Operator 2013

THE SPECIAL FORCES MAGAZINE

THE SPECIAL FORCES MAGAZINE

Return to the MOG Black Hawk Down - 20 years later Night Stalkers rule Meet the 160th SOAR A Salute to the Horse Soldier The Last American Calvary Charge Heavy Metal The Anthem of War These are the stories of America’s Most Elite Operators

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CONTENTS 10 The Green Berets Rick Erickson

14 A SEAL’s Perspective from the 1960s Paul Evancoe

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18 Night Stalkers Don’t Quit David Cooper

28 Canine Operators: The War’s Four-Legged Force Multipliers Nicole White

38 My Life as a Ranger Danny McKnight

42 Delta Force Joe Gonzalez

46 Lessons from Black Hawk Down Mike Durant

52 Back to Mogadishu Keni Thomas

58 De Oppresso Liber

28

Mark Nutsch

62 Air Force PJs: The Last Line of Life U.S. Air Force Public Affairs

64 Anthem of War: The Heavy Metal Soundtrack of Modern War Jason Ridler with Joe Gonzalez

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CONTENTS 72 MARSOC: Always Faithful, Always Forward U.S. Marine Corps Public Affairs

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76 SWCC: Special Warfare Combatant Crewmen Peter Wikul

80 How Proven Deployable Power Systems Will Transform the SOF Mission Keyvan Vasef

86 Defusing Danger Brian Castner

92 How Special Operations Command Improved Combat Caualty Care John Gilpin

98 Taking on The Invisible Wounds of War Barbara Van Dahlen

102 Lighting Up Foreign Lands Shannon Layton

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108 Combat Controllers: First There Gene Adcock

112 The Medal of Honor

Department of Defense Public Affairs

114 Hall of Heroes

Department of Defense Public Affairs

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FX MARKETING GROUP Kristian Krempel President & Publisher Angela M. Krempel Vice President Operations Giacomo La Rosa Chief Content Officer Frank G. Fernandez General Counsel Joe Gonzalez Military Program Manager Tom Brady VP Sales Doug Beaudoin Advertising Sales Fred Lasday Advertising Sales Lele Paul Global Accounts Director Jeffrey Schnell Advertising Sales Bryan Silver Advertising Sales Brooke Walton Advertising Sales Brandon Welch Advertising Sales Tanya Wydick Advertising Sales Jeff Williams Advertising Sales David Brown Editor Joseph Duhamel Art Director & Production Manager Denise Haunstetter Designer Aaron Daley Production Scot Shuman Internet & Technical Services Jasmine Krempel-Weaver Assistant Terry Weaver Jr. Archival & Historian Scott Neil Special Forces/Technical Advisor Mark Nutsch Special Forces/Technical Advisor Contributing Writers Gene Adcock, Brian Castner, David Cooper, Mike Durant, Rick Erickson, Chris Eslinger, Paul Evancoe, John “Brad” Gilpin, Joe Gonzalez, Shannon Layton, Danny McKnight, Mark Nutsch, Jason Ridler, Steve Rutherford, Jeff Struecker, Keni Thomas, Barbara Van Dahlin, Keyvan Vasefi, Nicole White, Pete Wikul Cover Design Joe Gonzalez The Operator book is published by FX Group Inc., 300 South Hyde Ave., Suite 202, Tampa, FL 33606. All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form, by means electronically, mechanically, photocopying, or otherwise, and no article or photography can be printed without the written consent of the publisher. Reproduction in whole or part without written consent is forbidden. The FX Group assume no responsibility for statements made by advertisers; the quality, deliverability of products, or services advertised; or positioning of advertising.

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THE

GREEN BERETS

The 10th Special Forces Group members perform a high-altitude, low-opening parachute jump for a training mission March 6, 2013, at Fort Carson, Colo. With the assistance of the Colorado Army National Guard Aviation Support Facility members and assets, the Special Forces members jumped from a CH-47 Chinook at an elevation of 13,000 feet. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Riley Johnson)

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C

ivilizations have always been fascinated by their heroes. Since the pre-modern era, there has always been a caste, or specialized warrior class, existing with codes of honor. These codes are the foundation under which the warriors serve to repel corrupt or unethical social groups that could be dangerous to the rest of society. Honor, faith, loyalty, courage, physical and mental toughness, espirit de corps, never accepting defeat, integrity, and personal courage are some of the fundamental characteristics of the chivalric code.

U.S. Army Special Forces are synonymously known as the “Green Berets.” Established under Colonel(Ret) Aaron Bank in June 1952 and made official by President John F. Kennedy a decade later, the Green Berets are tasked with five primary missions: counterterrorism, foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, unconventional warfare, and direct action. The classic mission of the Green Berets is the training of foreign troops, in their language, while honoring their culture. Green Berets are force multipliers that help local populations stand up against aggressors. Other missions are humanitarian in nature and are conducted around the globe. We live proudly by our motto “De Oppresso Liber” or “To liberate from oppression.”

Just as doctors study throughout their entire careers, the Special Forces soldier must continuously acquire new and advanced skills while honing the basics until retirement, and even after—the training never stops. Team members rely on each other during the most difficult and isolated circumstances in formidable conditions and work closely together for long periods of time. Whether fighting side-by-side in combat, serving on humanitarian missions, or drudging through mundane day-to-day events, Green Berets develop a brotherhood that will last a lifetime.

Such was the case during a combat mission in Afghanistan in December 2004. Our team was conducting a routine mounted presence patrol in Nadi Shah Kot-khost Province in the village of Polocay. The terrain was difficult and the roads were few. Wickedly narrow roads with rock and dirt-filled waddies, which turned to riverbeds during the rainy season, forced us to move slowly. The roads we found were horribly bouncy, tearing up the vehicles and making it difficult for the team members to keep a steady view of their assigned lanes. Each soldier was constantly on the lookout for Taliban or enemy forces that threatened to ambush or bomb our patrol. Our reflexes were sharp from extensive training and the numerous combat missions that our team had already conducted.

Our A-Team was heading back to the firebase with a small patrol of Afghanistan military forces. We were returning with a five-ton vehicle full of 107mm rockets, 122mm rockets, ammo, anti-aircraft guns, and other enemy items that we found in a cache at the bottom of a well in a small village in the mountainous area. The five-ton vehicle was the second-to-last in our order of movement, with an acceptable distance between the vehicles in front of him. It was the safest that we could come up with and still provide security. It was eerie knowing that if enemy fire or an improvised explosive device hit the vehicle carrying the cache, the results would be disastrous, likely wiping out most of our patrol.

It was an agonizingly slow and bumpy ride over the incredibly cruel terrain. We felt dangerously exposed as we crept over the sharp and jagged rocks that covered the waddie.

“The empty village, the absence of children playing in the street – the quietness was unsettling.”

We arrived at an area surrounded by steep cliffs on both sides. The curves in the ancient thoroughfare were cut through the rocky terrain so as to channel foreign troops into a “kill zone.” As we made our way through, a creepy feeling stayed with me and made the hair on my back stand up. It was like a sixth sense acquired after serving in extended combat situations, similar to how one feels before an inevitable firefight or expected ambush. It’s difficult to explain—at those moments it seems as if time passes in slow motion. The empty village, the absence of children playing in the street—the quietness was unsettling.

Every team member was on high alert and ready when KABOOM!—a massive explosion was followed by machine guns and small arms fire. We had been trapped in a well coordinated, near enemy ambush of al-Qaeda forces. There was no time to think; it was all muscle memory for each individual on the team. Standing operational procedures immediately kicked in. Adrenaline pumped through our veins and a controlled craziness erupted. Our .50 cal spit lead toward the enemy forces as the M-19 grenade launcher hurled explosives, suppressing the enemy while the rest of the team covered down and returned fire, eliminating the threat.

As team sergeant, many things run through your mind, but in situations like this there isn’t time to overanalyze. It was time to quell the enemy with overwhelming firepower and extreme aggression.

When in charge of a patrol, your biggest concern is that everybody makes it home alive. Knowing that I was surrounded by some of the most highly trained

Two soldiers from the 2nd Battalion 19th Special Forces Group load equipment into a UH-60L Black Hawk Helicopter June 21, 2012. The Black Hawks were loaded with palettes of supplies and were flown over a nearby drop zone where the crew from Detachment 2, Company C, 1st General Support Aviation Battalion, 171st Aviation Regiment perform low level drops.

(Photo by Tech. Sgt. Charles Larkin Sr)

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Left: A 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) (7 SFG (A)) Green Beret exits the back of a U.S. Navy CH53E Super Stallion from Sea Combat Squadron 84 after jettisoning a zodiac during Helocast training Hurlburt Field, Fla., April. 24, 2013.

Green Berets from 7SFG (A) participated in maritime operations with the U.S.Navy during Exercise Emerald Warrior, Emerald Warrior is an exercise designed to provide irregular training at the tactical and operational levels.

The exercise involved all branches of the U.S. military and elements from allied countries.

(U.S. Army photo by Spc. Steven Young) Right: Members of a Special Forces assault team, wait as a flash grenade goes off, before entering an abandoned building, where a known Person of Interest is hiding out, during a kill or capture training mission, Germany, Feb. 23, 2010. (Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Silas Toney)

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troops in the military made decisions quicker and more precise. Every team member was disciplined and prepared for any situation. We had each other’s backs and were prepared to take the fight to the enemy and eliminate them. Through sheer luck or divine intervention, the five-ton wasn’t hit.

We called for close air support and within twenty minutes two Marine Corps Cobra gunships with their familiar cracking sounds hovered overhead—it was a good feeling. The gunfight immediately halted when the Cobras arrived as the enemy fled over the steep terrain. The pilots notified my communications sergeant that they saw the enemy fleeing over the ridgeline, but that rules of engagement prevented them from opening fire. As a former crew chief on Chinook helicopters prior to joining Special Forces, a spontaneous idea came to me. If we could get the pilots to lift us on the skids of their gunships over the high cliffs and set us on another ridgeline in front of the enemy combatants, we could conduct a counter-ambush and intercept them and bring them to justice. I did not want them to get away; I did not want them to do this again.

After several minutes and much persuasion, one of the pilots said to me, since I was talking directly to them now, “You know, this is unacceptably dangerous.” I replied, “Yeah, I know, that’s why we get hazardous duty pay, so let’s do this!”

The pilot confirmed and told me to secure a landing zone for the gunship. I thanked him and explained that he could land in any cleared area and that security was out. One Cobra acted as overwatch at altitude while the other landed to pick up my team of warriors for this insane assault. I briefed the team commander and provided names of the assaulters. We assembled, gave a quick brief and prepared our movement. Motivation peaked as we loaded two men onto the skids of the Cobra, which immediately took off for the ridgeline. As the first chopper lifted, I rallied the Afghan forces, who were skilled at mountain climbing, for an assault up

the cliffs to flush the enemy toward us. I went onto the second lift with my interpreter. Two additional lifts of two-soldiers-per-lift transported soldiers to the ridgeline to set up the counter-ambush.

Within an hour, the area was cleared and the enemy attack was thwarted without one friendly casualty. We then swept the area, and for many hours after the initial ambush looked for additional enemy forces. The operation went smoothly because of the cooperation between the battle-hardened and skilled Marine pilots and the Afghan military forces assigned to our A-Team. We were told that up to that point, that there was no record of anyone ever being airlifted on the skids of a Cobra Attack Helicopter, and certainly not during combat operations.

We made it back to the firebase by the next day with the cache in tact. There are so many honorable stories of Green Berets at war serving selflessly and putting themselves in harm’s way to save a teammate in danger or to fight off the enemy. These “warrior diplomats” continue to live by the chivalric code and warrior ethos to do our part in bringing an end to conflicts around the world. Since 1952, Special Forces soldiers have operated tirelessly, engaged in a broad spectrum of missions to protect our nation from hostile forces that seek to destroy or do us harm. As uniquely qualified “quiet professionals” leading humanitarian action programs, Green Berets forge on in a pursuit to “Liberate the Oppressed.”

De Oppresso Liber.

SGM Rick Erickson currently works at United States Army Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He is a former team sergeant holding three Special Forces qualifications; medic, engineer, and intelligence. He has served in Central Asia, South America, Afghanistan, Iraq and numerous other countries with military and civilian organizations, and recently held position of Army Component Command Senior Enlisted Leader in Africa for AFRICOM (Africa Command). SGM Erickson has been involved in and led humanitarian assistance missions around the world for over 20 years, and has several years’ experience working in the television industry as a risk advisor, medical and safety.

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A SEAL’s Perspective from the 1960s I

Top: U.S. Navy SEALs train with Special Boat Team (SBT) 12 on the proper techniques of how to board gas and oil platforms from a moving vessel. (Petty Officer 3rd Class Adam Henderson) Above: An East-Coast based U.S. Navy SEAL climbs a caving ladder during visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) training on Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story. (U.S. Navy Photograph by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class William S. Parker/ Released) Bottom: A West Coastbased SEAL jumps out of an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the High Rollers of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 85 during maritime operation training. (Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Adam Henderson)

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By Paul Evancoe

n the 1960s, Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training was known as Underwater Demolition Team Replacement training, or UDT-R. At the time, there were two UDT-R basic schools—Coronado, CA and Little Creek, VA—each graduating a new crop of Navy Frogmen a couple of times a year. Rivalry between the graduates of the two schools was the norm. “West Coast Pukes” and “East Coast Weenies” argued over which school was tougher. In truth, there was no easy day on either coast. In the end, it didn’t matter because the “teams” cross pollinated when operators changed Teams during normal duty station transfers.

President Kennedy commissioned the SEAL Teams in 1963, and it wasn’t until late 1964 or early 1965 that they reached full mission capability. SEAL Teams were definitely the new kids on the block, and it was a superbly challenging period for them.

The Vietnam War was in full swing and both the UDTs and SEAL Teams were deploying there. In those days, with few exceptions, doing a tour in UDT was required before

one could move to a SEAL Team, and there were only two Teams: SEAL Team 1 in Coronado and SEAL Team 2 in Little Creek. Each was composed of about 100 operators.

Things were a lot different in those days.

Desktop computers did not yet exist. The admin office had two electric typewriters, but only a few operators, save the officers, knew how to type anyway. Duplicate copies were made using typewriter carbon paper. The UDT and SEAL Teams were commanded by lieutenant commanders (04). The executive officers were lieutenants (0-3). Each team was operationally organized into five or six operational platoons of twelve to fourteen men. The platoons were led by two junior officers, usually ensigns (0-1) or lieutenant junior grades (0-2). Administratively, the Teams had a small garrison of operators who ran the “departments.”

A Team’s typical departments included operations/plans, ordnance, submersible operations, air operations, intelligence, engineering/logistics, admin, and the

training department. Those operators not assigned to a deployed platoon (or a newly formed platoon in pre-deployment training status) were assigned to a department. Like the platoons, the departments were led by junior officers, and often by senior enlisted men at the chief petty officer level. Their job was to provide pre-deployment support, war-fighting equipment, and readiness training to the operational platoons.

Unlike today, operators of that period bought their own field equipment off the shelf using their own money. Most Navy-provided equipment was left over from World War II or the Korean War, and was simply inadequate for the SEAL mission. Off-the-shelf kits are evidenced in vintage team pictures, and account for the variations in the equipment carried by the operators of that era.

The missions between the SEALs and UDTs were also different. The SEALs were land commando-oriented while UDT maintained its water frogman mission. The Navy treated the Teams as bastard step children. The evolving concept of joint operations was always overshadowed by the fiscal rice bowls of the competing services and their selfish agendas. The Navy’s primary budget emphasis was on submarines, fighter jets, and carrier battle groups.

Beyond supporting an amphibious assault, the Navy possessed little understanding of special warfare and had little patience or vision to consider how to employ properly the special warfare assets it had.

The operational concept then was blissfully simplistic.

The Teams worked for the Navy, the Navy had ships, and the Navy’s ships sailed the worldwide seas. Therefore, anything that threatened the fleet was a potential UDT or SEAL target. This translated to an airfield a hundred miles inland if its planes could threaten the fleet; to seaports that supported an opposing fleet; and to an opposing fleet asset itself. Vietnam, as a target, was easily justified because of the numerous riverine, coastal, and air operations the Navy was running in support of the war effort and the fact that if Vietnam fell to the Communists, it would surely provide the Soviet Union’s fleet the use of Vietnam’s deep water ports. Conceivably, the resulting unchecked Soviet expansion into the South China Sea would unacceptably threaten the Free World’s vital sea lines of communication to the oil abundant Persian Gulf.

In the 1970s, as the Vietnam War was winding down, BUD/S training was consolidated and situated in Coronado. During that period, stagnation and atrophy

became the norm for the Navy. The Teams suffered too.

In the 1980s the four surviving Underwater Demolition Teams were decommissioned and re-commissioned as SEAL Teams. This effectively added two SEAL Teams to each coast for a balance of three SEAL Teams per coast.

The mission didn’t change. If the fleet was threatened, it was a SEAL target. At the time, the Navy practically couldn’t even spell counterterrorism or asymmetric warfare. It wasn’t until 1979 that the Navy recognized the need for a Team dedicated to counterterrorism. This is entirely because of the farsightedness of such officers like Admiral “Ace” Lyons and Commander “Demo Dick” Marcinko.

Both SEAL Team 1 and SEAL Team 2 already had a platoon explicitly dedicated to the counterterrorism mission. They wore civilian clothes, long hair, and were unshaven so as to better blend into their operational environments. They were known as “the mod squad,” after a TV show of the period that bore the same name and appearance. The mod squad SEALs, along with some selected operators with reputations for extraordinary tradecraft, were brought into the fold and SEAL Team 6, led by its first commanding officer, Commander Marcinko, was commissioned.

The creation of SEAL Team 6 was an extraordinary event in Team history because it was the first time an individual Team was given a specific counterterrorism mission. It also divided the SEAL community by creating an elite, ego-centric Team in an already elite operator community. By virtue of his “take no prisoners” personality, Commander Marcinko further exasperated the SEAL community through his demanding interactions with the other Teams. Nevertheless, SEAL Team 6 gained momentum and respect and soon became a unique national counterterrorism asset.

When the U.S. Special Operations Command was established in the 1980s, it consolidated each service’s special operations assets under one “joint” roof. The Marines opted out of the arrangement, stating that the entire Corps was already “special.” Of the remaining three branches, the Navy was the last to surrender its special

Top left: A college of SEALS who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the country.

Top right: Actual Medal of Honor prepared for presentation posthumously to Master-At-Arms 2nd Class (SEAL) Michael A. Monsoor who sacrificed himself to save his teammates during combat operations in Iraq, Sept.

29, 2006. (U.S. Navy photo/Oscar Sosa)

Left: Sailors assigned to Special Boat Team 12 conduct boat operations supporting a West Coastbased SEAL team during their maritime operation training cycle. (Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Adam Henderson)

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Top left: Navy SEALs demonstrate patrol insertion/extraction from an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter during a capabilities demonstration at the 2009 Veterans Day Ceremony and Muster XXIV at the National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, FL. (Courtesy photo) Above left: U.S. Navy SEALs exit a C-130 Hercules aircraft during a training exercise near Fort Pickett, Va. (Photo

by Petty Officer 2nd Class Anthony Harding) Top right: A Navy SEAL climbs up a ladder attached to the side of a gas and oil platform during training. (Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Adam Henderson) Bottom: Sailors from Special Boat Team 12 conduct boat operations supporting a West Coastbased SEAL team during their maritime operation training cycle. (Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Adam Henderson)

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warfare assets to the joint regime. While hotly contested by many who wore blue (both inside and outside of the Naval Special Warfare community), the SEALs finally had a sponsor whose color was purple—well, sort of.

The Army had a firm flag officer grasp on SOCOM leadership and its subordinate commands. While SOCOM was supposed to be purple, it appeared very “green” from a Navy perspective. But evolution takes time and SOCOM’s green identity did ultimately shift to purple as SOCOM’s “jointness” was proven over years of successful special operations. As the SEAL community grew its own crop of flag officers in the 1990s and 2000s, they gradually moved into the senior joint command positions, and ultimately commanded such premier joint commands as the Joint Special Operations Command and SOCOM. Some in today’s military see the SEALs as pampered prima donnas who have the best weapons, field gear and training known to modern man. Surely, the SEALs see themselves as elite warriors, but that’s no different from those who preceded them. But are they as tough?

