Decima MAS: The most successful frogmen of all time

The story of Italy’s Decima MAS (Decima Mezzi d’Assalto, or 10th Assault Vehicle Flotilla), is a peculiar tale regarding Axis Special Forces in World War II. On one hand they were the best combat frogmen produced by any nation during the conflict. On the other, the courage and innovation they brought to the history of […]

Detachment A: Final missions, the wall comes down, and the end of an era (Part 4)

Read Part Three Here In subsequent years, Det A was also developing a relationship with Germany’s Spezialeinsatzkommandos (SEK). Detachment A’s team six, “had its own unique mission. Most of ours dealt with close comradeship with the local SEK so we spent a lot of time with those guys,” Braughton said, which entailed working in the […]

The Navy SEALs lose a legend: Dick Lyon, first SEAL Admiral

Retired Rear Admiral (SEAL) Richard “Dick” Lyon, called an “icon and legend” within the Naval Special Warfare (NSW) community by the current commander of Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC), Rear Admiral (SEAL) Tim Szymanski, passed away on February 3, 2017.  Lyon was 93 and passed after a short illness.  He is survived by his widow […]

Detachment A: counter-terrorism and Operation Eagle Claw (Part 3)

Read Part One HERE and Part Two HERE. As the Cold War matured, the mission of Det A evolved, shifting gears to face a new threat that the Western World was unprepared for. In the early 1970’s there had been a rash of aircraft hijackings, many perpetrated by the Palestinian nationalists belonging to the Popular […]

Detachment A: Green Berets play cat and mouse with communist agents (Part 2)

Read Part One HERE Det A was the Army’s clandestine Special Forces unit stationed in Berlin during the Cold War.  Charged with the “stay behind” mission, these Green Berets would prepare to conduct acts of sabotage in Berlin in the event that the Soviets ever invaded.  When new members arrived at Det A, they would […]

Detachment A: Clandestine Special Forces missions in post Hitler’s Berlin (Part 1)

It was the early 1970’s, at Andrews Barracks in Berlin, where a stern looking Special Forces Sergeant Major paced down the hallway for roll call. Daily army accountability formations are normally held outside, but due to the extremely classified nature of the mission carried out by the Special Forces soldiers standing in the hall that […]

The American military’s secret weapons that are too big to hide: Cargo ships

America has the most powerful military in the world, but the world is an awfully big place.  Even with our sprawling Navy protecting most of the world’s largest bodies of water and military installations in more than seventy countries; there are vast swabs of the planet that we may be able to scramble aircraft to […]

Aerial application; Flying fast and low for a noble cause

Aerial application is a relatively obscure flying profession piloting large, single seat, turbine tailwheel airplanes. Add that attraction to legally strafing the ground low and fast, dozens, if not hundreds of times a day. The catch? It’s extremely specialized, and requires the aviator to be half farmer, half fighter pilot (in that order). The best […]

These declassified maps show how the CIA saw the world at the height of the Cold War

Perhaps more so than any other tool used by the clandestine services, an accurate map can mean the difference between success and failure, or life and death. The CIA, renowned for its secrecy, has long kept its maps and cartographic methods under wraps. But, in honor of the agency’s Cartography Center’s 75th anniversary, the CIA […]

Quiet weapons, silent wars; Special Forces in Bolivia

The following is an excerpt from retired Special Forces Warrant Officer Jim “Smokey” West’s upcoming memoir.  Learn more about Jim by checking out his website, American Extension Fighting.  The village consisted of an adobe, clay, and dirt shanties surrounding the town square. The square had some restaurants around it, all featuring five-star dirt floors. There was […]

Two conspiracy theories the KGB planted in the US that you might still believe

Every national government, like every major corporation, has to make a concerted effort to control perceptions—both internally and externally. For a government, internal communications are often ripe with propaganda. Whether it’s encouraging you to support a war effort, steering you toward a specific political party, or trying to convince you that the people in power […]