SOFREP Buys SpecialOperations.com

**The Reaper** · 08-29-2013, 08:18

SOFREP Buys SpecialOperations.com

http://feraljundi.com/5869/industry-...perations-com/

This is some interesting news. Apparently SpecialOperations.com was sold to SOFREP. Here is the quote from Soldier Systems.

Now, SOFREP plans to take SpecialOperations.com back to its roots and reinvigorate it as a SOF wiki that contains history, education and serves as a learning portal for worldwide SOF. If anyone can do it, it's the staff at SOFREP.

I asked Brandon Webb if they were going to keep the forum and at this point he was unsure. Brandon updated me that SOCNET is a separate entity and will remain in place.

If you are not familiar with SpecialOperations.com, you should really check it out if you are interested in researching this industry or special operations. A big hat tip to Soldier Systems blog for the heads up on this.

The other really smart thing about this move is the URL of specialoperations.com has some incredible search value. Type 'special operations' into Google and it captures first page of search for those key words.

So will this will be a paid for subscription or a free service? According to SOFREP, it will continue to be free and open to the public as a special operations academic and historical resource. Congrats to SOFREP and good luck with revamping the site. -Matt

Edit: 08/27/2013 The owners of SOCNET forum have contacted me to say that their forum is a completely separate thing from specialoperations.com and that SOFREP does not own it.

Max_Tab · 12-28-2013, 12:04

So the new website just went up and I have a couple comments.

1. Since when are the SEAL's claiming OSS as there lineage? http://specialoperations.com/28286/us-navy-seals-oss/

2. When did the SEALS claim UW as one of there core missions, or did they? (they very well could have I just don't remember hearing about it.)
http://specialoperations.com/28315/u...eals-missions/

UNCONVENTIONAL WARFARE
WINNING THE HEARTS AND MINDS WHILE STRENGTHENING THE FISTS
Unconventional Warfare (UW) has been a specialty of the U.S Army’s Green Berets for a very long time and it has been adopted by the SEAL teams as well.

Its purpose is to prepare the battlefield for follow on special operations missions and the occupation of conventional forces. A UW mission can last for months and often years as specially trained SEALs gain access to typically denied areas by building relationships through shared objectives, training and time spent together.

Much like a FID mission UW missions, also known as guerrilla warfare, are typically centered on the training and enabling of foreign forces. UW becomes very different than FID because it is executed under covert or clandestine conditions and it’s typically more aggressive in its nature and its purpose.

UW missions are essential for collecting valuable intelligence that often prevents nasty attacks as well as enables extremely effective offensive strategies. UW units are known to train and enable guerrilla forces in sabotage, intelligence operations, recovery operations and even direct action.

If this now is one of their core missions, did they change bud/s to add a Robin Sage like training event, or are they just so awesome they can do it with no additional training?

My thought; if they want to be SF so bad, that they are trying to take not only our skillset but now also are lineage, why didn't they just join the Army and go to the Q course?

Edited to add: I had posted a couple of these questions on SOFREPS FB page last night, and apparently they didn't like it. This morning my comments were deleted, and I am no longer even allowed to comment.

guerillabiscuit · 12-28-2013, 13:06

Typically a reaction like that is an indicator of raising a valid concern, or the calling out of false information. I know the SOF community has become more competitive lately in adding language capability to the Navy's crew but I'm sure UW hasn't been incorporated into their skillset. I'm curious as to the source of their information. I wouldn't be surprised if the SEALs are trying, after having a couple of Admirals as SOCOM commanders you're bound to get an edge on training and funding.

Another Robin Sage? They wish. Although we can't forget imitation is the best form of flattery.

**The Reaper** · 12-28-2013, 14:23

Hilarious.

Very difficult to conduct UW when you have no language, cultural, or UW training.

ADM McRaven's language requirements for SF are almost all ODAs at 3/3s and 2/2s by the end of the next five year cycle.

SEALs are directed to have at least one 1/1 at the end of the same period.

If they were serious about this, the standards would be the same.

I am also pretty sure that there is no formal instruction in BUDS or the SEAL course for UW, much less 60 years of institutional focus on it.

What are they going to do with their Gs, hire terps or use pointie-talkie techniques?

Get real.

TR

Dusty · 12-28-2013, 14:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Max_Tab

My thought; if they want to be SF so bad, that they are trying to take not only our skillset but now also are lineage, why didn't they just join the Army and go to the Q course?
(

Maybe "unconventional" to them means growing a beard and playing horseshoes in isolation.

Snaquebite · 12-28-2013, 15:24

SOFREP did this back in August and since then have made the site almost exclusively about SEALS and a few foreign SpecOps units. The site is a joke.

Max_Tab · 12-28-2013, 16:19

That's kinda what I thought but wanted to check in about it.

Has any one read that book they published about Operation Redwing? I know a bunch of guys who actually found him but you never hear about SF when anyone talks about it, it's always seals.

MR2 · 12-28-2013, 16:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Reaper

What are they going to do with their Gs, hire terps or use pointie-talkie techniques?

Get real.

TR

Is there an app for that?

**The Reaper** · 12-28-2013, 16:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by MR2

Is there an app for that?

Contractors (former SF guys).

