Situation in Syria remains tense as militias block Turkish patrols

Situation in Syria remains tense as militias block Turkish patrols

Tensions continue to rise in Syria as all the warring parties jockey for advantage. And a number of recent events demonstrate the fragility of the situation. Yesterday, the Turkish military in Idlib broke up a protest along the all-important M4 highway on Monday after members of Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), a militia group, and civilians […]

April 9, 1987: The Special Forces Officer (18A) branch is born

April 9, 1987: The Special Forces Officer (18A) branch is born

On April 9, 1987, the Army Chief of Staff established a separate branch for SF officers (18A). Previously, in June 1983, the military had authorized a Special Forces tab for SF troops to be worn on the left shoulder. Then, on October 1, 1984, the Army established a separate career management field (CMF 18) for […]

ISIS terrorists and Syrian troops fight it out around Homs

ISIS terrorists and Syrian troops fight it out around Homs

Islamic State (ISIS) fighters attacked Syrian troops loyal to the government of President Bashar al-Assad. The intense fighting left nearly 50 dead.  The fighting took place, according to the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), around the villages of Badiya Al-Sukhnah and Badiya Al-Sham in Syria’s central province of Homs. ISIS fighters tried to […]

The Pic of the Day: A glimpse into Special Forces selection during Corona

The Pic of the Day: A glimpse into Special Forces selection during Corona

Candidates assigned to the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School attempt to push a jeep through a muddy trail during Special Forces Assessment and Selection at Camp Mackall, North Carolina March 14, 2020. Candidates who attended the three-week assessment and selection were evaluated on their ability to work individually and as […]

Quarantine: The best time to smash your PT numbers for SOF selection

Quarantine: The best time to smash your PT numbers for SOF selection

Considering that I love to powerlift, do CrossFit workouts, and participate in mandatory arm day every Friday, this whole quarantine situation is a dark cloud over my gym life right now. In the past few weeks, I have found myself doing A LOT more running (not my most favorite form of working out), combined with […]

Army: No N-95 masks in uniform, effective immediately!

Army: No N-95 masks in uniform, effective immediately!

Fort Bragg yesterday published new guidance for the military including its policy on masks. And it appears the military is way more concerned with its force looking uniform than with truly keeping its soldiers safe. “I’m not going out to search for special colored fabrics. My husband will be going in with whatever colored pillowcase […]

Coronavirus & the 2021 defense budget

Coronavirus & the 2021 defense budget

With the coronavirus on a rampage around the world, how could this impact our national security in the future? What is the real cost of COVID-19, and how can we afford next year’s budget? The president has proposed a $45.8 billion government-wide funding package that will provide DoD with $8.3 billion to assist in dealing […]

US drone strike in Somalia whacks 5 Al-Shabaab terrorists

US drone strike in Somalia whacks 5 Al-Shabaab terrorists

The United States confirmed on Saturday that five Al-Shabaab terrorists were killed in a drone strike.  The U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), in a statement, said that the latest drone strike, which targeted the fighters of the terrorist group, was conducted in the vicinity of Bush Madina in the Bay region of southern Somalia and did […]

Operation Just Cause: A feast of Special Operations

Operation Just Cause: A feast of Special Operations

In the early hours of December 20, 1989, 28 years ago, the United States began operations against Manuel Noriega and the Panamanian Defense Forces in Operation Just Cause. During the opening hours of the US operation, several US Special Operations units conducted operations to rescue American Kurt Muse from the notorious Modelo Prison, stop Noriega […]

22 a Day: Is there a suicide pandemic within the ranks?

22 a Day: Is there a suicide pandemic within the ranks?

Two cadets, among 1,000 seniors isolated at the Air Force Academy, committed suicide within days from each other amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This has rattled the service from the senior leadership to its trainees. Unlike other branches, the Air Force has kept cadets on campus. The cadets have been socially distancing in single rooms, away […]

On this day, Green Beret Gary Beikirch awarded the Medal of Honor

On this day, Green Beret Gary Beikirch awarded the Medal of Honor

Prior to the war in Afghanistan, the conflict in Vietnam was the longest in United States history. And on April 1, 1970, Green Beret medic Gary Beikirch showed incredible bravery during an attack on his Dak Seang A-Camp. He was exposing himself repeatedly to enemy fire to treat wounded comrades, despite his own serious wounds […]

Treading carefully: How American troops are protecting Kurdish oil fields

Treading carefully: How American troops are protecting Kurdish oil fields

American troops stationed in eastern Syria have the difficult and dangerous job of guarding the very oil-rich Kurdish-held land. And everyone — the Syrian government, the Russians, the Turks, and ISIS — wants to control it.  The area is developing into a very dangerous place for the American troops: They’ve come under attack from a […]