Curated news, analysis, and commentary on special operations, intelligence, irregular warfare, national defense, and global conflicts.
Photo / Image: U.S. service members assigned to Naval Special Warfare Command conduct Special Purpose Insertion/Extraction training from a CH-47 Chinook helicopter assigned to the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, July 25, 2019. U.S. Navy SEALs engage in a continuous training cycle to improve and further specialize skills needed during deployments across the globe. SEALs are the maritime component of U.S. special operations forces and are trained to conduct missions from sea, air, and land. (U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Ryan DeBooy)
Executive Summary
This weekly brief examines significant developments affecting special operations, irregular warfare, intelligence, and national security. Key topics include the expanding military applications of autonomous systems and artificial intelligence, proposed changes to U.S. aircraft carriers, rising American casualties in the Iran War, leadership developments in Ukraine, and lessons emerging from modern conflicts.
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Key Developments
- An opinion piece on the role of UW in modern warfare
- 7th SFG(A) CCWO CoR Ceremony
- Observance of the NVA attack on SF on Marble Mountain in 1968
- DoD updates Iran War casualty figures
- IWI podcast on SOF on a global battlefield
- The Jedburgh Podcast interviews Frank Sobchak
- Ukraine’s Horizontal Kill Web Architecture
SOF News
SOF General on Autonomous Systems. The U.S. military must expand its approach to autonomous systems by creating affordable, distributed networks that help allies confront adversaries’ coercive “gray-zone” actions, according to the commander of Special Operations Command Pacific (SOCPAC). His comments came during the Indo-Pacific Irregular Warfare Symposium in Hawaii on August 20, 2026 hosted by the Global SOF Foundation. “Special ops general says autonomous systems are key to countering ‘gray-zone’ tactics”, Stars and Stripes, August 21, 2026.
Marketplace UW. Retired Special Forces officer Brian Petit argues that recognizing how the economics of unconventional warfare have changed is the first step toward understanding—and successfully competing in—modern wars. “Marketplace Unconventional Warfare”, Inter Populum, August 19, 2026.
SOFWERX and Unmanned Systems Event. SOFWERX, in collaboration with USSOCOM Program Executive Office SOF Digital Applications (PEO-SDA), will host a series of events to identify and evaluate decentralized and collaborative mission autonomy solutions for heterogeneous, multi-platform, multi-domain unmanned systems in support of the Unmanned Systems Autonomy and Interoperability (UxSAI) program. “SOFWERX – UxSAI Mission Autonomy Systems Assessment Event”, Soldier Systems, August 21, 2026.
Japanese Surrrender to a UDT Commander. On August 28, 1945, members of UDT-21 landed at Futtsu-misaki in Tokyo Bay, where a Japanese Army coast artillery major surrendered his sword to Lt. Cmdr. Edward P. Clayton. The sword was later taken from Clayton because protocol dictated that Gen. Douglas MacArthur should receive the first formal surrender. Read more in “Japanese First Surrender to UDT Naked Warriors”, Navy Seal Museum, August 2026.
Is F3EAD Still Useful? Find, Fix, Finish, Exploit, Analyze, and Disseminate (F3EAD) has been in the Army Targeting manual (FM 3-60) for many years and is still the standard targeting methodology used at the tactical level. But the methodology was purpose-built for a mission, an enemy, and an operational environment that most U.S. forces no longer face. “Has F3EAD Outlived Its Usefulness?”, Special Warfare Journal, August 6, 2026.
The Originals. “The Originals” is a quarterly magazine published for 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), alumni, and the community. This edition highlights the 74th Anniversary Original’s Week, featuring competitions that challenged Soldiers’ physical and mental limits, along with community events such as Family Day and the 74th Anniversary Ball. It also showcases 10th SFG (A)’s continued commitment to the local community through its support of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo. DVIDS, August 20, 2026. https://www.dvidshub.net/publication/issues/77558?sub_id=140196
7th SFG(A) CCWO CoR Ceremony. U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Jose Villareal, command chief warrant officer of 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), formally transferred the duties and responsibilities of the group’s senior warrant officer adviser to Chief Warrant Officer 5 Carlos Ruiz on August 13, 2026. The command chief warrant officer serves as the commander’s senior adviser on matters affecting the organization’s warrant officers, including readiness, professional development and talent management. The change of responsibility ceremony took place at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.