Kind of like when AFSOC stood up a FID squadron, but SF was tasked to provide translators, LNOs, and people to live with the indig, while the Airedales went back to the hotel with the bar back in the capital.

That is how we get the reputation of being the housekeepers for the real warriors.

TR

Golf1echo · 12-28-2013, 16:57

Gave up on SOFREP awhile back it became obvious to me their main audience was the greater public, not to mention many of the books that have come out. I am a little confused though as the SEALS and Special Boat guys I work with in business or know don't say anything about anything and are adamant about that, they themselves just shake their heads about all this...

MtnGoat · 12-29-2013, 12:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Max_Tab

So the new website just went up and I have a couple comments.

1. Since when are the SEAL's claiming OSS as there lineage? http://specialoperations.com/28286/us-navy-seals-oss/

2. When did the SEALS claim UW as one of there core missions, or did they? (they very well could have I just don't remember hearing about it.)
http://specialoperations.com/28315/u...eals-missions/

UNCONVENTIONAL WARFARE
WINNING THE HEARTS AND MINDS WHILE STRENGTHENING THE FISTS
Unconventional Warfare (UW) has been a specialty of the U.S Army’s Green Berets for a very long time and it has been adopted by the SEAL teams as well.

Its purpose is to prepare the battlefield for follow on special operations missions and the occupation of conventional forces. A UW mission can last for months and often years as specially trained SEALs gain access to typically denied areas by building relationships through shared objectives, training and time spent together.

Much like a FID mission UW missions, also known as guerrilla warfare, are typically centered on the training and enabling of foreign forces. UW becomes very different than FID because it is executed under covert or clandestine conditions and it’s typically more aggressive in its nature and its purpose.

UW missions are essential for collecting valuable intelligence that often prevents nasty attacks as well as enables extremely effective offensive strategies. UW units are known to train and enable guerrilla forces in sabotage, intelligence operations, recovery operations and even direct action.

If this now is one of their core missions, did they change bud/s to add a Robin Sage like training event, or are they just so awesome they can do it with no additional training?

My thought; if they want to be SF so bad, that they are trying to take not only our skillset but now also are lineage, why didn't they just join the Army and go to the Q course?

Edited to add: I had posted a couple of these questions on SOFREPS FB page last night, and apparently they didn't like it. This morning my comments were deleted, and I am no longer even allowed to comment.

SF has been written out of, IMO ALL, most PDRs and reports coming out of USSOCOM. Yet the word is that SF is the most asked for element in USSOCOM.

The langauge side, when you start looking at OPI/DLPT scores, SF isn't doing good. The main issue with this is our size. When you take a 100% out of 10k to the 100% out of 5K of the SEALs then throw in MARSOC. A SF Regiment numbers or present ages suck. Yet when you're doing a Ppt briefing and it's all about numbers. That's what is being seen. When SF NCOs don't care about lanaguge and when unit Command and the guys on a ODA don't care about UW and lanaguge, there isn't much that will change.

I've always said that Afghanistan was the best UW exercise going on. Yet whe you try to brief things in UW terms and with that kind of vision, SOTF Commanders and CSM don't see it that way. We have Team Sgts and TM LDRs that have only seen a DA world and they will be in those Company Commander positions shortly and we can only hope that a SGMS/CSM can school them. Yet as TM SGT, IMO they didn't even know how to fill in their "whitespace" and had to have POIs made for them. It took SF 4 to 6 to become DA focused, well it will take that long for us to start think in UW terms.

Quote:

UW missions are essential for collecting valuable intelligence that often prevents nasty attacks as well as enables extremely effective offensive strategies. UW units are known to train and enable guerrilla forces in sabotage, intelligence operations, recovery operations and even direct action.

MaxTab,

Are you stating this or is this from somewhere?

Quote:

UW missions are essential for collecting valuable intelligence that often prevents nasty attacks

BaHaha now this is funny stuff.

Max_Tab · 12-29-2013, 20:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by MtnGoat

SF has been written out of, IMO ALL, most PDRs and reports coming out of USSOCOM. Yet the word is that SF is the most asked for element in USSOCOM.

The langauge side, when you start looking at OPI/DLPT scores, SF isn't doing good. The main issue with this is our size. When you take a 100% out of 10k to the 100% out of 5K of the SEALs then throw in MARSOC. A SF Regiment numbers or present ages suck. Yet when you're doing a Ppt briefing and it's all about numbers. That's what is being seen. When SF NCOs don't care about lanaguge and when unit Command and the guys on a ODA don't care about UW and lanaguge, there isn't much that will change.

I've always said that Afghanistan was the best UW exercise going on. Yet whe you try to brief things in UW terms and with that kind of vision, SOTF Commanders and CSM don't see it that way. We have Team Sgts and TM LDRs that have only seen a DA world and they will be in those Company Commander positions shortly and we can only hope that a SGMS/CSM can school them. Yet as TM SGT, IMO they didn't even know how to fill in their "whitespace" and had to have POIs made for them. It took SF 4 to 6 to become DA focused, well it will take that long for us to start think in UW terms.

MaxTab,

Are you stating this or is this from somewhere?

BaHaha now this is funny stuff.

No it is a quote from the link, about the seals. I'm not stating anything, it is all from sofrep.