Op-Ed

SFAS Wasn’t All Serious, Some Funny Cadre Anecdotes

When we think about Special Forces Selection and Assessment (SFAS), nothing fun, funny or silly immediately comes to mind. You’ll hear about the horror stories of the ruck marches, the soft sand of nearly every Camp Mackall firebreak, the Star land navigation course and the various conveyances constructed during Team Week. It is known more […]

ISIS In Syria Being Decimated, Russia, Assad Call For US to Withdraw

Opinion: The Syrian Defense Forces (SDF) have continued to hammer the forces of the Islamic State (ISIS) that lay in front of them. The Syrian government of President Assad, along with their Russian allies are calling for the United States now to withdraw from the country. “We also call on the United States, whose military […]

After Weekend Violence, Venezuela Opposition Leader Calls for “All Options”

In a move that will surprise no one, the opposition leader in Venezuela, Juan Guaidó has called on the international community to consider “all options” in ousting the regime of Nicholas Maduro. The tension has been ramping up for a long time and it reached the boiling point over the weekend. Workers trying to cross […]

Air Force Special Operators To Ruck 830 Miles to Honor Comrades

In an endurance event that will surely garner some attention, 20 Air Force Special Operators will conduct a rucksack march from Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas all the way to Hurlburt Field, Florida. They’ll cover a distance of an astounding 830 miles. And they’re conducting this to honor their brothers who paid […]

RIP To W.E.B. Griffin, Noted Author Novelist, and Korean Veteran

William E. Butterworth, who wrote under the pen name W.E.B. Griffin has died. He was 89. His passing was acknowledged by his publisher, Putnam, but they didn’t add any other details. He also wrote under several other names as well. Griffin was a prolific and very successful novelist whose, “Brotherhood of War” series along with […]

Australian Special Forces Doctor, “Never, Ever Quit”

Leaving No Rounds in the Chamber We highlighted an earlier post by Australian Special Forces doctor in NEWSREP recently and he has posted another must-read piece for not only aspiring Special Operations Forces candidates but for everyone. This fits in perfectly with our own earlier piece today about never quitting in the face of adversity. […]

“Never Quit Attitude” Even If Wrestling A Mountain Lion

Much of our writing here has to do with the task of passing Selection and becoming a member of our Special Operations community, the best brotherhood there is. And in our writings we will frequently use the much-used but very true catchphrases that we all use in Special Operations like “Never Quit”, and my personal […]

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 15, Day 2

Monday morning means another mini-UBRR test to judge where our fitness level is at. Start off with pushups, sit-ups, and crunches, then to the bar for V-ups, Pull-ups, and dips before a 5-mile run. Remember, if you can pass the UBRR with little or no problem, you should be in very good shape to begin […]

Paratrooper: Following in my Father’s Footsteps

Today we’d like to share another story from one of our readers. Heath Hansen is a paratrooper and grew up watching his dad jump out of a perfectly good airplane with the 12th Special Forces Group, while a youngster.  His story is one about continuing the legacy between father and son and the bond of […]

“Kill the Enemy, But Please…Don’t Hurt His Feelings”

If this sounds strange, ludicrous and outright ridiculous…then congratulations! Welcome to our politically correct world where our leaders who send our troops into harm’s way to kill our enemies are more worried about hurting those said enemies’ feelings than they are about ensuring that our troops have everything they need to accomplish their mission and […]

Talos “Iron Man” Was Always A Pie in the Sky Option For SOCOM

Opinion: Coming back to reality was the first order of business for USSOCOM this winter. The command finally admitted that the Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit or TALOS project was not even close to being a reality, which we reported after attending the SOFIC Conference in Tampa two years ago. The entire concept was flawed […]

SAS Selection in Australia, Lesson in Perseverance

We’ve shared many of our Selection anecdotes here on the pages of SpecialOperations.com  the past two years and it is always refreshing to see someone else’s perspective especially if the person is in one of our allies Special Operations units. This one account is a really close look at one officer’s Australian SAS experience. It […]