What goes down behind the SOFREP scenes: Big Steve is in the house

Big Steve Balestrieri and Alex Hollings have a good deal in common, not the least of which is you wouldn’t want any part of either one of them in a beef. But like most of my brothers, they are both genuinely nice guys with sterling personalities and manners. I suppose that this is why I […]

The Pic of the Day: Trump’s border wall is going up

General assembly shot of barrier to include, crane and segments stacked in the foreground along with Normandy barriers at the El Paso 1 project, spanning 46 miles, near Deming, NM, January 28, 2020. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, South Pacific Border District is providing contracting services, including design and construction oversight, of Department of […]

The Pic of the Day: And you thought formation in garrison sucked

U.S. Marines and Sailors with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit conduct a birthday cake cutting ceremony to celebrate the MEU’s 46th birthday aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), April 24, 2013. The 26th MEU is deployed to the 5th Fleet area of operations aboard the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group. The 26th MEU […]

The Pic of the Day: Training that saves lives

A Marine assigned to Combat Logistics Battalion 26, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), treats a simulated casualty as part of a combat lifesaver exercise aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Oak Hill (LSD 51). Bataan Amphibious Ready Group, with embarked 26th MEU, is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support […]

The Pic of the Day: In-and-out the Philippine way

Philippine Marines serve U.S. Marines pork in pork blood with rice to kick off exercise KAMANDAG 2 in the Philippines, Sept. 30, 2018. During Exercise KAMANDAG 2, U.S. Marines trained and learned with Philippine Marines, strengthening both forces’ tactical skills and knowledge of warfighting. Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, is the Ground Combat […]

The Pic of the Day: Army SOF soldiers going through Combat Diver School

Soldiers attending the Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Warfare Training Group of the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School Special Forces Combat Diver Qualification Course take part in morning physical fitness, June 5, 2018, Key West Florida. The PT regimen at the school prepares students for the unique physical challenges […]

The Pic of the Day: How Marines reinforce embassies

A Marine with Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, holds security during an insert into a simulated embassy reinforcement at Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, Jan. 27, 2020. The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward-deployed MEU, provides a flexible and lethal force ready to perform a wide range of […]

The Pic of the Day: Choke him ou…eh, nevermind!

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Zachary Larsen, a combat graphic specialist with Headquarters and Support Battalion Marine Corps Installations Pacific-Marine Corps Base Camp Butler, attempts to escape a simulated attack during a water survival advanced (WSA) course Jan. 29, 2020, at Fairchild Pool on Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan. WSA is the highest swim qualification […]

The Pic of the Day: Spec Ops helicopters doing some cool moves

U.S. airmen assigned to the 352d Special Operations Wing fly a CV-22B Osprey aircraft over Hungary October 28, 2019. U.S. Special Operations Forces conducted a bilateral exercise with Hungarian SOF to focus on interoperability and integration developing a special operations air task group capacity.

The Pic of the Day: This is Draco, the Air Force’s secret surveillance plane

Christopher Davis, left, a field service technician, and Ken Cave, an airframe and powerplant specialist with the 319th Special Operations Squadron, prepare for routine maintenance on a U-28A Draco at Hurlburt Field, Florida, Oct. 31, 2019. The 319th SOS maintainers enable U-28s to provide tactical airborne intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance in support of special operations […]

The Video of the Week: Get a taste of what Ranger candidates learn at RASP

As the military’s—and arguably the world’s—premier special operations light infantry unit, the 75th Ranger Regiment is an ideal place for competitive and ambitious soldiers to begin their career. Physical grit and mental stamina, however, are necessary not only to pass the Ranger Assessment and Selection Process (RASP) but also to remain in the unit.