In the predawn hours of 21 December 1972, a guerrilla unit cut the phone lines to the remote farmhouse. Then they attacked. by Gatimu Juma The night was quiet along the northeastern frontier of Rhodesia. Altena Farm, a tobacco property, lay near the Mozambique border, where far-flung farms were connected …

“Hey knucklehead. See these gold wings? I’m a God damn Naval Aviator. I know how to fly this plane.” by Mitchell “Taco” Bell Dear Gang, While I was channel surfing the other day, I stopped on a news clip about two battle groups in the Persian Gulf off the coast …

The M109A7 Paladin self-propelled howitzer is the latest evolution of a gun that has served the U.S. Army since Vietnam. The 40-ton machine rocked back on its haunches, and launched a 155mm shell through the sky above Fort Bliss, Texas. The round streaked to a target downrange, while the M109A7 …

Designed for close-quarters fighting, the M111 uses blast overpressure instead of fragmentation. Soldier of Fortune For the first time in more than half a century, the U.S. Army has approved a new lethal hand grenade for service. The weapon is the M111 Offensive Hand Grenade (OHG), now cleared for Full …

Armed with iron sights and white camouflage, the Finnish marksman killed more than 500 Red Army soldiers during the brutal Winter War. by A.R. Fomenko VIENNA BUREAU – They talk about him still in the bars and cafés of Finland – the humble yet lethal man whose legend was written in …

The Royal Gurkha Rifles soldier defended a Helmand checkpoint alone. By dawn the attackers were gone, and the sentry who held the line was standing at his post. by Jose Campos At first light outside the British patrol base near Babaji, the ground told the story of the night before. …

by Greg Chabot Note from the author: The following is all from my perspective and how I remember it. Any inaccuracies are on me. Overview I often get asked, “What was the most dangerous mission you went on?” My reply: “Logpack to FOB Warhorse.”  Baqubah in 2004-05 was not a …

The first CIA officer killed in the line of duty rode for six months across deserts and mountains while escaping Communist China. by Stephen Caldwell Douglas Mackiernan rode at the front of the caravan, pushing his horse across the frozen Tibetan plateau. The animals were thin, the men exhausted, and …

Flying old cargo planes through darkness and anti-aircraft fire, pilots had to find the hidden runway before Nigerian fighters found them. by Gatimu Juma The pilot pushed the throttles forward, and the cargo aircraft climbed into the humid African night. Behind him the island of São Tomé disappeared into darkness. …

Nothing prepared me for the disconnection from Earth that distorted my perception of time while submerged. by David Chetlain, The War Horse I spent 18 months in training before reporting to my first submarine. I learned a lot about damage control, sonar, electronics, and how to distinguish a sperm whale …