Tough Week for the Special Forces Regiment. One SF Soldier (7th SFGA) died during training at the Combat Dive Qualification Course (CDQC) at Key West, Florida. Two SF Soldiers (10th SFGA) died in Afghanistan conducting combat operations against the Taliban. In addition, three Special Forces members(5th SFGA) died in Jordan.

SOF News Update for 20161106 – Parachute jumps into combat, security contractors in the overseas traveling mode, technology and USSOCOM, SF Association HQs flooded by Hurricane Matthew, what is a “Quiet Professional”, The Drop (publication of the Special Forces Association), “Special Ops Leadership”, SF in Afghanistan, Intel (I&CI) training of non-U.S. persons, review of “Rogue Heroes”, defense contractors thriving, and more.

Stories about combat jumps. The West Point Center for Oral History interviewed four Army members (past and present) about their experiences during a parachute jump into a combat zone. The jumps took place in northern Iraq (2003), HALO jump into Afghanistan (2001), and Holland during Operation Market Garden (WWII). Watch the one-hour long video interview in “Video: Opening Shock: Four Combat Jump Veterans Tell Their Stories”, July 21, 2016.

Security Contractors and Overseas Travel. You know who they are. They wear there 5.11 trousers, a web belt, Merrill hiking shoes, Oakley sunglasses, and carry a Blackhawk 3-day pack. But don’t be that guy. Read Ed Thompson’s article on “How to Travel Grey”, LinkedIn Pulse, November 30, 2015.

Preparing for War. A Special Forces NCO writes about his deployment with an SFODA in Afghanistan in “Nothing Prepares You For War”, The War Horse, November 2, 2016.

USSOCOM and Technology. How can the United States Special Operations Command outfit partner forces working with U.S. SOF with commercially-available items or open source software? This is a challenge for SOFWERX – USSOCOM’s collaboration workshop. Read “USSOCOM Rapid Prototype Event Rodeo”, DVIDS, October 21, 2016.

“The Drop”. The Special Forces Association has a quarterly publication that is mailed out to its membership every three months. Some interesting tidbits about the SF community are enclosed. You can read past issues of The Drop at the link below:
www.specialforcesassociation.org/the-drop-archive/

Lockheed going for $8B USSOCOM contract. The U.S. Special Operations Command Global Logistics Support Services contract is up for recompete. Lockheed Martin is putting in for it. Read more in “Lockheed aims to retain incumbency on $8B recompete”, Washington Technology, November 2, 2016.

Dangerous SOF Raids. Read a short history on the most dangerous special operations raids by We are the Mighty.

SOF Leadership and the World of Business. Gil Limonchik offers his perspectives on how commando techniques work in the business world. Read “Secrets of Special Ops Leadership”, LinkedIn Pulse, October 23, 2016.

Studying College Athletes to Help SOF Teams. An Air Force laboratory based at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio is studying the athletes (wrestlers, football players, etc.) to gain knowledge that will benefit special operations teams in action. Read more in “Air Force applying study of OSU athletes to Special Forces”,  Daily Progress, October 30, 2016.

Fat? Stoned? Tattoed? The military has a job for you. The Pentagon is looking for tech-savy talent for its ranks and it is lowering standards to recruit the new generation of American youth. Read “Overweight, tattooed, stoned? The Pentagon may still want you”, Los Angeles Times, November 3, 2016.

New Pub on Intel & CI Training of Foreigners. The Department of Defense has issued a new instruction that outlines policy and assigns responsibilities for the training of non-US persons in intelligence and CI. Read DoD Instruction 3305.12, Intelligence and Counterintelligence (I&CI) Training of Non-U.S. Persons, October 14, 2016.

3rd SFGA Rigger Dies. A parachute rigger from the 3rd Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg, NC died from injuries suffered when struck by a vehicle while conducting physical training on Fort Bragg. Read more in “Fort Bragg soldier dies after being hit by vehicle”, Fayetteville Observer, November 1, 2016.

Book Review – “Rogue Heroes”. Max Boot provides a review of a book about the British Special Air Service (SAS) during World War II. Read “The Story of the SAS, Britain’s First Special Operations Unit”, The New York Times, November 2, 2016.

AFSOC and South Korean SOF. U.S. Air Force aircraft from the 353rd Special Operations Group (based at Kadena Air Base) and U.S. and South Korean Special Forces recently took part in an exercise in South Korea. (The Japan Times, November 5, 2016).

Defense Contractors Doing Well. “Sales are up, earnings are strong, and the guidance to shareholders is for positive trends in coming quarters.” Despite the Pentagon’s decreased demand for weapons systems the defense industry is doing okay. Read a news report by Loren Thompson in Forbes, October 31, 2016.

