Free Republic

It’s been a week since Ash Carter made his earth-shattering announcement authorizing women to serve in the combat arms and special operations units of the armed forces. Obviously, it was Obama’s plan to roll out Carter in the wake of the San Bernardino attacks, in order to avoid any scrutiny from conservative media outlets. Congress has thirty days to review the catastrophic decision before it becomes full blown policy. It would be interesting to be a fly on the wall and listen to the conversations that must be going on behind closed doors at the various special operations units in...

When the opportunity presented itself to interview one of the lead Navy SEAL firearms instructors who is also an internationally known law enforcement and military trainer, we jumped at the chance. Meet Chris Sajnog, former Navy SEAL sniper instructor, author and founder of Center Mass Group. Sajnog not only has over 20 years of expertise with one of the most elite military teams in the world, he is willing to share his skills and insight with everyone willing and open to learning them. Our own John Oliver spent some time with Sajnog and here is what he had to say:...

War is nasty, brutal and costly. In our latest wars, many of the casualties suffered by American troops are a direct result of their having to obey rules of engagement created by politicians who have never set foot on — or even seen — a battlefield. Today's battlefield commanders must be alert to the media and do-gooders who are all too ready to demonize troops involved in a battle that produces noncombatant deaths, so-called collateral damage. According to a Western Journalism article by Leigh H Bravo, "Insanity: The Rules of Engagement" (http://tinyurl.com/p59nlqs), our troops fighting in Afghanistan cannot do night...

The commander of the Navy's special warfare units is recommending that the SEALs and combat crew jobs be opened to women, but he warns that women will have greater risk of injury and says the service may be pressured to adjust or lower standards for the jobs.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Marine Corps is expected to ask that women not be allowed to compete for several front-line combat jobs, inflaming tensions between Navy and Marine leaders, U.S. officials say. The tentative decision has ignited a debate over whether Navy Secretary Ray Mabus can veto any Marine Corps proposal to prohibit women from serving in certain infantry and reconnaissance positions. And it puts Gen. Joseph Dunford, the Marine Corps commandant who takes over soon as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at odds with the other three military services, who are expected to open all of their...

We know that Clint Eastwood is a true patriot who makes bold, pro-American films. “American Sniper” – the box office smash hit about NAVY Seal Chris Kyle – has been viewed by millions around the world. Now, Clint Eastwood has shared his opinion on Donald Trump in a huge way. Not only does Eastwood support him, but he’s speaking on behalf of Trump in California, Arizona, and Nevada!

The shotgun is an iconic weapon most often associated with the pump-action badassery of action films and video games. While awesome in fiction, its use in the real world is limited to close combat and breaching doors, not to mention bird and deer hunting. Despite its drawbacks, a mystique surrounds the weapon, and soldiers as well as law enforcement officers still use them. The draw of the gun is so powerful that the Pentagon has spent several decades and millions of dollars to improve on the basic design. In the late 1960s, the military and private companies started tinkering with...

Sent into combat zones 11 times, Brian O’Rourke now will be battling for veterans’ well-being.A week that Americans started by remembering those who gave all in our country’s service is a fitting time for Special Operations Chief Brian O’Rourke to retire from the Navy. He has been a SEAL for two decades, the last nine years with the elite Naval Special Warfare Development Group—“DevGru,” commonly called SEAL Team Six. It has been a remarkable journey for Mr. O’Rourke, who entered the Naval Academy in 1990, bent on becoming a SEAL. Counselors suggested he switch to a less demanding major than...

Rick Perry’s June event in Addison, Texas, where he is expected to announce his candidacy for president, will feature a number of retired and current Navy SEALs, according to a invite to the event. Retired Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell, whose autobiography inspired the 2014 film Lone Survivor, will attend with his wife. The widow of retired Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, whose autobiography inspired the oscar-nominated American Sniper, will also be there. The event will also feature retired U.S. Navy SEAL JJ Jones, retired U.S. Navy SEAL and Medal of Honor Recipient Mike Thornton, retired U.S. Navy SEAL Pete Scobell, and...

Sarah Palin Honors SEALs Aboard USS Iowa Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin honors SEALs aboard the USS Iowa last night at a dinner gala and auction held by the SEAL-NSW Family Foundation. In a brief interview with Ruben Jay, she said, “what an honor for Todd and I to be here. This is iconic of course – the history of this chunk of metal and what it represents; the history and the representative that it is of the virtues and characteristics of our military. It’s an honor to be here to help raise money for families of Navy SEALs and...

