Islamic State fighters seal off Mosul mosque preparing for last stand

Islamic State militants have closed the streets around Mosul’s Grand al-Nuri Mosque, residents said, apparently in preparation for a final showdown in the battle over their last major stronghold in Iraq. Dozens of fighters were seen by residents taking up positions in the past 48 hours around the medieval mosque, the site where Islamic State […]

Will the US Policy of Annihilation and Humiliation Work?

The United States has shifted its focus from a war of attrition against ISIS and radical Islamism to one of annihilation and humiliation. Secretary of Defense James Mattis outlined the plan recently and he believes that this is a plan that the US and its allies can win. But the big question is, will this […]

U.S. Special Operations Forces face growing demands and increased risks

Touching down before dawn, Somali “Lightning” commandos climbed out of U.S. military helicopters and carefully advanced in the dark toward a ramshackle compound tucked into muddy farmland dotted by banana trees. U.S. surveillance had monitored the site for days after an intelligence tip signaled the location of Moalin Osman Abdi Badil, the suspected leader of […]

U.S. concludes at least 105 civilians killed in Mosul airstrike

U.S. forces were responsible for the deaths of at least 105 Iraqi civilians in an airstrike against snipers from the Islamic State in March, according to a report released by Central Command on Thursday. The airstrike brought considerable international attention back to the Battle of Mosul, which at that point had been raging for five […]

Iraq investigating elite unit accused of human rights violations in Mosul campaign

IRBIL, Iraq — The Iraqi government said it has begun an investigation into one of its elite police units amid allegations that security forces have committed human rights abuses, including torture, rape and extrajudicial killings, in the battle to retake Mosul from Islamic State militants. The inquiry comes after the German magazine Der Spiegel published […]

USASOC Honors Gold Star Families in Ceremony

The Army’s Special Operations Command Memorial Wall added seven new names to their list of honored fallen soldiers in a solemn ceremony at Ft. Bragg, NC. After each name was read the toll of a bell was heard to honor the sacrifice of the troops. The command honored Maj. Andrew Byers, Sgt. 1st Class Ryan […]

Special Operations Aviation Statue Unveiled at Ft. Bragg

The US Army’s Special Operations Aviation Command (ARSOAC) had a statue to honor the men and women of the unit unveiled at Ft. Bragg on Tuesday. The command wanted the statue to be dramatic and unique, rather than the basic helicopter monument or a stone obelisk, they wanted something special. Like the troops in the […]

Special Operations Painful Coming of Age After 9/11

Mark Moyer’s recent book on the US Special Operations Forces (Oppose Any Foe) is an excellent history of the birth of Special Operations and into the huge command of over 70,000 troops today. He tells it all, with the triumphs, the mistakes and the clashes with the conventional military establishment. In his latest piece for […]

Mattis, Dunford weigh in on ‘annihilating’ ISIS and how far we’ve already come

During a Pentagon briefing on Friday, U.S. Secretary of Defense, James Mattis, laid out a series of coalition successes in the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, and explained how they lay the ground work for the continued “annihilation of ISIS.” “Thanks to the leadership and authorities granted by President (Donald J.) […]

3rd SFG Honors Their Fallen Operators With a 5K Memorial Run

The upcoming week at Ft. Bragg and every other military base in the United States will be a hub of activity as the bases prepare for Memorial Day to honor the fallen of all of the United States’ conflicts. But the 3rd Special Forces Group, 3rd SFG(A) is getting a bit of jump on the […]

The Attrition Rate for Special Operations Forces Don’t Matter

One of the things that always gets a ton of mileage on social media when discussing Special Operations troops is the attrition rate. Drop in on any of the major sites and the talk of the training attrition rates always comes up. Would-be SOF candidates are always doing the math in their heads, trying to […]