History

At the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the Armistice to end World War I was to take effect. It ended the bloodbath which consumed Europe from 1914 until November 11, 1918. Nearly 20,000,000 people were dead including 9-11,000,000 troops and a like number of civilians. Another 20,000,000 were wounded. The […]

As we get ready to recognize Veterans Day this year, it always is a very busy time for us in my little hometown in Massachusetts. The small bucolic town of Millbury has a rich tradition of military history and the town’s schools put a lot of thought and preparation for their programs during both Veterans […]

On June 25, 1876, LTC George Armstrong Custer led the U.S. 7th Cavalry into an action against a vastly superior force of Native American tribes consisting of combined forces of the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes at the Little Big Horn in the Montana Territory. Custer’s Cavalry consisted of 12 companies with 45 officers […]

The two most important days of your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why “The Equalizer” Before I begin here, I first have to say, that although I love the film by Antoine Fuqua, starring Denzel Washington, the quote that they attribute to Mark Twain, was one he […]

The British Ministry of Defence (MOD) announced this week that they were expanding the roles for women in the British military and now they will be able to serve in the SAS (Special Air Service). This includes the Royal Marine Commandos and the SBS (Special Boat Service). In 2016, the British MOD opened up infantry […]

Humbert “Rocky” Versace was captured early in the Vietnam War on October 29, 1963, by the Viet Cong and showed his indomitable will by refusing to be indoctrinated by the Communists and resisted fiercely. He so enraged his captors by his insistence on adhering to the code of conduct and protesting their treatment of American […]

We have mentioned this not too long ago but it probably bears repeating, especially now that the Selection courses are running and the next batch of candidates are gearing up to attend. You don’t have to be a marathon runner, a professional weight lifter or a bodybuilder to pass Selection. Not every Special Operations trooper […]

During the Lebanese Civil War of 1983, two suicide trucks laden with explosives are driven into the barracks at Beirut’s airport where the Multi-National Force in Lebanon (MNF) peacekeepers were staying. A total of 307 people are killed. 241 Americans, 58 French, 6 civilians and the two bombers. A terrorist group calling themselves Islamic Jihad […]

We talk often here about how Special Operations Forces are not athletes but tactical military members. That’s not to say that SOF troops aren’t athletic but that training an operator is much different than training a football or baseball player. However, certain aspects of each’s workouts have bled into one another’s training regimen. Some of the […]

Much of what we post here is based on preparing the potential Special Operations candidates for what they will face in the various Selection or qualification courses. But sometimes it is good to change things up a bit and delve into our shared history to learn and respect where we come from. Other times, like […]

When the name “Wild Bill” Donovan is mentioned, most think of the World War II OSS (Office of Strategic Services) which later became CIA and another part of it branched off to later become the U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets) of today. But what many people don’t realize is that long before he became […]

Like most Special Forces guys, especially of my generation, I can’t get enough of OSS (Office of Strategic Services) from World War II. OSS was the “Greatest Generation” version of both CIA and the U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets) as both sprang forth from the extraordinary organization that General William “Wild Bill” Donovan built […]