Iraq

In a long-due and much-deserved move, the Army has decided to expand the number of senior non-commissioned officers (NCOs) in the Psychological Operations (PSYOP) career field. The grade plate change was a result of concentrated and laborious efforts from both within the Army Special Operations Forces community and its supporters in Army leadership. Thus far, […]

On June 25, 2019, retired U.S. Army Staff Sgt. David G. Bellavia received the Congressional Medal of Honor from President Donald Trump. Staff Sergeant Bellavia, 44, is the only living Iraq War veteran to receive the honor. The following excerpt is shared from Staff Sergeant Bellavia’s Medal of Honor profile on the U.S. Army website. […]

The 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) was formed on June 24, 1957, and is 62 years old* this week. The 1st SFG (A) is the SF group tasked with an area of operations within the Asia-Pacific theater, although many of the group’s teams have served in both Afghanistan and Iraq. The United States Army Special […]

Sometimes life does imitate art. After the military and during my time as a contractor, our hires in support of Iraqi and Afghan operations did some incredibly difficult and excellent work in support of military objectives. But that doesn’t mean there wasn’t some fun involved. Once, we had “The Predator”—yes that one—attack some Air Force […]

An excerpt from the new book, “Murphy’s Law: My Journey from Ranger and Green Beret to Investigative Journalist“ Another story developed when a fixer we had hired to help translate informed us that there was a big battle going down early the next morning near Kirkuk. No way were we going to pass that up. […]

With Chief Eddie Gallagher’s court martial underway, a SEAL medic made a stunning confession when he took the stand today. Navy SEAL Chief Eddie Gallagher stands trial for the murder of a teenage ISIS detainee in Mosul, Iraq — allegedly killing him with a knife. However, Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Corey Scott changed his […]

In an attempt to stay relevant in the Foreign Internal Defense (FID) arena, the Marine Corps activated two new units to represent it. On June 7, Marine Corps Advisor Companies (MCAC) Alpha and Bravo were established in a ceremony that took place at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington D.C. The two new outfits, which belong to […]

On May 16, active-duty and veteran U.S. Marines from units stationed around the globe gathered in Camp Pendleton, California, to participate in the annual Recon Challenge. The Recon Challenge is an endurance event that takes participants through numerous tests inspired by the Reconnaissance Marine training and operational history. There is, for example, a grueling 30-mile […]

An integral component of modern U.S. battlefield superiority is air power. More specifically, the ability to call in effective and timely close air support (CAS) provides ground troops with a crucial advantage over their opponents, whether these are Taliban fighters in the mountains of Afghanistan, ISIS terrorists in the deserts of Iraq, or Russian mercenaries […]

I always balk at when someone I know writes something and I’m asked to give an opinion on it. As my circle of friends has grown smaller, I have erred on the side of caution, not wanting to hurt any of my friends’ feelings. Jack Murphy has never had that problem. Jack has been on […]

During the 2019 Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC) in Tampa, Florida, General Richard Clark, the commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), offered an insight on the priorities and goals of America’s special operations forces (SOF). “Today, SOCOM is focused squarely on the implementation of the national defense strategy,” he said during an […]

Using his executive authority, President Donald Trump has decided to pardon former 1st Lt. Michael Behenna over the killing of an al-Qaeda terrorist in 2008. Although Behenna had been ordered to capture the terrorist, Ali Mansu, and bring him back to face Iraqi justice, which is notoriously corrupt, he opted to take the man to […]