“The Sioux say this officer was the bravest man they had ever fought.” — Sioux Chief Red Horse, 1881. “History is not history unless it is the truth.” — Abraham Lincoln, 1856. We’ve all heard the official, government version of the tragic… [Read more…]
“The Sioux say this officer was the bravest man they had ever fought.” — Sioux Chief Red Horse, 1881. “History is not history unless it is the truth.” — Abraham Lincoln, 1856. We’ve all heard the official, government version of the tragic story of Custer’s Last Stand at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. What is known, beyond any doubt, is that Lieutenant Colonel (brevet … [Read more…]
The Pentagon confirmed this week that US forces carried out a lethal strike against a suspected drug-carrying vessel in the southern Caribbean, killing 11 people identified as members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. The operation targeted a small motorboat traveling through international waters that officials said was transporting narcotics toward the United … [Read more…]
The US Army is doubling down on its next leap in missile defense. In late August, the service awarded Raytheon a $1.7 billion contract to kick off low-rate production of the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS), a cutting-edge radar system designed to outpace the most advanced threats in the world. The new award pushes the total program value to $3.8 billion, … [Read more…]
In an era where speed, cost, and resilience matter as much as firepower, the US Navy is asking a radical question: Can 20 robot boats replace a billion-dollar destroyer? Rear Admiral Michael Mattis and his Task Force 66 (TF66) think the answer might be yes, and the results of their experiments could reshape naval warfare. Mattis calls it the “deconstructed DDG.” Instead of … [Read more…]
The cockpit was choking with smoke as Colonel William A. Jones III forced his A-1H Skyraider through another low pass near Dong Hoi, North Vietnam. Anti-aircraft fire raked the valley, and his aircraft had already taken a direct hit, but he pressed on, searching for the downed American pilot who had parachuted into enemy territory. When he finally spotted the survivor, enemy … [Read more…]
Today’s “SOF Pic of the Day” captures a dramatic moment in the skies: a US Air Force HH-60G Pave Hawk unleashing a countermeasure flare as an F-15D Eagle maneuvers above during a joint over-water test flight on August 20, 2025. The scene comes from a Joint Test Evaluation, underscoring the precision, readiness, and coordination that define modern Air Force operations. The … [Read more…]
Shaped for the wars of tomorrow, the B-21 Raider is quietly moving from concept to reality. With its second test flight expected before the end of 2025, the Air Force’s newest stealth bomber is preparing to take its place at the center of America’s long-range strike force. Lt. Gen. Andrew Gebara, deputy chief of staff for strategic deterrence and nuclear integration, shared the … [Read more…]
In a scene that felt closer to sci-fi than training, Army paratroopers made history with the first drone-on-drone kill. On August 27, the Department of Defense confirmed the milestone, highlighting how quickly the Army is adapting to drone warfare. The strike occurred earlier this month at the Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and Launched Effects Summit at Fort Rucker, Alabama, … [Read more…]
The US Space Force has launched the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV-8) on its eighth mission, continuing a program that has become central to testing the future of American space capabilities. The reusable spaceplane lifted off at 11:50 p.m. Eastern Time on August 21, 2025, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A. The mission is … [Read more…]
I have a friend who is an accomplished writer. He is an older man. He is at terms with himself. He tells me that to be a good writer, you must be able to walk naked down Main Street on Sunday afternoon. It is a metaphor, of course. However, he makes a salient point. One must be comfortable with the truth about who he or she is. It seemed to me that the environment in … [Read more…]
Good morning. Here’s your brief for Friday, August 29, 2025. At a glance: Border Patrol detains firefighters at a Washington wildfire, Trump threatens Guard deployments to blue cities, and the Space Force graduates its first class of Guardian officers. The UN sets 2026 as the end for Lebanon’s peacekeeping mission, Israel halts aid pauses in Gaza, and Poland hikes defense … [Read more…]
Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC), also known as the Marine Raiders, was officially formed on February 24, 2006. This was the culmination of years of effort to establish a dedicated special operations unit within the Marine Corps. From Force Recon to MARSOC When Special Operations Command (SOCOM) was created in 1986, the Marines had Force Recon as their elite unit. … [Read more…]
