Category: Military History

A member of the U.S. Army 20th Special Forces Group sticks his hand out of UH-60 Black Hawk to feel the wind during Emerald Warrior 2014, Gulfport, Miss., May 5, 2014. Emerald Warrior is an annual, joint exercise to train special operations, conventional and partner nation forces in combat scenarios designed to hone special operations […]

On this day: October 18th 1965—Before Special Forces Captain Larry Thorne was tragically killed in combat in Vietnam, he had already lived a legendary career spanning multiple continents, careers, nations, and wars. Born Lauri Allan Törni in Finland, as a young man Thorne led Finnish soldiers in their war against the Soviet Union in 1939-1940, […]

Compared to the United States the United Kingdom is known for its strict policies on firearms, particularly handguns.  On 16 October, 1996, the 23 official recommendations were made that enabled the banning of handguns from private ownership throughout the UK. This decision was made just after the most deadly shooting in UK history, what is […]

A U.S. Air Force airman from the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron swims to a boat after rescuing a simulated crash victim at Wynnehaven Beach, Fla., April 9, 2013. The 23rd STS trains, equips and employs combat control, pararescue and support personnel in response to presidential and secretary of defense tasks.   U.S. Air Force photo/Airman […]

Phil Melcher may never know about the total impact he has made throughout the world, but he got a glimpse of it through a chance meeting in Columbia several years ago. Melcher, an Army Green Beret, was serving in the South American country when he was woken up at 2 a.m. to deliver a baby. […]

One of my favorite aspects of Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down was the departure from unrealistically long machine gun bursts and grenades erupting into ridiculous fireballs, and a distinct lack of overly-dramatic crying and shaking of fists to the sky.  It has a visceral, primal tone to it as the quiet protagonists are firing single […]

On this day in SOF history: October 16th 1981 — 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment is officially established The legendary aviation unit responsible for flying the most high-risk missions in American Special Operations was officially established on October 16th, 1981. We take for granted the incredibly skilled pilots within the Regiment, but before the Night […]

Somalia’s capital city, Mogadishu, has a long history stained with blood and conflict.  It’s the country’s largest city, and it seems that any headlines regarding the place always include some kind of gruesome bloodshed.  It’s like the city has never found a moment of peace to catch its breath.  Reports have just come in of […]

SOFREP’s own George E. Hand IV has collected some incredible photographs throughout his legendary career as a Green Beret and Delta Operator, and he’s been generous enough to share some of them with us. Here’s a shot of Delta’s Sam B. Foster, who you may recall from GEO’s five-part series entailing his heroism and tragic […]

SOFREP’s own George E. Hand IV has collected some incredible photographs throughout his legendary career as a Green Beret and Delta Operator, and he’s been generous enough to share some of them with us. Here’s a shot GEO shared with us of two Delta Assault Teams during the Panama invasion, which took place in 1989 […]

On this day— October 13th 2006: The Islamic State of Iraq is declared. The subject of “when” the Islamic State (ISIS) was founded has been a go-to method of scoring political points since the emergence of the group as a violent worldwide threat. President Trump and other Trump administration figures have recently said that Trump […]

The Knights Templar, a powerful yet ultimately doomed order of warrior monks, left behind a legacy shrouded in mystery, intrigue, and enduring legend that continues to captivate the imagination to this day.