What going on with the U.S. Army Special Forces Regiment

 
The U.S. government has made arrangements to allow U.S. Army Special Forces troops to enter Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan or Uzbekistan when chasing or hunting down Islamic terrorists. Permission can be denied, for whatever reason, but the diplomatic agreements are in place to enable the Special Forces to quickly contact the right people in each country, if there is a looming need to cross the border, and then rapidly get a decision about access.

These cross-border operations are never publicized and, as much as possible, kept secret. Any credit for Islamic terrorists killed or captured across the Afghan border is given to local forces. Often, the local troops have been trained by American Special Forces, which is one of the reasons the cross-border agreements were made. Each of the countries involved now have troops who can keep up with Special Forces operators, and understand how they operate.

Another reason for the agreements is the benefit of having the Americans track down the terrorists before they become a problem in the area they were fleeing to. For example, Kyrgyzstan does not border Afghanistan, but it contains a chunk of the Fergana Valley, a fertile, densely populated area popular with Islamic terror groups. Islamic terrorists from Pakistan or Afghanistan pass through Tajikistan on their way to Kyrgyzstan and the Fergana, often with American Special Forces in pursuit.

These border crossing permits did not happen overnight. Over the last decade, the Special Forces have developed a number (over a thousand) operators (what Special Forces troops are called) who are familiar with Afghanistan and adjacent nations. Most belong to the 3rd and 5th Special Forces Groups. These operators are part detective and part commando, tracking down Islamic terrorists throughout Central Asia, and taking them down as well.

Each of the five active duty Special Forces Groups specializes in a region of the world, and the 5th originally had responsibility for the Middle East and Afghanistan. After September 11, 2001, the other four Groups helped out, even though they don't have the language and cultural awareness talents of the 5th Group. That said, the Russian speakers of the 10th Group (specializing in Europe) found lots of people in Afghanistan and Iraq who spoke Russian.

The two National Guard Groups, the 19th and 20th have also been called up, as these groups are full of Special Forces veterans who retired or got out to get away from the frequent overseas duty (and make more money). These men have experience and skills, although they can now expect to see a lot more time overseas than the average reservists. 

Some Special Forces operators have spent 70 percent of their time overseas since September 11, 2001, and the average is close to fifty percent.

 


Originally, the 1st Special Forces Group specialized in East Asia and the Pacific (Southeast Asia, Korea, China and the Pacific in general).

 
 

The 3rd Special Forces Group specialized in the Caribbean and West Africa.

 


 


The 7th Special Forces Group specialized in Latin America. 






In the last few years, the 3rd and 7th Groups have been taking care of Afghanistan, swapping places regularly between home and Afghanistan.

Under a recent reorganization, the 3rd Group will have Afghanistan to itself, with one or two battalions from the 7th Group as needed. In effect, the 3rd Group will be responsible for Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The 3rd Group will still maintain a battalion for use in its original area (the Caribbean and West Africa). The 7th Group will also keep a battalion in its original area (Latin America).

 
The 10th Group will now devote some of its troops to Africa (the new AFRICOM).

 



The 5th Group will concentrate on the western half (Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Yemen, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt) of its original area of operations.

 
Each of the five active duty Special Forces groups has three battalions (about 1200 troops altogether), and each is getting another battalion. By 2013, the Special Forces will have 300 ODAs (Operational Detachment A, or “A" Teams), compared to the 180 they had on September 11, 2001. The army would like to add a battalion to the two reserve Special Forces Groups (the 19th and 20th), which would increase the number of A Teams to 420, but money has not yet been provided for that.

In the past two years, SOCOM has been shifting forces from Iraq (where it had 5,500 personnel three years ago) to Afghanistan (where it had 3,000 troops three years ago). The ratio is now being reversed, with 6,500 in Afghanistan and 3,500 in Iraq.

Most US Allies have moved all their commando forces from Iraq to Afghanistan, where they not only do what they were trained for, but also train Afghans for special operations tasks. This has already been done in Iraq, where it worked quite well. The SOCOM troops in Iraq and Afghanistan account for about 80 percent of US Special Operations forces overseas. The rest are in places like Colombia, the Philippines and Djibouti (adjacent to Somalia).

Hoo-ah: Soldiers to earn the coveted Berets during Jan. 30 graduation ceremony

Newly minted Special Forces Soldiers will join the Special Forces regiment as they graduate from the Special Forces Qualification Course (241st SFQC) at the Crown Coliseum Jan. 30 in Fayetteville.

Soldiers from the 241st SFQC have spent the past year or more learning the skills required of apprentice Green Berets, including individual specialty skills, unconventional warfare methods, and language and cultural expertise.

The guest speaker at the graduation ceremony is scheduled to be the Honorable Michael Vickers, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict & Interdependent Capabilities. Vickers is a notable member of the Special Forces regiment.

After graduation, the students will be assigned to the Army’s seven operational Special Forces Groups, including the two Army National Guard Groups, and will deploy in support of U.S. national security interests.

During a 4 p.m. Regimental First Formation Jan. 29 at JFK Memorial Plaza, the graduates will don their Green Berets for the first time; welcomed into the brotherhood of the Special Forces regiment. During the ceremony, three prominent members of the regiment will be inducted as Distinguished Members of the Regiment including one of the few living Medal of Honor recipients who have earned the Green Beret.

Retired Col. Ola L. Mize distinguished himself during a particularly fierce engagement with Communist Forces near Surang-ni, Korea, in June 1953. Then a sergeant, Mize rallied his men during the defense of “Outpost Harry”, defending against a determined enemy, actions which led to President Dwight D. Eisenhower awarding him the MOH in 1954. Mize later joined the ranks of the Green Berets and served in Vietnam with the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), eventually commanding the 3rd Mobile Strike Force Command (Cambodian Troops).

