The Internet’s Self-Taught Soldier

From 2011-2012, a poster from the Something Awful forums taught himself emergency medicine, purchased combat gear, and flew to Libya and Syria in order to document and fight in two civil wars. This is the story of Kevin Dawes.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/atrocityguide
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AtrocityGuide
Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/AtrocityGuide/

Sources:

NPR Interview:
https://www.npr.org/2011/10/24/141646227/u-s-aid-worker-took-up-arms-with-libyas-rebels

GQ Article:
https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/syria-isis-kevin-dawes

Kevin’s Blog: https://steemit.com/syria/@kpatrickdawes/glasshouse-a-true-story-of-the-arab-spring-part-1

Washington Post Article:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/american-freelance-photographer-freed-in-syria/2016/04/08/8628e5d0-fd88-11e5-80e4-c381214de1a3_story.html?noredirect=on

Bellingcat:
https://www.bellingcat.com/

Music credits:
“Night Music” by Kevin MacLeod
“Ether Oar” by The Whole Other
“Fairy Meeting” by Emily A. Sprague

Stock Footage provided by https://goo.gl/dhzYHQ

Written by 92.9 The Torch