Think tank releases four key strategies for conquering ISIS
To defeat ISIS the Center for New American Security (CNAS) has identified four issues with the U.S. approach and outlined four interlocking recommendations.
Author: John Friberg
49 articles
John is a retired Command Chief Warrant Officer (CW5 180A) with 40 years service in U.S. Army Special Forces with active duty and reserve components. Since his Army retirement he has worked for three years as a Counterinsurgency Advisor in Afghanistan (2012-2014) and as a defense contractor providing exercise support and military advisor training for USSOCOM and NATO (2015-2016). In his civilian occupation (when not on active duty) he worked domestically and overseas in high risk areas as a security consultant specializing in personal protection, protective systems, and anti-terrorism. He holds a Certificate of Proficiency in Security Management from University of Massachusetts - Lowell (one-year program) and a Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree (ALB) from Harvard University concentrating in International Relations.
Polish SOF in Iraq . . . Again
The early recruits for the GROM came from a number of specialized Polish military and police units.
New Contributing Editor joins SOFREP
I look forward to my role as a contributing editor for SOFREP and welcome your suggestions and observations on my reporting, analysis, and commentary.
Integration of Women in SOF Units
In December 2015 Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced that all military training, occupations, and units will be open to women to include those found within the special operations forces. (1). Early in 2015 female volunteers were selected to attend the Army’s Ranger School. The first class started in April 2015 with 19 female students. […]
Spend Big, Fight Small: An Assessment of U.S. Military Needs
Spend big, fight small. Be ready to roll everywhere, but stay out of a big war anywhere.
Elite U.S. Targeting Force Now in Iraq
An elite U.S. special operations targeting force has arrived in Iraq and will carry out operations against the Islamic State, part of a broader effort in 2016 to strike at the militants.
Learning From Our Mistakes in Selection and Training of Military Advisors
The United States will continue to deploy trainers and advisors worldwide as part of its building partnership capacity (BPC) efforts. It appears that we will be committed to advisory efforts in both Iraq and Afghanistan for some time to come.
The Training of Navy SEAL Military War Dogs
Since September 11, canines have taken on larger and more prominent roles throughout the U.S. military, including within the Navy SEALs.
The Key to Successful Afghan Peace Talks
If the Pakistanis are sincere, they will exert influence on the Afghan Taliban to get them to the negotiation table. If not, then there will be just a lot of talking going on about ‘peace talks,’ and America’s longest war will continue.
“rel=”nofollow”: The Terrorist Group That Would Be a State”
“Michael W.S. Ryan presents a net assessment of ISIS: its strengths and weaknesses. The conclusion will propose some recommendations for degrading ISIS, both militarily and ideologically. Clearly, ISIS is a fluid topic, subject to change.” This recently published comprehensive 59-page report by the Center on Irregular Warfare and Armed Groups of the U.S. Naval War […]
Special Operations and the Challenge of Working in the “Gray Zone”
Military, government, academic, and policy gurus are forever formulating new doctrine, concepts, terminology, and acronyms for the military. Years ago there were very few terms to consider (compared to now) in the special operations world – Unconventional Warfare (UW), Foreign Internal Defense (FID), Internal Defense and Development (IDAD), Counterinsurgency (COIN), and a few others. It […]
War Zone Blasts and Brain Damage
“Washington (AFP) – US military members who are exposed to repeated blasts in a war zone may suffer permanent damage in parts of the brain that lend emotional stability, said a study Wednesday.” “Researchers have described mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) — more commonly called “concussion” — as the “signature injury of the wars in […]
