The Granddaddy of Special Ops: The First Special Service Force
After completing the rigorous training required by the unit, the men of the First Special Service Force were ready and able to complete any task.
Military History
SOG: One Day in an A Shau Valley Hell (Pt. 1)
Fortunately for ST Louisiana, a flight of 101st Airborne Division gunships was diverted from a target in South Vietnam toward the A Shau Valley.
SOG Green Berets Connect With Today’s A Teams
The camaraderie between a few modern-day A Teams and SOG soldiers is unique and reflective of generational respect that is learned and earned over time.
Secrets of SOG: An Unheeded Warning (Pt. 4)
When FOB 4 came under attack by NVA sappers, it wasn’t just MACV-SOG in the fight. A pair of Navy corpsmen showed up and went to work saving lives.
Secrets of SOG: An Unheeded Warning (Pt. 2)
Note: This is part two of a series. You can read part one here. Sometime after midnight, Aug. 23, south of FOB 4 in Da Nang, sitting atop the highest of the five peaks that make up Marble Mountain, the nine men of ST Rattler were enjoying a quiet night. Assistant Team Leader Larry “Gambler” Trimble […]
Facing the “Lone Survivor” Dilemma
By now, most SOFREP readers, and indeed, most Americans, are familiar with the story of ‘Lone Survivor,’ subject of a bestselling book and popular Hollywood movie. For those who are not, it’s essentially about a four-man SEAL element in Afghanistan in 2005 whose mission was compromised, forcing them to evade a large Taliban force pursuing […]
The Almost-Mustard-Stains: A History of Airborne Rangers
Following my RIP graduation and transfer to 3rd Ranger Battalion, I would see combat jump stars pretty often. Once in a while you’d see a young Ranger with two. My first team leader was one of them.
Anything, Anytime, Anywhere: The Unofficial History of the FBI Hostage Rescue Team, Pt. 1
The HRT is the nation’s primer law enforcement tactical unit. It is the primary unit responsible for conducting counterterrorist operations within the US and its territories. It is a full time tactical force that trains to remain in a constant state of operational readiness.
Marines Doing FID: The CAP Platoons in Vietnam
Beginning in the summer of 1965, 3/4 (Third Bn, 4th Marines) were faced with an expanding tactical area of operational responsibility (TAOR) and shrinking numbers due to insufficient replacements coming in to fill combat losses. As a result, the Marines began working directly with the Popular Forces, local militias made up of old men and boys […]
The Desert’s Lions, The Lions of Folgore
One of the most heroic acts of World War II took place on October 23, 1942 in the sand dunes of North Africa: the resistance of the Folgore Brigade to British 8th Army’s offensive. The bravery and valor shown by these few Italian soldiers was recognized by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill who, in a speech […]
The Birth of Italy’s First Special Forces Unit
At the outbreak of war in 1915, people went down to the squares of Italy to demonstrate, convinced that it would be an opportunity to change the fortunes of the country for the better. Should they just sit and watch, or take up arms against their former Austro-Hungarian ally in order to recover lost territories and […]
70th Anniversary of Market Garden
This year we celebrated the 70th anniversary of the largest airborne operation conducted during World War II. “Market-Garden” was the name of the operation that took place between the 17th and 26th of September, 1944, and was conducted by the allies in Holland. The person behind the plan was British Field Marshall Bernard Law Montgomery. His idea […]
