Category: History

ABC News is reporting that a Russian military aircraft has crashed in the southern area of the country leaving one crewman dead and four more injured. The Antonov AN-26 transport crashed as it came into land after a training flight at Balashov airbase in the Saratov region and then burst into flames after hitting the […]

The US Army is moving forward with their new Security Force Assistance Brigades and has published the requirements that will be needed to be selected and are offering a $5000 bonus for any of the soldiers that re-enlist for the new unit. Army Chief of Staff General Mark Milley has stated that he wants to […]

With Memorial Day weekend in full swing, many people have taken to the cemetery of their hometown to place flags on the graves of the soldiers who are no longer with us. Our little down did it last week with the cooperation of the local Veterans Council, VFW, American Legion, the Boy Scouts and Cub […]

The civil war in Syria has been a bloody affair and if the Iranian government gets its wish, the bloodshed will spread beyond the Syrian borders. With the defeat of the Islamic State in Syria,Iran wants a military base in southern Syria along the border with Israel and Jordan. The move would be to weaken US […]

The Army’s Special Operations Command Memorial Wall added seven new names to their list of honored fallen soldiers in a solemn ceremony at Ft. Bragg, NC. After each name was read the toll of a bell was heard to honor the sacrifice of the troops. The command honored Maj. Andrew Byers, Sgt. 1st Class Ryan […]

With Memorial Day nearly upon us, we as Americans take the time to remember the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines that paid the ultimate sacrifice. Today I will join other members of our local Veterans Council and visit the local high school for a Memorial Day ceremony to fill in for those who can’t be […]

The former guerrillas of the Colombian resistance FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia—People’s Army) are having a rough time adjusting to civilian life after a lifetime of armed insurrection with many of the former fighters turning to criminal drug trafficking gangs with few other prospects. The threat level both from these former guerrilla fighters and […]

The British military has been alerted and has replaced the police in several key sites in Britain as the UK government beefs up security and prepares for another terrorist attack. This move, after the bombing in Manchester earlier this week after an Ariana Grande concert, brings the threat level to their highest level (Critical), in […]

During the lead up to Memorial Day here at  SpecialOperations.com we’re looking at some of the more interesting tidbits of our history. Some you may not have heard of before and others may be familiar to you. While the US had sent Special Forces advisors to South East Asia during the 1950s to Vietnam and to […]

The US Army’s Special Operations Aviation Command (ARSOAC) had a statue to honor the men and women of the unit unveiled at Ft. Bragg on Tuesday. The command wanted the statue to be dramatic and unique, rather than the basic helicopter monument or a stone obelisk, they wanted something special. Like the troops in the […]

Mark Moyer’s recent book on the US Special Operations Forces (Oppose Any Foe) is an excellent history of the birth of Special Operations and into the huge command of over 70,000 troops today. He tells it all, with the triumphs, the mistakes and the clashes with the conventional military establishment. In his latest piece for […]

In the closing days of World War II, the US and the rest of the allies had defeated Germany and Hitler was dead, Italy had capitulated, and Mussolini was executed by partisans. Only Japan was left and the US was tightening the noose around the Japanese homeland. A successful but bloody island hopping campaign had […]