Veterans make amazing YouTubers! They’re energetic, outgoing and have interesting information to pass on to their viewers. As with any YouTube channel, not everyone is going to make it big, but there are several which have managed to pull ahead through hard work, persistence and savvy marketing techniques.
Here are six Veteran YouTube channels which stand out from the pack. Check them out and show your support!
1.) CT Fletcher Motivation
An ex-Army Ranger and self-proclaimed Iron Addict, C.T. Fletcher has carved out a massive following of nearly 1.5 million subscribers. His high-octane, not always “suitable for work” videos focus on pretty much one thing: powerlifting!
Born in 1959 in Arkansas, Fletcher joined the Army at age 18, was stationed in Germany, and took up martial arts before going on to become a three-time World Bench Press Champion and three-time World Strict Curl Champion. He later suffered from heart problems which caused his surgeon to tell him he’d never be able to lift weights again.
Determined to prove them wrong, Fletcher set out to build up not only his own body but his own business. He owns the Iron Addicts Brand which features nutritional supplements and a gym. In May 2018, Fletcher underwent an 11 hour heart transplant operation, but was back up on YouTube soon after, showing his thanks and gratitude to the hospital team which saved his life. Head over to CT Fletcher Motivation and prepared to be pumped up!
2.) Austen Alexander
Alexander is an enlisted Sailor who dedicates his growingly popular channel to the basics of day-to-day life in the Navy. There’s an emphasis on workouts, since he’s into bodybuilding and runs a separate website devoted to lifting, dieting and nutrition. But he also does explanatory videos related to pay and financial advice, dating, rescuing puppies and even YouTubing itself.
Alexander’s most popular videos tend to be his “challenges,” featuring fitness contests between Sailors and Marines, Marines and Federal Officers and US vs UK. But his most viewed video to date is (surprisingly) “Ms. Bikini Olympia Attempts the US Navy Physical Test.”
Some of his videos are very low key, standard homemade stuff, but others are polished and professional. Overall, he seems like a genuinely fun guy to watch, so we give his self-titled channel a “Subscribe” recommendation!
3.) A Combat Veteran
When you want a break from the workout videos, A Combat Veteran offers up some military-themed comic relief. Drew Hernandez served on active duty as an MP before getting out in 2011. A Veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, Hernandez broke into YouTube with his channel featuring brief, sarcasm-laden videos geared towards those with a short attention span (which is, basically, most YouTube watchers). Many of the videos are very informative, others focus strictly on making you laugh.
When he’s not busy with the comedy vlogs, Hernandez makes Veteran-themed music videos under the pseudonym OBD “Our Boy Drew,” alongside The Hustle Standard. These somber videos showcase a more serious side to the budding artist. His new album R.E.D. (Remember Everyone Deployed) can be found online. Show him some love!
4.) ARMYprinncess
ARMYprinncess is what it sounds like, a YouTuber channel devoted to female topics for female troops. From maternity uniforms to the challenges of styling hair in basic training, this channel tackles the unique topics you won’t find addressed in many other places.
Not as broad a niche as fitness, these fun and frank videos are tailored to answer the specific types of questions and problems faced by women in the Armed Forces, as explained by a career Army soldier. With new videos uploaded every Monday, ARMYprinncess promises to help viewers “become the BEST Soldier you can be!”
5.) BullyJuice
BullyJuice breaks everything down for his viewers, from MEPS, basic military training, tattoo policies, packing for deployments, enlisting with a college degree and of course fitness. Lots of fitness!
Made by active duty Airman Darryl Williams, Jr., BullyJuice has been on YouTube for about three years, with both his subscriber base and his muscles steadily growing. He’s recently opted to shy away from making too many “behind-the-scenes”-type videos about the Air Force. As he put it himself, “I want to make it out of the military without getting in trouble.” So he’s now focused on content explaining specific workout and exercise techniques, like explosive push-ups, working out with no equipment and tips for hardgainers. Check out his videos here!
6.) WarLeaks
WarLeaks is a channel “devoted to armed forces and military technologies” focusing on short displays of awesome military power from around the globe. There are usually no talking heads and no snarky commentary, just straight up footage from real deployments, such as “Lucky Marine Survives Sniper Headshot By Inches In Afghanistan” and “Awesome A-10 Thunderbolt II Brrrt Compilation – Happy Brrrt Day Special.”
With nearly a million subscribers, this channel knows exactly what its audience wants and serves it up on a weekly basis. So the next time you’re in the mood to see an Apache clear a safe landing zone for a troop carrier in a training exercise (and why wouldn’t you want to see this?), check out WarLeaks!
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