Military accomplishments are touted by officials every day and celebrated during holidays like Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Most of the accomplishments that we tie to the military include victorious battles, saving human lives, or just having amazing traditions that enrich our culture. Despite all the love we have for the military, we often overlook an entire section of the work: their inventions. Technology has always been a deciding factor in wartime victories, so it makes sense that militaries all over the world invest time and effort in upgrading everything from weaponry and to navigation systems, to defenses and the food troops eat. Throughout human history, the work put into military advances has led to a wide range of inventions. Some are used exclusively by military members, but there are now many military inventions we use everyday, often without realizing it. You might be surprised to find out what items you’re using have a military background… Be sure to SHARE this list of military inventions we use everyday with your friends so they too know who to thank for that slice of bread, GPS, and digital camera.

Supermarket bread was slowly getting its start with a pre-sliced bread cutter that was invented in the United Kingdom. However, having sliced bread alone wasn’t enough to make bread viable for troops. Bread naturally gets stale within a day or two of baking, and slicing it speeds that process up. To make bread easier to bring abroad, the U.S. military worked with Kansas State College to discover starch-snacking bacteria. This healthy bacteria helps digests the compounds that causes bread to go stale. The end result is soft, squishy bread that keeps for weeks. One of the first brands to really cash in on this innovation was Wonder Bread, and they’re still around today.

To a point, it should come as no surprise that GPS was initially a military invention. When troops are in foreign territory, having tools that can help them navigate like a local can easily change the outcome of a skirmish. By the early aughts, mainstream tech companies started to bring this extremely useful invention to the masses. Now, GPS is part of every smartphone’s coding and millions of people rely on it in order to get a better sense of where they’re going.

As of this very moment, you are using a government invention to read this article. The internet was originally invented as a way to share information and communicate without having regular tapping or spying mechanisms eavesdropping on the conversation. The original internet was called Arpanet, and was first invented in 1969. As it evolved, it quickly turned into a massive network of computers...and then eventually evolved into what we now call the World Wide Web. Oh, and another invention that went hand-in-hand with the internet? Email. Email is a government invention, too.

Perhaps one of the most famous items known as a military invention is canning. Napoleon Bonaparte commissioned its invention after realizing how difficult it was for troops to fight without fresh food brought along in campaigns. After multiple attempts, one inventor devised a method to can goods. The process of canning gave Napoleon’s troops the nourishment they needed to gain decisive victories. However, the victory didn’t stop there; canning changed the course of history forever and now helps keep millions of people fed throughout the world.

As far as retro scenes go, the idea of eating a TV dinner off a tray in front of the faint glow of a television screen can’t be beat. It’s almost an iconic scene of American consumerism and convenience culture. However, the TV dinner wasn’t an invention that was meant for consumers from the start. These handy frozen dinners were originally developed for bomber crews going overseas during World War II. The well-balanced meals were so popular, they eventually started to become sold in stores.

If you’ve ever worked as a mechanic or a repairman, you probably heard the phrase “Duct tape fixes everything.” Apparently, the military thought so, too. This invention was first sparked by a letter to President Roosevelt from a woman whose two sons were fighting in World War II. The woman noted that the paper tape on guns had a tendency of breaking, which could easily become a fatal problem when on the battlefield. She asked for a stronger tape to be used, ideally, a sweat-proof one. The military contracted the concept out to Johnson & Johnson, who created a tape called “duck tape” due to its waterproof nature. The tape quickly became a military must-have, and then later on, became a housing staple after HVAC techs noticed how well it fixed air ducts.

Back during World War II, there was really only one kind of food film available to prevent food from getting dirty: clingfilm. The problem with clingfilm is that it’s porous, which in turn, means moisture can easily get into food. No soldier enjoys soggy rations, so it became clear that something had to be done. The Quartermaster Corps worked with Dow Chemical to create a film that kept moisture out. The result? Saran wrap became one of the most popular food storage inventions of the 1950s.

Unlike many other military inventions on this list, the microwave oven was an accidental invention. During the 1940s, radar was the technology that determined who would win battles. Scientists were hot on the lead to creating the best possible radar technology out there. One scientist noticed that the radar he was working on melted a chocolate bar in his pocket. Within a year, he created the first microwave and called it a “Radarange.” By 1967, microwaves were small enough to fit in everyone's homes and became a cooking staple.

These two car brands are fairly well-known for their military backgrounds, especially since their brands both expound on the cars’ all-terrain, rugged builds. Even so, it’s interesting to take a look at how both brands started. Both Jeeps and Humvees were designed for power and durability, rather than the focus on speed. They both were meant to work on reconnaissance missions. That being said, history diverged when the brands hit dealership lots. Hummer died out during the last leg of the Great Recession. Jeep? Well, it’s actually still doing fairly well.

Aviator sunglasses are considered to be a staple fashion accessory for many people, and not just because they are so flattering. Their frame gives people a wide range of vision while protecting the entire eye area from UV damage. Believe it or not, the term “aviator” here wasn’t just a fashion slang concept that caught on. These particular glasses style was created by Ray-Ban to help pilots with vision problems. The original aviator glasses had a green tint to them, but since then, plenty of other options have arrived.

A little over a century ago, getting a clean shave meant you’d have to either use a straight razor or hit up a barber shop. Unfortunately for troops, getting a close shave could easily end in disastrous cuts. It didn’t take too long for the military to notice a patent for a disposable razor blade in a protective case. The military used the disposable razor concept to create their own single-use razors for men who were serving. By World War I, they became a standard issue item for all troop members.

