Navy SEALs

Two U.S. congressmen penned a letter to President Trump on behalf of Special Warfare Operator Chief Officer Edward Gallagher, asking that he directly intervene in the court-martial proceedings of the Navy SEAL. U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., and U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-FL sent the request in an obvious attempt to turn a military trial into […]

Earlier this week, footage surfaced online of blacked-out military helicopters flying low over downtown Los Angeles. It may seem unnerving to have special operators wearing full “battle rattle” zoom over your local grocery, but citizens of LA don’t need to fret. These low-flying birds of prey are the good guys. The helicopters, MH-6 Little Birds […]

Earlier this week, footage began to surface online of blacked-out military helicopters flying low over the streets of downtown Los Angeles. Unnerving as an MH-6 Little Bird clad in special operators wearing full “battle rattle” zooming over your local grocer may seem, the citizens of L.A. have no need to fret: these low flying birds […]

Last year, former Secretary of Defense James Mattis issued a call-to-arms to increase the lethality of the U.S. military’s close-combat units. His initiative resulted in the creation of the Close Combat Lethality Task Force (CCLTF). The CCLTF seeks ways to improve the combat effectiveness of troops engaged in close-combat roles. Despite these units’ disproportionate role […]

Could small, loitering munitions be the future of close air support (CAS)? The U.S. military has been experimenting with the notion for some time. The first-ever loitering munition to enter the U.S. military’s arsenal was the AeroVironment Switchblade in 2012. The Switchblade is a small and light unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can be launched […]

Among other things, U.S. Navy SEALs are known for their imagination and intrepidity. Those characteristics are instilled in them from very early on in their careers. Indeed, the initiation begins during the Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training, where students are encouraged to think outside the box. The results of this thinking, however, can sometimes be […]

In a further development of the trial of Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, seven Navy SEALs who served in the same platoon have been granted immunity to testify against their teammate. Chief Gallagher has been charged with four different violations of the Uniformed Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). Gallagher, more specifically, is accused of murdering […]

In 2016, the ban on transgender people serving openly in the military was lifted. Now, U.S. President Donald Trump, with the Supreme Court’s approval, has reinstated that ban, citing concerns over transgender service members’ effectiveness in combat. Kristin Beck, a transgender former Navy SEAL, is calling President Trump’s assertion baseless. “The idea transgender effects ‘Lethality […]

The Intelligence and Special Operations Museum is one step closer to completion after a donation of $10 million by The Star Foundation. The museum, currently under construction, celebrates the lineage of America’s Intelligence and Special Operations Forces (SOF) communities. Charles Pinck, president of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Society, said “we are incredibly grateful […]

After decades of counterinsurgency operations, the United States military has begun shifting its gaze back to nation-level adversaries. According to the Department of Defense (DoD), Russia and China pose the greatest nation-level threat to the U.S. As a result, hereafter, military spending will place more importance on projects and capabilities that would be useful in […]

The second Navy SEAL implicated in war crimes allegations in Iraq has gone to court. Lieutenant Jacob “Jake” Portier, who commanded Alpha Platoon, SEAL Team 7 in a 2017 deployment in Iraq—the same unit to which Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher belonged—has been accused of dereliction of duty because he didn’t properly supervise Chief Gallagher […]

Two U.S. Navy Mark VI patrol boats assigned to the Coastal Riverine Group (CRG) 1 Detachment (Det.) Guam, completed the longest-ever small patrol boat transit. The two boats completed the 500-nautical-mile transit in just two days. The objective of the mission was to test and evaluate the operational reach of the patrol craft. Special attention […]