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Soldier of Fortune Magazine

Russian Soldiers at War in Ukraine: ‘I’m the Only One Left Alive’

At the end of February, Ivan, who lives in the settlement of Volchikha in Siberia’s Altai region, got a phone call from his best friend, a mobilized soldier named Andrei who was serving in Ukraine. Although the two had been in regular contact since Andrei was called up, it had …

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Anti-Terrorist Militias in Burkina Faso: Animists, Christians, Muslims – and AK-47’s

by Joseph Hammond KAYA, Burkina Faso— Kibsa Ouedraogo is proud of the wooden idols that declare his animist faith. The entrance to his home is guarded by large figures carved from dark wood. At their feet are a few empty bottles of tequila left as offerings. Inside Ouedraogo’s modest sitting …

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Teenage ‘Perfumed Burglar’ Deserted the Navy, Embarked on a Crime Spree, and Escaped San Quentin

Perfume, purloined jewelry and a millionaire’s son form the complex story of Herbert Repsold, a Navy deserter who also was known as the Perfumed Burglar. In the early 1900s, Repsold was a troublesome youth. Growing tired of his son’s antics, the elder Repsold cut off his son’s cash and forced …

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Our ‘Death Angels’ Helicopter Crew Flew Against All Odds in Iraq

by Fred A. Ganous, SGM, USA (Ret) The departure point was LZ Washington in downtown Baghdad, which stayed busier than the Atlanta airport. The pilot in command was a Chief Warrant 4 who was well-trained in his aviation duties. He saw a convoy of five U.S. army vehicles come under …

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These Sky Soldiers Had to Fight Their Way Out of a Bog Before the Mud Ate Them Alive in Iraq

By John Spencer Editor’s note: This is an excerpt of the book “Connected Soldiers: Life, Leadership, and Social Connection in Modern War” published by Potomac Books and available for purchase at Amazon here. The excerpt describes 2LT John Spencer’s experience jumping into Iraq as a platoon leader with the 173rd …

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President Bush Ordered US Invasion of Iraq 20 Years Ago Today

Sunday, March 19 marks 20 years since US President George W. Bush ordered the invasion of Iraq. Today Soldier of Fortune highlights some of the stories that have emerged from the war. READ MORE about an American soldier at war in Iraq. Now, American forces remain in the country, not …

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SEALs in Vietnam: The Bitter Loss of a Friend at War

by Capt. Larry Bailey, USN (Ret) As recounted in the average personal memoir, war is most frequently depicted in combinations of heroic actions, cowardly misdeeds, triumphs of the human spirit, and the like. It ain’t always so, however; fact is, much of war is not dramatic – it’s just sad, …

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‘The Mother’: A Soldier’s Haunting Encounter in Iraq

by Cliff Wade Iraq, 2006 We found ourselves in the home of an Iraqi family during a massive clearing operation in an area characterized by terrain varying between urban landscape, farmland, palm groves, and small villages. We had been clearing routes of improvised explosive devices all morning. We had been …

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Pornhub Website Takes Down Wagner Group’s Recruiting Ad for Men to Fight in Ukraine

The Russian mercenary group Wagner was kicked off of Pornhub, the world’s largest pornographic website, as it tries to recruit fighters to join the Kremlin’s war against Ukraine. When the ad was live, those who entered the pornographic site from Russia saw a video asking the viewer to join Wagner instead …

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