Review – “The United States of Al”
On Thursday night, April 1, 2021, the pilot show of a new comedy aired on CBS. The United States of Al is about an Afghan interpreter who comes to America to live with his friend Riley – a former Marine […]
Articles by John Friberg
Desert Storm – 30 Years Ago the Gulf War Ended
On February 28, 1991, the Gulf War came to an end. A coalition of international military forces, led by the United States, conducted an offensive that removed Iraqi forces from Kuwait. In August 1990, Iraq had invaded Kuwait claiming that […]
Desert Storm – SOF Scud Hunting Mission in Iraq
On August 2, 1990 Iraq invaded and occupied Kuwait. The leader of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, claimed that Kuwait was historically a ‘province’ of Iraq and that Kuwait had been stealing Iraq’s oil (by way of ‘slant drilling’). Desert Shield. While […]
Book Review – When the Tempest Gathers
A new book by Andrew Milburn is a war memoir that covers a 31-year long journey in the Marine Corps. It is the story of a Marine who begins his career as an infantry officer with a deployment to Mogadishu, […]
Spirit 03 – Downed AC-130H During Desert Storm
Thirty years ago, on January 31, 1991, an AC-130H Spectre gunship went to the aid of U.S. Marines in contact with the enemy during Desert Storm. The aircraft and its crew of fourteen was shot down by an Iraqi surface-to-air […]
Book – “Strategic Latency Unleashed” – SOF, Technology, and the Future
A recently published book entitled Strategic Latency Unleased: The Role of Technology in a Revisionist Global Order and the Implications for Special Operations Forces is a ‘must read’ for SOF professionals. The book, published by the Center for Global Security […]
U.S. Withdrawal from Somalia
U.S. Africa Command has announced the formation of Joint Task Force Quartz to oversee Operation Octave Quartz – a mission designated to reposition forces from Somalia and continue the assistance effort in Somalia. In early December President Trump and the […]
Irregular Warfare (IW) – Commentary (January 2021)
The last several years the term Irregular Warfare (IW) has gained increased prominence within the national defense community. It has become a buzzword meaning different things to a variety of people and organizations. Irregular warfare consists of unconventional warfare (UW), […]
Book Review – “Phoenix Rising” by Keith Nightingale
COL Keith Nightingale (Ret) is the author of Phoenix Rising: From the Ashes of Desert One to the Rebirth of U.S. Special Operations. The book, published in 2020 by Casemate Publishers, provides a detailed look at Operation EAGLE CLAW. This […]
Review – The American Way of Irregular War
LTG (Retired) Charles Cleveland has provided an interesting look at the past 40 years of the history of U.S. special operations. He combines his personal observations – tracing his career in U.S. Army Special Forces – with an analytical approach […]
Video – Advanced ARSOF Training at FBNC
Have you ever wondered how Army special operations forces personnel become so highly capable in the many and varied missions they conduct around the world? An informative and interesting video provides an explanation of the advanced training ARSOF soldiers receive. […]
Book Review – Fire in the Jungle
“A Study of One of America’s Most Successful Unconventional Warfare Campaigns”. Fire in the Jungle is a book that informs those seeking to understand unconventional warfare and how resistance groups form up and fight an occupying power. The resistance movement […]
Female Soldier Graduates from Special Forces Qualification Course
The first female soldier graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course (SFQC) on July 9, 2020 at a ceremony held at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. She received her Special Forces Tab and donned her Green Beret during the ceremony along […]
Video – 68th Special Forces Anniversary
The Green Beret Foundation posted this action-packed video celebrating the establishment of the U.S. Army Special Forces on June 19, 1952. Read the video description provided by the Green Beret Foundation. “Today we celebrate the 68th Anniversary of U.S. Army […]
19th Special Forces Group in D.C.
Members of the 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne) from the Utah Army National Guard have been on duty in the nation’s capital. Elements of the 19th SFGA have been moved there in response to the civil unrest in Washington D.C. […]