The U.S. Army’s Special Forces (often referred to by their distinctive headgear, the Green Berets) are an elite brotherhood of soldiers who, at their core, are problem solvers. They embody the ethos of special operations — working outside ...
For many people, their exposure to classic literature has been limited to what was shoved in front of them during high school or college. Some of you may have soaked up these novels at the time, but a lot of us breezed through them without taking the ...
There is a wide variety of stories here at Coffee or Die — from a diesel mechanic at the bottom of a boat during the Korean War, to an Afghan commando who sought refuge in the United States, to instructions on how to make coffee in rough places — we ...
“The Last Full Measure” (2019) is a film about Medal of Honor recipient William Pitsenbarger, a pararescueman who was killed in action in 1966 in Vietnam. While most war films take the perspective of the service member knee-deep in combat, this one ...
Monte L. Gould stood before an American flag in Las Vegas with his right hand raised. He spoke these words in front of a uniformed officer: “I, Monte Gould, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States ...
Deployed service members can find themselves in a range of situations. Some face life-threatening decisions every single day, while others deal with endless days of severe boredom. Some are firing rifles, others are turning wrenches, and others are ...
The word “marathon” originates from the Greek legend of Pheidippides, the tale of a messenger who ran from the town of Marathon, Greece, to Athens to deliver a message of victory. As he arrived in Athens, he was so exhausted that he collapsed and ...
The Military Assistance Command, Vietnam — Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG) conducted clandestine missions during the Vietnam War, working in Vietnam as well as the neighboring Laos and Cambodia. Their exploits are legendary, and few have ...
Author’s note: If you haven’t seen “The Mandalorian” yet, go watch it and come back — spoilers ahead. For the rest of you: this is the way. The internet has been buzzing about “The Mandalorian,” the “Star Wars” series that follows a Mandalorian ...
When one pushes their body to its most extreme limit, they find that they are simultaneously pushing their mind and spirit. Few are more familiar with this feeling than Brandon Tucker — a U.S. Army Ranger veteran who climbed his way to becoming a ...
Coffee or Die had the honor of speaking with John Meyer for this story, which can be read in his own words in his memoir, “Across The Fence: The Secret War in Vietnam (Expanded Edition)©,” among a good many other MACV-SOG stories. Cambodia, 1968. ...
Countless legends have been spawned from the MACV-SOG, who fought some of the most harrowing missions of the Vietnam War. This task force, which included U.S. Special Forces operators, was charged with carrying out secretive, unconventional missions, ...
“Our working dogs are selfless in everything they do simply to please their handlers and those who work with them,” said Sergeant Major (retired) Jeremy Knabenshue, a veteran who worked as a K9 handler in the U.S. Army. “They give everything they ...
The U.S. Army Rangers are a storied group of elite warriors. They have conducted legendary missions, but for every met objective you hear about on the news, there are hundreds that go unseen and unheard. It takes a particular breed of person to earn ...
If you were to peruse the Black Rifle Coffee facility in Salt Lake City, you might run into a man named Mohammad Wali Tasleem. You might see him inspecting equipment, changing lights, patching drywall, painting, or a number of other tasks essential ...
On Oct. 22, 2014, Officer Marshall Mirarchi and his K9, Hurricane, were at the White House. They were part of the Secret Service Special Operations Division security team that was entrusted with the safety of the White House grounds, as well as the ...
Early October is a time filled with moments that are seared into the minds of many U.S. Army Rangers from 3rd Ranger Battalion. In an odd twist of fate, some of the battalion's most significant or harrowing events have fallen around this time ...
When there's an iconic picture floating around of a special operator with a hefty beard and a well-worn rifle standing in some unspecified distant country, there's a good chance that he hails from the U.S. Army's Special Forces (SF, sometimes known ...
Sept. 11, 2012 — Benghazi, Libya: The CIA had set up an annex near an American diplomatic compound and, after their remembrances of Sept. 11, 2001, the men and women of these facilities went about their daily tasks. However, as night fell upon them, ...
Sweat was pouring from LD Ryan’s head as he checked and rechecked the gauges. It was 1952 and the Korean War was in full swing, but that was happening outside the metal skin of this U.S. Navy boat. Inside, Ryan's head was spinning as he made his way ...
From infrared lasers fixed to rifles and night vision devices mounted to helmets to the precision bombs they can rain down on their enemies within seconds of calling for them, the modern warrior has never been so effective (or deadly) thanks to the ...
On Aug. 14, 1945, Japan surrendered unconditionally to the Allied forces, marking the end of World War II (it was Aug. 15 in Japan due to the time difference). Known as V-J Day, or Victory over Japan Day, the surrender was secured after the United ...
If you're in military circles for more than a couple of minutes, you'll probably hear the term "operator" thrown around. In general, it's used to refer to a member of Special Operations Forces (SOF) — particularly a trained shooter, medic, forward ...
The rain in Charlotte had been pouring down as Eric gripped the wheel of his 1981 Corvette, peering through the mist at the long line of red tail lights. They had slowed as the road began to narrow into a construction zone, vehicles crammed together ...
As the longest war in American history continues, a variety of unique stories have bubbled to the surface. One belongs to Tim Lynch, a retired U.S. Marine who lived and worked in Afghanistan for approximately eight years as a civilian. In a war-torn ...
A recent viral video showed the United States Coast Guard crew from the Legend-class cutter Munro intercepting a drug smuggling submarine in the Pacific. Switching between two camera angles, crew members from the Coast Guard leap onboard, slam down ...
The U.S. Army's Special Forces, sometimes known as “Green Berets,” are an elite special operations force (SOF) tasked with many types of missions, from direct-action raids to complex reconnaissance and gathering human intelligence on the ...
The professional dog industry is complicated. Trained dogs range from seeing eye dogs for the visually impaired, dogs who can smell blood sugar levels, and even attack dogs who look like they’ll rip your throat out. There are also emotional support ...
U.S. Air Force Technical Sergeant John A. Chapman was killed in action on March 4, 2002. He fought with courage and ferocity on the cold, snow-laden mountaintop of Takur Ghar, now known as Roberts Ridge. Chapman was posthumously awarded the Medal ...
It was the Fourth of July, 1826, precisely 50 years after the United States of America had declared its independence. Two elderly men lay in two beds — one in Massachusetts, the other in Virginia — and the life in their bones began to wane. One ...
