Iraq

Valor in Afghanistan: Marine Raiders receive 8 medals for bravery under fire

Last week, several Marine Raiders received awards for their actions during a deployment in Afghanistan. In total, the Raiders, who are assigned to the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion, received eight medals. The team chief of the Marine Special Operations Team (MSOT) that was involved in the action received the Silver Star (the third-highest award for […]

SEAL Teams are getting a new and improved delivery vehicle

Naval Special Warfare is in the process of taking delivery of the new Mark 11 SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV) in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. According to SOCOM’s maritime program executive officer, Captain Kate Dolloff, two of these Mark 11s have already arrived, allowing SEAL SDV operators to begin the familiarization process. The Mark 11 will replace […]

Combat Medicine to Go Through Significant Changes

The latest trend in the U.S. military is “near-peer conflict.” After nearly two decades of mainly counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations, the Pentagon is changing gears. It is taking a step back in time to a more Cold War setting in preparing for conflict against potential adversaries like Russia and China.  We can argue that open […]

Russian patrol in Syria ambushed by massive IED

A joint Russian-Turkish vehicle patrol in northwest Syria’s Idlib Province was hit with a massive improvised explosive device (IED) on Tuesday morning at 0850 hours local time. Three Russian troops and several Turks were injured in the blast. Both Russian and Turkish vehicles were damaged in the attack.  Although the Russians and Turks support opposing […]

Iranian-led militias attack & destroy US logistical convoy in Iraq

An American logistical convoy was attacked in Iraq on Saturday night. Unidentified assailants, believed to be members of an Iranian proxy militia, burned all three of the convoy’s trucks. The three large trucks carrying vehicles and logistical materials were ambushed between Diwaniya and Samawah while en route from Basra. Before setting the trucks on fire […]

Thank you for your suicide: The ugly consequences of purposeless wars

Linda, an Army veteran, went into the bathroom late one night to shoot herself in the head. Her family and the world would be better off without her, she thought to herself. Plus, she wanted to finally put an end to the bad dreams. Her convoy was struck by a roadside bomb in 2010 taking […]

22 a day, we have to work together to end Veteran suicides

It seems that scarcely a week goes by without hearing of another Special Operations soldier that has committed suicide. This week was no different and as always it follows an all-too-familiar pattern.  A SOF soldier that has seen too many combat deployments and has resultantly suffered both physical and mental injuries, commits suicide after seemingly […]

US troops will keep deploying to Iraq

After conducting meetings with the Iraqi government, Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), is confident that the United States will continue to have an enduring presence in Iraq for the foreseeable future. General McKenzie was in Baghdad on Tuesday for a meeting with the new Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al Kadhimi. […]

Killer of 3 Special Forces operators is unlikely to be extradited

On November 4, 2016, three U.S. Army Special Forces operators were shot dead as they were re-entering the King Faisal Air Base, Jordan. Their killer, Jordanian Air Force Sergeant Ma’arik al-Tawayha, was stopped by another Green Beret before he could kill more Americans. He was arrested, and after a controversial trial, was sentenced to life […]

Iraqis crackdown on Iranian proxies amid renewed missile attacks

On Saturday night, two missiles, one targeting the Green Zone where the American Embassy is located and another the Taji base north of Baghdad, were launched. The first rocket was launched from the Ali al-Saleh area of Baghdad and landed next to a home close to a TV station in the Green Zone, injuring a […]

Special Operations Command to upgrade Ghostrider gunships and Commando II aircraft

The U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) will be upgrading its fleet of AC-130J Ghostrider and MC-130J Commando II aircraft with the addition of countermeasures systems against air and ground threats. Last week, SOCOM awarded Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) a $700,000,000 contract for the development and procurement of Radio Frequency Countermeasure (RFCM) systems. The RFCM system […]

Iraqi government held hostage by Iranian proxies

After talks between Washington and Baghdad on resetting the relationship between the two countries, the Iraqis finally took action against Iranian proxy militias that have been launching mortar and rocket fire attacks at bases housing U.S. troops. Iraqi inaction had been a major thorn in the U.S.’s side for months. As a result, the Iraqi […]