Category: Featured

Saman Kunan (alternatively spelled Gunan) was a former Underwater Demolition Assault Unit (UDAU) Operator, otherwise known as a Royal Thai Navy SEAL. He died during the recovery efforts to save the children trapped in the caves in northern Thailand. He was part of an effort to send air tanks up and down the submerged parts […]

When I was on my third deployment, my father sent me a poem. He has done aid work in some pretty dangerous areas of the world, so while our circumstances were quite different, both of us had brushed up against the line of life and death a few times and related to each other’s experiences […]

Tensions are running high in America as social and political forces collide, sometimes forcefully, and sometimes in the streets. Political polarization in America has been closely studied over the last several decades and while the large-scale impact of social media, which has only risen to prominence in perhaps the last five years, is still being […]

The world let out a collective sigh of relief when the two British divers found the boy’s soccer team in northern Thailand, who have been trapped in a flooded cave for days. They were three miles from the opening of the cave, and severe flooding had prevented them from escaping. There are 13 altogether — […]

War is an incredibly complex thing. It’s so complex that, in the many years since we waged our battles with sharpened steel, many have lost sight of the simplicity of the fight itself. War is complicated because of the countless influences, internal variables within warring parties, and long-lasting ramifications of violence — but waging war […]

This Independence Day many of us will be surrounding ourselves with family and friends while we BBQ and blow stuff up. As a veteran, it’s important to me that we enjoy this day with all we’ve got because it’s exactly what we served for and is a celebration of the American way of life. Now, […]

Preface: Many of you know me as the producer and a host on SOFREP Radio, and on a recent episode with Alex Hollings talking his “Old Man Fitness” series I tapped into my philosophy on working out as a way to unplug and escape from the monotony of our day to day living routine. I […]

The Rohingya are a Muslim majority people who have been forced to flee to the border of Bangladesh — approximately 700,000 people (90% of Rohingya in Rakhine State, Burma/Myanmar) have left their homes due to the recent conflict. Many of these people are only able to carry what they have on them at the time. […]

EDIT: It seems that it was two British divers by the name of Rick Stanton and John Volanthen who first came across the trapped boys and their coach. Watch the video of them discovering the kids here at BBC. All 12 boys and their coach have been found alive after severe flooding trapped them in […]

The United States Marine Corps War Memorial is an iconic piece of American history. It is a tangible representation of fundamental American values — courage, perseverance, patriotism and honoring the “man in the arena” who has secured our nation’s freedom, often at a terrible price. But who was behind the monument that is ingrained in […]

Dedication for this work goes to Ms. Kelly Harp “I really think you should go in and talk to her right away; I mean this very evening — right now!” The text string coming in from my Internet Drag Netter in Vermont was every bit importuning me to comply. She got that way now and […]

On a deployment, finding some breath of fresh air is no small thing. Sometimes that comes in the form of making back to the FOB or COP, working out and if you have the facilities, playing a video game or just hanging out with your friends. Sometimes it means getting a few more hours of […]