Every single car and tank required rubber for its tires. Many medical tools require rubber in order to be made. Rubber is a highly in-demand material. At the turn of the century, this became a serious problem. Getting authentic rubber was, and still is, a major chore. Rubber can only be made from natural latex found under the bark of special trees in Southeast Asia. By the time World War I hit, keeping up with demand proved to be nearly impossible and shortages were a regular occurrence. To alleviate the issue, military groups created a synthetic rubber material that could be used to create tires. By World War II, a synthetic rubber material was made and helped win battles. Today, almost all tires are synthetic rubber.

During the early days of radar, scientists noticed a major obstacle that occurred while getting readings on enemy craft locations. During clear days, the radar equipment worked like a charm. During inclement weather, on the other hand, the radar would start showing clouds and interference. Eventually, scientists started to notice that radar worked well as a weather predictor. They began to study the data and echoes to determine how they could use it to predict the weather. And so, modern weather reporting started.

Believe it or not, mainstream industries didn’t really see the need to work on a digital camera for quite a while. This now-common invention originally kicked off its life as a specialty photography tool in spy cameras used in satellites during the Cold War. As tech continued to progress, digital cameras started to outdo their analog counterparts. Soon, they began to shrink in size. Nowadays, just about every smartphone has a digital camera and classic film cameras are now dying out. Strange how things change, isn’t it?

Anyone who has tried to make their own guacamole has received the shock of how rapidly the green stuff can turn brown. Believe it or not, the military took notice too. As part of an effort to improve the diets of troops, the U.S Armed Forces set out on a way to preserve guacamole in rations. The end result of their endeavors can be found in those little vacuum-sealed snack packs of guac you get at the store. This made guacamole easier to buy, distribute, and enjoy. Hipsters around the world rejoiced.

Wait, what?! It’s true. The McRib was an inadvertent byproduct of a series of military inventions. The biggest invention that led to this favorite fast food was the practice of “gluing” together different cuts of meat as a way to save money on protein rations for troops. The original practice was started in 1976. By 1981, McDonald’s bought up the technology and introduced the world to the most notoriously dubious food product humanity ever saw.

Penicillin was the original antibiotic, and its story is amazingly interesting. Prior to its invention, soldiers regularly died of infections. Even antiseptics seemed to make little difference. A World War I soldier from Britain by the name of Alexander Fleming changed all that. While in the service, he noticed a little mold that inhibited bacterial growth on patients. He later purified it and mass-distributed the mold as medicine called penicillin. This invention saved millions of lives and ushered in a new era of antibiotic use.

Maxi pads are currently one of the top contenders for the title of “First Military Invention in American History.” Benjamin Franklin (yes, the Founding Father himself!) invented maxi pads as a quick way to bandage wounded soldiers who were injured in action. After a while, women in the military started using maxi pads as a way to manage blood flow when they dealt with periods. Eventually, these became a part of mainstream culture and made life easy for women of (almost) all ages.

If you love freeze-dried fruit snacks, you have the military to thank for providing those tasty treats! First invented in 1906, freeze-drying was initially created as a way to safely transport blood serum while minimizing spilling. By World War I, the invention saved countless lives. As scientists started to experiment with this preservation method, they eventually realized that it could work to preserve food. This led to many of the freeze-dried treats people enjoy today, including “Astronaut Ice Cream.”

Prior to World War I, the threat of bleeding to death was very real. If you lost too much blood, even a trip to a hospital wouldn’t be able to help you. Simply put, there was no way to get extra blood to save your life. A Canadian lieutenant by the name of Lawrence Bruce Robertson changed that. He started to advocate for person-to-person transfusions. The procedure saved countless lives. Eventually, technology improved to the point that blood could be stored. This led to blood banks that continue to save lives today.

Believe it or not, wristwatches were once just part of the military life. Prior to their invention, troops who wanted to synchronize attacks would have to shout in order to give the signal to move. By coordinating attacks based on time that could be checked with a quick look at the wrist, armies were able to add an element of surprise to attacks. Wristwatches were a perfect way to avoid losing clocks on the battlefield, and also were easy to maintain. Since wristwatches were so easy to wear, it didn’t take long before they became popular with civilians as well.

If you own a car, you have the military to thank for the engine that gets you from Point A to Point B. This engine design is what made it possible to get high-speed transportation on the land, air, and sea. Without the internal combustion engine, steam would still be powering most of our transportation. This would mean that people would have to stop to add water at an alarming rate, just to get cars to move. Had this not been invented, transportation as a whole would not be the same.

These baggy but useful pants are a must-have for anyone who works in warehouses or just wants a little extra room. These pants first gained mainstream appeal in the 1980s, but the truth is, they’re a lot older than you think. Cargo pants were first used by the British Armed Forces in 1938. Their pockets and baggy wear made it easy for soldiers to store goods during the war, and made movement easier. Once people noticed how useful they were, they became a mainstream artifact.

Cargo pants weren’t the only clothing item that military groups brought into the mainstream world. Undershirts were not really part of modern clothing until they were made an official part of the Navy uniform in 1904. Having a male pullover that required no sewing skills to maintain was a game-changer, to say the least. It quickly became a favored way to keep bodies warm, and almost immediately made it to civilian store shelves.

Radio is everyone’s go-to for good music, talk shows, and traffic reports while on a morning commute. Oh, how things have changed! As armies expanded, communication became increasingly important. Reaching orders to everyone also became increasingly difficult. Guglielmo Marconi invented the radio and immediately presented it to military groups during the 19th century. Almost every army that saw it adopted the technology. By World War I, almost every navy used radio to help steer ships and keep sailors informed.