Texas Hill Country is 100 proof, pure, unfiltered America. It’s littered with deer, filled to the brim with pickup trucks and American flags, and there’s no shortage of fine folks who would likely give you the shirt off their back if you asked — ...
DISPATCH: US Air Force Lightning Challenge Tests TACP Skill, Endurance at Fort Hood
The wind howled and the rain poured constant as a pair of the US Air Force's most deadly battlefield airmen made their way up and then down a massive obstacle called The Weaver on Fort Hood’s air assault obstacle course. The task was not easy, ...
WATCH: Ranger-Turned-Operator Recounts How He Helped Rescue 70 Hostages in Daring Mission
Rangers lead the way, and that’s exactly what Sgt. Maj. Thomas “Patrick” Payne did during a daring hostage rescue in Iraq on Oct. 22, 2015. For his actions that night, Payne will be receiving the Medal of Honor in a White House ceremony on Sept. 11, ...
Two Special Operations Soldiers Killed in Aircraft Mishap
FORT BRAGG, NC – Staff Sgt. Vincent P. Marketta, 33, of Brick, New Jersey, and Sgt. Tyler M. Shelton, 22, of San Bernardino, California, died August 27, from injuries sustained during an aircraft mishap while conducting aviation training on San ...
From Field to Cup: The Search for Great Coffee in Antigua, Guatemala
Great coffee doesn't happen on accident. For Black Rifle Coffee Company, the process of providing great coffee to our customers doesn't start at the roasting machines or the shipping facility. It starts in coffee country. Coffee country doesn't ...
The Surprising Reasons Most Troops Who Die in the Military Don’t Die in Combat
There are things that can annoy you during your time in uniform, like PowerPoint presentations, waiting to be released for the weekend, and that private who clearly needed a waiver to get in. Wait, that’s not a private, that’s a lieutenant! And ...
5 Hemingway Quotes on Life and How to Live and How to Die
Ernest Hemingway is a near-mythic figure in 20th century American literature, and for good cause. From accompanying Patton’s army in the Second World War, to fishing off the shores of Cuba, Papa and his adventures have been read by millions and ...
This Navy Veteran Took a Beating in Portland and Didn’t Even Flinch
The United States has been grappling with civil unrest ranging from peaceful protests to all-out riots in the wake of George Floyd’s death while in police custody. Portland has been in the national spotlight most recently after federal law ...
11 Questions & A Cup of Coffee: BRCC CEO Evan Hafer
Black Rifle Coffee Company founder and CEO Evan Hafer has three loves: his family, his projectiles, and his coffee. Those elements led him to launch BRCC back in 2014, when he decided to stop deploying overseas. However, it was on those deployments ...
Letter From the Editor: Coffee or Die Magazine is Two Years Old — and Growing!
Two years ago this month, we launched Coffee or Die Magazine. In June 2018, I wouldn’t have imagined that today we would be in the midst of both a pandemic and a civil rights crisis. But I don’t think I’m the only one 2020 took by ...
Did You See Space Force’s New Recruiting Commercial?
President Trump announced the formation of the United States Space Force in 2018 and has wasted no time in making sure the new branch is up and operational during his tenure as president. "We must have American dominance in space," Trump said during ...
Navy SEAL-turned-Author Jack Carr is Helping Save Independent Book Stores
Independent bookstores have been through a lot since Jack Carr, the son of a librarian, joined the U.S. Navy in 1996. The rise of Amazon.com and big-box book retailers like Barnes & Noble, the dot-com bubble and subsequent economic crash, and the ...
Trump to Nation: No Americans Harmed in Iran Missile Attack
In an address to the nation from the White House today, President Donald Trump announced that no American or Iraqi forces were killed in the Iranian ballistic missile attack on U.S. and Iraqi forces on January 7. "No Americans were harmed in last ...
Iran Launched Over a Dozen Ballistic Missiles at US Forces in Iraq
Iran has launched a multi-pronged ballistic missile attack on U.S. troops stationed in Iraq, according to a statement released by the Department of Defense on January 7. "At approximately 5:30 p.m. (EST) on January 7, Iran launched more than a ...
The Beer is 6.2% Alcohol, and 7 Other Things I Learned the Hard Way at Oktoberfest
For the majority of my life, Oktoberfest has been just another tradition — like Cinco de Mayo and St. Patrick’s Day — that we Americans appropriated for the express purpose of drinking our freakin’ faces off. I didn’t know much about the festivities ...
