25 Colonel Nick Rowe was a legendary Special Forces soldier. While serving in Vietnam, he was captured. After five years in captivity, he managed to escape and make his way back to friendly lines (a story eventually chronicled in the book Five Years to Freedom). A quarter century later, he was killed in the Philippines by a bomb set by insurgent forces.
26 Because those in a soldier’s parent branch (armor, infantry, aviation, etc.) tend to view a Special Forces candidate as a “traitor” or malcontent, a failure to qualify frequently results in his leaving the service entirely. This is another reason why the SF leadership tries to make sure that the bulk of the dropouts or failures occur early, while there is still a chance for candidates to regain their position back in their home branch.
27 The SFAS staff is very protective of their event parameters. When I asked for a general range of distances, they gave me a steely look and said, “Next question?” There were, I might add, no smiles.
28 The courses for 180A (warrant officers), 18F (intelligence), and 18Z (operations) are handled elsewhere by the JFK Center and School, as follow-on qualification classes.
29 “Pineland,” of course, refers to the marvelous pine forests of North Carolina. The SF staff uses the pine tree as a symbol for Robin Sage and other exercises.
30 To show their appreciation for the civilian members of the Pineland Auxiliary, each ODA also does some work fixing fences and other chores around the private property used during Robin Sage. It is the Special Force’s way of saying thank-you to the civilian role-players, and is an excellent example of real-world winning of “hearts and minds.”
31 Students tasked with learning these high-level languages are normally dispatched to the Defense Language School, which is located at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.
32 I should mention that the Navy has some understandable complaints about the apparent duplication of efforts, but, in fact, the Combat Diver program maintains an important capability for the Special Forces.
33 SF units are given a “Force Package One” status by the Department of Defense. Units with this priority status are normally kept at high alert levels, and thus will receive preference in the distribution of equipment and supplies. Thus SF units draw new gear and other Army inventory items ahead of all other units except the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, the 75th Ranger Regiment, and a handful of armored units.
34 These loads were fairly extreme even by Special Forces standards, as the troops had to carry the building materials for their hide sites, along with all the other items required for their missions. A more “normal” load for an SF soldier on a mission might start out at around 110 lb./50 kg. This would allow for some mobility without literally tearing his body apart.
35 The “myth” of the rucksack derives from the way SOFs go into battle: That is, they carry with them everything they’ll need. Today the old “rucks” are still used in training and qualification, not so much for their utility but because their use will remind trainees of their origins. The Rucksack magazine has been one of the more visible means of keeping old Special Forces traditions alive. The Rucksack is the product of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command Public Affairs office, and is dedicated to stories about SF personnel and their techniques of operating in the field.
36 While it is an improvement over the backpacks used in Vietnam, the ALICE system is positively ancient compared with what can be bought out of any outdoors equipment catalog. More on its replacement shortly.
37 If you are wondering why fielding new personal equipment takes so long, the responsibility lies with the Army’s equipment center at Natick, Massachusetts, near Boston. There every new piece of personal equipment from pocket-knives to boots is rigorously tested (sometimes to absurd standards). The good news is that gear issued to field units is normally excellent. The bad news is that equally excellent gear has been commercially available to campers and sportsmen for years before soldiers see theirs. Meanwhile, the Marines have benefited both from their smaller size and the willpower of their 31st Commandant, General Charles “Chuck” Krulak, USMC. Krulak made it a personal goal to get new boots, packs, and other gear for his Marines, and went to Congress himself to obtain the funds and authorization for them.
38 This is not the silver tape that you buy at the hardware store. The military-issue “speed” tape is tougher with an adhesive surface that will stick to almost anything under virtually any condition, and is capable of standing up to wind loads of over 100 knots. For this reason, it is rated as an expedient airframe repair item. You can use it to patch bullet holes in the skin of helicopters so they can fly home for repairs.
39 Technically, a carbine is a light, short, shoulder firearm, originally created to provide cavalry troops with a weapon that would be easy to stow and carry when mounted, but would give them the firepower of infantry when dismounted.
40 Sometime around 2006, the Army and Marines will begin to field the new Objective Individual Combat Weapon (OICW) as a replacement for the M16A2 and M4. This new weapon is being developed and produced by a team headed by Alliant Techsystems, and is based upon a Heckler & Koch design. It will be controlled by a state-of-the-art sighting and fire control system, which will become the primary sensor systems for the user.
41 The U.S. Marine Corps maintains what may be the finest sniper capability among the world’s armed forces. They are equipped with both the 7.62mm M40 sniper rifle, along with the incomparable Barrett M82A1 .50 caliber weapon. More important, Marine snipers are employed in their chosen specialty full-time, while most other military units maintain snipers as an add-on capability. For this reason, the Marine sniper retains a much higher level of tactical skill and accuracy, especially when working at long ranges and in denied territory.
42 There are efforts to field a new offensive handgun using either 9mm or .45-caliber ammunition, but this is years from fielding.
