Special Forces Combat Deaths In Africa Will Continue Until... by Doug ScottEditor's Note: We usually don't publish articles that take aim at "the brass" in the Special Operations community, especially since our owner falls into that category. However, being "the voice of the veteran community" means that we pay particular attention to voices from the field. This is one … [Read more...]
Girls & Beer: A North Korean Army Lieutenant And An American Iraq War Veteran
Girls & Beer: A North Korean Army Lieutenant And An American Iraq War Veteran by Rusty ShawOur trip to North Korea lasted for five days. Until the day before our flight out, my dad had no idea we were even going. Up to this point, life was an interesting trip: college, Iraq deployment with the army, studying and living in China, and now finishing my MBA in South … [Read more...]
Fatherhood: What Ranger Regiment Taught Me
Written by Kevin NewhardFatherhood to me is a chance to mold this Nation, as well as, the world. Too much now-a-days people look to athletes or famous people to be the hero's for there kids. My opinion? That is the place of both parents and it is a very important roll that a father should take up.I learned this from my time in Regiment. As the Ranger Creed says I … [Read more...]
A Ranger’s Faith: Afghanistan Knocked Me Down. Faith Brought Me Back Up.
A Ranger's Faith: Afghanistan Knocked Me Down. Faith Brought Me Back Up. by Major Mike KelvingtonOn the 25th of April, 2012, I experienced a rare, but significant tactical defeat in Afghanistan. Since then, my career and outlook stems from the events of that day. I was the Battle Company commander in the 1-508 Parachute Infantry Regiment, leading my Soldiers through a … [Read more...]
“Raise the Black:” An Auction For Iraq’s Special Operations Forces
"Raise the Black:" An Auction For Iraq's Special Operations Forces by Bryan MeyersYes, an auction.But it's far more profound than that.To some, the music stops.Whether by being unplugged by the ever-changing arm that makes up U.S. foreign policy or by a hand that was long ago burnt out on the bullshit.Me, personally?It was both of them.For years … [Read more...]
The Difference Between “Special Operations” and “Special Forces”
Possibly one of the most pervasive yet irritating missteps that the media and public in general makes about the military is the use of the terms ‘Special Operations Forces’ (SOF) and Special Forces (SF) interchangeably. In a day and age where special operations units have a growing presence in the media due to the increase of their importance in the asymmetric, non-conventional … [Read more...]
The Sergeant Major Of The Army’s Top Ten Rules For Noncommissioned Officers
Editor's Note: This is an old article, but the advice is timeless. Sergeant Major of the Army Dailey offered some powerful guidance for the "backbone of the Army," the noncommissioned officers' corps. In case you missed it the first time we posted it, here it is:No. 1. Yelling doesn’t make you skinny. PT does. If you’re not out there saluting the flag every … [Read more...]
Reflections on Rangering
During my first week in Ranger Battalion I joined my platoon during a live fire. I wasn’t even allowed real bullets because I was so new. For a portion of the exercise I was on a hill watching the training of another platoon. I was in earshot of an old Ranger first sergeant. The Rangers in training were assaulting a constructed plywood building and were preparing to … [Read more...]
Joyride: How One Lieutenant Just Became The Military’s Most Unlikely Folk Hero
Joyride: How One Lieutenant Just Became The Military's Most Unlikely Folk Hero by Kevin WilsonOn June 5, 2018, 29 year old Virginia Army National Guard Lieutenant Joshua Yabut stole an M577 armored personnel carrier from Ft Pickett and took it on a 65 mile joyride to the state capital of Richmond. In doing so, he secured his place in history.The reasons LT Yabut stole … [Read more...]
The Bergdahl Sentence Is In, And You’re Not Going To Like It
The Bergdahl Sentence Is In, And You're Not Going To Like It by Scott FaithBowe Bergdahl, the US Army solider who deserted his post in Afghanistan and was subsequently held hostage by Taliban-aligned terrorists, is a free man. The judge presiding over his case imposed a sentence of a dishonorable discharge, but included no jail time. That sentence was recently upheld by … [Read more...]