I remember going through the South Korean ROK Marine Mountain Warfare training center. Those ROK Marines were damn machines during the entire training course. I remember going up into the mountains one day, probably covering a few thousand feet in elevation, and they smoked us. Obviously, this is their backyard and they better be good […]

Small unit insertion in the Diyala province of Iraq sometime in ’06-’07. This was my first unit. Named Task Force 300 because the Squadron had roughly 300 shooters and a gigantic Greek commander. Of those 300: 22 would die, 1 in 3 would earn a purple heart, and all would collectively earn a Presidential Unit […]

It’s been so long I can’t remember the exact date. Let’s say 1995 based on my rank and sometime around monsoon season in Thailand. Alpha Company 2nd Ranger Battalion in support of Operation Cobra Gold, deployed to Thailand to work with and train the Thai Commandos. In this picture, I’m standing with my non-smiling Ranger […]

Being prepared doesn’t mean carrying around the toolbox with you to fix every single thing that Murphy will throw at you. Preparedness is usually dependent on the situation and being realistic about what you can comfortably carry without being cumbersome. There are those few items that will always have multiple uses to get you out […]

FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, WA, UNITED STATES Senior Airman Anthony Fiore, 22nd Training Squadron Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape specialist, presses the ‘hard send’ key on a Combat Survivor/Evader Locator radio, June 13, 2015, in the Colville National Forest, Wash. S-V-80-A combat survival students learned how to communicate with recovery forces using the CSEL radio. […]

JOINT BASE LEWIS MCCORD, WA, UNITED STATES Sergeant Ben Deweese, assistant team leader, Company C, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, makes final gear preparations prior to a three-day reconnaissance and surveillance patrol aboard Joint Base Lewis McCord, Wash, April 9, 2015. Marines with the company operated in remote locations of the wilderness and provided surveillance of the […]

JACKSONVILLE, NC, UNITED STATES Marine students undergoing the 2nd Marine Division Combat Skills Center’s Pre-Scout Sniper Course depart a field following a stalking exercise at Camp Lejeune, N.C., Jan. 22, 2016. The exercise required students to traverse approximately 1,000 meters of high grass and fire on a target, all without being detected. (U.S. Marine Corps […]

OKINAWA, JAPAN Lance Cpl. Seth M. Richardson, a Carbondale, Illinois, native, prepares to fire an M40A5 sniper rifle Aug. 17 at the Central Training Area in Okinawa, Japan. The M40A5 rifle is a bolt-action sniper rifle with a muzzle velocity of 2,550 feet per second and an effective firing range of up to 900 meters. […]

This photo is Kevin Holland; A former DEVGRU operator who turned Army and passed SFQC (Special Forces Qualification Course) and made his way to serve in the elite counter-terrorism unit, Delta Force. He does cool guy shit with @solsys now. *Photo courtesy of devgrupics IG page

In the past, battles were started with a “bang” and by “bang” I mean cannons, muskets, rifles, etc. As battle and war evolves we have learned to work under the stars and live under the darkness. What’s the point of working under the darkness if you can’t be quiet? Be as quick and as quiet […]

The featured photo shows a small portion of the ordnance “library” at 2nd EOD Company, 8th Engineer Support Battalion, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The men and women of Explosive Ordnance Disposal units across the military are skilled and valuable resources that are willing and able to put their lives on the line […]

FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, WA, UNITED STATES S-V-80-A combat survival students gather water from a stream June 13, 2015, in the Colville National Forest, Wash. To prevent water-borne illness from occurring, the students learned to add iodine tablets or bleach to purify the gathered water. The students also learned that leaving a bottle of water […]

You really can’t beat a photo of the Stars and Stripes along with an MP7 and elk handle Karambit. Tools for delivering death to those that threaten our way of life. “Nothing like getting pics from war zones from my Frogmen brothers. Mp7, elk handle karambit and in the shadow of those beautiful colors we […]

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, HI, UNITED STATES A Marine from force reconnaissance platoon loads rounds into a magazine during close quarter tactics shooting at the Kaneohe Bay range training facility, May 13. Capt. Brian VanHoose, the platoon commander and a native of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, said their shooting drills are practice for enemy raids. Courtesy […]

U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers, prepare their equipment at McEntire Joint National Guard Base, S.C., May 19, 2014. Elements of South Carolina Army and Air National Guard, U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force special operations, and Columbia Police Department S.W.A.T., conducted urban assault training which allowed special operations forces and National Guard assets to work […]

CAMP SCHWAB, OKINAWA, JAPAN A Marine with 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, looks for possible disturbances in the natural environment such as freshly broken sticks, flattened plants, footprints or skid marks to identify if someone has recently been through the area Jan. 28. During the combat hunter training, the Marines […]

This picture was taken by one of my teammates in the mid-1990’s. Alpha Company, 2nd Ranger Battalion was deployed to Thailand in support of Operation Cobra Gold. A large-scale training exercise that had us working with the Thai Commandos in the jungle regions. It was miserably hot during our time in Thailand but we appreciated […]

Taken on top of a remote outpost in Kunar, Afghanistan just after a firefight where insurgents attacked our larger COP with recoilless rifles and small arms. My platoon and I returned fire with machine gun fire and Gustav’s as well as provided FSO duties to walk our 120mm Howitzers on target. *Photo was taken in 2012 […]

I enjoy photography as well as traveling, hiking, and adventuring. Naturally, my hobbies tend to merge. As much as I enjoy the hiking season, I don’t enjoy the hordes of people that come with it. I travel the tourist hotspots during the offseason but tend to limit myself to local secrets during the summer. Immediately after my […]

Marines sit in the defense and decorate their new home for the next few days. The Marines had assaulted multiple objectives and consolidated to emplace a large defense involving multiple supporting agencies including artillery, close air support, and crew served weapons. Logos on the decorations include “Trump 2020” and “Make the field great again”. During […]