The New Isolationism: Why Ignoring Al Shabaab Invites the ‘Enemy from Within’
The new isolationism dismissing U.S. forward engagement in East Africa – misunderstands the nature of the Al Shabaab threat to the homeland.
Articles by Guest
Air Commando Heritage Foundation and a Future Museum
Story courtesy ACHF. At the 2026 Special Air Warfare Symposium (SAWS), leaders from across the global special operations enterprise gathered to discuss the future of special air warfare. But alongside the conversations about emerging capabilities, integration, and innovation, another mission […]
A Most Unusual Sea Commando
By Col Michael Haas, USAF, ret. “If you go, I go.” The intense Vietnamese Sea Commando spoke quietly, his dark eyes never leaving those of the American SEAL officer standing in front of him. Kiet’s terse pledge set the stage […]
Fear and Uncertainty for Yazidis and Kurds in Syria
Minority groups in northeast Syria face an uncertain future. Clashes have been ongoing between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the government troops of the Syrian state. Negotiations are stalled over the issue of autonomy for the Kurds. This story […]
Information Advantage in the Indo-Pacific
By Priya Batchu. The 1st Theater Information Advantage Detachment (TIAD) originated at Fort Shafter, Hawaii, on November 7, 2025. The 65-soldier Unit reflects the Army’s aim to operate in the information and cognitive domains. The purpose of the 1st TIAD […]
Book Review: “Those Who Face Death” by Mark Grdovic
By How Miller. LTC (Ret.) Mark Grdovic (pronounced grid-uh-vich) has written an exciting and knowledgeable account of the U.S. Army Special Forces’ remarkable efforts in Kurdistan that contributed to the success of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He and his […]
Menton Day – Honoring the Devil’s Brigade (FSSF)
By David Miller. Members of Special Forces Association Chapter LX gathered on December 4, 2025 for an evening of remembrance, gratitude, and fellowship during the annual Menton Day Celebration. Hosted at the Team House Tampa, the event brought together U.S. […]
Ukraine’s SOF Redefine Recovery and Reintegration Under Fire
By Erin McFee, Corioli Institute. This article is based on field interviews with personnel from Ukrainian SOF and other elite units, veterans, and mental-health practitioners conducted in October and November 2025 in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and the Dnipropetrovsk region. Identities have […]
Ukraine’s Sea Baby Drones: The Rise of a New Maritime Threat
By Avery Warfield. As the Russia-Ukraine war enters another winter, an unlikely weapon has begun to redefine naval warfare: small, unmanned Ukrainian drones known as Sea Baby drones. Developed by Ukraine’s Security Service, these surface craft have evolved from improvised explosive vessels […]
Toward a European “Drone Wall”
By Avery Warfield. When roughly twenty suspected Russian drones breached Polish airspace in September 2025, the shock was immediate. Within hours, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for a “drone wall” to defend the EU’s eastern flank. In […]
The White Army of South Sudan
By Joseph Falzetta. This story was originally published by The New Humanitarian on September 9, 2025. To many in South Sudan’s government, they are rebels bent on overthrowing the state. In most media accounts, they appear as a brutal, faceless […]
492nd SOW’s Special Operations Advisor Teams
By Technical Sgt. Carly Feliciano. While headlines often focus on major combat operations or high-visibility deployments, a quieter force is shaping the future of global security—Air Force Special Operations Command’s Special Operations Advisor Teams. Operating under the 492nd Special Operations […]
Lehr-Regiment Brandenburg z.b.V. 800
By Col. Michael Haas, USAF, Ret. He was the nightmare come true to the notoriously paranoid and vicious Narodny Kommissaria Vnutrenny Diel (NKVD), the Soviet security service dreaded no less by Soviet citizens than by its German foe. Speaking fluent […]
No Rank in the Trenches: Ukraine’s SOF Veterans on Betrayal, Brotherhood, and the Long Road Home
By Erin McFee, Corioli Institute. This article is based on interviews with twelve SOF veterans and former POWs who operated in the Kharkiv, Donetsk, Mariupol, and Dnipro regions, with support from the Restart Veterans Hub in Kharkiv and the humanitarian […]
Special Operations and the Japan Front: SOF’s Role in a Korean Contingency
By Dr. Ju Hyung Kim. As the threat of simultaneous crises in East Asia looms larger—whether in the Taiwan Strait, the Korean Peninsula, or both—the likelihood that U.S. special operations forces (SOF) will be called upon to operate across national […]