The Special Forces Regiment will also honor Lt. Col. Charles A. Aycock and Command Sgt. Maj. Ronnie A. McCan, two stalwarts of the Green Beret community.

Aycock’s career in Army Special Operations spanned across five decades and included service in the Active Duty, National Guard, Army Reserve and Army Civilian corps. During the Vietnam War, he participated in numerous classified operations while assigned to units still shrouded in secrecy. He is also credited with developing the first military freefall training manual. Aycock capped his career with 15 years of civilian service supporting operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

McCan’s thirty years of uniformed service is distinguished by leading Special Forces Soldiers in the 1st and 10th Special Forces Groups (Airborne) as well as the 112th Special Operations Signal Battalion (Airborne). He later leveraged his experience to help nurture future Special Operations Soldiers by serving as the command sergeant major for the 1st Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne) and the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School. McCan currently serves as the president of the Special Forces Association

Army Special Forces Rolling With The Budget

The U.S. Army Special Forces is trying to get their spending authority expanded, to better reflect their responsibilities in a war zone.

For example, the CIA, not the Special Forces, has the authority to pay bribes to locals. The State Department, and other departments, but not the Special Forces, have the authority to dispense lots of money for construction projects.

In reality, the Special Forces operators will scrounge up money from other U.S. government agencies when they can, and cut corners if necessary.

What the Special Forces fears is that the new U.S. president will allow more prosecution of troops in general, and Special Forces operators in particular, for not following the rules to the letter.

As a solution for the problem, it's being suggested that Special Forces ODA, add members of the CIA, State Department, or others as needed, to take care of the legal niceties.

The Special Forces is not enthusiastic about this, even in situations where there is not a high risk of combat.

While CIA operatives sometimes go along with Special Forces teams, this is not as much of a problem. For one thing, many of the CIA field operatives are former Special Forces, marines or rangers.

This is much less the case with the State Department and other government organizations.

It would be a lot simpler if the government just trusted the Special Forces to do the right thing with the additional money. In the past, they usually have. Not a lot of financial scandals coming out of the Special Forces.

But the new U.S. government has to show what, if any, changes they will inflict on the troops, especially those who have the most complex and challenging jobs.

Hoo-ah: Hunting the Jackal Author Writes Again!

I should point out that Isaac Camacho is the namesake of the Special Forces Association - Chapter IX, El Paso.

You can read more about him on their website at http://www.sfa9.org/.

You need harbor no doubts that he's a man worth reading about.

I got an e-mail a couple days back from none other than Billy Waugh.

Billy is one of those honest-to-God no-shit genuine larger than life types that most of us only get to read about.

Billy's the guy that wrote Hunting the Jackal ; you know, the one with the forward he wrote on his seventieth birthday on the side of a mountain hunting Muj in Afghanistan. Anyway, Billy's writing a new book. I'll let him tell you about it...

"In the meantime I would invite you and your friends to visit the world-wide-web, at the address shown below, to view the Home Page for the book I am just finishing up, concerning Isaac Camacho, a Mexican-Indian from El Paso, TX, who was captured in Nov 1963, marched across the Plain of the Reeds in South Vietnam, into Cambodia, back into South Vietnam, then north into Cambodia, over a period of 27 days.

The book covers his interment in the border area of Cambodia/Vietnam, where he, and three other Special Forces men, were chained and caged for a period of 21 months, before Isaac Camacho managed to escape his cage, and make his way to freedom, with the North Vietnamese and a dog searching team, very close on his tail.

If you go to the web-site, then scroll down to the buttons, you will see some of the sketches, maps, photographs, and documents, which will be available to the reader, as the book is read. A new idea I came up with, which seems to be working pretty well. I don't expect the book to be out until June of this coming year 2009."

http://www.isaaccamachoamericanhero.com

HOO-AH: ODA 074 (MFF) MAKES HISTORY

It was the early morning hours of May 30, 2007, as the 11-man Special Forces team crept silently through their target’s village. They had achieved total surprise after conducting the first ever combat standoff military freefall insertion of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Every person in the village was sound asleep.

The team, Operational Detachment – Alpha 074 (ODA 074), Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), jumped into the Ninewah Province, north of the Iraqi Sinjar Mountain, with the intent to capture a suspected terrorist with ties to trafficking counterfeit U.S. currency. They also had plans to disrupt a criminal network supporting the movement and funding of foreign fighters, weapons and equipment funneled into Iraq.

The mission was designed to take the enemy completely by surprise, which is exactly what it did, said Master Sgt. John D. Addlemen, the ODA 074 team sergeant.

Even in the early planning stages, Addlemen and his team had a large obstacle to overcome. The suspected terrorists his team was after had implemented a robust early warning network, taking advantage of their remote location, and thus giving them the ability to escape or destroy evidence within minutes. The root of the problem was penetrating that network.

The proposed solution was a stealthy infiltration which would deny the enemies the opportunity to escape or tamper with evidence.

This prompted the team’s leadership to regard military freefall, or MFF, as the best option in overcoming the early warning system. A joint U.S.-Iraqi quick reaction force would provide ground assault support for the jump team.

Every company within a Special Forces group has an MFF team assigned, which is comprised of personnel with advanced parachutist’s skills. These skills include parachute ground training, advanced aircraft procedures, instruction on life-support equipment and procedures with high-altitude airborne operations. The latter are known as High Altitude Low/High Opening jumps with aircraft exits ranging up to 25,000 feet and parachute openings as low as 4,000 feet, all while wearing combat equipment, supplemental oxygen, and navigational equipment.

Historically, the use of the MFF in combat has been viewed as the last alternative of insertion due to the potentially high risk of the operation. For this reason, commanders usually err (ie do NOT have the GUTS or can NOT think out of the box) on the side of safety by looking at other means of insertion.

