Where Were You on 9/11? A Dark Day for the US

Like many of us, we can remember exactly where we were on 9/11, like the generation before us could recall where they were when JFK was shot in Dallas. The memories of that awful day and the days that followed will forever be burned into our memories and it shaped our national policy for years […]

Israeli Duvdevan Unit, One of the Premier CT Units in the World

The Israelis are no strangers to the counter-terrorist world of Special Operations. They arguably have the most experience in that they have been dealing with counter-terror issues in and around their own country for decades. They have developed several Special Operations units that integrated with their conventional troops, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and each […]

Life In Special Operations Is in the Shadows, Not the Limelight

For the current crop of aspiring Special Operations Forces candidates that want to be part of the legacy of the different units under the SOCOM umbrella, being part of the command comes with not only great sacrifice but a great responsibility as well. The special operators have to sacrifice much of themselves in training to […]

Train To Pass The UBRR And You’ll Be Ready For Anything

About a year ago, we wrote a piece about preparing our candidates for Selection and in regards to the Physical Fitness test, training for the UBRR (Upper Body Round Robin) rather than the old, outdated 3-Event Physical Fitness test. We had received several questions from potential candidates asking,“Why do use the Upper Body Round Robin […]

“We Keep Rucking Until Our Leg Falls Off…Right?

There are times in Special Operations where you just have to stand back and say WTF just happened. And it seems to crazy that it can’t possibly be true…but it is and then you just have to laugh. He’s a funny rucking story for you guys this morning. Many years ago, while our Special Forces […]

Iron Man? Russian Special Ops Going For Predator Camouflage

In the never-ending search for the next best technology, both the United States and Russia are searching for armor, camouflage, and exoskeletons to carry the next generation of Special Operations Forces into battle. And as they are both working on the latest upgrades for their troops, some of the newest technology looks like it came […]

Ruck, Ruck, Rucking The Hills for Selection Prep

Before hitting the gym this morning, I went back out on the rucking trails and hit the woods among the hills here in Central Mass. We have a small state park called “Purgatory Chasm” nearby that has some shorter hiking trails that we could take advantage of rucking the hills before they fill up with […]

On This Day, 300 Spartans Led By King Leonidas, Defended Thermopylae

On this day in 480 B.C., the Persians under the command of Xerxes in the second invasion of Greece went to battle with a greatly outnumbered force of Spartans and Greeks under the command of King Leonidas of Sparta over a three day period. The battle took place at the tiny mountain pass of Thermopylae. […]

Sorry, we are not all created equal – SOF isn’t for everybody

Without meaning to, I’m sure we offended quite a few people with the title, but the simple fact of the matter is, it is true. Rest assured it is not using any kind of racist or biased slant in any way, although someone will no doubt take it that way. When it comes to Special […]

Rucking 22 Miles in a Snap, The Green Beret Way

Here at SpecialOperations.com, we try to give our younger readers who desire to be members of the Special Operations brotherhood the tools to be able to navigate the rigors of the Selection courses and then follow on with their qualification courses. In our articles, we tell our prospective candidates to do everything the right way […]

Remembering Randy Shughart: Medal of Honor recipient

Today we remember one of our most famous Special Operations warriors. Randy Shughart would have been 60 years old today. Shughart and Gary Gordon, both Delta Force operators and snipers died in Mogadishu, Somalia in October 1993 after being inserted alone into a crash site for a Blackhawk helicopter which had been shot down while […]

Land Navigation Tips: Do’s and Don’ts For Passing Selection

We’ve been going hard at Land Navigation for the past week or so with a refresher 101-type, of course, to get everyone on the same level playing field. We started we a basic map reading piece and moved on to the necessary basic skills every candidate should be familiar with before arriving. The key to […]