by Cliff Wade Iraq, 2007 Much more often than not, our missions in Iraq were meticulously planned out well ahead of time. However, there were occasions when opportunities were presented that did not allow enough time for applying the proper troop-leading procedures, and we just winged it.  One such instance …

by Austin Lee Recent reports of unintended discharges with the MK22 sniper rifle have sent uneasy shockwaves through the military community. Videos are circulating on social media depicting the rifle firing prematurely. This trend demands swift attention, given the MK22’s critical role in high-stakes operations.  The Barrett MK22, designated as …

by Martin Kufus Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from  Plow the Dirt but Watch the Sky, a memoir by Martin Kufus, a former editor at Soldier of Fortune. This chapter shows Martin’s experience at the Special Forces SERE Instructor Qualification Course, where he encountered the legendary Col. Nick Rowe – …

by Jose Campos They knew the enemy was coming. On that day in March 1971, Army 1st Lt. Brian Miles Thacker and his seven-man team braced for the inevitable. But when the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) launched their assault, it was not a question of whether the firebase would fall …

by Jose Campos A high-value target for U.S. law enforcement — and an alleged vital cog in the money machine of both the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) — has slipped the net. Zhi Dong Zhang, a Chinese national with more aliases than a spy novel …

Soldier of Fortune In a daring mid-winter mission, a Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130J Hercules crew braved total darkness, ice, and sub-zero temperatures to rescue three Americans from Antarctica’s remote McMurdo Station. One American required urgent medical care, while two others needed medical assistance. Officials did not disclose the …

By Greg Chabot In mid-2005 the name Juba struck fear into coalition troops in Baghdad. He had become a folk hero to the insurgency with his attacks on check points that were filmed and uploaded to the internet along with a graphic novel written about him. He would leave an …

by Greg Chabot In the shooting community hearing loss is a major concern. As someone who has lost most of his hearing, I look for products that will help me keep what little I have left. Muzzle blast, especially at indoor ranges or shooting with friends, can be an unpleasant …

Deep in the jungle, there’s no medevac, no backup, and no room for mistakes. At the Marine Corps Jungle Warfare Training Center, instructors teach Navy corpsmen to be the light in a dark time. For 10 relentless days, they learn to survive, treat the wounded, and move through terrain that wants …

We were leaning over the throttles, breaking the seals on our masks, and yelling at each other. by Mitchell “Taco” Bell To all my passenger friends out there who always text me with the crazy pilot questions, I can assure you as pilots we train for this stuff all the …