Furthermore, a traditional MFF team is typically used as a small element for reconnaissance insertions, not for purely offensive operations.

Over the years SF has used this means of insertion only once per military campaign, and even then primarily for surveillance or targeting.

Rarely is an MFF team inserted to complete an offensive operation. The last documented MFF in combat by an SF team was January 1991 when a 12-man team inserted into the northwest deserts of Iraq in support of Operation Desert Storm.

MFF is often overlooked and highly understated, Addlemen said. ODA 074 decided during pre-deployment training that they would approach MFF as a viable combat option with the objective to change the mentality of its use. Train right, maintain your skills and a MFF team can be a valuable command asset, he said.

ODA 074 trained for deployment for more than twelve months. Prior to the team deploying to Iraq, they collectively completed more than 40 HALO/HAHO jumps in preparation for such a contingency.

The team, lead by Capt. Clayton C. Daniels, collectively has an average of four years of MFF and SF experience. This seasoned and talented team wanted to test themselves, their equipment, and their capabilities for each other and the command.

In preparation for this type of environment, Daniels and Addleman, along with Chief Warrant Officer Patrick J. Joyce, ODA 074 assistant team leader, wanted to give their pre-deployment MFF training a distinct combat focus. This began by acknowledging that mission success is not achieved by simply reaching the insertion point successfully.

These leaders also wanted to change the idea of a combat HALO jump being considered an anomaly in today’s war-fighting environment. To gain the confidence and acceptance of the command to use MFF in the War on Terror, they developed a new approach to training and reestablished their foothold in Special Operations as more than just ‘military sky-divers.’

“A key training objective to achieving this goal, “was obtaining and maintaining Level I proficiency as late as possible prior to deployment.” according to their task force commander, Lt. Col. Dan Stoltz, 3rd Battalion, 10th SFG (A) commander
Stolz said HALO teams must maintain a Level I proficiency status, which includes nighttime combat equipment jump with supplemental O2 while landing as a group, for an entire deployment. Level I proficiency is only good for 120 days, so if an MFF ODA conducts its qualification too early in pre-mission training, it will expire early in the deployment.

ODA 074 was prepared and surpassed the set Army standards, updating their airborne standard operating procedures and ensuring they were always combat-focused.

A central aspect of their pre-deployment training was being allowed to perform extensive testing and training with the prototype version of a parachutist navigation system. According to the distributor, the system is a “global positioning-based, flight management system with an integrated heads-up display. It provides parachutists with accurate navigation capabilities and enhanced situational awareness, allowing them to fly to their designated landing zones.”

The use of this system assisted in their training and provided the team with a precision method for determining jumper release points over unfamiliar territory, at night, with no visual references necessary, Joyce said. The system provides all jumpers with the ability to accurately navigate over long distance while under canopy, and land together in unmarked drop zones during periods of limited visibility.

Sgt. 1st Class Dale J. Kozelka, one of ODA 074’s engineers, related that this system greatly enhanced the team’s capability.

“We conducted 13 HAHO jumps while testing the PARANAV helmet system,” he said. “We constantly verified the PARANAV capabilities against our navigation boards, or ‘belly’ compasses, making us very confident in our abilities to navigate with a compass under canopy.”

ODA 074 culminated their HAHO qualification with a final night-time jump that alleviated any concerns that may have been on their minds. There longest HAHO had them under canopy for more than 14 kilometers, landing within a 50-meter radius of each other.

While the team did not deploy with the PARANAV system, its testing improved their ability and confidence in their navigation abilities to conduct an accurate combat MFF. When it came time to plan the mission in Iraq, their training was second nature.

Training on unmarked drop zones, desert conditions and full gear jumps gave the team confidence that this was the right method for this particular target. They did not go looking for a HALO jump, and in fact, completed more than 12 ground-offensive operations while continuing to train their Iraqi counterparts, when the Ninewah Province mission came along.

The leaders of ODA 074 were confident in their training and equipment, and when the “go-criteria” was met for this mission, they knew they would achieve the surprise needed to accomplish the mission.

Mission planning was narrowed down to three days based on intelligence of the targeted individual’s location, night-time weather conditions and night-time illumination. Once the approval was given and the date was chosen, final preparations commenced.

Force protection was the main concern, according to the Advanced Operating Base 070 commander, Maj. Isaac J. Peltier.

“With this isolated objective, we were very aware of the potential force ratio differences between sending in a small 11-man team versus a larger ground assault force,” Peltier said. “Contingency plans were put in place and with the intelligence that we had received regarding the target; we took the needed steps to mitigate the risk.”

Peltier explained that sending a small 11-man team into an objective alone is risky, regardless of the QRF nearby. However, this target was deemed right for an MFF insertion so the ODA planned appropriately to be self-sufficient on the objective.

Early on May 29, the Ninewah Province operation began with the movement of ODA 074 and their Iraqi Army counterparts to an airfield located on a nearby forward operating base to link-up with its sister detachment, ODA 075. The plan was for ODA 075 to be responsible for controlling the follow-on ground assault forces that were comprised of ODA 074’s Iraqi Army and ODA 075’s Iraqi Police counterparts. At the FOB, final coordination, air mission brief with air elements, mission brief for ground forces and rehearsals were conducted in preparation for the actual combat operation.

ODA 074 moved to the flight line, rigged their combat equipment and conducted jumpmaster inspections, while ODA 075 simultaneously moved with their Iraqi counterparts to stage at a secure location closer to the target. There they would wait for ODA 074 to initiate the assault.

Shortly after midnight, the 11-man MFF team boarded an MC-130 Combat Talon aircraft especially well-suited to conduct the night drop in variable conditions.