Modernizing the SF Company. The war in Ukraine has re-energized the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) to prepare for large-scale combat operations (LSCO) in the 21st century. One of the key lessons from this conflict is the success of Ukrainian special operations forces (SOF) employing multi-domain assets to disrupt the Russian military. The author argues that U.S. Army Special Forces should incorporate these lessons. “The Missing Link? Modernizing the Role of the Special Forces Company in Combat”, Special Warfare Journal, July 16, 2026.
Navy SEAL now an Army Chaplain. Read the story of a SEAL who followed his faith to serve in the Army. “From Navy SEAL to Army Chaplain: How one veteran found a new purpose in service”, Army Times, August 19, 2026.
ARSOF Culture. This article examines leveraging the organizational stability of ARSOF as a force multiplier to recruit Soldiers who prioritize family resiliency for mission success. “How ARSOF Culture Empowers the Operator and Anchors the Household”, by Maureen Ragle, Special Warfare Journal, August 20, 2026.
EKM Contract Extension for USSOCOM. Halvik, LLC has been awarded a six-month $11 million contract extension to the Enterprise Knowledge Management (EKM) contract with United States Special Operations Command in Tampa, Florida. The contract, totaling $92 million, provides services to USSOCOM, service components, TSOCs, and other organizations.
Health Hazards at K2. Special Forces and AFSOC personnel were stationed at Karshi-Khanabad Airfield (K2) in Uzbekistan in the early years of Operation Enduring Freedom. Formerly used by the Soviet military to support operations in Afghanistan, the base was found to contain several hazards, including the presence of underground jet fuel, depleted uranium, asbestos, and airborne particulate matter. Through the years, service members and veterans have raised alarms about cancers that their fellow veterans experienced following service at K2. While K2 veterans qualify for support through the VA on account of their service location, definitively linking K2 service with adverse health outcomes has been difficult. “Veteran’s Health Struggles Linked to Service in Karshi-Khanadbad”, Special Operations Association of America (SOAA), August 21, 2026.
5th SFG(A) in Operation Northern Strike. U.S. Army Green Berets assigned to 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) took part in a field training exercise as part of Operation Northern Strike at Camp Grayling in August 2026. The exercise provided the 5th SFG(A) with a realistic training environment to strengthen readiness, enhance special operations capabilities and integrate with joint and partner forces.
SOF History
On August 17, 1955, the Civil Affairs / Military Government was established as an Army Reserve Branch. It was subsequently redesignated as the Civil Affairs Branch on October 2, 1959. The expansion of Civil Affairs in the Regular Army led to Civil Affairs being established as a basic branch of the Army effective October 16, 2006 by Department of the Army General Orders (AGO) No. 29, 12 January 2007.
August 22, 1955, marks the anniversary of the Department of the Army approving the Special Forces (SF) Shoulder Sleeve Insignia (SSI). The SSI, or ‘unit patch,’ with the arrowhead shape and three lightning flashes, was designed by Captain John W. Frye, 77th SF Group, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The arrowhead shape honored Native Americans and was similar to the SSI worn by the WWII Canadian-American First Special Service Force, the lineage unit of SF. The SSI’s dagger represents the unconventional nature of SF operations, and the three lightning flashes, the ability to strike by air, water or land. In November 1958, the airborne tab was added to the SSI. The SF SSI remains a highly recognizable symbol of SF history and lineage. For more information on the history of SF insignia visit: http://spr.ly/6184GmmCM
On August 25, 1961, the first Finnish conscript paratrooper course graduated with a parachute jump in Utti, Finland. Since then, first the Finnish Defence Force Paratrooper School and now the Special Jaeger Battalion (Erikoisjaakaripataljoona) have celebrated this day as their anniversary / tradition day.
August 23, 1968, was one of the worst days in Special Forces history. A large enemy force hit a MACV-SOG FOB and mission launch site on Marble Mountain in Da Nang. The attacking NVA numbered at least 100 and were armed with AKs, grenades, satchel charges, and RPG-2 launchers (or B-40s as they were called in Vietnam). Most of the attacking NVA died in the three-hour attack, but they killed over two dozen Americans and over 40 indigenous personnel who manned the Recon Teams or the Hatchet Force alongside Americans. Read an account of the attack in an article posted on The Sentinel.
On August 28, 2013, SSG Earl D. Plumlee while serving as a weapons sergeant assigned to C Co, 4th Bn, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), at Forward Operating Base Ghazni, distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while engaging with the enemy in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan. For his heroic actions he was awarded the Medal of Honor. Congressional Medal of Honor Society. https://lnkd.in/emQVxaBr See also an article by Military Review published September 2023.
