Special Operations hand-to-hand combat: Modern Era
Combat hand-to-hand is another animal entirely, not like being in a ring or on a mat, and is often not one-on-one.
AFSOC
Special Operations troops need their Armed Overwatch program now
Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is working through the Air Force Special Operations (AFSOC) to purchase up to 75 “armed overwatch” planes that will conduct intelligence, reconnaissance, and Close Air Support (CAS) missions. SOCOM’s armed overwatch aircraft is envisioned to operate in close conjunction with special operations troops on the ground. The versatile aircraft can scout […]
Spooky 41: How a gunship saved the day in Afghanistan
Last year, a gunship crew from an Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) squadron helped turned the tide in a fierce engagement against ISIS fighters in Afghanistan. The nine-hour operation took place last April in Nangarhar Province. An AC-130U aircraft from the 4th Special Operations Squadron was proving overhead support to a Special Forces assault […]
Air Force creates new pathway for Special Operations candidates
The Air Force has created a new, single pathway to funnel candidates in its Special Warfare specialties. Called the Special Warfare Operator Enlistment Vectoring (SWOE-V) program, the new pathway will pool all those who wish to join one of the Special Operations career fields of the Air Force (Pararescue, Combat Control, Special Reconnaissance, and Tactical […]
The Pic of the Day: Want to ride snowmobiles behind enemy lines? Join the Air Force
A U.S. Air Force Special Tactics operator rides a snowmobile during Emerald Warrior 20-1 near the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, Michigan, Jan. 22, 2020. Emerald Warrior 20-1 provides annual, realistic pre-deployment training encompassing multiple joint operating areas to prepare special operations forces, conventional force enablers, partner nations, and interagency elements to integrate with, and […]
Screw the Air Force, Special Operations Command wants its own SOF Close Air Support
In its quest for more effective close-air support (CAS), the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is turning away from the Air Force and is looking to purchase its own aircraft. According to a solicitation published on the U.S. government’s site, SOCOM is looking to set up a fleet of at least 75 armed overwatch aircraft. […]
A crisis in the making? Air Force Spec Ops short on operators
The Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) appears to be short on active-duty operators, a report indicates. As 2019 faded away, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report that reveals a crisis in the making for the Air Force’s elite. Like almost every other Special Operations Command, during the last years, AFSOC has […]
Valor under fire: Small group of American troops repelled terrorist attack in Kenya (Graphic Images)
On January 5, an assault force of al-Shabaab terrorists attacked a Kenyan military base and an adjacent airbase that housed American troops. The attack resulted in the deaths of three Americans and the destruction of two surveillance aircraft. If it weren’t for a small team of U.S. troops, however, the attack would have been much […]
US-Kenyan Base Attacked By Jihadists
A joint United States-Kenyan airbase near the border with Somalia was attacked by al-Shabab jihadists early on Sunday morning. There are no reports of casualties yet, as American officials described the situation as “fluid.” The fighting occurred at Camp Simba in Lamu county in eastern Kenya near the Somali border. The terrorists used a suicide […]
The future of Pararescue
This year has been monumental for the Air Force Special Operations community. Early in 2019, the Air Force announced the creation of a new Special Operations job: Special Reconnaissance (SR) replaced and improved the outdated Special Operations Weather Technician (SOWT) specialty. Then, in the Spring, the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) announced that its […]
Air Force releases more information on new Special Warfare career field
The Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) has released more information about the incoming changes in the new Special Warfare career field. Launched this past October, Special Warfare is comprised of the Pararescue (1Z1), Combat Control (1Z2), Tactical Air Control Party (1Z3) and Special Reconnaissance (1Z4) Air Force Specialties. Previously these were separate career fields, […]
Air Force suspends active recovery efforts for missing Combat Controller
In an unfortunate turn of events, the Air Force announced that it will suspend the active recovery efforts for Staff Sergeant Cole Condiff, who has been missing in action since he accidentally fell from an aircraft on November 5. Sgt. Cole Condiff, a Combat Controller assigned to the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron (23rd STS), 24th […]
