Sgt. Maj. Robert Bowman, an Army Ranger assigned to a Recon platoon, deployed to Mosul, Iraq, in 2004 for 12 months as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), operating under the call sign “HUNTER-7.” Bowman returned to Iraq for another 15 months in ...
Black Rifle Coffee Company Sets New Guinness World Record
What would happen if nearly a thousand like-minded people enjoyed their favorite coffee beverage virtually together, during a global pandemic? Besides being a lot of fun, it might just set some kind of world record. That's exactly what happened for a ...
Why Marine Veteran Scotty Bob is Training the Next Generation of BASE Jumpers
When Coffee or Die Magazine last talked to Marine veteran Robert “Scotty Bob” Morgan, he was well on his way to living the dream of a professional BASE jumper. So, what exactly does a BASE jumper do? BASE is an acronym that stands for four ...
Here are the US Military Veterans Running for Office in 2020
Just in time for Election Day, Coffee or Die Magazine surveyed the gubernatorial and Senate races around the country and identified candidates with military experience. Here is what we found. Please note we can only include the information provided ...
How Vince Vargas is Spreading Positivity Through the ‘Beteran’ Movement
California native Vincent "Rocco" Vargas served three combat deployments with the 2nd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. Upon leaving active duty in 2007, he joined the Army Reserves. Since that time, Vargas has worked as a medic for an Arizona ...
Congressman Dan Crenshaw on Partisanship, ‘SNL,’ and His New Book ‘Fortitude’
Texas Republican House Rep. Dan Crenshaw is a former US Navy SEAL who completed five overseas deployments. In 2012, Crenshaw’s life changed forever when he was hit by IED shrapnel during a mission in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province. He lost his right ...
‘The Unseen World War’: How One Nonprofit Focuses on Healing Veterans and Their Families
Americans often hear that the trauma experienced by military personnel and first responders can have far reaching consequences — depression, anxiety, substance abuse and suicide to name a few. However, the indirect impact this trauma has on veterans’ ...
The COVID-19 Pandemic is Hurting Some Veteran-Owned Businesses
COVID-19 has had a major impact on the U.S. and world economies. Many small, independently owned businesses have had to reevaluate how they operate during this trying time. So it’s not surprising that many veteran-owned businesses are also reeling ...
America’s Coffee is Now in a Can: How Black Rifle Coffee Company Entered the Ready-to-Drink Market
Black Rifle Coffee Company, founded in 2014 by former U.S. Army Green Beret Evan Hafer, originated as a premium, small-batch coffee roaster, with Hafer roasting and shipping coffee out of his garage. The garage didn't last for long though. BRCC ...
How Warrior Rising is Empowering the Next Generation of Veteran Entrepreneurs
Far too often, veterans who have proven themselves in the military find it difficult to articulate their learned skills in the civilian world. Jason Van Camp — a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, decorated Special Forces veteran, ...
Horses for Heroes Gives Veterans the Opportunity to Cowboy Up
Rancher Rick Iannucci is an ordained minister and police chaplin as well as a retired U.S. Marshal and former Green Beret. In 2008, Iannucci and his wife, Nancy DeSantis, were running a ranch rodeo club for 4H children, including their daughter, at ...
GallantFew’s Annual Run Ranger Run Fundraiser Kicks Off February 1
In 2011, Cory Smith, a corporal in the U.S. Army assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment in Fort Benning, Georgia, returned from his second deployment to an empty home. Smith’s wife had left with their daughter, Elliegh, and returned to ...
Global War on Terrorism Memorial: An Unprecedented Project for an Unprecedented War
On Sept. 11, 2019, the Global War on Terrorism turned 18. The GWOT is by far the longest military conflict in U.S. history, eclipsing the previous contender (the Vietnam War) by at least eight years. In 2014, a group of like-minded individuals — ...
How the Spartan Pledge is Working to Prevent Veteran Suicide
“I will not take my own life by my own hand until I talk to my battle buddy first. My mission is to find a mission to help my warfighter family.” These words constitute the Spartan Pledge, a solemn oath meant to reverse the disturbing trend of ...
A Wounded Green Beret’s Son is ‘Brave for His Family’
Thanks to the increasing number of veterans and active duty military personnel who share their stories, many who have never served have a greater understanding of and appreciation for their sacrifices. Unfortunately, their families rarely get the ...
VetXpo 2019: A Powerful Networking Event for Veterans
One of the most difficult aspects of transitioning from military service to civilian life is the loss of the close-knit military community. There are numerous events and organizations that aim to ease that burden, and VetXpo is one of the most ...
How UnCanna is Destigmatizing CBD for the Veteran Community
Coby Cochran, owner of Colorado-based UnCanna, is a former U.S. Army Ranger with 10 years of active duty under his belt. He was also a member of Team 8 in the 2012 Best Ranger Competition. To most, his outward appearance indicated a young, physically ...
Hornady, NSSF Weigh in on Walmart Decision to Drop Handgun Ammo
Last week, Walmart announced its decision to discontinue the sale of .223 and 5.56 ammunition — which they referred to as “short-barreled rifle ammunition” — calibers commonly used in AR-15 rifles. Perhaps even more startling to the firearms industry ...
Meet the Guys Behind the Best Food Trucks on the Road!
Prior to launching San Antonio-based Cruising Kitchens, CEO Cameron Davies built custom vehicles for professional athletes and others who had the resources to make those projects happen. But in 2010, he had the opportunity to design and build his ...
In Search of the Real Rosie the Riveter
o you remember Rosie? She was a young woman in her mid-20s when the U.S. was pulled into World War II in 1941. The iconic poster of her flexing her bicep and clenching her fist has captured the imagination of millions of patriots for more than 75 ...
10 Veteran-Owned Businesses Making a Difference
Skills learned in the military can translate pretty well to the civilian business world. We see that now more than ever with the myriad veteran-owned businesses that populate both the online and brick-and-mortar marketplace. We wanted to shine a ...
A Fresh Voice in the Veteran Community? Meet Dead Reckoning Collective
dead reckoning (ded ˈrek(ə)niNG) noun — a method of establishing one's position using the distance and direction travelled, rather than astronomical observation. (Collins English Dictionary) While most associate “dead reckoning” with seafaring ...
Poppin’ Caps: The Evolution of Veteran-Owned Bottle Breacher
The U.S. Navy SEALs and the U.S. business market are two venues that are known to chew people up and spit them out. A fair amount of perseverance, determination, and grit are required for an individual to forge a successful path in either. No one ...
Mission K9 Rescue is Finding Homes for Heroic Dogs
Imagine you were best friends with your co-worker or employee — that the day-to-day challenges at the office didn’t interfere with your relationship. Your loyalty to your employer and friend would never pose a conflict of interest. What if this ...
Comfort, Fashion, Concealment: How Alexo Athletica is Redefining Concealed Carry
Amy Robbins. AR. How fortunate those initials are for a woman trying to make her mark in the firearms community. Some of you may remember her from NRA-TV, where she appeared regularly on “NOIR,” a program hosted by Colion Noir. Others may be familiar ...