Delta Force Operators Renting an Apartment Behind Enemy Lines

Toads and Goats Our efforts to observe the apartment of a Bosnian war criminal — the Toad — wanted by the Hague were one-deep and depended solely on the sightings from our tactical reconnaissance teams hiding in woodlands while evading and avoiding goat herds. Sure, we were “gathering intelligence” on the guy, but it was […]

A Delta Force Tale: Big Trouble in Little Bosnia

Navigating a covert operation in Bosnia with a partner whose main contribution seemed to be snoring was a blend of precise planning and unexpected hiccups, all while trying to stay off the radar.

25 years ago, F-16 pilot Scott O’Grady was rescued in Bosnia

During the early to mid-1990s, Yugoslavia,  a multiethnic state of Serbs, Croats, and Bosnian Muslims was disintegrating and bloody conflict breaking out. Bosnia-Herzegovina was the scene of some of the worst fighting, where nearly 100,000 people were killed, many of them victims of ethnic cleansing. The United States and NATO got involved in 1992, enforcing […]

Where the Red Man Treads: Delta’s William “Chief” Carlson

William “Chief” Carlson came to Delta Force from one of the Green Beret groups around 1995. He was a Siksika warrior from the Blackfeet tribe of Montana. He was man whose reputation preceded him wherever he went in our community; no matter where you were at, there would be guys in your organization who had heard […]

Here’s how criminals hack your accounts and ruin your life

At SOFREP, we’re passionate about digital security and privacy. Nick has done an amazing job covering the specifics of encrypted communications. I have attempted to provide an overview of how to establish secure comms in a manner that enables one to rely on commercially available “military-grade” encryption. Our aim is to enhance privacy, protect civil […]

The Pic of the Day: The Special Operations team that saved the Air Force’s top general

On May 2, 1999, Lieutenant Colonel David Goldfein’s F-16 fighter was shot down by a Serbian surface-to-air missile. A combat search-and-rescue team comprised of Pararescuemen and Combat Controllers scrambled to his rescue. After a hair-raising operation, the Serbs were trying to capture Goldfein who was escaping and evading, the Air Commandos managed to locate and […]

Gone too soon: Delta Force legend Robert Horrigan

I’m an idiot. How many times have I told myself not to chat up the owners of the corner kiosks for language training? Pick a kiosk that you don’t have to pass to get to and from your safe house; every time you pass, they will see you and wave you down to chat. If […]