Brandon Webb

The Pararescuemen’s green footprints may have started as a drunken dare in a dingy tattoo parlor near the Mekong, but they’ve become an enduring symbol of PJ grit, pride, and valor that spans battlefields from Southeast Asia to the War on Terror.

From AIRMAN Magazine: So Others May Live “Airmen must complete 62-weeks of training before receiving the title, Air Force Pararescueman. Airmen receive initial indoctrination training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, the Gateway to the Air Force and for becoming a pararescueman. At Lackland, pararescuemen endure extreme physical conditioning and mental preparation during a 9-week […]

Pararescuemen are known as PJs, for Pararescue Jumpers. They hold a very unique position as USSOCOM (indeed all of DOD’s) only specific CSAR (Combat Search and Rescue) career field, trained and equipped to conduct both conventional and unconventional recovery missions, CASEVAC and MEDEVAC. They are not simply medics, and they are anything but unarmed. Their […]

Air Commando weaponry runs virtually the same gamut as other USSOCOM personnel. They use the M4 (frequently suppressed), the MP5SD and other variants, the MK 12 (also frequently suppressed), the M9, M11, the M870…pretty much the weapons and other high speed furniture the other SOF elements use (if not the heavier stuff with any frequency) […]

“In the relatively finite black SOF world, assaulters and snipers are a dime a dozen. Yes, these men are trained in multiple deadly skill sets and the dark arts of counterterrorism. But if you asked what tool of the trade would be the very last thing they would leave behind, you might be surprised at […]

Combat Controllers are the combat airmen of the CCTs (Combat Control Teams). Their motto is First There, representing their traditional deployment ahead of conventional and even other SOF troops into forward areas and hostile environments in order to establish assault zones and perform other missions. They are ground combat forces acting much like pathfinders, working […]

So you want to be a Recon Marine? First, not that we have to say it, but you need to become a US Marine. You can start the process by talking with your local recruiter and telling them you want to go Recon, or by visiting Marines.com. Listed below are entry requirements for anyone looking […]

Here’s a rundown of the weapons currently used by Recon Battalions: M4 Carbine The M4 is a direct gas impingement rifle that fires the NATO 5.56. The standard M4 barrel length is 14.5, but can be outfitted with different barrel length uppers. M9   The M9 Beretta is a semi-automatic pistol that fires a 9mm […]

Your life at Recon Battalion is basically broken down into phases. This, of course, is once you’re an operational member of a team. And, with the current level of combat deployments, this “phase” system is not always in place. Of course, when guys aren’t sweating it out training for war, there’s plenty of time off. […]

First off, let’s discuss the specific role of Recon Battalion (or Division Recon). They are the eyes and ears of the Marine Division, providing ground and amphibious reconnaissance and surveillance support. With the recent reorganization of the reconnaissance community, Recon Battalion is also providing direct support to the Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) in the form […]

Naval Special Warfare (NSW) is comprised of approximately 8,900 total personnel, including more than 2,400 active-duty Special Warfare Operators, known as SEALs, 700 Special Warfare Boat Operators, also known as Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen (SWCC), 700 reserve personnel, 4,100 support personnel and more than 1,100 civilians. Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC or “WARCOM”) is a […]

On the wall of the Command Chief’s office at the 1ST Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, hang a Spartan spear and shield, as well as the mask and sword of the Persians the fought. They were hung there by a PJ, Chief Master Sgt. Ramon Colon-Lopez when he assumed the billet of Command Chief. They […]