Curated news, analysis, and commentary on special operations, intelligence, irregular warfare, national defense, and global conflicts.
Photo / Image: MARSOC Marine from Special Operations Task Force West provides security at LZ in Nahr-e-Saraj district, Helmand province. (Photo by Cpl. Kyle McNally, 28 Mar 2012).
Executive Summary
This weekly briefing summarizes the most significant events affecting special operations forces, irregular warfare, intelligence, and national security during the past week. The Army has met its recruiting goals for Special Forces for the first time in 15 years. SECDEF Hegseth announces six new initiatives. The U.S. withdraws from Iraq.
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Key Developments
- Brief on UAE
- Noori film on Amazon Prime
- China’s influence grows in Afghanistan
- Camp As Sayliyah stays open
- SF refining combat diving
- New Air Force berets
- Tibetan resistance
SOF News
Noori. On November 1, 2026, Amazon Prime will be launching the Noori documentary. The film is about how the Afghan Commandos who left Afghanistan after the fall of Kabul in August 2021 have transitioned to a new life in the United States. Read more about this documentary in “Noori – Documentary of Afghan Special Operators Now in the U.S.” and “Noori Documentary to Highlight Afghan SOF Now in U.S. at SOF Week 2026”. (SOF News)
SF Recruiting. For the first time in fifteen years, Special Forces recruiters achieved their mission of 2,940 candidates. “Army meets Reserve, Special Forces recruiting goals for the first time in a decade, general confirms”, Military Times, October 1, 2026.
AFSOC Seeks Commo Drones Launched from Fixed Wing. The U.S. Air Force is looking for companies able to provide already developed, small, attritable communications drones as part of a mesh network for use against adversaries with advanced electronic warfare and weapons. “USAF Looks for Long-Range Communications Drones Deployable from AFSOC Fixed Wing Platforms”, Defense Daily, October 1, 2026. (subscription)
Talons Reach Foundation. A former Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) Raider suffered through injury and loss in the later stages of his career. He would be medically retired in 2021. While working through the physical and mental impact that the unforeseen departure had on him, Jones was drawn into holistic healing modalities that changed his life. Now, he’s bringing those modalities and functional medicine to other operators through nonprofit organization Talons Reach Foundation. “Former Marine Raider Nick Jones Works to Heal Fellow Operators”, Special Operations Association of America (SOAA), September 24, 2026.
Philippine Resistance in WWII. Robert Burrell, PhD, has penned a new book entitled Philippine Resistance Against Japan in World War II. The book is out after six years of archival research. This article by Burrell explains why he wrote about Philippine resistance movements and what these events mean for understanding resistance today. Dr. Robert S. Burrell is a retired U.S. Marine, military historian, and irregular-warfare scholar whose recent work focuses heavily on resilience, resistance, insurgency, and intrastate conflict. “Philippine Resistance Against Japan”, Robert Burrell Substack, October 2, 2026.
Former SF Officer Pursues a Life in Education. In his last assignment, Adam Caruso helped connect U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) with universities, investors, laboratories, and technology companies developing tools for national security. He is now doing similar work for Harvard University. “A Special Forces Officer is building new ways to serve”, Harvard Kennedy School, September 30, 2026.
New Air Force Berets. The new rust-colored headgear for explosive ordnance disposal techs will be the Air Force’s seventh authorized beret. Berets have a long history in various roles in the Army and Air Force. Air Force Pararescuemen and Army Special Forces soldiers were officially authorized to wear maroon and green berets early in the Vietnam War to recognize their dangerous combat missions and grueling training required to qualify for the jobs. Army Rangers and Airborne units, and teams of Air Force Combat Control, or CCT, and Tactical Air Control Party, or TACP, often adopted berets in the era as well, with formal authorization for berets among those jobs coming in the 1980s. “Air Force authorizes new berets for explosive ordnance techs”, Task & Purpose, October 3, 2026.
GSOF Europe. Global SOF Symposium Europe opens in Rome October 6. The three-day symposium will bring together international SOF commands, defense ministries, industry, and researchers, with particular emphasis this year on European SOF requirements, emerging technology, interoperability, and lessons from contemporary conflict. https://gsofeurope.org/
MARSOC Enabler and Transitioning to Civilian Life. Former Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) enabler Zac Compton initially felt that his transition from the service to civilian life was going well. However, within months he began having difficulty. Read how the VA helped put him back on track for success. “MARSOC Enabler on Finding Yourself After Transition”, Special Operations Association of America (SOAA), September 29, 2026.
