This Week on SOFREP: June 23-29

This week on SOFREP we’ve got some great SOF topics coming to you, starting with the Douchebag of the week, Bobby Hallmark, Jr.

Lessons From al-Qaeda Infighting in the Middle East

by Peter Nealen

I originally intended to get this post up before the Insubordination post.  Here is the background and context of the dispute between ISI and the Al Nusra Front.

On June 9th, Al Jazeera published a letter, purportedly from Ayman al Zawahiri, addressed to the Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, the emir of the Islamic State of Iraq, and Abou Muhammad al Julani, the emir of Jabhaat al Nusra.  According to the Long War Journal, US intelligence considers the letter to be genuine…

Actor Max Martini’s New Film ‘Will Gardner’ to Help Support Veterans

by Kerry Patton

He’s a true patriot who loves America’s military and our veterans. That is Max Martini and now, to show his support for veterans, his next movie will help fund four military friendly non-profit organizations in an attempt to defeat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and the veteran homeless crisis.

Who is Max Martini?

Do you remember the famous bridge scene in the movie ‘Saving Private Ryan’ where Tom Hanks (Captain Miller) and his team first met Matt Damon (Private Ryan) right before the Battle at Ramelle?…

Sergeant Joe Kapacziewski, Back in the Fight

by Jack Murphy

I first met Kap when I was a Team Leader in 1st Platoon, A/co, 3rd Ranger Battalion and truth be told, I thought he was a pretty abrasive dude at first. What I gradually came to realize was that he was simply standoffish because he didn’t know me, and rightly didn’t trust me yet. I was the new guy and untested in his eyes as a Squad Leader. Deploying to Iraq, I found a new respect for Kap and for the platoon as a whole. That was probably the best job I ever had in the Army and I was just lucky to serve with them.

(NOTE: Joe was injured in the very attack discussed in…)

C-Squadron, Rhodesian SAS Sergeant Major, Jock Hutton

by Jack Murphy

Former Squadron Sergeant Major of the Rhodesian Special Air Service is quite a man, and a bit of a legend to say the least.  During World War Two, Jock attempted to join the British military but was too young initially. At 18, he joined the British paratroopers prior to D-Day and jumped in to Normandy. On that 6th of June in 1944, Jock saw action fighting the Nazis near the Orn river.

Team Schlitz Supports Captain Ben Harrow

by Jack Murphy

Last year, Team Schlitz was a huge success at the Tunnel to Towers run in New York City.  The effort was to help built a smart home to help Michael Schlitz get around and otherwise live his life.  Michael was a Ranger who lost both his arms in an IED blast and was severely burned over almost all of his body.

Now that Michael is set, he is now passionate about helping other Special Operations veterans who have suffered amputations.  This year Michael has picked Captain Ben Harrow to support.  Ben is a West Point graduate and Green Beret who lost both his legs in an IED detonation.  The Tunnel to Towers run, which Team Schlitz will be ruck marching again, isn’t until September, but you can begin pre-ordering your Team Schlitz shirt now over at Ranger Up!

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Of course, there’s more great stuff coming at you hard from Laura Walker, Peter Nealen, Blake Miles and a few other folks too.

SOFREP.com Redesign

Well, it’s been almost 16 months since we went live with SOFREP, and the way we use the web has changed a LOT since then. SOFREP will not be stuck behind the technology curve.

Our new design works great on all devices (desktop, tablet and phone) and has a lot of flexibility for our authors, too. We’re sticking to our roots – SOFREP is a BLOG, after all – but that doesn’t mean we need to be stuck in 2011. And it gives Cris (aka SOFREP Dev) a chance to show off a little bit.

Coming oh so soon….

And then there’s Wednesday…

So, a few weeks ago I alluded to a ‘big fucking deal’ right here on SOFREP. I got all caffeinated and wrote ‘And then there’s Benghazi. This topic has a special place in our hearts, and not just because of the death of Glen Doherty. Brandon is on a mission, and this week we’re gonna step it up a notch.‘

We stepped it up more than a notch, and come Wednesday, we’ll present it to you. There will be some hoopla and some attention paid to it, but at the end this is all about four simple words, and if you’ve read our ‘Benghazi: The Definitive Report‘ and paid attention to our other stories on Benghazi, these four words will hit you in the gut like nothing else.

Great men will NOT be forgotten. They will be honored, and they will be respected.

– Charlie