SF

Know Your Unconventional Warfare Campaign Principles

One of our readers asked if we’d discuss some of the training that goes into Unconventional Warfare, which we’ll from this point address as UW.  But it is kind of putting the cart before the horse somewhat. Many of, if not most of our readers at SpecialOperations.com are aspiring candidates to become members of our […]

Differences Between Foreign Internal Defense (FID) and Counter Insurgency (COIN)

Here at SpecialOperations.com, we frequently get questions from our readers, many of whom are or will shortly be aspiring members of our Special Operations Forces (SOF). Since most of our articles deal with the training aspect of SOF, we always welcome them. We had a question and answer session this past weekend in one of […]

Anti-ISIS operations in Iraq, next stop Tal Afar

With ISIS pushed out of Mosul, the next phase in the campaign is to rid the terrorist organization from the nearby city of Tal Afar.  Located smack dab between Mosul and Sinjar, Tal Afar is a medium-sized city inhabited by both Sunni and Shia but dominated by the Turkmen ethnic group rather than Arabs. As […]

How I crashed my Army Special Operations Helicopter behind enemy lines in Afghanistan and what I learned about my crew in the process.

Flying with the United States Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, the “Nightstalkers,” were some of the most rewarding and intense years of my professional Army career. These are the men and women who, when the President asks in hushed tones if we have the capability to fly specially adapted helicopters into the darkest corners of the […]

The “Green Beret Affair” Project GAMMA, A Massive Snafu for the Army

During the war in Vietnam, the US Army Special Forces were headquartered in Nha Trang. During this time, the Special Forces troops had a close liaison with the CIA and the two organizations worked closely on many intelligence and special operations missions. Their most successful covert intelligence unit “Project GAMMA”, had its mission effectively shut […]

Behind the sudden death of a $1 billion secret C.I.A. war in Syria

 The end came quickly for one of the costliest covert action programs in the history of the C.I.A. During a White House briefing early last month, the C.I.A. director, Mike Pompeo, recommended to President Trump that he shut down a four-year-old effort to arm and train Syrian rebels. The president swiftly ended the program. The rebel […]

MG Beaudette Takes Over as New Head of 1st Special Forces Command

The 1st Special Forces Command welcomed a new commander MG Fran Beaudette who took over from MG James Kraft in a ceremony at Ft. Bragg, NC last week. Lt. Gen. Kenneth E. Tovo, the commander of U.S. Army Special Operations Command, oversaw the change of command. Tovo said the command, provisionally activated in May 2014, […]

Think Like a Green Beret: Problem Solving

Green Berets rely on their problem solving abilities to survive in combat. Much of SF selection seeks to assess this talent and the Special Forces qualification course develops and improves creativity. Many times, military problems must be solved with the application of force. Green Berets are not afraid to get their hands dirty, but they […]

Special Operations Medics Build Trust, Rapport With Locals

The Special Operations medics, officially known as Special Operations Medical Sergeants are an extremely valuable resource for the both the operational unit and the host nation’s military and civilian populace. The popular depiction of a Special Operations trooper is that of a warrior diplomat. And no one epitomizes that better than the medics. In the […]

Special Forces Small Unit Tactics, More Range Time, and Better Overall Training

The Special Forces Small Unit Tactics portion of the SFQC (Special Forces Qualification Course) is a 13-week program that will provide SF candidates in the SFQC the basic-level tactical combat skills required to successfully operate on a Special Forces A-Team (ODA). The candidates will learn advanced marksmanship, small-unit tactics; mounted operations, Special Forces common tasks, […]

“Those Green Berets Sure Taught You How to Shoot Straight”

“No, sir. This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance Sometimes having a reputation can work against you and then there are others when you just do your job and move on. And then there are those times you get treated like a rock […]