USASOC

The chute malfunction sent me into a spin so violent, it prevented my eyes from being able to focus on anything. Everything was a blurry smear.

With no real limits to the mission other than to mimic a Spetsnaz unit and cause chaos, we embraced our role, wreaking havoc on the island, and ensuring the U.S. Navy security forces at NAS Adak had their hands full around the clock.

Amidst the grueling survival training at Camp Mackall, my spirit oscillated between gritty determination and sardonic humor, as I navigated the absurdity of ‘Bunny Baseball’ and the surreal reality of being a Green Beret in training.

The Waterborne Infiltrations Course, aptly nicknamed ‘Ranger School on Water,’ pushed us to our limits, but it died a quiet death due to lack of support, a testament to the hard, thankless grind it really was.

With a thrilling display of physical prowess and mental acumen, a team from 5th Special Forces Group triumphed in a tightly contested 3-day competition at the US Army Special Forces Underwater Operations School in Key West, where 13 elite teams from across the US Special Operations Command engaged in challenges ranging from kayak races to dive physics evaluations, all under the watchful eye of Major Brandon Schwartz and amidst the unparalleled underwater terrains of NAS Key West.

Rangers and SOAR operators demonstrate a direct action raid.

Major General (retired) Gary Harrell, a revered figure in the Special Operations Forces community, passed away at the age of 71 after a lengthy battle with glioblastoma. During his 35-year career with the Army, he commanded several special operations units and retired in 2008 as the Deputy Commanding General of the Army Special Operations Command (USASOC).

I first met Kap when I was a Team Leader in 1st Platoon, A/co, 3rd Ranger Battalion, and truth be told, I thought he was a pretty abrasive dude at first.

Panic is a by far a deadlier and more contagious “virus” that COVID can ever be!

How can the best-of-the-best in the U.S. Army be determined? And what does Brian have to do with it?

Soldiers with the 25th Infantry Division undergo SURT, or Small Unit Ranger Tactics, a program designed to prepare them to be Army Rangers.

More than 1,200 names are engraved on the Special Operations Memorial Wall honoring the fallen. A symbol of our country’s eternal gratitude.