SF Refining Combat Diving. U.S. Army special operations forces are developing surface and subsurface access capabilities through combat diver training at Naval Air Station Key West. The six-week qualification course, conducted under the 2nd Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne), brings together Special Forces soldiers, personnel from other U.S. special operations components, and selected foreign troops. Training is intended to prepare them for maritime missions requiring alternatives to conventional approaches that may be exposed or difficult to employ. “U.S. Special Forces refine combat diving to improve covert maritime access to defended coastlines”, Army Recognition, October 3, 2026.
International SOF
Tunisia SOF. Tunisian Special Operation Maritime Task Group members and U.S. Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance Marines with Force Reconnaissance Company, 2d Reconnaissance Battalion, 2d Marine Division are training together during exercise Phoenix Express 2026 in Bizerte, Tunisia. Phoenix Express 2026 is a multinational maritime exercise sponsored by the U.S. Africa Command and led by U.S. 6th Fleet under U.S. Naval Forces Africa, bringing together North African, European and U.S. maritime forces as part of a global network of navies to enhance cooperation and expertise in maritime security operations in the southern Mediterranean Sea.
Bold Machina 26. NATO recently completed Bold Machina 26 in Portugal, where maritime SOF operators tested uncrewed systems, underwater communications, counter-UAS technologies, and other emerging capabilities alongside industry and academia.
Italian and Egyptian SOF Train in Mountains. Members of the Egyptian Sa’ka forces and Italian SOF practiced navigating steep landscapes, mountaineering, and rapid rappelling under harsh weather conditions. The exercise aimed to facilitate the exchange of expertise, enhance combat and specialized skills, and improve the readiness and proficiency of participating forces in carrying out specialized missions with a high level of competence and capability.
UK and the Faroe Islands. UK Royal Marines returned to the Faroe Islands (Wikipedia) for the first time since World War II. The UK Commando Force deployed its Allied Reaction Force Special Operations Maritime Task Group to the Faroes for Exercise Lion Protector 26, operating with Danish and Faroese forces. Training included vessel boarding and seizure, coastal raids, and small-boat operations. The exercise is significant because the Faroes sit astride the GIUK Gap, a strategically important route between the Arctic and North Atlantic.
SOF History
On October 10, 1951, the Ranger Course was conceived during the Korean War and was known as Ranger Training Command. “The Ranger Training Command was inactivated on this day in 1951 and became the Ranger Department, a branch of the Infantry School at Fort Benning, Ga. Its purpose was, and still is, to develop combat skills of selected officers and enlisted men by requiring them to perform effectively as small unit leaders in a realistic tactical environment, under mental and physical stress approaching that found in actual combat.”
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 9, 1967, Che Guevara was executed in Bolivia. 8th SFG(A) trained the counter-guerrilla force that tracked down Che’s small guerrilla group.
https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/cuba-intelligence/2020-10-09/che-guevara-cia-mountains-bolivia
On October 7, 2001, the U.S. involvement in the Afghan conflict began shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
On October 4, 2017, four soldiers of the 3rd Special Forces Group died in an ambush in Niger.
National Security and Commentary
U.S. Pulls Out of Iraq. As of September 30, 2026, the United States has completed the withdrawal of its military forces from Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region. This includes a departure from Erbil Air Base in the Kurdistan region. The withdrawal implements the U.S.-Iraq agreement announced in September 2024. U.S. forces had already departed other installations, and the final personnel left Erbil by the September 30 deadline. The Iraqi government says no foreign coalition troops remain in Iraq. While the U.S. is leaving Iraq it is not ending the regional counter-ISIS mission. CJTF-OIR remains operational and has shifted its headquarters to Jordan. U.S. forces will continue counter-ISIS operations in Syria with coalition partners, while Washington says it will maintain a bilateral security relationship with Baghdad that includes targeted training and intelligence support. This map by Anadolu Agency (Turkey) depicts the nine locations where the U.S. had military bases.
Hostile Fire Pay Increases. The Department of Defense announced an increase in hostile fire pay – from $225 to $450 per month. Imminent danger pay will increase from $225 to $275 per month.
