Taliban leader Omar, hunted by Delta Force, lived next to US base

According to a Dutch journalist with extensive experience in Afghanistan, the Taliban leader and fugitive Mullah Mohammad Omar lived next to a major U.S. military base for years. In her latest book, The Secret Life of Mullah Omar, independent journalist Bette Dam asserts that the former No. 1 in the Taliban hierarchy lived just three […]

Naval Special Warfare reactivates stealthy SEAL unit on the East Coast

After an absence of 11 years, the Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC) decided to reactivate SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team Two (SDVT-2) to serve as the dedicated East Coast SDV unit. An SDV task unit is an operational unit responsible for planning, coordinating, and operating submersible systems. Usually, SDV task units have numerous SDV/SEAL platoons. The […]

Report: More money is key to retaining Special Operations warriors

Special Operations Forces (SOF) are known for their physically and mentally tough selection and assessment processes. However, for those few who can make the cut and enter into the vaunted ranks of a special operations unit, the benefits are significant. Special operators get to train and play with the most advanced military toys available. They […]

The newest maritime facility where SEALs and other special operations units will be training

A new private maritime training facility promises to provide the most realistic training possible to maritime special operations units such as Navy SEALs, Marine Raiders, or Special Forces dive teams. BEI Maritime, a company that specializes in realistic maritime training, is building an indoor training facility that will be able to hold everything from a small […]

Exclusive report: Which US Special Operations unit has the highest attrition?

Special Operations units are famous for their arduous selection and assessment programs. All four service components of the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) boast that they offer the toughest challenge to those aspiring to join their units’ elite ranks. In an attempt to increase the success rate of its selection programs, SOCOM has released a […]

US special operators to integrate with Greek SOF units?

Could American special operators be integrated into the Greek Special Operations Forces (SOF)? According to reports in the Greek media, the European Special Operations Command (SOCEUR) and the U.S. embassy in Greece have proposed the idea to the Hellenic Ministry of Defense. The initiative would attach U.S. SOF officers and non-commissioned officers to various Greek […]

How long will it be before we see Navy SEALs in Iron Man suits?

Given the spectacular special effects on display in Marvel’s “Iron Man” movies and the Defense Department’s clever allusions to the popular hero throughout the development of programs like their TALOS armored exoskeleton, you could be forgiven for thinking mankind is on the cusp of fielding some real-life superheroes. Many media outlets have been happy to […]

Op-Ed: The Special Air Service, the Punisher, and political correctness

British media reports state that Special Air Service (SAS) operators were ordered to remove all Punisher patches and other similar insignias from their kits. SAS received the removal order after military VIPs visited the unit’s headquarters in Hereford, saw the skull-like emblems on troopers’ combat kits, and considered them controversial. The rationale behind the decision […]