On August 26, 2021, 13 U.S. service members and approximately 170 Afghans died in an ISIS-K suicide bombing at Abbey Gate of the Hamid Karzai International Airport (HKIA) in Kabul, Afghanistan. The Kabul airlift (NEO) was in the final days of execution.
https://afghan-report.com/news/abbey-gate-bombing/
National Security and Commentary
Opinion – What Became of The Army Strategy? A career Army officer and West Point graduate has some things to say about the failure of four-star generals to properly articulate Army strategy. The Angry Staff Officer, August 23, 2026.
Steam Catapults for Carriers? President Trump has issued a National Security Presidential Memorandum directing the U.S. Navy to return to steam power for putting aircraft into the air from aircraft carriers. The directive would reverse the Navy’s transition from steam catapults to the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System used by the Ford class. The directive would require redesigning the future USS Doris Miller (CVN-81), which is already under construction. This change that will cost hundreds of millions or billions of dollars and delay the ship’s launch. Steam power was cutting-edge in technology in the 19th century. It is the wrong choice for a modern navy. “Trump’s steam obsession risks crippling the U.S. carrier fleet”, The Washington Post, August 19, 2026. (subscription)
Renaming a New Aircraft Carrier. The future Ford-class carrier USS Doris Miller (CVN-81) was named in honor of a legendary Black World War II hero. Doris Miller, an enlisted mess attendant second class, was serving aboard the battleship USS West Virginia during the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. When the Japanese attack began he took control of a .50-caliber anti-aircraft gun to defend his ship. Now there are news reports that the Pentagon may rename the ship in honor of President Trump. Reportedly the Navy has stopped referring to CVN-81 as the USS Doris Miller, instead just referring to the hull number. If the Navy proceeds with the name change, it would be the first time a carrier was named after a President still in office.
Army’s New Drone Unit to be Phased Out. The U.S. Army plans to phase out a drone unit that was studying and incorporating lessons from foreign wars, including the use of uncrewed systems in the Russia-Ukraine war. Critics say this move by the DoD is coming at the worst possible time and is reversing gains the Army was making in catching up to other nations in drone warfare. “Army plans to phase out drone unit championed by sacked generals”, The Hill, August 20, 2026.
Changes at Stars and Stripes. The Pentagon fired the publisher and the editor in chief of Stars and Stripes, the military newspaper funded by the Department of Defense that has long enjoyed editorial independence from the government. Stars and Stripes was first published during the Civil War and has continuously reported on and for the U.S. military community since World War II. “Pentagon fires Stars and Stripes leaders who criticized DOD’s interference”, The Washington Post, August 21, 2026.
Iran War and Operation Epic Fury
Bab el-Mandeb Strait Traffic Slows. After the Houthis struck oil facilities along Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast, vessel traffic has slowed in the strait off the coast of Yemen. This maritime choke point is a major commercial shipping corridor but with the Houthi attacks more shipping traffic is taking the longer route around the southern tip of Africa.
756 Wounded in Iran War. The Department of Defense updated its war casualty database this week with another 50 injured service members. When totals from the Operation Epic Fury rubric are combined with updated figures in the “Overseas Operations” category, the total number comes out to 756 wounded in action. “Pentagon says more than 750 US service members wounded in Iran War”, The Hill, August 21, 2026. See also “More than 750 US troops wounded in Iran, nearly half since July”, Task & Purpose, August 22, 2026.
Carriers Switching Out in CENTCOM AOR. The USS George Washington aircraft carrier arrived in the Middle East theater this week to provide relief for the USS Abraham Lincoln, whose lengthy deployment has drawn scrutiny over reports of worsening sailors’ mental health and supply shortages while supporting the U.S. war against Iran. (The Hill, August 20, 2026)
Relocated Families. Nearly six months after the Navy evacuated about 1,300 family members from Bahrain, the service is telling them they should not expect to return anytime soon according to reporting from Stars & Stripes. “Navy families evacuated from Bahrain face ‘uncharted territory’ amid bureaucratic confusion”, Stars and Stripes, August 21, 2026.
- References for Epic Fury:
- Past SOF News posts on Epic Fury, Epic Fury Timeline, Iran Country Profile, Strait of Hormuz, Kharq Island, maps, ISW interactive map, OEFU Casualties, and CRS reports.