The Vietnam War tempo pressed UDT and SEAL Team

operators to the limit. By the mid-1970s, SEALs had an unmistakable “100-mile stare.” Operators today share that same stare after spending a decade engaged in innumerable high-operational-tempo deployments.

But are the operators as tough as they once were?

Today’s SEALs are not only demonstrably smarter in their field tradecraft and more technically proficient than their SEAL predecessors, they conduct incredibly sophisticated joint operations at a skill level the “old guys” never could have imagined. They additionally understand that in order to do something good one may need to occasionally engage in evil—and that requires true mental and physical toughness. Without question, they clearly have what it takes.

Paul Evancoe is a retired Navy SEAL (class 40). His action novels Own the Night, Violent Peace, and Poison Promise deal with terrorism and weapons of mass destruction and are available at AmazonBooks.com

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Night Stalkers

Don’tUQuit

By CW5 David Cooper

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.S. Army Aviation calls it the Crater Illusion, and for the entire 90 minute flight, every crewmember of the assault helicopter force has been fighting it. The illusion makes it seem like the aircraft is inside of a very dark and scary ping-pong ball. They are only 200 feet above the ground, and yet the surface is barely visible. There is no moon tonight and the clouds have obscured any starlight. Likewise, there is very little manmade or natural lighting for the night vision goggles to amplify.

The crews call the resulting night vision image “grainy,”

and on black nights like this, it seems to be raining sand in that green image. The textbook says to pass the flight controls to the other pilot until the sensation subsides. This is about as difficult as it gets.

On the two MH-47 Chinooks and two MH-60 Blackhawks, crew chiefs and flight engineers are also wearing night vision goggles. The crew ensures safe operation of the Big Birds, and during the flight, they are on the intercom constantly advising the pilots of events to the sides and rear of their aircraft, as well as in the cabin.

The MH-6 and AH-6 Little Birds have no extra eyes—they carry only the two pilots. The lead aircraft in the formation is an MH-6, which has it the worst.

Its crew has nothing ahead to reference. This part of the desert has precious little terrain relief. There is not a hill, ravine, or bush in sight. It’s as flat as a billiard table.

Aircrafts two through eight in the formation have it a little easier. They are using the lights of the helicopters directly in front of them. This allows an outside reference on which their eyes can focus. There is a nagging question in the back of each crewmember’s mind: if the lead helicopter crashes into the desert floor, will we all follow him in?

The customers in the back of the machines are unaware of the flight’s difficulty. (The 160th refers to all military and intelligence personnel being transported as “customers.”) As far as they are concerned, this is just another infiltration, and that’s exactly what the aviators flying this mission want. The aircrews will not allow a difficult flight to have any bearing on the ground force. The commandos have their own mission tonight with which they need to be concerned.

Thirty minutes later—two hours after takeoff—the flight passes over the release point, and the call goes out: “Two minutes.” The crew chiefs of the Blackhawks and Chinooks spread the word to their customers on board. The MH-6 pilots hold up two fingers letting the “plank riders” know that they’re close. The AH-6 gun birds do a cyclic climb in order to gain altitude for situational awareness and to conduct supporting fire missions during the assault. Each crew knows their landing zone from memory. The flight begins to slow as each aircraft makes its approach.

The concept of special operations aviation began in 1962, when Special Warfare Aviation Detachments supported the Special Forces Groups and Special Forces Training Detachment at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Three years later, the 281st Assault Helicopter Company, Airmobile Light was ordered to support 5th Special Forces Group in Vietnam. The

281st earned numerous U.S. and Vietnamese valor awards for their service. Historians trace the roots of the modern 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) to the 281st.

Because of Desert One, the failed Iranian hostage rescue mission in April 1980, the nation’s special operations capabilities were reorganized. The Army recognized the need for a dedicated special operations aviation force, and looked to the 101st Airborne Division aviation units at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Elements from those aviation battalions were selected. Dubbed Task Force 160, the new unit was quickly recognized as the Army’s premier night fighting aviation force and the nation’s only special operations aviation force.

The modern day 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) was officially activated in June 1990.

The Regiment stood up three battalions, a separate detachment, and incorporated one Army National Guard

Marines with the 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command rappel from a CH-47 helicopter onto a mock cargo ship during Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) training with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment near Camp Pendleton, Calif., Dec. 11.

VBSS, which consists of maritime vessel boarding and searching, is used to combat smuggling, drug trafficking, terrorism and piracy. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Kyle McNally/Released)

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Top: Marines with the 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command helocast from a CH-47 helicopter during Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) training with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment near Camp Pendleton, Calif., Dec. 11.

(U.S. Marine Corps photo

by Cpl. Kyle McNally/ Released) Below: MH-6 Approach.

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battalion to replace the separate aviation detachments at the Special Forces groups.

Although the unit is exclusively Army (except for a single USMC exchange pilot), the Night Stalkers support all special operations ground forces. In July 2007, the Regiment activated a fourth battalion to meet growing special operations forces requirements. The final unit added was a Grey Eagle unmanned aerial system element. A provisional U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command was activated on March 25, 2011. Aviation senior commanders recognized a need for a one-star headquarters to represent the interests of special operations aviation at the Ft Bragg headquarters. The formal activation ceremony took place in October 2012.

160th SOAR (A) has participated in several named operations to include: Urgent Fury, Prime Chance, Just Cause, Desert Storm, Gothic Serpent, Uphold Democracy, Joint Endeavour, Assured Response, Desert Thunder, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and New Dawn. Today, 160th SOAR (A) flies nearly two hundred highly modified helicopters to support the nation’s special operations forces.

Regardless of their military occupation—logistics, human resources, medical, or flight operations—every

soldier in the 160th has a singular concern: customer support. This drives everything they do.

Their proximity to the target has no bearing on their contribution to the mission, and they walk, talk, and execute so as to be certain that if the mission fails, it will not be because of my section or me. This takes a certain kind of soldier.

The officers, regardless of rank or military occupation specialty, must volunteer to be Night Stalkers.

While all applications are accepted, only 40% of qualified volunteers receive a letter requesting that they to report for assessment.

Assessment week is unlike anything the officer has ever endured. It involves physical fitness tests, swim tests, psychological evaluations, written and oral examinations on their particular specialties, and briefings. There are many ways to fail the assessment.

Quitting any test or training evolution, for example, is an automatic no-go. The week ends with a formal board of officers examining the candidate. If the board is satisfied that the officer meets all requirements, they extend an invitation to attend Green Platoon.

Approximately 50% of those that assess are selected.

For the enlisted soldier, the process is somewhat different. They are assigned to the unit. Upon arrival they are given a battery of written and psychological tests. If they are successful, they are assigned to Green Platoon.

Green Platoon is a rigorous, multi-week course that indoctrinates the crews with the customer support concept. All newcomers, regardless of rank, title, or position, go through the training.

Candidates are taught combat medicine, U.S. Army combatives, marksmanship with the rifle and pistol, and orienteering. They attend classroom instruction on planning, briefing, and executing missions, and must complete course work on the unit’s history. Nonaircrew members, upon Green Platoon graduation, are assigned to their unit. For aircrew members, however, the training has only just begun.

The flight portion of Green Platoon has been called “Ranger School for aviators.” The first ten training missions flown are in OH-6s with night vision

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Night Stalker Creed Service in the 160th is a calling only a few will answer for the mission is constantly demanding and hard. And when the impossible has been accomplished the only reward is another mission that no one else will try. As a member of the Night Stalkers I am a tested volunteer seeking only to safeguard the honor and prestige of my country, by serving the elite Special Operations Soldiers of the United States. I pledge to maintain my body, mind and equipment in a constant state of readiness for I am a member of the fastest deployable Task Force in the world, ready to move at a moment’s notice anytime, anywhere, arriving time on target plus or minus 30 seconds.

I guard my unit’s mission with secrecy, for my only true ally is the night and the element of surprise. My manner is that of the Special Operations Quiet Professional, secrecy is a way of life. In battle, I eagerly meet the enemy for I volunteered to be up front where the fighting is hard. I fear no foe’s ability, nor underestimate his will to fight.

The mission and my precious cargo are my concern. I will never surrender. I will never leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy, and under no circumstances will I ever embarrass my country.

Gallantly will I show the world and the elite forces I support that a Night Stalker is a specially selected and well trained soldier.

I serve with the memory and pride of those who have gone before me for they loved to fight, fought to win and would rather die than quit.

Night Stalkers Don’t Quit!!

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U.S. airmen with the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron and U.S. soldiers with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) teamed up for personnel recovery training utilizing alternate infiltration and exfiltration training on Wynnehaven Beach, Fla., April 9, 2013.

The 160th SOAR, also known as “Night Stalkers,” is a special operations force of the U.S. Army that provides helicopter aviation support for general purpose and special operations forces.

The 23rd STS primary task is to integrate, synchronize, and control the elements of air and space power in their areas of operations. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Christopher Callaway)

goggles. A map, compass, and stopwatch are used for navigation. The students must plan the route to the objective, plan contingencies, brief the plan, and fly the plan. The routes are usually between 80 and 120 nautical miles in length, and students must arrive at the objective in plus or minus 30 seconds of the time that was planned. Each planning sequence, flight, and debrief revolves around the customer and the customer’s mission. If the flight candidate passes the end-of-course check ride, he or she proceeds to Advanced Skills.

The Advanced Skills phase trains the crewmembers to fly and fight their specific aircraft. While the MH-6 crews practice pinnacle and rooftop landings, the AH-6 crews concentrate on aerial gunnery and fire support planning. The MH-60 and MH-47 crews work on aerial refueling, shipboard operations, and flight using only terrain-following radar. During Advanced Skills, crews are exposed to several different environments.

They train for desert and mountain missions in the southwestern United States, and fly off the coasts of Florida and Virginia for their overwater navigation training. No matter where they train, the standard

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remains: plus or minus 30 seconds.

Advanced Skills training also uses helicopter simulators that allow crewmembers to practice everything they’ve learned in the classroom. The simulators have advanced graphics and image generators. Aircrews can practice “plugging” the refuel hose off the back of a C-130, shooting an approach to the roof of a skyscraper, and even landing aboard ships. The simulator also allows for emergency procedure training. But there is one simulation device unique to special operations aviation: the helo dunker.

The simulation uses three different helicopter bodies (MH-6, MH-60, and MH-47) to train pilots to escape their submerged aircraft. The swim to the surface of the 20-foot-deep pool can feel even longer— especially during black out conditions. To intensify the experience, fans blow hurricane force winds across the water’s surface, and underwater currents pin crewmembers in their seats. There’s even a wave generator to create seven-foot seas.

Over the six to nine months of Green Platoon training, 20-percent of students have washed out, the crews have flown almost 200 hours in varying weather and environmental conditions, and they know the Tactical Standard Operating Procedures inside

and out. The final check ride of Green Platoon is a cumulative training mission. By graduation, they are customer support experts. They are ready.

“One Minute.” The call goes from each cockpit to the customers on board, and it focuses each member of the force. There is no talk or unnecessary movement.

Aircrews are straining to find the landmarks that lead to their landing zones. Customers chamber rounds in their weapons. The AH-6 crews are now 300 feet above the ground searching for targets.

As the Chinooks and Blackhawks flair for landing, huge dirt clouds billow up from their rotors. Although the blowing dust (or “brown out”) immediately brings the visibility to zero, the crew can still see rocket-propelled grenades streaking past the cockpit, as well as tracer fire from the vicinity of the target building. Just like in training, the aircrews transition to their instruments and rely on their tactics, techniques, and procedures to bring the aircraft straight down without running into other helicopters. As crew chiefs man their mini-guns, they feed data to the flight deck. Over the intercom system, the crew reports, “Clear left and down” and “Clear right and down” and “Clear to the rear.”

It’s touchdown. In less than four seconds, the

A 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment MH-47 Chinook helicopter leaves the insertion site after airmen from the 125th Special Tactics Squadron, Oregon Air National Guard, and U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers “fast-roped.”

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Blackhawks’ customers are out and moving toward their assigned objective. The Chinooks have twice the number of troops and only one exit, so it takes a few seconds longer. As the Blackhawks clear the airspace, the Chinooks are lifting off. The unarmed MH-6s come to a stabilized 25-foot hover directly over the target. They deploy fast ropes that allow their customers to slither down into the target building’s courtyard. Before the last commando is down the rope, the first two men have set the charges to make entry into the target house. There’s a small explosion, and within 30 seconds of arrival at the objective, entry into the structure has been made.

The crew of the AH spots the enemy rocketpropelled grenade launchers and machine gunners.

After a request to the Fire Support Officer on the ground for permission to fire, they go to work. The lead AH-6 dives at the target and opens with a threesecond mini-gun burst. At 3000 rounds per minute each, his two guns have delivered 300 rounds on target. The sound of mini-guns is sweet music to all friendly troops on the objective. The AH-6 also fires two high-explosive rockets. His wingman makes his pass and mops up the enemy position. The smoking hole that was an enemy bunker a few seconds ago is

U.S. Air Force airmen from the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron jump out the back of a MH-47 Chinook Helicopter at Wynnehaven Beach, Fla., April 9, 2013. The helicopter conducts overt and covert infiltration, exfiltration, air assault, resupply and sling-load operations in a wide range of environmental conditions. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Christopher Callaway)

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now silent.

While departing the landing zone, crew chiefs scan their sectors for targets. After they’ve departed the objective area, their thoughts turn to the aircraft. They heard several rounds hit the bird. Now is the time to find and assess the damage. The crews were very lucky tonight—there is only sheet metal damage. The hydraulics, transmission, and fuel lines were missed.

As the assaulters begin clearing the building a shot rings out and the lead man goes down. His buddies eliminate the threat and drag him outside. Fortunately, the wound is not life threatening, but still requires evacuation. The call goes out to the helicopter force.

The designated Blackhawk with casualty evacuation responsibilities sets down at the pre-planned landing zone. The Night Stalker medic exits and helps the wounded man onto the helicopter. The medic has extensive Special Forces medical training, and has worked hundreds of hours at trauma centers around the United States. Though he’d never admit it, his skills rival that of an emergency room doctor. The wounded man is in excellent hands and is only 30 minutes from the hospital pad.

After a half hour on the objective, the ground force has found what it’s come for and is ready for

exfiltration. The birds are 30 seconds out. The ground force has counted, recounted, and triple checked their numbers— they do not want to leave a commando on the ground. Because one of the Blackhawks is still on the hospital pad, the trip home will be a tight squeeze. Each Chinook and the remaining Blackhawk add a couple of additional troopers.

It is a well-rehearsed contingency, and adds no time to the exfiltration.

The exfiltration itself is an orderly affair under the watchful eyes of the AH-6s. In case there is trouble, the gunships will be the last to depart.

The crew chiefs give their passenger counts to the Air Mission Commander, who verifies with the ground force that everyone is accounted for and on board. The customers can relax.

Their mission is over.

For the flight crews it’s another ninety minutes of flying in the crater.

Just as on infil, the crews trade the flight controls back and forth with each other.

Despite the weather, the environment, and enemy fire, the assault force landed on the objective plus-or-minus 30 seconds.

They were supported with casualty evacuation and close air support, and upon exfiltration they were safely flown back to base to begin the whole process over the next day. There will be no high-fives or celebrations—only weapons checks and debriefings 30 minutes after landing. It was a normal mission.

But even if things had been exciting, the ground force commander would have to recommend awards for aircrew members—the Night Stalkers will not

recommend themselves.

Many soldiers contributed to the success of the mission, including refuelers, armament teams, clerks, intelligence analysts, medics, communications specialists, aviation maintenance crews, and logistics teams—each important, each responsible for a piece of the mission, and each a member of a team whose motto is: “Night Stalkers Don’t Quit.”

From the top: MH-47 on approach.

U.S. airmen with the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron and U.S. soldiers with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) teamed up for personnel recovery training utilizing alternate infiltration and exfiltration training on Wynnehaven Beach, Fla., April 9, 2013. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Christopher Callaway)

OPERATOR

27

THE WAR’S 4-LEGGED FORCE MULTIPLIERS

CANINE OPERATORS

By Nicole White

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T

he sun beats down mercilessly, heat waves bouncing off the hard packed sand in shimmering mirages. The dismounted patrol has been at it for 15-kilometers, and has at least another five to go before the route is cleared for tomorrow’s convoy. The Marine canine handler wipes his brow and sucks half-heartedly at the warm water in his Camelbak. Staff Sgt. Leo, the handler’s improvised explosive device detector dog, or IDD, is up ahead, orbiting.

Leo, who works off-leash up to 250 meters in front of the handler, is trained to detect even trace amounts of explosive odors, and has deployed multiple times.

The sight of Leo’s long tongue hanging out makes the handler smile knowingly.

Leo is hot too, and because of his orbiting pattern, he’s probably covered a distance one-third longer than the rest of the patrol. Still, he’s nose down, always hunting. The handler opens his mouth to call Leo back for a drink and a rest, when the IDD suddenly exhibits a significant change in behavior. He’s caught a scent cone and circles excitedly searching for the source. When he’s identified the disturbance—100 meters ahead—he lies down in as indication. The handler holds up his hand and the patrol freezes. The EOD team advances carefully, and discovers a sophisticated IED with enough explosive power to have decimated the heaviest vehicle in tomorrow’s convoy. It is a significant find that will save lives, and yet for this combat engineer battalion and for Staff Sgt. Leo, it is just another day on the job. For K2 Solutions, Inc. the mission of procuring, training, and sustaining the largest contract for explosive detection dogs with the U.S. Armed Forces is not taken lightly. Led by former Special Forces operators and staffed with a deep bench of subject matter experts from various USSOCOM elements, field-and-hunt trial sporting

Aerial shot of the K2 Canine Training Center in North Carolina

IDDs performing off leash explosive detection in theater

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industries, and the top canine trainers in the nation, K2 has consistently provided the most effective tool in the U.S. military’s arsenal to counter improvised explosive devices since 2009.

Though the IDD program is unique to the United States Marine Corps, K2 has also provided canines and training to Department of Defense entities that include the United States Army, the United States Special Operations Command, the Naval Special Warfare Command, Marine Corps Forces Systems Command, the United States Army Special Operations Command, the Department of Homeland Security, and allied military forces.

Ten years of war has changed how these canine programs are utilized. Both the selection and the use of the canine have developed, as have attitudes about their capabilities. “They are part of the team,” said a prior SOCOM canine handler that is now a K2 trainer.

“Running through the chaos with us, able to distinguish between friend and foe, neutralizing aggressors while remaining responsive and focused. They are another weapon system, acting as live fire distractor and force multiplier. Then, later, they can be hanging out with us on the couch, watching SportsCenter and eating liver treats.” The man-eating dog of WWII and Vietnam, with no control or socialization, is a thing of the past.

“The way ahead for special operations dogs is definitely off-leash as well, just as we’ve seen with detection dogs,” shared this trainer. “Up and coming weapons of the future are going to entail a low intensity, low visibility enemy. The terrorism we’ll continue to see is going to be from small sleeper cells and is going to require ‘low-vis’ dogs and a continuing evolution of our current capabilities.”

K2 Solutions, Inc. has been on the front lines of the Global War on Terror since the company’s inception in 2003. Started for the purpose of providing direct

support to USSOCOM elements, K2’s first customers were the U.S. Army and supporting entities charged with Counter-IED development. For Lane Kjellsen, founder of the employee-owned company, the goal was always to place like-minded, mission-focused individuals alongside the military in continued service to the country. It sounds nice on paper, but in reality meant Kjellsen returning to the front lines of the very war he had just left. Kjellsen and his company’s first employees began combat development testing for special mission units, focusing on breaching and explosives research, development, training, and evaluation. As a former Army Special Forces operator, Kjellsen, a retired sergeant major, understood how to take the tactical needs of elite special operations units and respond with real-world solutions.

After working with the canine elements of these special operations units, Kjellsen soon recognized that his hobby of sport dogs and field-and-hunt trials was applicable to this deadly new world of counter-IED development.

From 1997 to 2001, Kjellsen had become a successful sport dog enthusiast, moving quickly from novice field trial competitor to dominant amateur. Coupling his hobby with his profession, Kjellsen demonstrated to his military clients just some of the benefits of this off leash, controllable tool by showcasing how to emplace a door sensor or a charge at a distance using the dog—thus guaranteeing a marked increase in safety and standoff distance for the breacher. The special mission unit privy to the demo purchased a Labrador retriever from Kjellsen to use as a research detector dog. From there, K2 was on its way to becoming one of the leading canine training and research and development centers in the country.

