Special Operations

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 spacecraft launched from the Kennedy Space Center on May 30th. This was the first spacecraft to take off from the Kennedy Space Center’s pad since the Space Shuttle Program was shut down in 2011. The Defense Visual Information Distribution Service was on the front lines of this historic event. They provided an […]

In light of recent reporting addressing the prevalence of right-wing extremism in Germany’s top special operations unit, the Kommando Spezialkrafte (KSK), it is useful to examine the radicalization profiles of individuals in the United States. While not framed for comparison here, the discussion of individual extremism in the U.S. does offer value as various online-derived […]

The U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) will be upgrading its fleet of AC-130J Ghostrider and MC-130J Commando II aircraft with the addition of countermeasures systems against air and ground threats. Last week, SOCOM awarded Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) a $700,000,000 contract for the development and procurement of Radio Frequency Countermeasure (RFCM) systems. The RFCM system […]

“Hey, can you talk to my nephew? He wants to be a SEAL.” I always say yes and answer whatever questions I can. Let’s be honest; I enjoy it.

Hey folks, Happy birthday, America. What a month. Legitimate protests smeared by wanton violence. Attempts to whitewash American history for the sake of progress. A seemingly unbreachable political division, which malicious foreign actors and governments are taking advantage of to further their agendas. And in the midst of all, we had the honor to break […]

After recent bloody clashes with Chinese troops over a disputed border area along what is known as the “Line of Actual Control” (LAC), India has now deployed its Special Forces units in Ladakh to prepare to defend its territory against further violence. On June 15, the worst border fighting in nearly 60 years took place. […]

Ah, life in the military is very rarely boring. You get to travel to some exotic — well, different — places and meet some of the most interesting types of people. But one time-honored tradition was celebrating the 4th of July, our Independence Day, while deployed outside of the United States. For me, there are […]

Mindfulness is all the rage right now. Yet, the idea of being mindful — the ability to be fully present — is not a new concept in the warrior culture. As Togo Shigekata, who was a samurai from the Satsuma domain, noted, “One finds life through conquering the fear of death within one’s mind. Empty […]

It is no secret that technology is rapidly taking over the military. This can be seen in recruiting techniques, training styles, and weapons and tools being used in battlefield settings. Behind the gruff, rough, dip-spitting, barrel-chested freedom fighter attitude that the Navy SEALs and Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen (SWCC) of Naval Special Warfare have come […]

Combat hand-to-hand is another animal entirely, not like being in a ring or on a mat, and is often not one-on-one.

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 […]

Recently, SOFREP had the opportunity to interview actor Jake Lockett. A trained pilot of Cessna 152 and VFR 172-class aircraft, Jake was considering a career in the Central Intelligence Agency or the military before the attractions of acting lured him to Hollywood. With an Aerospace Engineering degree from Texas A&M University, Jake worked at Boeing […]