Ukraine Conflict
New Ukrainian Defense Minister. Parliament has approved Yevhenii Khmara as the new Defense Minister. He is an experienced special operations commander. He has served as the acting Defense Minister since July following the dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov. He previously commanded the SBU’s elite Special Operations Center “A” and served as acting head of the SBU from January to July 2026. Khmara brings direct special-operations and combat experience into a ministry responsible for procurement, technological modernization, and sustaining an increasingly attritional war. (@visionergeo)
Horizontal Kill Web Architecture. James L. Andreasen writes on how a Ukrainian operator uses video feeds to gather intelligence and pass targeting information through the kill chain utilizing a horizontal kill web. The horizontal kill web is an architecture for allowing sensors, AI tools, intelligence organizations, local commanders, and effectors to operate from the same live operational picture. The U.S. Army’s sensor-to-shooter chain is much slower than this Ukrainian model. Ukraine has already demonstrated that this architecture works in large-scale combat. The United States should field it, train with it, and build future drones to operate inside it. “Borrow What Works: The Case of Army Adoption of Ukraine’s Combat-Tested Horizontal Kill Web Architecture”, Modern War Institute, August 14, 2026.
- References:
- Weapons of Ukraine, Study of War Daily Report, Euromaiden Press Daily Report, Ukraine NGO Coordination Network (UNCN).
- Maps: Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine by the Institute for the Study of War and Critical Threats, Ukraine Maps by National Security Info, War in Ukraine by Scribble Maps.
Intel, IO, Cyber, AI, IW, Technology
CRS Report – Analysis of a Potential Cyber Military Service, Congressional Research Service, CRS IF13291, August 19, 2026. This pub provides background information on CYBERCOM and the multiservice Cyber Mission Force, including the dual-hatted arrangement; the work of the Cyber Force Generation Commission; and analysis of maintaining the status quo versus creating a new service. https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF13291
Adm Bradley says AI-enabled Deception a Threat. U.S. Special Operations Command leader Admiral Frank Bradley said that malign actors empowered by simple artificial intelligence tools are undermining military and civilian leaders’ confidence in digital information. This raises doubts about what is and is not true. Bradley made these statements during an address at the Global SOF Foundation conference recently held in Hawaii. “AI-enabled deception threatens future operations, raises chances of large conflict, says Special Operations leader”, Defense One, August 21, 2026.
DIA and AI. Rapid innovation challenges any large government organization, but for the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) embracing artificial intelligence is essential to maintaining the joint force’s competitive edge. Major General Robert Kinney, the DIA’s Chief AI Officer, is interviewed on how the agency is navigating this digital transformation. “Modernizing the DIA with Artificial Intelligence”, War Room Online Journal, Army War College, August 18, 2026.
Books, Podcasts, Videos, and Movies
Podcast – The Future of War: Special Operations on a Global Battlefield. This episode centers on a near-future story that imagines an Army Ranger reconnaissance element infiltrating a Chinese space facility in Antarctica. Joining the discussion are Lieutenant General Gil Ferguson, Commanding General of U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC), and Command Sergeant Major David Waldo, USASOC’s senior enlisted leader. Irregular Warfare Initiative, August 19, 2026.
Book Review – Special Operations Success: Balancing Capabilities and Control. This book by Dr. James Kiras is reviewed by the Air University Press, Maxwell AFB, AL. In his latest volume on the topic of special operations, Dr. James Kiras examines the persistent tension between political control and operational capability, providing a framework that asks both practitioners and policymakers to confront the employment of special operations forces. Engaging across a sprawling array of mission sets, the book is dense with broad-reaching theory, often absent in other publications in this genre.
Video – This is What America Got Wrong about Special Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. U.S. Army Green Berets achieved some of the most consequential Special Forces successes of the Global War on Terror by building partner forces capable of fighting, leading, and securing their own nations. Fran Racioppi sat down with retired Green Beret Colonel Frank Sobchak, professor at the U.S. Naval War College and author of Training for Victory, to discuss the principles behind one of Special Forces’ most enduring missions: building partner forces capable of securing their own future. Drawing on decades of operational experience and extensive historical research, Frank explains why success is rarely determined by firepower alone, but by trust, relationships, and leaders willing to invest in others. The Jedburgh Podcast, August 11, 2026, 50 minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oTuNlp971g
Video – National Airborne Day. National Airborne Day honors the past and present airborne soldiers who serve our country. At 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, we jump from many heights into different environments where other units cannot. Today, we celebrate the legacy and warrior spirit of Special Forces Airborne Soldiers. 1st Special Forces Command, DVIDS, one minute. https://www.dvidshub.net/video/1018934/national-airborne-day-2026
Video – A Green Beret’s Mission to Clear Ukraine’s Landmines. Safe Ground, August 2, 2026, 30 minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDmUPUTQ7ms&t=4s
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