Israel assassinates Islamic jihad leader al-Ata, tensions rise in Gaza

Israel assassinates Islamic jihad leader al-Ata, tensions rise in Gaza

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), finally decided enough was enough and took out Islamic Jihad leader Baha Abu al-Ata during an airstrike this week. They thus terminated the threat that more than anyone or anything else had disrupted cease-fire talks along Israel’s southern border. While Hamas, Egypt, and Israel were trying to broker a ceasefire […]

Spec Ops Infantry? It won’t work

Spec Ops Infantry? It won’t work

This article should start with the statement that this isn’t an attack on Major General Robert Scales at all. Scales recently wrote an intriguing piece on how to try to “bottle SOF” and make our United States infantry units in the Army and Marine Corps as good as our SOF operators.  Scales earned a Silver […]

Hunt them down: France to lead international SOF task force in Africa

Hunt them down: France to lead international SOF task force in Africa

France is rallying fellow European nations to join a Special Operations task force that will be deployed in the Sahel region of Africa to combat Islamist terrorists. The task force will be named Task Force TAKUBA, which in the Tuareg language means “sabre.” It will be comprised of Special Operations units from approximately a dozen […]

More warheads on foreheads: Changes coming to the Tactical Air Control Party pipeline

More warheads on foreheads: Changes coming to the Tactical Air Control Party pipeline

In a further attempt to modernize and increase the effectiveness of its ground forces, the Air Force has created a new Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) training unit. The primary mission of Det 2, 6th Combat Training Squadron, will be to streamline training and create a standardized pipeline in the TACP career field. The best-known […]

Operation NAPKO: When the OSS was set to infiltrate Korea in WWII

Operation NAPKO: When the OSS was set to infiltrate Korea in WWII

One of the stranger missions to come about during World War II was the decision to infiltrate the Korean coastline, which was then held by the Japanese, and insert former Korean POWs into the country to set up agent networks, conduct sabotage and possibly begin a guerrilla war against the Japanese. Eventually, the plan was […]

Report: China’s Special Forces may be young, but they’re getting better

Report: China’s Special Forces may be young, but they’re getting better

Throughout the modern War on Terror, the United States has increasingly relied on its special operations troops to conduct a wide variety of combat operations. And as China has worked to modernize its People’s Liberation Army into a force that can stand toe to toe with the West, it’s taken notice of how effective this […]

Another beret for PSYOP soldiers? Where does it end?

Another beret for PSYOP soldiers? Where does it end?

Reports out of Ft. Bragg say that there is a movement afoot to issue Psychological Operations (PSYOPS) soldiers assigned to Special Operations Forces (SOF) their own distinctive headgear, in this case, a grey beret. The Army Times reported that the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, (SWCS) and the Army were testing a […]

Before she was a famous chef, Julia Child cooked up shark repellent for the OSS

Before she was a famous chef, Julia Child cooked up shark repellent for the OSS

When one mentions Julia Child, the first thing that comes to mind is the marvel and ease of French cooking that she brought to the United States. But long before she was a culinary artist, she served as an intelligence officer during World War II in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the forerunner to […]

Veterans Day is one to remember when we all answered the call

Veterans Day is one to remember when we all answered the call

Every year on November 11, we as a country celebrate Veterans Day, which is a day to honor and show respect for everyone who ever wore a uniform in service to the United States.  Just as every person has different experiences, we respect the contributions and sacrifices that every service member made while in service […]