129 Raids & 153 Strikes: Air Commandos attached to the 75th Ranger Regiment shine

Eight Special Operations Airmen were recognized for their valor during a deployment in Afghanistan as part of a 75th Ranger Regiment task force. The Air Commandos came from the 17th Special Tactics Squadron. In conjunction with the Rangers and other American and Coalition units, they completed 129 direct action raids and 153 kinetic strikes. The […]

April 9, 1987: The Special Forces Officer (18A) branch is born

On April 9, 1987, the Army Chief of Staff established a separate branch for SF officers (18A). Previously, in June 1983, the military had authorized a Special Forces tab for SF troops to be worn on the left shoulder. Then, on October 1, 1984, the Army established a separate career management field (CMF 18) for […]

Afghan Government releases hundreds of Taliban from prison

The U.S. and the coalition forces are slated to withdraw from Afghanistan within 13 months if the Taliban meet certain requirements of the peace deal reached between them and the U.S.  Right now, the biggest sticking point to the implementation of the peace deal is the release of the Taliban fighters that are locked up […]

Special Operations units will be the last line of defense in Afghanistan

As U.S. troops have begun withdrawing from Afghanistan after 19 years of warfare, it looks like U.S. Special Operations units are going to be the last bastion of defense in the country. The agreement between the U.S and the Taliban stipulates that American troops are to be gradually withdrawn from the country within a 14-monthly […]

Taliban cry foul, peace deal with the US on the rocks

The Taliban have accused the United States of violating the peace deal, saying that the U.S. has used drones to attack civilians while calling out the Afghan government for failing to release the 5,000 Taliban prisoners languishing in prisons. They say that the peace deal is in danger of breaking.   The deal was hoped would […]

Afghan intelligence operators capture the leader of ISIS in Afghanistan

The Afghan government announced that its security forces arrested the leader of the Islamic State in Afghanistan in an operation. Abdullah Orakzai, also known as Aslam Farooqi, was captured by operators from Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS), the Afghani intelligence service and a rough equivalent of the CIA but with greater emphasis on domestic duties. […]

On the X with Delta Force and the Night Stalkers

You can read part II here. Chalks-02 and -03 were touched down with their assaulters already collapsing on Mullah Omar’s walled compound, where they quickly blew a large breach. Chalk-04 with the Falcon and his men had already slammed into the side of a mountain trying to evade ground fire en route to Gecko. Then […]

22 a Day: Is there a suicide pandemic within the ranks?

Two cadets, among 1,000 seniors isolated at the Air Force Academy, committed suicide within days from each other amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This has rattled the service from the senior leadership to its trainees. Unlike other branches, the Air Force has kept cadets on campus. The cadets have been socially distancing in single rooms, away […]

Robert Levinson: Former FBI agent and CIA asset dies in captivity in Iran

Robert Levinson, a former FBI special agent and undercover CIA asset, has died while in captivity in Iran, according to a statement by his family. Levinson’s story is complicated, to say the least. The former FBI special agent retired from the Bureau in 1998. He then proceeded to work as a private investigator. In 2007, […]

D-Day in Asscrackistan with the Night Stalkers and Delta Force

You can read part one here and part two here.  D-Day in Afghanistan! America’s first house-call after the 9-11 attack by extremist Islam. As with most countries that come to garner American G.I. contempt, the country was kindly awarded the nom de guerre “Asscrackistan” lest any of the G.I.’s be accused of any faux respect […]

The Video of the Week: The five fundamentals of Special Operations

The 75th Ranger Regiment encompasses the Big Five Philosophy: marksmanship, physical training, medical training, small-unit tactics, and mobility for the success of the individual Ranger and the Ranger mission. Special Operations units excel at the battlefield partly because they have mastered the basics of soldiering.

Boston brings in General Stanley McChrystal to fight Coronavirus

The State of Massachusetts and the City of Boston is also wracked with cases of the coronavirus. In response, Boston’s mayor, Marty Walsh, has sought outside help and has hired a retired Army general to advise the city on its efforts.  General Stanley McChrystal was best known for his work in the Joint Special Operations […]