TRAINING
Pathfinders ‘Get the Goods’
MOPTI, Mali – U.S. service members traveled to Africa to meet with troops from six partner nations who are sharing their knowledge of aerial resupply and recovery of as part of exercise Atlas Accord 12 in Mali. Members of the 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne) conducted pathfinder training to ... FULL STORY
2nd Recon Marines Take to the Water
CAMP LEJEUNE, NC — A team of Marines, donned in diving gear, sits on the edge of the pier. Feet dangling, they stare out into the murky water, safety checks done and masks strapped on, the Marines give the “OK” signal. With a forward roll and a splash the dive begins. This was the ... FULL STORY
Swift, Silent and Deadly: 2nd Recon Bn
CAMP LEJEUNE, NC — Hanging high in the cloudless sky the sun shines brightly as a UH-1Y Huey takes to the air. Within moments the chopper reaches an altitude of 1500 feet and the Marines on board get the ready command. The jump master yells, “Go!” and with a solid tap on ... FULL STORY
Force Recon Builds Trust, Camaraderie During PHIBLEX
BASA AIRBASE, Republic of the Philippines — Marines with Force Reconnaissance Platoon, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, built trust between themselves and their Philippine Marine counterparts during the Amphibious Landing Exercise, Oct. 25.The Marines of both nations participated in a bilateral parachute exercises, consisting of low level static line operations as well as free-fall operations.“It was ... FULL STORY
NSW SBT Trains with Chilean SOF
VIÑA DEL MAR, Chile – With more than 2,500 miles of shoreline, Chile accounts for a large portion of South America’s western coastline. With such a large area to secure, it can certainly be challenging at times. With this in mind, Chilean military officials welcomed a group of American special operations ... FULL STORY
Marines Train with 1st SFG
TORII STATION, Japan – Marines with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 262 supported a training exercise with their brothers-in-arms from the U.S. Army’s 1st Special Forces Group on Torii Station Aug. 31. Soldiers with 1st Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group, conducted fast-rope drills using Marine CH-46E Sea Knight helicopters operated by ... FULL STORY
Recon Marines Sharpen At-Sea Skills
OKINAWA, Japan — A team of force reconnaissance Marines stack up beside the door of a concrete building here, but in their minds this is a hatch along a passageway in a ship at sea. Silent signals move them quickly through the entryway in a fluid search for targets. The Marines of Force Reconnaissance ... FULL STORY
2nd Recon Conducts Helo Casting
CAMP LEJEUNE, NC — Marines and sailors from 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division and Force Reconnaissance Company, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, conducted helicopter casting operations aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., June 14, 2011. The purpose of the exercise was to familiarize the Marines on exiting a moving CH-53 ... FULL STORY
3rd Recon Tackles Diving Supervisor's Course
CAMP SCHWAB, Okinawa, Japan – Marines with 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, qualified in the Diving Supervisor Course off the northeast coast of Camp Schwab June 7. The course trains the candidates to become diving supervisors for Marine Corps reconnaissance battalions. Once qualified, they are capable ... FULL STORY
3rd MSOB Marines Conduct HAHO Training
WENDOVER, UT – Twelve Marines with 3rd Marine Special Operations Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command recently graduated a 12-day Double-Bag Static Line parachute course. After completing 13 jumps – 10 during the day, and three at night – they received their qualification in DBSL parachuting and earned their ... FULL STORY
MARSOC JTACs Reinforce Skills
FALLON, NV – The essence of a 14-man Marine Special Operations Team is its ability to function independently in austere environments, often far from friendly lines and support infrastructure. So perhaps one of the most critical assets for an MSOT is the Joint Terminal Attack Controller – a Marine who serves ... FULL STORY
SpecWar Sniper: One Shot, One Kill
WASHINGTON, DC – Sniper instructors tell their students that their duties should come as second nature, especially when it comes to taking another man’s life. If you asked Navy SEAL Lt. j.g. Michael Sandino, an Iraq war veteran and sniper, if he thought he was a killer or assassin, he would scoff at the idea. ... FULL STORY
Force Recon Takes on Dynamic Assault
CAMP HANSEN, Japan – Reconnaissance Marines are conducting marksmanship training drills as part of the Dynamic Assault Course taught by the Special Operations Training Group on Camp Hansen’s Range 16 April 25 to May 27. The Marines, with Force Reconnaissance Platoon, Force Company, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, III Marine Expeditionary Force, ... FULL STORY
