Read Part 1 HERE The Light Reaction Company nearly had their first counter-terrorism training course cut short as the military wanted to deploy them immediately down south to Basilan. The mission was to locate and rescue two American missionaries who had been kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf. Martin and Garcia Burnham were taken from a resort […]

The usual breathless media reports have emerged from the Philippines latest security crisis in regards to American Special Operations units present in the area.  To be sure, the siege of Marawi has spun into a serious attack which bares some resemblance to the 2013 siege of Zamboanga.  Philippine SOF units such as the Light Reaction […]

Last month we interviewed Erwin Stran on SOFREP radio about his time as a volunteer fighter with the Kurdish YPG militia in Northern Syria and then with the Peshmerga in Kurdistan.  Erwin has recently published a memoir about his time in the Middle East called “CAB Hunter.”  Below is a excerpt of the book that […]

The Light Reaction Regiment, a unit shrouded in secrecy and born from a fusion of elite military backgrounds, emerged as the Philippines’ foremost counter-terrorism force, their stealth and effectiveness honed by rigorous training and high-stakes missions, often operating in the shadows where recognition is scarce but impact is profound

Three US Special Forces soldiers were murdered by a Jordanian gate guard in 2016 while working what is known as a IA or inter-agency job which sees Green Berets seconded to CIA projects, in this case the training of Syrian militia who will then infiltrate back across the border and engage in the Syrian civil […]

The warning order came in at 1500 requesting sniper/observer teams from the SEALs. They scrambled to prepare their men and were airlifted from Zamboanga to Lanao by C-130 that morning at 0500. The mission was dubbed Operation Haribon after the Haribon Infantry Brigade in the area. When NAVSOG Detachment 8 hit the ground, the SEALs […]

With former CIA officer, and sometimes SOFREP author, Sam Faddis running for the Senate in his district in Maryland I decided to shoot a few questions his way about foreign policy, the issues that matter to voters in Maryland, and how his career as an intelligence officer has informed his worldview. SOFREP: How does your […]

The 75th Ranger Regiment describes itself as America’s premier raid force, with the missions of direct action, special reconnaissance, and forced entry operations such as airfield seizures.  However, the Ranger mission in Syria has taken a very different turn, one in which the Regiment is deployed as a political force to build rapport with allies […]

Once upon a time you needed to be Al Qaeda to get the US government’s attention.  Today it is ISIS that has the brand recognition that Jihadists crave.  If you are an unemployed teenager living in squalor, and perhaps influenced by an Islamist ideology in your neighborhood, the one thing you really want is to […]

My introduction to retired Philippine Marine Corps General Juancho Sabban was every bit as colorful and adventurous as the General himself.  The former Marine Corps commandant is well-respected in military circles and known as something of a legend who played a big role in shaping his country’s approach to dealing with insurgencies. I was eager to […]

Retired General Ramon Mateo Dizon laughs often as he reflects on the serpentine path his military career took. After graduating from the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in 1983, he was first assigned to the police constabulary. Interestingly, the constabulary was part of the Philippine Armed Forces up until the 1990s. In addition to fielding heavy […]

Down the street on Sangley Naval Base outside Manila, past the Little Bird helicopters lined up on the flight line, is the home of Naval Special Operations Group (NAVSOG). On the compound on any given day, it is not uncommon to find U.S. Navy SEALs training their Philippine counterparts. It is a relationship that stretches back […]