M-1 Garand, “The greatest battle implement ever devised”, Adopted Today 1936

M-1 Garand, “The greatest battle implement ever devised”, Adopted Today 1936

The United States Army was the only combatant to enter World War II who armed their standard infantrymen with a semi-automatic rifle. The rifle was an iconic image of the American GI of our Greatest Generation during the war. And the Garand served from the steaming jungles of the Pacific to the sands of North […]

Don’t Be a Babylonian, Stick to Those New Year’s Resolutions

Don’t Be a Babylonian, Stick to Those New Year’s Resolutions

We hope that all of you had a fantastic, happy and healthy Christmas and New Year. And now that the holidays are over we can, hopefully, get back to somewhat of a normal schedule. As we’re all creatures of habit, to varying degrees. And the New Year is the subject of today’s piece here. Specifically […]

SOCOM Commander Tackles Ethics Issues Head-on

SOCOM Commander Tackles Ethics Issues Head-on

SOCOM Commander Tackles Ethics Issues Head-on With SOCOM reeling from one incident after another in the past year, General Tony Thomas, the Commander of SOCOM is tackling the issue of moral and ethical standards declining among the force directly. With allegations of misconduct, spousal and sexual child abuse, war crimes, drug running and murder among […]

More SOF Missions To Be Turned Over to Conventional Forces

More SOF Missions To Be Turned Over to Conventional Forces

  With the operational tempo of the United States Special Operations Forces increasing each year, the never-ending wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, the drain on the SOF troops will force it to turn over more missions that they are currently conducting to conventional military forces. Lieutenant General Richard D. Clarke, tapped to be the […]

On This Day, President Reagan Gives CIA Authority To Create the Contras

On This Day, President Reagan Gives CIA Authority To Create the Contras

Anti-Sandinista Nicaraguan Rebels Would Become a Thorny Issue President Ronald Reagan did little to hide his disdain for the Marxist Nicaraguan leaders who seized power after the dictator Somoza was ousted. The Somoza family ruled the country with an iron hand for 46 years. Then the Sandinista National Liberation Front, Spanish Frente Sandinista de Liberación […]

Free-Floating Rucksack May Ease the Pounding on Operator’s Joints

Free-Floating Rucksack May Ease the Pounding on Operator’s Joints

Like any other rite of passage, one thing nearly all of Special Operation Forces troops share in old (er) age are issues with their joints. Back backs, knees, shoulders, necks with pain and arthritis is common from rucking under heavy weight takes its toll. SOF personnel are always carrying a ton of “light-weight” gear from […]

The Mali Green Beret Murder Case is a Stain on All of SOF

The Mali Green Beret Murder Case is a Stain on All of SOF

The murder case of SSG Logan Melgar of the 3rd Special Forces Group (3rd SFG) is another tough scenario for the SF Group’s soldiers to bear. The unit lost four of its members in a deadly ambush in Niger and then to find out that one of its finer NCOs was murdered in US Embassy […]

A Dangerous IDF Special Forces Mission Goes Awry

A Dangerous IDF Special Forces Mission Goes Awry

Opinion: The news wasn’t good for the Israeli Defense Forces earlier this week. One of their elite Special Forces units conducting an intelligence operation in Gaza across the border was compromised. In the ensuing shootout, one senior IDF officer, a Lieutenant Colonel in their Special Forces was killed and another SF operator was “moderately wounded” […]

On This Day, Green Berets Insert Into Afghanistan, Link-up With Hamid Karzai

On This Day, Green Berets Insert Into Afghanistan, Link-up With Hamid Karzai

During October and early November of 2001, the United States was hitting back hard at the Taliban in the early days of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. In the aftermath of 9/11, the Taliban had no idea of what was soon to engulf them. US and coalition airstrikes pounded Taliban positions. Two US Green Beret […]

Both Sides Got it Right, The SNL Apology Was Well Done

Both Sides Got it Right, The SNL Apology Was Well Done

Former Navy SEAL Crenshaw And Davidson Take High Road By now as everyone is well aware, last week on NBC’s Saturday Night Live, one of the actors during the “Weekend Update” portion of the show, made a particularly tasteless joke at the expense of Congressman-elect Pete Crenshaw. Crenshaw a former Navy SEAL lost an eye […]

Remember Our Veterans Every Day and Not Just Once a Year

Remember Our Veterans Every Day and Not Just Once a Year

Opinion: This has been a busy week in our neck of the woods. We’ve been quite occupied as our town has been preparing for Veterans Day and I can proudly say that our bucolic little burg in the Northeast has never been one to just pay lip service to days like Veterans Day and Memorial […]

World War I, “The War to End All Wars” Centennial

World War I, “The War to End All Wars” Centennial

At the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the Armistice to end World War I was to take effect. It ended the bloodbath which consumed Europe from 1914 until November 11, 1918. Nearly 20,000,000 people were dead including 9-11,000,000 troops and a like number of civilians. Another 20,000,000 were wounded. The […]