The History of US Psychological Operations: World War One

In part one, we reviewed the basic definition of Psychological Operations and its relations to standard propaganda. Psychological Operations is actually a relatively modern concept but had roots long before the advent of the 20th century. The United States government and military, with a few exceptions, did not effectively utilize propaganda or public relations during […]

The History of Psychological Operations: Before the Beginning

Psychological Operations. These two words have become so controversial that the U.S. Army in 2010 nonchalantly changed the term to the rather bland and bureaucratic “Military Information Support Operations (MISO).”   Rosa Brooks, Senior Advisor to the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Rule of Law and International Humanitarian Policy explained: […]

The little known but vast economic potential of Afghanistan

My personal experiences from Afghanistan have taught me that the Afghanis are resilient people, capable of overcoming natural disasters, political turmoil, and complex insurgencies. Afghanistan’s economic development has been stifled considerably by war and poverty; climate change will only add another hindrance to the list. However, there is a deep desire amongst the Afghan population […]

Al-Qaeda’s bastions of power: Somalia and Yemen

Ever since the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. military and intelligence agencies have been battering al-Qaeda terrorists wherever they have found them. Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, everywhere. What used to be safe havens have now become graveyards. But other bastions have emerged in the meanwhile.  Somalia and Yemen are two of them. Al-Qaeda’s Yemen affiliate was bolstered […]

Preparing the Special Forces operator for the Unconventional Warfare environment

The task of the Special Forces Assessment and Selection course is identifying the candidates who are suitable for Special Forces training. And two of the primary functions of Special Forces are UW (Unconventional Warfare) and FID (Foreign Internal Defense). It is important that the schools don’t lose sight of that fact as SOF (Special Operations […]

What exactly is Close Air Support?

“Dogfighting makes movies. Close Air Support wins wars.” With the perpetual drama surrounding which aircraft is better suited for supporting troops in contact, Close Air Support (CAS) has become a hotly debated topic in military aviation. Both the A-10C Thunderbolt II and the Lockheed-Martin F-35, Joint Strike Fighter have pros and cons. But what exactly is […]

The unseen consequences of conflict and famine in Africa

As a result of nonstop famine and war that has plagued its lands for the past four decades, Africa is the poorest continent in the world. Most of the 30 poorest countries by GDP per capita are African. Stricken by poverty, disease, and war, it has failed to keep up politically and economically with the […]

How to prepare your family for the Coronavirus: A Navy SEAL’s advice

Harvard scientist: Coronavirus pandemic likely will infect 40-70% of world this year. Scary headline but a real one. So, what can you do to prepare yourself and your family for something like this? Losing strategy = wait until something like this comes to a theatre near you. Wait too long and you’re screwed. Winning strategy […]

Brace yourselves, Coronavirus outbreak about to hit US mainland

An outbreak of the Coronavirus on the U.S. mainland is imminent, according to officials with the Center for Disease Control (CDC). As of February 25, 53 cases have been diagnosed, 39 of which concern Americans who have been repatriated from abroad. Approximately 2,500 people have died from the virus worldwide, the majority of who are […]

The Coronavirus: Is China using it as a weapon?

Television and radio news outlets are providing updates on the current spread of the Coronavirus. The Coronavirus first presented itself to the medical researchers in 1960 when it was found in the respiratory tract of a patient with a common cold. It gets its name from the crown-like spikes which radiate out from all over […]