Editor’s note: This article is a collaboration between RealClearInvestigations and Soldier of Fortune magazine, with Heath Hansen of SOF on the border. by Heath Hansen and James Varney Soldier of Fortune and RealClearInvestigations CORONADO NATIONAL FOREST, Ariz. – As blazing sunlight ebbs to a star-studded sky along the U.S.-Mexico border, …

They look like a cross between a cheap Halloween costume and a shorn teddy bear, but these cartel carpet shoes are not for play. Our correspondent Heath Hansen spotted a set of “Special Forces” slippers recently along a remote region of the U.S.-Mexico border, where he monitored cartel activity – …

by Heath Hansen Soldier of Fortune correspondent Heath Hansen has written about his missions with Arizona Border Recon (AZBR), a volunteer group that gathers intelligence along the US-Mexico border, and shares the information with federal authorities. Over the years, AZBR has provided intelligence that has led to the apprehension of …

by Heath Hansen Pop! Pop! Distant AK-47 fire pierces the night silence. I’ve been sitting in my spot on this mountain for a few hours when I hear the gunfire. Up until now, I had been plunged into the endless silence of a desert night in the Coronado National Forest. …

By Heath Hansen Wedged between rocks, I scan with my binoculars and notice a bunker complex built into the top of theopposite hill. I keep observing and see three men, wearing green fatigues, walking between eachfighting position. All three are armed with AK-47’s. That isn’t Afghanistan. It’s Mexico. I had …

by Heath Hansen Editor’s note: Soldier of Fortune correspondent Heath Hansen recently came across an artist who creates visceral, dark, and mesmerizing military themed works that he says “do a fantastic job capturing the deepest emotions of the GWOT veteran.” Hansen contacted the artist, Invader Girl, and sends the following …

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 …

by Heath Hansen A forgotten Dutch airfield that served as a deterrent to Soviet air power during the Cold War was remembered anew at a recent ceremony to commemorate the site’s storied history. People in the area convened on Sept. 17  for the official unveiling of the Soesterberg Air Force …

by Heath Hansen More than a million Americans have died fighting for this country since it was founded two-and-a-half centuries ago. We honor their sacrifices every year on Memorial Day, but also throughout the year, especially on the anniversaries of when they were lost. Today, as I look at the …

by Heath Hansen I loaded my pistol, ammunition, and gun belt into the trunk of my car and headed out. I was on my way to a gun club in San Diego County, to put a few rounds down range. As I headed East, I looked out across Lower Otay Lake; …