DEVGRU

Exclusive: The perilous state of the Special Forces Combat Diver capability

Special Forces Combat Divers are a rare breed in an already elite community. Only a small number of Army Green Berets volunteer for and go through the Special Forces Combat Diver Qualification Course (CDQC), arguably the toughest school in the Army, and ultimately qualify to serve in a dive team. Special Forces Operational Detachment Alphas […]

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 The agreement between the U.S and the Taliban stipulates that American troops are to be gradually withdrawn from the country within a 14-monthly […]

Navy’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal community is looking for officers

The Navy’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) community is looking for its future leaders. More specifically, the Navy EOD community is looking for either civilian candidates or Sailors already serving in the fleet who are looking into commissioning through the Enlisted to Officer Commissioning Program (OPNAVINST 1420.1B). Both categories of candidates will have to complete the […]

Naval Special Warfare operator charged with child exploitation

An East Coast Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewman (SWCC) was arrested on Tuesday by The Isle of Wight County Sheriff’s Office after a four-month-long undercover operation. Chief Petty Officer Michael Hargraves is charged with 16 counts of use of a communication system to request a minor to expose genitals, three counts of use of a communication […]

Al-Qaeda’s bastions of power: Somalia and Yemen

Ever since the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. military and intelligence agencies have been battering al-Qaeda terrorists wherever they have found them. Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, everywhere. What used to be safe havens have now become graveyards. But other bastions have emerged in the meanwhile.  Somalia and Yemen are two of them. Al-Qaeda’s Yemen affiliate was bolstered […]

Exclusive: Army Special Forces command disbands elite units

Update: SOFREP has learned that the 1st Special Forces Command will retain some CRF-like Direct Action capability, though significantly smaller than the current one. The rationale behind the decision to downsize, however, remains the same: CRFs are too expensive for their utility. In a historic decision for the Special Forces community, the Crisis Response Force […]

Navy invents new device that promises to revolutionize Close Quarters Combat

The U.S. Navy has invented a device that promises to revolutionize Close-Quarters Combat (CQB). The Room Breach Digital Sensor Alert Device (RBDSAD), a combination of an LED light and sensor, is able to mark and monitor a room that has been cleared by friendlies. But the revolutionary part comes in its ability to alert operators […]

There I was, active shooter in JKF airport

The officers ran into baggage claim and yelled, “run for your lives, there’s an active shooter in the terminal!” Talk about a wake-up call. I had just landed from France in Terminal 1 at JFK. It was the same year as the Paris attacks. Imagine the reaction of 400+ people from France and Germany flying […]

SEAL Team 6 operator convicted for catfishing

The Navy found a SEAL Team 6 operator guilty of catfishing a woman online. The operator will now spend 30 days in the brig and forfeit $500 from his paycheck for three months ($1,500 t0tal). A Navy court-martial found Special Warfare Operator 1st Class (SO1) Aaron Howard guilty of trying to elicit nude pictures from […]

Filipino president threatens to kick out American troops

In a move that should surprise no one, Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte has announced on Tuesday that he would scrap a security pact that allows American forces to train there without the usual visa or passport control. Duterte has been very vocal about his anti-American feelings since being elected back in 2017, despite the United […]

Old Habits Die Hard: Why Special Operations unit use old-school weapons

Have you ever heard the saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”? Well, this adage comes to mind when I think about the M2 Browning .50 caliber machine gun and the M79 grenade launcher. Both of these weapons have a very long, respected history and are still in service. They have been used by […]