SOF pic of the day: Green Berets ride into war on horseback in Afghanistan

SOF pic of the day: Green Berets ride into war on horseback in Afghanistan

“Starting Oct. 19, 2001, 12-man Special Forces detachments from the U.S. Army Special Operations Command’s 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) began arriving in Afghanistan in the middle of the night, transported by aviators from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Battalion (Airborne). They were the first ground Soldiers of the war on terrorism following 9-11 and […]

The U.S. Special Forces secret weapon against North Korea: Detachment K

The U.S. Special Forces secret weapon against North Korea: Detachment K

In the event that the balloon goes up on the Korean peninsula, U.S. Special Forces has a secret weapon in South Korea that has been poised and ready to roll since shortly after the Korean War.  Special Forces Detachment Korea (SFDK) has made a long-term quiet contribution to strategic military-to-military relations between America and South […]

SOF pic of the day: U.S. Airmen receive training from Green Berets

SOF pic of the day: U.S. Airmen receive training from Green Berets

Airmen assigned to Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., participate in a full mission profile exercise during the Green Beret Experience, Dec. 15, 2016 at Melrose Air Force Range, N.M. Taught by U.S. Army Green Berets. The Green Beret Experience is a four-day event featuring weapons and ground operations training intended give Airmen an idea of […]

Pillars of Sand: American foreign internal defense (Part 1)

Pillars of Sand: American foreign internal defense (Part 1)

And I discovered that my castles stand Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand -Coldplay-                              The American major was ready to murder the two top government officials                           […]

Lockheed Martin secures $8 billion logistic support contract for U.S. Special Operations

Lockheed Martin secures $8 billion logistic support contract for U.S. Special Operations

On Friday, Lockheed Martin and the Pentagon announced that the security and aerospace company has successfully secured an $8 billion U.S. Defense contract to serve as global logistics support for America’s Special Operations Forces. It is not uncommon for the U.S. military to rely on contracts with private sector organizations for support services like warehouse […]

How I crashed my Army Special Operations Helicopter behind enemy lines in Afghanistan and what I learned about my crew in the process.

How I crashed my Army Special Operations Helicopter behind enemy lines in Afghanistan and what I learned about my crew in the process.

Flying with the United States Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, the “Nightstalkers,” were some of the most rewarding and intense years of my professional Army career. These are the men and women who, when the President asks in hushed tones if we have the capability to fly specially adapted helicopters into the darkest corners of the […]

Remembering Green Beret 1LT Loren Hagen Medal of Honor Aug. 7, 1971

Remembering Green Beret 1LT Loren Hagen Medal of Honor Aug. 7, 1971

As the US involvement was winding down in Vietnam in 1971, there was still dangerous work being down by the Special Operations Forces working under the cover of MACV-SOG (Military Assistance Command Vietnam, Studies and Observations Group). This in the shadows unit was once active all South and North Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos but as […]

The “Green Beret Affair” Project GAMMA, A Massive Snafu for the Army

The “Green Beret Affair” Project GAMMA, A Massive Snafu for the Army

During the war in Vietnam, the US Army Special Forces were headquartered in Nha Trang. During this time, the Special Forces troops had a close liaison with the CIA and the two organizations worked closely on many intelligence and special operations missions. Their most successful covert intelligence unit “Project GAMMA”, had its mission effectively shut […]

US Special Forces conducts search and rescue training

US Special Forces conducts search and rescue training

US Special Forces counter-terrorism missions in Syria and Iraq get a lot of media coverage, but Green Berets are deployed to over 100 countries on any given year conducting a range of operations as laid out in the unit’s Mission Essential Task List (METL) including everything from counter-proliferation to special warfare.  This past May, Special […]

Roger Donlon Awarded Medal of Honor, Nam Dong, July 6, 1964

Roger Donlon Awarded Medal of Honor, Nam Dong, July 6, 1964

In 1964, the United States wasn’t yet fully immersed in Vietnam and our commitment at that time were just advisors. Roger Donlon was the Commander of A-726, a Special Forces A-Team from the 7th Special Forces Group. His team was placed in Nam Dong, a strategically placed village 30 miles west of Da Nang and […]

Revisiting the Special Forces Assessment and Selection Night Land Navigation Course

Revisiting the Special Forces Assessment and Selection Night Land Navigation Course

In previous articles, we’ve touched on the different aspects of land navigation. We’ve gotten a few questions and comments about night navigation which is the hardest part of land navigation because all your skills will be tested to the max in the hours of darkness. Rather than re-hashing the entire Land Navigation series of articles, […]

The press is getting it all wrong on Marawi and US Special Forces

The press is getting it all wrong on Marawi and US Special Forces

The usual breathless media reports have emerged from the Philippines latest security crisis in regards to American Special Operations units present in the area.  To be sure, the siege of Marawi has spun into a serious attack which bares some resemblance to the 2013 siege of Zamboanga.  Philippine SOF units such as the Light Reaction […]