Preparing the Special Forces operator for the Unconventional Warfare environment

The task of the Special Forces Assessment and Selection course is identifying the candidates who are suitable for Special Forces training. And two of the primary functions of Special Forces are UW (Unconventional Warfare) and FID (Foreign Internal Defense). It is important that the schools don’t lose sight of that fact as SOF (Special Operations […]

Alone in the mountains: The Special Air Service in Oman

You can read part 3 Here October 1971 Government forces and a permanent presence on the Jebel was unheard of. Scant water sources and lack of air transport had restricted the Sultan’s Armed Forces’ (SAF) patrols to the number of rations the men could carry. In a humid, mountainous terrain with simmering temperatures that wasn’t much. The introduction […]

Winning hearts and minds the Special Air Service way

Read part 2 here “For all their limitations, I don’t believe we could’ve won the war without the firqats,” says Ian Gardiner, a former Royal Marines officer with extensive service to include deployments in Oman, Northern Ireland, and the Falklands. Before we delve into what the firqats, literally meaning a company, were and their operations with the SAS, […]

The Pic of the Day: Commandos during Southern Strike

U.S. Air Force Special Tactics operators move to clear an objective during exercise Southern Strike 2020, in Fort Morgan, Ala., Feb. 6, 2020. Southern Strike is a large-scale, joint and international combat exercise, which features counter insurgency, close air-support, en-route casualty care, non-combatant evacuation and maritime special operations.

Watch what happens when airborne ops go wrong

Last year, during the annual exercise Flintlock, we wrote an article about the dangers of airborne operations. As this year’s iteration of Flintlock is upon us, it’s prudent to review what went wrong when some Special Operations troops from an African country decided to conduct some airborne training. Bad exits or landings during parachute operations […]

The Winds of Change Blow in Africa: 101st Paratroopers out, Security Forces in

The Pentagon’s decision to replace elements of an infantry brigade of the 101st Airborne with elements of the 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade (SFAB) has long been in the works.  This will accomplish two tasks: Firstly, it will provide better continuity in training missions with a unit designed to train foreign troops, thereby freeing up […]

The Pic of the Day: How Afghan Commandos are made

The Afghan National Army Special Operations Command’s School of Excellence is responsible for the assessment and training of Afghan special operations soldiers that fill the ranks of Special Operations Kandaks, Special Forces Kandaks, Cobra Strike Kandaks, and the National Mission Brigade. There are currently two Commando courses and a Cobra Strike Maneuver Course running simultaneously […]

Convenience or lack of money? Marine Raiders relocate to the East Coast

In a historic move, the Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) has decided to move all of its subordinate units to the East Coast. The 1st Raider Battalion and 1st Marine Raider Support Battalion, both of which are currently located at Camp Pendleton, California, will relocate to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, by the September 2022. […]

Breaking: American troops in Syria clash with locals in a village

American troops were fired upon in northeastern Syria after civilians attempted to block them at a crossroads. They returned fire and at least one Syrian was killed and another wounded, Syrian state television reported. U.S. military spokesman Myles Caggins said American-led coalition forces were conducting a patrol of eight vehicles near Qamishli and encountered a […]

Navy SEALs and SWCCs do more than shoot bad guys

When people hear of Navy SEALs or Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen (SWCC), most think of a scene of guns blazing, cool ass night vision goggles, and fast helicopters and boats slipping through the dark night. In reality, Naval Special Warfare has many different mission sets, including Foreign Internal Defense (FID). FID may not be the […]

Pentagon identifies fallen Special Forces team members

Editor’s note: Please consider supporting the families of the fallen. You can support Sgt. Rodriguez’s family by donating here; and you can support Sgt. Gutierrez’s family by donating here.   On Saturday, a Special Forces team was ambushed in Afghanistan by a rogue Afghan policeman. Two American commandos were killed and six wounded. The Department […]

Update: How the Special Forces team was ambushed in Afghanistan

Update: The Department of Defence has published the names of the two KIAs. Sgt. 1st Class Javier Jaguar Gutierrez, the senior communications sergeant (18E) on the ODA, and Sgt. 1st Class Antonio Rey Rodriguez, a SOT-A soldier, were killed during the incident.    Yesterday, a Special Forces team was ambushed in Afghanistan by a rogue […]