When the team and the aircrew went airborne the illumination provided by the moon was close to 100% visibility. At approximately 4:05 a.m., at an altitude of nearly 13,000 feet, the team performed a diving exit off the ramp of the U.S. Air Force aircraft. All jumpers utilized the MC-4 Ram Air Free Fall Personnel Parachute System wearing supplemental oxygen, carrying their assigned weapons, and a parachutist’s drop bag containing their combat equipment, weighing more than 100 pounds.

The team knew that conditions on the ground do not always match the conditions in the air, and at 13,000 feet, this became abundantly clear as they began their final preparations to jump. Due to an unforeseen approaching sandstorm, the visibility was worse than expected. The moon was in a haze and the team realized that visibility was going to be less than what they had been told to expect. At an altitude of 6,000 feet, each jumper deployed his parachute and oriented toward the blacked-out, unmarked drop zone and rally point.

One of the critical aspects in conducting a combat MFF is the ability of the parachutists to read their navigation boards so that they could land closely together at the predetermined DZ. Infrared strobes worn by each jumper were only intermittently visible, making it difficult to group together under canopy. This resulted in the team landing in three separate, dispersed groups. This did not hinder the outcome of the mission, since each small group conducted a tactical DZ assembly. Personnel were accounted for, equipment was recovered, parachutes and air items were cached, and individual assault gear was donned.

Once combat ready, the separate elements moved to a link-up site south of the target area, bringing the 11 members of ODA 074 together. They then moved as a team to their final concealed position, 300 meters south of the target area, before beginning their ground assault.

ODA 074 then crept up to the buildings and made a stealthy entry into the target area. In every case, all villagers encountered in the targeted structures were completely surprised and awakened from sleep as every room and floor was cleared.

Kozelka remembered the surprised look on their faces.

“They had no idea that we were even in the area,” Kozelka said. “No team has ever had the element of surprise that we did that morning. We’ve proven it can be done. Try and find a current team out there that has conducted anything close to this. Our training set us up for this mission.”

Within 10 minutes, all the intended community people on the objective were under immediate control. Six minutes later, ODA 075 and its ground assault force arrived, securing the perimeter and entire target area.

When asked about the value of the mission since the targeted individual was, unfortunately, not in the village or detained, Addleman forcefully stated, “I’ve conducted multiple missions, on multiple tours. This was the first time that everybody on the target was still asleep when we arrived and not awake and waiting for us. There was absolute silence when we arrived on target. This mission was 100 percent successful in achieving ultimate surprise.”

Peltier pointed out that “fog and friction” is inherent in every operation. The incoming sandstorm was unpredicted and dispersion led to a longer assembly time. Under those circumstances, patience was key.

“Because of the dispersion, the team took longer to assemble than planned,” Peltier said. “But I trusted my team. They were one of my best.”
After the mission, Danielshighlighted the success of the HAHO jump. He pointed out that this mission further validated MFF as a means of insertion for SF, “Despite landing in and moving through known smuggler and foreign fighter ‘ratlines,’ all the team elements were able to link-up and conduct a direct action mission without early compromise.”

Since redeployment, this team has traveled to Arizona for requalification and continued training. Joyce, ODA 074’s senior jumper with more than eight years MFF experience, reflected that their training and operating procedures continue to evolve.

“We have become more realistic in planning timelines to accommodate contingencies, building in flex time, continuing to revise our ASOP,” Joyce said. “We are the visionaries in the future of HALO. We need to get it right. New technology and continued training improvements are essential.”

As they continue to train, they said their concentration is on improvement. As one of ODA 074 communication sergeants, Staff Sgt. Zechariah C. Flaugh, related that the jump culminated everything they had learned.

With more than 485 combined civilian and MFF jumps of his own, Flaugh said the sheer number of jumps he has conducted makes him confident. With the pre-deployment training and ground rehearsals in Iraq, his said his team was ready.

“The fact that we can tell others what it takes to get done and that it can be done safely is important,” Flaugh said. “We did make history.”
Sgt. 1st Class Mark A. Mallory, ODA 074 weapons sergeant, further related that they set a precedent in mission success.

“The fact that you can employ MFF in the War on Terror validates its use for future operations,” Mallory said. “We’re getting back to the original roots of MFF. People I haven’t heard from in years call to find out the lessons that I have learned and want to see how they can improve their operations.”

Mallory, reflecting the implication of this historic jump, said “The standards will and should change. We are a part of that. It was what we planned and trained for.”

The team has seen a few changes with eight out of eleven members still training together, while some have moved on to other SF occupations since the combat MFF insertion. The training continues to expand and continues to improve at every level.

Sgt. Jim A. Canzoneri, a member of ODA 074 during the operation, but not MFF qualified, remembered the mission, “It made a big difference before I headed to school to see the training and combat jump. I knew what to expect and what the team expected of me. It is obvious to me that this is the hardest working team around and I want to do what they’ve done.”

Members of the historical May 30, 2007 HAHO jump over northern Iraq:

Capt. Clayton C. Daniels, team leader
Chief Warrant Officer Patrick J. Joyce, assistant team leader
Master Sgt. John D. Addlemen, team sergeant
Master Sgt. Larry L. White, intelligence sergeant
Sgt. 1st Class Dennis M. Kitchin, engineer sergeant
Sgt. 1st Class Brendan S. Dawson, medical sergeant
Sgt. 1st Class Dale J. Kozelka, engineer
Sgt. 1st Class Mark A. Mallory, weapons sergeant
Staff Sgt. William G. Weatherly, weapons sergeant
Staff Sgt. Zechariah C. Flaugh, communications sergeant
Staff Sgt. Brandon J. Macemon, communications sergeant

HOO-ah: Curse Of Competent Officers

Eight years of efforts to create new armed forces in Afghanistan and Iraq has reminded American military and civilian leaders that culture makes a big difference in determining the military capabilities of a nation.

