‘Murphy’s Law’ — Covering the war against ISIS alongside the Peshmerga

‘Murphy’s Law’ — Covering the war against ISIS alongside the Peshmerga

An excerpt from the new book, “Murphy’s Law: My Journey from Ranger and Green Beret to Investigative Journalist“ Another story developed when a fixer we had hired to help translate informed us that there was a big battle going down early the next morning near Kirkuk. No way were we going to pass that up. […]

Watch: 1984 documentary about Special Operations Forces sounds oddly like 2019

Watch: 1984 documentary about Special Operations Forces sounds oddly like 2019

In recent years, we’ve witnessed the Arab Spring, the Syrian Civil War, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and an annexation of Crimea. Television news channels are nearly hysterical reporting about covert Russian influence campaigns in the United States. Think tanks and policy councils weigh in on these events and delivered a series of terms like […]

Op-Ed: Say it ain’t so, Joe—the Army unveils another unnecessary badge

Op-Ed: Say it ain’t so, Joe—the Army unveils another unnecessary badge

On Friday, June 14—coincidentally the Army’s 224th birthday—the Army unveiled its newest and most unnecessary badge: the Expert Soldier Badge. If you read this and are rolling your eyes, trust me, you are not alone. According to a press release, the Expert Soldier Badge will recognize those individuals who demonstrate a mastery of physical fitness, […]

Army recognizes top ten operators from across its special operations community

Army recognizes top ten operators from across its special operations community

On June 7, the Army Special Operations Command recognized ten soldiers and civilians from across its special operations units for their distinguished service. Brig. Gen. Harrison Gilliam, the deputy commanding officer of the U.S. Army Special Warfare Center and School, inducted five soldiers into the Special Forces Regiment, two soldiers into the Civil Affairs Regiment, […]

MARSOF 2030: The future of Marine special operations

MARSOF 2030: The future of Marine special operations

Following in the footsteps of its sister Special Operations commands, the Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC) has released its strategic vision for the decade. Titled MARSOF 2030, the document recognizes the necessity to adapt to current and future challenges in an attempt for MARSOC to stay relevant – and well-funded. To better prepare for the […]

Exclusive: Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher was also alleged to have committed murder in Afghanistan

Exclusive: Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher was also alleged to have committed murder in Afghanistan

Green Berets assigned to a 3rd Special Forces Group Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) crept forward and took control of the compound ahead of them. The American Special Forces soldiers moved in with Afghan soldiers assigned to the 6th Kandak Commandos, Afghanistan’s frontline counter-terrorism unit. The commandos were not tethered to any one region in Afghanistan […]

Indian special operations struggles to embrace the spirit of jointness

Indian special operations struggles to embrace the spirit of jointness

One of the big takeaways from the disastrous 1980 attempt to rescue American hostages held in Iran was that U.S. special operations units needed to work in a joint environment. Units need to coordinate and train together to develop their capabilities and ensure they function smoothly when deployed to combat. This is a lesson that […]

Is the US military indirectly supporting war crimes?

Is the US military indirectly supporting war crimes?

Are the U.S. government and military indirectly supporting war crimes? Yes, according to the non-profit Human Rights Watch (HRW). Recently, the HRW released a report documenting war crimes committed by the Egyptian military and the Islamic State (ISIS) in North Sinai. The report accuses both warring parties of committing crimes against humanity. Although this is […]

Op-Ed: ‘Call of Duty’ peddles us some more amoral nihilism about ‘Modern Warfare’

Op-Ed: ‘Call of Duty’ peddles us some more amoral nihilism about ‘Modern Warfare’

The “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare” video game series has always included scenes that are intentionally controversial. In “Modern Warfare 2,” one level sees the protagonist acting as an undercover operative in a Russian terrorist cell that raids an airport terminal and murders hundreds of civilians. The protagonist, played by the player of the game […]

Special Operations reading list: A few of my favorite hidden gems

Special Operations reading list: A few of my favorite hidden gems

I love reading about Special Operations history. It’s amazing what information can be found in published sources if you’re prepared to dig around. There’s a whole hidden history that can only be compiled by doing some deep research and really looking for sources. Thankfully, some former operators penned books that are well worth tracking down. Here […]

The Pic of the Day: Counting the miles toward becoming a Green Beret

The Pic of the Day: Counting the miles toward becoming a Green Beret

A soldier from the U.S. Army‘s John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School checks a compass while completing a land navigation course during Special Forces Assessment and Selection near Hoffman, North Carolina on May 7, 2019. Candidates who attended the three-week assessment and selection were evaluated on their ability to work individually and as […]

US Special Operations Command rolls from the TALOS boondoggle into another with Hyper-Enabled Operator

US Special Operations Command rolls from the TALOS boondoggle into another with Hyper-Enabled Operator

Four years ago, NEWSREP reported that United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM) developed the Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit (TALOS)—a hardened exo-skeleton suit for special operators—and it was really a sham, but promising technologies emerged in the process. From 2015’s “TALOS: Special Operations Powered Armor or Just Another Boondoggle?” Initiated under Admiral William H. McRaven […]