Special Operations Chief: ‘We are not a panacea’

The head of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), General Raymond “Tony” Thomas III, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on May 4, 2017, and informed lawmakers and the public that the country’s elite special operations forces could not solve all of the world’s problems. “We are not a panacea,” said the Army General, former […]

Senior aide to Turkish President Erdogan threatens U.S. forces in Syria

An aide to Turkish president Recep Erdogan told a radio show that the U.S. soldiers in northern Syria are not safe from Turkish bombs, saying “we won’t be considering the fact that there are armored American vehicles… all of a sudden, by accident, a few rockets can hit them.” His comments come as a politically […]

3rd Ranger Battalion, Marksmanship, and the Big Four

Growing up in 3rd Ranger Battalion, the Big Four were constantly stressed and evaluated throughout all phases of training. These skills were how the Regiment plied their trade and were the backbone of the unit’s training and mission execution. If you couldn’t keep up physically you got smoked until you thought your eyes were going to […]

Pull-ups, protein and offset infils

When comparing myself to other men in Ranger Battalion, I never labelled myself as the strongest or the fastest. I was and am an endurance-minded individual. I have always enjoyed running, but thanks to the men in Batt, I was able to gain a greater understanding and appreciation of the physically well rounded soldier. One […]

Oldest Merrill’s Marauder MG Milton Pitcher Dies at 100

The oldest surviving member of the famed Merrill’s Marauders has passed away at the age of 100. Major General (retired) Milton Pitcher died on Easter Sunday at his home in Virginia. During World War II he served as a communications officer in the famed unit during their battles in the Chinese/Burma theater against the Japanese. […]

Train Like You Fight: Muscle Memory

Anyone who as spent more than 5 minutes in the military has heard the phase, “muscle memory”. The idea of muscle memory is to practice a task until it becomes more reflex than active action. In other words, train like you fight. We used to practice all sorts of drills with muscle memory in mind: […]

75th Ranger Regiment duo wins 34th Annual Best Ranger Competition

After a grueling three-day competition, the 75th Ranger Regiment team of Capt. Michael Rose and Master Sgt. Josh Horsager finished on top Sunday at the 34th annual David E. Grange Jr. Best Ranger Competition at Fort Benning. The win was the second for Rose, who took home the honors in 2014 while stationed with the […]

75th Ranger Regiment Duo Wins 34th Annual Best Ranger Competition

After a grueling three-day competition, the 75th Ranger Regiment team of Capt. Michael Rose and Master Sgt. Josh Horsager finished on top Sunday at the 34th annual David E. Grange Jr. Best Ranger Competition at Fort Benning. The win was the second for Rose, who took home the honors in 2014 while stationed with the […]

The Long Range Shooting Handbook: A Beginner’s Guide to Precision Rifle Shooting

I’ve shot a lot of rounds in my life.  I was a pretty heavy volume shooter in my teens, chewing through case after case of .223, 7.63×39 and 12ga as well as various handgun calibers.  After I joined the military my volume went up drastically easily pushing tens of thousands of rounds downrange annually.  I was well […]

Did Kurdistan’s Counter-Terrorist Group assault the Tabqa Dam in Syria?

In 2015, SOFREP interviewed Polad Talabani, the commander of Kurdistan’s elite Counter-Terrorism Group or CTG.  At the time, he spoke about how he wanted his men to get back to conducting real Special Operations missions behind enemy lines, rather than engaging in conventional infantry operations alongside the Peshmerga as they had been in places like […]