Is unconventional warfare an option in Syria?

Is unconventional warfare an option in Syria?

Russia has made a significant observation: the U.S. is not guaranteed to take action in the light of a post Cold War Russia, that changes their foreign policy and political calculus.

ISOF is winning in Iraq and proves the worth of Special Forces Foreign Internal Defense

ISOF is winning in Iraq and proves the worth of Special Forces Foreign Internal Defense

The Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF) are proving their worth and showing the incredible work done by Special Forces. The ISOF was in real danger of losing its effectiveness, because we left them hanging, as a nation. The result of our abandonment was a hopeless, not hopeful Iraq. The warfighters felt that hopelessness. The mission was […]

Detachment A: the Cold War Sabotage Experts of Special Forces

Detachment A: the Cold War Sabotage Experts of Special Forces

Imagine American Special Forces soldiers traveling around Baghdad in civilian vehicles, speaking the local language, carrying false passports, and operating under a cover as they case targets and dodge foreign intelligence agents. Today, such a thing is an impossibility, a much sought after capability that Special Forces has been unable to attain in recent years. […]

Special Operations and the Challenge of Working in the “Gray Zone”

Special Operations and the Challenge of Working in the “Gray Zone”

Military, government, academic, and policy gurus are forever formulating new doctrine, concepts, terminology, and acronyms for the military. Years ago there were very few terms to consider (compared to now) in the special operations world – Unconventional Warfare (UW), Foreign Internal Defense (FID), Internal Defense and Development (IDAD), Counterinsurgency (COIN), and a few others. It […]

Why Carpet Bombing ISIS Won’t Work

Why Carpet Bombing ISIS Won’t Work

In a campaign speech, Donald Trump talked about his strategy for dealing with ISIS by saying, “I would bomb the shit out of them. I would just bomb those suckers. I would blow up the pipes. I’d bomb the refineries; I would blow up every single inch. There would be nothing left.” While bombing ISIS’s financial […]

China’s Unrestricted Warfare (Pt. 3)

China’s Unrestricted Warfare (Pt. 3)

Our look at the 1999 PLA white paper “Unrestricted Warfare” continues with an examination of what really constitutes a new weapon concept.

Marine Raiders: The Future of MARSOC

Marine Raiders: The Future of MARSOC

MARSOC evolving into Marine Raiders might have been the greatest asymmetrical operation in the history of MARSOC. Here’s how it happened.

China’s Unrestricted Warfare (Pt. 1)

China’s Unrestricted Warfare (Pt. 1)

The 1999 PLA white paper “Unrestricted Warfare” can help to broaden our definition of what constitutes war before we lose one we didn’t even know we were in.