Dan Tharp

Pushing a man to his limits and instilling desire while holding to the rigorous standards gave the best results.

Every so often extraordinary men emerge. Robert MacKenzie was such a man doing more than most to stop Communism.

Read the previous part here.  With the 1960s coming to a close and the success rate of incursions into Rhodesia from Zambia dropping to practically zero, both African nationalist groups ZANU and ZAPU looked for alternatives. To the east of Rhodesia lay the country of Mozambique. Rhodesia and Mozambique had established a good relationship and […]

You can read the previous part here. We explored the historical background of the Rhodesian SAS C Squadron. Now it is time to focus on a few of the missions that they undertook during the Rhodesian Bush War, a war that threatened to destroy the government of Rhodesia, take the land and evict those of […]

The men of the Malayan Scouts returned as Heroes to their Native Rhodesia. Filled with experience and the haggard look of men hardened by battle, they were promptly deactivated. Rhodesia relied mainly on the Rhodesian African Rifles, the Native Regiment led by white officers and Territorials or Reservists for their standing Army. Like many Armies […]

The U.K.’s Special Air Service needs no introduction to anyone remotely interested in military history or Special Operations. However, there is much more to learn about this elite unit when one traces its existence and influence across the once global British Empire. Much of the power of the Brits was derived from their colonies and […]

The continent of Africa in the 1990s was a cauldron of warlords, failed states, and genocide. From the Rwandan genocide in the east to the decades-long civil war in Angola in the west, to the changes in post-apartheid government of South Africa, people were dying, dictators oppressed their own people, and the continent cried out for solutions. The […]

This is a book review of former Navy SEAL Brandon Webb’s most recent book, “The Power of Thought.”

On their ride back to Rhodesia, they were informed that a radio intercept confirmed the sabotage had worked and killed several Terrs.

In 1977 and 1978, Rhodesia’s war against the communist terrorists was heating up to proportions not experienced before. It was all hands on decks. Contacts and casualties mounted as the CTs grew exponentially and began utilizing the border of Mozambique, at that point abandoned by the Portuguese colonials. In particular, the Gaza province was made up […]

Blue Forces (BLUFOR) pushed off the FOB late in the afternoon, just as the sun started to make its descent towards the horizon. White Cell “higher command” had issued yet another FRAGO to the patrol before stepping off their LD. Halfway through the week-long field exercise, the strains of the prior days began to make […]

My writing on SOFREP has been limited to Rhodesia and its Special Operations Units during the Bush War. Trying to understand the conflicts in Southern Africa require a historical setting and an understanding of the history and culture of those nations. Most Americans see the end of the Vietnam War as a détente of sorts […]