Badass

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 in attacks going back more than a …

History-making missions are often best told in photos, so it’s pretty cool to know that photos were the mission of one of the most highly decorated aircrews in U.S. military history. During World War II, there was a crew with the U.S. Army Air Forces 43rd Bomb Group of the …

by Heath Hansen March 2006. My tour was over. I had survived. No more fire-fights. No more IED’s. No more raids. No more rocket-attacks. I was going home. Many servicemen spend time in-country without ever leaving “the wire.” As an infantryman, I basically lived outside the wire. Being shot at, …

Editor’s note: As the Marine Corps celebrates its birthday, what better way to say cheers than to tell the story of one of their favorite heroes, the legendary Chesty Puller. Lieutenant General Lewis “Chesty” Burwell Puller, colorful veteran of four World War II campaigns, Korea, and expeditionary service in China, …

One of our favorite veterans is Jennifer Marshall, an actress, private investigator, and pin-up ambassador. She hosts the CW’s docuseries “Mysteries Decoded,” and has appeared on many TV shows, including “Stranger Things,” “NCIS,” “Hawaii Five-0” and “Game Shakers.”  Please leave this field emptySubscribe to the Soldier of Fortune Newsletter Enter your …

Two Colorado communities faced tragedy in December 2021 when a gunman opened fire in both cities, killing five and injuring others. Among those injured was a Lakewood Police Agent. The gutsy officer Ashley Ferris was shot in the belly and lost the use of one leg – and even so, …

by Susan Katz Keating The Soviets called it Chernaya Gora: Black Mountain. That is where a unit of elite Spetsnaz forces met their deaths in Afghanistan, atop a remote observation post overlooking Kunar. I learned about the treacherous place in 2015, while researching an article for the Army National Guard.  …

Then-Corporal Kenneth “Rock” Merritt poses for a photo. (Photo Credit: Courtesy Photo) During World War II, Kenneth “Rock” Merritt was aboard a plane that got lost over France. Here are his memories of his experiences in the Army from 1942-45. His words are as follows. … I was sworn into the …

Editor’s note: Longtime CIA covert operations officer James Parker Jr. often talked to me about his days in Southeast Asia, including the secret war in Laos. He told stories of another case officer and former Green Beret, George Washington Bacon III, who became a mercenary in Angola. Here is an …