A horror story from my state’s Concealed Carry Weapon class

Editor’s note: This article was originally published by Justin “Graveyard” Fields for Swift | Silent | Deadly. This article contains affiliate links. I recently had to attend my state’s concealed carry class. Most concealed carriers don’t get to attend these classes too often. I haven’t attended one in years, but through a bit of a […]

People and events that shaped D-Day: The Massacre of Slapton Sands

The events of D-Day on June 6, 1944, were the result of years of careful planning, deception, good luck, and setbacks. As we near another D-Day anniversary, it is important to understand what transpired before the massive invasion of Normandy. Here are a few highlights that you may have never heard about: The Tragedy and […]

Less pull-ups, more intellect: The new approach to Special Operations recruitment

It is no secret that Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has a growing shortage of operators and is experiencing an ongoing struggle to meet training quotas. In previous articles, I have talked about the manning shortfalls within the Special Operations community and the dwindling number of people that are capable and willing to make it through […]

Darn Tough: Finding the right sock for Rucking is incredibly important

One of the most frequently asked questions we get, from those of you who are about to embark on a career in Special Operations, concerns rucking and how to best prepare to hoist the big green pain pill around our southern military bases.  We have written countless times about proper fitting boots and socks and […]

ISIS & Al-Qaeda fight it out in the Sahel as security forces hammer both

The Sahel remains a hot spot, particularly in Mali where violence continues unabated. Malian troops and jihadist militants have been clashing as militant attacks on civilians and small towns persist.  In a recent raid, Malian troops killed about 30 militants. Mali’s armed forces posted on Twitter that they had killed “about 30 terrorists” near the […]

A Ranger’s Glock 34 handgun

“Synergy” -noun 1. The interaction of elements that when combined produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements, contributions, etc. This is a term that expertly describes this Rangers Agency Arms Glock 34 build. I know my way around Glocks. They’ve been my sidearm of choice since ’93 when […]

The big ugly elephant in the room: Standards in Special Operations

Let us talk about standards… Oh no. Standards! Not that dirty word again. But it is a very important one. We’ve written about the standards in the Special Forces courses, both regarding Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS) and the Special Forces Qualification Course (SFQC) a couple of times. Yet now is a good time […]

A Green Beret’s take on the Salomon XA Forces Mid-Boot

Okay, so anyone who knows me or has read any of my articles in the past knows that I am and have always been a huge Merrell fan. Owner of too many pairs to count, Merrells are my go-to boots for anything. But that may be subject to change. I like to scan and read […]

The war of the Tab? Army redesigns ‘Arctic Tab’ and spurs controversy

The Army is serious about placing more emphasis on cold-weather warfare as competition with “near-peers” Russia and China in the Arctic intensifies. So, the Army has redesigned the rectangular “Arctic” tab that denoted that a soldier had graduated the Northern Warfare Cold Weather Leader’s Course (CWLC). They have now made the tab into an arced-shaped […]