Afghanistan Update January 2019
“When I leave Afghanistan this time it will be my last time as a soldier…I would like to leave a country that is peaceful and unified. That is a tall order but that would be my hope.” General Scott Miller, […]
Special Operations News Update 20190121
Recent news, analysis, and commentary about special operations, national defense, and conflicts around the world. International SOF News More on SAS Soldier and Keyan Hotel. A former member of the Special Air Service comments on the siege at the hotel […]
SGT Cameron Meddock – Army Ranger Dies of Wounds
SGT Cameron Meddock, an Army Ranger assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment died of wounds on Friday, January 17, 2019 in at a U.S. medical hospital in Landstuhl, Germany. He had sustained wounds from small arms fire during combat operations […]
Syria Bombing Victims Identified
The Department of Defense has identified three of the four Americans who died on Wednesday, January 16, 2019 in Manbji, Syria in a suicide bombing. The patrol was on an engagement patrol when the attack occurred. A suicide bomber detonated […]
Jonathan Farmer- SF WO KIA in Syria
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jonathan Farmer, age 37, of Boynton Beach, Florida died of wounds sustained during an attack while conducting a local engagement in Manbij, Syria, January 16, 2019. Born April 27, 1981, Farmer joined the U.S. Army on […]
Four U.S. KIA in Syria
Four Americans died on Wednesday, January 16, 2019 in Manbji, Syria while on an engagement patrol. A suicide bomber detonated his explosive vest killing two U.S. servicemembers, one DoD civilian, and DoD contractor. Three other U.S. servicemembers were wounded. Approximately […]
Special Operations News Update 20190117
SOF News Update 20190117 – Recent news, analysis, and commentary about special operations, national security, and current conflicts. Casualties in Syria Casualties in Syria. A suicide bomber exploded a bomb in a busy section of Manbij, Syria killing and wounding […]
North Korea – Is a People’s Rebellion Likely?
The lingering threat of North Korean nuclear weapons has held the attention of the Trump and previous administrations for several years. It appears that – despite attempts by the U.S. and other countries to engage with the North Korean regime […]
Grande Tema – A SBS Success Story
Four stowaways, who threatened the crew of the an Italian cargo ship with armed bars, have been detained after a successful assault was conducted by the British Special Forces in December 2018. The 71,543-ton Ro-Ro Container Carrier “Grande Tema” (top […]
Special Operations News Update 20190114
SOF News Update – SOF News has been dormant for a few weeks. The small staff took a break from writing and posting in order to spend time with family, enjoy the holidays, and get some small projects done. As […]
Syrian Democratic Front (SDF)
The Kurds in Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria number about 25 million people. They are considered the most populous people in the world that does not have its own nation-state. The Syrian Kurd’s Local Protection Force (YPG) (Wikipedia) comprise a […]
Leaving Syria – What Happens Next?
Trump’s Surprise Announcement On Thursday, December 19, 2018, President Trump tweeted that we had attained victory over the Islamic State (IS) and that all military personnel would depart immediately. “We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being […]
Special Operations News Update 20181221
SOF News Update 20181221 – How SOF can step up, saving the PKSOI, Navy SEAL history, abandoning the Syrian Kurds, Erik Prince’s plan for Afghanistan, Morocco and terrorism, new MQ-9 squadron for AFSOC, Michelle Black on losing a husband, British PMCs […]
DoD Report on Afghanistan – Dec 2018
The Department of Defense has published its latest DoD report to Congress on Afghanistan. The 124-page report is available online (PDF) at defense.gov. Many sections of the report are: Strategy and objectives Threat assessment Overview of the Afghan National Defense […]
SEC DEF Mattis Letter of Resignation
Secretary of Defense James Mattis submitted his letter of resignation to President Trump on Thursday, December 20, 2018. In his letter he stated . . . “Because you have the right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are […]