Steve Balestrieri

About the author

Steve is a SOFREP Senior Editor. He has served as a Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer before injuries forced his early separation. He writes for SOFREP and covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and his work was regularly featured in the Millbury-Sutton Chronicle and Grafton News newspapers.
Captain Albert Berry: The World’s First Aircraft Parachutist

Captain Albert Berry: The World’s First Aircraft Parachutist

Today we are well used to seeing parachutists both civilian and military leap from aircraft and land with better precision and safety than ever before. It has become a staple of military forces to project power anywhere on the globe by inserting a force through the air by parachute. But did you know that the […]

After 19 years of war, U.S. troops begin withdrawing from Afghanistan

After 19 years of war, U.S. troops begin withdrawing from Afghanistan

The United States has begun the initial, gradual withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan in keeping with the peace agreement signed with the Taliban on Feb. 29. The Pentagon confirmed this despite the political chaos surrounding the Kabul government. Under the peace agreement, U.S. forces will be reduced from 13,000 to 8,600 over the next 135 […]

Pentagon identifies fallen Marine Raiders killed in Kurdistan

Pentagon identifies fallen Marine Raiders killed in Kurdistan

The Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) has identified the two Marine Raiders, who were killed in action, supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, March 8. The two Critical Skills Operators killed in action are Gunnery Sgt. Diego D. Pongo, a critical skills operator from Simi Valley, Calif., and Capt. Moises A. Navas, a special operations officer […]

A Night of Terror worse than the Atomic bombs: The Tokyo Firebombing

A Night of Terror worse than the Atomic bombs: The Tokyo Firebombing

Seventy-five years ago, the entire world was still at war. In Europe, the Allied armies of American, British, Canadian and Free French forces were pushing Germany in the west while huge Soviet armies were driving east into Germany. Other Allied troops were pushing northward up through Italy, putting the Nazis into an ever-tighter circle. In […]

U.N. calls for cessation of hostilities in Yemen, will anyone listen?

U.N. calls for cessation of hostilities in Yemen, will anyone listen?

The United Nations is calling for all parties in the fighting in Yemen to suspend operations as the civilian toll on lives lost and people displaced continues to grow.  Martin Griffiths, the U.N.’s Special Envoy, is trying to get the peace efforts restarted between the Saudi-led coalition that is supporting the Yemeni government and the […]

Breaking: Two Marine Raiders killed in Kurdistan fighting ISIS

Breaking: Two Marine Raiders killed in Kurdistan fighting ISIS

Two American Special Operations advisors to the Iraqi Special Forces were killed during an operation against Islamic State (ISIS) remnants in the Qarachogh mountain region of northern Iraq on Sunday, the U.S.-led coalition released in a statement Monday. “Two U.S. service members were killed by the enemy while advising and accompanying Iraqi Special Forces during […]

Who benefits the most from the ceasefire in Syria?

Who benefits the most from the ceasefire in Syria?

The most recent ceasefire in Syria, which was initiated by the Russians and Turks, has temporarily (at least) stopped the bloodshed and the massive humanitarian wave of refugees streaming for the Turkish border. But that ceasefire, while beneficial to both the Turks and Russians, isn’t so for the Iranians, while it leaves the Syrian regime […]

Preparing the Special Forces operator for the Unconventional Warfare environment

Preparing the Special Forces operator for the Unconventional Warfare environment

The task of the Special Forces Assessment and Selection course is identifying the candidates who are suitable for Special Forces training. And two of the primary functions of Special Forces are UW (Unconventional Warfare) and FID (Foreign Internal Defense). It is important that the schools don’t lose sight of that fact as SOF (Special Operations […]

Pentagon is looking to cut outdated missions, it should begin with this one

Pentagon is looking to cut outdated missions, it should begin with this one

For the past several months, the United States military has been looking at cutting troop levels in Africa, South America, and other places. This is in an effort to beef up the conventional forces to face the potential threats of the near-peer militaries of China and Russia in a conventional war that will never happen.  […]

American airstrikes on al-Shabaab in Somalia kill 4 terrorists

American airstrikes on al-Shabaab in Somalia kill 4 terrorists

American drones hit al-Shabab members for the fourth time in just over a week as the latest airstrike took out four suspected terrorists in the Somali town of  Gandarshe, on Saturday. And on Monday an airstrike in the Somali town of Qunyo Barrow killed an al-Shabab member on Thursday and another terrorist and wounded two […]

After more bloodshed, Turkey and Russia agree to a ceasefire in Syria

After more bloodshed, Turkey and Russia agree to a ceasefire in Syria

In a move that is hoped to curtail the increased violence in the Syrian province of Idlib Turkey and Russia have announced a ceasefire agreement for Idlib, after a six-hour meeting in Moscow. Idlib is the last rebel stronghold in Syria and has been the hub of increased violence and bloodshed since December when a […]

Israeli Air Force keeps attacking Iranian proxies in Syria

Israeli Air Force keeps attacking Iranian proxies in Syria

Israeli aircraft, flying over Lebanese airspace, launched missile attacks at several targets in Syria near the Golan Heights early Thursday morning.  The Syrian state-run news agency SANA, citing a military source, reported that the attacks took place in southern and central Syria and that Syrian air defense systems had intercepted all of the Israeli missiles.  […]