“If a man says he isn’t afraid of dying, he is either a liar or a Gurkha.”
— Sam Manekshaw.

Visakhapatnam, India. (April 13, 2025): In this photo by 1st Sergeant James Tomlinson, a Soldier assigned to Bayonet Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division, provides cover for an Indian Army Gurkha rifleman. The Gurkhas are natives of Nepal with a fearsome reputation for effectiveness in combat. The Americans were in India participating in this year’s Tiger Triumph exercises.

The British Army “discovered” these fierce fighters early in the 19^th century and hired them to protect its interests in neighboring India. During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, Gurkhas fought on the British side where they were officially became known as the Gurkha Rifles.