Curated news, analysis, and commentary about special operations, national security, and conflicts around the world.
Photo / Image: U.S. special operations service members conduct combat operations in support of Operation Resolute Support in Southeast Afghanistan, April 2019. RS was a NATO-led mission to train, advise, and assist the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces and institutions. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jaerett Engeseth)
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SOF News
353rd SOW Assists in HIMARS Training. A MC-130J Commando II aircraft and crewmembers of the 353rd Special Operations Wing recently conducted training with the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) in Japan. The training was part of a bilateral live-fire exercise between the Marine Corps and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. “Joint Insertion Training Enables Combined U.S.-Japan Live-Fire Exercise”, DoD, September 29, 2025.
SF in Europe. U.S. Special Forces soldiers from 10th SFG(A) trained up with Polish special operations forces during a joint training exercise in Warsaw, Poland this past summer. Members of 19th SFG(A) conducted parachute jumps with Serbian special operations forces in an event that commemorated the 81st anniversary of Operation Halyard. A three-man team from the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) coordinated with Serbian villagers to conduct the largest rescue of downed airmen in U.S. history, saving over 500 Allied aviators.
Finland and US SOF. After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Finland abandoned decades of neutrality and jointed NATO. US SOF recently took part in Exercise Southern Griffin 25 along with several other NATO nations. “US and Finland Special Operators Are Training for War with Russia”, National Interest, October 2, 2025.
Second Navy SEAL Museum Opens. The museum opened on Saturday, October 4, 2025, in San Diego. The museum features an immersive theater where visitors will be surrounded by video and sounds of people from the Naval Special Warfare community as they tell their stories. Visitors can then go to the main exhibit hall for displays. “New Navy SEAL museum to open in San Diego this weekend”, KPBS65, October 2, 2025. See also “Navy SEAL Museum in San Diego Coming Soon”, SOF News, March 8, 2024.
91st CA Bn in Sierra Leone. Elements of the 91st Civil Affairs Battalion trained with members of the Sierra Leone Reconnaissance Unit and Joint Presidential Guard Force during a Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) in September 2025. The JCET applied tactics and procedures that contributed to African partner capacity and enhanced readiness to counter shared threats and enhance regional security.
SF and Culture of Lawlessness. This article rehashes the stories of two incidents where Special Forces soldiers were implicated in illegal killings in Afghanistan. One involved Maj. Mathew Golsteyn and the other a SF team based in Nerkh, Wardak province. “Five Takeaways About the Culture of Lawlessness in the U.S. Special Forces”, by Matthieu Aikins, The New York Times, September 30, 2025. (subscription)
SOF History
On October 3, 1943, the 5307 Composite Group – Merrill’s Marauders was established. The unit operated in the Burma war theater.
On October 6, 1964, Project DELTA (B52) was formed. The program was initially known as Project LEAPING LENA which was established on May 15, 1964. LEAPING LENA was a program for the Green Berets to train LLDB teams for missions into Laos. Project DELTA was the first of the three special reconnaissance units with a Greek letter formed by U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV).
Project DELTA
On October 1, 1974, the 2 Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment was established. On October 3, 1984, the 75th Ranger Regiment and 3/75th was established.
On October 3, 1993 – Operation Gothic Serpent, Battle of Mogadishu took place. It would end on October 4. https://sof.news/history/operation-gothic-serpent/ At the end of the battle a U.S. helicopter pilot was missing which would prompt a days-long search for until he was released by Somali insurgents. https://sof.news/conflicts/gothic-serpent-super-64/
On October 1, 2012, the Army Special Operations Aviation Command (USASOAC) was activated at Fort Bragg.
On October 4, 2017, four soldiers of the 3rd Special Forces Group died in an ambush in Niger.
National Security and Commentary
Drug Cartel War. It seems like forever that we have been conducting the ‘War on Drugs’. The fight continues with the Trump administration seeming to step up activities in a very public way. What used to be a less publicized and behind the scenes war (DEA and other agencies) is now very much in the open. The new phrase is ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels as ‘unlawful combatants’, a condition that requires the use of military force against ‘terrorist organizations’. “Trump says US in ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels after ordering strikes in the Caribbean”, AP News, October 3, 2025.
Report – Seabed Warfare is Here. The U.S. Navy Center on Irregular Warfare and Armed Groups has released a 16-page paper on the U.S.-Led Global Strategy to Secure the Ocean Floor. The destruction of cables and pipelines in Europe and in other parts of the world has increased in nature. These incidents are making the seabed a contested battlespace. These events are difficult to detect and investigate while also having severe consequences on economic security. September 2025, PDF.
H.R. McMaster on Hegseth’s Speech. Bringing back the warrior ethos and rolling back social engineering excesses are a good thing; but keeping partisan politics out of the military is also good thing. “Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Convocation, the Warrior Ethos, and our Military’s Covenant with American Society”, Hoover Weekend Review, September 30, 2025.
Navy Chief of Staff Fired. SecDef Hegseth fired Jon Harrison on Friday, October 3, 2025. He is the latest Pentagon official that Hegseth has removed from office. Harrison was a Trump administration appointee who joined the service in January. “Hegseth fires top Navy official”, Politico, October 3, 2025. See also “Hegseth fires Navy chief of staff”, Military Times, October 5, 2025.
Russia’s ‘Shadow Fleet’ Facing Checks. The Russians have been avoiding sanctions for Russian oil by using vessels that have obscured their ownership, disabled their positioning beacons, falsified its registry documentation, and use aging tankers that have changed hands through shell companies throughout their long life. They are also suspected of being used to launch drones to fly near European airports and military installations. “Europe Moves Toward Shadow Fleet Seizures”, by George Janjalia, Center for European Policy Analysis, CEPA.org, September 26, 2025.
