Air Force identifies missing Combat Controller

The Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) has identified the missing Special Tactics operator, who fell from a C-130 during a training exercise last Tuesday, November 5. U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Cole Condiff was a Special Tactics Combat Controller (CCT) assigned to the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron (23rd STS), 24th Special Operations Wing (24th […]

SOF tips: How you handle adversity or failure will follow you through life

The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall. Vince Lombardi When we write here at SpecialOperations.com and have discussions with aspiring candidates for the various units, we tend to deal only with the positive. It is par for the course, by and large, the vast majority of us […]

Can Special Forces teach everything? Pretty much

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 […]

SOF Tips: Speed up your recovery after the 12-mile rucksack march

This piece is meant to help prospective candidates prepare for SOF selection with their 12-mile rucksack march. And hopefully for those that followed it and conducted it, (it was a cold 40 degree, rainy morning here), followed our normal rucksack marching tips. Wearing the correct boots and socks, having the correct and comfortable clothes on […]

Why do you put such a premium on rucking in Special Operations?

We frequently get a lot of questions about the Selection part of the training pipeline, what the candidates for the various Special Operations units in the SOF umbrella must pass. Selection, as we say is just the first step, but it is a continuous process and never really ends. Candidates during Selection will be assessed […]

US Military’s working dogs are the worst nightmare for the enemy

Cry havoc… Since the time of Greece and the Roman Empire, the dog has been a valued and trusted member of the military. The Romans used a breed of Mastiff that is now extinct. Then, they covered their canines in armor with spiked collars and used them to wreak havoc on their enemies. The use […]

SEALs gone awry? SOF Chaplains might be the answer

As the U.S. Special Operations community is battered by scandal after scandal of misconduct and unprofessionalism, its leadership has been brainstorming solutions to this quandary. The Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC), from which rank’s most of the scandals have come, has already initiated a back-the-basics directive to be adhered by its subordinate Navy SEAL Teams. […]

Prepping For Selection, the Right Way is the Only Way

This is the time of year when the Selection courses are in full swing and the guys…and gals who want to be part of Special Operations units are deciding to get ready and give it their best shot at becoming members in the best fraternity in the world. The US military has embraced Special Operations […]

The Pic of the Day: Special Forces operators assault island

A Green Beret assigned to the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) clears along the wall of a building after conducting an underwater infiltration of Okaloosa Island on April 2. Special Forces soldiers from the group attacked a mock enemy outpost on the island to rescue a hostage after infiltrating by water. Special Forces Operational Detachment […]

What Happens Next at the Special Warfare Center at Ft. Bragg?

Opinion: The Special Warfare Center, specifically the JFKSWC at Ft. Bragg, NC, which trains the Green Berets, Psyops and Civil Affairs soldiers has been in a state of flux for the past two years. And the news that broke late last week won’t lessen it at all in the coming months. Breitbart News’ Kristina Wong […]

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 9, Day 5

Chest and Triceps workout at the gym today before a 5-mile run. Shoot for a time below the standard of 40 minutes. Therefore remember to stretch well before and after and to stay hydrated. And be sure to mark your progress down in your workout log book. Training: More Preparation for the UBRR: 3 x […]