Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 9, Day 5

Chest and Triceps workout at the gym today before a 5-mile run. Shoot for a time below the standard of 40 minutes. Remember to stretch well before and after and to stay hydrated. Mark your progress down in your workout log book. Training: More Preparation for the UBRR: 3 x 12 Bench Press 3 x […]

“12 Strong”, A Visually Powerful, Important War Film

If there was ever a story from the endless war in Afghanistan that needed to be told, the story of the Horse Soldiers from the 5th Special Forces Group was it. Just weeks after the terrifying events of 9/11 played out, the Army inserted a Special Forces A-Team, ODA-595 into Afghanistan to link up with […]

Richard “Dick” Winters, Easy Company 506th PIR Died January 2, 2011

Richard “Dick” Winters was the central figure of the Stephen Ambrose book “Band of Brothers” that focused on the ordinary men that made up a rifle company in the 101st Airborne Division during World War II. Thru their rigorous training at Camp Toccoa, Georgia, North Carolina, England before jumping into combat at Normandy on D-Day, […]

Deployed Troops in Afghanistan Get First Look at New Star Wars Film

For the troops deployed overseas in Afghanistan, they are getting treated to a little bit of Hollywood magic ahead of the rest of the world. “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” which is already one of the year’s most anticipated films doesn’t open until Friday, but some service members are getting an advanced screening of the […]

Movie Review: American Assassin

Initially this film looked like what may have been an entertaining revenge flick. A man, his fiancé killed by a terrorist cell, rises from the depths of despair to lay waste to those vile faces that haunt him. Self-determined in acquiring the necessary skills to exact brutal revenge, the dark hero is intercepted by the […]

President Trump’s Message to the Troops at Thanksgiving

President Donald Trump spoke to the troops overseas yesterday via teleconference from the Mar-al-Lago Resort in Palm Beach, Florida and besides wishing them all a Happy Thanksgiving, he reiterated the gratitude and pride that the country as a whole feels for the men and women deployed far from home. Hello, everybody, and happy Thanksgiving. You’re […]

Looking For a Good Film For the Weekend, Pop “6 Days” in the DVD

For many of us, Thanksgiving Day is a day of feasting on turkey, all of the sides and lots of good sweets and pies that throw our diets out the window for a few days. And for many more that includes watching copious amounts of football. Families gather around the television, or up here in […]

Book Review: “War Stories of the Green Berets” by Hans Halberstadt

Frequently, we get emails or tweets here at SpecialOperations.com in the realm of questions about the training and the qualification course. Many of course deal with Selection and I have to tell people that the Instructors don’t actually kill anyone during the events and one doesn’t have to be 10-feet tall to pass. But one […]

No hammer. No problem.

Marvel movies can be hit or miss. Sometimes they blow you out of the water and sometimes they’re entertaining but relatively forgettable. When “Guardians of the Galaxy” came out, I was reminded as to what I liked so much about many Marvel movies–they’re fun, have their compelling moments and are a great ride from start to […]

‘Not a War Story’ is a testament to the best parts of the veteran community

Today’s generation of veterans find themselves existing within a unique social dynamic. Among ourselves, veterans often operate like a pack of wolves, supporting one another against external threats while often tearing each other apart internally.  Outside the ranks of the initiated, the public at large also sees veterans in a sort of dichotomy of opposition: […]

‘Resurface’: A documentary about war, trauma and surfing

A Marine Corps veteran of the Iraq war, Bobby Lane, was going to commit suicide.  He had his plans laid out, but before he would put a gun to his head for the final time he decided to go surfing–just once.  He then is formally introduced to Van Curaza, a former professional surfer who has […]