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The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) is hosting its annual Special Operations Forces (SOF) Week in Tampa, Florida, and conducting military exercises in front of audiences beginning with a rehearsal on Tuesday.
Small-scale demonstrations showed military personnel from ten nations displaying the capabilities of some of the best technology made available to servicemen and women overseas.
“It’s just to show the local community, and anyone who wants, the capabilities the USSOF has,” Josh Beaty, Army warrant officer, told Fox News Digital. Beaty has served in the U.S. military for 24 years and said demonstrations are being live-streamed, too.
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SOF week is an annual gathering of military personnel to introduce new tactical gear and technology to various branches of the military. (Gabriele Regalbuto)
“We demonstrated members of every SOF organization in the DOD, and then we had a bunch of partner nations that were with us to kind of highlight how we work with partners throughout the world,” he said.
SEALs from Sweden and the U.S. joined forces to sample the use of tactical diving vehicles in front of locals in downtown Tampa. In addition to Sweden, servicemen and women from Chile, the Dominican Republic, Slovenia and other countries gathered together this week to exhibit special operations and tactical military proficiencies.
“USSOF asks for participants from foreign countries,” Beaty said. “They were here, we did some training with them to make sure everybody was on the same page, and we looked good out there.”
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Training ahead of the public demonstrations kicked off last week and lasted 4-5 days, Beaty said.
Beaty’s crew of military personnel included Japanese and Jordanian servicemembers. During a simulated attack and counter-attack, the armed militia used GMV 1.1 and MRZR vehicles to lash across the bridge connecting Harbour Island and Channelside and fired blank ammunition at soldiers in the water.
In addition to the vehicles, audiences gathered around to peer out, eyes wide, at hovering Little Bird and UH-60 helicopters, an F-35, heavily armed AC-130s and a C-130 aircraft where 11 paratroopers free fell from the sky. Swift Boats also made waves for local spectators.
“We just want to show off to the public our capabilities, let them know we’re still here,” Beaty said. “We fight for them, fight all around the world with these partners, for freedom throughout the world and, hopefully, it excites a few kids and makes them want to join.”
A full execution is expected for locals on Wednesday.
Gabriele Regalbuto is a Senior Editor of SEO at Fox News Digital. Gabriele has a Journalism and Communications degree from West Virginia University. She has worked to produce content for newspapers, magazines, and digital platforms. At Fox, she has assisted in coverage of breaking news events including the 2024 presidential cycle, 2022 midterm elections, Queen Elizabeth II’s death, the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