The marriage of standard military working dogs trained for explosive detection with the practices, breeding, and techniques of the field-and-hunt trial industry is a delicate balance. The Labrador’s hunt drive, obedience, social skills, and retriever instinct were distilled over the next five years into a uniquely military application: the detection of the most lethal weapon used against NATO forces since the 2001: the IED. The strength of this program was not only the incredible canines and the increased understanding of their capabilities, but the trainers’ dedication to the ever evolving development of the most versatile and effective IED detection tool ever.

The deployed and embedded field service representatives (FSRs) are the face of the K2 explosive detection program. The FSR mission sounds simple: to sustain and maintain the IDDs in-theater and to act

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as a liaison between the client and K2, providing problem-solving expertise to the units and handlers throughout designated areas of operation.

Stacey West, IDD FSR Deployment Program Manager, was first an FSR before taking his current position. “The Unit FSR’s are the bread and the butter of the program,” he said. “They are the subject matter expert for the battalion, the go-to guy who fixes problems, advises utilization and trains the dogs to sustain their capabilities.”

During peak deployment, hundreds of IDDs werein country, with multiple FSRs traveling to each unit in turn. For the FSRs, this was and continues to be ground zero. Many have left promising careers as professional dog trainers or are military veterans with varied backgrounds. West, who holds a master’s degree and owned his own Retriever trainer business, competed in the Super Retriever Series, an ESPN Production that went to the Versus Network. His dog, Abby, had the firstever perfect score of 0, followed by an almost perfect score on the next test. No dog has ever come close to matching Abby’s record.

But West, along with the majority of K2 trainers, wanted his dog training to mean something more.

“Being an FSR is where the rubber meets the road,” said West. “It’s not about training to keep them certified; it is training to keep people alive.” For some dogs, their training and dedication means the ultimate sacrifice, and it was West who took the canine “body bags” off the plane while providing whatever support he could for the handlers. “They lost their best friends,” said West.

“But it isn’t just the handlers. Most of the FSRs have worked with the dogs from the procurement process to selection, certification, and ultimately deployment. Any loss of an IDD is intensely personal to the FSR as well.”

For Patrick Daignault, a successful professional trainer since 2000 who recently returned from his third deployment as an IDD FSR, the job description is about as varied as it gets. “For the dogs and the handlers USMC Handlers’ Training Course at K2 Solutions, Inc. Canine Training Center

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within a specific unit, you become much more than just a trainer,” he said. “You are part psychologist, part disciplinarian, part liaison, and part confidence builder.”

As the war and the tactics of the enemy change, every deployment and every unit teaches each FSR more about what is needed and what can be developed.

“The best thing about the IDD is its adaptability,” said Neil Copeland, an IDD FSR who has been training dogs for over a decade. “You can train these dogs to do just about any variation of detection and be utilized to perform all sorts of tasks.” There are a number of Maintenance FSRs in theater, but for K2 IDD FSRs, their equipment is living and breathing with cognitive and olfactory capabilities that defy previous expectations.

“Other tools don’t adapt,” said Copeland. “This tool adapts every day, taking in new [tactics, techniques, and procedures] of the enemy and realizing an amazing level of consistent performance.”

Adaptability is not only a hallmark of the canines, but of the FSRs as well, as constant creativity is demanded to devise problem-solving training to meet challenges with very minimal resources and training space.

Copeland solved one training issue by simply building his own moveable bridge to place over different small wadis or stream beds. Developing innovative tools in theater to solve training problems is an area where the FSR guides his handlers to becoming trainers themselves.

Jake Van Dyke joined the Marine Corps in 2005.

He deployed, returned, and after getting out of the military heard about job openings for canine trainers at K2 Solutions. In July 2011, Jake deployed again. This time, though, he was out of uniform and going back into theater as a K2 FSR. “In a way, I still felt like I was putting on the uniform,” said Van Dyke. “A lot of Marines don’t like contractors in general, but I was able to lace my boots just like them. They trusted K2 and me, and I was able to really leverage my prior service.”

Finding the balance between camaraderie with the handlers and respect as the canine training authority

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is a constant focus. Trust is critical to the effective utilization of IDDs. The unfortunate truth is that it sometimes takes casualties before an IDD might be given the opportunity to prove its ability. For Van Dyke, one operation in particular sticks out that could have gone horribly wrong if not for the prowess of the IDD. “A few Marines burst into this compound to take care of business without letting the handler send the dog in to search for IEDs,” he said.

“My handler was just a 19-year-old private first class that was extremely ‘boot’ [green, not respected] and they weren’t going to pay him or his dog any attention.

When the handler was finally able to send his dog in, though, boom, the dog flattens out [the dog’s indication response] right there in the doorway. He gets up, hunts a few more feet and flattens out again, and then does the same thing again.” The handler immediately called his dog back and they found three IEDs on three different pressure plates. “Each one had a boot print on top.” It was pure luck and malfunction that the charges didn’t go off. They started using the dog a lot more after that, said Van Dyke.

For Chris Runyan, the importance of trust in the dog’s training and capability first came when he was a Marine handler. “I was one of 26 IDD handlers chosen from my battalion,” said Runyan. “I had never been to North Carolina, and had never worked a dog before in my life.”

Arriving in North Carolina as a student in one of the first and largest K2 Marine handler courses of 2010, Runyan was blown away by the control, obedience, and hunt drive demonstrated by the sociable Labs. While the Marine goes through only a five-week handler course, the IDD is already a highly trained, incredibly effective detection canine that is relied upon to lead his partner.

In effect, it is the canine that trains the handler.

Runyan was named primary dog handler for his unit, and started route clearance in Afghanistan as part of a “hunter/killer team.” It soon became obvious that the IDD was not only a highly effective tool against finding IEDs, but was a force multiplier.

After leaving the military a couple of years later, Runyan returned to K2 Solutions to pursue what he calls a once-in-a-lifetime chance—the opportunity to train dogs for handlers just like him. A natural and gifted dog trainer, it didn’t take long for Runyan to be chosen

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as a K2 FSR. Returning to Afghanistan, Runyan had one goal: make the program even better. “I would work my dog around the platoon to build their trust,” said Runyan. “They were skeptical at first, but training around them built their knowledge and expectation of the dog.”

Runyan remembers his group of Marine Handlers as dedicated and hard working. “They worked my ass off. We would train two to three times a day, figuring out problems, finding training applications. Every day, a new lesson.”

As a previous military working dog handler in the Air Force, and with a resume that includes helping to start the specialized search dog course at Lackland Air Force Base in 2005, Joseph Phillips knew what it took to create a sound canine program. Joining forces with K2 in 2010, Phillips was soon asked to become an FSR in support of a British IDD team. Four deployments later, including two with the Marine IDD program, Phillips remains a strong advocate of the power and effectiveness of this off-leash detection tool. “Being a previous MWD Handler and being attached to a six-foot leash, you have to realize the capability of the IDD as an absolute force multiplier,” said Phillips. “First, you get the stand-off distance and then you get an accurate, controlled, detailed search from the dog.”

“The environment these dogs can operate in is insane.

Line for line, matching up against MWDs, other contract working dogs, etc., there was no competition.” Tested relentlessly by naysayers, the canines proved themselves time and time again. Remembering the four and a half months of training to become an specialized search dog

Law Enforcement officer using a K2 trained off leash detection canine to search a roadway

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handler, Phillips is still amazed at the effectiveness of the Marine handlers after only a five-week course at K2.

“We would have multiple cache finds,” he said. “Two hundred pounds of explosives in a daisy chain, which is really hard for the dog to find, because after responding on the first find, they don’t want to move on. But the handler was able to work his dog all the way through.

In that instance, there were five different IEDs. It would have been devastating had it gone off.”

“There is no facility on earth similar to K2’s Canine Training Center,” said Phillips. The compound stretches 125 acres in rural North Carolina. With state of the art kenneling for 320 dogs, a fully-staffed vet clinic, an on-site HAZMAT, dedicated research and development buildings, and 55 owned or leased additional training sites, K2 is able to provide the absolute best in care, training, and support to these canines. The dedication and passion of the team in place is not lost on those from either military or civilian backgrounds.

Sam Daly had never been to boot camp, had never been in the military and certainly never been to a combat zone. A highly proficient canine trainer, Daly joined K2 after reading about the IDD Program, and wanted to deploy as an FSR. “It was a life-altering experience,” he said. During both train-up and later in Afghanistan, Daly was constantly inspired by the young Marines and they, likewise, respected his leadership and competence as he guided and trained them on how to most effectively use their newest partners.

The FSR’s challenge and success comes in filling the gap—wherever that might be. “It’s about the customer’s needs,” said Daly. “My part was to keep the canines as convenient as possible, not making them a logistical headache, and ensuring that we were doing everything possible to save life and limb.”

K2’s research and development team works with academic partners throughout the United States, advancing canine science in the areas of olfaction, physiology, and cognitive assessment. This has provided even further insight into how effective and reliable these dogs can become. Research being done at K2’s Canine Training Center alongside the Office of Naval Research has enabled significant insight into how better to care for the dog in extreme environments, how long and how effectively they can work, what kind of behavior and assessment indications are best for selection of the right animals, and how to increase the their ability to consistently and accurately detect trace amounts of odor.

“In spite of hundreds of millions of dollars spent by the U.S. to create detection technology,” said Kjellsen, “there is nothing that betters the dog in capability or

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effectiveness. K2-trained canines represent the only capability in the world right now that detects explosives while keeping the handler in a safe, stand-off position and still receive confirmation.”

As the war draws down and the numbers of IDDs needed in Afghanistan diminishes, federal and state entities are finding ways to use this tool here at home.

K2 has answered this need for transitioning IDDs from the front lines abroad to the front lines at home by developing the person-borne explosive detection dog and personborne weapons detection programs, which also have offleash capabilities. These canines—many of which have been the rock stars of the IDD Program—are put through additional training to enable detection of scent on the human body. This capability allows the dog to scan as many as 150 people every minute in high-traffic venues such as sporting events, stadiums, and universities.

Events like the failed Times Square car bombing and the Boston Marathon bombing point to an increasing number of IEDs being used not in some distant MiddleEastern country, but on our own soil and in our own backyards. According to an April 16, 2013 Boston Globe article: “The Boston Marathon bombing marked a watershed moment that counterterrorism officials and specialists have dreaded for years: the use of multiple ‘improvised explosive devices,’ or IEDs, to inflict mass casualties on U.S. soil.”

The current challenge is in responsibly transferring this evolved IDD capability, culled from years of development, in a way that protects us here at home as well as maintaining an enduring capability. “This is the most critical piece,” said Kjellsen. “In the wake of the Boston Marathon bombing, K2 has provided security through the [person-borne explosion detection dog] at such iconic events as the Kentucky Derby and large university sporting events. There are also a growing number of police departments with this need in anticipation of requirements to better detect improvised explosives.”

K2’s post-Afghanistan future involves deploying around the world and throughout the United States.

Terrorists have learned the power and effectiveness of the IED, and will continue to use them to conduct violence against this country and others. For K2-trained canines and the talented men and women dedicated to developing their capabilities, this is just the beginning.

For more information on K2 Solutions, Inc. visit www.k2si.com.

Nicole White was born and raised in northwestern MT, but now calls Southern Pines, NC home with her active-duty husband, two crazy dogs and son on the way. She is the Marketing Manager for K2 Solutions, Inc. and enjoys the opportunity to serve her country by connecting the DoD and federal sectors to her company’s innovative solutions.

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My Life

As a Ranger

By Col. Danny R. McKnight (Ret) Executive Officer, 3rd Ranger Battalion

R

angers Lead the Way! I am so proud of the fact that those words truly define my 28-plus year career in the U.S. Army. When I graduated high school and later, college, I had no idea of what was in the years ahead.

My amazing journey began on August 3, 1973 when I was commissioned as an officer in the Army. This journey truly started for me when I completed Airborne School in December 1973 and Ranger School in March 1974. Upon completion of Ranger School, I was assigned to the Mountain Ranger Camp (known as Camp Frank D. Merrill) in Dahlonega, Georgia as the Executive Officer for 2nd Ranger Company. After a period of about ten months, I

Soldiers with 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, United States DivisionCenter, make their way along the course of a 12-mile ruck march as part of a unit competition at Camp Taji, Iraq, May 27, 2011, for the opportunity to attend Ranger School.

(Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Jon Soucy)

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A ranger instructor explains to company of Rangers the technical instructions of rappelling from the 50 ft. rock to his left in Dahlonega, Georgia. (Photo by Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo)

became instructor-qualified in order to be an evaluator for Ranger students going thru the mountain phase of Ranger School.

The most significant part of this assignment was the special privilege and opportunity I had to learn from Ranger Veterans of the Vietnam War. I learned from elite Ranger officers and non-commissioned officers.

A simple example is the fact that I worked directly for then-Captain Robert Howard, a Medal of Honor recipient from the Vietnam War. I left Dahlonega in August 1977 as a newly promoted Captain after an unbelievable three-and-a-half years serving with some of the finest Rangers ever.

“I am immensely proud of the fact that I was there leading and fighting beside my Rangers.”

him proved to be one of the most inspiring times in my career and my life because I observed what “rangering and leading” was really all about. It was very clear in my mind that I wanted to serve in a Ranger Battalion and be a part of the best Light Infantry (Airborne) fighting force in the world.

In July 1986, I reported to the 75th Ranger Regiment Headquarters where I assumed duties as the Regimental Adjutant/S1. My amazing journey had now ascended to another level of professionalism. Over the next five years at Fort Benning, Georgia, I would spend four of the years in the regimental headquarters and 3rd Ranger Battalion. I was the 3rd Ranger Battalion XO during Operation JUST CAUSE in Panama and participated in the airborne assault at Rio Hato Airfield.

I was also privileged to serve as the Regimental XO for then Colonel William F. Kernan—another great Ranger and leader in our Army.

In June 1991, I assumed command of 4th Battalion 27th Infantry (Wolfhounds) in the 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. During my time in command of 4/27th, I did everything possible to live-up to the Ranger Standards, the Ranger Creed and the Ranger Ethos established in 1974. I pushed my soldiers harder

Capts. Andrew Farina and David Uthlaut, 25th Infantry Division, descend from a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter with their rucksack raft during the helocast and swim event of the 2007 Best Ranger Competition. (Photo by Capt. Kamil Sztalkoper)

After completing the Infantry Officer Advanced Course, I was assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division in South Korea. Three months after arriving there, I was selected to be the aide-de-camp for the commanding general of the division. It was an unexpected and extraordinary privilege for me. The awesome significance of this was the commanding general, who was my boss. His name was Major General David E. Grange, Jr. He had served as the director of the Army’s Ranger Department (School) when he was a colonel. He was, and still is, a Ranger legend and one of our Army’s greatest leaders in history. The annual event, known as Best Ranger Competition at Fort Benning, Georgia, is named for Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Grange. My almost 19 months with

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A company of Rangers silently negotiate their way to an enemy objective while participating in the third phase of Ranger training at Camp James E. Rudder, Florida.

(Photo by Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo)

Retired Col. Danny R. McKnight, made famous in the book and film Black Hawk Down for his actions in Mogadishu, Somalia in 1993, speaks to service members at the National Prayer Breakfast on Kandahar Airfield Feb. 6. (Photo

by Sgt. Amanda Hils)

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than most commanders, and demanded nothing less than perfection from my leaders (officers and noncommissioned officers). I knew we could not achieve the level of professionalism and expertise of a Ranger Battalion, but striving to achieve it was my goal.

In January 1993 I gave up command of the battalion in Hawaii to return to Ft. Benning. An unfortunate training accident had killed two Ranger battalion commanders and others, and I was to assume command of 3rd Ranger Battalion. I commanded this, one of the finest fighting forces on Earth, for 17 months. In July 1994, my Ranger Regiment/Ranger Battalion days had come to an end, and my amazing journey was starting to slow down. Every Ranger battalion commander faces

numerous challenges during their command time— some a little more than others. My “little more” was the Battle of Mogadishu on October 3-4, 1993—better known as Black Hawk Down. This infamous battle became well known because of the book and movie. I am immensely proud of the fact that I was there leading and fighting beside my Rangers. I know that during the 18-plus hours of that battle, every member in Task Force RANGER fought harder and went further than any warriors I had ever served with on the field of battle. It was my greatest privilege ever to serve beside them and with them. Rangers Lead the Way!

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7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Green Berets pull security on shore after moving off the beach on Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Dec. 08, 2011. 7th SFG (A) Green Berets participated in a training exercise where they conducted a movement by zodiac and swam ashore to conduct close quarters battle training. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Steven Young)

Delta force

By Joe Gonzalez

7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Green Berets move into position to fast rope out of a UH-60 helicopter onto their objective at Eglin AFB, Fla., Feb. 15, 2012.

7th SFG (A) soldiers conducted multiple runs during the day and night to simulate scenarios encountered during deployment.

(U.S. Army Photo by Pfc. Steven Young)

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T

he first rule of Fight Club is you don’t talk about Fight Club. The same can be said for the most cover t of America’s special mission units. Forged by a warrior who was twice wounded in battle and triaged as dead, Delta Force—also known as 1st Special Force Operational Detachment-Delta (1st SFOD-D), Combat Applications Group, and Army Compar tmented Elements—may be the toughest job in the world that you never get to talk about.

As you might imagine, joining Delta isn’t easy.

First you must to enlist in the Army and then qualify as a Ranger or a Special Forces operator.

You must be male with two-and-a-half-years left on your contract and hold a rank somewhere between specialist and master sergeant. You must be prepared to run hundreds of miles, swim until your arms and legs are numb, and carr y 40-pound rucksacks until you think you’re a hunchback—all

while being timed on a clock that gets shor ter with each task. Let’s just say that when you’re done, the local 5k will be a breeze.

Once the physically unfit have been washed out, candidates for Delta begin an intense six-month operator-training course (OTC). Marksmanship, demolitions, counter-terrorism, tradecraft, executive protection, counter intelligence, and sniper skills are just a few of the missions would-be members of Delta will train to eventually master. Meanwhile, the running, swimming, and that rucksack never go away. And to build trust among the trainees, much of the training uses live ammunition.

Delta was brainchild of Colonel Charlie Beckwith, a six-foot-three-inch lineman from the University of Georgia who was drafted by the Green Bay Packers.

He turned down a football career to serve in Korea as a Second Lieutenant. When Vietnam began, Beckwith joined Special Forces and learned guerilla operations from the British Special Air Service. This experience convinced Beckwith that a proactive Special Forces unit like the SAS was needed in the Army’s arsenal.

In 1964, Beckwith with got his wish, and assumed command of Project DELTA. His group consisted of six recon hunter-killer teams, each composed of U.S. and South Vietnamese Special Forces. Designated Detachment B-52, 5th Special Forces Group, his 250-man force rescued a Special Forces garrison at Plei Me and then battled for eight more days against regular North Vietnamese troops. Beckwith and his men proved their worth throughout the war. In 1974, Delta Force was given official sanction.

The first official use of Delta was in 1979 during the Iran Hostage Crisis. Delta was charged with taking back the U.S. embassy and rescuing the American hostages. While the plan may have worked, the helicopters they used failed amidst desert sand storms. The unit regrouped, and since then Delta warriors have fought bravely in Nicaragua, Venezuela, Grenada, Panama, Haiti, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, among other places.

But there was one mission that revealed Delta to be the most effective force in the history of warfare: Operation GOTHIC SERPENT. On October 3rd, 1993, U.S. Army Rangers and members of Delta Force were sent to Mogadishu, Somalia. Their goal was to capture warlord Mohammed Farah Aidid and his top lieutenants.

The fighting that took place that day may have been the finest hour of the American warrior. Operation

GOTHIC SERPENT is more famously known as “Black Hawk Down.”

While the story was detailed superbly in Mark Bowden’s book Black Hawk Down, and in the Ridley Scott film of the same name, I wanted to take this opportunity to shine a light on the ethos of the American military. That day, Delta Force operators Sergeant First Class Randall David Shughart and Master Sergeant Gary Ivan Gordon traded their own lives to save those of their comrades by volunteering for what was almost certainly a oneway mission. Initially, their job was to circle high above the battlefield in a Black Hawk helicopter (designated Super Six Two) and provide fire support.

When one of the mission’s helicopters was shot down, however, everything changed. The Rangers and Delta Force operators in a convoy on the ground below were redirected to the downed Black Hawk, and were soon enmeshed in a murderous firefight.