SFA Association HQs Damaged. Hurricane Matthew caused extensive damage to the Special Forces Association compound in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Read more in “Matthew’s floodwaters wipe out Special Forces Association records, artifacts”, Fayetteville Observer, November 1, 2016.

What is a “Quiet Professional”? The buzz word has been around the Special Forces community for about twenty years (maybe a little more). It is about being superb at your job without telling everyone about it (SEALs: please take note). Read more in “What Does it Mean to Be a Quiet Professional”, LinkedIn Pulse, October 4, 2016.

SOF News Update for 20161030 – Ukrainian Special Forces, Journal of Special Operations Medicine, mercenaries, fallen Navy CPO takes final voyage home, Malaysian SOF, new deadlier technologies for MARSOC, and more.

Ukrainian Special Forces. The conflict in the Ukraine continues to grind on. Russia is not the only side of the conflict to employ Little Green Men – its version of unconventional warfare. The Ukrainian Special Forces are busy as well. Read more in “Inside the Covert War in Ukraine”, Vice News, October 4, 2016.

MARSOC Seeks Deadlier Technologies. “The Marine Corps is sending some of its Raiders on a new mission: developing new technologies to make MARSOC even deadlier”. Read more in a news report by Marine Corps Times, October 4, 2016.

Program on Mercenaries. BBC World Service recently (Oct 7, 2016) aired a 50-minute long broadcast entitled Mercenaries: Guns for Hire.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p049gt5h

CPO Returns Home on Final Journey. Chief Petty Officer Jason Finan was recently killed in action in Iraq by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). He is on his way home for memorial services in the San Diego area. Finan was supporting a U.S. Navy SEAL unit when he was killed. Read “Body of Fallen Coronado-Based Sailor Returns Home”, NBC San Diego, October 28, 2016.

JSOM Info. For those who are working in the special operations medical field there is an online magazine that provides a wealth of knowledge in this area. Visit the website of the Journal of Special Operations Medicine at www.jsomonline.org.

Tech Update – Flying Motorcycles for SOF. So a Special Forces battalion has its Combat Dive Team, HALO Team, and Mountain Teams. Is a “Flying Motorcycle” team in the near future? How many specialized teams will we need to have before the day of the “Rucksack Team” goes away? Read more in “Here’s An Idea: Give Special Forces Some Motorcycles”, Wired.com, October 28, 2016.

USAJFKSWCS Honors 12 SOF Members. Twelve former members of Special Forces, Civil Affairs, and PSYOP were honored by the SWC recently for contributions to the SOF community. Read more in a news report by The Fayetteville Observer, October 28, 2016.

SFA Chapter 2 Throw Blankets. The Special Forces Association on Okinawa is selling limited edition blankets for current and former members of 1st Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group members. (LinkedIn, Sep 29, 2016)

SOFWERX – Developing advanced applications for special operators to use on the battlefield. A special business and technology incubator set up by the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). Read more about SOFWERX below.

SOFWERX was created under a Partnership Intermediary Agreement between the United State Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and Doolittle Industries. It is located in Tampa, Florida (where USSOCOM is based). The laboratory is located in the Ybor City section of Tampa inside a brick building where a tattoo parlor use to reside. The entity reminds one of a Silicon Valley startup. The lab was setup by USSOCOM a year ago to encourage cooperation between the SOF community and business innovators. It is hoped that the lab will prompt more cooperation between innovators and the SOF world. The lab is also turning a former auto body repair shop into a prototype workshop which will be called DIRTYWERX.

The institute takes part in speaking engagements, meetings, and other forums to encourage businesses to work with USSOCOM in meeting its technology requirements of the future. The venture will assist USSOCOM’s acquisition directorate.

SOFWERX Webpage.  Learn more at the SOFWERX website – http://www.sofwerx.org

SOFWERX Twitter. If you have a Twitter account and want to follow SOFWERX then click on https://twitter.com/sofwerx and follow!

Mobile App for SOF. The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has a technology prototype shop that develops applications for SOF to use on the battlefield. One of the applications is called a “collective awareness engine” and it combines real-time GPS data and live video streaming and will calculate precise positions. Learn more in “Mobile App Funded by SOCOM Gives Commanders Front Row View of the Battlefield”, National Defense Magazine, September 21, 2016.

Video – SOF Battlefield Technology. A short video by CNN provides are rare look a new technology for SOF operators. Learn more about a USSOCOM gadget shop for SOF.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQvarnw2dkc