Afghanistan

During October and early November of 2001, the United States was hitting back hard at the Taliban in the early days of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. In the aftermath of 9/11, the Taliban had no idea of what was soon to engulf them. US and coalition airstrikes pounded Taliban positions. Two US Green Beret […]

Former Navy SEAL Crenshaw And Davidson Take High Road By now as everyone is well aware, last week on NBC’s Saturday Night Live, one of the actors during the “Weekend Update” portion of the show, made a particularly tasteless joke at the expense of Congressman-elect Pete Crenshaw. Crenshaw a former Navy SEAL lost an eye […]

The UK government has requested and will receive 16 special operations Chinook helicopters for the UK Special Forces (UKSF). Late last month, the US State Department and the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) approved the sale of 16 new H-47 Chinooks. Additionally, the British will be getting numerous parts that could be used to configure the […]

Peshawar, Pakistan — Sami ul-Haq, also known as the spiritual father of the Taliban, was assassinated near his house in the suburbs of Islamabad. The prominent Muslim cleric was found dead by his relatives. Thus far, the identity of his attackers remains unknown. Haq was the teacher of numerous high-profile Afghan and Pakistani Taliban leaders.  Recently, […]

Kabul, Afghanistan — The Taliban now control more territory than they ever did since 2001 and the U.S. led intervention. According to the quarterly report of the Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction (SIGAR), the Kabul government and its international partners directly control or indirectly influence only 55.5 percent of Afghanistan’s districts. The Taliban control […]

Canberra, Australia — Kuga, a Special Operations Military Working Dog (SOMWD), posthumously received the PDSA Dickin Medal, which is the Victoria Cross equivalent for service animals. A Belgian Malinois, Kuga served with the Australian Special Air Service Regiment (SASR), and completed multiple combat deployments to Afghanistan. He received the prestigious award for his actions during […]

We have mentioned this not too long ago but it probably bears repeating, especially now that the Selection courses are running and the next batch of candidates are gearing up to attend. You don’t have to be a marathon runner, a professional weight lifter or a bodybuilder to pass Selection. Not every Special Operations trooper […]

Wednesday is a light Shoulders and Back training day in the gym before heading off to do the SOF (Special Operations Forces) Triathlon. A 3-mile run, a rucksack march, and a swim with fatigues and boots. These are three things that you’ll have to be able to do well to pass Selection. If your plans […]

Syrian Conflict The Syrian War started in 2011 as an uprising and protests against the government of Syria led by Bashar Al Assad. Developments:  The October 15 deadline has passed for the Russian-Turkish deal which allowed for a buffer zone between the city of Idlib and Syrian/Russian forces. The rebels were told to leave the […]

Much of what we post here is based on preparing the potential Special Operations candidates for what they will face in the various Selection or qualification courses. But sometimes it is good to change things up a bit and delve into our shared history to learn and respect where we come from. Other times, like […]

An Afghan elder from Delaram listens during a security shura with leaders from Task Force Southwest (TFSW) and the Afghan National Defense and Security Force (ANDSF) at Camp Delaram, Afghanistan, Feb. 5, 2018. Key leaders from TFSW and the ANDSF conducted the security shura to gain a greater understanding of the security through local elders […]

Papakura, New Zealand—The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has released a rare glimpse of the secretive New Zealand Special Air Service (NZSAS). The video reveals the unit’s high-tech training facility and offers a taste of the operators’ daily routines and training regimens. Additionally, the NZDF sanctioned an interview with the New Zealand Herald, which produced […]