The war of the Tab? Army redesigns ‘Arctic Tab’ and spurs controversy

The Army is serious about placing more emphasis on cold-weather warfare as competition with “near-peers” Russia and China in the Arctic intensifies. So, the Army has redesigned the rectangular “Arctic” tab that denoted that a soldier had graduated the Northern Warfare Cold Weather Leader’s Course (CWLC). They have now made the tab into an arced-shaped […]

Army: No N-95 masks in uniform, effective immediately!

Fort Bragg yesterday published new guidance for the military including its policy on masks. And it appears the military is way more concerned with its force looking uniform than with truly keeping its soldiers safe. “I’m not going out to search for special colored fabrics. My husband will be going in with whatever colored pillowcase […]

US military finally moves Patriot missile batteries in Iraq

The United States is finally moving some air defense systems into place in Iraq after bases that house U.S. troops have been attacked with rocket and missile fire for months. The Pentagon didn’t specify which bases the air defense systems will be deployed to.  However, Al Jazeera reported that according to Iraqi and U.S. military […]

Over one century ago the US Army adopted the M1911 pistol

 The United States Army on March 29, 1911, adopted arguably the greatest combat pistol in history. The M1911 is a single-action, semi-automatic, magazine-fed, recoil-operated pistol chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge.  The ubiquitous M1911 served as the standard-issue sidearm for the United States Armed Forces for over 75 years, from 1911 to 1986. The pistol, […]

Terrorist attack devastates Chadian Army base, hundreds of casualties

Boko Haram has targeted a Chadian army base located on an island and inflicted the deadliest attack on Chad’s military forces yet. At 05:00 on Saturday, the terrorist group attacked the isolated Chadian base. The base is located across the Bohoma peninsula in Lac Province amid the large, marshy area bordering Lake Chad. The seven-hour […]

Turkish troops solidify their position as Syrian Army prepares to strike

The tenuous ceasefire in Syria that was signed by Turkey and Russia is in danger of falling apart as various factions are maneuvering forces for what seems an inevitable resumption of hostilities in northern Syria.  The Syrian army of President Assad is intent on pushing the rebel forces out of their last stronghold in Idlib […]

Propaganda at its best: Chinese claim US Army started the Coronavirus

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian, posted on Twitter that the U.S. Army could have brought the COVID-19, or coronavirus, to China and that the virus may not have originated in Wuhan as previously thought.  Zhao, who has over 300,000 followers on Twitter, which is surprising considering China has banned the social network. He has […]

Exclusive: Army Special Forces command disbands elite units

Update: SOFREP has learned that the 1st Special Forces Command will retain some CRF-like Direct Action capability, though significantly smaller than the current one. The rationale behind the decision to downsize, however, remains the same: CRFs are too expensive for their utility. In a historic decision for the Special Forces community, the Crisis Response Force […]

A failing Army: Most recruits can’t complete basic fitness test

A misty morning at Fort Jackson, SC, basic trainees, currently in week seven and set to graduate soon, are tested on the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT). About 80 percent of them will fail the test. There are six events in total: THREE REPETITION MAXIMUM DEADLIFT (MDL): Deadlift the maximum weight possible three times. STANDING […]

Army PSYOP training course relocates

The Army’s Psychological Operations training course is on the move south. The course is moving its training from Ft. Bragg, NC to Ft. Jackson, SC. The Army’s course trains soldiers to induce or reinforce behavior favorable to U.S. objectives. It is an important part of the range of diplomatic, informational, military and economic activities available […]

William Darby, Army SOF legend and old school badass

William Orlando Darby is one of the icons of the Army’s Special Operations community. He organized, trained, and led the first of the Army’s Ranger Battalions during World War II. He fought in North Africa, Sicily, and mainland Italy. Later, as the Assistant Division Commander of the 10th Mountain Division, he was killed in action […]