The Rise and Fall of the Puntland Security Force
Washington spent most of two decades building a counterterrorism force in northern Somalia. A dispute between Mogadishu and Puntland took the Puntland Security Force (PSF) apart in two days.
Confederate Submersible Attack on the USS Housatonic
This essay provides an account of H.L. Hunley’s daring attack on the Union’s USS Housatonic on 17 February 1864. H.L. Hunley was a civilian submersible on loan to the Confederate Navy. The Union had a larger navy than the Confederacy, so the Union used this advantage to blockade southern ports to prevent resupply.
12-Year Journey to Becoming a Navy SEAL
Any operator who has survived one, or multiple recycles in their special operations training pipeline can tell you that failure is a far better teacher than success. Retired U.S. Navy SEAL Dr. Reynaldo Baviera has had more of those opportunities for learning than most.
SOF Weekly Brief – Sep 21, 2026
This week’s SOF Weekly Brief covers Ukraine’s drone campaign and counteroffensive operations, growing Houthi pressure on Saudi Arabia and Red Sea shipping, a new Greenland security agreement, major defense sales, U.S.-China diplomacy, and developments affecting special operations forces worldwide.
A Soldier’s Place in History: JFK Special Warfare Museum
The U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg, North Carolina documents the history and legacy of U.S. Army Special Operations Forces (ARSOF).
October 2026 SOF Events
Looking for upcoming Special Operations community events this October? Here are notable SOF events happening across the community, including nonprofit fundraisers, networking events, and industry gatherings.
SOF Weekly Brief – Sep 14, 2026
This week’s SOF Weekly Brief covers Arctic special operations, Army Civil Affairs changes, emerging drone capabilities, Russian information warfare, and escalating conflicts involving Iran, Yemen, and Ukraine. Additional reporting examines strategic oil chokepoints, intelligence restructuring, veterans’ programs, military publications, and forthcoming special operations community events.
Ron Bucca – Green Beret and Firefighter: A Hero of 11 Sep 2001
On Sept. 11, 2001, New York Fire Department Fire Marshal (FDNY) Ronald P. Bucca gave his life while responding to the attacks on the World Trade Center. Bucca was a former Green Beret and was serving as operations chief of an MI detachment (New York).
Narrative Strategy Symposium – Sep 30, 2026
Homeland Security Today and Narrative Strategies are hosting the first-ever Narrative Strategy Symposium on Wednesday, September 30, in Arlington, Virginia. The participants and attendees will explore how narratives shape security, public trust, decision-making, and national resilience.
Attitudes Towards the War in Russian Society
After four years of war, Russian society increasingly shows signs of fatigue, frustration, and desire for peace. Oleksandr Sukhobrus examines how shattered expectations, battlefield setbacks, Ukrainian drone attacks, mounting casualties, and domestic repression have changed public attitudes toward the conflict.
Free Fall School Trains Students in High-Altitude Infiltration
The Military Free Fall School (MFFS), located at the U.S. Army’s Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona, is an elite joint-forces institution operated by the U.S. Army John F.Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School. The school trains special operations forces in critical infiltration skills, including high-altitude low-opening (HALO) and high-altitude high-opening (HAHO) parachuting.
SOF Weekly Brief – Sep 8, 2026
This weekly brief examines major developments in special operations, irregular warfare, national security, and global conflicts, including SOF education and sustainment, Turkish counter-piracy operations, Army leadership changes, renewed U.S.-Iran fighting, Russian jet-powered drones, emerging technologies, and Kurdish reconciliation efforts.
Special Operations Forces Tackle Unseen Threat of Blast Exposure
The U.S. special operations forces community is actively tackling the invisible threat of repeated blast overpressure to protect warfighters’ brain health without compromising combat readiness.
A Border Pollution Crisis is Undermining America’s Elite Warfighters
Pollution flowing north from Mexico’s Tijuana region is contaminating coastal waters near Coronado, exposing Navy SEAL candidates and other personnel to health risks while disrupting maritime training.
U.S., Canadian Special Forces Soldiers Receive 2026 Frederick Award
A soldier from 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) and the Canadian Special Forces Regiment received the First Special Service Force Association 2026 Frederick Award on August 22, 2026 in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada at the FSSF Association annual reunion.