VAGABONDS : tourists into the heart of darkness

Two ex-Green Berets recount their missions after two decades in Special Forces, from running counter-terrorism training to rescuing kidnap victims & more. A lot of confusion, a lot of humor, a lot of broken dreams and broken promises, an occasional triumph . . . 1978—A chance meeting on a remote military airbase between two Green Berets involved in the same operation leads to a partnership that will last over forty years. Four years after that meeting, Nick Brokhausen and Jeff Miller leave the service within a few weeks of each other and begin an odyssey that takes them to dozens of countries on five continents. Along with a small coterie of fellow former Special Operations and intelligence community veterans like Penguini, Max, Reek, The Spider Woman, and a score of others—some heroes and some villains—they undertake a variety of missions for the government, other governments, large multinational corporations mostly in the aerospace or resource development industries, and occasionally just for suffering individuals who cannot find help anywhere else. In the process they lay the groundwork for an entire new industry of private military contractors. Two men sadly just a bit ahead of their time. Every episode in this book actually happened. Not always precisely as described herein, but close. Changes have been made sometimes to make the narrative flow more smoothly, some to obfuscate events that might be flirting with classification issues . . . Names have been changed, not always to protect the innocent. But the underlying story is, for the most part, the reality as they lived it. “A fascinating account of an extraordinary series of adventures.” — Journal of Counterterrorism & Homeland Security International "A lot of confusion, a lot of humor, a lot of broken dreams and broken promises, an occasional triumph." Once a soldier has survived the ultimate contest between skill, luck, and happenstance, which defines combat, everything else seems easy and within reach. In his military career Nick Brokhausen had participated in some of the most dangerous and daring operations the United States had undertaken as a nation. After two decades in the Special Forces, including two deployments to MACV-SOG, he decided to leave the service and reinvent himself. Teaming up with Jeff Miller and other SF vets, Nick decided to use the skills he had acquired in his military career to make his way in the world. In his own inimitable style, Nick weaves the tale of a truly unique career path, running counter-terrorism training courses for SWAT teams, testing the security for the Los Angeles Olympics, training private bodyguards for wealthy families in Mexico, working security projects around the world, recovering kidnap victims, and advising resource developers. Things rarely go to plan, but a mere detail like that never stops the Green Berets. After two decades in the Special Forces, Nick Brokhausen and friends make their way in the world using their unique skill set: from running counter-terrorism training to recovering kidnap victims.