43 American World War II-era grenades were designed to fragment for maximum antipersonnel effect. This was achieved by serriating the external case of the weapon, which gave it the famous “pineapple” look.
44 TNT is also the measure of all other explosive pyrotechnics. Thus nuclear weapons are measured in kilo- and megatons of TNT.
45 In all fairness, we should not forget that the bomb hit the point where it was aimed (it went to the right address), but it turned out that Intelligence was wrong about what was at that address.
46 There is, however, a hope that the Army will produce foods to “spice” the urine to make it mimic a “local” cuisine and thus foil tracking (stealthy urine).
47 “Digital Soldier” is an Army marketing term used to describe the new ensemble of gear that will be carried by the infantry in the early twenty-first century. This will include a central processor/communications/navigation package to keep the soldier in touch and oriented at all times. There will additionally be a new helmet-mounted heads-up display to show digital maps, sensor readouts, and other data, and will leave the soldier’s hands free for weapons. Though “Digital Soldier” promises to be an impressive array of systems, it is unlikely that Special Forces will choose to adopt it anytime soon. The complexity and weight will likely keep them using more “basic” but dependable systems until the second (and hopefully bug-free) generation of “Digital Soldier” technology arrives.
48 It should be noted that not all death squads came from right-wing sources. Recent evidence shows that the left had their death squads, too, the best known of their actions being the massacre of a Catholic priest and several nuns. This raised up a serious stir when it happened.
49 John Singleton Mosby was the famous Southern cavalry officer who established a force of rebel raiders (primarily composed of civilian irregulars) in the northwestern counties of Virginia. For several years they struck at Union supply and transportation lines and provided superb reconnaissance for Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. So effective were Mosby’s raiders that the areas of Loudoun and Prince William co
unties west of Washington, D.C., became known as “Mosby’s Country.”
50 Most of the immigrants who became early Special Forces soldiers were given American citizenship under what was known as the Lodge Act. Named for its sponsor, Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, the bill gave the U.S. government the right to grant immediate citizenship to personnel from politically persecuted countries if they chose to serve in the U.S. military.
51 The assault on Nam Dong became the basis for the John Wayne film The Green Berets. Though fictionalized, the situation presented in the film was accurate, as was the level of force the North Vietnamese used to attack the camp.
52 It should be noted that the prisoners at Son Tay were treated somewhat better than they would have been at Hoa Lo. They were allowed to socialize and were expected to work in the local fields, which helped keep them more fit and sane.
53 To assist the Son Tay raiders in familiarizing themselves with the POW camp and its surroundings, a large-scale model was constructed (at a cost of $60,000, code-named “Barbara”) by a special shop at the CIA. In addition, a collapsible full-scale model was built at Eglin AFB for dress rehearsals. Because the full-scale model could be dismantled, Soviet photo-reconnaissance satellites were unable to detect the training area or infer the mission’s target. Today, visitors can view “Barbara” at the Special Forces museum at Fort Bragg. (The museum itself, I should note, was recently renamed for Colonel “Bull” Simons)
54 After the war, Texas computer magnate Ross Perot threw a party for the Son Tay raiders and the men they’d tried to rescue. Even as most of their fellow countrymen were turning their backs on Vietnam veterans, Perot wanted the raiders to understand how much the POWs and their loved ones treasured what they’d tried to do ... Flash forward to Iran, where several of Perot’s employees are held hostage during the Islamic Revolution. Who does Perot turn to for help? Bull Simons. Simons then led a force of Perot’s executives into Iran and, without loss or casualty, successfully retrieved the hostages.
55 I should note that U.S. government buildings around the world have been getting “harder” as a result of the plague of terrorist bombings over the past two decades. Poor security and force protection have cost lives, and no military commander wants to be found negligent in such matters.
56 While all SF units are “Airborne” units (every SF soldier must be fully jump qualified while on operational status), and properly so called, I’ll use the shorter version and refer to them simply as SFGs.
57 The “c” in MRC will at times also stand for “crisis” or “conflict.” Contingency, crisis, or conflict, it’s all the same—BIG trouble.
58 We last saw General Crocker as commander of the 82nd Airborne Division in Airborne (Berkley Books, 1997). He has since been promoted to lieutenant general, and given command of I Corps.
59 1st SFG also maintains a single ODA in Korea, to support operations along the DMZ.
60 Officially, Taiwan is not part of the regional 1st SFG operations plan. Because of the “One China” policy, which has since 1973 recognized the People’s Republic of China as the sole government of China, Taiwan (officially known as the Republic of China) is something of a “nonnation.” Even so, the U.S. maintains extremely close military ties with the nationalist Chinese.
61 “Balance” is the Department of Defense code word used to denote 1st SFG operations in PACOM. Every 1st SFG operation has a two-word designator, the first word of which is always “Balance.”
62 Like the other groups, they trace their spiritual lineage back to the Devil’s Brigade; specifically, the HHC of the 1st Battalion of the brigade’s 1st Regiment.
