The world watched helplessly as the United States Capitol building was stormed and breached on Wednesday. Though the actual breach of the building lasted for a few hours, the shockwave continues to rip through the hearts of Americans everywhere. It was an event that will no doubt ring in our ears for generations to come. 

The SOFREP team watched closely as the peaceful demonstration soured and scores of people ripped through the doors of the U.S. Capitol, spilling into the House, the Senate, and several offices throughout the building. Later that evening, as Congress worked to certify the results of the Electoral College vote, news spread that several people had died in the melee. At the time of writing, five Americans have died as a result of Wednesday’s events including a 14-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force.

Our hearts go out to the loved ones of those who perished. 

As the dust began to settle, we took to our keyboards, grasping at reasons, searching for answers. Meanwhile, the media pivoted and began using words like sedition, extremism, and even treason. Protesters were quickly relabelled rioters, then insurrectionists, and finally, domestic terrorists. 

Then came the aftershock. The Trump administration began to fragment as calls for impeachment rang out. Insiders either ducked for political cover or did their best to condemn the violent action while keeping the ship afloat. The president was then unceremoniously removed from Twitter, and blocked by several big tech companies. Meanwhile, a source inside the Pentagon confirmed to SOFREP that several classified computers with access to the government’s secret internal network, SIPRNet, had been stolen during the breach. Suspects have not been identified nor have the machines been recovered. 

At the time of writing, the president is hunkered down in the White House while leading political leaders demand his removal from office saying that he is unfit, unhinged, and out of control.

Be sure to listen to our special Editor’s Round Table discussion about the Capitol breach on SOFREP Radio. 

But while American democracy dangled perilously, the USS Nimitz and its Carrier Strike Group commenced their stare down with Iran after initially having been ordered to return stateside for replenishment. The order reversal came after several Iranian threats and its hostile seizure of a Korean oil tanker in the Persian Gulf. Days later, Iran undertook a weapons test that showcased a new form of kamikaze drone. 

Elsewhere, Israel launched a fresh salvo into Syria targeting several locations used to train and equip Iranian-backed militia forces including Hezbollah. Insurgents in Niger killed more than 100 civilians in two deadly attacks. French and Malian forces came under scrutiny when several outlets alleged that a joint airstrike killed scores of civilians on their way to a wedding. And U.S. forces in Somalia unleashed a series of strikes on al-Shabaab extremists, including one that targeted al-Shabaab leaders who were facilitating finance, weapons, fighters, and explosives. 

As always, we tracked several stories from across the military this week: The body of an Army drill sergeant was discovered in her bullet-ridden vehicle on the side of a Texas highway. The legal team for Navy SEAL Tony DeDolph announced this week that he will plead guilty to the killing of Army Green Beret Logan Melgar. After seven decades, a 98-year-old WWII veteran received his promotion and medals for his service in the Pacific. Acting SecDef Chris Miller announced his appointees to the commission that will be responsible for renaming military bases bearing the names of Confederate generals. And the remains of 40 unidentified U.S. servicemembers were returned to Hawaii from the Philippines.  

What’s in store for next week? None of us knows. But, as always, we’ll be here to bring you the stories you won’t find anywhere else with insights and analysis from people who have actually been there. 

In the meantime,

Stay frosty

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