Members of the 21st Special Tactics Squadron perform a military free fall jump on 18 Aug 2016. (Photo from DVIDS video).

SOF News Update for 20160911

September 11, 2016 SOF News 0

SOF News Weekly Update for 20160911 – 9/11 anniversary, new facilities upgrade for SF Combat Diver school, Turkish incursion into Syria, USSOCOM innovation, MoE and Psychological Operations, peace in Colombia, MARSOC dogs, and more. 9/11 Anniversary. Today is the anniversary […]

SOF News Update for 20160904

September 4, 2016 SOF News 0

SOF News Update for 20160904 – Australian Special Forces, Special Forces knife, JSOA, a Green Berets’ mistress, CIA’s venture capital firm, fake SEAL goes to jail, Russian SF on Ukraine border, Blackbeard’s Ride, Afghan SOF rescue aid worker, a case […]

Members of 1st Bn 10th Special Forces prepare to fastrope. Photo by SSG Larraine Whetsone, SOCEUR, 3 Aug 2016.

SOF News Update for 20160828

August 28, 2016 SOF News 0

SOF News Weekly Update for 20160828 – Special Forces maritime exercise, video games and special operations heroes, fastroping, SOCEUR, 10th SFGA, CRU, Human Terrain Teams, new insignia for MARSOC, and more. SOCEUR Conducts Fastrope Training. Members of the 1st Battalion, […]

Afghan Local Police (ALP)

Afghan Local Police (ALP)

August 22, 2016 John Friberg 0

The Afghan Local Police (ALP) was established by U.S. Army Special Forces in 2010 to serve as a locally-based village or community self-defense force. The ALP units are recruited from local communities of key areas where Afghan government influence or […]

Village Stability Operations

Village Stability Operations (VSO) in Afghanistan

August 21, 2016 John Friberg 0

Village Stability Operations (VSO) was an attempt by United States special operations forces to establish security, governance, and development in key critical districts in remote areas of Afghanistan. Typically, these districts were in regions of Afghanistan where the Coalition conventional […]

Map of Afghanistan (CIA) - Afghanistan News

Afghanistan News Update – SOF News

August 19, 2016 SOF News 0

Afghanistan news – Topics include SOF burning the candle at both ends, contractors in Afghanistan, National ID card, Afghan documentary on Helmand province, and Afghan mental health issues. US SOF Burning Both Ends of Candle in Afghanistan. Phillip Lohaus, a […]

India SOF

Special Operations Forces of India

August 14, 2016 SOF News 0

India has many special operations force units. The most well-known include the Paras of the Indian Army, the Marcos of the Indian Navy, and the Garuds of the Indian Air Force. But there are other lesser known ‘special operations’ units […]

Map of Afghanistan (CIA) - Afghanistan News

Special Operations News Update – 20160814

August 14, 2016 SOF News 0

Leader of ISIS in Afghanistan Killed by U.S. An airstrike in July by the United States killed Hafiz Sayed Khan, the head of the Islamic State’s branch in Afghanistan. Read more in a news report by USA Today, August 12, 2016. […]

Global SOF Foundation

Life after SOF: Are you ready to transition?

August 13, 2016 SOF News 0

Life After SOF. Eventually everyone leaves the service – whether after their first enlistment or after a career of 20-30+ years. There is a bit of a transition when going from active military service to the civilian workforce and civilian […]

Map Middle East North Africa

Special Operations News Update – 20160812

August 12, 2016 SOF News 0

SOF News Update. The fracturing of the Arab world, US asks India for military assistance in Afghanistan, the grinding fight against ISIS in Libya, and more. How the Arab World Came Apart. Scott Anderson has provided us with a very […]

Map Northern Iraq

Mosul Endgame?

August 10, 2016 John Friberg 0

So  . . . the Iraqi forces (might as well say the ‘Golden Division’) will soon capture Mosul – Iraq’s second largest city now controlled by ISIS. So what happens after the capture? We know that the Iraqi forces (spearheaded […]

Libya Maps and Flag

SOF in Libya – Providing Direct Support

August 9, 2016 John Friberg 0

Recent news reports from major news outlets (New York Times, Washington Post, and others) are reporting that U.S. SOF in Libya is providing direct support to Libyan militia groups fighting the Islamic State. The area of the fighting is in the […]

NATO SOF: CT Capability Needed?

August 8, 2016 John Friberg 0

Does the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Special Operations Forces (SOF) need a Counterterrorism (CT) capability? Currently the three mission sets for NATO SOF are Direct Action (DA), Special Reconnaissance (SR), and Military Assistance (MA). For many years NATO SOF has […]

SO-LIC Symposium Exhibition 2016

28th Annual SO/LIC Symposium & Exhibition

August 5, 2016 SOF News 0

The 28th Annual SO/LIC Symposium & Exhibition will be held February 14-16, 2017 at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center. The event is hosted by the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA). SO/LIC, for those new to the SOF […]