Iraq

An Air Force Pararescueman is slated to become the military’s most senior enlisted man. The Pentagon announced that Chief Master Sergeant Ramon “CZ” Colon-Lopez will be the new Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (SEAC). The Air Commando will be the fourth holder of the position. Army General Mark […]

A huge war-crimes scandal is rocking the Australian Special Operations community. According to reports, Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) and 2nd Commando Regiment operators are under scrutiny for alleged war crimes in Afghanistan that took place between June and November 2012. More than a dozen active and former operators, to include high ranking officers, have […]

As Turkey invades Northern Syria in an attempt to secure its southern border, deal with the Kurds, and relocate a few millions of people, it worth remembering why U.S. warfighters are in Syria in the first place. This video shows an Air Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technician attached to a Special Forces Operational Detachment […]

The year was just shy of 2008, it was two weeks until Christmas and I was a month into the winter rotation in Mosul, Iraq with the 5th Special Forces Group. My team and I were a part of a unit known as A/1/5 CIF, or the Commanders In-extremis Force, and we were young. A/1/5 was […]

A compound that houses elements of the elite Kurdish Yekineyen Anti-Terror (YAT) unit was bombed by Turkish forces in the early stages of the invasion of Northern Syria. YAT is a counterterrorism unit created and trained to hunt down Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists. U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) are training, advising, and operating with the […]

In the closing days of September, American and Afghan Special Operation Forces (SOF) conducted a raid that resulted in the death of Asim Omar, the leader of al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS). According to the Afghan intelligence agency, Omar and an additional six AQIS terrorists were killed in the raid. Among them was also […]

The legal adventures of Special Warfare Operator Chief Eddie Gallagher are far from over. Last year, the Navy SEAL was accused of obstruction of justice, attempted homicide, and murdering a teenage Islamic State detainee in Mosul, Iraq, during a combat deployment in 2017, among other things. After a legal saga that lasted for almost a […]

Despite 19 years of war, the Taliban are still a dominant faction in Afghanistan. Their ability to wreak havoc at will highlights the Afghan government’s feebleness. A frailty that becomes ever more pronounced as U.S. and coalition forces gradually withdraw from the country. In their way toward defeating their opponent – or reducing his will […]

One of the greatest advantages of Special Operations Forces (SOF) is their inherent flexibility and their ability to excel in the unknown. Whether we’re talking about a Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha (SFODA), a Marine Special Operations Team (MSOT), or a Navy SEAL platoon, SOF units can operate behind enemy lines with little or no […]

After 21 years of illustrious service to the nation, Master Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Edward Byers Jr. retired on September 19. As a member of the Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU) – another designation for SEAL Team 6 – Master Chief Byers participated in a hostage rescue operation in Afghanistan in 2012 that […]

Cry havoc… Since the time of Greece and the Roman Empire, the dog has been a valued and trusted member of the military. The Romans used a breed of Mastiff that is now extinct. Then, they covered their canines in armor with spiked collars and used them to wreak havoc on their enemies. The use […]

A series of unidentified explosions around Iraq have triggered a political reaction that might affect how American and coalition warfighters destroy the remnants of the Islamic State (ISIS). From now on, the Iraqi government and military will review the air tasking order on a daily basis to determine which air missions will be greenlighted. The […]