Soldier of Fortune Magazine The Journal of Professional Adventurers
by Susan Katz Keating
These endorsements are about who can lead the fight now.
By popular request, and after careful consideration, Soldier of Fortune is making a rare endorsement for the National Rifle Association Board of Directors.
Soldier of Fortune and I endorse Major General (Retired) Ken Bowra and Jerry Kraus for the NRA Board. Both men are Reform candidates and are proven fighters. They are steady under pressure, straight in their aim, and unshakably honest.
How did we arrive at making these official endorsements? Readers kept asking me, as publisher, who I recommend. I started from a fundamental principle. We all want the same thing, which is for the organization to thrive in order to best support the Second Amendment; and to serve NRA members, the NRA itself, and the board. Who, then, is best poised to fulfil these duties?
I settled on two criteria: Candidates who were vetted and selected by the NRA Nominating Committee, which has strict requirements; and those who are known to me personally. That leaves an elite slate of two candidates.
I have known Ken Bowra and Jerry Kraus, both personally and professionally, for years. I have worked with them, watched how they handle pressure, and seen how they conduct themselves when no one’s watching. I can vouch for their character, their judgment, and their integrity without reservation.
These are men you can trust. Here’s why.
Major General (Retired) Ken Bowra
From Kamikaze-like Cold War operations, to Vietnam and the chaos of Kosovo, Bowra’s career traces the spine of modern Special Operations. While serving with the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), he commanded a HALO and “Green Light” Atomic Demolitions Munitions Team – the kind of outfit trusted with jobs no one else could touch. In Vietnam, he ran recon with MACV-SOG, slipping across borders on missions that remained classified for decades. He later trained Cambodian airborne and infantry troops, and stood his post at the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh through the fall of the city and Operation Eagle Pull in 1975.
Bowra went on to lead from the front, commanding a Ranger company and Special Forces battalion and later the entire 5th Special Forces Group. He fought in Grenada during Operation Urgent Fury, and took part in other operations the Army still doesn’t talk about. As a general officer, he shaped the entire community, heading Special Operations Command South, the U.S. Army Special Forces Command, and the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School.
Overseas, he led coalition troops in Kosovo, coordinating and conducted operations even with Russian tactical units, and later guided NATO’s first mission beyond Europe and into Afghanistan.
From the shadows of Indochina to the command posts of NATO, Ken Bowra has embodied what every Special Forces man understands: quiet professionalism, absolute mastery, and the respect of warriors everywhere.
Jerry Kraus
Jerry Kraus stands for the American gun owner — the hunter, the competitor, the armed citizen – who believes in liberty without apology. He represents transparency, reform, and the belief that the NRA belongs to its members, not to the bureaucracy that’s grown around it. He’s a straight talker with no appetite for backroom politics. He’s pushing for transparency, accountability, and the kind of reform that puts the mission back on track.
As a U.S. Army veteran, NRA Life Member, and longtime NRA-ILA activist, Kraus has spent more than three decades defending the Second Amendment – not just in principle, but in action. From the front lines of political campaigns to the grassroots of community organizing, he has worked diligently to build coalitions, train volunteers, and mobilize thousands in support of pro-gun candidates and legislation.
Formerly recognized as one of the top five NRA-ILA Election Volunteer Coordinators nationwide, Kraus has led efforts in Michigan, Colorado and South Carolina; and created 2A Activist Centers. He has maintained strong relationships with gun clubs, businesses, and fellow patriots. His work has been featured in Soldier of Fortune magazine, where he served as a Contributing Field Editor.
Kraus aims to bring strategic vision, proven leadership, and unwavering dedication to our cause. He is focused on protecting our rights and strengthening our movement.
Vote Kraus. Vote Bowra.
These endorsements are about who can lead the fight now. They are not meant to be taken that I do not support other candidates; I hope to get to know them, also. For now, Soldier of Fortune proudly supports Ken Bowra and Jerry Kraus. Because the Second Amendment, the NRA members, and the NRA deserve leaders who will do the right thing.
Susan Katz Keating is the publisher and editor in chief at Soldier of Fortune.
