Hezbollah in Nigeria

Hezbollah in Nigeria – A Potential Problem

July 31, 2018 SOF News 0

by Chris Martin In February 2018, I met with the House Committee on Foreign Affairs to discuss irregular warfare concerns, more specifically, the intrusive and merciless groups that are currently destabilizing Nigeria. Boko Haram is located in the North East, the […]

Fuerzas Comando 2018 Panama special operations forces sof exercise

Fuerzas Comando 2018

July 28, 2018 SOF News 0

The Fuerzas Comando 2018 took place in Panama from July 16-26. Special operations forces from 19 countries participated in the 9 day event. There about 700 operators participating in the SOF skills competition. The contest promotes multinational partnerships in the […]

Trainees of the Afghan Commando Course CDOQC for July 2018 in formation at Camp Commando. Photo by MSG Felix Figueroa, NSOCC-A, July 15, 2018.

New Afghan Commando Course Begins July 2018

July 28, 2018 SOF News 0

Another group of Afghan soldiers are attending the Afghan Commando Course at Camp Commando (located just outside of Kabul). The opening ceremony was conducted on July 15, 2018 and the keynote speaker was Lt. Gen. Bismallah Waziri – the commander […]

SOF operators prepare to parachute during the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2018 exercise. Photo by Chief Petty Officer Cynthia De Leon, 17 July 2018.

Special Operations News Update 20180727

July 27, 2018 SOF News 0

SOF News Update 20180727 – NZ SAS FET, Islamic State’s propaganda machine, OSINT and IW, Fuerzas Comando 2018, defeat of ISIS predicted, CJTF-OIR video briefing, America’s first spymaster, SF icon buried at Arlington, CSM Socha honored, 7th SFGA on the front […]

Bombs in a terrain denial air attack in foothills of eastern Afghanistan to prevent ISIS-K fighters from returning to territory they once held. 19 June 2018, NSOCC-A, U.S. Navy Lt. Amy Forsythe.

Afghanistan Conflict Update 20180725

July 25, 2018 SOF News 0

Security ‘Taliban Irreconcilables’. Messaging by the United States and NATO (ISAF and then Resolute Support) in the Afghan conflict over the past 17 years has been interesting. The terms, words, and phases used to describe the ever-increasing progress of the […]

Special Tactics Airmen in pool dive training. Photo by Airman 1st Class Dennis Spain, 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs, Hurlburt Field, Florida, July 17, 2018.

Special Operations News Update 20180725

July 25, 2018 SOF News 0

SOF News Update 20180725 – video on Iraqi SOF training, war in Yemen, deteriorating situation in northeast Nigeria, NSW SWCC graduation, more money for Philippines, M-16 rifle history, ISIS media operations, COIN, EIB changes, video – EOD Dive School, OSINT […]

German advisors at TAAC North review a sand table depicting an exercise plan. RS HQs photo February 16, 2018.

Afghanistan Update 20180723

July 23, 2018 SOF News 0

Mid-summer is generally the halfway point for the fighting season; or at least approaching it. The Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) are reportedly (if you can take the word of the Resolute Support PR folks) pressing the Taliban […]

Afghanistan conflict - Afghan Special Security Force

Afghanistan Conflict Update 20180719

July 19, 2018 SOF News 0

The Afghanistan conflict continues to be a stalemate. Taliban and other insurgent groups are attacking isolated outposts, threatening district centers, and conducting high-profile bombing attacks in city centers. The Afghan special operations forces are rapidly responding to the insurgent attacks […]

A Colombian competitor uses his Data of Previous Engagement (DOPE) during the zeroing of weapons for this year's Fuerzas Comando, July 15, 2018 on a shooting range in Panama City, Panama. Fuerzas Comando is an annual multinational special operational forces skills competition sponsored by U.S. Southern Command and hosted this year by the Ministry of Public Security, Panama. Through friendly competition, this exercise promotes interoperability, military-to-military relationships, increases training knowledge, and improves regional security. (U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Brian Ragin/Released)

Special Operations News Update 20180718

July 18, 2018 SOF News 0

SOF News Update 20180718 – Thai SEAL honored, more CH-47s for SOAC, IS in Africa, ST and Air Force Cross, China’s SOF, Army Futures Command, CV-22 video, ISKP resilient against USSF, CJSOTF-I video on IO in Iraq, SEAL fundraiser in […]

Helsinki Summit 2018 Putin and Trump meet in Finland on July 16, 2018

Helsinki Summit – Trump and Putin

July 17, 2018 SOF News 0

The Helsinki Summit between President Trump and President Putin took place on Monday, July 16, 2018. The meeting between the leader of the United States and the leader of Russia followed the tumultuous Brussels Summit held just a few days […]

Implementing Stabilization Assistance Review (SAR) by Chuck Barham USSOCOM

Implementing the Stabilization Assistance Review (SAR)

July 17, 2018 SOF News 0

Implementing the Stabilization Assistance Review “Sacrificing Responsiveness for Cost Savings?” In June 2018 representatives from the Department of State (DOS), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Department of Defense (DoD), academia, and other organizations met in Washington, DC and […]

NATO Brussels Summit 2018

Brussels Summit 2018 – NATO News Update

July 16, 2018 SOF News 0

NATO’s Brussels Summit 2018 was held July 11-12, 2018 and the event generated a bunch of news stories. Headlining the event were the antics of President Trump. However, a number of important issues were discussed and proclamations issued that have […]