What goes down behind the SOFREP scenes: Big Steve is in the house

What goes down behind the SOFREP scenes: Big Steve is in the house

Big Steve Balestrieri and Alex Hollings have a good deal in common, not the least of which is you wouldn’t want any part of either one of them in a beef. But like most of my brothers, they are both genuinely nice guys with sterling personalities and manners. I suppose that this is why I […]

A Spy and a Gentleman: John Ford, Oscar-winning Hollywood director

A Spy and a Gentleman: John Ford, Oscar-winning Hollywood director

Most people remember John Ford as an iconic Hollywood film director and winner of multiple Oscars. Ford was known especially for his westerns for which he frequently used Monument Valley in the Arizona/Utah area as a backdrop. But during World War II, Ford went to work for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the forerunner […]

How safe are US bases and outposts in Africa?

How safe are US bases and outposts in Africa?

Benghazi 2012. Niger 2017. Manda Bay 2020. These are just the high-profile cases where American warfighters and diplomats have died in Africa in the last decade. For the most part of the last two decades, the Middle East has captivated the attention of the Pentagon and U.S. media. But Africa has been steadily warming up. […]

Op-Ed: The legal conundrum behind the definition of Terrorism

Op-Ed: The legal conundrum behind the definition of Terrorism

Despite numerous efforts since the 1920s, the international community has failed to define or criminalize “terrorism” in international law. There is a sizeable international disagreement on what exactly defines terrorism. This inability to come to a general agreement is the stem of many shortcomings on the international laws of terrorism. These shortcomings of international law […]

Exclusive: Army and Special Forces Leadership Throw Decorated Operator Under the Bus

Exclusive: Army and Special Forces Leadership Throw Decorated Operator Under the Bus

The pair of MH-60 Blackhawks roared past the target building. One of the birds came into a hover, and operators started fast-roping. Time was of the essence. They were supposed to have hit this target some minutes before. The ISIS cell leader that was inside might have already left. An MH-47 Chinook carrying the blocking […]

The Pic of the Day: Who needs SEALs? Green Berets perfect their maritime assault techniques

The Pic of the Day: Who needs SEALs? Green Berets perfect their maritime assault techniques

Green Berets from the 1st Special Forces Group (1st SFG) conduct Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS) training somewhere in the Pacific ocean. The 1st SFG is responsible for Asia. Each Special Forces Group is comprised of numerous Special Forces Operational Detachment Alphas (ODAs). The ODA is the basic ground unit that gets deployed. Manned […]

Kenya gets attack choppers after deadly attack on US base

Kenya gets attack choppers after deadly attack on US base

Following the deadly attack on a joint American-Kenyan base earlier this month, the Kenyan military just got several light scout attack helicopters. More specifically, the Kenyan military received 12 MD 530F Cayuse Warrior scout attack helicopters. The fuel tanks of the MD 530Fs can withstand direct hits from ammunition up to and including 7.62mm. Also the […]

What’s the role of the military in American foreign policy?

What’s the role of the military in American foreign policy?

The use of soft power in foreign policy is often aided by the knowledge that should it not be effective, military (hard) power is waiting in the wings. Following this argument, it seems logical to conclude then that when boots are on the ground, soft power has come up short. The military’s mission is to […]

Canadian Special Operations: What does it mean to be an operator?

Canadian Special Operations: What does it mean to be an operator?

Looking back, I didn’t have a clue what being Special Operations actually meant. I started my career in the Canadian Forces as a combat engineer. Out of all the careers I could have chosen, I chose to enlist as a human mine detector. Frankly, I settled for this trade because infantry seemed too hardcore at […]

The Pic of the Day: Special Forces operators show Marines how it’s done

The Pic of the Day: Special Forces operators show Marines how it’s done

A U.S. Army Special Forces team assaults a building during a close-quarters battle demonstration for Marines with Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response-Africa in Baumholder, Germany. The ability to rapidly secure buildings allows Special Forces teams to complete a variety of missions ranging from hostage rescue to the suppression of enemy forces in an […]