Matthew VanDyke
Matthew VanDyke | |
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| Born | June 11, 1979 |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Matt VanDyke |
| Education | University of Maryland, Baltimore County Georgetown University |
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| Known for | Founder of Sons of Liberty International, fighting on the side of the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi in the Libyan Civil War, assisting the uprising against Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian Civil War, training, advising, and fighting alongside Iraqi Assyrian forces against ISIS in the War in Iraq (2013–2017), fighting against Russia in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, running covert operations against the regime of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela |
| Notable work |
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| Website | matthewvandyke |
Matthew VanDyke (born June 11, 1979) is an American international security analyst, foreign fighter, media personality, documentary filmmaker, and founder of the non-profit organization Sons of Liberty International (SOLI). He first gained fame during the Libyan Civil War as a foreign fighter on the side of the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi and as a prisoner of war.
As a journalist and documentary filmmaker, VanDyke traveled throughout North Africa and the Middle East by motorcycle from 2007 to 2011. His experiences and observations during these four years led him to join the Libyan Civil War as a rebel fighter. VanDyke has publicly supported revolutions in the Middle East, and North Africa, and has worked as a filmmaker in the Syrian Civil War and fought as an armed combatant.
In 2014, he founded Sons of Liberty International (SOLI), a 501(c)(3) organization that provides military training, advising, and supplies to forces fighting against authoritarian regimes and terrorists.
VanDyke and his organization have been working in Ukraine since March 2022, helping the Ukrainian military in their fight against Russia in the Russo-Ukrainian War.
In addition to SOLI's mission, VanDyke enlisted in the Armed Forces of Ukraine to fight as a combatant in the war against Russia.