The myths perpetuated about SERE rival those of Special Forces Selection. But do they have any truth in them or are they completely made up?
Pararescue
Having the worst Thanksgiving Day ever while trying to evade enemy forces in special operations school
Special Ops“This tastes like a road-kill raccoon,” one of our men said. “That’s exactly what it is,” one of the guerrillas replied.
Special Tactics Humanitarians: Elite Air Force units in Central America
FeaturedRecently, a team from the Air Force’s 23rd Special Tactics Squadron deployed to Central America in response to a humanitarian crisis, the result of two devastating hurricanes. In November, Hurricanes Eta and Iota rampaged through nine countries in Central and South America, causing severe flooding and landslides and affecting tens of millions of people. In […]
Air Commandos wrecking cars and saving lives
FeaturedJaws of life. Hooligan tools. Chainsaws. Hammers. Awkward names for things that could save lives on the battlefield as well as on the streets of America. But these and other tools can be found in the search and rescue and personnel recovery arsenal of the elite Air Commandos. Earlier in October, Pararescuemen and Combat Control […]
Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard team up to rescue fisherman in the Pacific
FeaturedEarlier in October, the Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard worked together to save the life of a 73-year-old mariner in the Pacific Ocean. In the morning hours of October 2, the Lady Alice, an 84-foot commercial fishing vessel sent out an emergency message. It was sailing approximately 150 miles east of Hawaii when one […]
Air Force commandos save lost teen hiker
FeaturedA few days ago, the Air Force’s elite Air Commandos once more proved their worth by saving the life of a 16-year-old hiker who had gotten lost in Mt. St. Helens, Washington State. On September 28, a 16-year-old boy had gone hiking with his mother and 13-year-old sister in the Hummocks Trailhead of Mt. St. […]
Female Air Commando at the helm of Special Operations wing
FeaturedColonel Allison Black, a female Airman, made history earlier in the summer by becoming the vice commander of the 24th Special Operations Wing. She is one of the few female Airmen to command at that level in the history of Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). And yet this is not Col. Black’s first. Earlier […]
Elite Air Force team called in to rescue missing dad and his daughter in Oregon
On DutyEarlier in September, Air Commandos rescued two hikers who had got lost in Oregon’s Mount Hood. A 34-year-old man and his 7-year-old daughter had gone hiking but got lost and were missing for two days. At that point, the local Sheriff’s department requested the help of the Air Force. A combined team comprised of eight […]
Special Operators receive Silver Stars for valor in Afghanistan
FeaturedThree Silver Stars were earned during a hard fight in Afghanistan last year. Two Army Special Forces soldiers and one Air Force Pararescueman received the nation’s third-highest award for extreme valor while under fire in Afghanistan. The 7th Special Forces Group team fought against what Army officials described as an elite Taliban unit, which they […]
Assessment & Selection: How the Air Force chooses its commandos
CareerIn its unrelenting pursuit of a more clever, versatile, and lethal operator, the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) has streamlined its Assessment & Selection process for Battlefield Airmen. Introduced last year, the revamped version of the Assessment and Selection (A&S) course is four weeks long and includes all Special Warfare specialties (that is, […]
