by Friedrich Seiltgen They flew low, slow, and into heavy fire. In Vietnam, Forward Air Controllers were eyes in the sky, helping to prosecute battles, and saving lives with their accurate, real-time intelligence. In the process, three performed with such heroism that they were awarded the Medal of Honor. Here’s …
Read More »Combat in Quan Loi: He Threw Himself on a Grenade to Save 8 Men
by Jose Campos “I thought I was severed in half. There was no pain.” The jungle around Quan Loi erupted that night into an unholy symphony of gunfire. It was February 1970, and the darkness came alive with muzzle flashes from unseen enemy positions, each one a promise of death. …
Read More »Rangers in the Congo: A Deadly Fight Against Mai Mai Militiamen
by Heath Hansen Everything became eerily still, until… it blinked. “ENEMY!” Fils screamed. Then all hell broke loose. The sun was just setting on the thick canopy of trees and bushes surrounding their position. It was a long day of humping through the dense growth; but it had been productive. …
Read More »Francis Marion: How the ‘Swamp Fox’ Mastered Guerrilla Warfare
by Jose Campos Before the term guerrilla warfare entered the American military lexicon, a wiry, cunning officer in the Carolina backcountry was already running the playbook. His name was Francis Marion – better known to the British as the Swamp Fox. From 1780 to 1782, Marion and his ragged militia bled the King’s …
Read More »Little Birds Buzz: Commuting With the 160th SOAR
Here’s one way to get to work without a hassle. Little Birds from the 160th SOAR zip into action. A great way to skip the traffic.
Read More »With the SAS in Mozambique, We Jumped Into Enemy Territory While Bombs Exploded Below
by John Gartner As I sat looking out the port side window of the Dakota, I could see below me the vast expanse of Lake Cahora Bassa dam. The grey skeletal branches of long-drowned trees dotted the shoreline and seemed, in my reverie, to be reaching imploringly skyward. The surface …
Read More »WATCH: Night Stalkers in Action
The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment is known as the Night Stalkers. They move at a moment’s notice, arriving time on target, plus or minus 30 seconds. Check out the team in action.
Read More »Fighting Mai Mai Militias in the Congo: The Most Dangerous Place on Earth for Anti-Poaching
A conversation with badass conservationist Tina Lain. by Heath Hansen Christine (Tina) Lain works at the Upemba National Park located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These are some of the most dangerous places on earth for conservation; in one area alone, more than 200 Rangers have been killed …
Read More »Col. Nick Rowe: Long-Ago Conversations With a Special Forces Legend
by Susan Katz Keating “There’s a certain sound…” The song stuck with him for years afterwards. He was being marched to his execution in the jungles of Vietnam, and had been ordered to carry a radio to pick up “Radio Hanoi,” but he secretly dialed in to a station that …
Read More »The Badass UFC Fighters From the Caucasus
“We are a tough people, we used to have war all the time. Fighting is in our DNA.” At a major international fighting event this year, all four athletes competing for world championship titles hailed from the Caucasus. The event, UFC 311, which was held in California on Jan. 18, …
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