Bradley Fighting Vehicle (BFV) participating in a parade celebrating the liberation of Mons, Belguim in WWII. Petty Officer 2nd Class Brett Dodge, NATO, Sep 2, 2018.

Special Operations News Update 20180911

September 11, 2018 SOF News 0

SOF News Update 20180911 – Russian PMCs in Ukraine, Special Amphibious Corpsman, meddling in SEAL rape case, Canadian SOF and keeping secrets, USSOCOM’s super SAW, Global SOF Symposium (Madrid), Admiral Harward on life as a SEAL, Russia’s DPVs, UDPFs SOC, Iran’s […]

Student in the Advance Operators Training Course (AOTC) clears a room in live fire shoot house in Baghdad, Iraq on December 19, 2019. Photo by SGT Brandon Franklin, 10th SFGA.

Special Operations News Update 20180819

August 19, 2018 SOF News 0

SOF News Update 20180819 – Book reviews, IMET, McRaven speaks out, preparing to be a SEAL, the secret ‘Rice Paddy Navy’ of WWII, ‘Outstanding Airman’, CST team member on adjusting to garrison life, cocaine smuggling (7th SFGA), SOF isn’t for everyone, […]

Special Forces soldier participates in Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) training exercise near Stuttgart, Germany. Photo by Specialist Jason Johnson, U.S. Army, July 18, 2018.

Special Operations News Update 20180816

August 16, 2018 SOF News 0

SOF News Update 20180816 – ISIS lingers on in Iraq and Syria, NDAA, intelligence matters, security – development nexus, book reviews, videos, IO constraints, MARSOC awards (secret missions), new bn SGM for 1st MRSB, BG (Ret) Bolduc on Afghanistan, Navy SEAL […]

CV-22 from the 8th Special Operations Squadron flies over the Emerald Coast outside Hurlburt Field. (AFSOC photo).

Special Operations News Update 20180813

August 13, 2018 SOF News 0

SOF News Update 20180813 – early history of the Army of Northern Virginia (ISA), video SF in Nangarhar, SF defeats ISIS in eastern Afghanistan, PKSOI going away (maybe), video of 7th SFGA Red Empire Week, Bill Cowen – covert operator, Leapfest […]

Soldier from 10th Special Forces Group climbs a ladder during water extraction on Chatfield Reservoir near Littleton, Colorado. Photo by SSG Brandon McIntosh, 10th SFGA, Sep 3, 2012.

Special Operations News Update 20180711

July 11, 2018 SOF News 0

SOF News Update 20180711 – Thai cave rescue, Wagner Group, Marine Raider recruiting video, NATO summit, video of AFSOC rifle range firing, Red Bull and flying, Russian SOF exercise off coast of Finland, Australian SAS and lessons in morality, Congressman […]

HALO Jump SOCSOUTH. USMC photo by PFC William Chockey, Jan 31, 2018.

Special Operations News Update 20180608

June 8, 2018 SOF News 0

SOF News Update 20180608 – Reduced SOF deployments in Africa, Marine Raiders, new SOCSouth cdr, new strategy for Nigeria, Air & Space Power Journal, TRIDENT JAGUAR 2018, Best Warrior Competition, Army modernization, USAF CAA career field, caffeination, SF dive school, Yemen […]

The Nigerien and American flags are raised at the opening ceremony of Flintlock 2018 at Agadez, Niger. (photo Capt Eric Smith, AFRICOM, April 11, 2018).

Special Operations News Update – 20180416

April 16, 2018 SOF News 0

SOF News Update 20180416 – Flintlock 2018, Green Beret director of GWOTMF, Best Ranger Competition, political warfare, shifting approach for SOF in Africa, SEALs and legal cases, video Recon Marine jump, morale after two decades of fighting, Missouri governor (ex-SEAL) […]

Paratroopers descend from a US Air Force cargo transport. (Photo USAF December 1, 2017).

Special Operations News Update – Friday the 13th

April 13, 2018 SOF News 0

SOF News Update 20180413 – CT in West Africa and the Sahel, RAND pub – “Understanding SOF”, Flintlock 2018, book reviews of The Village, U.S. ‘War Gap’, Rhodesia in the news, SOF officer appointments, NATO and gender, book review of Road […]

Army Special Operations Forces (ARSOF) await extraction at helicopter PZ (photo SORB, Jan 2017).

Special Operations News Update 20180316

March 16, 2018 SOF News 0

SOF News Update 20180316 – training for some NG units increases, helmet cams – under review, books about British generals, “Fortress Sweden”, Special Forces Charitable Trust YouTube.com, pseudo aid workers in Syria, war on terror in the Philippines, more resources […]

1st Special Operation Squadron (SOS) Airman Airman on a MC-130H Combat Talon II prepares for a jump with US Navy SEAL and Royal Thai Navy Special Warfare Operators (photo USSOCOM)

Special Operations News Update 20180306

March 6, 2018 SOF News 0

SOF News Update 20180306 – Niger helmet cam video, Russian undersea cable warfare, Afghan update, MARSOC 2030, Soldier’s Medal for 3rd SFG troop, DoD IG report on disposition of bomb sniffing dogs, review of The Terminal List, SOCOM’s Dash-8s, Emerald Warrior, AFRICOM […]

SOF operators assigned to Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR) conduct parachute training in Europe. (SOCEUR photo 16 October 2017).

Special Operations News Update 20171211

December 11, 2017 SOF News 0

SOF News Update 20171211 – Taliban Special Force Unit, mission in Niger, SF THOR3 program, Irish Army Ranger Wing, MARSOC’s ‘robot dogs’, Syria troop levels, SF general now book author, Silver Star for combat controller, Army Sniper School, STS in […]

Tip of the Spear October 2017

USSOCOM’s “Tip of the Spear”, Oct 2017

December 6, 2017 John Friberg 0

Tip of the Spear October 2017 – The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) based at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida has published its October 2017 issue of Tip of the Spear. This 40-page pub has articles and pictures about United […]

Sailors exit a Chinook during HALO parachute jump. (DoD photo July 20, 2017).

Special Operations News Update 20171128

November 28, 2017 SOF News 0

SOF News Update 20171128 – SOCOM sniper rifle, WWII naval gray zone activities, Ralph Peters on Africa, SWCS student dies, armed UN Little Birds in Mali, air opns in Afghanistan, 26,000 troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, MARSOC recruiting video, AFSOC’s […]

20171016 - USSOCOM personnel brief SECDEF Jim Mattis at USSOCOM hqs on MacDill AFB in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Barry Loo, October 12, 2017).

Special Operations News Update 20171016

October 16, 2017 SOF News 0

SOF News Update 20171016 – NZ SAS mbr dies in training accident, ADF SF and Australian War Memorial, CBS’s SEAL Team, two IAF Garud Commandos killed, SOF support to conflict prevention, Trump visits AFSOC unit, female Marine to try again for […]