What is a Combatant Command?
Editor’s Note: This article was first published in 2017 by SOF News . . . it has been updated to reflect the changes over the past decade. In addition, a recent story (Dec 15, 2025 – subscription) in The Washington […]
Middle East
Special Operations News – Monday, November 13, 2023
Curated news, analysis, and commentary about special operations, national security, and conflicts around the world. Photo / Image: Marine Raiders rehearse advanced military free fall jumps at Camp Lejeune, N.C., Sept. 1, 2021. Military free fall sustainment training is necessary […]
Inspector General Report on Operation Inherent Resolve
The Lead Inspector General report to the United States Congress on Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) has been published online. The 136-page report covers the period of October 1 to December 31, 2020 – although there are some updates that cover […]
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 […]
Film – OIF: The Fight for Baghdad
Army University Press Films announces its second film in the Operation Iraqi Freedom film series. Beginning on 1 April 2003, this film features Coalition Forces’ fight for Saddam Hussein’s capital. The film opens with the fight for Objective PEACH, covers […]
Iraq’s Oldest Special Operations Force Ready for Today’s Challenges
Story by Sgt. Cambrin Bassett, SOJTF-OIR, June 20, 2020 Qwat al-Khasah or SFI (Special Forces of Iraq) are handpicked from the Iraqi Security Force or ISF, whose members come from all regions of Iraq and many different backgrounds. They consider […]
One Year Later – Physical Defeat of Daesh
On March 23, 2019 the Pentagon announced the physical defeat of the Daesh caliphate in Syria. Over 110,000 square miles were liberated and 7.7 million people freed from Daesh oppression. The Syrian Democratic Front was assisted by U.S. airpower, ISR, […]
Exercise Eager Lion 19 Held in Jordan
More than 8,000 multinational troops participated in Exercise Eager Lion 19. This is the ninth year of the exercise – an event that provides for multinational interoperability for some 30 nations. The United States contributed about 3,700 troops to the […]
Special Operations News Update 20180323
SOF News Update 20180323 – Russia’s SOF training in Gulf of Finland, Dunford enthusiastic about 1st SFAB, 1966 door gunner training video, OSS receives Congressional Gold Medal, LE CT training facility opens in Jordan, Poland’s more modern military, joining the […]
Update Kirkuk 20171018 – A Win for the GoI, ISF, and PMF
Update Kirkuk – It appears that the Kirkuk offensive conducted by the security forces of the Government of Iraq (GoI) on Sunday and Monday (October 15-16) was more a coordinated movement into areas held by Kurdish forces and not so much […]
Kurdistan Independence – A Regional Flashpoint
Kurdistan Independence Referendum. Independence in the Middle East has been an elusive dream for many Kurds. The Kurds of Iraq believe the time has come to pursue the establishment of an independent state for the Kurdish people. The overwhelming majority […]
Syria Update 20170721
Syria Update 20170721 – CIA to halt support to Syrian rebels, armored vehicles continue to move into Syria, Turkey unhappy, Russian air campaign, offensive to take Raqqa, and more. Raqqa. The Islamic State continues to hold on to the city […]
Ocean Shield – NATO’s Anti-Piracy Mission is ‘Mission Accomplished’
Ocean Shield is now shut down. For a number of years the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) stepped up its maritime capability by running a naval task force some distance from the European continent. Piracy was a huge problem for […]
Central Army’s “Desert Voice” – Winter 2017 Issue
USARCENT’s periodical is titled Desert Voice. The Winter 2017 issue has been posted online. Some of the articles are listed below: “Lucky 6: On Point”. The Central Army commander gives his assessment on how the past year has gone. He stresses some […]
Special Operations News 20170107
SOF News Update 20170107 – France gets after the ‘tangos’, 10 wars to watch in 2017, a SF dude in the corporate world, SF history, Erik Prince and border control, U.S. wounded in Iraq and Syria, Year of the Commando, and […]