“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 …
Read More »A Strange Doll Stands Watch Over a Remote Ridge Campsite Near the San Diego Border
Border observers have long reported that cartels sometimes leave strange symbols or objects as territory markers along smuggling corridors. by Heath Hansen I methodically put one foot in front of the other as I make my way up the hilltop. During this hike, it seems the sun is only getting …
Read More »Inside the Army’s New M109A7 Paladin Howitzer
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 …
Read More »US Army Approves M111, Its First New Lethal Grenade Since 1968
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 …
Read More »Simo Hayha, The ‘White Death’: History’s Most Lethal Sniper
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 …
Read More »Dipprasad Pun: The Lone Gurkha Who Fought Off 30 Taliban
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. …
Read More »Inside the Circle of Death, We Got Hit by An IED – And Garrison Bullshit From ‘Old Stinkeye’
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 …
Read More »Crossings in Wartime: Sabotage in the Supply Chain
In Part 2 of our investigative series, we examine how booby-trapped equipment slipped into wartime aid networks in Ukraine, targeting Russian soldiers. by Susan Katz Keating The Russian soldier placed the FPV goggles on his head, and flipped the switch on his drone console. He expected to see real-time images …
Read More »Don’t Shoot, We’re Chinese: Transponder Diplomacy in the Strait of Hormuz
As Iran threatens to burn ships that enter the narrow waterway, some crews are gambling that a few words might protect them. ANALYSIS by Susan Katz Keating The Strait of Hormuz lay ahead when the cargo ship Sino Ocean changed its transponder. A new message appeared on maritime tracking screens: …
Read More »Douglas Mackiernan’s Last Ride
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 …
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