Meanwhile, Michael Durant’s helicopter, Super Six Four, was also shot down, and there was no rescue team available. Super Six Two, with Shughart and Gordon on board, was called to secure Durant and his crew by providing cover fire against a rampaging enemy force.

The two men requested to be inserted on the ground to help the wounded. They both understood the impossibility of the odds they faced. Command also understood the risk, and denied the Delta operators permission to enter the battle—twice.

Finally, Shughart and Gordon were given the green light. The two operators pulled the injured crew from the downed helicopter and set up a defensive perimeter. Durant later described the firefight as like being on a firing range with an entire battalion firing at once. By all accounts, Shughart and Gordon sacrificed their lives only after making the Somalis

A 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Green Beret engages target with a M4 assault rifle on Eglin AFB, FL., Feb. 8, 2012. 7th SFG (A) Green Berets conducted breach training into simulated rooms during a field training exercise.

(U.S. Army Photo by Pfc. Steven Young/Released)

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A UH-60 Blackhawk lands at Joint Security Station Tarmiyah, Iraq on Sept. 3. The Blackhawk is there to pick up Soldiers for the air assault of a nearby island. (Photo

by Pfc. Ali Hargis)

pay dearly for the American casualties inflicted that day. Before the two men fell, they killed as many as fifty Somali fighters.

Mike Durant is alive today because of their actions, and the men left behind the highest example of duty, honor, and commitment to brothers in need of help.

Randall David Shughart and Gary Ivan Gordon received the Medal of Honor for their actions during the Battle of Mogadishu. They weren’t the only members of Delta Force to fall that day.

Other Delta operators who were killed in the battle include Staff Sgt. Daniel Busch, who was mortally wounded while defending the downed crew of the first Black Hawk; and Sgt. First Class Earl Fillmore and Master Sgt. Timothy “Griz” Martin, who were killed while en route to the first helicopter.

During the invasion of Iraq after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, finding and capturing Saddam

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Hussein was a top priority. Joint Task Force-121 was formed for the job, consisting of Delta Force, 160th SOAR, and other special operations units such as the British Special Air Service. When intelligence suggested Saddam’s position on a farm south of Tikrit, TF-121 deployed and found him hiding in an underground dirt bunker. The new Iraqi government hanged Saddam Hussein for crimes against humanity.

We all are honored by the bravery, courage, sacrifice, and devotion to duty of these men defending America.

Our freedom and liberty may have been granted by the Constitution, but it is the American soldier who keeps our rights secure.

Spc. Greg McMeakan, right, of 1st Battalion (BN), 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade (BDE), 1st Infantry Division (ID), attached to C Battery, 1st BN, 7th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd BDE, 1st ID, covers a door with his 9 mm pistol as the interpreter calls for the owner to come out at the home of a known criminal located in a village located on the outskirts of Bayji, Iraq, on Jan. 24, 2005.

(U.S. Army photo by Spc. Elizabeth Erste) (Released)

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Reflections on gothic serpent F

By Mike Durant

or those of us present on the October 3, 1993 mission in Somalia, it never crossed our minds that it would become one of the most chronicled and analyzed missions of modern warfare.

We were there to do one thing: capture the warlord Mohamed Farah Aidid and his key leaders; we were not there to generate material for books, movies, and every other media known to man. Somehow, a relatively straightforward assault mission that we’d trained for and executed on many other occasions transformed into an epic firefight and became the stuff of legend.

When the mission was over, 18 Americans had been killed, 74 were wounded, five of our UH-60 Black Hawks were shot down, and I, along with five others, were missing in action. There have been reports that the On the Streets of Mogadishu (CTSNOW on Flickr. Provided under the Creative Commons License.)

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Somalis suffered far greater losses, with as many as five hundred dead and two thousand wounded. To add to that, we did in fact capture the individuals we were sent in to apprehend that day. Statistically speaking, it was a tactical victory for us, but the horrific events captured on video and indelibly etched in our collective consciousness cause any sense of accomplishment to fade quickly. Having had two decades to think about it, here’s my perspective on how this mission, which otherwise might only have been a footnote in history, captured so much attention.

In the early 1990s, a multi-year drought and subsequent famine had swept the country, starving over 300,000 Somalis to death. Supported by government and private sources, a number of relief organizations

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Mogadishu Sunset (RJONES0856 on Flickr. Provided under the Creative Commons License.)

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went into Somalia to try to feed the starving people and bring an end to the suffering. Having decided that building his power base was more important than feeding his famished people, Aidid, leading a coalition of thugs called the Somali National Alliance, forcefully took control of the food supplies and distribution. At that point, the U.S. government decided to intervene. In December 1992, U.S. military forces began conducting operations there in support of United Nations relief efforts. By all accounts, the U.S. mission in Somalia during that initial phase was an overwhelming success.

The supply lines were opened and food was getting to the people who so desperately needed it.

In 1993, the American people elected a new president and a fledgling administration took control. With good intentions but little experience regarding international politics, these new players sent our military forces in Somalia down a path to disaster. Put simply, they decided to change the scope of the mission. From their perspective, we were no longer there to simply provide security; we were going to get into the business of “nation building.” And as with all grand strategic initiatives, someone on the ground has to turn that strategy into reality. The tactical commanders decided one of the first steps would be to disarm the entire capital city of Mogadishu.

Disarming a city the size of Nashville, Tennessee is no small task and in June of that year, Aidid’s gunmen raised the stakes. They ambushed and slaughtered twenty-four Pakistani peacekeepers that were conducting these weapons search and seizure operations. That ambush became a turning point in the conflict. As the violence escalated, the United Nations requested help from the U.S. in capturing Aidid so he could be tried for war crimes against his people and U.N. forces. At the same time, a team of special operations planners was assembled at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and operation GOTHIC SERPENT came to life. The capture of Aidid was then considered low risk, and so the initial plan would involve only a small, specialized force using mostly incountry assets. Although not routine, the mission was considered low risk because Aidid was still making public appearances and had little security, and because we could get our forces to any location in the city within minutes. We completed detailed planning and rehearsals for this specific mission, environment, and threat. Assuming that we would act decisively while the opportunity presented itself, our chances of success were very high. Unfortunately, our civilian leaders were

told otherwise. For reasons that remain unclear to this day, the information the president was given indicated a low probability of success in capturing Aidid, and he denied the U.N.’s request.

Meanwhile in Somalia, American troops, helicopters, and AC-130 gunships were sent in on various attacks, blasting Aidid’s weapons, facilities, and even his personal propaganda station, “Radio Mogadishu.”

Observing the escalation of violence and recognizing that he might be a target, Aidid went underground.

He also became more aggressive as Somali National Alliance attacks swelled against U.S. and U.N. personnel and installations. Finally, near the end of August as the violence continued to grow, Secretary of Defense Les Aspin ordered the deployment of our Joint Special Operations Task Force, Task Force Ranger. With the increase in violence, Task Force Ranger had evolved into a much larger force, but with the same mission: capture Mohamed Aidid and approximately 50 of his key supporters and turn them over to the UN.

Out of Synch But while Task Force Ranger was preparing for battle, the exact opposite was happening in Somalia. What had once been a U.S. force of 28,000 was drawing down to less than 1,500. In addition to the troop withdrawal, all ships, tanks, armored personnel carriers, and the AC-130 gunships were being removed to show the world and the American people that the mission in Somalia was successful and coming to an end. While the mission was, in fact, becoming more dangerous and complex, the U.S. forces dedicated to supporting the mission were reduced by almost 95%. In some cases, the troops were backfilled with coalition forces, an approach that had worked well a few years before in operation DESERT STORM in Iraq. Unfortunately, Somalia presented some very different challenges. In Iraq, the fight was in wide-open desert with clear areas of responsibility and geographic separation between multi-national forces. In Somalia, it was a street fight, with no clear boundaries, no clear enemy lines, and an absolute need for a tightly integrated force capable of operating as one. What our leaders had assembled on the ground was almost the exact opposite: a collection of countries with different equipment, tactics, levels of training, and capabilities—and who didn’t even speak the same language.

In spite of the challenges, TF Ranger deployed near the end of August 1993. Over the next several weeks, we would conduct six highly successful assaults on

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Top: On the Streets of Mogadishu (CTSNOW on Flickr. Provided under the Creative Commons License.)

Below: Mogadishu (RJONES0856 on Flickr. Provided under the Creative Commons License.)

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various targets throughout the city. These missions were anything but ordinary.

On most, we had more than twenty helicopters going into a single compound or city block within a matter of minutes.

The assaults were a significant challenge with dusty conditions causing visibility problems in the congested city streets.

The night missions were conducted in complete blackout conditions and the threat of enemy fire was always a cause for concern. Despite the challenges, by the end of September, having completed half of these missions during the day and half at night, we had become quite proficient and confident in our collective ability.

The Enemy Adapts As with any conflict or struggle, everyone involved learns from the interaction and intuitively adapts to improve their chances of winning. Although arguably not as structured as the process we use in our military, the Somalis learned from these experiences and adapted rather well considering the limited resources at their disposal. The two most notable adaptations included the use of Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs) against our helicopters and the use of roadblocks and ambushes to limit or control ground movement in the city.

The use of RPGs had the most profound effect against TF Ranger. A few days prior to the October 3 mission, a helicopter from another U.S. organization was shot down by an RPG. The crew of that aircraft was doing everything possible to avoid the threat, but the aircraft was brought down by a single shot from an RPG gunner.

Because of that shoot down, we now considered the RPGs to be a much more significant threat and decided to reevaluate our approach to recovering downed aircrews specifically. Our plan to that point had been to use a dedicated Search and Rescue (SAR) aircraft to recover crews shot down by enemy fire. We quickly realized, however, that in a city the SAR bird would face a very high threat of subsequent RPG fire and therefore would not be the best platform for the job. Taking into consideration all factors, we decided the best way to rescue any downed aircrew would be to use ground vehicles, and the best type of ground vehicle would be a tank. A tank could get to any location in the city within minutes and would be almost completely invulnerable to RPG fire. Unfortunately, all of the tanks and other

armored vehicles had been removed along with the troop withdrawal so we sent a request up the chain of command to bring some back in. That request went all the way to the office of the Secretary of Defense and came back down denied. Our civilian leaders refused to back us for political reasons. That decision is one of the best examples of leadership failure in Somalia and ultimately led to our demise. Rather than determine why we needed the tanks, our civilian leadership simply denied the request deciding that the political fallout of reversing the troop withdrawal was worse than putting our deployed forces and the mission itself at risk.

Resource Constraints The refusal to provide tanks and AC-130s had an obvious impact on our ability to deal with and react to the tactical situation on the ground, but there were other assets that had an equally devastating impact on the probability of mission success. Understanding the importance of every tactical advantage, our planners wanted to operate from a ship at sea. Operating off the coast would give us force protection, but more importantly we would retain the element of surprise.

When chasing something as mobile as a person in an urban environment, an extra ten or fifteen minutes can mean the difference between success and failure. By staging us on the airport in Mogadishu, we gave Aidid the opportunity to watch our every move and any time his observers detected that a launch was imminent, he simply moved to another location before we could even get close. That decision, again based on politics and not tactics, probably doomed the mission more than any other. It gave him the ability to stay one step ahead in a game where seconds mattered.

Lessons Learned The mission in Somalia was not significant in terms of U.S. national security, but perhaps one of the most significant battles in modern history when it comes to applying lessons learned. In the end, our civilian leadership failed our military, the American people and the Somali people. Hundreds of lives were lost to accomplish very little; our national credibility was damaged and the sacrifices of our greatest warriors tossed aside when we withdrew the force and released all of the prisoners TF Ranger had captured. But if Somalia never happened, I believe we would have been much less prepared as a nation for what would become the longest conflicts in our country’s history, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Lessons learned in Somalia forced us to recognize the challenges of a complex, multifaceted battlefield and prepare ourselves to operate successfully in those environments. We had to learn again how critical it is to provide adequate resources to the commander on the ground and the price our troops will likely pay if we forget that lesson.

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Keni Thomas and Chalk 3 next to the Gunslinger, Super 66.

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Back to

Mogadishu W

By Keni Thomas

e came in over the Indian Ocean from the north. Out the port side window and running parallel to my view, the Somali coast grew closer. At about 1000 feet above sea level it began to feel familiar. I was anxious and excited—kind of like a soldier heading out on a mission. Like I said, it was beginning to feel like I’d been here before.

As we descended into final approach and squared up with the runway, I looked for the landmarks that would confirm I was really back. The sand dunes where we trained. The rocks in the bay. The airfield where we spent miles and miles running. The hangar where we lived. And after 39 hours of flying, and twenty years of life, there it was, right where we left it: the HQ building. The control tower. That place on

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the airfield where all the birds had been parked. The plane touched down and we were there, again.

It had been a long time since I last visited the Mogadishu airport, but the ocean air brought me back instantly. You know the refreshing, breezy scent of the beach that you first notice when you arrive on vacation to Florida? This wasn’t it. The Mog is sticky and thick, as if the Indian Ocean had evaporated into burnt milk and was blown straight at you through the hot backwash of a turbo-prop engine.

My buddy Jeff didn’t have to say a word. I could tell by the look on his face that he was thinking the same thing as me. Well here we are. So what in the world are we doing back here?

At the beginning of 2013 there was a lot of talk about

a reunion for the veterans of Task Force Ranger, the men who fought in the Battle of Mogadishu, and so the past was on my mind more than usual. I thought about the names and faces of guys I hadn’t seen in a long time. Men I owed my life to. It will be good to see them, I thought, and good to tell them face-to-face how thankful I am for their part in getting us all home. Twenty years— where did the time go?

I got a call from my good friend Jeff Struecker, who was also a member of TFR. He had a chance to go back to Mogadishu and wanted to know if I was interested in going along. Campus Crusade for Christ was looking to do a short documentary for Jeff to use as part of his “Bullet Proof Faith” ministry. As a decorated combat veteran who is now a pastor, Jeff Struecker uses his story of “Black Hawk Down” as a powerful testament to his strength of faith and the grace of God. When a pastor calls you, it would serve you well to be mindful of the operator who made that phone call happen.

“I’m in,” I said, although I honestly couldn’t tell you why.

I’ve gotten better over the course of my life, and in my faith to trust that God is sending me where I’m supposed to be, even when I do not understand. I can be a bit of an insubordinate though; I’m constantly questioning my commander-in-chief, asking God: “Why?” Thank you, Lord, for giving me this opportunity, but why are you opening this door to the past? I don’t really want to go back to Mogadishu. What point would it serve?

So I tried to make sense of it, thinking about what I would do when I got there. Since there was only one picture of the battle ever taken, I thought it might be kind of cool to go back to the insertion point and re-create that moment in time. From there, we could drive the five blocks to the crash site and I could take a picture of the buildings where we once huddled up all night, waiting for our brothers to come for us. The producers and the camera crew traveling with us were sold on the plan, but for me, there had to be a bigger reason for returning to Mogadishu than pictures.

Surely revisiting the past had to be about something more.

If where we’ve been is connected to who we are, then somewhere in those dirty streets of Mogadishu was still a part of me—still a part of all of us. A part of us that had never left. Like those recovery teams sent back to Vietnam to bring home the remains of our servicemen, maybe Jeff and I were tasked to find what we’d lost of ourselves over there and bring it home for good. Or maybe it was the exact opposite. Maybe there was something we should have left there with the battle, a weight we’d been carrying around for 20 years. Maybe we were being given the chance to go back to the scene of the crime and right what had wronged us.

Our escort into town was ironic: a Toyota pickup truck full of Somali gunmen. I’d seen this before, only back then they

were shooting at me. This time they were for protection.

Jeff loaded into one armored SUV with a camera crew, and I went with another crew in a second SUV. As we headed out of the gates of our protected airfield and into the city, I tried to keep my nerves in check by telling myself everything was fine. Those guys in the pickup with the weapons can be trusted. They didn’t tell their clan-buddies we were coming.

In fact, they probably don’t even know who’s in these two SUVs they’re providing security for. Everything will be fine.

As we headed past K-4 circle and north toward the Bakara Market, the guy doing the interview kept asking me if things were beginning to look familiar.

“Nope. Not at all.”

Nothing looked familiar yet because I had never been here. I was part of the assault force and we always rode in on helicopters. My view was much different than the close-up, eye-to-eye claustrophobic close quarters battle of urban streets. Thank God I was never on the Humvees that ran regular patrols into the city just about every day. But Jeff had been. After forty-something missions in and out of Mogadishu, Struecker still knew these streets like the Dukes knew Hazard County. In fact, he was on the radio giving us a play by play of where we were like some sort of Ranger Siri GPS. “This is the K-4 circle. This is where we got shot up. This is where we were when Pilla got shot. This is where we were when we got word the second bird went down. This is where we got shot up... again.”

And then finally, at the intersection of Armed Forces Road and National Street, I saw something I remembered. On the morning of 4 October during the run out of the city, we had all ducked into an area that looked like a carport surrounded by a two-foot wall—a place for cover while we caught our breath. There were supposed to be vehicles waiting there for us at the intersection. We would load up and they would

The one photograph taken during the Battle of Mogadishu. The target building is the three story building to the right. (Photo courtesy of Keni Thomas)

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drive us out. Good plan. Poor execution. Two Humvees and a Pakistani tank aren’t much of a rescue convoy for 30-plus men running for their lives.

Like a time-machine visitor watching myself from across the street, I was back in the moment. I could see the 30 of us huddled down in that carport. I could feel the rounds impacting. And I could hear it all over again.

“Dude, you gonna use that?”

Nelson may as well have been asking for the rest of my French fries, he said it so calmly. Sergeant Sean Nelson was Chalk 1’s M-60 machine gunner. His gun had a bent barrel. The one I was carrying for our wounded gunner Neathery did not.

I gladly handed it over. “You can have it. You’re way

(Photo courtesy of Keni Thomas)

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better with it than I am.”

Nelson loaded a belt in, laid down behind the wall, propped the gun up into a steady firing position, and proceeded to pound the window of a two‑story building across the road. As soon as Nelson opened fire, that carport area we were in starting ringing like a bad guitar solo feeding back in a library. Man, that gun was loud. It’s funny—I don’t remember hearing the grenades or the explosions or even the M-60 when I was behind it the day before. But I sure remember the sound of Nelson’s that morning. No wonder that guy was half deaf.

It also got the attention of the Pakistani tank commander.

Either he saw what Nelson was shooting at, or he just wanted to get in the fight. That big ol’ T-48 gun turret whirred as it made a 180 to face the building.

KAWHAMMM! The earth shook as he fired off a round. For a second nothing happened. It just looked like the building coughed or hiccupped. And then, like a trap door that just opened,

the whole thing collapsed.

“Dude!” yelled Nelson. “That tank just took out the whole freakin’ building!”

Wow, I was thinking. That was cool. I’ve got to get me one of those! The T-48 may have been as old as the state of Alabama, but it still packed a punch.

The Somalis have yet to rebuild that building. Today it’s just a pile of rubble. This time when the camera crew interview guy asked if anything looked familiar, I simply answered, “Yep, now it does.”

If we were facing down Armed Forces Road and this was the intersection of National, then that meant the target building and the Olympic Hotel (which had once served as a landmark for us) was just ahead. Excellent! I thought.

We can drive straight up there, hop out real quickly, and get that picture I’d wanted to get. From there it would be easy to follow the five blocks we had moved on foot to the first crash site. Then we could hop out again, do a quick interview about how we fought there all night and waited for Jeff and the rest of the convoy to get to us. It would be easy. Well anything is easy when everything goes the way you want it.

And that’s right when we took a left, when we should have stayed straight. The armed guards in the Toyota pickup were leading, and instead of going straight to the Olympic Hotel, they turned left down National.

“Hey!” we radioed. “We want to go back. Back to the Olympic Hotel.” It was ironic in a way. The armed guards adjusted and made a turn down an alley that was exactly where we should not have been: smack in the Bakara market at high noon, and hugely outnumbered... again.

Man this sucks. Who’s in charge of this goat? I thought.

Here it comes. Those dudes in the truck are gonna call their clan buddies and it’s fixing to go down.

Jeff came across the radio, still sounding as calm as Ranger Siri, our Mogadishu tour guide.

“Hey Keni, you know we’re in the Bakara market, right?”

“Acutely,” was the only answer I could come up with.

