The Pic of the Day: Special Forces long-gunners

Thai Special Forces and American Special Forces operators from the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) conduct long-range marksmanship training while training together in U-Tapao Thailand September, 2019. Operators from the 1st SFG are very active in the region, training, advising, and often operating alongside their local partners.

October 19, 2001: America strikes back, Special Forces troops arrive in Afghanistan

Just five weeks after the horrible events that unfolded on 9/11 back in 2001, the United States answered. Coalition air forces were already hitting targets in Afghanistan, taking out terrorist training centers and key government installations. But on that day, the first Special Forces troops infiltrated into Afghan territory from Uzbekistan over the Hindu Kush […]

Why do you put such a premium on rucking in Special Operations?

We frequently get a lot of questions about the Selection part of the training pipeline, what the candidates for the various Special Operations units in the SOF umbrella must pass. Selection, as we say is just the first step, but it is a continuous process and never really ends. Candidates during Selection will be assessed […]

Shorter and easier? Big, controversial changes are coming to the Special Forces pipeline

There recently was a story published that has the entire Special Forces community abuzz. The title stated that “big changes” were coming for the Special Forces Qualification Course (SFQC). And whenever change comes to a qualification course it always draws heavy scrutiny from the members, but especially the former members of the Regiment who worry […]

The Pic of the Day: Special Forces operators hitting it with Thai commandos

U.S. and Thai Special Forces conduct a simulated urban search and rescue while training together in U-Tapao Thailand in September, 2019. The 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) is responsible for Asia. Thailand has been an old and staunch U.S. ally. This relationship became particularly important during the Vietnam War. American military bases on the country […]

SOFREP unveiled: A look at what goes on behind the scenes

The debut of the SOFREP Team Room cartoon feature depicts Managing Editor Stavros Atlamazoglou clad in flamboyant pirate attire leading his mob of writers, termed his “pirate crew,” forward into the resurrected SOFREP format. Against odds, “Charge!” he cries out in his native Greek language. Heavy-lift writer Alex “A-Blast” Hollings follows swinging from a (pirate […]

War Stories: Navy Survival and Prisoner of War School

After nearly a year out east, I returned to California in January of 1994 with orders to report to HS-10, the helicopter training squadron in San Diego where I would spend six months learning the ropes before finally deploying as part of an operational squadron. But there were a few more hurdles to clear first, […]

Marine Special Operations Command: We Aren’t SEALs or Green Berets

Everybody wants to know what sets Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC) apart from the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) and Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC). It’s a complicated question to answer. What’s more revealing and easier to address is: what traits does MARSOC share with USASOC and NSW? I’d like to focus on […]

Special Warfare Operator: The Air Force’s new SOF job opens up

The Air Force’s new Special Operations career field is about to launch. After years of planning and much deliberation, the long-awaited Special Warfare (SW) career field opens up on October 31. The Special Warfare (1Z) career field will now encompass four Air Force Specialty Codes (AFSCs), which is the nomenclature that the Air Force utilizes […]

Cultural differences between Delta Force and SEAL Team Six

With the death of Osama Bin Laden (OBL) at the hands of some secret squirrel frogmen in Pakistan, there came a nationwide interest in who killed OBL. The phrase “Navy SEALs” was quickly released to the public, whether via the White House or the Department of Defense. But it was those “subject matter experts,” including […]