Special Operations

Mark Esper, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, announced earlier last week that European Command EUCOM will relocate from Stuttgart, Germany to the NATO headquarters in Mons, Belgium. He also ordered Africa Command (AFRICOM) to draw up plans to relocate its headquarters. But unlike EUCOM, there is not a place for AFRICOM to go. As part […]

This article was written by Luke Ryan and originally published on Sandboxx. Ranger School is one of the most demanding courses the U.S. Army has to offer. It’s a rite of passage for Army Rangers as they progress in their careers, and it’s a proving ground for other soldiers from other units. The school is […]

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 […]

Lance Cpl. Jacob Maze, a field radio operator with 3rd Force Reconnaissance Training Platoon, 4th Marine Division participates in a water survival screening at Camp Shelby, Miss., on July 19, 2020. This training will ultimately prepare them for lengthy and difficult amphibious missions in any clime and place. Marines with Marine Forces Reserve continue to […]

It has been 32 years ever since Chris Cocks first published his acclaimed book narrating his experiences with the elite Rhodesian Light Infantry (RLI). Now, five editions later, he is reprinting his masterpiece. But it’s not just a reprint. Cocks has gone in and re-wrote the book to make it even better. “Over the last […]

Who has more freedom of movement in a combat zone: a highly trained and well-resourced Special Operations fighter, or an untrained volunteer working for a cash-strapped religious non-governmental organization (NGO)? In the author’s opinion and experience, the answer is the NGO worker — and by a long shot. The reason for this predominantly boils down […]

In this series of articles, we’re discussing 10 of the most important, unwritten, rules of CQB. You can read part I here and part II here. Avoid shoulder transitions (Remark: This rule is referring to a full shoulder transition in close proximity.) The human brain is like a forest. When you were a kid, it […]

Sensational press accounts were just plain rabid about this man from the time he “escaped” a post-WWII “Officers’” holding camp, until the start of the Vietnam conflict. All he ever really wanted to be was a Mechanical Engineer and to serve his country honorably. Most of us would never have heard of this Commando’s successes […]

The British SAS have been conducting several operations in the hilly, remote part of northern Iraq. They have been targeting ISIS leadership in an attempt to stop the terrorist group’s resurgence. ISIS has been largely, but not completely eradicated from Iraq.  The U.K. special operators have been working closely with Kurdish resistance fighters who have […]

The Navy SEAL Museum’s Trident House Charities Program has successfully donated education funds to children in the Special Operations community for the sixth year in a row. To accomplish this feat, it partnered with the Marlee Foundation and for the first time this year, Trident Tuition Funds joined the fray. Together, they were able to […]

Last week, several Marine Raiders received awards for their actions during a deployment in Afghanistan. In total, the Raiders, who are assigned to the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion, received eight medals. The team chief of the Marine Special Operations Team (MSOT) that was involved in the action received the Silver Star (the third-highest award for […]

This article was written by Ana Maria Baloi and originally published on Grey Dynamics.  This report examines the strategic concepts of AFRICOM as applied in West Africa, based on the U.S. interests in the region, military doctrine, and past experiences in other parts of the world. For collection and processing, the author used Open Source […]