5th Special Forces Group

Update: SOFREP has learned that the 1st Special Forces Command will retain some CRF-like Direct Action capability, though significantly smaller than the current one. The rationale behind the decision to downsize, however, remains the same: CRFs are too expensive for their utility. In a historic decision for the Special Forces community, the Crisis Response Force […]

The fighting in Syria is threatening to draw the forces of Turkey, Syria, and Russia into open conflict, making an already volatile situation even worse. Syrian troops, backed by Russian fighter jets, have recaptured the al-Nairab village in Idlib province from Syrian opposition rebels as the fighting in northwestern Syria teeters back and forth. Meanwhile, […]

A U.S. and SDF soldier exit their vehicles to speak with locals during a patrol in northeast Syria Jan. 30, 2020. Coalition Forces continue to work with their partners to maintain stability and security in the region. We remain committed to increasing security in northeast Syria, to enable humanitarian assistance, reconstruction and stability operations. Terrorist […]

American troops were fired upon in northeastern Syria after civilians attempted to block them at a crossroads. They returned fire and at least one Syrian was killed and another wounded, Syrian state television reported. U.S. military spokesman Myles Caggins said American-led coalition forces were conducting a patrol of eight vehicles near Qamishli and encountered a […]

The pair of MH-60 Blackhawks roared past the target building. One of the birds came into a hover, and operators started fast-roping. Time was of the essence. They were supposed to have hit this target some minutes before. The ISIS cell leader that was inside might have already left. An MH-47 Chinook carrying the blocking […]

The same night that a U.S. drone killed Major General Qassem Soleimani, an almost simultaneous targeted strike took place in Yemen. Its target was Abdul Reza Shahlai, a senior Quds Force operative. The drone missile missed, resulting in the escape of Shahlai, who continues to remain at large. Abdul Reza Shahlai is a senior Quds […]

The U.S. Army Warrior Fitness Team along with Professional CrossFit athlete Noah Ohlsen pose for a photo with soldiers of 2nd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Campbell, Ky., Oct. 25 2019. Green Berets with 5th Special Forces Group soldiers held multiple events throughout the day to show the different aspects of a special […]

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 […]

Opinion: Our Special Operations Command has been in the news these days for much of the wrong reasons. And with the number of questions we’ve gotten asking about the different Selection courses for SOF with an increasing number from potential officers, I felt it was time to address an issue. An increasing number of Special […]

During the battle on February 6-7, 1968 at the Special Forces A-Camp at Lang Vei, NVA troops used armor for the first time against American and South Vietnamese positions. Lang Vei had to be taken before the NVA unleashed 40,000 troops against the Marine base at Khe Sanh. During the battle, as the SF camp […]

As a member of a Special Operations unit, you can be tasked with damned near anything and probably will. The best indicator of having a skill is the fact that you can teach it to others. As we wrote here some time ago, “Teaching is An Art in Special Forces”, and some of the best […]

Just five weeks after the horrible events that unfolded on 9/11 back in 2001, the United States answered. Coalition air forces were already hitting targets in Afghanistan, taking out terrorist training centers and key government installations. But on that day, the first Special Forces troops infiltrated into Afghan territory from Uzbekistan over the Hindu Kush […]