My attention was concentrated on the crowds gathering in front of us.

“I think we need more weapons,” was Jeff’s response.

This was coming from a pastor.

Retelling the story of my time in Mogadishu over the years, the faces of my men and those around me became the focus of my memories. The background had fallen away. I had forgotten how narrow the streets are, and how the buildings seemed on top of us and still bear the scars of rocket explosions and thousands upon thousand of rounds we let loose in those streets.

The gunmen in front of us waved their AK-47s and people scrambled to move their carts and themselves out of the way of our tinted window convoy. At one point we hit

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Jeff Struecker and Keni Thomas in front of the old HQ building at the Mogadishu airfield. (Photo courtesy of Keni Thomas)

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a roadblock. People were yelling. Guns were brandished.

People started running. As Jeff will tell you, that was right about when shooting would usually break out in the wild west that we knew to be Mogadishu.

You could feel the tension outside our windows, and people peered in to see whom it might be causing such a commotion. I could feel that old familiar knot in my gut twisting, and the adrenaline pumping in my veins. My Spidey-sense was at full alert. Forget the pictures, my voice of reason said. Get out of here.

The attempt to backtrack two blocks to the Olympic Hotel was abandoned... again. We moved out of the market area, made it onto a main road, and headed back to the airfield, happy just to be in once piece. I now had some perspective of what it had been like for the guys in the Humvees trying to navigate that funhouse during that mission. It was hairy just being there in the daylight with no one shooting at us; I can only imagine what it was like in full-on, real-live combat in H.D. The fighting was so close. Every door, window, and alleyway was a threat. The reactionary time from target acquisition to trigger squeeze had to be instantaneous. For 18 hours, there was no let-up in those streets. The hailstorm kept coming. I finally understood something I’d always been

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left wondering: why it took them so damn long to get to us.

Jeff offered some perspective: “If you were to try and drive through the crowds down Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras with people shooting at you from every building in the French Quarter, then you might have an idea of what we were up against.”

Once back at the airfield, I allowed myself to relax. I thought about what it must have been like to drive through that shooting gallery, again and again. The hoards of people and the intensity of the firefight. Watching your buddies go down until the only remaining fighting force on your vehicle was a mechanic and a cook.

I consider myself lucky to have done my fighting at the crash site. At least there I got to pick and choose where I could take cover.

“Man, Jeff,” I asked in earnest, “How did any of you guys make it out of there?”

Jeff is a pastor, so his answer was expected. “By the grace of God.” I did not get the pictures I thought that I would get. I did not revisit the target building nor retrace my route to the crash site as I had imagined I would. But I know now what I did take home with me from this trip back to Mogadishu: a better understanding of God’s grace. Twenty years ago on that day, there was no greater fighting force in the world than Task Force Ranger—Delta operators, Air Force operators, Rangers, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, and Navy operators. We were the elite of the elite. But as great as the men to my left and right were, I’m not convinced that training and leadership alone were the only reasons we made it out. The fighting was too close, and the numbers were too heavily stacked against us. We were good, but not that good.

I do not pretend to understand how God works or why He chooses who lives or dies. That is the great question we all wrestle with. For those of us who make it out of something that others do not, we struggle with the “why.”

Why am I still alive? Why did I make it, when men who were twice the soldier I was did not?

You could feel the tension outside our windows, and people peered in to see whom it might be causing such a commotion. I could feel that old familiar knot in my gut twisting, and the adrenaline pumping in my veins.

”

I asked that question again and again, and as many times as I asked, I never got an answer that made sense.

Even Jeff, who is a pastor, will tell you he has no explanation for why we lose the good ones. I came to realize that, like it or not, this is the situation I’ve been handed, and with or without an answer, I still had to choose a course of action.

The voice of the Ranger instructor would step in at this point saying So what are you gonna do now PL? I could stay angry like Lieutenant Dan in Forrest Gump, spiraling into the abyss of anger, resentment, blame, and a hardening of my heart. Or I could try and accept my life as a good thing, and find a purpose. If I could choose to believe that my survival was by design then maybe, I reasoned, I could do something positive out here. I’m not saying the change was an immediate metamorphosis, as if God Himself spoke the words and then SHAZAM, I was struck by a bolt of lightning. But gradually I began to understand the anger, the guilt, and the resentment that I drug around with me all those years was self-imposed. I had the key all along.

The choice to break free was mine to make.

I don’t think it was by coincidence that everything lined up for Jeff and me to be the ones going on this trip back to Mogadishu. When the video of our trip comes out as

part of Jeff’s “Bullet Proof Faith” ministry, it’s going to help a lot of folks find faith. I get to reach thousands of people every year, whether through speaking events or through my music. I use that opportunity to teach people what it really means to lead the way. For me, this trip was a reminder and motivational reinforcement. I was pulled from that fire for a reason, and I will not lose sight of that.

Jeff and I were given a gift. We’ve been given a story to tell, and we’ve been given a platform from which to tell that story. These are not opportunities to squander or keep to ourselves. There is much good to be done as the voices of Task Force Ranger. I realize that as special operators we are taught from day one to be “quiet professionals.”

It’s why this country knows so very little about what we do.

But quiet is not to be confused with silent. Ours, and that of our brothers, is a story worth telling. And if we don’t tell it, who will?

If he isn’t over seas performing for the troops, Keni Thomas is doing his best to inspire others as a motivational speaker. He is author of the bestseller Get it On! What it Means to Lead the Way.

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100686-01

De Oppresso Liber

By Mark Nutsch

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The America’s Response Memorial statue is the first publicly-accessible monument dedicated to U.S. Army Special Forces. Conceived by sculptor Douwe Blumberg and commissioned by an anonymous group of Wall Street bankers who lost friends in the World Trade Center, the statue depicts an operator from 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne). It memorializes Task Force Dagger, which was part of America’s military response to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

In early-October 2001, Special Forces teams were sent to help Northern Alliance multi-ethnic and tribal leaders hunt down al-Qaeda and liberate Afghanistan from the Taliban regime. The unprecedented unconventional warfare campaign required Special Forces operators and units to adapt to fluid and uncertain situations—something at which they excel. Supported by the full aerial might of the U.S.

Navy, Marines, and Air Force, the Special Forces teams combined 21st century combat technologies with the tactics and capabilities of their respective partnered Afghan resistance groups. The force accomplished in weeks what many thought would take months, if not years: defeating al-Qaeda terrorists and Taliban forces and freeing the people and country of Afghanistan.

Post-9/11, the first photographs of military operations released by the Department of Defense were those of American Special Forces soldiers riding horses into battle alongside their Afghan allies.

The iconic images would serve as the inspiration for the America’s Response Memorial. The 16-foot-tall bronze monument was unveiled to the public during a Veteran’s Day parade in New York City. It was dedicated on November 11, 2011 in a ceremony led by Vice President Joe Biden and Lt. Gen. John

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Mulholland, the current deputy commander of U.S. Special Operations Command and former commander of Task Force Dagger on the outset of Operation Enduring Freedom. The statue was rededicated on October 19, 2012, and is currently located at the intersection of Vessey Street and West Broadway Street, at the base of the newly constructed Freedom Tower in New York City.

The Horse Soldiers One of the initial combined Special Forces teams comprising Task Force Dagger was designated Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA)-595.

Alongside Central Intelligence Agency paramilitary forces, they were one of the first two teams to infiltrate the isolated mountains of North Central Afghanistan in October 2001. There, they integrated closely with Northern Alliance ethnic groups who were actively resisting the Taliban regime.

ODA-595 operated hundreds of miles from the nearest U.S. military reinforcements or rescue.

They took the further risk of splitting their twelveman team into three-man cells. These cells dispersed across several districts and provinces in the region, and worked and fought directly alongside their Afghan counterparts, which included local commanders, tribal leaders, and a rapidly-growing force of local militiamen.

To navigate the difficult mountainous terrain, ODA-595 required mobility equal to that of their allies, and were provided horses by the ethnic Afghan groups they were supporting. The Green Berets and CIA forces mounted up—many for the first time—and proceeded to advise and assist the Northern Alliance fighters from horseback, similar to the cavalry days of old. Their demonstrated personal actions, commitment, and mission successes served as the catalyst for the liberation of six Northern Afghanistan provinces.

Task Force Dagger received a Presidential Unit Citation recognizing its personnel for their valorous and historic actions in spearheading the liberation of Afghanistan. Historians now credit the exceptional deeds of Task Force Dagger with allowing America to be seen by the Afghans as liberators and not as occupiers—living examples of “de oppresso liber,” the motto of Special Forces, which means “to free the oppressed.” Special Forces operators and teams provided the first American and Afghan victories of the 21st century.

“Strength and Honor” 60

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速RYP

Air Force PJs: the last line of life

A U.S. Air Force pararescueman, 83rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, scans for ground threats during a mission Nov. 7, 2012, over Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jonathan Snyder)

Courtesy of U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command

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ir Force pararescuemen, also known as PJs, are the only Department of Defense combat forces specifically organized, trained, equipped, and postured to conduct full spectrum personnel recovery operations. These battlefield airmen are the most elite, highly trained, and versatile personnel recovery specialists in the world. Pararescue is the nation’s force of choice to execute the most perilous, demanding, and extreme rescue missions anytime, anywhere across the globe. The more than 500 PJs are assigned to “guardian angel” and special tactics squadrons throughout the active duty, reserve, and guard Air Force components. They operate most often as independent teams, but routinely embed with other special operations forces as required.

U.S. Air Force pararescuemen, 83rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, secure the area after being lowered from a U.S. Air Force HH-60 Pave Hawk during a mission Nov. 7, 2012, in Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jonathan Snyder)

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U.S. Air Force Capt.

Nick Morgans, 46th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, covers a simulated casualty to protect him from flying dirt as an HH-60 Pave Hawk takes off during a mass casualty scenario near Kandahar, Afghanistan, Dec. 24, 2010. The scenario was planned as part of Tech. Sgt. Anthony Wood’s qualification to become an element lead.

(U.S. Air Force photo/ Staff Sgt. Eric Harris)

Air Force pararescue’s primary mission is to rescue, recover, and return American or allied forces in times of danger or extreme duress.

Whether shot down or isolated behind enemy lines; surrounded, engaged, wounded, or captured by the enemy; PJs will do whatever it takes to deny the enemy a victory and bring our warriors home to fight another day. “Leave no airman, Marine, soldier, or sailor behind” is our nation’s supreme promise and responsibility to our brave war fighters.

Their qualifications and capabilities are extensive.

All PJs are qualified experts in advanced weapons and small unit tactics. They are trained for both high altitude low opening (HALO) and high altitude high opening (HAHO) parachute operations, and are also combat divers. PJs perform high angle/ confined space rescue operations, water rescues, and are battlefield paramedics. Every PJ can fast rope, rappel, or hoist from any vertical lift aircraft to both land and open ocean rescue objectives. In addition, one in twelve personnel are tandem jump qualified, able to HALO/HAHO equipment and nonjump personnel into the rescue objective area.

Their motto, “These Things We Do, That Others May Live,” affirms pararescue’s dedication and commitment to saving lives. To date, ten pararescueman have been killed in action, making the ultimate sacrifice during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

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ANTHEM OF WAR:

THE HEAVY METAL SOUNDTRACKOF MODERN WAR

By Jason S. Ridler, Ph.D. Interviews conducted by Joe Gonzalez

Five Finger Death Punch.

L-R: Jason Hook [Guitar], Ivan Moody [Vocals], Chris Kael [Bass], Zoltan Bathory [Guitar], Jeremy Spencer [Drums] Photo credit: Hristo Shindov

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rtillery roars, bombs scream, and soldiers cry havoc. The sounds of war are brutal, and the songs that follow men into battle have come to reflect this reality. Music and war are old colleagues. Pipe and drum often kept the beat as soldiers marched into combat—so much so that snipers targeted musicians during the age of the musket. More feared were the Scottish bagpipers, whose high pitched notes signaled to the enemy across the battlefield that hell was coming. But bagpipes also enhanced courage. One soldier of the Great War recalled that he was terrified to go over the top of the trench, but, “when I heard the bagpipes, I felt like I could get through anything.” For ages, music has been used to scare the enemy and inspire the troops. But the tune has changed.

These days, ask a combat soldier about music and battle and it won’t be the wordless notes of a lonely instrument, but the thundering rhythms and guttural vocals of metal bands, old and new. Aggressive, rife with themes of violence, sacrifice, and even questioning of authority, metal and its offspring provide the anthem of modern warfare.

FROM PROTEST TO ANTHEM

soldier’s battle cry, even when the message is anti war. Rage Against the Machine’s lyrics are staunchly anti government, but, as one soldier said in Bagdad in 2003, “Hey, I get my music from them, not my politics.” And that music, like bagpipes, can be an instrument of war.

When the U.S. ramped up the military machine in the wake of 9/11, its soldiers went to war with metal on their minds. Of all the bands that combat soldiers thrived on, there was one god that stood above all others.

Zoltan Bathory of Five Finger Death Punch receives a certificate of appreciation from the troops

It wasn’t always so. Much of metal’s godfathers came of age during Vietnam. Jimi Hendrix, the father of metal guitar, was a Vietnam vet, and his 20 minute Metallica’s iconic status as the gods of thrash jam “Machine Gun” is a brutal anti war number, as was initially established against the grain. During the was Black Sabbath’s epic “War Pigs.” But as Vietnam eighties, they toured and cranked out albums, but faded from consciousness, the relationship between metal and the military changed. Instead of an attack on warfare, or unjust wars, metal became a

ENTER METALLICA

s who have been I’m so looking troop m, the h wit s to us injured in the war—thi Dave sat down with s.” thi to rd wa t for jus I the d d an discuss Megadeth an always is in our blood e u’v yo , ve Da t tha slightly know military. (Answers litary. want you to mi the ted or pp g su rity.) en I’m done playin edited for space and cla ow my es that come wh do e er be Wh l 14 wil 20 ll “If you know me you kn in sti music she Megadeth will tour te the brain is like a roulet wheel; l heavy from? rming and supporting rfo pe n me with another perennia wo d an n you’re “I love the me iden. you never know what s.” op tro wn do metal favorite, Iron Ma lay to ords, with who are willing album Super gonna hear on the rec w ne ur Yo l wil “We actually toured I me and be a I like it like that. If you’re back in they lives for Collider seems to my them, a long time ago ing us to no Was predictable, what’s the point, lly the never say re personal album. mo r.’

Wa the 1980s—it’s actua for ilt ‘Bu dictably unof that music—blast al to make a more and to be pre go the the twentieth anniversary for ng hter sa predictable. ing ‘So Hey my daug ve album, or it that predictable is also cti pe ros int 57 rd tour—we were support eration Wa writing I like to do whatever my y were troops for Op just the process of e sh d Far, So What’ and the an l) ita sp Ho ed in? heart takes me with music, n of a (Walter Re d real life creeps an le att supporting ‘Seventh So Se in TV g really was also on Kin honestly.”

Seventh Son’—so it’s to the g gin sin t ou ab g kin together tal exciting to get back OPERATOR

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never released music videos, even when every label demanded it as part of a band’s PR front. When Metallica released the video for “One” off of ...And Justice for All, their already huge popularity popped.

The music the enemy despised became the anthem for the soldiers fighting them. According to one compilation of hits before combat, anything by Metallica was good, but “Enter Sandman,” “Disposable Heroes,” “All Nightmare Long,” and “Ride the Lightning” top the list.

Other branches from the Metallica tree are also ingrained in the soundtrack of modern warfare.

Dave Mustaine, founding member of Metallica and founder of Megadeth, has also been a favorite among CJ Pierce of soldiers.

Drowning Pool Megadeth also offers its support to veterans beyond the conflict zone. Bassist David Ellefson narrated the new documentary Shame on America, concerning homeless veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan on the home front. Mustaine has also maintained connections with soldiers in the field, as well as charity work for the children of the fallen.

Megadeth’s newest album, Super Collider, debuted at number six on the Billboard charts.

It has been a great honor and a privilege for us to perform for our troops. Whether it’s overseas or here in our homeland we always look forward to entertaining our soldiers.

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a threat from an epic bad-ass to get the hell out of his way. Its slower, driving rhythm is popular for those rolling out in armored vehicles or on patrol. AC/DC has never been a political band, but their themes of defiance, of being street tough and addicted to danger, all ring true with modern operators.

BODIES But the song that accompanies most combat soldiers into battle is Drowning Pool’s vicious “Bodies.” Released in 2001, the soft vocals over the chorus, “let the bodies hit the floor,” provided a contrast to most screaming A close second is AC/DC. Old or new, AC/DC continues metal. The song reflected the late singer Dave to provide a surge to soldiers getting ready for combat. Williams’s view of the mosh pit, just letting everything go, letting your aggression out so there’s nothing While any DC is good DC, two songs tap the vein of left, and of helping your fellow thrasher. For those heading out to combat. In “Thunderstruck,” soldiers, though, it’s a war cry, preparing the epileptic one-handed guitar intro by them for the harder reality of running perennial naughty schoolboy and guitar into danger, not turning nightmare Angus Young energizes the away, and engaging nerves of soldiers as they prepare to the enemy. charge into the breach. “Hell’s Bells,” with its ominous clanging of church bells, slow build up, and mildly “satanic” lyrics, is basically

BACK IN BLACK ON THE HIGHWAY TO HELL

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YouTube is littered with homemade videos by or about soldiers with “Bodies” blasting through the speakers.

“It has been a great honor and a privilege for us to perform for our troops. Whether it’s overseas or here in our homeland we always look forward to entertaining our soldiers. We have and will continue to work with the USO. We look forward to any and every opportunity to rock out with our military. There’s just something about rock music that’s universal and joins us all together. Being in the military is by far the most honorable and intense job in the world. Rock music being the most intense style of music, I believe, is why it’s so relatable with our troops. Drowning Pool’s music has always been very anthemic, very driven towards support of our friends and family. And of course the support of our troops. We’d like to thank everyone who has served our country. We appreciate you!” —CJ Pierce, founder and guitarist of Drowning Pool

WALK INTO THE MOUTH OF WAR Marching alongside these tunes are similar bands of righteous anger and killer riffs on iPods from Manila to Kabul. Pantera’s anathematic “Mouth for War” and “Walk” are declarations of attitude and eagerness for conflict. Slayer’s “War Ensemble,” much like the comment on Rage Against the Machine, is a staunchly anti-war song that is nonetheless like armor in the minds of soldiers heading toward a combat zone.

One of the few musicians who might be able to handle close quarter combat is Zoltan Bathory from Five Finger Death Punch. The band’s music has been popular with soldiers since their inception in 2005, especially in theater, with songs like “Death Before Dishonor” and “Back for More,” which speak to a soldier’s need for sacrifice, endurance against the odds, and refusing to quit. They also get the soldier stamp of approval because Bathroy is a beast beyond his guitar. A certifiable bad ass when it comes to martial arts, Bathroy is an expert in Wing Chung Kung Fu and jiu-jitsu, and, according to one source, he is certified

mber 2 on lot of debuts at Nu a re we re the e nc expect cs, audie Billboard. Did you at the context of our lyri d k An loo s. he t nc ou ab bra all us m h fro Zoltan spoke wit d of chart success about honor, soldiers s going, there this kin troops, it’s basically wa the nd ba for the g yin as pla lot the industry layered od, so a we would in a music ss strength, brotherho s da ng ba so a in in rta ing ce be re d we an metal, is about m with pop acts? of this lyrical context and I could see the y This pla se tho American band. to r se “Our fans are very loyal. s that are clo ng s— thi mp bu y e av os he go nk t go thi I . do ing d Zoltan, why se is very honorable, an the military. You salut th the who enlist in a band starting fan ba wi t lar jus pu re po we the so we is like I tal on if me mm guys they understand gonna find a lot of co t and we had all these ou are y the record sh American military? bu l to wil I ve , ha ing I we band ways of think So s. al ow trib sh a r ou of to ng thi ng mi ly way h co “It’s some because that is the on of common ideas wit lot the d a an , ow go kn to u d yo y, nte all wa always connection origin the military.” n survive. That’s why we enough and they ca years, those people in of big ds s an wa us tho nd ck ba ba — ing 10 go a Billboard top ten, The Iraq tour in 20 ng we had the end up on thi d an me so go us me ca let be y the sic and mu kind of person d the were and that’s the what did you an d y an all , on oti uts no em tur n st ga ge be band. They that big that re that is a fan of this nd take away from we ba we h w wit ho , ns ted tio cia ec y so appre making conn pport us. We have a ver w we were so will su has that experience? ho tal d an me d s avy ate fan He r tre ou at.

