The DNA of a frontline SWCC Detachment

The DNA of a frontline SWCC Detachment

Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen (SWWCs) pride themselves in being subject matter experts and jacks of all trades simultaneously. As all special operations units do, SWCCs operate in small groups in harsh and remote environments. This unique mission set requires operators to become very good at their respective jobs because most likely, they won’t have any […]

Are Special Operations units going to adapt this SHOT Show machine gun?

Are Special Operations units going to adapt this SHOT Show machine gun?

Machine guns are tricky beasts. They are entirely necessary for modern combat, but they tend to be heavy, and not exactly easy for Special Operations troopers to wield in their fast-paced environment — especially when it comes to medium machine guns. The current Big Military General-Purpose machine gun is the M240B and M240L. These 7.62 […]

PHALANX: Meet the newest initiative of the 75th Ranger Regiment

PHALANX: Meet the newest initiative of the 75th Ranger Regiment

In yet another move to increase its combat effectiveness and retention, the 75th Ranger Regiment rolled out the PHALANX program. The initiative is centered on three pillars: Human Performance (performance enhancement opportunities, holistic health assessments, world-class offsite care tailored to each individual) Career (mastery of Ranger fundamentals and competences, more time in key positions — […]

There I was, Special Forces operator vs Military cops

There I was, Special Forces operator vs Military cops

I don’t know why there is such an adversarial relationship between Special Forces and the MP community or when it started. No doubt it was from the earliest days of the O.S.S. when our earliest operators had to return to the flagpole and some guy couldn’t help but try to bust his chops over some […]

The Pic of the Day: It sucks to be you, Marine Raider

The Pic of the Day: It sucks to be you, Marine Raider

A team of Marines a carry zodiac boat to finish the boat build and breakdown event during the U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command Raider Games aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C. The Raider Games was a 10-mile ruck course with 14 events, including rappelling, pistol slow fire, completion of the obstacle course, […]

Shoot, Move, Communicate: How Special Operations prepares you for the real-world

Shoot, Move, Communicate: How Special Operations prepares you for the real-world

There is a certain culture found in the special operations community. These guys are considered to be some of the toughest, strongest, smartest, and most capable individuals in the U.S. military. It is common knowledge that if you need to make a bad guy disappear or to rescue someone from a hostile environment, that one […]

The Pic of the Day: Preparing for some explosive breaching

The Pic of the Day: Preparing for some explosive breaching

U.S. Marines conduct urban breach demolition and explosives training during exercise Fuji Viper 20-2 on Camp Fuji, Japan, Nov. 27, 2019. Fuji Viper is a regularly scheduled training evolution that allows infantry units to maintain their lethality and proficiency in infantry and combined arms tactics. This iteration of the exercise is executed by an activated […]

Navy SEAL graduates from NASA’s Astronaut Program

Navy SEAL graduates from NASA’s Astronaut Program

A Navy SEAL has successfully completed the NASA Astronaut program. Last week, Lieutenant Jonny Kim graduated from the course and now is qualified for missions to the International Space Station and the moon. Kim enlisted in the Navy in 2002. After successfully completing the grueling Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) and SEAL Qualification Training (SQT) courses, […]

Obese and Weak: Are Young Americans Failing the Special Operations Community?

Obese and Weak: Are Young Americans Failing the Special Operations Community?

Facing a concerning shortage in special operations personnel, the U.S. military grapples with the reality that, despite the high costs and rigorous standards of training, fewer young Americans are stepping up to join the elite ranks, possibly due to growing societal comfort and diminishing physical and mental aptitude.

Disaster in the making? US to withdraw from Africa

Disaster in the making? US to withdraw from Africa

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley was in Brussels to speak at a gathering of NATO commanders. There he said that the U.S. wants to reduce its footprint in Africa. Meanwhile, France’s President Emmanuel Macron was hosting a conference of the G5 nations (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger) […]

We ain’t Navy SEALs: The path to becoming a Navy SWCC

We ain’t Navy SEALs: The path to becoming a Navy SWCC

Becoming a Navy Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewman (SWCC) is no easy task. The SWCC selection pipeline is designed to weed out the weak and to create a training environment that simulates the stressful conditions that are experienced in real-world situations. If an individual is not physically and mentally prepared, they have very little chance to […]