Category: SOF

Combat hand-to-hand is another animal entirely, not like being in a ring or on a mat, and is often not one-on-one.

The Combat Diver Foundation and the U.S. Military Freefall Association will be jointly hosting a virtual fundraiser to raise money for their respective causes. The “Jump & Dive Fundraiser” will take place on August 29. The event will include a livestream of the fundraising event, comments by notable Combat Diver and Military Freefall qualified leaders, […]

How long is Navy boot camp? Navy Boot Camp is seven to eight weeks long, depending on scheduling. Navy Boot Camp resides at the Recruit Training Command (RTC) in Great Lakes, Illinois, which is in close proximity to Chicago. In Boot Camp, civilian recruits are transformed into Navy sailors. During their time at RTC, recruits […]

SOFREP recently published an exclusive piece covering the journey of the first female candidate set to graduate the Special Forces Qualification Course and earn her coveted green beret — an amazing achievement. Similarly, recent years have seen the services open their previously male-exclusive roles, including the opportunity to attend Ranger School and others, to women […]

Symbols are important. Civilizations, organizations, corporations, and even an individual’s identity are built on and around symbols. They communicate values, demonstrate principles, express aspirations, declare intentions, assert purpose, affirm origins, and galvanize solidarity. Symbols are powerful because they instill pride, evoke camaraderie, and spur individuals to strive harder in their pursuits. The proud graduates of […]

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on the way that the U.S. military does business. Naval Special Warfare has not been immune to these changes. As previously discussed on SOFREP, on March 16, The Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Basic Training Command (BTC) put a hold on BUD/S classes that were in the 1st […]

Earlier this month, the 75th Army Ranger Regiment permanently activated its newest battalion. The Ranger Military Intelligence Battalion (RHIB) is now one of the five battalions of the 75th Ranger Regiment, the other being three infantry battalions (1/75, 2/75, 3/75) and a Special Troops Battalion. According to the 75th Ranger Regiment, the RHIB’s mission is […]

The first time Changiz Lahidji joined a Special Forces unit, his loyalty was to Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran. But he found himself guarding lavish parties in the middle of the desert, protecting the opulent ruler of Imperial Iran and his guests. It wasn’t exactly the life of adventure that John Wayne movies led […]

SF troops come from humble and austere beginnings. The original Special Forces troops were formed on Smoke Bomb Hill in 1952. Special Forces were created as former members of the OSS (Office of Strategic Services) were assigned with paratroopers and Rangers, with a sprinkling of former members of the Army’s 1st Special Service Force, to […]

Don Bradley’s case exemplifies the dire consequences of a flawed system, urging us to rally behind his battle for truth and reparation.

On Saturday, June 13, an intruder was shot and killed after entering the Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Detachment Kodiak’s compound in Alaska. The reports are preliminary and detailed information is murky at best. Jason Vinburg, age 30, was mortally wounded during the incident. He illegally gained access to the compound and attempted to enter a […]

On Tuesday, a Marine Raider was killed during a static-line parachute jump while in the U.S. Army’s Basic Airborne Course at Fort Benning, Georgia. Sergeant Wolfgang Weninger was a Critical Skills Operator (CSO) assigned to the Marine Raider Training Center. He was set to graduate from Airborne training on Friday. Marine Special Operations Forces (MARSOC) […]