I h e mb wit co onship [laughter] “The first tim mes more close relati co about be nk it thi d, u yo me If lco . on we t.” ssi aggre lonel stage dive. and this is a result of tha ects to ever saw a co just music.” n tha u yo , war or battle, it conn go to d nte The —heavy We always wa Your new album, much more aggressive music tty pre e us ca be , aven and of that know nd Wrong Side of He ba metal has the most the ce sin e on y nature from da hteous Side of Hell, emotion and that tribal see in the the Rig uld wo I d rte sta u yo . If from any other genre 68

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MAKING COOL SHIT IN DANGEROUS PLACES

BAD FOR RUNNING. WORSE FOR FIGHTING. MADE IN AFGHANISTAN combatflipflops.com

by the Pentagon and the U.S. Army as a Level 1 Modern Army Combatives instructor.

battlespace. Metal and its cousins in punk and country all have the ability to both evoke feeling and explain its depths. For modern soldiers, that double-duty allows metal to speak their language while they get the job done against the enemy and the vagaries of war.

CONCLUSION Why the enduring appeal of metal for soldiers and emergent Afghan kids? Oddly, the answer can be summed up by one guy who never played a Les Paul through a Marshall stack, but knew a thing or two about warfare. “Music and rhythm find their way into the secret places of the soul.” Plato’s wisdom is still righteous and strong. Music taps the roots and nerves of our psyche, and for the soldier on the sharp end, it can help unlock the courage needed in the modern

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Yell! Magazine’s Top Six Heavy Metal War Songs: 6 – D rowning Pool, “Let the Bodies Hit the Floor” 5 – Sodom, “Marines” 4 – Toxic Holocaust, “War is Hell” 3 – D ope, “Die Motherfucker Die” 2 – Drowning Pool, “Soldiers” 1 – 5 Finger Death Punch, “No One Gets Left Behind”

MARSOC:

Always Faithful, Always Forward

I

n July 2006, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld formally designated Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) as a special operations force. Its initial activation was in August 2006, and six months later, MARSOC deployed its first operational teams in support of U.S. Special Operations Command and the Geographic Combatant Commands.

The first company-sized deployments began in 2007 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Since then, MARSOC, with a total strength of less than 2,600 Marines, sailors, and civilians, has been continuously deploying forces to Central, Pacific, Africa, and Southern Command Areas of Responsibility.

In 2009, MARSOC began a major reorganization in an effort to gain increased structure to match the organization’s growing operational requirements. The reorganization created a uniform, worldwide deployable capability across the Marine Special Operations Battalions from the team through the battalion-level.

This balanced force is comprised of one regiment, three battalions, twelve companies, and forty-eight teams along with all the required combat support and combat service support necessary for distributed expeditionary special operations.

In just five short years MARSOC Marines have carved a secure niche for themselves as distributed, expeditionary special operations forces, whether through the crucible of battle in Afghanistan or the accomplishments of the foreign militaries they have trained worldwide. These silent professionals are

A Joint Terminal Attack Controller with U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command communicates with a Navy MH-60S helicopter during takeoff as part of Carrier Airwing Training conducted by the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center aboard Naval Air Station Fallon, Nev., April 7. During the exercise, MARSOC JTACs practiced their critical skills and renewed their currencies and qualifications. (Photo by Lance Cpl. Kyle McNally)

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Support for

Wounded Special operatorS and their Families

The Wounded Warrior Project速 (WWP) is proud to be a part of the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). The CFC number is #11425.

Special Operations Warrior Foundation and the Wounded Warrior Project reach across demographic, geographic, and political boundaries as a non-partisan organization supporting wounded warriors and their families.

Over 48,000 servicemen and women have been physically injured in the recent military conflicts. Additionally, as many as over 400,000 service members live with combat-related stress, major depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. We are committed to honoring and empowering veterans and service members who incurred a physical or mental injury, illnesses, or wound, co-incident to their military service.

SpecialOps.org

WoundedWarriorProject.org

Marines with 3rd Marine Special Operations Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command, conduct predeployment training in Savannah, GA. (Courtesy of the U.S. Marine Corps)

Middle: A MARSOC Marine takes cover as a sand storm approaches the Village of Ranje Bala, Farah province, Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nicholas Pilch) Bottom: A Marine operator from 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command readies his M4 Carbine near a suspected Taliban location at the outskirts of Bala Morghab, Badghis province, Afghanistan. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Edmund L. Hatch)

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always faithful to the Corps - Marines first - and always eager to go forward into austere environments; be selfsustaining; and, by incorporating the lessons learned from their predecessors, continue to bring the fight to the enemy on today’s asymmetric battlefield.

In his after action review to the commander of Naval Special Warfare Command, Colonel Robert J. Coates, the commander of Detachment One, the first Marine detachment to U.S. Special Operations Command, stressed the value of the detachment’s task organization by emphasizing that Det One brought capabilities to U.S. Special Operations Command that it did not otherwise possess in a stand-alone unit. The detachment could perform all six war-fighting functions: command and control, fires, maneuver, logistics,

intelligence, and force protection. The detachment also had the depth to field effective liaison officers to various commands and agencies, and could operate either as a supporting effort or a main effort with equal facility.

MARSOC incorporated the lessons learned by Det One during the early stages of Iraqi Freedom, as well as those learned by the Marine Raiders of World War II, into what its companies and teams now provide as an integral part of U.S. Special Operations Command.

The foundation of MARSOC is its people.

Organizationally, Marine special operations forces collectively build upon the Marine ethos of: • Marines dedicated and imbued with the idea of selfless service to the nation.

• A force, expeditionary in nature, deploying anywhere in the world with responsive scalable and adaptable forces prepared to “live hard” in uncertain, chaotic, and austere environments, yet capable of sustaining expeditionary operations.

• Units, forged and task organized to be lean, agile, and adaptable.

• Units trained and equipped to lead joint and multinational operations and enable interagency activities.

• Marines educated and trained to think critically about complex environments and empowered with the judgment and initiative to defeat our adversaries regardless of the conflict.

• A command structure committed to the resilience of Marines and their families.

MARSOC selects only the most qualified Marines and builds upon their foundation of Marine Corps values and the warrior ethos. It imbues them with a mentality of “Spiritus Invictus”—an unconquerable spirit. MARSOC provides its Marines with unique special operations forces training and equipment, and instills a holistic “body, mind and spirit” approach to resiliency. The MARSOC ethos enables its Marines to deploy small, lethal, expeditionary teams capable of executing complex, distributed operations to achieve strategic and operational effects.

Members of MARSOC are Marines first, always faithful, always forward.

Special warfare combatant-craft crewmen from Special Boat Team 22 operate a special operations craft-riverine during the filming of a scene in an upcoming major motion picture. (Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Kathryn Whittenberger)

SWCC:

Special Warfare Combatant Crewmen

By CAPT (SEAL) Peter I. Wikul, USN (Ret.)

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T

he special boat teams of Naval Special Warfare Command trace their heritage back to the patrol torpedo boats of World War II and patrol boats, river (PBR), of Vietnam. Their warrior spirit, however, reaches back to the Viking Age. The Vikings were fearless seafaring warriors who evinced adventure, courage, and tenacity. Men who intentionally sail small boats into harm’s way all share these same Viking traits. They aren’t just sailors; they’re warrior-sailors. Here is the story of the operators of the special boat teams—special warfare combatant-craft crewmen (SWCC).

For 300 years, the Vikings mastered the seas in their long ships. Their watercraft were a marvelous invention for their day, but being 33 to 99 feet in length, were pretty small by today’s standards. (Don’t tell that to the Vikings!) What a sense of adventure and awesome courage it required for the Vikings to take a sleek sailboat with oars and ply ocean waters in search of treasure.

And what great courage it took for the men who operated 80-foot PT boats to attack Japanese destroyers, barges, and other small warships. Japanese sailors feared them, calling them “devil boats.” PT boats fought out in the open with nowhere to hide. Their officers and crews devised tactics to maximize surprise, but in the end, it was daring, tenacity, and pure courage that won the day in many a battle. PT boatmen were legendary. Lieutenant Commander John D. Bulkeley— also known as the Sea Wolf—was a fearless warrior who received numerous medals for valor, including the Medal of Honor. Lieutenant Hank Brantingham, who was also awarded many awards for valor, was said to have a number of PT boats shot out from under him. Undaunted, he would just get another boat and return to the fight. It was Brantingham that commanded the harrowing rescue of Lieutenant (junior

Above left: Crewman Qualification Training students charge the beach during a medical evacuation drill at the Naval Special Warfare Center in Coronado, Calif.

(Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher Menzie) Above right: Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen assigned to Special Boat Team 22 conduct live-fire immediate action drills at the riverine training range at Ft. Knox.

SBT-22 operates the special operations craftriverine and is the only U.S. special operations command dedicated to operating in the riverine environment. (Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Kathryn Whittenberger)

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grade) John F. Kennedy a week after PT 109 was rammed and cut in half by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri.

In 1994, I had the distinct honor to meet and speak with the Sea Wolf, who retired as a vice admiral, when he spoke at the commissioning of the new Special Boat Squadron ONE building in Coronado, California. In a raspy voice he remarked of Brantingham, “Damn unlucky guy.”

The PBRs and other small boats of the “brown-water navy” in Vietnam operated with the same professionalism, daring, and distinction in combat as the men who crewed the PT Boats. The history of small boats in WWII and Vietnam is filled with stories of warrior-spirit and heroism. Some of the most highly decorated men of any service in those conflicts served with the PT Boats and the brown-water navy.

Sailing into harm’s way has always required a special and rare breed of warrior. The special boat team operators of today are no exception. The special warfare combatant-craft crewman are highly skilled in multiple disciplines, small boat handling and tactics, engineering, weaponry, first aid, electronics, and interoperability with SEALs and other special operations forces. They are called upon to endure severe hardships in the maritime environment, and they will do it with a smile.

It takes courage to just sail a small boat into deep blue water.

Oceans, bays, and rivers change constantly, as does beach hydrography. Still water can turn into the perfect storm with little warning. High winds blowing cold water over the bow of a small boat will sting your face and eyes and numb your body during a long transit at night. Because the effects of bad weather will significantly affect a boat’s stability, maneuverability, and speed, the maritime is without a doubt the most difficult of all environments to master. The SWCC must possess a strong physical and mental constitution to bear the hardships of heavy seas and keep going. Getting to the mission is a mission in and of itself—and that is even before the fight!

Special warfare combatant-craft crewmen are to special boat teams as SEALs are to SEAL teams. SWCC are directly descended from and stand on the shoulders of the men who served in boat support units, coastal river divisions, and special boat units. SWCC teams and crew are specifically organized, trained, and equipped for combat and they serve within Naval Special Warfare Command, often working side-byside with Navy SEALs on various missions. In fact, Navy SEAL commanders command the special boat teams, and SEAL lieutenant commanders serve as their executive officers. In my

humble 38 years in Naval Special Warfare, I don’t know any SEAL who has served with the “Boats” who doesn’t respect them as they do their fellow SEALs. There are stories abound from Vietnam about times when all hell broke loose and SEALs were out-numbered and out-gunned. When they called for a hot extraction, it was often PBR sailors risking their lives for their fellow warriors, dashing in at high speed with guns blazing.

During my two tours as operations officer of Special Boat Unit TWENTY at Little Creek, Virginia, and later as executive officer of Special Boat Unit TWELVE in Coronado, CA, I had the honor to serve with these great warrior-sailors.

One day a SEAL officer asked me how I liked my job as Executive Officer at Special Boat Unit TWELVE and what I thought of the Boats and the men. I first remarked, “These guys work like sled dogs on the Iditarod and they haven’t figured out what ‘special’ in special boat unit means.”

He said, “Really, I thought they were just boat support.”

I looked at him and smiled, saying, “Ya know, I served in two underwater demolition teams, three SEAL teams, a SEAL delivery vehicle team, and now two special boat units.

I participated on Operation ERNEST WILL with Special Boat Unit TWENTY in 1987 and 1988 when we conducted combat patrols on 65-ft. Mark III Sea Spectre Patrol Boats. The Boats have their own mission set other than just inserting and extracting SEALs. Let me tell ya, these guys will do anything you ask, at any time, and any place. And I respect them as much as any SEAL I have known.”

In retrospect, that last statement is the best compliment I can give the SWCC. They are modern day Vikings of sorts.

They are full of adventure, courage, and tenacity, and possess the same warrior spirit. But more importantly, the SWCC are warrior-sailors, they are the SEALs’ brothers-in-arms, and they have a cause. SWCC are ready, willing, and able to sail into harms way in the open seas in small combatant craft to defend our nation and liberty.

CAPT Wikul served for over 39 years in the U.S. Navy with 38 years in Naval Special Warfare. He was the 13th Bullfrog (longest serving SEAL on active duty at his time of service) having served operationally in two Underwater Demolition Teams, three SEAL Teams, two Special Boat Units, and two tours at SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV) Team TWO which he also commanded. Prior to his retirement, he commanded the Kennedy Irregular Warfare Center at the Office of Naval Intelligence.

HOW PROVEN, DEPLOYABLE POWER SYSTEMS WILL TRANSFORM THE SOF MISSION

Image courtesy of Goal Zero

By Keyvan Vasef

Image courtesy of Goal Zero

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J

ust 160 km northeast of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, is a thriving village where LED light radiates from huts. In this village, children can read books and families can feel safe, even after the sun goes down. Elsewhere, during his ascent of Mount Everest, a mountain climber charges his satellite phone so he can call his family at home to let them know he’s alive. And somewhere on the east coast of the U.S., a makeshift medical center keeps life-saving medicines cold in a refrigerator—even after being without power for two weeks in the wake of a natural disaster.

Although each of these scenarios varies by location, they represent the universal need for power. In a world that relies so heavily on technology, deployable power systems have become an absolute necessity. Recent technology advances have made it possible to match these needs with equipment that can provide enough power. The most significant challenge, however, is how to bring the most reliable and effective solutions together into a single accessible system.

Both consumer and deployable power systems require three vital components: a way to harness and capture energy, devices to store that energy, and equipment to convert that stored energy into a usable output for multiple applications. One company, Goal Zero, has found success with easy-to-use, reliable solar-powered systems for consumers looking to keep their essential gear charged in remote environments.

Collecting Energy Generally speaking, energy is collected from either fuel-based sources or renewable sources. While fuelbased energy sources like traditional gas generators and fuel cells are the most energy dense, the need for storing and transporting fuel makes them difficult to use in deployable power systems. Most renewable energy sources, including wind, geothermal, and hydro, are usually too difficult to harness with portable equipment and result in unreliable power. Solar energy is the exception to typical issues with renewable energy sources, and has become the primary source for deployable power systems.

Most research on solar power focuses on the photovoltaic (PV) cell and module’s efficiency in collecting solar energy. The power density of solar irradiance depends on the distance that the light travels through the atmosphere, but according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), “PV module power ratings are for standard test conditions (STC) of 1,000 W/m2 solar irradiance and 25°C PV module temperature.” In other words, the average square meter of surface area under sunlight is being struck by 1000 watts of power. The purpose of a PV module is to capture as much of that energy as possible and convert it to electricity. That ratio of captured-power to available-power is the efficiency rating of a given cell or module.

Research organizations all over the world have been working to maximize this rating and have achieved individual cell efficiencies as high as 44 percent, but the success of a deployable power system relies on the manufacturability of these cells, their cost, and

the technology available to integrate many cells into modules with minimal power losses. Most readily available solar modules have efficiencies of between 10 to 20 percent. Among the most common solar cell technologies are amorphous (low efficiency of 10 percent or less, but with a low price point), polycrystalline (decent efficiency of 15 percent), and monocrystalline (up to 20 percent efficient), with a number of promising new methods that are driving these numbers even higher. One manufacturer, Alta Devices, is developing a gallium arsenide-based cell that reaches up to 30 percent efficiency through a relatively cost-effective and robust manufacturing process, shrinking the size and weight of the solar modules for any potential application.

On top of these advancements, modules are now designed to be even more robust and portable. There are already portable modules in the marketplace that range from a few watts to over 100 watts, and designs which provide over 500 watts of power in a one-manportable package will soon be in mass production.

Such solar panel lines as those of Goal Zero reflect a blend of portability, durability, and versatility. For an on-the-go consumer, lightweight Nomad panels attach easily to any backpack and utilize built-in junction boxes to quickly connect a variety of essential handheld devices. For consumers needing to power their gear day or night, the solar panels connect directly to portable batteries to store the sun’s energy for later.

These same plug-and-play consumer principles can be applied to the needs of U.S. intelligence and special operations forces, where applications that require

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multiple kilowatts of solar input can use one-man-portable panels for easy transport and installation when operating in remote areas and austere locations.

Storing Energy

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Image courtesy of Goal Zero

Image courtesy of Goal Zero

Image courtesy of Goal Zero

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Because of the expansive range of applications for deployable power systems, the success of a system relies heavily on the selection of the right type of energy storage system. Traditional lead-acid batteries are easy to manufacture, relatively safe and rugged, readily found in the marketplace, and are very cost effective. The energy density of a lead-acid battery, however, is a low 30-50 Wh/kg. In comparison, a battery with lithium-based chemistry will often have up to 150 Wh/kg. The result, as expected, is a much lighter battery pack for any given application. The concerns with these chemistries typically revolve around safety and cost. There are other common problems that affect all battery types. Most have a low cycle life that in turn requires high maintenance in applications that regularly charge and discharge the battery.

Using the batteries in a backup role, on the other hand, can also diminish capacity as the battery naturally bleeds energy and its voltage drops too low. Most batteries also have a potentially prohibitive thermal coefficient rating, with performance taking a significant hit in extreme weather conditions. Ultimately, traditional battery technologies have both inherent weaknesses and strengths, which makes the selection of the ideal solution very application-dependent and sometimes impossible.

Similar to solar cells, research and development has been ongoing with battery cell and pack technologies, allowing for better performing battery systems that are dynamic enough to be used in a variety of applications. One example is the evolution of lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4 or LFP) chemistries. These batteries have high energy density like other lithium chemistries, but typically also have a much higher cycle life, lower thermal coefficients, and are safer due to the types of chemicals used in the cells. Although the technology is more expensive, improved manufacturing processes and adoption by various energy markets are helping make LFP cells increasingly accessible and a prime candidate for the battery module of a deployable power system.

Beyond the cell chemistry, cell and pack design has become an important area of improvement for energy storage systems. Intelligent protection and charge management circuitry that was once reserved for expensive and high-end devices is now readily available, from small overvoltage (OVP) and undervoltage (UVP) protection circuits built into individual cells to integrated battery management systems (BMS) handling multiple cells in a large pack. K2 Energy, a cell manufacturer in Henderson, Nevada, has designed a pack made up of LFP cells, with integrated cell protection and a package that operates at a system voltage of 12 V. In effect, this pack is a drop-in replacement for any typical lead-acid battery but with much higher energy density, life cycle rating, power output, and shelf life in a light and safe package.

These packs are already in use in deployable power systems in consumer markets and their availability will prove to be a powerful driver of future growth.

Meanwhile, taking the guesswork out of the battery selection process is what makes Goal Zero’s systems so user friendly; consumers simply pick their scenario and the ideal battery technology is preselected. For someone looking to keep weight to a minimum, the company’s Sherpa 50 Recharger is built with a lithium battery and packed with 50 watt-hours of power. It is capable of keeping phones, laptops, and DSLR camera batteries charged anywhere — and the entire package weighs less than a bottle of water. Consumers looking for superior backup power will find that the Goal Zero Yeti 1250 Solar Generator utilizes a long-lasting lead-acid battery and can run a full-sized refrigerator for 12 hours without the noise, fumes, and gas of traditional backup generators. Paired with solar, these batteries give users unlimited

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hours of runtime and create a complete ecosystem of power for any consumer.

System Integration: Bringing It All Together

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The last component of a successful deployable power system involves integrating modules together into a single ecosystem that is easy to set up and use. The system must integrate solar panels, batteries, and the conversion and control modules in a way that easily and reliably addresses a fairly wide spectrum of problems.

This is true whether it is providing power for a special operations team on a mission or supplying backup electricity for equipment in a tactical operations center.