This not a politically correct, which is why decades of U.S. Army Special Forces experience pointing this out, never took root in the Pentagon. But now the truth of this unpleasant reality has to be confronted.

As Special Forces operators have noted for decades, while they trained soldiers in foreign countries, not every culture absorbed their lessons the same way.

The Special Forces are a unique organization. A large part of their training is learning all about foreign cultures. The Special Forces training services provides these Special Forces operators with valuable immersion in the cultures they study.

What the Special Forces have learned is that military effectiveness tends to vary according to the economic success of a culture.

In other words, those nations that have a thriving economy, tend to be capable of absorbing the Special Forces training and becoming very effective soldiers.

The critical factor, though, is not temperament of the troops, but the abilities of the NCOs (sergeants) and officers. As the old saying goes, "there are no bad troops, only bad officers."

This was demonstrated in the 18th and 19th centuries, as European nations established colonial empires in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Everywhere they went, they created local military forces. They trained the troops they same way they trained their own, but using European officers and NCOs.

Eventually, they developed local NCOs and officers, but this took years. You can train an illiterate local guy to be a competent infantryman in a few months. But you can't create effective military units with these guys unless you have good NCOs and officers.

Since the local leadership tended to be corrupt, obsessed with social status (rather than performance) or simply not interested in the working that hard (and long) to become a Western quality officer or NCO, the Europeans provided their own people to do the job, until some of the local worthies could be persuaded to accept the Western way of doing things.

So the Special Forces have long known that training the low level troops is easy, it's developing equally competent officers and NCOs that is really difficult.

If the local leadership were as dedicated and civic minded as in the West, the local economy would be prosperous, and the government would be competent and effective. And even when effective officers and NCOs are selected and trained, you have another problem.

These military leaders soon realize that they are the only competent and effective leaders in the country.

Unless the rest of the culture shapes up, you start down the road of alternating military dictatorship (as the officers take over the government, "for the good of the country") and chaotic civilian rule (which screws things up and triggers another military takeover).

This goes on until the civilian leaders realize that the ancient customs of tribalism, corruption and, well, you know the rest, won't work in the modern world.

Even the royal family in Saudi Arabia (and several other surviving monarchies) recognize this, and are trying to reform their cultures to create a population capable of providing effective leadership for the economy, government and military. These aristocrats know that, at best, they will get a constitutional monarchy (as found in several European nations, like Britain, Spain, Sweden and many others).

At worse, they will get a republic or dictatorship, and a monarchy in exile.

But the alternative is falling behind economically, and eventually becoming a poverty stricken backwater.

HOO-AH: Task Force Black

One important component of the U.S. "Surge Offensive" in Iraq last year was actually a three year old, generally discreet, Special Operation.

This was Task Force Black (TFB).

Composed of only a few hundred troops, the core of this force was operators from the British SAS and the U.S. Delta Force.

Task Force Black was assigned to go after the Islamic terrorists who were actually planning and carrying out the suicide bombings that were killing thousands of Iraqi civilians a month until last year.

TFB tactics were bold, as they went after terrorists who were on their way to an operation (either on foot with explosive belts, or suicide car bombers.) These attacks were are the most carefully planned and executed terrorist operations, and the objective of TFB was to take down the attackers before they could detonate their explosives. This is easier to do if you catch them before they are close to their target, because the bombers are not poised to set off their explosives on short notice.

Some suicide bomber teams do not rig their detonators to work until they are close to the target. They have good reason for this, for there have been accidental detonations, which kill the support staff as well as the suicide bomber. This is not good for the morale of the escorts, security detail and bomb technicians that make all the preparations for these attacks. The bombers themselves only do it once, and are not as highly trained and difficult to replace. Without the support people, who are harder to recruit than suicide bombers, these attacks are much less effective.

When Israel began going after the support staff five years ago, the Palestinian suicide attacks on Israel greatly diminished, and there were more accidents from poorly made bombs, and more bombers were caught before they could reach their targets. TFB often brought along American and Iraqi troops to make a follow up sweep to grab as many of the support staff as possible.

TFB used all available intelligence resources to find terrorist gangs that were making the suicide attacks. Most of these terrorists worked for "al Qaeda in Iraq," but some were run by various Sunni Arab groups trying to get a civil war going between Sunni and Shia Arabs. The terrorists believed that such a conflict would result in a Sunni Arab victory.

Three years ago, realizing that an outcome like that was highly unlikely, some of the terrorist gangs began shutting down, and there was a decline on terrorist attacks because of it. But the attacks continued, and in 2006, they increased as Shia death squads proliferated.

TFB had a rough time of it for over a year, as Shia terrorists now began setting off bombs in Sunni Arab neighborhoods. But throughout that period, the intelligence picture kept getting better.

The TFB operators spent much of their time among Iraqis, so when the Surge Offensive kicked off in early 2007, there was an opportunity to hit many of the suicide bomber support groups hard.

By the time the Surge Offensive wound down earlier this year, TFB had taken down (killed or captured) nearly 4,000 Islamic terrorists. Most of them were the hard to replace support staff. This was reflected in the sharp decline in the number of terror bombs going off. From a peak of over a hundred bombs a month going off in Baghdad, to as little as two. TFB suffered about 20 percent casualties through all this.

After the Surge Offensive, many surviving terrorists fled north, to Mosul and surrounding areas. The terrorists still being hunted there, mostly by Iraqis soldiers and police.

Hoo-AH: Going to Pineland, It ‘Robin Sage’ time

Robin Sage which constitutes the last phase of the Special Forces Q School for prospective Soldiers, will begin today and run through Sept. 19 across central North Carolina.

