Studies and Observations Group’s ‘Q’ named honorary member of Special Forces Regiment

James Bond had “Q.” SOG had Baker. Ben Baker. During the Vietnam War’s eight-year secret war conducted in Laos, Cambodia and N. Vietnam under the aegis of the Military Assistance Command Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group (SOG), the Green Berets turned to Counterinsurgency Support Office (CISO) Deputy Commander Conrad (“Ben”) B. Baker for everything […]

65 years later ‘The Originals’ return to 10th Special Forces Group

 The Originals Sixty-four years ago PFC Richard Simonian and SFC Clyde J. Sincere Jr., were among the original 600 Special Forces from the newly formed 10th Special Forces Group that boarded the USNS General A.W. Greely in Wilmington, N.C., for a transatlantic voyage to Bremerhaven, Germany – the first Special Forces unit to deploy to […]

Remembering Bull Simons, A True Legend in the Special Forces Community

On May 21, 1979, Special Forces had one its true legends take from it prematurely. Arthur “Bull” Simons died at the age of 60 and was buried in Barrancas National Cemetery in Pensacola, Florida. He was one of the best SF commanders to have ever served but never made it to General Officer rank because he lacked […]

Jungle Boots | Footwear of the salty

Before the days of Salomon, Merrell, Oakley (all of which I own and love) and the endless list of boot options available to soldiers (at least in the SOF community), and the “after market” desert boots available to all, there was one venerable, unchallenged boot for the grunt. Few items conjure a nostalgia like seeing […]

Short history of combat tracking

The employment of Visual Tracking skills is nothing new and has been a critical skill in human survival and evolution. Primitive man developed the skill of tracking by associating a print laid by an animal to that of prey.  As humans evolved, visual tracking played a significant role in everyday survival, whether hunting for food, […]

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 […]

Russian ‘military experts’: The Bigfoot sightings of the Vietnam War

It was a bit like Bigfoot; lots of rumors and claims of sightings, but spotting a Soviet troop in Southeast Asia was a rare event. Throughout the 69-year existence of the Soviet Union (1922-1991), it was acceptable in most realms to use Russia as a synonym for the Soviet Union. Likewise, Russians for Soviets. True, the Russian republic comprised […]

Search narrowed for new Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency director

The Defense Department is close to naming the second director of the recently formed Defense Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency (DPAA), SOFREP has learned. In recent weeks, reliable sources have indicated that the field of candidates has been narrowed down to three people. The wheels of change that lead to the formation of DPAA began […]

Radio traffic from Vietnam: MACV-SOG recon teams in contact

All the content in this article comes from ProfessionalSoldiers.com, a forum from Green Berets for Green Berets. I had read it and listened to the recording many years before I come aboard at SOFREP and I wanted to share it as a tribute to the brave men of MACV-SOG as this piece of history showcases vividly what […]

SOG MIA of 48 Years to Be Buried at Arlington Wednesday

We had minimal intel on enemy activities on the ground in the target area, we knew the enemy was gearing up to attack our recon teams to keep us out of Laos. Remember, in March 1968, the U.S. could have no conventional military troops in Laos, hence the secret war. We carried no identification papers or dog tags.