U.S. Soldiers with the 3rd Special Forces Group (SFG) out of Fort Bragg, N.C., and the 5th Squadron, 1st Calvary Regiment out of Fort Wainwright, Alaska, participate in a pilot recovery exercise during RED FLAG-Alaska 17-3, at the McMahon Range, Alaska. The 3rd SFG is the lead SFG on operations in Central Asia. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Isaac Johnson Watch … [Read more...] about SOF Video of the Day: Special Forces Train in Alaska
Alex Hollings Articles
K-9s Against School Shooters? A Former Navy SEAL Thinks So
Cloned K-9s: A Bold New Line of Defense Against School Shootings As another tragic school shooting dominates American headlines this week, Americans have been searching for and debating possible solutions with a renewed vigor. When it comes to law enforcement's approach to mass shootings, most of the debate revolves around two distinct topics: how to prevent an active shooter … [Read more...] about K-9s Against School Shooters? A Former Navy SEAL Thinks So
What Does It Take To Become a Delta Operator? Check Out This Video.
While covering a story recently, I had the opportunity to tour some facilities with a number of current and former elite operators hailing from various military branches and government agencies. Although these men may have different abbreviations on their identification cards, the community of people with unique skill sets and levels of expertise is small, and it isn’t … [Read more...] about What Does It Take To Become a Delta Operator? Check Out This Video.
It’s Time We Stop Being Offended!
As a Ugandan-born Canadian educator and practicing Muslim, Irshan Manji is no stranger to offense, particularly because her take on Islam is one that has not been embraced by many that share in her religion. Her books, The Trouble with Islam Today and Liberty and Love have both been banned in a number of Muslim countries. But her newest book, titled Don't Label Me moves away … [Read more...] about It’s Time We Stop Being Offended!
So Why Exactly Do You Need So Many Guns?
As the debate over guns continues to rage in this country, the social media conversation has been dominated by memes and straw man arguments bandied about by the hardest-headed among both groups. Gun control and gun rights advocates both circle their proverbial wagons and congratulating one another on the new and witty ways they can agree amongst themselves. A fortified … [Read more...] about So Why Exactly Do You Need So Many Guns?
Ghost Ship in the Sky: The Mysterious Disappearance of the Crew of the L-8
Stories of ghost ships adrift in the vast expanses of the ocean have existed since man first took to the sea thanks in large part to water's ability to swallow ships, airplanes, survivors, and wreckage into its depths, never to be seen again. Without any evidence left behind to help us to understand what happens on ships like the Mary Celeste, the mysteries prove enduring, and … [Read more...] about Ghost Ship in the Sky: The Mysterious Disappearance of the Crew of the L-8
3 Things You Didn’t Know About the F-22 Raptor
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter tends to garner the lion's share of media attention, but it was the F-22 Raptor that introduced the world to the very concept of a fifth-generation fighter. The Lockheed Martin-built F-22 saw its production halted just about halfway through its initial run, thanks to (arguably shortsighted) defense cutbacks during the Obama era. Subsequent … [Read more...] about 3 Things You Didn’t Know About the F-22 Raptor
3 Things You Might Not Know About the F-15
The Mcdonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle and its subsequent variants have served as America's workhorse intercept fighters for over 40 years. For a short time, it seemed as though the F-15 would fade into history as it was being replaced by its stealthy successor, the F-22 Raptor. But the F-22 program ended and its supply chain was cannibalized to support F-35 production. America's … [Read more...] about 3 Things You Might Not Know About the F-15
3 Things You Didn’t Know About the SR-71 Blackbird
Before the advent of stealth aircraft, the U.S. military had a very different approach on how to operate its planes in contested airspace. That approach could be summarized in two words: Brute force. In those early years of air defense system development, the U.S. was less interested in developing sneaky aircraft and more concerned with developing untouchable ones — … [Read more...] about 3 Things You Didn’t Know About the SR-71 Blackbird
Firearm Safety Rules Apply to Everyone. Don’t Be an Idiot
The United States has long been, and will likely forever continue to be, embroiled in a debate about firearms. What firearms are okay to own, where is it okay to carry them, and how to prevent nefarious types from getting their hands on them are the subject of polarizing arguments around every national election. My position on the debate is pretty easy to surmise, though I do … [Read more...] about Firearm Safety Rules Apply to Everyone. Don’t Be an Idiot
Memorial Day and the Bittersweet Celebration of Sacrifice and Strength
On a long enough timeline, we all die. Some of us will go quietly in our sleep, surrounded by our loved ones and at the end of a long and fulfilling life. Others, in the chaos and horror of a battlefield a world away from the people they fight for. No matter your choices, struggles, and triumphs, in the grand scope of eternity, death comes for us all. Plenty of veterans will … [Read more...] about Memorial Day and the Bittersweet Celebration of Sacrifice and Strength
How Hypersonic Drones Could Defeat Missiles
The SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest production aircraft to serve in any nation's military, had over 4,000 surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles fired at it over its more than three decades of service. Not a single one ever found its target. Longer than a hundred feet and wider than a school bus is long, the SR-71 wasn't too small to get a lock, nor did it boast modern stealth … [Read more...] about How Hypersonic Drones Could Defeat Missiles