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 […]

Diplomacy with a big stick: New spec ops chief for Africa faces a hard task

Special Operations Command Africa (SOCAFRICA) welcomed its new chief, U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Dagvin R.M. Anderson, on June 28th. The departing commander, Air Force Maj. Gen. J. Marcus Hicks, said in a statement: “To the men and women of Special Operations Command Africa, you have accomplished so much with so little, so quickly and […]

Air Force special operations officer charged with rape during covert deployment in Africa

In yet another incident of unprofessional conduct in U.S. special operations forces, a senior Air Force officer is facing charges for the alleged repeated rape of a senior airman while on deployment in Africa. Specifically, Lieutenant Colonel Michael B. Black, an Air Force Reserves C-145A Skytruck instructor pilot and combat aviation adviser (AAC) with the […]

Special operations gone wrong: Watch this year’s ugliest parachute jump

Bad exits or landings during parachute operations aren’t uncommon. Throwing people, often laden with dozens of pounds of equipment, out of an aircraft inevitably invites trouble. Parachuting is inherently dangerous, whether the jump is static line (the parachute opens automatically as the paratrooper exits the aircraft) or free fall. Naturally, parachute training is complex and […]

‘Terrorism threat overblown’ says top US general in Africa

In a testimony delivered to the House Armed Services Committee, General Thomas Waldhauser (USMC), the commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), offered some valuable insight into American initiatives and, more importantly, state and non-state threats. General Waldhauser stated that, contrary to popular belief, “the threats we are working against aren’t necessarily a threat to the […]

SEAL and Marine Raider seek plea deals in exchange for Melgar murder information

In an interesting development in the murder trial of Special Forces Staff Sgt. Logan Melgar, two of the four accused special operators are negotiating plea deals with the government in exchange for information about the murder. According to the Military Times and the Daily Beast, these men are Navy SEAL Chief Special Warfare Operator Adam […]

Kid finds hatchet belonging to fallen SEAL Team 6 operator killed in Yemen

Andrew Moore, a 13-year-old from Houston, Texas, sold a hatchet replica of an ax belonging to Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator William Ryan Owens, a SEAL Team 6 operator who was killed during a High-Value Target (HVT) operation in Yemen in 2017. Moore had won the hatchet during a biker rally event that was organized […]

Never again: How the military prepares for a Benghazi terrorist scenario in Africa

The night of September 11, 2012, the U.S. diplomatic post and the nearby CIA annex in Benghazi, Libya, were attacked by Islamic terrorists. The ensuing two-day battle left four Americans dead: U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens, State Department employee Sean Smith, CIA contractor and former Navy SEAL Tyrone Woods, and CIA contractor and former […]

Flintlock 2019 gathers special operations forces from 34 nations to train in Burkina Faso

Operation Flintlock is an exercise held and led by an African host nation every year since 2005. It incorporates several actors in the security spectrum, such as military, law enforcement, justice, government, and civil society. Participants are from mainly North and West Africa Special Operations Forces (SOF), with participation by several western SOF as trainers. […]