An American adventure and sacrifice in Rhodesia

John Alan Coey was an American who fought and died in Rhodesia. This article is a commentary and analysis of a complicated and unique person based on his memoirs. It was received well and regarded as accurate by those who knew him, including his brother. I consider Rhodesia a bit of American Military History due […]

Ukrainian Special Operations units hold competition

Earlier in July, the Ukrainian Special Operations Command held an intense competition between its Special Operations units. The competition was broken down into five days of intensive tests that aimed to test the resolve, morale, endurance, capabilities, and professionalism of the teams. There were 11 stages that put the commandos through obstacle courses, adverse weather […]

Military history summer reading list

Many of us in the summer months like to sit in the sun, at the beach or at the pool, with a good book to pass the time away. And we could use some good escape from the constant bad news regarding the spread of the coronavirus.  My better half prefers murder mysteries or true […]

Australian Special Operations commander admits war crimes

Some SAS members acted like “self-righteous, entitled pricks.” After a long-running investigation looking into war crimes reportedly committed by Australian troops, Major-General Adam Findlay, the commander of Australia’s Special Forces, has admitted that some members of the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) indeed committed war crimes in Afghanistan. He blamed these atrocities on “poor moral […]

From the Holocaust to America’s Special Forces

For most people, surviving the Holocaust in Nazi-occupied Europe would be the defining moment of their lives. Men like Major General Sidney Shachnow aren’t most people. The Lithuanian-born Shachnow survived a forced labor camp and went on to join the U.S. Army, serve in Vietnam, and lead the Army Special Forces’ ultra-secret World War III […]

Taliban kill hundreds of Afghan security forces in a week as peace talks fall apart

A wave of recent attacks in Afghanistan has left the Afghani government infuriated. Over the past week, the Taliban carried out 422 attacks in 32 provinces, killing a minimum of 291 Afghan security personnel and wounding 550 others. This marks the deadliest week in the country’s 19-year war, even as the Taliban reject the figures. […]

Help keep Army Special Operations history alive

De Oppresso Liber – To Free the Oppressed Known as the quiet professionals, the Green Berets have been “freeing the oppressed” all over the world, for decades. Their extraordinary contributions in Vietnam alone, serve to remind us of their uniqueness as the ONLY presidentially appointed unit. Now, the Special Forces’ legacy is desperately calling upon […]

The Iranian commando who became an American Green Beret

The first time Changiz Lahidji joined a Special Forces unit, his loyalty was to Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran. But he found himself guarding lavish parties in the middle of the desert, protecting the opulent ruler of Imperial Iran and his guests. It wasn’t exactly the life of adventure that John Wayne movies led […]

Indian Army overhauls Special Operations selection and training

The Indian Army is looking at restructuring the selection process of its personnel volunteering for Special Forces and Airborne battalions. It is also aiming to expand their role in multiple operational theatres. India, despite having large numbers of Special Forces units and troops, does not have a national strategy on how its SF troops should […]

Top US general calls accompanying Trump to church photo op a mistake

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Mark Milley recorded a short video that aired soon after the General appeared at a church with President Donald Trump that had just been cleared of protestors. In the video, he called his presence at the church “a mistake.” Milley and Defense Secretary Mark Esper had joined the president […]