The exercise is conducted in or near Alamance, Anson, Cabarrus, Chatham, Davidson, Guilford, Hoke, Montgomery, Moore, Randolph, Richmond, Rowan, Scotland, Stanly and Union counties.

During the exercise, 8,500 square miles of central North Carolina becomes the Republic of Pineland. Over 1,000 people consisting of instructors, students, volunteers, civilian authorities and the citizens from the area participate. Local citizens portray natives and auxiliary forces while additional servicemembers role-play opposing and guerrilla forces to depict a realistic unconventional warfare environment.

Robin Sage had its beginnings in 1952, when Col. Aaron Bank noticed the need for “real world” training. Originally, Robin Sage was known as the Cherokee Trail and Gobbler's Woods because the first exercise was played out in the Chattahoochee National Forest of Georgia. As the exercise expanded it moved to National Forests in North Carolina, Pigsah and Uwharrie.

The name changed to Robin Sage when moved closer to Robbins, N.C., and to pay tribute to a former Army Col. Jerry Sage, a WWII veteran and OSS officer who taught unconventional war tactics.

Hoo-ah: DIA Pays To Play

The U.S. Department of Defense has admitted that its main intel operation, the DIA (Defense Intelligence Agency) has successfully completed a two year test of allowing more DIA counter-intelligence teams to, well, "details were not revealed".

Normally, such overseas counter-intelligence operations involve feeding false or misleading information to enemy intelligence organizations, or finding out about enemy (or normally friendly nations) attempts to obtain American secrets.

The two year old test used the newly created Counterintelligence Field Activity (CIFA) for these operations. The CIFA will now be merged in with yet another new agency, the Defense Counterintelligence and Human Intelligence Center. The DIA, and other Department of Defense inel operations (the army, navy and air force each have their own), have longed engaged in counterintelligence work. So why yet another such organization? The three services each have specific counter-intel needs.

But this new DIA operation can concentrate on big picture operations. There is also the need for more counter-terrorism efforts in general, at least since September 11, 2001 and the apparent renewal of the Cold War.

Pakistan's main intel agency (ISI), for example, has been a major target, because ISI harbors many pro-Islamic radical members. That means some people in ISI not only have more knowledge of al Qaeda and Taliban operations than they acknowledge, or share, with the U.S., but also pass on information to the terrorists.

DIA has long used U.S. Army Special Forces operators for all kinds of intelligence work, and that has increased enormously since September 11, 2001. Special Forces people have been getting more specialized intelligence training, and used as field operatives (out of uniform). The Special Forces are one of the largest pools of people who speak the language, know the culture, and are trained to deal with violent situations in exotic parts of the world.

The DIA, and the rest of the intel community, has also been recruiting thousands of new intel operatives, and some of these have proved quite capable (most, alas, have not, but that is normal in this business.) The operators who have a talent for this kind of work are given more resources, and opportunities, which is apparently one of the reasons for the new DIA counter-intel operations. The DIA also has a lot more money for exotic and his risk ops. Unfortunately, it will be two or three decades before details of some of these operations become public. Some of these ops are stranger than fiction. But that's the norm when it comes to counter-intelligence work.

HOO-ah: An American Tradition

The war on terror, and especially the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, have brought back an old American battlefield tradition; tracking and stalking the enemy.

Even before the American revolution, colonial militias used the hunting skills of their members to develop uniquely American infantry tactics.

The generals never completely accepted or permanently adapted these skills. But in every war, and especially in World War II and subsequent conflicts, the tracking and stalking skills of troops were recognized, and utilized, on the battlefield.

During World War II, many divisions organized special scouting units, recruiting troops who were particularly skilled at tracking, and stalking game. These hunting skills are easily transferred to the battlefield. Indeed, the earliest armies made use of these skills, and primitive tribes still use "hunting parties" as "war bands" when the game is two-legged and able to fight back. The most successful army in history, that of the Medieval Mongols, was based on the hunting organization and tactics employed to survive on the great plains of Eurasia.

During the Korean War (1950-53), division commanders created "Ranger Companies," composed of their most skilled stalkers and scouts. These rangers were disbanded after Korea, but were revived in Vietnam, in the form of LRRPs (Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols) and other specialized units. After Vietnam, the Ranger Regiment was created, but as a force of elite light infantry, not scouts. More of these ranger type skills were taught to all troops, but not in a concentrated enough way to make a difference.

But the U.S. Marine Corps noted that snipers, a development of the late 19th century smokeless powder (making it more difficult to spot a sniper who had just fired the more accurate and longer range rifles), also had to use stalking and tracking skills to be effective. So the marines established small "Scout-Sniper" units, and utilized both these skills to both find the enemy, and kill them if necessary.

In Iraq, policemen and detectives, serving there in large numbers as reservists, brought their concept of "street marts" to the growing bag of tricks developed for fighting in Iraq. Being able to spot who was a bad guy, dressed as a civilian and trying to stay undetected in the population, was something urban police are good at. In many infantry units, these skills were codified, and taught to troops. The marines took this a step farther, and developed a new stalking and tracking program for all marines.

The U.S. Army Special Forces, and commando troops world-wide, have long recognized the usefulness of these skills, and now the U.S. Army is trying to incorporate more of it into their regular training. After all, it's an old American tradition.

HOO-AH: 19th Special Forces Group Soldiers help local community during flood

"To Liberate the Oppressed," is the motto and primary mission for every U.S. Army Special Forces Soldier.

They spend months training for a mission that could possibly last only hours and work aside foreign forces to fight an enemy that others run from.

On June 7, 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group Soldiers from the West Virginia Army National Guard put aside their elite war-fighting skills to help liberate hundreds of Indiana Hoosiers from a dangerous flood that displaced thousands of residents and killed three.

