Travis Allen

About the author

is a former US Army Infantry Officer. While a Platoon Leader in Afghanistan, he was part of a joint Special Forces/Infantry team conducting Village Stability Operations in Kandahar Province. Travis graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point in 2010.

Russian and Chinese military skills competition underway with 26 other countries

The “2017 International Army Games” a military-skills competition between nations that includes tank gunnery, obstacle courses, and other military-focused tasks, is now underway overseas. An annual competition for the last few years, it is designed to build the spirit of cooperation through friendly competition. Last year’s competition included 3,000 military personnel from 20 countries. But […]

OP-ED: Coast Guard Commandant stands by transgender Coasties. That’s a good thing

Admiral Paul Zukunft, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, made headlines yesterday afternoon after saying he would not ‘break faith’ with the Coast Guard’s openly transgender service members. Immediately, many questioned whether the leader of one of the country’s five armed services was openly flouting the commander-in-chief’s wishes. Last Wednesday morning, President Trump surprised seemingly […]

Belarus passes law saying ‘Little Green Men’ would lead to war

Fearful of a growing Russian presence both inside and just outside the country, Belarus has passed legislation seemingly aimed directly at any potential Russian plans to annex the eastern European country. The law states that any foreign soldiers, irregulars, or mercenaries, that arrive on Belorussian territory with weapons intended for use against the state would […]

McCain says he will force an Afghanistan strategy after administration inaction

Widely seen as a shot across the bow at the Trump administration’s lethargic pace in setting a strategy for the war in Afghanistan, Senator John McCain issued a statement Monday announcing the inclusion of an Afghan strategy in the National Defense Authorization Act in September. “When the Senate takes up the National Defense Authorization Act […]

McMaster: Venezuela’s Maduro ‘is now a dictator’

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro declared victory following Sunday’s National Constituent Assembly election, culminating a chaotic run-up to what was largely viewed as a sham election meant only to consolidate powers with Maduro, now a de facto dictator in the eyes of the opposition and the United States. Speaking at a White House press briefing on […]

DEF CON: Annual hacking convention going on now in Vegas

This week is the 25th iteration of DEF CON, the huge hacking convention held annually in Las Vegas that brings together tens of thousands of cyber security professionals, government intelligence agents, corporate business interests, and of course, hackers. Generally held in tandem with another hacking conference, Black Hat, DEF CON is a festival of sorts […]

Watch: Egyptian army tank crushes VBIED just before explosion

Surveillance footage of an attempted suicide car bomb attack on an Egyptian armored convoy and civilians in the Sinai shows a dramatic scene after an Egyptian army tank intercepted and crushed the jihadists before they could detonate on their intended target. The Egyptian military reported the incident on their Facebook page, showing a video, which […]

Navy Admiral would carry out nuclear attack on China if ordered by Trump

Commander of the United States Navy’s Pacific Fleet Admiral Scott Swift calmly assured members of a media panel in Australia earlier Thursday that he would have no qualms with executing a nuclear strike on China if so ordered by President Donald Trump. Speaking at a security conference at Australian National University in Canberra, Admiral Swift […]

New U.S. sanctions for Venezuela’s ruling elite as important vote looms

The United States has approved a new round of sanctions against Venezuela, as the country continues to slog through a series of crises and a deteriorating security situation in the wake of a massive economic downturn. The sanctions reportedly affect 13 key members of President Nicolas Maduro’s ruling and security establishment, targeting their personal finances […]

Border Patrol: U.S.-Mexico border wall could be supplemented with technology

A single “big, beautiful wall” stretching from San Diego to Texas may be unnecessary in achieving the stated goals of the Trump administration in reducing illegal immigration and other threats, according to one senior Border Patrol official. Speaking before the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security on Tuesday, Border Patrol Acting Deputy […]

Congress approves new sanctions on Russia, Iran, and North Korea

The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a bill that will impose fresh sanctions on Russia, Iran, and North Korea, and will include a provision which removes President Trump’s ability to ease such sanctions in the future. The bill, which still has to be approved by the Senate, has long been sought by lawmakers seeking […]

Russian military police deployed to enforce ceasefire in Syria

Russian military police have been deployed to an area east of Syria’s capital Damascus as part of their contribution to so-called “de-escalation” zones in the country. According to Russian military officials, the military police there are to function as peacekeepers, enforcing a cease-fire agreement hashed out between Russia, Iran, the Assad regime, Turkey, and opposition […]