Otto Skorzeny: The story of the German scarface

Sensational press accounts were just plain rabid about this man from the time he “escaped” a post-WWII “Officers’” holding camp, until the start of the Vietnam conflict. All he ever really wanted to be was a Mechanical Engineer and to serve his country honorably. Most of us would never have heard of this Commando’s successes […]

British SAS commandos kill 100 ISIS Jihadists in silent campaign

The British SAS have been conducting several operations in the hilly, remote part of northern Iraq. They have been targeting ISIS leadership in an attempt to stop the terrorist group’s resurgence. ISIS has been largely, but not completely eradicated from Iraq.  The U.K. special operators have been working closely with Kurdish resistance fighters who have […]

Valor in Afghanistan: Marine Raiders receive 8 medals for bravery under fire

Last week, several Marine Raiders received awards for their actions during a deployment in Afghanistan. In total, the Raiders, who are assigned to the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion, received eight medals. The team chief of the Marine Special Operations Team (MSOT) that was involved in the action received the Silver Star (the third-highest award for […]

The other side: A review of ethical misconduct in the military legal system

Military commanders are responsible for maintaining discipline in their unit. Bestowed absolute power over their subordinates, by the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), they have the final say during criminal cases, even if they have no legal experience. By the mid-twentieth century, Americans who served in the armed forces protested against an unfair military […]

Military history summer reading list

Many of us in the summer months like to sit in the sun, at the beach or at the pool, with a good book to pass the time away. And we could use some good escape from the constant bad news regarding the spread of the coronavirus.  My better half prefers murder mysteries or true […]

SEAL Teams are getting a new and improved delivery vehicle

Naval Special Warfare is in the process of taking delivery of the new Mark 11 SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV) in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. According to SOCOM’s maritime program executive officer, Captain Kate Dolloff, two of these Mark 11s have already arrived, allowing SEAL SDV operators to begin the familiarization process. The Mark 11 will replace […]

The top unwritten rules of close-quarters combat

Welcome back to the second part of Close Quarters Battle (CQB) series. In the previous part, we talked about sight fixation and flashlights. Let’s continue to our next two rules. But before, we would like to remind you that these “rules” are more of a reminder of things that many forget or not aware of. […]

A Special Operator’s top unwritten rules of close-quarters combat

This series of articles isn’t meant to offer concrete, hard-and-fast rules about close-quarters combat (CQB). Like anything in life, there are dozens of paths to a destination, and efficiency and safety make the difference. This article series will just present some things that many forget or are simply not aware of. The reality of today […]

Which Veterans’ organizations deserve your support? 

There is no shortage of veterans organizations that are doing tremendous work for our veterans, military members, and their families. And today, the needs of the vets and their families are more keenly felt than ever before. The question then is “which ones deserve your support?” The short answer is: the vast majority of them […]

The Video of the Week: Special Operations Marines

Activated in 2006, the Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) is the latest addition to the formidable Special Operations arsenal of the United States. Operating in small teams (12-14 operators), Marine Raiders are the tip of the spear of the Marine Corps.

Special Operations close air support aircaft questioned by Congress

The plan for a Special Operations aircraft that would provide close air and overwatch support to American commandos is under question by Congress. The idea for the Armed Overwatch program spawned from the need to provide sufficient platforms to support Special Operations troops and their partner forces in low-intensity conflict scenarios. The inability of the […]