When an American fighter pilot ejects in contested territory, survival depends on Air Force Combat Search and Rescue teams. Unconventional Host Naveed Jamali (journalist, veteran, former spy) embeds with one of those elite rescue triads: the Alaska National Guard’s 176th Wing (composed of HC-130Js, HH-60W Jolly Green IIs, and Pararescuemen, or PJs). In a simulated downed pilot scenario, Naveed gets an inside look at how the triad finds the unfindable and brings them home, no matter the cost.

77% of the world’s countries have a coastline. With the right tools, you can launch from the sea and land almost anywhere. But reaching a coastline means nothing without the ability to take it. That’s why the Marine Corps has existed for 250 years. Newsweek’s Unconventional embeds with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit to experience one of the most complex amphibious operations in the U.S. military’s arsenal: an allied beach landing using only what they can bring from the sea. Host Naveed Jamali (journalist, veteran, former spy) gets rare access to every phase—from riding a Navy hovercraft (LCAC) at 50 knots to the USS Arlington, to watching marines storm the beach at H-hour. But when an engine failure in on open water threatens the entire mission, that’s when Naveed really sees what these marines and sailors are made of. On land at Camp Lejeune, Naveed feels the firepower with the Second Marine Division as LAV crews expend cannon fire and TOW missiles, each marine putting it all on the line in hopes of qualifying as a vehicle commander. Over the past 250 years, the technology has evolved, but what it means to be a Marine has not: “Going where no one else can, doing what no one else can, better than everybody.”

We're kicking off America's 250th birthday with the world's most elite air demonstration team: the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. Host Naveed Jamali (journalist, veteran and former spy) travels to Nellis Air Force Base for a once-in-a-lifetime experience—racing a Thunderbird F-16 down the runway. It’s something the Thunderbirds have never done before, and it takes a lot more than speed to make it possible. Flying just feet apart at hundreds of miles per hour, Thunderbird pilots rely on absolute precision and "blind trust.” Pilots trust maintainers, crew chiefs, and aircrew flight equipment technicians with their lives, stepping into the cockpit without double-checking a single detail. On race day, Naveed has to embrace that same trust, knowing Thunderbird #7, “Wrath,” will be taking off from the same runway, flying just 100 feet overhead. The race makes history, but the blind trust makes it all possible. The finish line leaves Naveed with new insight into the discipline, teamwork, and precision behind one of the most public displays of American airpower. And as we celebrate America's 250th birthday, it’s a reminder of the traditions that have defined the U.S. military for generations, carried forward by the men and women who have served this country for generations.

Naveed embarks on a deterrence patrol training aboard a US Navy Nuclear Ballistic Submarine (SSBN). Unconventional will be completing the nuclear triad by covering the sea leg, after already filming the land and air legs.

Naveed gets an up-close look at how the FE Warren security forces team defends America’s ICBMs 24/7/365—from patrolling in helicopters to practicing retaking a nuclear facility.

Intercepting Chinese and Russian aircraft off the coast of Alaska cannot happen without air-to-air refueling. Naveed embeds with the crews of KC-135s as they support the mighty F-22 Raptor.