Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas to everyone!
Month: December 2016
Christmas 2002 – Camp Vance
A snowy Christmas Eve on December 24, 2002 at Camp Vance (CJSOTF-A), Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan. It has been a decade and a half since the initial entry of U.S. Special Forces teams into Afghanistan. U.S. Special Forces and other […]
Special Operations News Update 20161223
SOF News Update 20161223 – Russian SOF may get a robot ‘tanklet’, why sending more U.S. SOF to Syria is a bad idea (according to one pundit), SOF should be SOF – some recommendations, book excerpt of “Rogue Heroes”, Iraqi […]
Afghanistan Conflict Update – News, Pubs, & Reports
Afghanistan Conflict News Update – TAPI Pipeline a ‘pipe dream’, sling load operations at Bagram AF, A-29 Super Tucanos deploy to Kandahar, Taliban in peace talks, Latvia in Afghanistan, EUPOL closing down operations in Afghanistan, and more. A-29 Super Tucanos […]
The Fall of Aleppo – and the Aftermath
The recent fall of Aleppo to Syrian government forces signals a new turn of events for the long, confusing, and complex conflict. Read some recent news articles, analysis, maps, and commentary about the fall of Aleppo and the future of […]
Air Commandos of 321st STS Parachute Jump from CV-22s
The Air Commandos from the 321st STS based at RAF Mildenhall, England recently completed a series of advanced level parachute jumps from CV-22 Ospreys from the 7th Special Operations Squadron. The Special Tactics Squadron airmen jump on a regular basis […]
Special Operations News Update 20161222
SOF News Update 20161222 – India’s police Special Commandos, E&E maps of WWII, former EOD tech for JSOC shares his story, AF Special Operations Surgical Team (SOST), in Middle East, relationship b/t SOF and CIA, India’s Special Frontier Forces (SFF), […]
Intelligence Update – News, Pubs, & Analysis
Intelligence Update 20161218 – LTG Flynn’s views of the CIA, Flynn sharing secrets inappropriately while in Afghanistan, CIA’s classified cloud, America’s ‘Top Spy Catcher’, an Intelligence Officer’s guide to dissent, Trump and the intelligence community, and more. CIA’s Classified Cloud. The […]
Middle East News Update
Middle East News Update – Obama’s Syrian legacy, seige of Aleppo, using hybrid warfare against Russia, research into Arab politics, U.S. support to Kurds could be better, and more. Obama’s Syrian Legacy. A former NATO supreme allied commander – retired […]
CENTCOM’s Target Fusion Cell (TFC)
The newly-established Target Fusion Cell (TFC) works within the Combined Force Air Component Command (CFACC) in the CENTCOM Area of Responsibility (AOR). The Target Fusion Cell is “. . . an integrated cell of intelligence analysts, targeting experts and intelligence, surveillance […]
Australia and the Need to Stay Committed to Defeating ISIS
Australia faces a decision point. With the impending defeat of the Islamic State in Mosul, Iraq there may be a push to declare “Mission Accomplished” and withdraw Australia’s support and commitment in fighting ISIS in the Middle East. However, some […]
Special Operations News 20161221
SOF News Update 20161221 – Review and movie trailer of “The Wall”, review and trailer of “SIX” by History Channel, ISIS use of RBs providing greater safety and capability, Reaper upgrade, book review (yep, its about a SEAL), and SOCAfrica […]
Evolution of the USAF Combat Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA)
The idea or concept of using remotely piloted aircraft or RPA for reconnaissance purposes has been around for a long time. In the early 1980s the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) outfitted drones with modern-day technology. The early remotely […]
Terrorism News Update From Around the World
Terrorism news, reports, and publications – ISIS, al Qaeda, interactive map depicting worldwide terrorist attacks, a new strategy to prevent terrorist attacks, Hezbollah, Global Terrorism Index 2016, and more. Report – The Jihadi Threat. The United States Institute of Peace and […]
Defense News 20161221
Defense News 20161221 – Sirte, Libya now liberated, Trump’s Generals, and more. Sirte, Libya Liberated. It appears that the U.S. Department of Defense is declaring victory in Libya over the ousting of the Islamic State from Sirte, Libya. A campaign […]