Elite special forces are some of the best-trained and most formidable units a country can boast. They go where other soldiers fear to tread, scoping out potential threats, taking out strategic targets, and conducting daring rescue missions. These really are the best of the best. Although it's extremely difficult to rank these forces relative to one another, there are some units that rise above the rest in their track record and the fear they instill in their adversaries. These soldiers have been through rigorous training exercises designed to weed out those who can't hit their exacting standards. In a world...

Not every boy wants a pony, a truck or a puppy; but every boy wants and needs a father figure in his life. When a young boy loses his father during military service, the loss can be crushing. Had his father not volunteered to be one of the 1% of Americans who serve in uniform, he could have grown up with a male role model by his side to set an example of courage and to celebrate his achievements. Let me tell you the story of Operation 300, a non-profit organization that helps children cope with the loss of a...

Parents suing for 'betrayal' want government held in contempt An attorney suing the CIA, Department of Defense and National Security Agency over the shootdown of the Extortion 17 helicopter mission hauling a quick-reaction force of Navy SEALs in Afghanistan in 2011 is asking a court to issue a contempt citation to the federal agencies. In a new motion, attorney Larry Klayman of Freedom Watch argues the defendants have missed an agreed-upon deadline for producing requested documents. The lawsuit itself, Klayman says, arose from the defendants’ failure to respond to a Freedom of Information Act request regarding the crash that killed...

FULL TITLE: Hillary Clinton’s Top Aides Knew from First Minutes that Benghazi Was a Terrorist Attack, E-mails Disclose From the very first moments of the terrorist attack on the U.S. compound in Benghazi on September 11, 2012, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her top aides were advised that the compound was under a terrorist attack. In fact, less than two hours into the attack, they were told that the al-Qaeda affiliate in Libya, Ansar al-Sharia, had claimed responsibility. These revelations and others are disclosed by a trove of e-mails and other documents pried from the State Department by Judicial Watch...

The Navy SEAL who killed Osama bin Laden says there is a welcome mat out for women SEALs if they can meet the grueling physical and mental standards that exist today. Former Chief Petty Officer Robert O’Neill, whose handpicked SEAL Team Six unit raided bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan, answered “absolutely” when asked whether women can meet the demands of sea, undersea, ground and airborne warriors. Asked by The Washington Times how he knows, Mr. O’Neill said, “I’ve met women that I think can beat me up. I’m not joking. Here in the states. There are some tough women out...

A team of former Navy Seals and CIA operatives splash beer on their faces as they prepare to play the part of American sex tourists. They’ll have to maintain laser-sharp focus as they engage in negotiations with some of the world’s dirtiest criminals. One suspicious move or remark could put their whole team at risk and prevent the rescue of dozens of innocent children. This team, known as Operation Underground Railroad, works to prosecute child sex traffickers and to rescue the victims. Heading the team is Tim Ballard — a husband, a father of six children and a BYU alumnus....

Uh-oh! Could this be one serial fabulism too far for Brian Williams? The tall tale that converts his six month suspension into a permanent expulsion from NBC News? We've the tales of Brian about his helicopter being hit by an RPG, Hurricane Katrina fantasies, and even a supposed encounter with the Pope himself during his very brief stint as a college student before he dropped out to work for Jimmy Carter. According to a report at Page Six of the New York Post, a former Navy SEAL is casting aspersions upon the veracity of Williams story about flying into Baghdad...

Texas declares ‘Chris Kyle Day,’ as Medal of Honor petition drive launches Published February 02, 2015 FoxNews.com Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is declaring Feb. 2 as "Chris Kyle Day" in his state, honoring the late sniper as a petition drive also gets underway to consider him for the Medal of Honor. Kyle, considered to be the deadliest sniper in U.S. military history, is the subject of the blockbuster film "American Sniper." Though the movie has been controversial, Abbott told Fox News he decided to honor Kyle because “he’s an American hero.” “He had the guts to stand up and defend...

In case you’re not up-to-date on the latest Thing To Be Outraged About, here’s a quick recap: Seth Rogen and Michael Moore tweeted some things in relation to the movie American Sniper that people didn’t like. In Moore’s case, it was an observation about how cowardly snipers can be. In Rogen’s case, it was about how the film reminded him of the Nazi propaganda film in Inglourious Basterds. There was some outrage about it, and Rogen clarified on Twitter Monday that he wasn’t comparing the film about Chris Kyle to Nazi propaganda; the former just reminded him of the Basterds...

Chris Kyle’s story is one I believe absolutely should be told, and although I have my concerns regarding how accurately the movie will relay the events of his service as a SEAL, I wouldn’t miss it. Unfortunately it’s looking as though the naysayers are working overtime on this one, though, because the movie has yet to come out and the mud slinging has already begun.