Like many new, high tech devices, the usability of a deployable power system is the greatest driver for its success in any given market. The system must be easy to use, which has been considered problematic for solar power since its inception. But times have changed, and the wires, inverters, and charge controllers are now completely built into every system. Solar power systems are now truly plug-and-play. This type of system integration allows a central unit to pull in energy from solar panels, control different types and numbers of batteries, and provide outputs at the voltages that are most useful.

When it comes to portable and deployable power, consumers have similar requirements to the military and intelligence communities. For example, a photographer shooting in the field requires heavy spare batteries to power cameras for the days and weeks on location. But with a plug-and-play solar panel and battery system, that same photographer can leave the spare batteries behind and recharge quickly and easily from the sun. This spare battery dilemma begins to sound very similar to that of a warfighter.

According to the Army Research Laboratory, soldiers on typical 72-hour missions in Afghanistan could carry up to 70 spare batteries per pack to power electronic equipment. It is estimated that the Army buys 200,000 custom-designed batteries per year, spending roughly

$10M on radio and communication equipment alone.

This can be offset by reducing the number of singleuse batteries in favor of lightweight, high-density rechargeable batteries that charge from solar panels attached to a pack.

Another similar use case is a consumer with a cabin, tent, or RV. These small buildings or vehicles, which rely on off-grid power setups, need AC and DC power to run lights, communications, and critical home healthcare equipment. These types of systems, used in yearround applications by consumers, can be deployed in a similar way for emergency vehicles or as part of a federal disaster relief response, relying on equipment that’s already proven in other markets.

During the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and the devastating tornados in Moore, Oklahoma, Goal Zero power systems were used by Team Rubicon, a disaster relief organization, to keep vital Palantir and Motorola communication gear charged. Team Rubicon’s success relies heavily on its ability to effectively communicate while in the field, where power should be a convenience, never a distraction.

With such an increased dependency on electronics in the field, deployable power systems are absolutely vital to the success of every mission. Using proven consumer off-the-shelf products, and looking forward to new innovations in every area, deployable power systems are already a success in consumer markets. This provides a launching pad and path to adoption for military and intelligence applications.

Keyvan Vasefi is a Senior Electrical Engineer and a member of the Engineering and Product Development Group at Goal Zero, LLC, an IQT portfolio company.

He specializes in electrical design and development of solar, battery, and control systems for applications ranging from small portable electronics to highpowered deployable power systems. Vasefi has worked in the industry on SMPS and inverter power supply design, battery pack manufacturing, and precision welding systems, and is an inventor on three patents or applications.

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While not on call, Senior Airman Eric Charlton improves his skills with an EOD robot to practice recovering an inactive rocket propelled grenade. Airmen serve as Anaconda’s Explosive Countermeasure 2 (Photo

by Sgt. Jerome Bishop)

Defusing danger A

By Brian Castner

fter twelve years of war, it is hard to remember a time when the term “IED” was not burned into the American public consciousness. Not so long ago, wars were fought with aircraft and tanks, truck bombs happened somewhere else, pipe bombs were the province of deviant teenagers, and the bomb squad was respected but peripheral—a technical specialty for those that just liked to “blow stuff up.”

What a difference the American wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have made. The obscure threat has become central, the IED is the leading killer and harmer of U.S. personnel, and the men and women who hunt the bombs and bomb makers are among

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The bomb suit issued to EOD technicians adds additional protection against larger explosives or from situations that won’t allow for other clearance methods. (Photo by Sgt. Jerome Bishop)

Clockwise, from top left: A U.S. Air Force Airborne Explosive Ordnance Disposal Airman assigned to the 820th Red Horse Squadron looks through binoculars for a exposed chemical round during a training exercise at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. (Photo by Airman 1st Class Daniel Hughes) Senior Airman Craig Zehrbach, Staff Sgt. Mesa Anderson, and Tech. Sgt. Jason Mellor place C-4 explosives on a cache of ordnance at Joint Base Balad, Iraq (Photo by Senior Airman Jason Epley) Senior Airman Joshua Labott, 20th Explosive Ordinance Disposal apprentice shows off what the X-Ray machine shows after scanning a suspicious package. (U.S. Air Force Photo/ Senior Airman David Minor)

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the most seasoned and decorated combat veterans in the armed forces.

The few thousand explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) professionals in the U.S. military are both technicians and operators. They are the technical experts in a variety of disciplines: the practical application of explosives, cutting edge robotics, improvised electronic triggers, guided missile arming systems, and more. But EOD operators kick doors as well. The nature of the recent conflicts has forced the career field to adopt an overt tactical posture. There have long been a few small EOD teams attached to SEALs and other direct action units, but this mission area has grown significantly, and now all four services routinely stack-up, fast rope into the raid, and disarm IEDs under fire.

Traditionally, EOD technicians have focused on safely dismantling and disposing of conventional military ordnance, be it a hung bomb on an F-18 on the carrier deck, a sensitive submunition on an artillery range, or a duded rocket that impacted next to

the main hospital at Kandahar Airfield. This skill set— the ability to identify ordnance from every nation and safely disarm it—will always be the foundation upon which all other EOD operations rest.

Their knowledge of explosives has led EOD operators to perform a variety of missions, from assisting in the development of safer new weapon systems to training dolphins to find sea mines. Because of the Global War on Terror, EOD operators have focused on finding and disarming IEDs. In this notable capacity, they protect U.S. forces overseas, and also train local law enforcement at home and help their counterparts in foreign militaries. EOD operators also work daily with the U.S. Secret Service; the president, vice-president and first lady do not step anywhere outside of the White House until an EOD operator has checked the path first – inspecting every garbage can, flushing every toilet, and turning on every light switch along the way.

As more than one crusty master chief or colonel have observed, EOD was “joint” before joint was cool.

Initial technical training for every recruit is conducted at a Navy school on an Air Force base with instructors from all four services. Every graduate wears the same badge. In Iraq and Afghanistan, airmen are often assigned to Army infantry brigades, and sailors are attached to the Marines or Special Forces. Soldiers are qualified to disassemble the nuclear warheads of intercontinental ballistic missiles, and Marines can “safe” rockets and missiles on aircraft. The diversity and danger of EOD missions comes at a price. The EOD Memorial Wall in Florida contains the names of every fallen soldier, sailor, airman, and Marine.

As of the summer of 2013, there are a total of 300 names—300 brothers and sisters. One hundred twenty-three names have been added to the wall since 9/11.

The modern EOD brotherhood bears little resemblance to the force that stood ready on

“

September 10, 2001. The career field has nearly doubled in size, and the nature of the wars has constantly shifted. During the initial invasion of Afghanistan, EOD cleared Soviet land mines and submunitions from bases and airfields. The ordnance was well known to many veteran EOD operators; they had memorized it from Cold War-era training events.

As the number of IEDs grew in Iraq, EOD teams expanded their footprint, and were able to carry extremely large amounts of gear and explosives in massive assault trucks. In Iraq, the fight was mostly in urban areas. The terrain changed again during the Afghan surge, and as EOD operators took to foot-paths in the Hindu Kush, they learned mountain warfare and rappelling skills, and how to clear hidden IEDs with few tools and back-up support many hours away.

Physically, EOD operators are kitted and equipped with gear that has evolved tremendously. Before 9/11,

there were few robots in general use, and many units had none at all. The “smaller” robot weighed 250 pounds and was designed to fit down the middle row of a commercial aircraft; the larger robot weighed over 700 pounds and required a horse trailer for delivery to the incident site.

Even in 2003, when I attended EOD school, the robot was little more than a curiosity, and students learned to do reconnaissance on an IED first with an eighty pound bomb suit, and then disrupt the package using a stubby steel tube that shot a half-inch slug—a tool designed in World War II. Today, robots come in all shapes and sizes, from the workhorse tanktracked Talon to a new iRobot SUGV that is small enough to fit on the back of a patrolling soldier.

(The SUGV is operated with a tiny screen mounted on a set of sunglasses and a video game controller.)

There have been similar advances in every area of equipment: electronic jammers that now cover an

The few thousand explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) professionals in the U.S. military are both technicians and operators. They are the technical experts in a variety of disciplines.

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entire spectrum of wireless communications have replaced a spotty man-portable system; armored trucks with v-shaped hulls did away with flat-bottomed up-armored Humvees; and the number and variety of energetic tools that combine various ratios of water and plastic explosives have increased significantly.

To keep pace with the ever-changing war, EOD operators gained new skills to go along with their new equipment. Most significantly, they increased their intelligence gathering and analysis capability. EOD has long been the receiver and keeper of sensitive intel: on weapons systems, on nukes, on explosives capabilities, and on the vulnerabilities of U.S. platforms and facilities. But in Iraq and Afghanistan, EOD operators learned how to collect intelligence and parse it for combatant commanders. They did this by working like investigators at a crime scene, reconstructing how an IED was made and how a bomb-builder was fabricating his devices. The goal: to find who was storing artillery shells in a cache for future use. As a result of this new intelligence function, each IED discovered on a donkey-path or in a highway became not an obstacle to overcome, but a chance to collect intelligence on the enemy’s methods and capabilities. Eventually, all that data affected how

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electronic jammers were programmed, which villages got raided, and who ended up in prison.

With the war in Iraq complete, the campaign in Afghanistan winding down, and new threats emerging in the Arabian Peninsula and Africa, EOD operators have new challenges: conducting explosive operations in increasingly austere environments, maintaining the skill set learned through bloody trials, and caring for the families of those who returned wounded or not at all. The war has taken a large toll on a small community: on top of the too-many fallen, 225 EOD operators returned with severe amputations, burns, blindness, or major traumatic brain injury. A total of 2,000 Purple Hearts have been earned in all. A scholarship fund had long existed for the children of EOD technicians who had fallen in the line of duty, but the new EOD Warrior Foundation is caring for the families of those who were severely injured as well.

The brotherhood doesn’t forget its own.

Brian Castner is the author of The Long Walk: A Story of War and the Life That Follows, from Doubleday.

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Red Light Patient Image Courtesy of Tribalco, LLC.

How Special Operations Command Improved Combat Casualty Care

By John “Brad� Gilpin

I

n 2006, U.S. Special Operations Command began a three-step effort to develop improved combat casualty care gear. The first step involved the development of a better individual first aid kit.

Attention was then turned to medic bags, and finally to a casualty evacuation set. The intent of the combat casualty care program was both to standardize medical loads across all special operations forces, and to expand the skill set of SOF medical practitioners by providing equipment and training outside of the normal parameters of many units.

Image Courtesy of Tribalco, LLC.

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The original program announcement identified two key performance parameters: to “preserve the Force and facilitate its reconstitution by reducing preventable battlefield deaths and minimizing effects from injuries,” and to “provide the SOF Medic with the right equipment... at the right time to prevent death and aid in the recovery of SOF Battlefield trauma casualties.” It is that second measure that would define the uniqueness of the program. Standardizing medical equipment across SOF assets while treating such issues as vehicle and building extrications and high-angle rescue as a medical problem— thereby expanding the base skill set of advanced tactical practitioners—was something relatively new.

Meanwhile, instead of restricting contents of an operator’s equipment set to traditional medical items, program administrators envisioned a full spectrum systems approach. The idea that SOF works in austere environments and has to perform autonomous rescue—sometimes just to access the patient or move the patient to a treatment area—drove this new approach. This was to be a medical capability that placed as much emphasis on ropes and angle grinders as it did on tourniquets and IV fluids.

Following operational testing and after receiving input from test operators from each component of Special Operations Command, a five-year contract was awarded to Tribalco, LLC, a company based in Bethesda, Maryland. Tribalco, while new to the tactical medicine arena, was known for its long and successful history of providing integrated solutions and critical services to the national security sector in communication and information technology applications. Understanding that expertise in SOF operations in general and tactical combat casualty care systems in particular were essential, Tribalco chose as its internal program manager a recently separated operator from 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) who had just returned from a deployment in Iraq. Tribalco also teamed up with several retired AFSOC Pararescuemen to support the development of the new program. Those SOF veterans drove the

Right Images: E3 and View of Contents Images Courtesy of Tribalco, LLC.

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Image Courtesy of Tribalco, LLC.

design and contents of new gear and training based entirely on situations encountered during numerous combat tours and rescue operations.

Casualty Evacuation Set Design From the start, the program leadership had directed that the casualty evacuation set be separated into four performance categories—or “kits”—with subset modules. These four performance categories were designated as extraction, mobility, transportation, and sustainment. The Tribalco Integrated Casualty Solution, as the system was later named, met or exceeded all design parameters of the program.

Extraction Modules The Extraction category is broken down into modules E-1, E-2, and E-3. The first enables patient packaging by way of a standard PJ Sked rescue system, and the accompanying hardware allows for an immobilized patient to be lifted vertically or horizontally. E-2 provides all necessary ropes, rigging, and climbing devices. It is designed for fall prevention and protection, and allows special operations forces to perform high-angle rescues.

E-3 is the most unusual module to find in a medical kit. The contents of E-3 include a collapsible sledge, a collapsible Halligan tool, a 36-volt reciprocating saw, an angle grinder, and a manually-operated hydraulic cutter/spreader—better known as “jaws of life.” The utility of these tools was validated during operational testing, when they were used to remove

a door from a salvaged M i n e Resistant Ambush Protected armored vehicle in under four minutes.

M1-2 Image Courtesy of Tribalco, LLC.

T1-2 Image Courtesy of Tribalco, LLC.

T1-2 Image Courtesy of Tribalco, LLC.

Image Courtesy of Tribalco, LLC.

pouch on the interior of the case door and the entire pouch can be instantly removed when needed.

The T-3/4 module provides for advanced airway and fluid management. It contains a simplified automated ventilator, a Glidescope® Ranger video laryngoscope, a pressure infuser, a fluid warmer, and a Golden Hour® thermal container to allow the transport of blood products. This module also has a removable interior pouch that contains a variety of endotracheal tubes and intubation supplies. A Saros™ oxygen concentrator allows for the administration of therapeutic oxygen to the patient without the dangers associated with pressurized flammable gas on the battlefield.

The T-5 soft case contains hypothermia management materials, including a hypothermia prevention and management kit blanket and a Geratherm®-powered warming blanket. It also features a 2590 battery and cables allowing the blanket to be run on battery power or from a variety of AC or DC sources. T-6 contains several straps to attach and secure transportation module hard cases into any type of vehicle.

Mobility Modules The Mobility category consists of two modules. M-1 provides for patient carry and features the All Platform Evacuation (APE™) litter as well as an absorbent patient litter capable of containing up to 4.5 liters of fluid. (This alleviates leakage onto vehicle floors during transport.) M-1 also contains a variety of medical supplies to support patient care beyond the initial point of injury.

M-2 supports M-1 and augments patient care with such items as straps that allow the litter to be secured in all types of vehicles, airframes, and watercraft. The module also contains a variety of small items such as a rescue knife and a mounted helmet light intended to enhance the advanced tactical practitioner’s ability Sustainment Modules to provide care.

The final category—sustainment—contains the items Transportation Modules most traditionally associated with standard medical In keeping with the goal of designing a kit that would work in any vehicle, the transportation modules allow kits, though the Tribalco Integrated Casualty System advanced tactical practitioners to convert any platform designers leveraged their operational experience into an advanced life support ambulance. This ability to make improvements wherever possible. The is critical, as SOF is often without a dedicated medical sustainment category adds supplies and capabilities vehicle platform. T-1/2, T-3/4, T-5, and T-6 modules allowing for up to 24 hours of simultaneous care to two to five patients. The S-1 Module is built around a make up this performance category.

The T-1/2 module contains advanced cardiac life custom pack system that unfolds into a supply sheet support items and comes standard with the Tempus designed for wall hanging. The individual packs on the IC™ patient monitor. The case will also accept other sheet have semi-clear windows and are removable. monitors, such as the ProPaq® MD. In addition to the This means, for example, that the S-1 pack could be primary monitor, this module contains devices to keep laid out at a mass casualty incident while the individual tabs on patient temperature and cardiac output, and first aid kit pouches are removed and utilized for patient features an automated external defibrillator. Advanced care. In addition to the four self-contained individual cardiac life support medications are contained in a first aid kit pouches, the S-1 also has pockets for

Left Images: E1-2 and View of Contents Images Courtesy of Tribalco, LLC.

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respiratory, wound care, IV fluids, and hypothermia supplies. All of these supplies are provided with the Tribalco Integrated Casualty System at delivery, as is a spreadsheet that allows for medical expiration dates and contents to be tracked. Each item is individually marked with a national stock number for ease of resupply.

The last sustainment item is the individual medic pack. Rather than going with a commercial off-theshelf item, the designers consulted with commercial nylon designers to develop an innovative bag that uses a harness system to integrate directly with the medic’s body armor. It also has a user-configurable internal pouch system.

Conclusion The casualty evacuation set directed by Special Operations Command went from a concept to a functional fielded capability in a very short time— especially for a government acquisition program. Sets have already been delivered to units in each of the four components of special operations, and many sets are presently operational in theater. Because of the robust competitive testing process, units from Special Operations Command are now provided with the best equipment, training, and technologies available to reduce preventable combat fatalities. Perhaps most exciting of all, the skill sets of advanced tactical practitioners from each component have now been widened to include rescue, extrication, and advanced transportation care capabilities.

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Top and Right Images: DA Med Bag Images Courtesy of Tribalco, LLC.

Medic in Action Image Courtesy of Tribalco, LLC.

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Taking On the

Invisible Wounds of War

By Barbara Van Dahlen, Ph.D.

O

ver the last several years, significant time and attention has been devoted to post-traumatic stress and other mental health conditions affecting service members as they have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan. The Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, as well as the nonprofit sector, have invested considerable resources to help raise awareness among, and provide care for, those who come home with the invisible injuries of war. Numerous articles, blogs, and books have been written, and several documentaries have been filmed.

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In addition, those of us in the mental health profession know far more today about possible risk factors, early identification, and effective treatment than ever before.

For example, we know that as many as one-third of those exposed to combat will develop some symptoms associated with the stress of their experience. They may have difficulty sleeping, or they may become anxious or depressed. Some will engage in substance abuse as they attempt to deaden or numb themselves to what they saw or did. We also know that those exposed to repeated deployments are at greater risk for developing a range of mental health challenges than those who have not had exposure to combat. Further, we know that early detection and intervention can do much to prevent the understandable consequences of trauma from developing into chronic and disabling conditions.

And we know that untreated post-traumatic stress can have devastating consequences for the families of those who serve.

Most importantly, we know that one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to healing the wounds of war.

For some who return from war, traditional approaches to treatment such as individual, group, or family therapy are extremely effective methods to address the emotional distress they experience. For others, nontraditional approaches such as yoga, acupuncture, or fly fishing with other veterans may be a better fit. And for still others, finding the next mission and engaging in service in their communities is the key to healing and successful reintegration. Often it is a combination of approaches and healing experiences that leads to relief and overall well-being.

Given all we know about the understandable and predictable effects of combat on those who fight our wars, why are we still struggling as a nation to ensure that those who return home receive the mental health support and care they need and deserve? A recent study indicated that soldiers and Marines with diagnosable mental health conditions are no more likely to seek help today than they were a decade ago. Moreover, despite all of the efforts made by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to encourage those in need to seek help, suicide rates continue to climb and service members, veterans, and their families continue to suffer.

One frequently offered explanation for our difficulty in reaching the affected is the stigma associated with receiving mental health care. Because of the perceived stigma associated with having a diagnosable psychiatric condition, those who suffer worry about how they will be viewed by their peers, subordinates, and superiors.

The expectation for many is that once their colleagues, neighbors, or friends learn the truth, they will reject them—or, worse, pity them. Embarrassment and shame often create insurmountable obstacles that keep those in emotional distress from acknowledging their pain.

Many family members of those who have committed suicide speak about their loved ones’ efforts to hide their suffering and pain, and the fear of being perceived as weak or crazy by those with whom they served.

Another concern frequently expressed by those who come home with psychological injuries is that revealing that they are anxious, depressed, or otherwise “impaired” will result in some sort of repercussion or punishment. Sadly, we still hear far too many reports of men and women in uniform being harassed or reprimanded for being “weak” or “lazy.” Many officers still hold the belief that those who “claim” to be depressed or suicidal are simply “slackers” trying to shirk their responsibility. In reality, while there may, of course, be some who claim mental health distress when it isn’t there, the vast majority of those who report nightmares, insomnia, depression, agitation, and uncontrollable rage are suffering terribly and would give anything to be free of the horrible burden they bear.

