Jack Murphy

1st SOW has the MC130, which is their troop carrier aircraft, and which also has the capability to pluck a single individual out of an open field without landing, using a device called the Fulton Recovery System, aka the Skyhook. This gizmo has been around for years. In fact James Bond used it at the […]

While controversy and many unanswered questions continue to surround this weeks failed hostage rescue mission by Britain’s SBS in Nigeria, it may be useful to take a look back at the over all track record that both the SBS and SAS have had with these types of missions.  A huge thanks to SOFREP reader Chris […]

The Eastern Oregon Regional Airport will come under assault Monday by an elite military team supported by an array of specialized aircraft. Don’t be alarmed. They’re on our side. And it’s only a drill. The 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, a U.S. Army unit stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, returns Monday through Thursday to […]

There is a small but growing genre out there that exists in the intersection between history, mechanical engineering, and the intrigue that often surrounds the world of small arms weapons manufacturing. Let’s be honest with ourselves for a moment, as current and former Soldiers and Law Enforcement Officers, there is a tremendous amount of misinformation, […]

In the wake of the failed hostage rescue mission conducted by the British SBS in Nigeria, it may also prove useful to take a look back at JSOC hostage rescue missions as well.  Special thanks to SOFREP reader Chris for his hard work in compiling this information for us. The successful rescue of Jessica Buchanan […]

“This should have been done 50 years ago,” Brig. Gen Edward M. Reeder, Jr. told an applauding audience at the first Green Beret Foundation gala fundraiser in San Antonio, Texas during the summer. As the guest speaker, the U.S. Army Special Forces Commanding General told stunning stories of incredible valor by today’s Green Berets, the […]

Since last night I’ve been following up on the shooting that occurred on the 15th which left one Special Forces Soldier dead and a police officer injured.  This stuff tears us up inside because this story just goes from bad to worse and I suspect that some serious repercussions are coming down the line and […]

A while back a friend asked me what the differences are, between the Special Forces of my day, and this generation of Green Berets. After careful thought I have decided that the spirit is virtually identical, the mission and organization are basically the same, and everything else is a lot different. The spirit of Special […]

Initial information that I’ve gotten is that this 5th Group soldier shot the guy who was cheating with his wife, the police got called in, he shoots one and takes the rest hostage.  Clarksville Police Department surrounds the place and fires tear gas into the apartment until he surrenders.  Developing… CLARKSVILLE, TENN.— A Clarksville man […]

The military is full of professional jargon and SOF is certainly no exception.  With the growing interest in Special Operations, I hear a lot of terminology used to describe us that makes me cringe.  The worst part is that some of these terms are thrown around so often that they become an institution in and […]

From David Axe, writing for AOL: In Afghanistan formal institutions such as banks, police and courts are under-developed, but traditional bodies – the non-binding shura councils and the decision-making jirga groups, for example – are highly refined and widely-respected. It would be quicker and more lasting to embed reform efforts in the shura and jirga, […]

‘%EMBED1%’ As the GWOT continues to wind down for a large swath of the US Military, the Special Operations community defense planners and military leaders are sure to have their eye on the next conflict that America could be facing.  While I’m the first to point out that there is a lot of hype going […]