Specialoperations

Here’s a rundown of the weapons currently used by Recon Battalions: M4 Carbine The M4 is a direct gas impingement rifle that fires the NATO 5.56. The standard M4 barrel length is 14.5, but can be outfitted with different barrel length uppers. M9   The M9 Beretta is a semi-automatic pistol that fires a 9mm […]

Your life at Recon Battalion is basically broken down into phases. This, of course, is once you’re an operational member of a team. And, with the current level of combat deployments, this “phase” system is not always in place. Of course, when guys aren’t sweating it out training for war, there’s plenty of time off. […]

First off, let’s discuss the specific role of Recon Battalion (or Division Recon). They are the eyes and ears of the Marine Division, providing ground and amphibious reconnaissance and surveillance support. With the recent reorganization of the reconnaissance community, Recon Battalion is also providing direct support to the Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) in the form […]

Naval Special Warfare (NSW) is comprised of approximately 8,900 total personnel, including more than 2,400 active-duty Special Warfare Operators, known as SEALs, 700 Special Warfare Boat Operators, also known as Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen (SWCC), 700 reserve personnel, 4,100 support personnel and more than 1,100 civilians. Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC or “WARCOM”) is a […]

Special Forces soldiers are grouped into 12-man Operational Detachment Alpha teams or ODA’s. In this manner they are organized for unconventional warfare, the only unit in the military specifically designed to fight the type of counter-insurgency operations that America finds itself in today. Because of their task organization and inherent decentralization, each ODA has it’s […]

This is a little bit about my experiences in Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS). This is also a story about what not to do! Coming back from a deployment in Northern Iraq in 2005 with 3rd Ranger Battalion, I dropped my Special Forces packet and began to prepare for SFAS. We had several Rangers […]

The M4 rifle is a shortened M16 carbine and is by far the most common weapon found in the hands of US forces today. Rangers carry the M4 and utilize the new SOPMOD 2 package, which includes the EO Tech 553 holographic reflex site, LA-5 infrared laser, foregrip, the M3X visible bright light (tactical light) […]

A former Ranger exposes the chaos and precision of deployments, relentless training, and life in the Army’s elite.

Embarking on the journey of becoming a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment is an experience like no other.  The best advice I got before I joined the military was, “You get out of it what you put into it.”  It was true, and the Ranger Regiment will demand that you put everything you’ve got […]

The United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) is the unified command structure in which individual Army Special Operations units such as Rangers, Special Forces, 160th Special Operations Aviation, Civil Affairs, Psychological Operations, and various support elements are housed under.  The JFK Special Warfare Center and School is also part of USASOC, and contains various […]

On the wall of the Command Chief’s office at the 1ST Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, hang a Spartan spear and shield, as well as the mask and sword of the Persians the fought. They were hung there by a PJ, Chief Master Sgt. Ramon Colon-Lopez when he assumed the billet of Command Chief. They […]

Explore the intricate structure, diverse missions, and rich history of the US Army Special Forces, an elite military unit uniquely organized to counter insurgencies and unconventional threats.