CSM JACK JOPLIN, CELEBRATED DELTA FORCE WARRIOR, DIES AT 82
Command Sergeant Major Jack G. Joplin, a legendary Army Special Forces and Delta Force operator who participated in two of the most famous rescue operations in special operations history has died. CSM Joplin passed away last week at the age of 82. Joplin spent more than three decades in the Army and continued to serve […]
SPECIAL FORCES ANTICS: THE PLUNGE OF THE MIGHTY CABLE SPOOL
Spool? How many words do we know by this name — spool? There can be only one and this tale is about a mighty spool. The below image depicts a representative spool whose image we are going to need to get us through this next chapter of SF Antics. Though pallid of title, the plunge of […]
DELTA FORCE AND THE ONE-EYED TANK GUNNER: A TALE OF RESPECT AND PATRIOTISM
We had a one-eyed tank gunner supporting our unit. She lost an eye at Tikrit, Iraq skirmishing there with the Mujahidin. She was on the battlefield and went home every night to tuck in the perimeter truck fort. She was a battlefield loss—an injured soldier who’s sent back home to convalesce—who chose to stay with her people and unit […]
WHO ACTUALLY GETS TO CALL THEMSELVES ‘ARMY RANGERS?’
Over the past week, an online skirmish over who qualifies to be called an “Army Ranger” once again bubbled to the social media surface, this time spurred by a Salon article calling out Republican Senator Tom Cotton for referring to himself as a Ranger, despite never serving in the 75th Ranger Regiment. Here at Sandboxx News, we […]
MRBALLEN: THE FORMER NAVY SEAL WHO TELLS SCARY STORIES ON YOUTUBE
The internet has no shortage of Navy SEALs telling incredible stories (we even have some of our own here on Sandboxx), but few within the SEAL community have managed to etch out as much success on social media as John Allen–commonly known online as MrBallen. Despite having an incredibly harrowing story about how his years on the […]
MEET CALLIE, THE MILITARY’S ONLY SEARCH-AND-RESCUE DOG
This is Callie, the only search and rescue dog in the entire U.S. military. Callie and her handler, Master Sergeant Rudy Parsons, are assigned to the 123rd Special Tactics Squadron, Kentucky Air National Guard. Callie was “born” out of experience. In 2010, a catastrophic earthquake rocked Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. The impoverished country’s infrastructure doubled […]
WHY IS SAUDI ARABIA RECRUITING FORMER NAVY SEAL CONTRACTORS?
It appears that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is looking to send some of its military members to U.S. Navy SEAL training (BUD/S) and they are really shooting for the moon in terms of seeking out former U.S. Navy SEALs to prepare them. According to a source familiar with a contract entered into to train […]
The epitome of the NAVY SEAL BUD/S instructor Class 234’s Terry Patstone
The other day, my Dad sent me and my cousin a link to a YouTube video of SEAL BUD/S Instructor, Terry Patstone. My cousin recently completed Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training, and we all three (plus, my uncle) had been waxing nostalgic about our own various BUD/S experiences at a family get-together to celebrate the cousin’s graduation. The YouTube […]
ON CASTING ‘FEARLESS’ NAVY SEAL ADAM BROWN (FROM A SEAL WHO KNEW HIM)
Back in 2014, it was reported that Relativity Studios had bought the movie rights to the book “Fearless,” by Eric Blehm, about fallen Navy SEAL Adam Brown. As of this writing, the movie has yet to be made, but I offer some thoughts on casting the archetype Navy SEAL…. If — 20 years ago — you had […]
US and Scandinavian Special Operations: A bulwark against Russian influence
Special operations units can do more than ram doors and shoot bad guys. A key aspect of US special operations is the ability to work with partners to create a potent deterrence capability and fight off malign foreign influence. Recently, American commandos assigned to Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR) conducted a training exercise with Swedish […]
BUY THIS (INERT) BACKPACK NUKE TO LIVEN UP YOUR OPERATOR COSPLAY
Who can pass up owning their very own backpack nuke? There’s no denying that the “operator aesthetic” has come to dominate the military, veteran, and tough-guy LARPER (Live Action Role Player) communities in recent years, and for good reason. My hearty veteran beard strategically hides the fact that I was born without a man’s chin, […]
SEAL PICKS UP A STAR IN FIRST FOR THE NAVY’S SEAMAN TO ADMIRAL PROGRAM
According to a press release from the U.S. Navy’s Chief of Naval Personnel, Navy SEAL Matthew J. Burns recently became the first former enlisted Navy sailor to be promoted to flag officer rank (admiral) through the U.S. Navy’s Seaman to Admiral Program, now known as Seaman to Admiral-21 (STA-21). The former Navy recruit, who enlisted in 1988, […]
