Marine Special Operations Command: We Aren’t SEALs or Green Berets

Everybody wants to know what sets Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC) apart from the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) and Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC). It’s a complicated question to answer. What’s more revealing and easier to address is: what traits does MARSOC share with USASOC and NSW? I’d like to focus on […]

The Pic of the Day: Special Forces operator who pioneered HALO capability

According to the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), “Special Forces Noncommissioned Officer and CIA officer Wilfred “Squeak” Charette (nicknamed after the squeak his jump boots made when he walked) who was a pioneer in the development of the High-Altitude Low-Opening (HALO) parachute capability. Charette participated in training the first HALO class from SEAL Team Two […]

Who owns the night? Taliban use of night vision goggles tips the scale

Despite 19 years of war, the Taliban are still a dominant faction in Afghanistan. Their ability to wreak havoc at will highlights the Afghan government’s feebleness. A frailty that becomes ever more pronounced as U.S. and coalition forces gradually withdraw from the country. In their way toward defeating their opponent – or reducing his will […]

Summer Hunting Season: SOF task force concludes record-breaking Afghanistan deployment

An Army Special Operations task force just completed one of the most successful combat rotations to Afghanistan. Special Operations Task Force 102 (SOTF-102) received over 50 military decorations for their work against the Taliban, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria-Khorasan (ISIS-K), Haqqani network, and Al-Qaida. SOTF-102 was comprised of Green Berets from the 10th Special […]

Enough Heart: The legend of a Special Forces operator and Medal of Honor recipient

The Special Forces Sergeant pulled the small rectangular Claymore mine from its pouch. Though he couldn’t see the Soviet-built truck, he smelled its fumes. The distinctive low rasp of its diesel engine spewed a heavy, acrid odor that hung under the dense jungle canopy for hundreds of yards. Unwinding the detonation wire, he sensed the […]

Special Forces operator killed in action

On Monday, a Special Forces operator was killed in action during combat operations in Afghanistan. Sergeant First Class Jeremy Griffin, 41, succumbed to a small arms fire wound while on operations in Wardak province. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), which is based at Joint Base Lewis-McCord, Washington. Colonel […]

The Video of the Week: 3rd Special Forces Group, masters of the unconventional

The 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) is the preeminent special operations force, deploying the DOD’s most competent, adaptable forces worldwide and across the range of military operations. The 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) provides a scalable and self-sustaining special operations capability operating by, with, and through partnered forces to address our nation’s most complex problems. […]

The Pic of the Day: Special Forces operators calling in a nine-line

A Green Beret assigned to 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) calls in a nine-line medical evacuation during a training event near Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Aug. 27, 2019. U.S. Special Forces and U.S. Air Force Joint Terminal Attack Controllers conducted a raid and utilized multiple weapon systems ranging from smalls arms weapons to A-10 […]

The Pic of the Day: American and Cypriot SOF operators fast rope into the desert

National Guard Special Forces Operators conduct fast rope insertion training with coalition forces during exercise Eager Lion 2019.  Eager Lion, U.S. Central Command’s largest and most complex exercise, is an opportunity to integrate forces in a multilateral environment, operate in realistic terrain and strengthen military-to-military relationships.

The Pic of the Day: Special Forces operators blasting away in the Middle East

A soldier assigned to U.S. Army Special Operations Command demonstrates firing positions on the M320 40mm grenade launcher to a member of the Saudi Arabian Naval Special Forces during joint forces weapons training in a tactical training area in Amman, Jordan, Aug. 28, 2019, as part of Exercise Eager Lion 2019. Eager Lion, U.S. Central […]

The Pic of the Day: Nothing screams Pipe-Hitter more than Tiger Stripes camo

Special Forces operators from the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) conduct joint exercise with Soldiers from 1st, Squadron, 75th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, KY. The Green Berets are seen wearing the Tiger Stripes camouflage pattern uniform. The Tiger Stripes was worn and popularized by Long Range Reconnaissance […]