Reducing the Generals and Admirals. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has plans to reduce the number of generals and flag officers by the hundreds – up to a 20% reduction. The reduction will affect senior leadership positions across the Army, Air Force, and Navy by January 1, 2027.
Camp As Sayliyah Stays Open. Secretary Rubio signed a diplomatic note to Qatar extending the camp for nine months. More than 1,000 Afghans were evacuated to the camp just outside the capital city of Doha, Qatar, by the United States from Afghanistan after the fall of Kabul in August 2021. Many of them are family members of Afghans that assisted the U.S. in Afghanistan or are the relatives of U.S. service members. More than 70% of the camp’s residents are women and children. If the camp did not gain a reprieve then the camp residents were facing deportation to Afghanistan. When the Trump administration took office it paused the previous administration’s Afghan resettlement program as part of a series of executive orders cracking down on immigration. The policy changes left thousands of people who had fled Afghanistan – and had gone through a sometimes years long vetting process to start new lives in the United States – stranded at places worldwide, including the base in Qatar. “US delays closure of Qatar camp housing more than 1,000 Afghans who helped the US war effort”, AP News, September 29, 2026.
Hegseth and ‘State of the Force’. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth delivered a speech on the status of the military today, during which he announced six new initiatives for the War Department. Among the initiatives are “Fortress America”, Autonomous Warfare Command, the next ‘Great American Base’, Project Meridian, and others. “Hegseth Delivers ‘State of the Force’ Address, Outlines Series of New Initiatives”, Soldier Systems, October 1, 2026.
AI’s Black Box Problem and Terrorism. Shaheer Ahmad writes on how West African terrorist groups are using artificial intelligence to make improvised explosive devices (IEDs), drones, and improve surveillance. “The Blind Spot in Defense: Inside Counterterrorism’s Black Box“, Irregular Warfare Center, September 17, 2026.
Iran War and Operation Epic Fury
Commericial Shipping Attacks. Attacks on commercial shipping increased again. At least seven vessels reportedly came under attack beginning September 28 after shipping through Hormuz had begun recovering. The renewed attacks have undermined confidence in U.S.-supported transit arrangements and demonstrated that Iran retains an ability to threaten maritime traffic despite months of U.S. strikes against Iranian naval, missile, and surveillance capabilities.
Negotiations. The conflict has entered a high-risk diplomatic pause rather than a genuine ceasefire. Washington and Tehran are communicating through Qatar, but neither has accepted the other’s terms. Meanwhile, Iran is reinforcing its ability to threaten Hormuz and preparing a broader retaliation if U.S. strikes resume. Renewed attacks against shipping demonstrate that Tehran retains significant asymmetric leverage despite the damage inflicted during Operation Epic Fury.
U.S. Troop Levels in Mideast to Increase. Nearly 10,000 more military service members, including 2,000 U.S. Marines, are heading to the Middle East. Many of this number are on a U.S. aircraft carrier and an amphibious landing group, possibly arriving by November 2026. The USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group is embarked for the Middle East.
CRS Report – Iran’s Nuclear Program: Tehran’s Compliance with International Obligations. The Congressional Research Service has published a 46 page report (PDF, Sep 29, 2026) on the July 1015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) which Iran concluded with China, France, Germany, Russian, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States. Since President Trump announced in May 2018 that the United States will no longer participate in the JCPOA, Iran has conducted nuclear activities that exceed JCPOA-mandated limits, and the IAEA’s ability to monitor Iran’s nuclear program has decreased. The IAEA has not been able to conduct safeguards activities on Iranian nuclear facilities attacked by the United States and Israel in June 2025. The agency has stopped conducting almost all safeguards activities in the country since February 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel launched military attacks on Iran. Read more on this topic in the CRS report. https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R40094
Diesel Prices Rising. The price per gallon of diesel has risen dramatically in the United States. This affects the industrial and agricultural sectors of the U.S. economy more than the average consumer. Long-haul transport and farming equipment run primarily on diesel. The U.S. is considering halting the export of diesel. There is a worldwide shortage of diesel due to the damage inflicted by Iran on diesel refineries of the Gulf nation states. China has stopped export of diesel while the European nations are in discussions on the release of diesel from strategic reserves.
