Special Air Service operators wounded during top-secret mission in Yemen

Two Special Air Service (SAS) operators were wounded by an IED during a recent clandestine operation inside Yemen. The two SAS troopers are part of a joint U.S-U.K. special operations team conducting reconnaissance for ideal drop-zones in case the West decided to provide much-needed humanitarian aid to the challenged Yemenis. However, the SAS operators weren’t […]

Watch: Special operators sweep low and dark over downtown LA

Earlier this week, footage surfaced online of blacked-out military helicopters flying low over downtown Los Angeles. It may seem unnerving to have special operators wearing full “battle rattle” zoom over your local grocery, but citizens of LA don’t need to fret. These low-flying birds of prey are the good guys. The helicopters, MH-6 Little Birds […]

Fortunes changing: The evolution and progress of Ukrainian special operations forces

Only a few years ago, the Ukrainian military was hard-pressed to counter the Russians and their Donetsk separatist lackeys that were encroaching on eastern Ukraine. With Crimea lost by a combination of hybrid warfare, special operations, and Western diplomatic and political ineptitude, the future of Ukraine looked dire. Since 2014, however, the Ukrainian armed forces […]

Freak aircraft accident? Call the Special Forces scuba team

One of the first-ever Special Forces scuba diving operations wasn’t targeted against an enemy. Rather, it was to assist in the search and recovery of 26 Americans who had perished in a freak aircraft collision. On March 7, 1958, a United States Marine Corps (USMC) R4Q (C-119) “Flying Boxcar” transport and a United States Navy […]

Even outside of war zones, US Special Forces soldiers are regularly saving lives

Among other tasks, Special Forces soldiers are experts at winning people’s hearts and minds. This skillset is particularly useful in a counterinsurgency context. It also comes in handy in other circumstances. For the past few years, the Green Berets of 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group—which is forward-based in Germany—have been saving the lives of civilians. Last […]

Key updates on several NEWSREP stories about US Special Forces

In 2017, NEWSREP published an open letter titled “Careerism, Cronyism, and Malfeasance in SWCS: The End of SF Capability,” which had been sent out anonymously to nearly everyone on Special Operations Command’s internal email list. The letter outlined, in detail, with specific examples, how Special Forces training has been watered down for political reasons. The […]

Green Beret saves man from exploding vehicle

A Special Forces soldier has been awarded the coveted Soldier’s Medal for pulling a man out of a flaming vehicle seconds before it exploded. In April 2017, Sergeant 1st Class Erik Kingsley was driving toward Raleigh airport in North Carolina. In the vehicle, alongside him, were his wife, two daughters, and airman brother-in-law. It was very […]

Special operations approved: Army tests new sniper ghillie suit

Last month, snipers from across the U.S. Army gathered to test the new Improved Ghillie System (IGS). The IGS is currently in the development phase. Numerous versions are being evaluated to determine which is the most effective. During this evaluation process, the gathered snipers tested the visual attributes of the ghillie suits. Snipers wearing different […]

When innovation meets special operations: How German SOF improvise

Special operations units are known for their improvisation. Since they are designed, trained, and organised to operate behind enemy lines, having the ability to think on their feet and make do with limited resources is essential. Bring this mindset and attitude to the training room, and you get marvels. The German Kommando Spezialkrafte (KSK) created […]

Mind over matter: How American commandos train their minds

It is a common misconception that special operations forces (SOF) are comprised of superhumans that would put to shame Olympian athletes — some would, though. That is not to say that the physical component isn’t crucial. Rather, it is to highlight that it is the mind that drives the body to achieve extraordinary feats of […]

Green Berets and Canadian SOF celebrate their lineage

Please copyedit this but don’t push it to Production (Stavros).  It’s ready for production (Jimmy)   Established during the Second World War, the 1st Special Service Force (SSF) was a joint American-Canadian commando unit. It participated in all major combat operations in Italy and Southern France before being deactivated in 1944. Because of its formidable […]