Navy SEAL Community loses a Titan: Bill Bruhmuller

The year was 1985(ish), in Panama City, Florida.  In those days, Panama City was a backwater in the Florida panhandle.  It was suburban in some parts, but pretty much rural in most, once you were off the beach.  It was all pine forests, mosquitoes, and hot, sticky air. It was a time when “latchkey kids” […]

Things that matter: Special Forces jungle fatigue uniform

The jacket always was worn tucked in to reduce noise while he moved through the countryside. Pockets were moved up from the lower jacket or pants to the shoulders. The camouflage was created by using black spray paint on the clothing. In addition, an “A+” was painted on the fatigue jacket to indicate his blood type should he be wounded.

Green Beret medic could be next Vietnam war MOH recipient

The story of Green Beret Gary Michael Rose’s heroism is an epic of classified warfare and a stinging media scandal, but it might soon end with a Medal of Honor. In 1970, Rose was the lone medic for a company of Special Forces soldiers and indigenous Vietnamese fighters during a risky, four-day assault deep into […]

America’s Secretive Operation White Star in Laos

In the early 1960s the United States Army Special Forces was engaged in a secretive mission in the remote country of Laos in Southeast Asia. During this time we were in the midst of a Cold War with the Soviet Union, Red China, and other communist bloc nations. The perception (and reality) was that slowly […]

Vietnam War Helicopter Pilot to Receive Medal of Honor

Kettles immediately turned his unarmed Huey around and headed back to the landing zone. He had surprise on his side, but fire from the ground — mostly small arms and mortars — was withering and ripped the windshield apart.

SOG MIA of 48 Years to Be Buried at Arlington Wednesday

We had minimal intel on enemy activities on the ground in the target area, we knew the enemy was gearing up to attack our recon teams to keep us out of Laos. Remember, in March 1968, the U.S. could have no conventional military troops in Laos, hence the secret war. We carried no identification papers or dog tags.

A Misaligned, Misguided, and Misunderstood History: The Vietnam War

It is July 1965, and President Lyndon B. Johnson has made the decision to send troops into Vietnam. U.S. strategy in Vietnam demands a necessary escalation of force. American policy, stemming from Cold War doctrine, and events in Vietnam since at least 1954 have gone unchecked for too long. Yet, U.S. policy is destined to […]

Obama Banishing Vietnam War Vestige by Lifting Arms Embargo

After spending his first day in Vietnam shuttling among meetings with different government leaders, Obama will spend the next two days speaking directly to the Vietnamese people and meeting with civil society groups and young entrepreneurs.

DOD: China’s Military Presence Becomes Increasingly More Formidable

China’s military in 2015 became more assertive in the South China Sea, projected a greater global presence and underwent nascent reforms intended to make it deadlier and more loyal to the ruling political party, according to an annual U.S. Defense Department report. The report, mandated by Congress, highlights China’s defense strategy and developments. “China continues […]