Category: Expert Analysis

The following contains spoilers from HBO’s “Game of Thrones” and Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight” trilogy. Fictitious leaders have been portrayed in many different ways, but they usually have their flaws. A good story is often a reflection of the way things are, and our own leaders each have their particular brands of flaws–they are human, […]

Write it down. Not to sell–there are plenty of non-fiction veteran authors chomping at the bit to share their combat experiences with the world. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with that, but that’s not what I’m talking about here. The last mission of my last deployment was pretty hairy. Without getting into it, people died […]

Some years ago, after both of my parents realized their marriage was destined for ruin but before they chose to call it quits, my father bought my mother a pure-bred Shih Tzu.  The floppy little dog was white with black spots, weighed about as much as a half-eaten sandwich, and had enough personality for ten […]

There are spoilers from “Saving Private Ryan” in this article. Stephen Spielberg has been regarded as one of the greatest directors of all time–so much so, that it can be tiresome to hear and almost uncool to like him because he’s so popular. His attention to detail is not only fascinating, but it is indicative […]

In a number of ways, your fitness journey is a selfish one.  While we all recite the list of external reasons to work out, like living a long and healthy life for our families, you can’t deny a certain degree of narcissism is at play as you sweat and toil to reach a new and […]

Portsmouth, England—The Royal Navy is close to getting an aircraft-carrier at last. The HMS Queen Elizabeth, which is undergoing the final sea trials in Southern England, will be commissioned on December 7th. “In a world of intensifying global threats, this magnificent ship will be a leading force fighting to protect the values of the UK […]

In many ways, the modern media landscape goes out of its way to ensure your average person doesn’t really know for sure what type of diet is good for them.  Diet fads are a multi-billion-dollar a year industry, and they invest quite a bit of money into keeping the “secret” to shedding excess weight seem […]

Madrid, Spain—Spanish government officials believe that Russia interfered in the Catalan referendum. Spanish Defence Minister Maria Dolores de Cospedal and Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis accused Russian-based groups of using social media to influence public opinion and raise support for the Catalan separatists. “These are groups that, public and private, are trying to influence the situation […]

Cyber security is a complex but essential reality of today’s world. It can seem a little overwhelming at times–physical security is much simpler: you have a gun, you point it at the door, you shoot bad guys if they come in and try to hurt you or your family. If they climb through the window, […]

On July 27, 2011, when members of a Marine Scout Sniper platoon assigned to 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines made the decision to urinate on the corpses of several Taliban members, they saw it as a small payback for their fallen comrades who had been mutilated by many of those same Taliban fighters not long before […]

When I was in the army, I had the required Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK) on my hip just below my kit.  I also carried an extra one in my car.  After all, I was well versed in every piece of medical equipment in that small canvas bag so it made sense that I had […]

After thoroughly enjoying SOFREP writer Alex Hollings’ ongoing series “Old Man Fitness” he made me realize that there may be interest among SOFREP readers in having a workout space like the one Alex and I use in our garages. My home gym is a special place for me, and has been for many years. It […]