954 articles
In an unanticipated but promising move, five European countries will establish a new Regional Special Operations Component Command (R-SOCC) according to NATO standards. According to NATO, defense ministers of Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia, and Slovenia signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) in February 2019 to create a common Special Operations Command. Austria, a partner nation, will […]
As the unconventional conflicts in Syria and Afghanistan draw to a close and the U.S. military again turns its gaze toward nation-level threats, the 75th Ranger Regiment prepares for a conflict in the Arctic. The Regiment sent almost 30 Rangers from across its three line battalions to attend the Cold Weather Operations Course (CWOC), at […]
Air Commandos from the 67th Special Operations Squadron (SOS) trained alongside their brethren from the 56th and 57th Air Rescue Squadrons (RQS) in Croatia, honing their personnel recovery skills. The 67th SOS flies the MC-130J Commando II, which offers special operations infiltration, exfiltration and resupply capabilities. “Personnel recovery is not one of our core missions […]
In an operation reminiscent of the Second World War’s island hopping, the U.S. Marine Corps conducted an amphibious and air assault against Iejima Island, a small Pacific island off the coast of Japan, seizing its airfield and strategic points in a rapid and aggressive operation. More specifically, the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), Air Commandos […]
In an ironic turn of events, New Zealand Special Air Service (NZSAS) snipers were training only a few miles away from the sites of the two mosque massacres that took place March 15th in Christchurch, New Zealand. According to reports in New Zealand media outlets, the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) was organizing a long-range […]
A Ranger serving with the secretive Ranger Reconnaissance Company (RRC) died in a free-fall parachute accident on March 15th. Sgt. 1st Class Ethan Carpenter was assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment’s Special Troops Battalion (STB). “Sgt. Carpenter was an exemplary soldier and Ranger leader, and a dedicated husband and father. He did the toughest jobs well […]
John Walker Lindh, also known as the “American Taliban,” is scheduled to be released from prison in May. Lindh, who was captured in the initial phases of the Afghanistan War, was involved in a prisoner uprising that resulted in the death of CIA paramilitary officer Michael “Mike” Spann, the first American killed in the Global War […]
In yet another incident of unprofessional conduct in U.S. special operations forces, a senior Air Force officer is facing charges for the alleged repeated rape of a senior airman while on deployment in Africa. Specifically, Lieutenant Colonel Michael B. Black, an Air Force Reserves C-145A Skytruck instructor pilot and combat aviation adviser (AAC) with the […]
In a small corner of the humongous 2020 U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) budget, among numerous procurement and upgrade projects, there’s notification that the DOD decided to halt the acquisition of the CH-47F Block II—the newest model of the venerable Chinook heavy-lift helicopter. The decision indicates the end of an era for the Chinook, as […]
U.S. Marines filling their cigarettes with Afghan hash or smoking marijuana while on guard duty. Profound language and unprofessional behavior. Extreme violence. “Combat Obscura” is certainly not your average recruiting film. And that’s the reason why the United States Marine Corps (USMC) doesn’t want you to watch it. This war documentary was filmed and directed […]
Almost half a century after the event, the British Public Prosecution Service (PPS) has decided to prosecute a former British paratrooper for the murders of two people during the infamous Bloody Sunday incident in Derry, Northern Ireland. More specifically, Soldier F – for obvious security reasons, the authorities are withholding his full name – is […]
Cooperation among the military, government agencies, and elite academic institutions is nothing new. In the United States, several elite schools work with the Department of Defense (DoD) and other agencies to improve America’s power. Johns Hopkins University, for example, is leading the way in drone technology. But seldom can one see how the process begins […]