Op-Ed

Three of the biggest issues that stop candidates from being selected are Physical Fitness preparation, Rucking, and Land Navigation

Recently we touched on a subject that is in the news about how junior NCOs (E-4 – E-6) aren’t doing well overall with navigation with a map, protractor, and compass. As we mentioned prior, Land Navigation is a critical skill that every Special Operator must possess and if you are an aspiring member of the […]

When attempting to pass the various Selection courses in the military, we tend to lean towards the physical preparation but speak about the courses being mostly mental in nature. Well, the two definitely go hand-in-hand as the more physically prepared you are, the more confident you will be when tackling the next obstacle in your […]

We publish a daily workout regimen that we post for all of the aspiring Special Operations candidates to properly prepare themselves physically for the various Selection courses. And Sunday was supposed to be a long rucksack march. But Mother Nature decided to throw us all a curve here in the Northeast. Our first major winter […]

In recent years, “True Crime” media has seen a resurgence in interest thanks in no small part to the success of podcasts like “Serial” and shows like Netflix’s “Mind Hunter.” While there has always been a market for tales about the grizzly acts of murderers and the law enforcement effort to catch them, it’s safe […]

For every year of my adult life, September has opened on a somber note. As a journalist that works in the National Security and Defense sphere, I’ve come to embrace the sadness this month brings with it, often channeling the lump in my throat for the sake of content — writing pieces each year that […]

A friend is leaving in a matter of days for basic training, followed by Airborne School and then on to one of our Special Operations Units where, hopefully, after he navigates the Selection and Assessment courses, will get qualified and serve as a member of one of our very best units in the force. But […]

Despite it’s short history, the United States has evolved rapidly in the near two-and-a-half centuries since this experiment in democracy began. America was founded on the precipice of a new age; one of rapid technological advancement and seemingly just as rapid social change. In the years since George Washington first took office, the entire world […]

Hong Kong protestors, spurred initially by new legislation that would allow Hong Kong residents to be extradited to mainland China, have faced a great deal of opposition at home. Local police have been accused of resorting to brutal tactics to stem the growth of what Chinese officials are calling “riots,” and the United Nations has […]

I hear it all the time, “If Krav Maga is so good, why isn’t it in Mixed Martial Arts?” It isn’t a bad question. MMA showcases the best martial art styles, so if Krav Maga isn’t represented, then it must not be the heavy hitter that it markets itself to be. MMA revitalized martial arts […]

One of the earliest markers to define the civil war in Syria and signify its intensity was the closure of foreign embassies in Damascus. Not only did the closures—along with Syria’s suspension from the Arab League—suggest that the seat of government itself was threatened, they also indicated more clearly which countries supported the Syrian state […]

I always balk at when someone I know writes something and I’m asked to give an opinion on it. As my circle of friends has grown smaller, I have erred on the side of caution, not wanting to hurt any of my friends’ feelings. Jack Murphy has never had that problem. Jack has been on […]