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.
Ranger regiment testing new rucksacks for Airborne Operations

Ranger regiment testing new rucksacks for Airborne Operations

The 75th Ranger Regiment is working with the U.S. Army Operational Test Command’s (OTC) Airborne and Special Operations Test Directorate (ABNSOTD) based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to put some new rucksacks through their paces during airborne operations. The Rangers are testing out three different rucksacks that are produced by Mystery Ranch Mountain Backpacks, a […]

Women and SOF selection, a former Special Forces instructor speaks out

Women and SOF selection, a former Special Forces instructor speaks out

Sometimes you read things in the news and are thoroughly amazed and awed by some of the fantastic things people think of and make happen. Other times you can read something and be thoroughly amazed and awed for the opposite reasons and wonder, “What the hell are they thinking?” Recently, the Pentagon has resolved to […]

Argentina cracks down on Hezbollah, but its neighbors must do the same

Argentina cracks down on Hezbollah, but its neighbors must do the same

On Saturday July 13th, the President of Argentina Mauricio Macri said his country is “moving forward” to declare the armed Lebanese group Hezbollah a terrorist organization. Macri announced this in an interview with CNN Español. Hezbollah is based in Lebanon but is an Iranian proxy, and is long suspected of carrying out two deadly terrorist […]

Apollo 11: One of the most significant events of the 20th century

Apollo 11: One of the most significant events of the 20th century

It’s hard to believe, but it’s been 50 years since the first Moon landing and this week people from all over the world are celebrating the anniversary of “a giant leap for mankind.” More than 400,000 people worked behind the scenes at NASA to make it happen, culminating a decade of space exploration, full of […]

The WWI hero that pioneered US global intelligence

The WWI hero that pioneered US global intelligence

On the eve of the United States entering World War II, the U.S. was woefully unprepared—both militarily and in the realm of intelligence. The United States did not have a professional intelligence service, but that was about to change. President Franklin D. Roosevelt recognized the need for a professional global intelligence service. He was worried […]

Another 10th Special Forces Group soldier killed in action in Afghanistan

Another 10th Special Forces Group soldier killed in action in Afghanistan

A U.S. Special Forces soldier was killed “in action” in Afghanistan on Saturday, the Pentagon announced in a brief statement. That soldier is identified as Sgt. Maj. James G. “Ryan” Sartor, a 40-year-old from Teague, Texas, assigned to 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne). He was killed during combat operations in Faryab Province, Afghanistan. The sergeant […]

US Army officer convicted of murdering Afghan civilians to receive an appeal

US Army officer convicted of murdering Afghan civilians to receive an appeal

Having previously gotten nowhere with their appeals to the military, the attorneys for former Army 1st Lt. Clint Lorance will soon have their appeal heard by a civilian federal court in Kansas. Lorance was convicted by a military court-martial of murdering two unarmed Afghan civilians on July 2, 2012. Lorance’s platoon, part of the 82nd […]

Binging war films on the 4th of July? Here’s a good list

Binging war films on the 4th of July? Here’s a good list

A very happy Independence Day to you, and Treason Day to my friends from across the pond. Who knew that a bunch of hot-headed vandals from Boston would create all of this by throwing some tea in Boston Harbor. Sounds like the guys I grew up with. We’re celebrating our 243rd year of independence from […]

How would you rank in the US Army’s new combat fitness test?

How would you rank in the US Army’s new combat fitness test?

The Army is expected to make some final changes to how they’ll grade the new physical training (PT) test. Having been stuck with the same three-event PT test since 1980, the Army spent six years developing a new six-event test that better measures muscular strength, endurance, power, pliability, coordination, speed, agility, cardiovascular endurance, balance, and […]

Colombian Special Forces operators win Fuerzas Commando 2019 special ops competition

Colombian Special Forces operators win Fuerzas Commando 2019 special ops competition

The Colombian Army Special Operations Forces took home the prestigious top honors at the 15th annual Fuerzas Commando 2019 competition.  Fuerzas Commando is a friendly but spirited competition of special operations military and police units from Central and South America. The competition, which began in 2004, is sponsored by the United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) […]

1st Special Forces Group marks anniversary and a celebrated history

1st Special Forces Group marks anniversary and a celebrated history

The 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) was formed on June 24, 1957, and is 62 years old* this week. The 1st SFG (A) is the SF group tasked with an area of operations within the Asia-Pacific theater, although many of the group’s teams have served in both Afghanistan and Iraq. The United States Army Special […]