Trojan Footprint: How U.S. and Allied Special Forces are Training in the Face of Russian Aggression
s the sun sank behind the hills just a few hours outside of Budapest, Hungary, a ragtag group of militiamen milled around a dilapidated building in a small clearing amid the Hungarian forest. With AK-47s slung on their shoulder, they played cards ...
An Exclusive Excerpt from Mat Best’s New Book ‘Thank You For My Service’
Writing a book is no small feat. Most don’t realize the long hours an author puts into the first draft, the agonizing edits and rewrites required to perfect a manuscript, and then all the marketing required to get it into the hands of as many people ...
The True Story Behind the Recovery of Extortion 17
The following passage is an excerpt from “Violence of Action: The Untold Stories of the 75th Ranger Regiment in the War on Terror.” It has been edited for clarity. On the night of Aug. 5 through Aug. 6, 2011, one of the worst tragedies in modern ...
Navy SEALs Conduct an Impressive Capabilities Exercise — Here’s How it Went Down
The temperature soared into triple digits, and the few clouds overhead offered almost no relief from the blistering sun that was punishing civilians and sailors alike on the beaches of Little Creek, Virginia. The heat was brutal, but that wasn’t ...
11 Questions & A Cup of Coffee: Fox News Correspondent Katie Pavlich
You’ve probably seen her on one of a number of different Fox News programs. Or maybe you’ve listened to her on the “Everything’s Going to Be Alright” podcast with former White House press secretary Sean Spicer. You might have even read her book "Fast ...
What If the ‘Stranger Things’ Characters Were in the Army?
Colorful explosions in the sky, bottle rocket fights on the ground, meat on the grill, cold beer in your hand, and a whole lot of red, white, and blue — that sounds like a perfect Independance Day. But what does a red-blooded American do after the ...
Mat Best Just Released an ’80s Power Ballad — and It’s Amazing
It’s been a while since the creative minds behind the satirical music label Lincoln’s Box Seats put out a new single. Mat Best has been understandably busy with the release of his new book and running the fast-growing Black Rifle Coffee Company ...
11 Questions & A Cup of Coffee: Medal of Honor Recipient Clint Romesha
On Oct. 3, 2009, combat outpost (COP) Keating in the Kamdesh district of Afghanistan came under attack by 300 Taliban insurgents. During the Battle of Kamdesh, U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Clint Romesha is credited with leading the counterattack, ...
Final Normandy Dispatch: Free Fall Jump with American Special Operators
The weather over Normandy, France, was holding up better than expected. There were clouds, but it wasn’t completely overcast. No rain — well, not yet anyway. Winds were steady but minimal. The conditions weren’t perfect, but America’s most elite ...
Dispatch from Normandy: The Attack at Carentan
The town square in Carentan is infamous. Just days after D-Day, an award ceremony was being held to recognize soldiers for their valorous actions in the opening days of the liberation of Europe. The Germans knew this and sent an artillery barrage ...
Dispatch from Normandy: The Sands of Omaha Beach
The sun wasn’t up yet, but the sky was already painted in brilliant pinks and purples. The thin layer of water resting on the beach reflected the colors, creating a dazzling visual spectacle for the few who rose early enough to witness it. The beauty ...
Dispatch from Normandy: The Rangers of Pointe Du Hoc
La Pointe Du Hoc, situated halfway between Utah and Omaha beaches, towers over the Normandy coast. Seventy-five years ago tomorrow morning, seizing them was a key objective for the Allies in Operation Overlord — and it would require an elite unit to ...
Dispatch from Normandy: Remembering the Paratroopers of D-Day
The formation of soldiers was formidable, each man staring forward with a fierce gaze. Their maroon berets were carefully positioned, signifying that this was not a regular unit; these were American paratroopers. They are the living legacy of the ...
The Top 17 Most Operator Pics of the GWOT
Individually, they're SEALs, Rangers, Special Forces, Raiders, PJs, and Controllers. But collectively, we tend to call them operators. Technically that term should be reserved for those who've made it into the ranks of the elite Tier 1 units, but ...
Which Special Operators Make the Best CIA Agents?
There are more rumors and myths floating around about the Central Intelligence Agency then there are actual facts. “The Agency” or “The Company” is charged with preempting threats and furthering national security objectives by collecting and ...