Alex Hollings

Alex Hollings Alex Hollings writes on a breadth of subjects ranging from fitness to foreign policy, all presented through the lens of his experiences as a U.S. Marine, athlete and scholar. A football player, rugby player and fighter, Hollings has spent the better part of his adult life competing in some of the most physically demanding sports on the planet. Hollings possesses a master's degree in communications from Southern New Hampshire University, as well as a bachelor's degree in Corporate and Organizational Communications from Framingham State University.

Wish I was kidding: Hi-Point set to release their new ‘Yeet Cannon’ later this year

HiPoint’s C9 9mm pistol is already a favorite among drug dealers and that fat guy you know that wears a load bearing vest to the grocery store. When I say that it’s a terrible pistol, I want to assure you that I’m not just jumping on the internet hate bandwagon. I actually bought an old […]

Click here to win this MyMedic RangeMedic Kit that’s worth $150!

Chances are, you clicked this link because you could use a good quality medical kit (or just like free stuff). In either case, you’re in the right place. MyMedic assembled their RangeMedic kits by compiling injury data associated with hunting accidents, shooting ranges, and direct testimonials provided by military and law enforcement professionals. What they […]

Oakley SI Gascans — Thin Blue Line Edition

When it comes to sunglasses and eye protection, there are a lot of brands to choose from. Few, however, have a history of use in the law enforcement community quite like Oakley. That’s what Oakley’s Standard Issue division is all about: making the best shades on the market for government, military, and law enforcement use […]

Darkness and confusion may be the biggest killer in future wars—will anyone be safe?

Today’s world, while safer for most than at any other time in human history, is ripe with burgeoning conflict, simmering just beneath the surface. Civil wars and regional spats in nations like Yemen and Syria draw powerful militaries into proxy-conflicts. Looming concerns about a resource-scarce future have prompted Russia to lay claim to the Arctic, […]

The problem with military leadership, as told by 3 monkeys and a step ladder

The military is made up of all sorts of people. The good, the bad, and the ugly all find their ways into uniforms, and although much of the training service members undergo is intended to improve upon our abilities to lead, some aspects of good leadership are innate and unlearnable. Some men and women just […]

Watch: See what it’s like to be on the receiving end of an A-10 Warthog strafing run

The 30 mm General Electric GAU-8/A Avenger rotary canon first entered into service in 1977. The 619 pound monster Gatling gun measured just shy of 2 feet wide and 20 feet long when completed, but more than compensating for its gargantuan size by boasting a terrifying fire rate of 3,900 rounds per minute, fired from […]

Three things that seem like they’ll kill you (but probably won’t)

People have always been fascinated with death, and for good reason. Despite the massive breadth of experiences that one can accumulate over a lifetime on Earth, our final disposition after we exhale our last breath remains a unique kind of mystery: one we will all eventually solve, but can never relay to others. Death represents […]

The RifleMug is an Army Ranger’s solution to your boring coffee cup

Here at the Loadout Room, we tend not to throw our hats into the Kickstarter ring all that often. It’s not that we aren’t a fan of crowd funding projects, it’s that we review gear — and most Kickstarters don’t have stuff for us to smash up on camera behind the office (what we call […]

ShotStop: The body armor Batman would wear

The tactical industry isn’t getting any smaller. Every day, my Facebook newsfeed seems all the more inundated with companies selling you the “operator” fantasy, keen to convince you that you need the same kit Seal Team 6 used on the Bin Laden raid to clear your kitchen when you hear a bump in the night. […]

Watch Black Panther’s Micheal B. Jordan learn how to shoot from John Wick’s coach

Over the past few years, footage of Keanu Reeves demonstrating his prowess on Taran Tactical’s 3-gun range has taken the internet by storm — and with good reason. In this modern era of high budget special effects and personal politics seeping into people’s work, it’s not all that common to see anyone in Hollywood pick […]