Irish Tier 1 SOF unit deploys to Mali

The Irish government decided to deploy its elite counterterrorism unit to Mali as part of the United Nations (U.N.) peacekeeping effort in the region. A team of 14 operators from the Army Ranger Wing (AWG), also known as the Irish Army Rangers, will be attached to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali […]

No more beards and cool-guy patches: Disciplining of SEAL Teams begins

The Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC) has issued the first set of corrective measures aimed at dealing once and for all with the plague of disciplinary, ethics, and professionalism incidents in the SEAL Teams. More specifically, Rear Admiral Collin Green, the commander of NSWC, penned a four-page directive that has been issued across the Naval […]

Navy releases new SWCC recruiting and capabilities video

The U.S. Navy has just released a new recruiting and capabilities video about one of its – and indeed the Special Operations Forces (SOF) community’s – less known career fields. Often mistakenly identified as Navy SEALs, the Special Warfare Combatant Crewmen (SWCC) are Naval Special Warfare Command’s (NSWC) go-to choice for maritime mobility. To become […]

Addicted to SEALs: Overdependence on SOF units is dangerous

It is an undeniable fact that since the twin towers went down on 9/11 the role of Special Operations Forces (SOF) has changed. The gradual change saw SOF shift from their traditional role of supporting conventional forces to that of being supported by conventional units. With increased frequency, conventional elements fulfil secondary tasks during operations […]

SEAL Team 6: Naval Special Warfare’s elite

The public description of Naval Special Warfare’s Development Group for years has reflected its name. An organization whose primary purpose was to develop tactics and strategies supporting operations from the sea, air or land. This was the accepted description of DEVGRU. Naval Special Warfare Development Group was tasked with the management and testing of both […]

In case you missed it: Our top headline picks from the past week

Snubbed by SEALs: A Delta Force operator on working with SEAL Team 6 A U.S. Navy Admiral “owned” the Balkan State of Bosnia under the behavioral tutelage of the United Nations Peace-Keeping organization. He was the sheriff, the police chief, the governor, the president of the country until such time humanitarian order could be restored […]

We still trust you: Spec Ops chief shields SEAL community

As the Naval Special Warfare community stumbles from controversy to controversy, the top special operations officer graciously stepped forward and offered a helping hand to the embattled community. Army General Richard Clarke, the commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), was the guest speaker to the graduation ceremony of the SEAL Qualification Training Class […]

Trump gives old school SEAL admiral top intelligence job

A retired Navy SEAL admiral will hold the nation’s top intelligence position. President Donald Trump decided to give the intelligence keys to Retired Vice Admiral Joseph Maguire and make him Director of National Intelligence (DNI). A highly respected officer among the Special Operations community, the former SEAL has had an admirable career both in the […]

Delta Force operator awarded Distinguished Service Cross for daring operation in Mali

A Delta Force operator has been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC), the nation’s second-highest award for valor under fire, for his actions during a terrorist attack in Bamako, Mali in November 2015. During the morning hours of November 20, 2015, approximately a dozen Islamists associated with the terrorist group al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb […]

Navy SEALs’ search for high-tech wetsuits indicates strategic shift

Although one of the five core special forces truths is that humans are more important than hardware, it’s always better to have top-shelf equipment. Navy SEALs, Green Berets, and Marine Raiders are all elite in their training and capabilities, but better gear makes them even more effective on the battlefield. The American technological preponderance of […]