Special Operators Take on MFF School
YUMA, AZ – Exit an aircraft from up to 17,000 feet in the air. Spend 60 seconds barreling toward the Arizona desert at 120 miles per hour. Then, once you’re about 4,000 feet above the ground, open your own parachute and ... FULL STORY
EW-11: Joint Training for Joint Ops
HURLBURT FIELD, FL – A joint service and interagency exercise using both "live" and "virtual" forces concluded here Friday. Emerald Warrior concentrates on integrated tactics and multi-service command and control, as well as leverages lessons from Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom to provide trained and ready forces to combatant commanders. "Emerald Warrior ... FULL STORY
Stressful Conditions Set Tone for Ranger School
FORT BENNING, GA – If you can survive 61 days of some of the Army's most intense, rigorous training, you earn the right to wear the Ranger tab. But Ranger School isn't about just surviving - it's about succeeding and leading your team despite struggles and stresses the instructors use to ... FULL STORY
3/75th Ranger Regiment Conducts Live Fire Training
FORT BENNING, GA – In preparation for deployment, Rangers of 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment recently conducted a live fire training exercise utilizing Fort Benning’s new Digital Multipurpose Range Complex. There are a number of benefits to training on this range according to Lt. Col. Mark O’Donnell, ... FULL STORY
Special Forces Dive into Training
JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, WA – Soldiers from 1st Special Forces Group participated in pre-Combat Divers Qualification Course training the past two weeks at JBLM. The pre-CDQC class room and physical training gives soldiers a head start on what to expect during the main CDQC course in Key West, Fla. Soldiers ... FULL STORY
Training in Trans-Sahara Africa
GAO, Mali – The Malian patrol finally reached its objective, a small village north of Gao, following a long drive through the northern territories of vast desert in this Trans-Saharan nation slightly smaller than twice the size of Texas. The platoon leader had been with ... FULL STORY
10th SFG Conducts Centralized Driver Training
FORT CARSON, CO – In an effort to enhance driver's abilities and safety, leaders from the Group Service Support Company, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), conducted a Centralized Driver Training course here Nov. 15-19. The centralized driver's academy is a program that is conducted by the Group Support ... FULL STORY
Unique Training Links SOF, Conventional and Allied Nation Forces
WASHINGTON, DC – Coordination and synchronization between conventional and Special Operations Forces is crucial on the modern battlefield since both share integral roles within an area of responsibility – whether it involves intelligence gathering or conducting combat operations.Add the element of allied and partner nation forces, and the joint-coalition battle space picture can become more ... FULL STORY
Special Operations Air Component Service Members Attend Interoperability Training
SWINDIN, Poland – The experiences and lessons learned from the current war in Afghanistan underscore the critical importance of deliberate planning for coalition special operations forces missions. Training opportunities such as the Jackal Stone 10 exercise, co-hosted this year by Poland and Lithuania and coordinated by the U.S. Special ... FULL STORY
MARSOC Implements New Training
CAMP LEJEUNE, NC – U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command will implement a new training course, Sept. 15, at the Marine Special Operations School here. The three-week Assessment and Selection Preparation and Orientation Course will serve as the precursor to the roughly three-week Assessment and Selection Course and the seven-month ... FULL STORY
Nighttime Flight Ops Essential Part of Training at MUTC
BUTLERVILLE, IN – Little by little, the droning of a helicopter grows louder in the darkness over Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, Ind. Looking up, there are no visual signs of any helicopter traffic. Suddenly, a single helicopter flies directly overhead, surprisingly quick, as it swoops down to an open field to allow a small group of ... FULL STORY
Hospital Rotations Critical Facet of Training Special Operations Combat Medics
Emergency medical services workers wheel a male patient with multiple gunshot wounds into the emergency department’s trauma bay. The patient has been shot in the back, and the bullets have penetrated into his chest and abdomen. In less than 30 seconds, Specialist Noah Smith performs an endotracheal intubation, which is the placement of a flexible ... FULL STORY
CA Fields AN/PRC-152
FORT BRAGG, NC – They may not be the best thing since sliced bread, but in the radio world of the foot Soldier, the Harris ... FULL STORY
