AFSOC Commando Awarded Silver Star For Danger Close Air Support Mission

AFSOC Commando Awarded Silver Star For Danger Close Air Support Mission

An AFSOC combat controller was awarded the Silver Star Medal for his bravery during a raid with the 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment in Afghanistan in 2018. Tech Sgt Cam Kelsch, of the 17th Special Tactics Squadron, Hunter Army Airfield, was honored on Tuesday during a ceremony at the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum in […]

Op-Ed: The truth about reservists following the deaths of 3 reserve Marines in Afghanistan

Op-Ed: The truth about reservists following the deaths of 3 reserve Marines in Afghanistan

The U.S. Defense Department has released the names of the three Marines killed when an improvised explosive device was detonated near Bagram Air Base near Kabul in Afghanistan on Monday. Staff Sgt. Christopher K.A. Slutman, 43, of Newark, Delaware; Sgt. Benjamin S. Hines, 31, of York, Pennsylvania; and Cpl. Robert A. Hendriks, 25, of Locust […]

MARSOC Needs To Stay, Says Next Marine Corps Commandant

MARSOC Needs To Stay, Says Next Marine Corps Commandant

Just a couple of months ago, the Marine Corps’ Special Operations Command (MARSOC) celebrated its 13th anniversary. Then a think tank pushed an idea that the Marines would be better off, disestablishing the Marine SOF and return to their roots which is their forced amphibious capability. But now the next commandant of the Marine Corps […]

Three U.S. Marines Killed in IED Suicide Bombing Identified

Three U.S. Marines Killed in IED Suicide Bombing Identified

On Monday, a suicide bomber set off an IED that killed three U.S. Marines and wounded several others. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. Those Marines killed in the attack have now been identified. The Taliban suicide bombing of the U.S. convoy just outside of Bagram airbase killed Staff Sgt. Christopher Slutman, 43, of […]

Three US Marines killed by Taliban roadside bomb in Afghanistan

Three US Marines killed by Taliban roadside bomb in Afghanistan

On Monday, three Marines were killed by an improvised explosive device detonated near Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. A number of others were injured in the attack, although the Pentagon hasn’t released an official count related to the incident. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. A statement issued Tuesday by the Operation Resolute Support […]

Lawmakers debate major changes for US special operations forces

Lawmakers debate major changes for US special operations forces

The winds of change are blowing through the United States’ Special Operations Forces (SOF) as lawmakers debate significant changes to the mandate of the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). According to a March 2019 report by the Congressional Research Service, USSOCOM is trying to pass an amendment to the Unified Command Plan that would greatly […]

Major changes coming to US special operations forces

Major changes coming to US special operations forces

The winds of change are blowing through the United States’ Special Operations Forces (SOF) as lawmakers debate significant changes to the mandate of the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). According to a March 2019 report by the Congressional Research Service, USSOCOM is trying to pass an amendment to the Unified Command Plan that would greatly […]

Aid workers to train and work alongside SEAL Team 6?

Aid workers to train and work alongside SEAL Team 6?

Since the Vietnam War, the United States government has experimented with embedding development workers within military and intelligence teams to advance its work in counterinsurgency (COIN) missions with programs such as Civil Operations and Rural Development Support (CORDS) and Phoenix. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has always led the charge in providing […]

US and Qatari commandos train for strong, swift response to security threats

US and Qatari commandos train for strong, swift response to security threats

In yet another show of force and commitment to the Middle East, more than 200 U.S. commandos participated in the annual Special Operations Forces (SOF) exercise Invincible Sentry 2019 in Qatar. The American special operators were joined by more than 400 Qatari commandos from the Joint Special Forces, the premier Qatari SOF unit, and Internal […]

Chief Gallagher’s war crimes case expands to SEAL Team 6 operators

Chief Gallagher’s war crimes case expands to SEAL Team 6 operators

The war crimes case of Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher just got more complicated as the Navy is expanding its investigation to SEAL Team 6 operators. According to warrant documents and emails leaked to the Navy Times, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) is trying to determine if Chief Gallagher colluded with SEALs from the […]

Beards and axes: Canadian Army reactivates elite Assault Pioneers unit

Beards and axes: Canadian Army reactivates elite Assault Pioneers unit

The Canadian Army has decided to reactivate the Assault Pioneers in an attempt to increase the lethality of its infantry units. Known for their specialized training, different grooming standards (they are allowed to wear well-groomed beards), and their axes, Assault Pioneers are a mix of an infantryman and a combat engineer. Aside from the normal […]