Pete Nealen

About the author

is a former Reconnaissance Marine and veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan. He deployed to Iraq in 2005-2006, and again in 2007, with 1st Platoon, Bravo Company, 1st Recon Bn. After two years of schools and workups, including Scout/Sniper Basic and Team Leader's Courses, he deployed to Afghanistan with 4th Platoon, Force Reconnaissance Company, I MEF. He is now the author of the military thrillers Task Force Desperate, Hunting in the Shadows, and Alone and Unafraid. His latest American Praetorians thriller, The Devil You Don't Know, is now available on Amazon.

The Problem With Dick Measuring

Somewhat in the same vein of Jack’s last post, I’d like to address some of the problems with some of the myths of SOF, and how they’ve affected the rest of the military. From my own personal experience, I can only really address the Marine Corps, but I’m sure those from other services can provide […]

Mosul Has Fallen

Late Monday, June 9, ISIS forces overran the provincial government headquarters building in Mosul.  The Iraqi government no longer has any presence in the city. The assault on the city began on Friday.  Many of the Iraqi security forces are reported to have stripped off their uniforms and fled. While fighters supported by machineguns and […]

General Prayuth’s Military Coup in Thailand

After months of political turmoil between pro-government “red shirts” and anti-government “yellow shirts,” the Thai military launched a coup on May 22, 2014.  This comes in the wake of the declaration of martial law on the 20th. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra suspended the lower house of parliament last year.  Her administration has been plagued by […]

Biafra, Boko Haram, and the Fiction that is Nigeria

Nigeria achieved independence from the UK in October, 1960.  It has seen little but strife ever since.  This is in large part due to the fact that the British laid out the boundaries of the most populous country in Africa without regard to anything but geography.  Nigeria might be a country, but it is not […]

Boko Haram Back on the Radar

On April 14, 2014, Boko Haram kidnapped 270 Nigerian schoolgirls from the hostel where they were staying in Chibok, Borno state, the furthest northeast state in Nigeria.  Borno has been part of the area designated in a state of emergency since May, 2013 by Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, and is one of the states that […]

Sheep, Wolf, or Sheepdog? How About None of the Above?

This one’s going to be a little more philosophical. LTC Dave Grossman wrote an article a number of years ago that has taken the military and armed citizen cultures by storm.  In it, he posited that there are three kinds of people: Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs.  Sheep are, according to the analogy, gentle, peaceful people […]

Bandar Bin Sultan Relieved

On April 15, 2014, the Saudi King Abdullah relieved Prince Bandar bin Sultan, previously Ambassador to the United States, and for the last two years the head of Saudi intelligence, of his posting. According to Saudi news sources, this was by his own request, and Bin Sultan’s recent health problems (he’s 65 years old and […]

A Look Behind the Al Qaeda Curtain – An Interview with Abu Sulayman Al Muhajir

We have reported fairly extensively here on SOFREP about the Islamist rebels in Syria, but most of our reporting has been on their battlefield actions and some of their internet announcements and letters. Here we have an interview with Sheikh Abu Sulayman Al-Muhajir (Abu Sulayman The Immigrant), an Al Qaeda cleric who recruited for Al Qaeda […]

Egypt Sitrep April 2014

The fighting in Egypt between the Egyptian Army and the Muslim Brotherhood has not abated since the Army overthrew President Muhammad Morsi in July of last year.  The majority of the violence appears to be at the hands of the Sinai-based Ansar Beit al Maqdis (Champions of Jerusalem), which was formed at about the same […]

Proliferation of Heavy Weapons in Iraq and Syria

On April 5, video surfaced of Harakat Hazm, a relatively new rebel group (its formation was announced on January 26), utilizing TOW missiles in combat with Syrian regime forces. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0L2uGyD7M04 The TOW is supplied through various military assistance agreements to multiple countries in the region, including Saudi Arabia and Turkey.  While the US has publicly demurred from […]

War Perspective: The American Road To Safety or Ruin

Sun Tzu said, “If you know yourself and know the enemy, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.  If you know yourself and not the enemy, for every victory, you will also suffer a defeat.  If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” There have, over […]