Military History

This is the scariest picture ever to come out of the American space program. Here’s why

NASA’s Apollo missions were the only instance in which human beings have successfully set foot on another world, an accomplishment that can’t be overstated and will likely continue to grow in importance as our civilization continues its reach toward the stars. Because of this, the experiences of the only 12 men to ever set foot on the […]

Hand-to-hand combat for SOF (Pt. 5): 1980s and ’90s

Note: This is part of a series. You can read parts one, two, three, and four, here. The late ’70s and ’80s was a time of expansion and experimentation as U.S. SOF units digested the lessons of Vietnam and reveled in the Reagan presidency, which meant increased funding for all of the U.S. military, and especially special […]

New ferry service links Russia- North Korea despite international calls to isolate Kim regime

Amid calls from the United States and other Western nations to financially isolate North Korea as part an effort to dissuade their Supreme Leader, Kim Jong Un, from pursuing nuclear weapons and a reliable missile platform to deliver them, Russia has just opened a new weekly transport vessel intended to ferry people back and forth […]

Op-Ed: Another SLS delay and NASA’s habit of making space ‘boring’

In an official statement on Friday, acting NASA administrator Robert Lightfoot announced that NASA does not intend to fly a crew in the inaugural launch of their next generation rocket slated to take Americans to the moon and Mars, the Space Launch System (SLS). While the plan had always called for an unmanned mission to […]

Op-Ed: We should all care that the USS Constitution was vandalized

One of the benefits of being a Marine stationed in Massachusetts was our access to the Navy’s oldest commissioned ship, the USS Constitution. As a young corporal and sergeant, I participated in a number of retirement and re-enlistment ceremonies on the deck of “Old Ironsides,” and it would be difficult to overstate how it feels […]

Hand-to-hand combat in SOF (Pt. 4): Vietnam

Note: This is part of a series. You can read part one, part two, and part three here. During the Vietnam War it became very clear that the U.S. military needed to revise their hand-to-hand training. This was particularly apparent amongst SOF units, especially Army Special Forces, LRRPs, and Navy SEALs; each often sent their people in small teams […]

British D-Day soldier sets record for being the oldest skydiver in history

Many veterans of war return home to find the rigors of daily life to be quite a bit different from the on and off adrenaline flow they sustained for months or years while deployed. It could be argued that the rapid transitions from relaxation to panicked survival experienced by war fighters on the front lines […]

New Orleans removes statue of southern general in effort to eliminate symbols of Confederacy

The city of New Orleans removed a statue of Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard that had been in place for 102 years, in an unannounced nighttime operation designed to catch protesters and counter-protesters off guard. The statue is the third of four monuments in the city that has been slated for removal, the product of a city […]

Hand-to-hand combat in SOF (Pt. 3): World War 2 and the ’50s

Note: This is part of a series. You can read part one and part two here. World War II saw the advent of modern special operations, and thus the need for special hand-to-hand fighting skills for special operators. The foremost of these units were the British Commandos, the OSS, the First Special Service Force (1SSF), Army Rangers, Marine […]

Rangers’ Raid on Cabanatuan a Classic Joint Special Operation

Tampa Bay is playing host to the Special Operations community this week as SOFIC is the hub of all things for the SOF world. And the area of operations for the for SOF is the globe these days. One organization being highlighted this week in the US Army Rangers who will celebrate their 75th anniversary […]

The Jedburgh’s Special Operations legacy with modern SOF

During World War II, the OSS (Office of Strategic Services), Special Operations Branch had recruited foreign language speakers who would volunteer for hazardous duty behind enemy lines and parachute into denied territory. The Jedburgh teams were born. Wanted: Volunteers for immediate overseas assignment. Knowledge of French or another European language preferred; Willingness and ability to […]

Remembering the Marine Raiders of WWII

During the early years of World War II, the United States Marine Corps Raider battalions became the first American elite units committed to battle the Axis. Though originally conceived as a counterpart to the British commandos, the Raiders proved to be much more, and like their English brethren, laid the groundwork for the future while […]