While traveling to Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center to train on various weapons systems, several advance party team members were separated by dangerous storms that eventually dumped more than 10 inches of rain in a short period of time.

As one half of the team arrived at CAJMTC safely, another was hampered with vehicle problems due to the high waters.

Lead by Staff Sgt. Dan Casey, of Paintsville, Ky., the stranded team was suddenly surrounded by quickly rising flood waters in Columbus, Ind., located 10 miles from their destination.

Armed with years of experience in dangerous, harsh environments, the Kenova, W.V.-based group quickly changed focus and did what every American would do - helped those in need.

With high waters inching to near the 1,000 year flood plain mark and medium tactical vehicles at their immediate disposal, the team that reached CAJMTC decided to head back into the heart of the storm to help their fellow comrades and others in need.

Upon arriving in Columbus, local emergency authorities asked the Soldiers for assistance to aid in rescue efforts.

Although their vehicles were loaded with military equipment for the scheduled three-week training at CAJMTC, Soldiers quickly unloaded the trucks and prepared for rescue operations.

"We had some guys who had some boat experience, and we had a medic," said Lt. Col. H.B. Gilliam of Huntington, W.V., battalion commander. "We started helping rescue people throughout the area we were in."

Hundreds of residents were trapped by rising waters from the nearby, overflowing White River and Princes Lake Dam, their only hope was the small band of Soldiers determined to make a bad situation better.

As the team kicked the rescue operations into high gear, small stories of heroism quickly surfaced throughout the community.

Command Sgt. Major Kevin Harry, of Milton, W.V., the senior enlisted Soldier in the battalion, was credited with saving a woman's life as she was being swept away by raging waters. "I had positioned the boat just enough as to where, when she came up with her hand, I grabbed her hand and secured her to the side of the boat," said Harry.

With local residents out of harm's way, the team knew it was just an ordinary day for the Special Forces Soldiers.

"The best thing was that the local police or state police who knew the area guided the vehicles through the city streets," Casey said about the help they received from local rescue efforts.

"We'll rend aid at anytime possible," he said.

Harry says it was a difficult and trying situation, but the team was in the right place at the right time.

"We were just reacting," Harry said. "We were fortunate and I think that Columbus was fortunate we just happened to have vehicles that could forge some of the water in the areas."

Whether these elite Soldiers are on the front lines fighting terrorists or providing security and safety for hometowns around America, they will accomplish the mission set for them and do it without hesitation.

"I told my men in the beginning, do whatever you can to help them out," said Gilliam.

HOO-AH: Special Forces honors fallen on Memorial Day

The U.S. Army Special Forces Command, together with the Special Forces Association, honored the memories of fallen comrades by holding the 40th Annual Special Forces Memorial Day Ceremony here today.

The ceremony was a time for members of the Special Forces Regiment to remember their fallen brethren, retired and active duty, past and present.

Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Csrnko, USASFC(A) commanding general, hosted the event, which was held on Meadows Field.

“I am honored to be with you today, on a day so rich,” Csrnko said. “With me, our nation’s flag flies at half-staff to express our profound gratitude for the acts of brave patriots, who gave the full measure, so that we might live free to place flowers on their graves and speak words of eulogy.”

It was those actions on which Memorial Day was original founded.

In 1867, a group of Confederate women visited a cemetery in Columbus, Miss., to decorate the graves of those sons and fathers who died serving the Confederacy. What the women also found in the cemetery were the unkempt and forgotten graves of many Union Soldiers. The women could not bring themselves to ignore the graves, so they carefully decorated them, until there was nothing which could distinguish them from the graves of the Confederate Soldiers.

A reporter from the New York Tribune witnessed the acts and soon the story spread across the country. It inspired Gen. John Logan, the head of the Grand Army of the Republic, the Union’s veteran organization, to designate May 30, 1868 be a day to decorate the graves of fallen Soldiers. Originally called Decoration Day, Memorial Day was formally established in 1882 as a day of remembrance for those who have died in national service.

However, many Americans today do not fully understand the meaning of Memorial Day, Csrnko said.

“This is a sacred day for all war veterans,” said retired Sgt. Maj. Gary Betterton, national president of the Special Forces Association. “None of us have to be reminded why we celebrate this day. What about the general public, and more important, future generations? The day has simply become another day off from work. Perhaps another reminder is due.”
This reminder and the act of relaying the message of sacrifice is the duty of every veteran, Betterton said.

“Far too often the nation as a whole takes for granted the freedoms all Americans enjoy,” he said. “This is a national debt that can only repaid by honoring the nation’s dead.”

Without remembrance, future generations of Americans may not know their heritage and history.

“We would do well to heed the words of Abraham Lincoln, who said, ‘Any nation who does not honor its heroes will not long endure,’” Csrnko said. “Well, we do remember. We remember that Soldiers serve, and some die, to preserve our bedrock freedoms. Among them are the freedom of association, of speech, participation in governance, the freedom of worship and the freedom to pursue happiness.”

Remembering the sacrifices of those lost in battle and speaking kind words of them are important, but Csrnko wonders if that is enough.

“In our hearts we know we can’t fully discharge our solemn obligation to these men and women with mere words or gestures,” he said. “They did not die for words or wreathes alone. They died so that in freedom, our nation might endure. It is therefore fitting this Memorial Day that we return our thoughts to the renewal of our own dedication to the cause of freedom. It is a personal matter for us to renew our commitment, our involvement in a freedom that our dead have purchased at such a dear price.”

More than 83 Special Forces Soldiers have lost their lives since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began. Many more have been injured, and thousands are continually serving in harm’s way every day.

