Afghanistan

Why did American commanders choose Delta Force over SEAL Team 6 to conduct the operation that killed the leader of ISIS? Many are bound to speculate that the SEAL option was quietly put aside because of the never-ending drama emanating from the Naval Special Warfare (NSW). And the problems in the SEAL community aren’t restricted […]

According to a manning report, the elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (160th SOAR), also known as Night Stalkers, is facing significant manning shortages. The report, first obtained by the Army Times, concerns the final quarter of Fiscal Year 2019. It reveals the following numbers of pilot shortages: With regard to the MH-60 Black Hawk […]

As a member of a Special Operations unit, you can be tasked with damned near anything and probably will. The best indicator of having a skill is the fact that you can teach it to others. As we wrote here some time ago, “Teaching is An Art in Special Forces”, and some of the best […]

An Air Force Pararescueman is slated to become the military’s most senior enlisted man. The Pentagon announced that Chief Master Sergeant Ramon “CZ” Colon-Lopez will be the new Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (SEAC). The Air Commando will be the fourth holder of the position. Army General Mark […]

A huge war-crimes scandal is rocking the Australian Special Operations community. According to reports, Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) and 2nd Commando Regiment operators are under scrutiny for alleged war crimes in Afghanistan that took place between June and November 2012. More than a dozen active and former operators, to include high ranking officers, have […]

Few know that the Army National Guard has two Special Forces Groups. The 19th SFG (Airborne) and 20th SFG (Airborne) are accessible to civilians and prior military from any branch wishing to undertake the long and arduous path to becoming a Green Beret. Moreover, recently separated Green Berets can also join. The two Groups run […]

Time for some straight talk. Almost 19 years of war and we’re still in Afghanistan; my generation’s Vietnam with a better homecoming. Failed American foreign policy strategy over three Presidential Administrations (both parties), has led to the destabilization of the Middle East, set the stage for civil war in Syria, caused the rise of ISIS […]

Just five weeks after the horrible events that unfolded on 9/11 back in 2001, the United States answered. Coalition air forces were already hitting targets in Afghanistan, taking out terrorist training centers and key government installations. But on that day, the first Special Forces troops infiltrated into Afghan territory from Uzbekistan over the Hindu Kush […]

Ranger snipers from 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, practice marksmanship on a range in Afghanistan prior to a night combat operation against insurgents.

The White House announced on Thursday that President Trump will present the nation’s highest award for military valor, the Medal of Honor, to Master Sgt. Matthew Williams for his heroism in combat during a raid in the mountains of Afghanistan in 2008. Williams, who was assigned to Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 3336 during the […]

In the closing days of September, American and Afghan Special Operation Forces (SOF) conducted a raid that resulted in the death of Asim Omar, the leader of al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS). According to the Afghan intelligence agency, Omar and an additional six AQIS terrorists were killed in the raid. Among them was also […]

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 […]