Report – Houthi and Saudi Conflict. The Houthis have been sending drones and missiles into Saudi Arabia striking energy targets and Red Sea port facilities. In addition, they have moved south along the coast of Yemen (map) advancing against government troops supported by Saudi Arabia. Iran has successfully widened the conflict with the United States by assisting and encouraging the Houthis – an important Iranian proxy force. Read the report entitled “The Houthi Advance, Saudi Strategy & the Mecca Defence Pact”, noordahri.com, October 4, 2026, PDF, 16 pages.
- References for Epic Fury:
- Past SOF News posts on Epic Fury
- NSI Resources: Epic Fury Timeline, Iran Country Profile, Strait of Hormuz, Kharq Island, maps, OEFU Casualties
- Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports
- Institute of the Study of War interactive map
- See also a map utility – Maritime Attacks in the MENA Region (since 2017) by the Washington Institute
Ukraine Conflict
Conflict Update. Ukrainian forces reported further gains in northern Donetsk during the past week, with Operation Vivaldi disrupting Russian attempts to encircle Ukraine’s eastern defensive belt. Russia intensified missile and drone attacks against Kyiv, bridges, energy facilities, and logistics infrastructure, while Ukraine pledged to expand strikes against Russian oil refineries. Germany announced another €1 billion military aid package as diplomatic efforts continued without a breakthrough
Ukraine’s Tank and Drone Tactics. The advent of drones led many defense ‘experts’ to write off the tank as obsolete. However, while it may have taken a bit of time, both the Russians and Ukrainians are adapting doctrine and tactics to reincorporate the tank into the fight. While technology will make changes to tactics, firepower, mobility, and protection at the decisive point is still important. Maneuver is still the key to breaking the deadlock of trench warfare. The Ukrainians have fitted out their tanks with additional armor and protective features including recon and attack drones to locate, engage, and suppress the enemy. The combined-arms team still works but under different conditions. Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a former commander of the 1st Royal Tank Regiment, explains in this article. “Ukraine’s new, lethal combined tank-and-drone tactics are pushing Putin back”, The Telegraph, October 2, 2026.
- References:
- Weapons of Ukraine, Study of War Daily Report, Euromaidan 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.
SOF News welcomes the submission of articles for publication. If it is related to special operations, current conflicts, national security, or defense then we are interested.
Around the World
Brief on UAE. The United Arab Emirates has been targeted by Iran more than any other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) state since February 2026 – the beginning of the U.S.-Iran War. The UAE hosts U.S. military personnel at UAE military facilities. The UAE has aligned itself with the U.S. Operation Economic Outcast to pressure Iran financially. Beyond the Gulf region, the UAE is active diplomatically, economically, and is involved in regional conflicts. The UAE is backing Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in their fight against the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in Sudan with military assistance. The Congressional Research Service has published a 19-page PDF entitled “The United Arab Emirate (UAE): Issues for U.S. Policy” (updated on 30 Sep 2026) that covers a number of topics about the UAE. https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/RS21852
Map created by CRS. Facts from CIA, The World Factbook; Economist Intelligence Unit; and Global SWF.
Somaliland. Israel has recognized Somaliland and will likely be granted access to the naval base at Berbera (map) and the use of the city’s airport. Naturally, Somalia is opposed to this taking place. There are fears that with Israel’s move into Somaliland that the constant strife between Israel and some Arab neighbors could spread to the Horn of Africa. Somaliland is looking to expand the number of nations that recognize their independence from Somalia.
Fighting in Ethiopia. Federal forces have retaken Alula Aba Nego Airport in Mekelle, the capital of the northern Tigray region. This is a major setback for the opposition alliance fighting Ethiopian government forces. A renewed, full-scale conflict has begun in northern Ethiopia, shattering the 2022 peace deal. The escalation peaked on September 23, 2026, when Tigrayan forces seized three major regional airports. The past conflict in Tigray took place in 2020-2022. It was a devastating war with massive casualties. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) aims to topple Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government. Many observers believe the conflict will widen, involving Eritrea as well. Ethiopia is accusing Egypt and Sudan of joining Eritrea in backing the Tigrayan rebel forces. Ethiopia and Eritrea have cut diplomatic ties.