“Right now as I speak to you, young heroes are risking their lives somewhere out there,” Csrnko said. “They do this for us. They do this for their country. They do this, because like millions before them, they accepted the defense of freedom in a very personal matter not to be left solely to others. They were stirred from within by a desire to make a difference, and in doing so they became the strength of our nation.”

Memorial Day is not only a day for remembering those heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country, but also for remembering those who endure the hardships of war far from home, he said.

“So let us pay tribute today to those heroes who gave their full and final measure,” he said. “Let us make a personal commitment to do two things before the arrival of summer. Visit the gravesites of our fallen Soldiers and give thanks. Also, let us reach over and shake the hand of a living hero, whether it is someone in uniform waiting in line at the grocery checkout, or a veteran standing on a parade route saluting Old Glory as she passes by. Tell them you understand the depths of their commitment. Tell them you honor their service. Tell them simply, thanks. In this way we will continually renew the spirit of involvement reflected in the kind and good acts of those southern ladies in 1867.”

A color guard from the 7th SFG(A) posts the colors before the 40th Annual Special Forces Memorial Day Ceremony held on Memorial Plaza May 26.

Army Staff Sgt. Terry Cullers sounds a bell as each
fallen soldier’s name is read Monday during the
Special Forces Memorial Day ceremony on Fort Bragg.

Retired Sgt. Maj. Gary Betterton, national president of the Special Forces Association, and Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Csrnko, USASFC(A) commanding general, place a wreath at the base of the Special Forces statue, Bronze Bruce. The wreath-laying was part of the 40th Annual Special Forces Memorial Day Ceremony held on Memorial Plaza May 26.

HOO-AH: These 4 men are selfless, inspirational leaders

These 4 men are selfless, inspirational leaders

Margaret O'Connor

I grew up going to Catholic schools and being surrounded by a pretty religious family.

I remember my grandmother praying to St. Christopher before my family would make the long drive from Massachusetts back home to Maryland.

She told me he was the patron saint of travelers and that praying to him would ensure our safe journey home.

Once, I lost a necklace that my great aunt had given me. When I called her to tell her how sorry I was, she told me to say a prayer to St. Anthony, the patron saint of lost items.

My great aunt said, “Pray, then go retrace your steps, you will find the necklace.”

I prayed with all my might, mostly because I did not want to disappoint my great aunt. To my surprise, I found the necklace. Was it the saint answering my prayers or was it a young girl actually opening her eyes for the first time and looking in all the right places? Maybe it was a little of both.

I have been waxing nostalgic about saints lately because of a presentation ceremony I attended on Fort Bragg last week. I watched as four Special Forces soldiers were awarded the Order of the St.Philip of Neri award. it is an honor presented annually by the command on behalf of the Special Forces Association to deserving Special Forces soldiers. These soldiers embody the characteristics of a selfless and superb teacher and inspirational leader, as demonstrated by the patron saint of Special Forces, St. Philip of Neri.

Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Csrnko, commanding general of U.S. Army Special Forces Command (Airborne), and Mel Smith, executive director of the Special Forces Association’s national chapter, were the presenters for the ceremony. They presented the St. Philip of Neri Bronze award, which is given to active-duty and National Guard soldiers who have contributed in a significant way to the Army Special Forces regiment.

The four soldiers receiving the award were Command Sgt. Maj. Donald A. White of 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), Command Sgt. Maj. Mario G. Vigil, formerly of 5th Group and now Special Forces Command’s top noncommissioned officer, Command Sgt. Maj. Christopher Zets of 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) and last year’s recipient and my husband, Master Sgt. Brendan W. O’Connor of 7th Group.

All four of these men have shown dedication to duty and exceptionally meritorious conduct and achievements throughout their many years of service to their country. It was I, and the other members of the audience, who were honored and humbled to be in the presence of men who have dedicated their lives to serving their country. All of these men had at least 23 years of service in the Army, some had 30. It should be a reminder to us all that selfless sacrifice and devotion to duty are traits that we should attempt to emulate and always be thankful for.

It is written that St. Philip of Neri made himself available to everyone at any hour to guide his followers. Philip believed humility is the most important virtue, and he strived to achieve it in himself and others. It seems clear why there could be no other patron saint for Special Forces. Special Forces soldiers are, after all, the “quiet professionals.” They are forever professional and always humble. Thanks to all who serve us so proudly. Peace to all.

Margaret O’Connor can receive messages at military@fayobserver.com or 486-3585.

Hoo-ah: If its Spring, Its time for ‘Robin Sage’

Students attending the Special Forces Qualification Course here will conduct a two-week training exercise across a 15-county area in central North Carolina beginning March 23.

The exercise, called “Robin Sage,” is conducted in or near Alamance, Anson, Cabarrus, Chatham, Davidson, Guilford, Hoke, Montgomery, Moore, Randolph, Richmond, Rowan, Scotland, Stanly and Union counties.

Conducted by the 1st Special Warfare Training Group here, Robin Sage is designed to provide realistic training in unconventional warfare tactics and techniques. It is the final training exercise before graduation and assignment to one of the operational Special Forces groups.

Robin Sage has been conducted for more than 40 years with the help of civilian authorities and the citizens of central North Carolina.

To add realism of the exercise, auxiliary forces consisting of civilian volunteers throughout the state will act as role-players during the training. Participation by these auxiliary members are crucial to the success of the Special Forces training, and anecdotal evidence gathered from past trainees attests to the realism they add to the exercise.

The students conduct the unconventional warfare training scenario in the notional country of Pineland. Approximately 200 servicemembers will support the exercise from units across the military to include Fort Bragg. These military members will provide realistic opposing and guerrilla forces the students will encounter in the country of Pineland.

A SF Buddy of my email this to me:

This sign is near Ft. Bragg-Fayetteville, NC; which incidentally is the home of U.S. Army Special Forces - "DE OPPRESSO LIBER"