Book Review: “War Stories of the Green Berets” by Hans Halberstadt

Frequently, we get emails or tweets here at SpecialOperations.com in the realm of questions about the training and the qualification course. Many of course deal with Selection and I have to tell people that the Instructors don’t actually kill anyone during the events and one doesn’t have to be 10-feet tall to pass. But one […]

SOF Pic of the Day: Take a knee

A U.S. Army Green Beret takes a knee during a noncombatant evacuation exercise as part of Southern Strike 16, on Meridian Naval Air Station, MS. Photo by U.S. Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Christopher S. Muncy   Watch U.S. Marines conduct noncombatant evacuation exercises in the video below:

SOF Pic of the Day: Green Berets train Colombian commandos

A Green Beret assigned to the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), center, coaches members of the Colombian Compañía Jungla Antinarcóticos during “Glass House Drills” meant to simulate clearing the interior of a building during a joint training exercise on November 20. The Junglas, as they are known, are training with the Special Forces soldiers on […]

Veterans Day around the world

Veterans Day, or Remembrance Day or Armistice Day, as it’s also known in the Commonwealth countries, just ended.  Let’s see how people honored their militaries’ sacrifices. In northern France, a 100-gun salute commemorated the centenary of the Battle of Passchendaele.  Reenactors from around the world gathered and fired restored WWI artillery pieces. Passchendaele, which took […]

SOF Pic of the Day: Under cover of darkness

A Marine Special Operations School student maintains security during Field Training Exercise Raider Spirit, May 2, 2017, at Camp Lejeune, N.C. For the first time, U.S. Air Force Special Tactics Airmen spent three months in Marine Special Operations Command’s Marine Raider training pipeline, representing efforts to build joint mindsets across special operations forces. U.S. Air […]

Last British Dambuster honored

London, England—The last British Dambuster has received an MBE. George ‘Johnny’ Johnson received the MBE, one Britain’s highest awards, by Queen Elizabeth II. At 95 years, he’s the last surviving Briton of the group that achieved the unachievable in one of World War Two’s more peculiar special operations. Operation Chastise aimed to destroy three dams […]

SOF Pic of the Day: Maybe he’s born with it…

A Marine Special Operations School’s Individual Training Course student applies camouflage paint during Field Training Exercise Raider Spirit, May 3, 2017, at Camp Lejeune, N.C. For the first time, U.S. Air Force Special Tactics Airmen spent three months in Marine Special Operations Command’s Marine Raider training pipeline, representing efforts to build joint mindsets across special […]

The 5 veterans you will meet in modern America

This Veterans Day 2017, I thought I would take it upon myself, for those of you perhaps not familiar with the U.S. veteran community, to provide for you a guide to the different types — or categories — of veterans you might encounter in modern American society. This guide will of course not be perfect, […]

Remembrance Day: History of the poppy

If you visit Great Britain or any Commonwealth country this time of year, you’ll notice one thing: an ocean of red poppies. From soccer players to schoolboys to business people, you’ll see everyone proudly sporting them. Remembrance Day draws near, known as Veterans Day in the Commonwealth countries.  This Saturday, the 11th day of the […]

SOF Pic of the Day: Army Rangers train at North Korea’s door

Rangers from 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment conduct Full Mission Profile (FMP) Training in South Korea during an iteration of Foal Eagle Exercise. Foal Eagle is an annual exercise that enhances the combat readiness posture of the ROK-U.S. Alliance through combined and joint training at multiple echelons.   Photos by SPC Codie Mendenhall/Release To learn […]

A history of Veterans Day and where we are now

November 11 is a yearly holiday in the United States that honors our veterans of the Armed Forces. It’s a day where your Facebook feeds will likely be filled with BBQs, beer, American flags and old military pictures. Posts will surely explain the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day, and people will share stories […]