Alex Hollings

Coast Guardsman saves shipmates from shark attack

This article was written by Alex Hollings and originally published on Sandboxx. A member of the “shark watch” on a Coast Guard cutter had to open fire on a shark this week to dissuade it from continuing to approach his crewmates. When you’re out on the open ocean, even recreational activities require proper planning and […]

The Army’s potential new robot battle buddies

This article was written by Alex Hollings and originally published on Sandboxx. The U.S. Army Research Lab recently paired a human soldier with a battlefield robot in the first real-world demonstration of how robots can give American troops the edge in a 21st-century fight. The new Army robot being tested as a sort of battle-buddy […]

Kelly Johnson: An American military aviation hero

This article was written by Alex Hollings and originally published on Sandboxx. Kelly Johnson wasn’t the first man to build an airplane. Nor was he the first to push the limits of what an airplane could do. But few men have played a more vital role than Johnson in shaping mankind’s ascent into the skies. […]

The next Chinese jet fighter & the stolen F-35 plans

This article was written by Alex Hollings and originally published on Sandboxx. China’s growing fleet of aircraft carriers may promise to grant the nation more power projection capabilities than ever before, but first, they’ll need a competent carrier-based fighter. That’s where a Chinese national named Su Bin comes in–he is currently serving a prison sentence […]

Harry Potter & deadlifts: The power of your workout playlist

The workout mix: a time-honored tradition of fitness enthusiasts in gyms all across the world. Few things can inspire an athlete to push harder, to work longer … or to start a fistfight with other gym-goers better than a carefully selected list of songs intended to get the heart pumping. At some point, years ago, […]

Dead or Alive? Why is it so hard to know what happens in North Korea?

This article was written by Alex Hollings and originally published on Sandboxx.com.  A few days ago, headlines around the world suggested that North Korea’s Supreme Leader, Kim Jong Un, was in critical condition following surgery. Almost immediately, questions arose about succession. After years of fiery bluster and threats of nuclear war out of the North Korean government, many wondered […]

Bulletproof Motivation: Tips from a Navy SEAL, CIA Officer, and Firefighter

Editor’s note. This article was written by our dear friend Alex Hollings for and published at Sandboxx. SOFREP old-timers will find another familiar face in the piece. When it comes to motivation, Navy SEALs have plenty to spare, but we know one guy that could even make some SEALs look lazy. Earning your place among […]

Behind the scenes at SOFREP — Alex has left the building

Just as I was cutting my teeth on a cartoon series featuring SOFREP’s own storied writer Alex Hollings, he pulls up anchor to move onto another publishing challenge — editor! I affectionately remember the early days of Alex, A-Blast as I call him, working as a young apprentice for SOFREP delivering mail, shining shoes, and […]

Let there be light: Why making a flashlight part of your EDC is worth it

From the earliest days of mankind, one of the few things that separated our particular breed of big-brained monkey from the rest of the competition in the wild was our ability to harness light, in the form of fire. Fire, of course, was paramount to our success as a species for a number of other […]

Russia’s hypersonic nuclear missile just entered into service

Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin made headlines with his claim that the Russian military is the only force on the planet with fully operational hypersonic weapons. Russia’s growing hypersonic arsenal already includes the Kinzhal (Dagger), which has a range of around 1,250 miles and can travel 10 times faster than the speed of sound […]