In this episode of the Dead Warrior Society Podcast, we take a hard look at the roots of Unconventional Warfare (UW) in the annals of American military history and what it really meant in the post–World War II era and how its legacy has been shaped, stretched, and sometimes distorted over time.

Green Berets have long claimed the title of “masters of UW”, pointing to missions in Vietnam, Afghanistan, and beyond as proof. But does the historical record back that up? Not exactly.

We dive into the complicated and often misunderstood origins of UW, how U.S. policymakers and military leaders viewed it after WWII, and why the story of Special Forces and UW isn't as clear-cut as many would like to believe.

This episode challenges the legend and explores the real story behind the Green Berets’ rise, their true mission in the early days, and how Unconventional Warfare has evolved in theory vs. practice.

In this episode, I dive deep into the question: What exactly are Special Operations? To unpack this, I turn to one of the most influential voices on the subject—Admiral William H. McRaven (ret). Using his 1996 dissertation and his well-known book, Spec Ops: Case Studies in Special Operations Warfare: Theory and Practice, I explore the six core principles McRaven outlines for successful special operations missions.

Instead of relying on the case studies McRaven uses in his book, I apply his framework to my own selection of historical operations—some well-known, others less so—to test and better understand how these principles hold up across different contexts, eras, and missions.

The Green Berets—once the undisputed masters of Unconventional Warfare—are now facing a crossroads. Once revered for their deep cultural fluency, guerrilla warfare expertise, and behind-the-lines operations, many in the defense community are now asking: What went wrong?

While Special Forces continue to fly the UW banner, the hard truth is that other units—often leaner, better-resourced, and more agile—have quietly taken over many of the missions SF was designed for. Is it a matter of doctrine? Leadership? Or has the world simply moved on?

This episode dives headfirst into one of the most controversial and emotionally charged conversations happening in the special operations community today. We’re talking mission drift, organizational relevance, and whether the Green Berets can—or should—reclaim their original purpose in the modern battlefield.

In this episode we discuss the legacy of Robert Rogers within the frame work of modern Special Operations. We also leverage his history to highlight and provide insight on the slow and depressing decay and inevitable death of modern U.S. Army Special Forces as more proficient, skilled, and well funded Special Operations Units or "Special Mission Units" outpace their peers and monopolize all available Asymmetrical Warfare missions.

In this episode we briefly discuss the exfiltration out of Canada by the Rangers after the destruction of St. Francis. Unlike the other legs of the expedition, the exfil was an unmitigated disaster.

However, the meat of the episode is focused on answering two major questions every Rogers historian seeks to answer. Was the Raid on St. Francis a success or failure and was it a legitimate military operation or massacre?

Welcome to this episode of the Dead Warrior Society Podcast, where we dive deep into the infamous Raid on St. Francis, led by Robert Rogers and his Rangers. While this event has been widely discussed in history, many accounts of the raid are riddled with inaccuracies and misinformation. In this episode, we explore how the common narrative is seriously flawed and take the time to scrutinize the historical record, digging into primary sources and lesser-known details to uncover the true events behind this pivotal moment in history.

Join us as we challenge the myths and get down to the truth of what really happened during the Raid on St. Francis.

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In this episode of the Dead Warrior Society Podcast, we dive into the incredible journey of Robert Rogers and his Ranger Task Force as they face unimaginable challenges during their mission across the wilderness of Lake Champlain, a treacherous spruce bog, and the St. Francis River en route to destroy the Abenaki Village of St. Francis. As they are relentlessly hunted by their French and Indian enemies, many Rangers lose their lives or are forced to return to base due to illness and injuries. We also take a closer look at the legendary Battle on Snowshoes, where Robert Rogers narrowly escapes death in an epic confrontation that would go down in history. Join us as we explore the hardships, heroism, and the harsh realities of war that defined this pivotal moment in history.

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In this Episode of the Dead Warrior Society, we examine the events leading up to the St. Francis Raid and the volunteers who joined the Ranger's ranks for the near suicide mission. We also take a look at the various controversies surrounding the raid, particularly the reasons why the English felt the need to mobilize and deploy some 190 Rangers and Soldiers to destroy the Abenaki strong hold of St. Francis in New France.

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