Doolittle Raid; One-Man Submarine; Military Radios
S3 E9

Training of military pilots; flak; the Doolittle Raid; Sleeping Beauty submarine; radios; foxhole radio.

F-15 Eagle; Flying Platform; Atomic Annie; Army Missiles; Tommy Gun v. Burp Gun; Measuring Bullets
S3 E10

F-15 Eagle; single-man vertical flight machine; howitzer firing both conventional and nuclear warheads; Army-controlled missile programs; submachine guns; measuring bullets.

Avenger; Stinger & Red-Eye Missiles; Military Firefighter & Smokejumper; Kiowa Helicopter; Kilroy
S3 E11

Avenger Air Defense System; Stinger and Red Eye missiles; military firefighters; the Triple Nickels; Kiowa scout helicopter; "Kilroy Was Here."

Cobra Attack Helicopter; Sidewinder Missile; C-54 Skymaster; MPs; Flintlock Pistol
S3 E12

The U.S. Marines' AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopter; Sidewinder missile; C-54 Skymaster transport plane; military police.

Grenades; .30 Caliber Machine Gun; Flyer 21; Shrapnel; D-Day Paratrooper Gear; Jetpacks
S2 E1

Grenade launchers; machine guns; Flyer 21; shrapnel; D-Day paratroopers; jetpacks.

Civil War Rifles; 1st Missile Sub; Navy Divers' Gear; Field Strip; Bowie Knife; Hedgechopper
S2 E2

American Civil War rifles from both sides; the first missile fired from the deck of a sub; deep-sea and crush-proof suits; breaking down a weapon; the Bowie knife; the evolution of a hedgechopper.

AVLB; Fulton Recovery System; Pilot Survival Kit; Trireme; Battleship Guns; Grape Shot
S2 E3

The Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge; the Fulton Recovery System; a pilot's survival kit; the ancient Greek warship Trireme; battleship guns; grapeshot.

Virtual Weapons; Greek Phalanx; MiG-29; Hellcat Tank Destroyer; Civil War Gear; Dazzle Paint
S2 E4

Simulated marksmanship training; fastest front-line combat jet and World War II tank; Greeks of ancient times use the phalanx; Civil War cavalry gear; dazzle paint.

Trebuchet; Troop Headcounts; BAR; Smart Bombs; Modern Parachutes; Boomerangs
S2 E5

Medieval catapults; platoons, companies and divisions; the Browning automatic rifle; smart bombs; parachutes; the weapon version of the boomerang.

LAV; Landing Craft; Doughboy; OPFOR; Chain Mail; Military Salute
S2 E6

Light Armored Vehicle; landing craft; World War I Doughboys; training troops; medieval chain mail; the military salute.

Deuce & a Half; Vietnam Gun Truck; World War II Household Fat; Missile Silos; C-17 Loadmaster; Scottish Kilts
S2 E7

Deuce and a Half; Vietnam gun truck; World War II household fat; missile silos; C-17 Loadmaster; Scottish kilts.

Self-Propelled Artillery; Musket; Airships; Blue Angels; Pirate Weapons; Depth Charges
S2 E8

Maneuverable artillery; musket; U.S. Navy airships; elite precision flying team; pirates; depth charges.

Anti-Tank Rocket; Bazooka; HQ Tour; Tactical Operations Center; Downed Pilots Rescue; 21-Gun Salute
S2 E9

AT-4 shoulder-mounted anti-tank rocket; bazooka; tour of "Mail Call" headquarters; Tactical Operations Center; Air Force pararescuemen; 21-gun salute.

Medieval Weapons; Lewis Gun; Carrier Pigeons; Gliders in Combat; Anti-Tank Missile; Ejection Seats
S2 E10

Medieval weapons; World War I Lewis gun; carrier pigeons; gliders; anti-tank missile; ejection seats.

AAV; Jeep; Medieval Battering Ram; Urban Warfare; Ball Turret Gunner; Nose Art
S2 E11

Marines' 26-ton Amphibious Assault Vehicle stays afloat; jeeps; battering rams; urban warfare; World War II bombers; pictures on World War II airplanes.

Unmanned Aircraft; Bogey; 1st Combat Helicopter; Forward Observers; Fairbairn-Sykes Commando Knife
S2 E12

Experimental planes; unidentified aircraft; first combat helicopter; directing artillery fire; commando knife.

Newest Coast Guard Ship; Carrier Battle Group; Tanks; Sherman Tank; XM-29 Rifle; WWII V-Mail
S2 E13

The newest Coast Guard vessel; carrier battle group; Sherman tank; XM-20 experimental rifle; World War II V-mail.

Super Stallion Helicopter; Flying Banana; Navy Hazing; Seabees; GI Jargon; Tank Ammo
S2 E14

Super Stallion helicopter; Flying Banana; the Navy's "Crossing the Equator" ritual; World War II Seabees.

Tank; Gatling Gun; Samurai Sword
S1 E1

Steering a World War II tank; Gatling gun's speed; power of the samurai sword.

Knight's Armor; WWI Backpack; Landmine
S1 E2

Parts of 15th-century armor; World War I infantry backpack; ingredients of a land mine.

Flak Vest; Medieval Crossbow; WWI Pilots
S1 E3

Body armor; accuracy of a medieval crossbow; how World War I pilots shot through their propellers.

Civil War Cannoneers; Night Vision; Clearing a Minefield
S1 E4

Aiming Civil War artillery pieces; how night-vision technology works; how to clear a minefield.

Landing Craft, Air Cushion Hovercraft (LCAC); U.S. Cavalry Saddles; Gas Masks
S1 E5

Operating the LCAC; cavalry saddles, used in the Old West; how gas masks work.

Mortar; WWII GIs' Personal Items; Native-American Arrows
S1 E6

Mortar; World War II G.I.'s personal items; American Indian arrows.

Re-Fueling a Fighter Jet; Naval Signal Flags; GI Chow
S1 E7

How to refuel a fighter jet in mid-air; how ships send messages using signal flags; what soldiers eat.

Revolutionary War Musket; Jousting; Foxholes
S1 E8

How fast a Revolutionary War soldier could fire a musket; jousting; how to dig a foxhole.

The Pilum; WWII Radios; First Rockets
S1 E9

The ancient Roman pilum is designed to penetrate armor; World War II army radios; how rockets were first used on the battlefield.

Ninja Weapons; Flamethrower; Military Dogs
S1 E10

The weapons of the Japanese Ninja; how flamethrowers work; what military dogs do.

Grenades; Dog Tags; Dinner in a Pouch
S1 E11

How a grenade works; the purpose of dog tags; what modern-day soldiers eat in the field.

The Jeep; HIMAR; Hurricanes
S1 E12

The Jeep; new rocket launcher HIMAR; how and why the military hunts down hurricanes.

Future Gear; Marine Camouflage; Army's New Armored Vehicle
S1 E13

Possible gear for troops on tomorrow's battlefields; Marines design their new camouflage pattern; the Stryker.