Pararescuemen recognized for valor under fire

The Air Force’s Special Warfare community continues to cement its reputation as one of great communities that are force multipliers whenever they go and fight. Two Pararescuemen (PJ) received the Silver Star for valor under fire in two separate deployments to Afghanistan. The first PJ to be recognized was technical Sergeant Gavin Fisher, assigned to […]

‘You are not forgotten’: Former SEALs search for their fallen forefathers

Special Operations warfighters live and die by the ‘No Man Left Behind’ motto. The operational environment that SOF teams find themselves in, that is working in small numbers and behind enemy lines, makes adherence to that motto even more important. A paragon example of the determination of SOF units to leave no one behind, dead […]

Operation Red Dawn: Saddam Hussein captured December 13, 2003

On the evening of December 13, 2003, in the small Iraqi town of ad-Dawr outside of Tikrit, elements of Task Force 121, and the US Army’s 4th Infantry Division captured former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. Hussein hid in a spider hole and was found by a Delta Force operator. The operation was named after the […]

First female officer completes rigorous Navy SEAL selection process

A female officer has completed the rigorous initial selection process necessary to become a Navy SEAL officer — the first female to accomplish such a feat. Although the female officer successfully completed the SEAL Officer Assessment and Selection (SOAS) program, she wasn’t chosen by the board because she hadn’t picked the SEAL career field as […]

JSOC General who commanded the Delta Force ISIS raid now in charge of Army SOF

The officer, who commanded the Delta Force raid that killed Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS, is now in charge of all Green Berets. Last month, Major General John Brennan replaced Major General E. John Deedrick Jr at the helm of the 1st Special Forces Command. The 1st Special Forces Command oversees the seven Active […]

No more SEALs: Navy pauses expansion of SEAL Teams

A proposed expansion of the SEAL Teams has been put on hold by the Navy leadership over concerns that it could jeopardize the operational effectiveness of the Navy’s elite. Senior Navy leaders believe that the Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC) isn’t ready to withstand an expansion — that is, a healthy productive expansion — since […]

Benjamin Church and the beginnings of the Rangers in Colonial New England

While the majority of people associated with our Special Operations Forces consider Robert Rogers as the father of the Ranger Regiment, his troops weren’t the true first American Rangers, that distinction, which outside of historians in New England many people don’t know, falls to Benjamin Church. Benjamin Church created the first true Ranger force, circa […]

Learn how to prepare for cold weather prior to Spec Ops selection

Because most of our military bases are in the southern United States, one area that can be neglected, especially when preparing for Special Operations training is cold weather training.  It is surprising how many young people who enter the military don’t know or understand the basics of cold weather preparation. First some of the basics; […]

Special Op’s gear review: Salomon XA Forces Mid-Boot

Okay, so anyone who knows me or has read any of my articles in the past knows that I am and have always been a huge Merrell fan. Owner of too many pairs to count, Merrells are my go-to boots for anything. But that may be subject to change. I like to scan and read […]

Rangers offer big recruitment bonuses as they continue to evolve

In its quest to become more independent and lethal, the 75th Ranger Regiment is offering significant monetary bonuses for specific Military Occupational Specialties (MOS). There are three categories of bonuses: $20K: 25C (Radio Operator-Maintainer), 89B (Ammunition Specialist), 92R (Parachute Rigger), 92G (Culinary Specialist), 92Y (Unit Supply Specialist). $10K: 15W (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Operator), 27D (Paralegal Specialist), 35G (Signals […]

USASOC turned 29 years old this week

Time flies when you are having fun, or in the case of the United States Army Special Operations Command, when you are employed so heavily, the years, never mind the days and months fly by. In 1989, USASOC was activated and although it wasn’t that long ago, the world, as well as the command has […]