Opinion: Coming back to reality was the first order of business for USSOCOM this winter. The command finally admitted that the Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit or TALOS project was not even close to being a reality, which we reported after attending the SOFIC Conference in Tampa two years ago. The entire concept was flawed […]
Iraq
Photo of the day: Small unit insertion in the Diyala province of Iraq
Small unit insertion in the Diyala province of Iraq sometime in ’06-’07. This was my first unit. Named Task Force 300 because the Squadron had roughly 300 shooters and a gigantic Greek commander. Of those 300: 22 would die, 1 in 3 would earn a purple heart, and all would collectively earn a Presidential Unit […]
Special Operations Selection: Changing your workouts to increase your speed
As you are preparing to get ready for Selection, we post our daily Physical Preparation workouts which should help you prepare for the get you as ready as you can be when you begin your journey into one of the US’ Special Operations units. We always push the distance running, rucking and building upper body […]
Perfecting an Exoskeleton for SOF Needs To Happen Now
Today’s military is much more technology-based than in previous eras but while the high-tech gadgets make the soldier’s job easier and much more lethal on today’s battlefield, it also weighs them down more than ever before. The price of having the technology at their fingertips is that, while all of that gear works and is […]
Brotherhood | Veterans Past and Present
I have been an amputee for almost 12 years now. While in the Army serving with the 10th Mountain Division I was hit by a VBIED (vehicle born improvised explosive device) more commonly known as a suicide car bomb. In my last 12 years, I have been up and I’ve been down and to be […]
Interview with Tim Kolczak, Founder of The Veterans Project
I’ve been following The Veterans Project (TVP) on Facebook and Instagram for a couple years now. For those who are not familiar with TVP it is an online journal profiling the experiences of Veterans via interviews and photographs. It sheds light on their lives, experiences during and after their service, highlighting their struggles and successes. […]
Marine becomes chew toy for military working dog
Corporal Nick Coffman (USMC) keeping a military working dog’s skills sharp while near the Syrian border in Waleed, Iraq circa 2009. At the remote forward operating base, the Marine dog handler was appreciative of any person willing to put on the cumbersome bite suit under the hot Iraqi summer sun to keep his canine weapon in shape. […]
Kids Are the Same Everywhere and Say the Darndest Things
To our readers who are attempting for a career in Special Operations, you’ll meet all kinds of interesting people everywhere you go. Some societies are eclectic, like our own. Others are very regimented, but one thing that will never change, no matter where you travel are kids. As Americans we have a built-in affinity for […]
Jack Murphy’s Special Forces Weapons Sergeant Loadout
M4 w/EO Tech, LA-5, Pentagon Light, Magpul stock, SOPMOD foregrip 6x additional 5.56 magazines M9 pistol Safariland drop holster Sordins 4x additional 9mm magazines Mossburg 500 12-guage shotgun Approx. 12 additional 12-guage rounds MICH helmet PVS-14’s 5x Flashbangs 1x Fragmentation grenade MBITR radio Flexcuffs Merrill boots Penflare gun and flares spare batteries Camelbak Platecarrier w/ […]
A Delta Operators Story | Desert Storm
When I was just a young private in the army. Desert Storm had come and gone like a flash. I was a private and 1st Ranger Battalion got the call to jump into Iraq. Mission: jump in, head to the border and crush Saddams missile sites. Road March to the objective and kill everything. Not […]