THE SPECIAL FORCES ROOTS OF ACTING SECDEF CHRISTOPHER MILLER
As of Monday, Christopher Miller is the new (acting) Secretary of Defense. He is now responsible for the entire US military behemoth. A tough proposition, despite his experience navigating bureaucracy as the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center and as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict. But Miller has a vast […]
SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND GETS NEW HIGH TECH RADIOS
The U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) awarded L3 Harris Technologies a $82 million contract for advanced radios. Soon, American commandos will be fielding the Falcon IV AN/PRC-167 multi-channel manpack radio. Essentially, the AN/PRC-167 brings together numerous tactical communications functions in one portable device. It also contains an LCD screen from which special operators can watch intelligence, surveillance, […]
ARCTIC AND SPECIAL OPERATIONS: PREPARING FOR THE NEXT BATTLE
As the US military is focusing on the Russian and Chinese threat, the Arctic becomes an ever more important region. The bountiful natural resources reportedly existing under the endless ice of the Arctic make the contested region highly desirable for all contestants — and there’s a lot of them. In addition to the US, the European Union, China, […]
HIGH EXPLOSIVES AND LOW TEMPS: SPECIAL FORCES IN ALASKA
Editor’s Note: This is part two of George Hand’s story about his Special Forces team operating in Alaska. Read part one here. I admit I got some pretty decent shuteye in that Patrol Base (PB). I ate cold food because I just don’t care, plus heating food is such a hassle in the field. I did […]
HEROES AT DINNER: THE 5 NAVY SEALS IN MY FAMILY
This November, on what is undoubtedly going to be a lovely fall day in always-sunny San Diego, California, the latest class of students in the Navy’s SEAL Qualification Training (SQT) program will graduate and become full-fledged Navy SEALs. They will have started their Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training over a year ago, and among countless […]
THIS NEW SPECIAL FORCES VIDEO MIXES HISTORY AND HEROISM IN THE BEST WAYS
The U.S. Army’s 7th Special Forces Group just released a new video combining archive footage discussing the threat posed by Soviet troops during the Cold War with shots of modern Green Berets training for combat operations. The brief video is a motivating must-see. In order to better understand why the juxtaposition of Cold War discussion […]
‘DEATH WAITS IN THE DARK:’ A THRILLING TALE OF A NIGHT STALKER AT WAR
The Night Stalkers, officially known as the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, are the best helicopter pilots and crews in the world. These are the crews who fly America’s top special operations units to combat. They can reach any target, plus or minus 30 seconds, as they take pride in saying. The Battle of Mogadishu, the […]
Female Air Commando at the helm of Special Operations wing
Colonel 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 in […]
A crash course in survival gear from a Delta Force operator
Here’s a seemingly unfair question to ask: If you’re only allowed to carry along one single piece of gear with you into a survival situation what would that piece be? NO FAIR!! I agree it’s not fair, what’s more is it isn’t a realistic question to ask. It would be great to have parameters added, […]
A look back on CSM Lyle H. Marsh’s Special Forces career
In late August, Command Sergeant Major Lyle H. Marsh, the senior enlisted leader of Special Operations Command Africa (SOCAFRICA), retired from the Army after 35 years in service. His career offers the opportunity to reflect on some key moments in Special Operations history but also to appraise the current situation in Africa. CSM Marsh began […]
Army Special Forces and Navy Special Operations light it up together
Recently, an Army Special Forces team trained with the Navy’s Special Boat Teams off the California coast, showcasing the spirit of interoperability that is so crucial to mission success. A Combat Diver Green Beret team from the 10th Special Forces Group represented the Army, while a Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen (SWCC) detachment represented the Navy side […]
Special Operators receive Silver Stars for valor in Afghanistan
Three 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 encountered by accident […]
Delta Force operator to receive Medal of Honor for heroic hostage rescue
A Delta Force operator will be getting the Medal of Honor for a daring hostage rescue mission that took place in Iraq in 2015. The White House announced that Sergeant Major Thomas “Pat” Payne will be receiving the country’s highest military award for valor under fire on 9/11, which marks the 19th anniversary of the terrorist attacked that […]