Under the Radar's Top Stories in 2014

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2014 was an intense year in Military news, and it brought to Under the Radar a number of moving pieces about our beloved veterans and a few that were zany, ridiculous, and strange. Here we like to broadcast and comment on everything from movies to not-so-fond military memories, and we were able to dig those up droves. Showing a bit of the off-beat side of the military, here are the top 10 Under the Radar stories from 2014.

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10 Weak Excuses for Not Joining the Military

Everyone’s heard ‘em, but we were lucky enough to collect some of the weakest excuses for not joining the military. From girlfriends to dreadlocks, it seems like some civilians will use just about any argument to defend their decision not to enlist. Not that there’s anything wrong with opting out of military service, but some excuses sound more defensible than others.

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Rock Legend Meets Actual Hero at the White House

Medal of Honor recipient Kyle Carpenter got to meet living rock legend Dave Grohl at the White House. It was probably just luck that Grohl was slated to perform at the White House the same day as Carpenter’s ceremony and it’s hard to tell who’s more impressed in this photo.

SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy Is Killed During A Reconnaissance Mission In Operation Red Wing

Marcus Luttrell Talks ‘Lone Survivor’

Military.com was honored to interview Marcus Luttrell, former SEAL and sole survivor of Operation Red Wings. Luttrell discussed the experiences of his team, the need to get their story out into the world, and provides a few insights into the filming of Lone Survivor, the film based on his experience.

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Former Marine Banned from Daughter’s School

It was a controversial decision, but a school decided to ban a former Marine from entering their premises after a heated argument. Kevin Wood, a father and husband, took issue with the curriculum featured at his daughter’s school. When he confronted educators about their inclusion of a segment on Islam, the conversation turned sour.

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Meet the Military Team on ‘Ultimate Survival Alaska’

There’s no shortage of reality shows that feature hapless souls scraping by in the wilderness, but Ultimate Survival Alaska put together a team of ultimate survivor’s. The group consistent of former Green Beret Grady Powell, former SEAL Jared Ogden and former Marine recon sniper Rudy Reyes. Together they roughed it in the Alaska wilderness for three months. Military.com got to speak with them about their experiences during the show.

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Kristen Stewart Goes to Gitmo

A radical move away from the vampire-loving character of Bella, Kristen Stewart stars in a film about a young guard at Guantanamo Bay. There, she finds a connection with one of the detainees but appears to remain as tight-lipped as ever.

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5 ‘I Don’t Get Paid Enough for This’ Military Experiences

Everyone who’s served has hit a low point along the way, but some are more entertaining than others. Taken from troops online, we collected some of the dirtiest, harrowing, and bizarre stories about experiencing pure suck in the military.

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USAF Lieutenant Prepares for Super Bowl Debut

Military officer and professional football cheerleader: it’s not a combination you see every day. Lt. Alicia Quaco, a 2010 graduate of the Air Force Academy, manages aircraft production  for the USAF, but also finds time to cheer for the Seattle Seahawks. She made her debut at the 2014 Super Bowl.

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Unstolen Valor! Bolden was a Marine

Eagle-eyed veterans called out James Wesley Bolden, a flight passenger recognized by NFL player DeAngelo Williams, for being a fake Marine. Bolden’s uniform seemed to be out of place, but evidence has surfaced that he is indeed a former member of the U.S. Marine Corps.

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Did DeAngelo Williams Really Salute the Troops?

Our original article covering Williams and Bolden comes in at number 10 on our list. While many of our readers believed Bolden to be a fake, it’s fortunate that the truth about Bolden has reached a larger audience.

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