Intel, IO, and Cyber
NASA Now in IC. The Trump administration has issued an executive order that declares NASA will now operate primarily as an intelligence and security agency. The mission of NASA used to be on space exploration – checking out distant planets telescopes, collecting scientific data, or putting men on the moon. “New executive order reclassifies NASA as an intelligence and security agency“, The Debrief, September 27, 2025.
Oct 5th – James Bond Day. James Bond Day is celebrated on October 5th each year, marking the anniversary of the premiere of the first James Bond film, Dr. No, on October 5, 1962. It’s a day for fans to honor the iconic British spy character created by Ian Fleming, celebrating the films, books, and cultural impact of the 007 franchise. Events often include movie marathons, themed parties, and tributes to the actors, music, and gadgets that define the series. The date was officially recognized as Global James Bond Day starting in 2012, during the 50th anniversary of the franchise.
AI and Cyber. Emerging artificial intelligence capabilities are skewing the cyber offense-defense balance. With advancements in AI the advantage is swinging to offense. As in terrorism, cyber attackers only have to be successful once; while defenders have to be successful each and every time. Defending the whole ‘attack surface’ requires substantial computation to run AI models. “Tipping the Scales”, by Caleb Withers, Center for a New American Security (CNAS), September 23, 2025.
Secret Sites Across America. The United States has a number of sites buried underground, behind tall walls, or in inaccessible locations. Read up on Area 51, “The Farm”, and more in “No Trespassing: America’s Ultra-Secret Sites”, SpyScape, September 2025.
Cyber Cuts Hurt Security. America’s cyber intelligence capabilities are being diminished at the same time that the threats to national security emanating from cyber space are increasing. Since January, critical defensive cyber and counter malign influence operations across government have been gutted. “Cutting Cyber Intelligence Undermines National Security”, The CIPHER Brief, September 3, 2025.
Counter Spy Warfare Needed. A senior counterintelligence official says that we need to put ‘information warheads on enemy spy foreheads’. Foreign spy services from Russia and China are outpacing our CI capabilities spread across several intelligence agencies. There needs to be more cohesion in the CI structure at the national level. “Pentagon urged to wage counterintelligence warfare against China, Russia”, by Bill Gertz, The Washington Times, October 3, 2025.
Ukraine Conflict
Energy Crunch in Russia. Constant long-range drone attacks against Russia’s energy infrastructure has caused severe shortages of gasoline across the country. The targeting of Russia’s oil refineries by Ukraine is taking its toll on Russia’s economy. Some sources say that 40% of Russian refining capacity is idle due to repairs needed after each drone attack. The Russian government is having difficulty in balancing massive military spending with falling revenue. “Russian gasoline production buckles under Ukrainian drone strikes”, The Washington Post, October 2, 2025. (subscription)
Report – Operation Atlantic Resolve. A 56-page report (PDF) by the Special Inspector General Joint Strategic Oversight Plan, September 2025. The report details the oversight provided by the IGs of DoD, DoS, and USAID for Fiscal Year 2026 for expenditures tie to assistance provided to Ukraine.
Afghanistan, Middle East, and Africa
Internet Service Halt. The Taliban, for reasons still not known, shut down the entire internet and Delcom service across Afghanistan. Apparently, it lasted a few days. The shutdown stopped financial transactions both domestically and internationally as well as halting international air travel. Bank disruptions continued for two additional days after services internet services were resumed.
Transition in Iraq. The Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnellk issued a statement on the U.S. drawdown in Iraq:
“In accordance with the President’s guidance and in alignment with the U.S.-Iraq Higher Military Commission and the joint statement issued on Sept. 27, 2024, the United States and Coalition partners will reduce its military mission in Iraq. This reduction reflects our combined success in fighting ISIS and marks an effort to transition to a lasting U.S.-Iraq security partnership in accordance with U.S. national interests, the Iraqi Constitution, and the U.S.-Iraq Strategic Framework Agreement. This partnership will support U.S. and Iraqi security and strengthens Iraq’s ability to realize economic development, foreign investment, and regional leadership. The U.S. Government will continue close coordination with the Government of Iraq and Coalition members to ensure a responsible transition.”
Terrorism and the Sahel. The Islamic State’s Sahel Province (ISSP) has emerged as a formidable force in the Sahel region of Africa. There are international implications to its steady growth. The ISSP has ambitions to extend the fight abroad – in particular to European nations. Its base in Africa is going to be instrumental in projecting influence and provide the ability to plan, prepare, and execute terrorist activities in support of its vision of a global jihadist movement. “Does the Sahel Pose a Transnational Terror Threat?”, Intelbrief, The Soufan Center, October 1, 2025.
Pubs, Videos, and More
Sentinel. The October 2025 issue by the Chapter 78 Special Forces Association has several interesting articles about Army Special Forces legend, Maj. Gen. John Singlaub. He passed away in January 2022. In addition to several articles about Singlaub, the Sentinel has some articles about the STARs surface to air recovery system.
https://www.specialforces78.com/chapter-78-newsletter-for-october-2025/
Pub – Advancing the SOF Warrior Mind. The Joint Special Operations University (JSOU) has published a 300-page document (pdf) containing 15 essays relevant to the special operations community. JSOU, September 2025. https://jsou.edu/Press/PublicationDashboard/290
YouTube SF Channel. Chapter 78 of the Special Forces Association has their own YouTube channel. The chapter is posting stories relevant to the SF community – some of it about SF history and some of it on current topics.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQk6wLpKY8MwGkWWgY4qEFQ
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