Forget China and Russia, terrorists are still a major threat

Forget China and Russia, terrorists are still a major threat

It is an undeniable fact that the U.S. military has been gradually shifting its focus from counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations to near-peer threats, such as China and Russia. Navy SEALs have been practicing with increased frequency in the Pacific in anticipation of a potential conflict with the former. Special Forces teams are rotating more frequently […]

Iranian Revolutionary Guard commandos storm British tanker

Iranian Revolutionary Guard commandos storm British tanker

Last week, commandos of Iran’s Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stormed two British tankers that were sailing in the Strait of Hormuz. The aggressive seizure of the two ships was in response to the previous detainment of an Iranian tanker by British Royal Marines. That ship was illegally carrying oil to Syria in […]

Who will carry out Trump’s immigration raids today?

Who will carry out Trump’s immigration raids today?

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is kicking off a series of “raids” in several major U.S. cities beginning on Sunday, July 14. The operation was first brought to light by a report from the New York Times, and according to a report from NBC, will focus on about 2,000 families suspected of living in […]

Diplomacy with a big stick: New spec ops chief for Africa faces a hard task

Diplomacy with a big stick: New spec ops chief for Africa faces a hard task

Special Operations Command Africa (SOCAFRICA) welcomed its new chief, U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Dagvin R.M. Anderson, on June 28th. The departing commander, Air Force Maj. Gen. J. Marcus Hicks, said in a statement: “To the men and women of Special Operations Command Africa, you have accomplished so much with so little, so quickly and […]

A new star is born: Meet the Hellenic Joint Special Operations Command

A new star is born: Meet the Hellenic Joint Special Operations Command

After years fraught with disputes and skepticism, the Greek government has decided to establish a new Joint Special Operations Command (ΔΔΕΠ). The new Hellenic JSOC will answer directly to the Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) and will most likely be comprised of two components: a “Tier 1” and “Tier 2” component (these […]

Breaking: Royal Marines storm Iranian supertanker bound for Syria

Breaking: Royal Marines storm Iranian supertanker bound for Syria

Troops from the Royal Marines 42 Commando unit boarded the Iranian tanker Grace 1 using light speedboats today. The Royal Marines rappelled from a helicopter onto the deck while approximately 16 police officers from Gibraltar were also involved in the operation. Luckily no shots were fired and the ship is secure at the moment. Gibraltarian […]

Escalation: Royal Marines commandos deploy to Middle East amid Iranian aggressiveness

Escalation: Royal Marines commandos deploy to Middle East amid Iranian aggressiveness

Britain’s premier maritime commando force is sailing toward the Strait of Hormuz for an exercise amid an international crisis triggered by Iranian aggression against two oil tankers last week. Royal Marines commandos from 42 Commando will be conducting visit, board, search and seizure drills, among other tasks, in close proximity to where the two tankers […]

Gun control: The case of the ‘smart gun’

Gun control: The case of the ‘smart gun’

Could so-called smart guns be the solution to gun control and fewer mass shooting incidents? A new study finds that while there is widespread support for smart guns, the considerable additional cost and questionable efficacy demotivates people from purchasing such weapons. According to the study by Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health, smart […]

Belgian Commandos in Africa: Secretive and highly effective

Belgian Commandos in Africa: Secretive and highly effective

The deadly ambush in Niger in 2017, which resulted in the deaths of four Americans, revealed to a dumbfounded public the silent war that has been taking place in the Sahel. Aside from U.S. troops, several other countries have a strong presence in the area. Belgium is one of them. And its Special Forces Group […]

Adjust target: SOCOM prepares for war with China and Russia

Adjust target: SOCOM prepares for war with China and Russia

During the 2019 Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC) in Tampa, Florida, General Richard Clark, the commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), offered an insight on the priorities and goals of America’s special operations forces (SOF). “Today, SOCOM is focused squarely on the implementation of the national defense strategy,” he said during an […]

SEAL teams to get new clandestine underwater craft

SEAL teams to get new clandestine underwater craft

As the Pentagon shifts its gaze from low-intensity conflicts to nation-level adversaries, the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is following suit, and the Navy SEAL teams are eager to prove their strategic utility in the rediscovered domain. SOCOM and the Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC) are focusing their efforts on two underwater craft: a Shallow Water […]

Training the trainers: How drill sergeants hone their craft

Training the trainers: How drill sergeants hone their craft

Drill sergeants are the gatekeepers into the military. For any aspiring soldier, Marine, sailor or airman, drill sergeants embody the transition from the slow-paced civilian life to the rigors and discipline of the military. Throughout their first months in the military, recruits are shepherded by the drill sergeants who have a great responsibility on their […]