Topic: U.S. Army Special Operations Command

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Famous US Special Forces operations

Here are six of the most famous successful American special operations missions in recent memory.

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Two harrowing US military rescues offer haunting portrait of Afghan war

Rescue pilots in Afghanistan describe flying five to 10 combat missions a day, on constant alert. Describing one mission, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor last week, Col. Christopher Barnett says: 'It was like the Alamo.'
White House defends Secret Service director

Press secretary Jay Carney said the President's security was never compromised.
Secret Service and US military: Why prostitution can end careers

It’s only quite recently that prostitution has been specifically addressed in military law. It also violates the Secret Service code of conduct. That's why last week's scandal in Colombia is damaging careers and ending some while raising questions about human trafficking.
Secret Service tries to quell outcry, scandal takes political turn

The Secret Service did not identify the agents being forced out or eight others who remain on administrative leave. In a statement, the service said one supervisor was allowed to retire, and another will be fired for cause. A third employee, who was not a supervisor, has resigned.
Secret Service begins swift crackdown on carousing agents

As Congress demands action, the Secret Service is moving rapidly to punish agents connected to the scandal involving prostitutes in Colombia. Three have been forced out so far.
Secret Service's Colombia scandal has election-year implications

The growing scandal surrounding Secret Service and military personnel's association with prostitutes in the run-up to the Summit of the Americas is a scandal the President would rather not have.
Defending Afghanistan: are Afghan forces ready?

An extended occupation and ever-shifting objectives could leave Afghanistan shakier in 2014 than when US-led forces arrived.
Backchannels
A faulty argument for staying on in Afghanistan

Marc Thiessen of the Washington Post's op-ed page is promising doom when US troops pull out of Afghanistan. There is no reason to believe he's close to correct.
'Act of Valor' glorifies Navy SEALs. But can they act? (+trailer)

Act of Valor: War movies in wartime inevitably are controversial. "Act of Valor" – the movie about US Navy SEALs – is bringing mixed reviews from professional film critics and moviegoers.
Famous US Special Forces operations

Here are six of the most famous successful American special operations missions in recent memory.
Chapter & Verse
Book on bin Laden raid is a 'fabrication,' says US Special Operations

'SEAL Target Geronimo' by former Navy SEAL Chuck Pfarrer, which presents an alternate version of the death of Osama bin Laden, is 'far off the mark,' says a US Special Operations spokesperson.
After the US pulls out, will CIA rely more on Afghan mercenaries?

Thousands of Afghan mercenaries are believed to be helping America battle Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and their allies. But they're accused of flagrant human rights abuses.
Navy SEALs: Afghan helicopter crash investigation begins

Navy SEALs and Afghan troops were killed over the weekend in a helicopter crash south of Kabul. Navy SEALs, along with other US special forces, have been very involved in the war on terrorism.
Medal of Honor awarded to US Army sergeant for Afghan action

Medal of Honor was presented to Sergeant 1st Class Leroy Petry by President Obama Tuesday, which also was the Medal of Honor's 149th birthday.
Army beret to be dumped in favor of more practical caps

Army beret: Those who tend to confuse US Army soldiers with beatniks will soon have one less excuse. The Army is ditching the black beret in favor of a more practical patrol cap.
As troop drawdown nears, is NATO surge working in Afghanistan?

As Obama's promise of a troop drawdown nears, the US military says the surge of tens of thousands of NATO reinforcements that began last year has won some and lost some against the Taliban but needs more time to succeed.
Medal of Honor: Ranger who grabbed grenade in Afghanistan to receive award

Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Petry, a father of four, will be the second living veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to receive the award.
US and Pakistan: allies with mutual disgust

The Raymond Davis incident shows the fault lines in the US-Pakistan relationship. The real battle being fought between the two 'allies' is in Afghanistan – the battle for influence.
Man who posed as former Special Forces colonel pleads guilty

William Hillar used a falsely inflated résumé, which included experience in the Special Forces, to gain work teaching classes and delivering speeches.
Arrested US official Raymond Allen Davis is actually CIA contractor

American Raymond Allen Davis, jailed in Pakistan for the fatal shooting of two armed men, was secretly working for the CIA, a disclosure likely to further frustrate US efforts to free the man and strain relations between two countries partnered in a fragile alliance in the war on terror.
'Child soldier' pleads guilty at Guantánamo, averting a trial

A Guantánamo detainee who was 15 when he was captured, pleads guilty to five charges, including murder. The plea allows US prosecutors to avoid a trial, and offers the 'child soldier' an endpoint for his incarceration.
Tiger Woods plays his worst round ever at Firestone

Tiger Woods, who has won seven times at Firestone, struggled all day Thursday to shoot a 74, his worst round ever on the course and in the tournament. 'Just because I like the course doesn't mean I'm going to play well on it,' said Tiger Woods.
Africa Monitor
Somaliland elections: Why the world ignores Horn of Africa's oasis of stability

The self-declared republic of Somaliland voted this past weekend for a new president. Somaliland is the one corner of Somalia that functions, but the international community refuses recognize it as a nation-state. Is the West scuppering its best chance for democracy in the region?
The cold war is over, so why the fascination with Russian spies?

As long as there are secrets, there are bound to be spies. Alleged Russian spies have made big news in the US this week.
Africa Monitor
USA vs. Ghana: Africa best turn up the heat on US World Cup soccer

Not since the USA made it to the semifinals of the inaugural World Cup in 1930 has it had such a clear chance to return. But in Ghana, the US faces a team with organization and collective grit.