When Special Forces Recon Team Python ruled the Valley of Death

Situated in the northwestern portion of South Vietnam, along the border with Laos, lies the A Shau Valley.  At 25 miles long and one mile wide, A Shau the valley consists of tall and thick elephant grass flanked on either side by steep mountain ranges, dense with jungle, that rise between 3,000 and 6,000 feet. […]

Bulletproof Motivation: Tips from a Navy SEAL, CIA Officer, and Firefighter

Editor’s note. This article was written by our dear friend Alex Hollings for and published at Sandboxx. SOFREP old-timers will find another familiar face in the piece. When it comes to motivation, Navy SEALs have plenty to spare, but we know one guy that could even make some SEALs look lazy. Earning your place among […]

Spooky 41: How a gunship saved the day in Afghanistan

Last year, a gunship crew from an Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) squadron helped turned the tide in a fierce engagement against ISIS fighters in Afghanistan. The nine-hour operation took place last April in Nangarhar Province. An AC-130U aircraft from the 4th Special Operations Squadron was proving overhead support to a Special Forces assault […]

The Winds of Change Blow in Africa: 101st Paratroopers out, Security Forces in

The Pentagon’s decision to replace elements of an infantry brigade of the 101st Airborne with elements of the 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade (SFAB) has long been in the works.  This will accomplish two tasks: Firstly, it will provide better continuity in training missions with a unit designed to train foreign troops, thereby freeing up […]

William Darby, Army SOF legend and old school badass

William Orlando Darby is one of the icons of the Army’s Special Operations community. He organized, trained, and led the first of the Army’s Ranger Battalions during World War II. He fought in North Africa, Sicily, and mainland Italy. Later, as the Assistant Division Commander of the 10th Mountain Division, he was killed in action […]

Army offers huge bonuses to Special Forces Warrant Officers

$100,000. That’s what the Army is offering to Special Forces Warrant Officers in case they reenlist. Special Forces (SF) warrant officers are combat leaders and staff officers. They are experienced subject-matter experts in unconventional warfare, operations, intelligence fusion, and planning and execution at all levels across the operational continuum. Special Forces warrant officers advise commanders […]

Breaking: American troops in Syria clash with locals in a village

American troops were fired upon in northeastern Syria after civilians attempted to block them at a crossroads. They returned fire and at least one Syrian was killed and another wounded, Syrian state television reported. U.S. military spokesman Myles Caggins said American-led coalition forces were conducting a patrol of eight vehicles near Qamishli and encountered a […]

The Pic of the Day: Army SOF soldiers going through Combat Diver School

Soldiers attending the Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Warfare Training Group of the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School Special Forces Combat Diver Qualification Course take part in morning physical fitness, June 5, 2018, Key West Florida. The PT regimen at the school prepares students for the unique physical challenges […]

The biggest Spec Ops event in Latin America is around the corner, who will win?

Fuerzas Comando is a military exercise consisting of a skills competition between military and police Special Operations teams from the Western Hemisphere. The event will be hosted by Colombia in 2020. Teams from about 20 countries, including the United States, will be taking part in the challenging contest, which promotes military-to-military relationships, increases training knowledge, […]

UK Special Forces breakdown: The Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR)

Note: This is part two of a multi-part series exploring the various units within the U.K. Special Forces (UKSF). The United Kingdom’s prolonged involvement in the Global War on Terror (GWOT) has created the demand for an increase in the country’s number of special forces operators. From that need emerged the United Kingdom’s newest special […]