The Expanding Global Footprint of U.S. Special Operations

February 17, 2019

Introduction With the possible U.S. military withdrawal from Syria in the news on a daily basis, the mainstream media has been quick to parrot the DOD’s claim that 2,000 troops, mostly special operati…

The Global Growth of U.S. Special Operations Forces – 133 Countries Down, 17 to Go?

July 23, 2018

Opinion

Early last month, at a tiny military post near the tumbledown town of Jamaame in Somalia, small arms fire began to ring out as mortar shells crashed down. When the attack was over, one Somali soldier …

A Wide World of Winless War

June 27, 2017

Opinion

Globe-Trotting U.S. Special Ops Forces Already Deployed to 137 Nations in 2017. The tabs on their shoulders read “Special Forces,” “Ranger,” “Airborne.” And soon their guidon -- the “colors” of Compan…

The Year of the Commando – U.S. Special Operations Forces Deploy to 138 Nations, 70% of the World’s Countries

January 9, 2017

Military

They could be found on the outskirts of Sirte, Libya, supporting local militia fighters, and in Mukalla, Yemen, backing troops from the United Arab Emirates. At Saakow, a remote outpost in southern S…

Mission Impossible: Keeping Track of US Special Ops in Africa

September 7, 2016

Opinion

Sometimes the real news is in the details -- or even in the discrepancies. Take, for instance, missions by America’s most elite troops in Africa. It was September 2014. The sky was bright and clear an…