SOF Tips: Speed up your recovery after the 12-mile rucksack march

This piece is meant to help prospective candidates prepare for SOF selection with their 12-mile rucksack march. And hopefully for those that followed it and conducted it, (it was a cold 40 degree, rainy morning here), followed our normal rucksack marching tips. Wearing the correct boots and socks, having the correct and comfortable clothes on […]

This is why Navy SEAL training is the toughest in the world

If America was to survive the bloody deed of taking fortified beaches would have to be mastered. This would require the toughest of men to be trained to the most demanding of standards and that’s what we did. Eight months after Pearl Harbor was attacked, the Amphibious Scouts and Raiders school was established to train […]

10,000 NATO troops commence massive war games in California

As the United States and its allies shift their focus away from counter-terrorism operations and toward the looming possibility of near-peer level warfare, a massive series of war games is about to commence in the desert training grounds of Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center 29 Palms in California. Ten thousand Marines, sailors, and troops […]

Land navigation basics: Plotting and planning your routes

Recently we touched on a subject that is in the news about how junior NCOs (E-4 – E-6) aren’t doing well overall with navigation with a map, protractor, and compass. As we mentioned prior, Land Navigation is a critical skill that every Special Operator must possess and if you are an aspiring member of the […]

SOF Selection ‘Tip of the Day’: Say goodbye to shin splints when rucking

When attempting to pass the various Selection courses in the military, we tend to lean towards the physical preparation but speak about the courses being mostly mental in nature. Well, the two definitely go hand-in-hand as the more physically prepared you are, the more confident you will be when tackling the next obstacle in your […]

SOF Tips: Rucking trails in deep snow? Try something new and go snowshoeing

We publish a daily workout regimen that we post for all of the aspiring Special Operations candidates to properly prepare themselves physically for the various Selection courses. And Sunday was supposed to be a long rucksack march. But Mother Nature decided to throw us all a curve here in the Northeast. Our first major winter […]

Spartan warrior selection began at birth and lasted a lifetime

Thanks to the film “300”, the Spartan lifestyle and their iconic Hoplite helmet has become a popular one among military age males and is frequently used ad campaigns or on t-shirt designs. But what was life like, as a Spartan male who would eventually become part of their military? We’ll take a quick look at […]

October 19, 2001: America strikes back, Special Forces troops arrive in Afghanistan

Just five weeks after the horrible events that unfolded on 9/11 back in 2001, the United States answered. Coalition air forces were already hitting targets in Afghanistan, taking out terrorist training centers and key government installations. But on that day, the first Special Forces troops infiltrated into Afghan territory from Uzbekistan over the Hindu Kush […]

War Stories: Navy Survival and Prisoner of War School

After nearly a year out east, I returned to California in January of 1994 with orders to report to HS-10, the helicopter training squadron in San Diego where I would spend six months learning the ropes before finally deploying as part of an operational squadron. But there were a few more hurdles to clear first, […]

Dry run for WWIII: US Army to deploy 20,000 troops to Europe

Ever since Russia’s military annexation of Crimea in 2014, the United States military has increased its presence and overall readiness throughout Eastern Europe. However, despite the presence of some 17,000 American troops on the continent, defense officials have repeatedly called for additional support, pointing out that NATO forces throughout the region are too sparse to […]