Military History

During a firefight near the Cambodian border on June 6, 1968, a 1st Infantry Division soldier got a pleasant surprise as he watched a North Vietnamese Army infantryman aim his rifle, pull the trigger and explode in a cloud of black smoke. American troops later examined the remains of the NVA soldier and his exploded […]

The Marine Corps has a unique way of incorporating its history into every bit of training you undergo.  Marines are not only expected to leave recruit training in peak physical condition, they’re expected to be able to recite to you, verbatim, important elements of the ever-growing story of the Corps — something that sticks with […]

On June 28, 2005, Navy SEAL LT Michael P. Murphy would perform heroic actions that would result in his being awarded the Medal of Honor. It would also cost him his life in the process, in one of the bloodiest days in the history of the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and the SEALs. Murphy […]

U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis spoke at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany on Wednesday, emphasizing the importance of U.S. and European cooperation.  He also used his speech to honor the 70th anniversary of the Marshal Plan that saved millions of Europeans from starvation and what he called, […]

Prior to this month, a U.S. aircraft hasn’t been forced to shoot down a manned enemy aircraft since a pair of Air Force F-15’s defeated two Serbian MiG 29’s in 1999.  With that significant a gap in combat operations of that sort, one could be forgiven for fist pumping a bit about the Navy’s F/A-18E […]

Ben Het, was a U.S. Special Forces camp located 288 miles northeast of Saigon and six miles from the junction of the Cambodian, Laotian, and South Vietnamese borders, and on June 23, 1969, it was besieged and cut off by 3,000 North Vietnamese troops using artillery and mortars. The base was defended by 250 U.S. […]

Cry havoc… Since the time of Greece and the Roman Empire, the dog has been a valued and trusted member of the military. The Romans used a breed of Mastiff that is now extinct. Then, they covered their canines in armor with spiked collars and used them to wreak havoc on their enemies. The use […]

U.S. STRATCOM Commander Air Force Gen. John E. Hyten spoke about the importance of space, nuclear and missile defense modernization at an event held by the Mitchell Institute in Washington D.C. on Tuesday. General Hyten first explained the role of the U.S. Strategic Command, which is “a global warfighting command whose mission areas include nuclear, […]

They were known as the illegals, men and women who adopted the identities of the dead, worked as priests, poets, actors and inventors, and quietly gathered intelligence for the Soviet Union during the long years of the Cold War. Based in nondescript American suburbs and bustling European capitals, they spent up to two decades developing […]

American Defense Secretary James Mattis was awarded the 2017 Excellence in Public Service Award from Ohio State University’s John Glenn College of Public Affairs at the National Press Club on Tuesday for his “commitment to citizenship and public leadership.” Mattis told the audience that he was humbled by the award, claiming, “It’s not about me. […]

Talking with ‘Nam vets is always a learning experience. They are a truly remarkable bunch of guys who accomplished a lot with very little.  I am fortunate to know a SEAL who did some time during the heyday of Vietnam. Reading stories about the Brown Water Navy and SEAL/UDT Platoons in books were great but […]

The CIA and the US Army Special Forces’ heritage is linked directly from the World War II OSS (Office of Strategic Services). Many of the operators who pulled classified missions for the OSS later became intelligence professionals or the original Special Forces troops. One such operator was William Colby who commanded Jedburgh teams in France […]