Chinese New Year has arrived, bring on the Rooster

Chinese New Year has arrived, bring on the Rooster

The Chinese Lunar New Year has recently begun so expect celebrations until 15 days from now, when the Lantern Festival marks the end of all festivities. Just in case you are traveling abroad to any Asian country, or just happen to be in a nearby Chinese cultural center or Chinatown, don’t be surprised if you […]

As America prepares for a new president, Washington prepares for the worst

As America prepares for a new president, Washington prepares for the worst

As the country prepares for a peaceful exchange of power from current President Barack Obama to President Elect Donald Trump on Friday, Washington D.C. is preparing for exactly the opposite. As many as 900,000 people are expected to flood the city, some in support of the incoming president and many with the intention of protesting […]

Tips for choosing a safe hotel from a former British SAS operator

Tips for choosing a safe hotel from a former British SAS operator

Read part one here. Choosing a hotel for me is like selecting a harbour area or forward operating base in the bush. There are lots of considerations and checks to be made before I go firm. You would not just bowl on out there and try and find something blind if you had the choice. […]

8 essential tips for safer air travel from a former British SAS operator

8 essential tips for safer air travel from a former British SAS operator

My last trip abroad took me to Turkey, and although it’s not the most dangerous place I’ve ever been, there is a threat there and it is severe. To prepare for my journey there, I took several steps, from packing my hand luggage to utilize in an emergency, to carrying out counter surveillance while at the airport. […]

Active Shooter panic. Navy SEAL at JFK, and lessons learned on personal travel safety.

This article previously published on SOFREP 08.15.2016 “Shots fired, active shooter! Everyone run for safety, run!” The officers called out last night as I deplaned Lufthansa flight 0404 from Frankfurt, Germany. I was waiting for my luggage, having just cleared customs and thought to myself, “WTF did I just step into?” I took cover behind a concrete pillar […]

With the false alarm at JFK, are airports prepared to handle an active shooter?

This article previously published on SOFREP 08.18.2016 As our own Brandon Webb deplaned Sunday night and set foot on American soil following a presumably enjoyable Euro-trip, all hell broke loose. Word spread that there was an active shooter, and for all passengers to take cover. According to multiple reports, including Webb’s own account, and a […]

What I’ve learned about fear (by wrestling alligators)

What I’ve learned about fear (by wrestling alligators)

When I was eight years old, my older brother drowned while swimming at our local YMCA.  The lifeguard on duty didn’t know CPR, and he was clinically dead for minutes before paramedics were able to get his heart beating again.  He was airlifted to Boston Children’s Hospital and spent the following weeks in a coma, […]

Watch: Live with Big Phil Campion, former British SAS- Dec 29, 2016

Watch: Live with Big Phil Campion, former British SAS- Dec 29, 2016

Phil Campion, former British SAS, continues with his travel safety tips by covering the apps you should load on your phone before traveling. One thing he highly recommends is an app for an early warning system so you are not caught off guard while traveling. Check out the video below.

Deranged German hippy to march on Aleppo

Deranged German hippy to march on Aleppo

“People like me think that if five or ten thousand people are marching and getting everyone’s attention, then it’s impossible that they would bomb you. I think if it really happened and they bombed a peaceful march, then this world is worth nothing,” Anna Alboth said. “People like me in safe countries can’t take it […]

Failing to find the Egypt I’d seen on TV: A Marine at the Pyramids of Giza

Failing to find the Egypt I’d seen on TV: A Marine at the Pyramids of Giza

About seven years ago, I found myself with a few days to kill in Cairo, Egypt. Before getting there, my understanding of the North African nation could probably be summed up in a single sentence: There are pyramids, a sphinx, and lots of sand. And I was right, for a change. It was the rest of […]