Delta Force operator awarded Distinguished Service Cross for daring operation in Mali

A Delta Force operator has been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC), the nation’s second-highest award for valor under fire, for his actions during a terrorist attack in Bamako, Mali in November 2015. During the morning hours of November 20, 2015, approximately a dozen Islamists associated with the terrorist group al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb […]

The Pic of the Day: Dutch Raiders train with U.S. Marines on Carolina coast

U.S. Marine Cpl. Cody Hebert, right, a dog handler with 2nd Law Enforcement Battalion, II Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, and a Royal Dutch Marine with the 32nd Raiding Squadron, prepare to patrol during Dutch bilateral training at Camp Lejeune, N.C., on April 2, 2019. Bilateral training between the U.S. Marine Corps and the Royal […]

Combat tracking: NZ Special Air Service operators showcase their bushcraft mastery

In previous months, two New Zealand soldiers deployed to Malawi, Africa, to teach British Army units the secrets of bushcraft and anti-poaching. According to the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF), one of the soldiers was from the New Zealand Special Air Service (NZSAS), and the other from the 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment […]

Spec ops technology: Could a digital flashbang make the difference in close-quarters combat?

A new, reloadable flashbang with a digital fuse promises to give law enforcement officers and war-fighters a crucial tactical advantage when it comes to close-quarters combat (CQC). Liberty Dynamic has been working on the Enhanced Diversionary Device (EDD) for more than four years. According to the manufacturer, their flashbangs are superior to current products for […]

Adjust target: SOCOM prepares for war with China and Russia

During the 2019 Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC) in Tampa, Florida, General Richard Clark, the commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), offered an insight on the priorities and goals of America’s special operations forces (SOF). “Today, SOCOM is focused squarely on the implementation of the national defense strategy,” he said during an […]

Breaking: French Navy SOF rescue American hostage, two commandos dead

In the early morning hours of May 11, French special operations forces (SOF) rescued four hostages, to include an American, during an audacious hostage rescue operation against a terrorist camp in Burkina Faso. Two French commandos, however, were killed in action during the operation. The four hostages included one American, one South Korean, and two […]

US and Qatari commandos train for strong, swift response to security threats

In yet another show of force and commitment to the Middle East, more than 200 U.S. commandos participated in the annual Special Operations Forces (SOF) exercise Invincible Sentry 2019 in Qatar. The American special operators were joined by more than 400 Qatari commandos from the Joint Special Forces, the premier Qatari SOF unit, and Internal […]

Niger ambush review: Senior leadership accountability debacle or just burying the facts?

During a U.S. House Armed Services Committee hearing last Tuesday, Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan told lawmakers the long-awaited Niger ambush report will go through yet another review. The report concerns the botched Niger operation that took place in October 2017 and cost the lives of four Americans. Justifying his decision, Shanahan said his […]

Special operations gone wrong: Watch this year’s ugliest parachute jump

Bad exits or landings during parachute operations aren’t uncommon. Throwing people, often laden with dozens of pounds of equipment, out of an aircraft inevitably invites trouble. Parachuting is inherently dangerous, whether the jump is static line (the parachute opens automatically as the paratrooper exits the aircraft) or free fall. Naturally, parachute training is complex and […]

‘Terrorism threat overblown’ says top US general in Africa

In a testimony delivered to the House Armed Services Committee, General Thomas Waldhauser (USMC), the commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), offered some valuable insight into American initiatives and, more importantly, state and non-state threats. General Waldhauser stated that, contrary to popular belief, “the threats we are working against aren’t necessarily a threat to the […]