Map Tigray Ethiopia, OpenStreetMap, edited with ChatGPT, click here for larger image.
African Lion 2027. U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) and the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces (Forces Armées Royales or “FAR”) hosted the initial planning event for African Lion 2027, the largest multinational military exercise on the African continent. The exercise will involve more than 45 nations and span land, sea, air, space, cyber, and intelligence domains. The exercise will begin in Morocco (map) on April 19, 2027. “US, African partners begin planning for African Lion 2027”, DVIDS, October 1, 2026.
African Lion 2026 was U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual joint exercise, bringing together more than 5,600 personnel from over 40 nations across Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana, and Senegal. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force–Africa, the exercise emphasized multinational command and control, combined-arms operations, maritime security, air integration, and large-scale combat operations.
Tibetan Resistance. A new film, Four Rivers Six Ranges (2025), chronicles the Tibetan resistance through the lens of spiritual identity and territorial defense. The narrative centers on the struggle to preserve Tibetan culture and the safety of the Dalai Lama amidst external aggression from the Chinese Communist Party. “Four Rivers Six Ranges: An untold story of Tibetan resistance”, Small Wars Journal, October 4, 2026.
Books, Podcasts, Videos, and Movies
Podcast – The Airpower We Need for Irregular Warfare. Why does providing aircraft to partner forces so often fall short of building an effective air force? Retired Lieutenant General Anthony Rock, Michael Horowitz, and Tobias Switzer join Kyle Atwell to examine the gap between acquiring technology and turning it into military power. Drawing on Switzer’s RAND report, Build Partner Airpower, Not Air Forces, the conversation explores what American air advisors learned in Iraq and Afghanistan and what future missions should do differently. Listen to the Podcast here. Irregular Warfare Initiative, September 29, 2026, 47 minutes.
Prism. The fall 2026 issue of Prism is now online. A lot of interesting articles on a host of topics: cyber, IW in the Taiwan Strait, hybrid attacks against critical infrastructure, war on drugs, counter-threat finance, cognitive battlespace of global finance, book reviews, and more. (PDF, 223 pages)
Sentinel. Chapter 78 of the Special Forces Association has posted its October 2026 issue online. Vietnam, becoming an 18D, Cry Havoc book review, PSYOP and Civil Affairs in the Korean War, Vietnam’s Donut Dollies, Battle of SF Camp A-102, and more.
https://www.specialforces78.com/chapter-78-newsletter-for-october-2026/
Army Magazine. The September 2026 issue is now online. Association of the United States Army (AUSA).
https://www.ausa.org/issues/army-magazine-vol-76-no-9-september-2026
Video – Mission North: Why the Arctic Matters to NATO. The Arctic is changing — and so is NATO’s posture in the High North. As melting ice opens new sea routes and strategic competition intensifies, NATO has launched Arctic Sentry: a new initiative to synchronize all Allied activities across the region into one unified operational approach. From Iceland’s critical radar posts at the heart of the GIUK Gap, to Norway’s fjords where US Marines train alongside Norwegian experts in some of the world’s harshest terrain, to Finnish Lapland where France, Sweden, and Finland rehearse a new northern flank defense. NATO, YouTube, June 22, 2026, ten minutes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XbjCs-XuA8
Video – A Courageous Few. Air Force Special Warfare career fields utilize highly trained Airmen capable of integrating air and ground operations, providing specialized capabilities, and directly enabling joint force objectives. U.S. Air Force video by Brian Boisvert. DVIDS, September 18, 2026, 2 minutes. https://www.dvidshub.net/video/1024769/courageous-few
Video – Overcome the Impossible. Students from the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, who are in the Special Forces Combat Diver Qualification Course, are tested on their ability to fix any deficiency they might encounter while remaining calm at NAS Key West, Florida February 19, 2026. Students who attended the six-week course were qualified as basic military open-circuit and closed-circuit combat divers knowledgeable in waterborne surface infiltration and exfiltration tactics, techniques and procedures and qualified in waterborne operations including day and night ocean subsurface navigation swims, day and night infiltration dives, deep dives, search dives, diving physics, physiology and injuries, marine hazards, tides and currents. (U.S. Army video by Jason Gambardella) DVIDS, October 1, 2026, 2 minutes.
https://www.dvidshub.net/video/1025085/overcome-impossible
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