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The tactical athlete is always balancing training routines that build a foundation of strength and durability with those that develop endurance and work capacity. Here is a practical workout that puts tactical fitness into practice. This is a classic tactical fitness matrix combining strength, calisthenics and cardiovascular conditioning into a single, cohesive training day. Here we combine best practices of training style to create a program that helps the athlete “get good at everything.” This workout is designed to test your ability to transition seamlessly between heavy tactical strength and high-heart-rate endurance. We aren’t just building muscle for show; we…

The shift from the older Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT), which tested only pushups, situps and a 2-mile run, to the new Army Fitness Test (AFT) reflects a bigger change in what “fit” means for soldiers. The new test is more comprehensive and tests more elements of fitness than just muscle stamina and endurance. Endurance still matters, of course, but the AFT asks a different question: Can you move fast, move loaded, and stay strong when the load gets heavy? The 3-rep max hex bar deadlift and the sprint-drag-carry events of the AFT are direct ways to answer that question…

When you tell a former athlete who is now a recruit preparing for various military training opportunities that they need to do both heavy weightlifting and more cardio, it hits hard for many. Typically, depending on the recruit’s athletic history, one (strength or cardio) is very likely a weakness and the other a strength. For instance, strength athletes may be weak in muscle stamina and cardio endurance. Endurance athletes may be weak in strength and power. Here is a question commonly asked by athletes seeking to join the military: Stew, I’m trying to get my ruck times down for selection,…

The conversation around veteran suicide prevention has grown considerably in recent years: more funding, more programs, more technology, more public awareness. What has not grown at the same pace is the understanding of one of the most significant risk factors driving that suicide rate: traumatic brain injury. Veterans diagnosed with TBI face a 56 percent higher risk of dying by suicide compared to veterans without a head injury diagnosis. That statistic is not new. What is new is that a national coalition launched in March 2026 is specifically building its entire model around it. Heads Up Vet, announced in March…

The Department of Veterans Affairs began enrolling veterans in its first-ever clinical trial of therapy assisted by MDMA, or Ecstasy, in May 2026. The program targets treatment-resistant PTSD and alcohol use disorder. The announcement did not come with a major press rollout. But for veterans who have cycled through medication management, group therapy, prolonged exposure, cognitive processing therapy and residential programs — and are still struggling — it landed anyway. The trial is real, and it is a meaningful step. It is also, by design, small, tightly controlled, and years away from producing results. Veterans reading about it should understand…

Being a public servant of any kind can be kind of tricky. After all, you’re working for the government, and that can mean massive swings in what that government actually seeks to accomplish. It’s also important that those who work for the government do their best to keep their own opinions in check, at least while working in an official capacity. Everyone is welcome to their own opinions, but they’re not free to express them on the taxpayer’s dime. However, in Colorado, the Rocky Mountain Gun Owners’ Cory Gaines argues that some public servants are…

A new law extends free TSA PreCheck to certain severely disabled veterans. Active-duty members have always had it free through their Defense Department ID. Gold Star families qualify, too. Here is a complete breakdown of who gets what and what each group needs to do. How to Get TSA PreCheck for Free TSA PreCheck, the program that lets travelers keep their shoes on, skip the regular security line, and move through a dedicated fast lane at more than 200 airports, costs $85 for a five-year membership through the standard civilian process. For a growing number of military-connected travelers, it costs…

The military produces entrepreneurs at rates higher than the general population: Veterans are 45 percent more likely to be self-employed than nonveterans, according to Small Business Administration data. What it produces less reliably is the business training and startup capital to turn that entrepreneurial drive into sustainable companies. Warrior Rising, a nonprofit supported by the SBA, has built a pipeline designed to address both gaps, and the grant funding at the end of that pipeline can reach $20,000. The VA has been highlighting Warrior Rising’s Warrior University program across its news channels this year as a resource for veteran and…

Let me tell you something about bug out bags: No one gets it exactly right the first time. If you think you can assemble a bug out bag once and then forget about it forever, you are gravely mistaken. There are bound to be a few crucial items missing. That’s why it’s important to regularly look over and update your bug out bag. Most preppers focus on the obvious stuff: a knife, fire starter, first aid kit. But it’s the overlooked items that tend to bite you when things go sideways. The difference between a good bug out bag and…

California isn’t the only state to have banned Glock handguns, but it was the first and the largest. While anti-gunners and their media buddies have termed them “DIY machine guns,” the truth is that the Glock isn’t anything of the sort. The auto sears, which are illegal under federal law and have been since the moment they were invented, are the machine guns. Still, anti-gun states don’t care, and with California, that lack of care impacts all of us. See, the problem isn’t just that residents in California are prohibited from buying the most popular…

Current and future transgender military service members have claimed a new victory after a court granted a motion for class certification as part of a legal battle that began in January 2025. The Federal District Court for the District of Columbia on Tuesday afternoon granted a motion for class certification in Talbott v. USA (formerly Talbott v. Trump), the ongoing legal challenge to the transgender military ban pushed by President Donald Trump and executed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The ruling for class certification allows plaintiffs to seek to extend protections won in Talbott v. Trump to all transgender service…