USSOCOM

Watch: See what it’s like to be on the receiving end of an A-10 Warthog strafing run

The 30 mm General Electric GAU-8/A Avenger rotary canon first entered into service in 1977. The 619 pound monster Gatling gun measured just shy of 2 feet wide and 20 feet long when completed, but more than compensating for its gargantuan size by boasting a terrifying fire rate of 3,900 rounds per minute, fired from […]

SERE School from the perspective of a Delta Operator: Surviving as prisoner of war

While taking part in a training course for a special mission, I understood that I would be attending SERE school at some point during the six-month course, though I didn’t really know when. Our SERE training was split into an administrative phase of classroom training, followed by a no-notice internment phase in a prisoner-of-war camp… […]

How two Delta Force jumpers collided at 24,000 feet in accelerated free fall and lived

“The sky, even more than the sea, is terribly unforgiving for even the slightest mistake.” (Author Unknown) Let’s get one thing straight: I hate jumping. Don’t get me wrong, the whole concept and execution is sexy enough, but I was simply cursed with a wicked bout of acrophobia. Two or three days prior to an […]

Check out this Former Delta Force operator’s loadout for taking down human traffickers

I work in counter human traffic (CHT), running street operations in “the Q,” Albuquerque, New Mexico. Here, the season on traffickers is open all year long, and there is no bag limit. Just don’t step up to the line dry (1). My current self-preservation posture is best described in my statement to my boss, words […]

Watch: What does it take to become a Delta operator?

While covering a story recently, I had the opportunity to tour some facilities with a number of current and former elite operators hailing from various military branches and government agencies. Although these men may have different abbreviations on their identification cards, the community of people with their unique skill set and level of expertise is […]

Marine MARSOC Critical Skills Operator (CSO) selection outline

The Marine Corps took its time to become part of SOCOM but now their MARSOC units are not only part of the SOCOM umbrella but growing in both size and influence. The Corps keeps a pretty tight lid on their operators and their training. We visited their booth at the annual SOFIC event in Tampa. […]

Talos “Iron Man” Was Always A Pie in the Sky Option For SOCOM

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 […]

Rucking Tips Refresher: Practice, Practice, Practice

I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately again about passing the selection course and many of them have to do carrying a rucksack and many of the candidates are worrying about being able to tote the pain pill to the standards in the course. The first piece of advice I’ll give is to step […]

Aftermarket Rucksacks for Selection Preparation, Rucking and Hiking

We’ve gone over the rucking tips quite a bit and everyone preparing for selection should be very comfortable with a ruck on their back and be humping long distances. It goes without saying that rucking and land navigation is the bread and butter of special operations forces. If you can show the intestinal fortitude needed […]

Changes Are Coming For the Special Forces Qualification Course

Course Is to Be Shortened to 24 Weeks We’ve been expecting change to the Special Forces Qualification Course (SFQC) for some time now. The course is and pretty much has always been a constantly evolving training vehicle to get the best trained Special Forces troops on the ground and to the operational groups. The missions […]