Think Like a Green Beret: Problem Solving

Green Berets rely on their problem solving abilities to survive in combat. Much of SF selection seeks to assess this talent and the Special Forces qualification course develops and improves creativity. Many times, military problems must be solved with the application of force. Green Berets are not afraid to get their hands dirty, but they […]

Think like a Green Beret: Be subtle

During a firefight near the Cambodian border on June 6, 1968, a 1st Infantry Division soldier got a pleasant surprise as he watched a North Vietnamese Army infantryman aim his rifle, pull the trigger and explode in a cloud of black smoke. American troops later examined the remains of the NVA soldier and his exploded […]

Last minute Father’s Day shopping with a Green Beret

I always like to get Dad stuff that is useful and has a cool factor. I wouldn’t buy it for him if I didn’t like it, that is helpful if he doesn’t like it, good gear will always find a home. I always wait until the last minute. Here we are once again, at the […]

Selecting a Better Green Beret, Interview with Brian Decker: Revamping Team Week (Part 2)

In the first segment of SpecialOperations.com interview with Brian Decker, we talked about the problem with the Special Forces Qualification Course (SFQC) and the issues that arose from the Special Forces Selection and Assessment Course (SFAS). Brian Decker (‘the smartest guy in Training Group”) was tasked to fix the issues and get the Selection course […]

Selecting a Better Green Beret: Interview with Brian Decker (Part 1)

The Special Forces Qualification Course (SFQC) was in a bit of a crisis mode back in 2011. Candidates were failing at about a 50 percent rate which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but the reasons why they were failing was a big concern with the powers in the Special Warfare Center (SWC). The issue was […]

Think Like Green Beret: In Death Ground, Fight!

In difficult ground, press on; On hemmed-in ground, use subterfuge; In death ground, fight”  – Chapter 11 of Sun Tzu‘s The Art of War For decades, Green Berets have been sent all over the world, often going into complex dangerous situations with host nation forces.  The opportunities for disaster are obvious and frequent.  How do […]

Think like a Green Beret: Plan your exfil first

Nobody hates a suicide mission more than a Green Beret. Through the entire training pipeline, it is emphasized that a highly trained Special Forces soldier is a national treasure who should smart his way out of things and live to fight another day. Turns out that the National Command Authority was quite willing to throw […]

NVA General to SOG, ‘We suffered 90 percent casualties,’ (Pt. 1)

One of the more amazing stories to emerge from the eight-year secret war during the Vietnam War took place on October 5, 1968, west of the A Shau Valley—one of the deadliest targets run by recon teams based at the top-secret compound in Phu Bai, FOB 1, run under the aegis of the Military Assistance […]