954 articles
A Navy SEAL has successfully completed the NASA Astronaut program. Last week, Lieutenant Jonny Kim graduated from the course and now is qualified for missions to the International Space Station and the moon. Kim enlisted in the Navy in 2002. After successfully completing the grueling Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) and SEAL Qualification Training (SQT) courses, […]
A seasoned Special Forces operator was killed during Military Freefall training. Master Sergeant Nathan Goodman died on January 14 while conducting routine training with his unit in Eloy, Arizona. The causes of his death are under investigation. Assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group (3rd SFG), MSG Goodman was a veteran of eight deployments (four […]
What happens if you put a Yemeni tribal fighter, an Egyptian soldier, a European mercenary, a Saudi prince, a Jordanian king, and an Israeli politician together? A war teeming with geopolitics, controversy, war crimes, covert ops, and sheer adventure. The North Yemen Civil War (1962-1970), fought between an Egyptian-backed puppet government and a royalist tribal […]
The MH-47G Chinook helicopter fleet, one of the most important aviation assets of the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), is getting a new countermeasure system aimed at improving its survivability on the battlefield. More specifically, the MH-47Gs are being outfitted with the AN/AAQ-24 LAIRCM. This enhancement is a Directional Infrared Counter Measures (DIRCM) system that […]
In the span of a few weeks, a French Special Operations task force has assaulted three terrorist camps deep in Mali, resulting in the death of scores of Jihadists. The French Ministry of Defence announced that the first operation took place on December 21. A French Special Operations ground element, supported by Mirage 2000D fighter […]
A legendary Special Air Service (SAS) operator and assault team leader during the famous Iranian Embassy hostage rescue has passed away. Command Sergeant Major Tom MacDonald died at the age of 71 in New Zealand where he had retired to. The SAS operator had a long and illustrious career in the British Army. He first […]
In a move reminiscent of the early stages of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the U.S. Army has compiled a new deck of cards. This time around, however, the deck doesn’t include the top-men of the Baathist party and Iraqi military and intelligence apparatus, but the more important weapons systems in the Iranian arsenal. According to the […]
Editor’s note: The heightened tensions with Iran offer an opportunity to examine the ups and downs of an undeclared conflict that has been going on for over 40 years. This falls into the light category. When propaganda efforts go wrong, the effect can be hilarious indeed. Last year, as the Iranian government was celebrating the […]
The same night that a U.S. drone killed Major General Qassem Soleimani, an almost simultaneous targeted strike took place in Yemen. Its target was Abdul Reza Shahlai, a senior Quds Force operative. The drone missile missed, resulting in the escape of Shahlai, who continues to remain at large. Abdul Reza Shahlai is a senior Quds […]
Special Forces soldiers from the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) received dozens of combat medals, among them three Silver Stars, the nation’s third-highest award for valor under fire, for their actions during a single deployment to Afghanistan. In addition to the three Silver Stars, during the six-month deployment, the 2nd Battalion, 7th SFG operators received […]
Retired Master Chief Special Warfare Operator Britt Slabinski, Medal of Honor Recipient, speaks with Command Master Chief David Twiford, command master chief of Recruit Training Command (RTC), about his career during an RTC Sailor 360 training. More than 35,000 recruits train annually at the Navy’s only boot camp. Chief Slabinski was a member of SEAL […]
March 4, 2002. Takur Ghar, Afghanistan. As the sun shyly emerged, a SEAL Team 6 reconnaissance element was about to get in the fight of its life. Designated as MAKO 30 and led by Senior Chief Petty Officer Britt Slabinski, the reconnaissance team was part of a Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) task force that […]