63 The move from Panama is a consequence of the U.S. turnover of the Canal Zone under the treaty negotiated in the 1970s by the Carter Administration.
64 After writing this, I learned that Phillips has retired from the Army.
65 Fort Carson is located on the south side of Colorado Springs. The city is also home to the Air Force Academy, Cheyenne Mountain/NORAD, and is the headquarters of U.S. Space Command.
66 This is based upon the likelihood of a fast-breaking crisis in a relatively small theater. In addition, politics dictate that (as in Korea) we maintain a high level of readiness and posture in places like Europe that we really care about.
67 “Total Force” is the U.S. military’s core-operating concept today: According to the “Total Force” concept, active-duty, reserve, and national guard units are equipped with the same equipment, given the same training, and able to fight together as a complete team.
68 While the SOF heavy-lift capability is currently based with the 437th Airlift Wing at Charleston AFB, South Carolina, it will shortly move to McGuire AFB, New Jersey. And there is a good possibility that when the SOF-capable C- 141Bs are retired in a few years, a squadron of C-17 Globemaster IIIs will be modified to take over the SOF mission.
69 The Special Forces grade the operational readiness status of a unit by the Green/Amber/Red scale. Green means mission ready, Amber means the unit is in training and getting ready to deploy, and Red signifies that the unit is just back from a deployment and needs leave and training.
70 The data device is usually nothing more than a laptop computer or personal digital assistant, with the data stream going to the radio through a digital encryption device. This allows the sending of e-mail messages using commercially available software, a real benefit for the team members.
71 SPACECOM is understandably frugal with the limited SATCOM resources available. Thus several SF missions in various parts of a region may have to share a single satellite channel or transponder, depending upon the urgency and importance of their tasking.
72 For more on the JTFEX series, see Marine; Airborne; and Carrier (Berkley Books, 1996, 1997, and 1999 respectively).
73 These exercises (known as Cooperative Nugget-95 and -97) provided NATO with an opportunity to look over the forces of various PFP nations, and evaluate their worthiness for membership within the Atlantic alliance. In 1999, three former PFP nations, Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, became the latest additions to NATO.
74 This facility was once the old England AFB, which had been home to a wing of A-10A Thunderbolts (Warthogs) that fought during Desert Storm. It was closed during one of the rounds of base closings of the early 1990s. Today, the base facilities have been commercialized, but the government still maintains some limited facilities (such as the JRTC marshalling yard) on the property.
75 The BLU-82 was used during the Vietnam War to knock down tree and plant structures, creating an instant helicopter landing pad. During the 1991 Persian Gulf War, BLU-82s were used to clear Iraqi minefields and terrorize enemy troops in conjunction with leaflet drops.
76 For more on MILES and its use in force-on-force training, see Armored Cav and Airborne (Berkley Books, 1994 and 1998 respectively).
77 At JRTC, the casualty/evacuation system sends each person judged as wounded by his or her MILES harness to a central receiving station near the post’s Army airfield. Here they are randomly given a card that assesses their wounds. Some can be “treated;” others are judged “dead.” The JRTC replacement system allows some of the “dead” to go back to their units and get back into the action ... but only if they are properly handled in the system by their home unit.
78 While seemingly random, the ODA numbering system does have logic behind it: The first digit refers to the number of the ODA’s SFG. The second references its assigned company (there are nine per SFG). The last numbers the ODA within its company, from one to six. Therefore, the designation ODA 745 tells you that the team is assigned to the 7th SFG. 2nd Battalion/Company “A,” 5th ODA.
79 Briefbacks are the final briefings just prior to mission execution. Frequently these will be used to hammer out final problems, set Rules of Engagement (ROEs), and other last-minute items.
80 Special Forces E&Es are among the most classified of their many operational procedures. Even during exercises like JRTC 99-1, I was asked not to ask qu
estions or obtain information about E&E procedures. I can say that SF E&E skills are an important part of their training, and are regularly practiced.
81 The plan called for the 1/10th Mountain forward reconnaissance elements to enter the “box” at 1900 hours on the 7th, while the main elements planned to arrive at Carnis at 1300 hours on the 8th.
82 During Vietnam, Viet Cong often used wounded American soldiers and Marines as “bait” to draw other forces into an ambush zone.
83 The Blackhawk’s seats are designed to provide passengers with protection in the event of a crash landing; for that they work quite well. But during combat operations, SOF personnel usually like to remove them so they’ll have more room and can get rest on long infiltration flights. For JRTC 99-1, the 160th SOAR left the seats in as a safety measure (their usual practice during Stateside training).
84 During planning, ODA 745 considered wearing what are known as “Gilly Suits” during the “hit.” These are camouflaged overgarments, designed to blend the wearer into local vegetation. Though later analysis indicated they might have proved useful, it was decided not to take them because of their weight and bulk (they can get very warm).