And then there is the actual psychological impact of being emotionally injured or impaired. When we are depressed or anxious we aren’t always able to think clearly and our judgment may be affected. When we are depressed or anxious, when we haven’t slept well in weeks or months, when we feel like we are worthless and to blame for failures and tragedies—in these conditions, it is very difficult to remember what it feels like to be calm, to be happy, to be at peace.

Further, being depressed or anxious can lead to complicated problems in our relationships, and without sufficient social support we can easily spiral into severe despair and hopelessness.

None of the issues or obstacles that prevent returning troops from seeking mental health care are unique to service members or veterans.

Indeed, as a nation we

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do a very poor job of acknowledging and addressing the mental health needs of our citizens. While we seem to now be able to more comfortably and openly discuss divorce, cancer, race, and sexuality with friends, neighbors, and coworkers, we rarely have conversations focusing on someone’s mental health challenges, treatments tried, and successes achieved.

Despite the fact that one in five Americans has a diagnosable mental health condition, most people act as if “mental health” only affects those who are weak or impaired. Is it any wonder that we have not had much luck getting service members and veterans to seek mental health care?

In reality, we are all affected by our mental health.

And at any given point—depending on prior life experiences, genetic predispositions, hormonal or other physiological factors, available social support, and recent life events—our mental health might be good, it might be horrible, or it might be somewhere in the middle. And at any given point, traditional counseling or yoga or fly fishing might really improve our mental health.

A decade of war has taken an understandable, and for some a very serious, psychological toll on those coming home and their families. As a result, our service members and veterans have an opportunity to change the perception of, and the conversation

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about, mental health in our country. And who better than those who have served our nation—those who have faced sacrifices and challenges that few of us can imagine—to serve as examples and role models.

It takes tremendous courage and bravery to acknowledge fears and vulnerabilities. We all prefer to believe that we can handle whatever comes our way, that we have things “under control,” and that we don’t need anyone’s help. It takes hard work and determination to address issues that prevent us from living happy and healthy lives. Ask anyone who has successfully battled an addiction. If we as a nation could recognize the importance and value of addressing the psychological challenges that affect us, we would do so much to end suffering and heal families.

And if talking about the state of our mental health was as comfortable as discussing our physical health, then taking care of our depression or post-traumatic stress would be the same as treating diabetes or having surgery: not very pleasant, but necessary, understandable, and acceptable.

Barbara Van Dahlen is the founder and president of Give an Hourô, a non-profit organization that develops national networks of volunteers capable of responding to both acute and chronic conditions that arise within our society.

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By Shannon Layton

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O

n any typical day in the United States, our daily activities can be seen as a simple progression of “clicks,” one after the other, from the click of a light switch on our bedroom wall to the click of the switch on our coffeemaker. We are an energy dependent nation, so accustomed to energy’s accessibility that we rarely question the convenience or the effort expended to create it.

In Afghanistan, however, and on many other battlefields around the world, there are no clicks. There, access to energy requires planning, diligence, and forethought. As a Navy SEAL with tours in Somalia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, Commander Steve Rutherford possessed an in-depth understanding not only of the needs of war, but also of the needs

of the warfighter on the ground. Later, as program director for power and energy at U.S. Special Operations Command from 2010 to 2011, Cmdr. Rutherford sought immediate ways to decrease the number of lives lost transporting fuel over hazardous terrain and through enemy territory. Out of every twenty-four fuel resupply convoys, coalition forces were suffering at least one casualty of war. Putting this in relative terms, a significant number of soldiers were being lost transporting fuel rather than in the battle, which led war-planners to question why such large quantities of fuel were needed in the first place. In 2008, the Department of Defense spent $15 billion on tactical fuel for the warfighter.

The term “operational energy” is used to identify both the energy expended on the battlefield by the warfighter, and energy used as a strategic weapon.

Operational energy used by the warfighter can refer to base camps, trucks, mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles (MRAPs), aircraft, and the items carried by a soldier. U.S. service members are differentiated from other soldiers on the battlefield not only by their training but also by the equipment and technology they bring to the conflict. A modernday soldier can carry more than ten electrical-related items on a mission, each requiring power and energy to maintain their usefulness. Some of the typical items a soldier carries include a GPS, night vision goggles, flashlights, imagers, small computers/ PDAs, cameras, satellite phones or cell phones, and weapon mounted target designators, as well as sensor packages. Most of the devices are battery powered and disposable. With more than 100,000 troops on the battlefield, it’s easy to see how energy related trash—specifically batteries—could pile up.

On a larger scale, MRAPS are used to transport troops in and around conflict regions. These vehicles achieve only three miles per gallon and are powered by diesel fuel. The fuel must be transported over land and across long distances, from and through countries where unrest and instability are common. In addition, the base camps themselves are the largest consumers of fuel. The temporary housing units within the base camps are constructed from non-insulated materials, as military operations were not expected to stretch on for decades. These tents and temporary facilities require environmental cooling and heating in order to maintain reasonable living conditions, and their control units are typically non-regulated, resulting in an inefficient use of garrison fuel. In essence, all the energy being created is wasted away and pumped into the atmosphere.

In conflict regions where the U.S. military operates, much of the local populace lacks the resources and basic necessities that U.S. citizens take for granted.

The “thermostats” in these villages are the number of blankets a family possesses. As a result, the villagers get by on less than a fraction of a percentage of energy the typical American uses. Lacking the basic resources of energy and power, these villagers are unable to realize the value that electricity can bring to them on a daily basis.

In counterinsurgency operations Images courtesy of Tampa Energy Solutions. around the globe, the mission is simple: to win the hearts and minds of the people. One way to achieve this outcome is to share the available resources within each unit’s stockpile. Most forward operating bases (FOBs) possess the daily necessities that a soldier needs to sustain themselves over long periods of time, such as fresh water, fuel, food, sleeping accommodations, environmental control units (A/C and heating units), satellite communications— even internet access. Today’s soldiers are rarely out of touch with their families for more than a week or two. These FOBs can use their energy for their own needs, or they can work with the local tribal leadership to share resources and assist the tribes in achieving their own goals. Sharing these precious resources can be expensive, however, if one considers the cost of fuel transportation. By some

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estimates, fuel deliveries to FOBs can exceed $40 per gallon, which does not account for the number of lives lost attempting to maintain fuel reserves. The decision to use American energy sources to support local villages can significantly increase the cost of operations overseas. But when these costs become too exorbitantly expensive, technology itself can offer options that support the needs and directives of operational energy.

As fuel and its continual resupply creates constant dangers to the warfighter, renewable energy and advanced technologies become more viable. By reducing the need for fossil fuels, renewables such as solar and wind, combined with energy storage and power management, can have a drastic impact on readiness in a conflict region such as Afghanistan.

During the height of the troop surge in Afghanistan in 2010, Cmdr. Rutherford saw the potential that these technologies could bring to the battlefield and to the warfighter. While at SOCOM, his focus was to identify mature, promising technologies and find ways to place these capabilities into the hands of the operator in the field. With master’s degrees in both applied physics and national resource strategy, Cmdr.

Rutherford was able to aggressively review hundreds of industry submissions and attend countless system demonstrations. He was committed both to bringing value-added solutions to the warfighter, and to seeing a reduction in the number of lives lost transporting fuel to FOBs. He supported efforts to increase the use of rechargeable batteries in the field as a way to reduce the growing stockpile of used or partially-used batteries, and he worked to incorporate portable solar blankets into the soldier’s standard gear. These blankets, when used with rechargeable batteries, actually decreased the load a soldier would carry and lowered the cost of each mission. The initial cost to supply their gear could be recouped within weeks.

More notably, Cmdr. Rutherford acquired, tested, and fielded two 40-kilowatt hybrid-solar systems for FOBs

Image courtesy of Tampa Energy Solutions.

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located outside of Kandahar in 2010. They were the largest such systems to be deployed to Afghanistan.

He was so committed to this effort that only months before he was scheduled to retire, he personally deployed and installed the systems. These hybridsolar systems had an immediate positive impact at the FOBs. Soon, commanders there realized that they had sufficient renewable resources to share with the local community. By using this energy to bring immediate benefit to local populations, FOB commanders were able to obtain increased support from the locals.

Cmdr. Rutherford reported that upon speaking with one of the local Afghans, the gentleman began to thank him profusely. The man said, “By bringing this system to our village and our local hospital, my family can now receive the care that my brother was not able to receive last year.” Further discussion revealed that the gentleman’s brother had died trying to make it to a hospital that was more than 50 miles away. In addition, the energy produced from a separate hybridsolar system in Afghanistan was being used to power one of the largest women’s health clinics in the area.

Although expensive by American standards, when accounting for the reduction in the cost of transported fuel, these hybrid solar systems more than paid for themselves within their first year in country. Reducing the number of lives lost in the transportation of fuel was the driving force for Cmdr. Rutherford during his time as director of power and energy at SOCOM. By rapidly fielding these promising technologies, he was able to make a lasting difference for the warfighter and also for the people of Afghanistan. Today, Cmdr.

Rutherford is president of Tampa Energy Solutions, a company that performs residential and commercial installs of solar power in the Tampa area. He also provides constancy services to companies in the energy sector using the insights he learned in the warzone and around the world.

Shannon Layton is a freelancer, military spouse and an MSW candidate at the University of South Florida with a passion for PTSD/ trauma, substance abuse, psychotherapy and mindfulness meditation. She currently resides in Tampa, FL.

Air Force Special Operations Command combat controllers give a C-130 Hercules take off clearance and provide air traffic control during a mission to establish and assess an airfield, March 15, at a forward deployed location in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock)

COMBAT CONTROLLERS

FIRST THERE

By Gene Adcock, CMSgt, USAF Retired

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DISTINGUISHED COMBAT CONTROLLERS Technical Sergeant John Chapman was killed during a mission in Afghanistan when he attempted to rescue a Navy SEAL who fell from a helicopter.

He was posthumously awarded the Air Force Cross for his actions during the Battle of Takur Ghar in 2001.

U.S. Air Force combat controllers and Army Special Forces execute a static line jump from an Air Force MC-130H Combat Talon II aircraft during Emerald Warrior 2013 at Hurlburt Field, Fla., April 26, 2013. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Andy M. Kin/Released)

U

.S. Air Force Combat Controllers provide air traffic control and communications capabilities for ground combat forces. They work either as individuals or as teams specially tailored for U.S. Army Special Forces, Rangers, Navy SEALs, and Special Air Missions. Combat Controllers are FAA-certified air traffic controllers and often train as joint terminal attack controllers in order to call in and direct air strikes, close air support, and fire support during battle. Four of the six Air Force Cross Medals awarded since 2001 have gone to Combat Controllers for extraordinary heroism in combat.

Combat Control qualification training is among the most challenging in the U.S. military. Eighty-percent of candidates wash out—mostly voluntarily or because of injuries sustained during training. Those who complete the thirty-five-week initial training pipeline earn them the right to wear the scarlet beret. From there, Combat Controllers attend a twelve-to-fifteen-month advanced skill training course at Hurlburt Field, Florida, where they prepare to become mission-ready operators for Air Force Special Operations Command. Among the courses they attend are the Army Military Free Fall Parachutist School and the Air Force Combat Diver School.

Graduates are assigned to Special Tactics Squadrons at eight locations around the world.

The term “Combat Control Team” originated during World War II, when gliderborne squadrons of men carried trailer-mounted radio systems behind enemy lines. There, they passed along critical mission information to follow-on airdrop aircraft. They were first used on March 24, 1944 during Operation Varsity, when a team crossed the Rhine to operate drop zones near the town of Wesel, Germany.

Following the successful operation, the combat control teams moved with ground forces to establish forward bases, and provided air traffic control for aerial resupply and medical evacuation missions.

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Senior Airman Zachary Rhyner earned the Air Force Cross during the Battle of Shok Valley in Afghanistan in 2008. He is the first living recipient of that medal since the start of the Global War on Terror.

Staff Sergeant Robert Gutierrez earned the Air Force Cross for heroism during a battle in Herat province, Afghanistan in 2009.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Colby Fulton, 23rd Special Tactics Squadron combat controller from Hurlbert Air Force Base, Fla., watches an A-10 Warthog provide low air support during Mobility Air Forces Exercise May 23, 2012, on the Nevada Test and Training Range.

Combat controllers are in constant contact with pilots. (Airman 1st Class Daniel Hughes)

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DISTINGUISHED COMBAT CONTROLLERS Captain Barry F. Crawford was awarded the Air Force Cross for his actions during a battle in Laghman Province, Afghanistan in 2012.

Chief Master Sergeant Antonio D. Travis was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world in 2010 for his efforts during the Haiti earthquake. He led the largest single-runway operation in history, using handheld radios to control thousands of aircraft.

Below: Two Air National Guard Combat Controllers from the 125th Special Tactics Squadron help conduct airfield landings and take offs at Fort Carson, Colo., April 21, 2012. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech.

Sgt. John Hughel, 142nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs/Released)

A U.S. Air Force combat controller from Task Force 10 looks out at the Blue Max range as rockets impact on target from Forward Operating Base Morales-Frazier during a joint U.S. and French live fire helicopter exercise here Jan. 23. (Photo by: U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Kyle Brasier)

On September 18, 1947, the U.S. Air Force was established and given the responsibility of providing air traffic control in the field in support of U.S. Army aerial delivery operations, to include munitions delivery and aerial insertions of troops and equipment. The first USAF Combat Control Team was established at Donaldson Air Force Base, South Carolina on January 15, 1953. It belonged to 18th Air Force and worked in conjunction with the 18th Airborne Corps. Combat Controllers have fought in every major military conflict since the Korean War. CMSgt Gene Adcock retired as Chief Combat Control Inspector, Military Airlift Command, Office of the Inspector General on 31 January 1977 As a combat controller he deployed to Vietnam three times beginning in July 1965 and three times during the period 1969 1971 to Laos in support of Air Commando Project 404.

He was awarded two Bronze Stars, the AF Meritorious Service Award, six Air Medals and two AF Commendation medals with Combat “V”. During his second career, he was instrumental in the introduction of specialized SOF equipment to DOD and allied military forces. Adcock is the author of two volumes of CCT @ The Eye of the Storm – a history of combat control teams; President of the Combat Control School Heritage Foundation, and a member of the Air Commando Association Hall of Fame, Class of 2010.

Below: U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Ronald Litvan, Combat Controller, 21st Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Field, checks the wind speed and direction prior to aircraft landing at Young Air Assault Strip in support of Warrior Exercise 8613-01 (WAREX)/Exercise Global Medic 2013, Fort McCoy, Wis., July 23, 2013.

(U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jared Becker/Released)

Right: U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Colby Fulton, 23rd Special Tactics Squadron combat controller from Hurlbert Air Force Base, FL, watches an A-10 Warthog provide low air support during Mobility Air Forces Exercise May 23, 2012, on the Nevada Test and Training Range. (Airman 1st Class Daniel Hughes)

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Marines with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 supported Navy SEALs and parachute riggers with Naval Special Warfare Logistics and Support Two, an Air Force combat controller team and Army Special Forces with parachute operations in Emporia Airfield, Va., Feb. 20. (Photo by Lance Cpl. Manuel Estrada)

Below: A U.S. Air Force Combat Controller, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, FL, points out a landing zone to a U.S. Marine, who will provide the security for the humanitarian supplies when delivered, while flying over Port au Prince, Haiti, on Jan. 22. (Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Russell E. Cooley IV)

These operators in the war on terror are recipients of the nation’s highest medal for valor.

Robert James Miller

United States Army / Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 3312

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty: Staff Sergeant Robert J. Miller distinguished himself by extraordinary acts of heroism while serving as the Weapons Sergeant in Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 3312, Special Operations Task Force-33, Combined Joint Special Operations Task ForceAfghanistan during combat operations against an armed enemy in Konar Province, Afghanistan on January 25, 2008. While conducting a combat reconnaissance patrol through the Gowardesh Valley, Staff Sergeant Miller and his small element of U.S. and Afghan National Army soldiers engaged a force of 15 to 20 insurgents occupying prepared fighting positions. Staff Sergeant Miller initiated the assault by engaging the enemy positions with his vehicle’s turret-mounted Mark-19 40 millimeter automatic grenade launcher while simultaneously providing detailed descriptions of the enemy positions to his command, enabling effective, accurate close air support. Following the engagement, Staff Sergeant Miller led a small squad forward to conduct a battle damage assessment. As the group neared the small, steep, narrow valley that the enemy had inhabited, a large, well-coordinated insurgent force initiated a near ambush, assaulting from elevated positions with ample cover. Exposed and with little available cover, the patrol was totally vulnerable to 116

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enemy rocket propelled grenades and automatic weapon fire. As point man, Staff Sergeant Miller was at the front of the patrol, cut off from supporting elements, and less than 20 meters from enemy forces. Nonetheless, with total disregard for his own safety, he called for his men to quickly move back to covered positions as he charged the enemy over exposed ground and under overwhelming enemy fire in order to provide protective fire for his team.

While maneuvering to engage the enemy, Staff Sergeant Miller was shot in his upper torso. Ignoring the wound, he continued to push the fight, moving to draw fire from over one hundred enemy fighters upon himself. He then again charged forward through an open area in order to allow his teammates to safely reach cover. After killing at least 10 insurgents, wounding dozens more, and repeatedly exposing himself to withering enemy fire while moving from position to position, Staff Sergeant Miller was mortally wounded by enemy fire. His extraordinary valor ultimately saved the lives of seven members of his own team and 15 Afghanistan National Army soldiers.

Staff Sergeant Miller’s heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty, and at the cost of his own life, are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Army.

Leroy A. Petry

United States Army / Company D, 2d Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty: Staff Sergeant Leroy A. Petry distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action with an armed enemy in the vicinity of Paktya Province, Afghanistan, on May 26, 2008. As a Weapons Squad Leader with D Company, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Staff Sergeant Petry moved to clear the courtyard of a house that potentially contained high-value combatants. While crossing the courtyard, Staff Sergeant Petry and another Ranger were engaged and wounded by automatic weapons fire from enemy fighters. Still under enemy fire, and wounded in both legs, Staff Sergeant Petry led the other Ranger to cover. He then reported the situation and engaged the enemy with a hand grenade, providing suppression as another Ranger moved to his position. The enemy quickly responded by maneuvering closer and throwing grenades. The first grenade explosion knocked his two fellow Rangers to the ground and wounded both with shrapnel. A second grenade then landed only a

few feet away from them. Instantly realizing the danger, Staff Sergeant Petry, unhesitatingly and with complete disregard for his safety, deliberately and selflessly moved forward, picked up the grenade, and in an effort to clear the immediate threat, threw the grenade away from his fellow Rangers. As he was releasing the grenade it detonated, amputating his right hand at the wrist and further injuring him with multiple shrapnel wounds. Although picking up and throwing the live grenade grievously wounded Staff Sergeant Petry, his gallant act undeniably saved his fellow Rangers from being severely wounded or killed. Despite the severity of his wounds, Staff Sergeant Petry continued to maintain the presence of mind to place a tourniquet on his right wrist before communicating the situation by radio in order to coordinate support for himself and his fellow wounded Rangers. Staff Sergeant Petry’s extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service, and reflect great credit upon himself, 75th Ranger Regiment, and the United States Army.

Michael A. Monsoor

United States Navy / SEAL Team 3

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as automatic weapons gunner for Naval Special Warfare Task Group Arabian Peninsula, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom on 29 September 2006. As a member of a combined SEAL and Iraqi Army Sniper Overwatch Element, tasked with providing early warning and stand-off protection from a rooftop in an insurgent held sector of Ar Ramadi, Iraq, Petty Officer Monsoor distinguished himself by his exceptional bravery in the face of grave danger. In the early morning, insurgents prepared to execute a coordinated attack by reconnoitering the area around the element’s position. Element snipers thwarted the enemy’s initial attempt by eliminating two insurgents.

The enemy continued to assault the element, engaging them with a rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire.

As enemy activity increased, Petty Officer Monsoor took position with his machine gun between two teammates on an outcropping of the roof. While the SEALs vigilantly watched for enemy activity, an insurgent threw a hand grenade from an unseen location, which bounced off Petty Officer Monsoor’s chest and landed in front of him.

Although only he could have escaped the blast, Petty Officer Monsoor chose instead to protect his teammates.

Instantly and without regard for his own safety, he threw himself onto the grenade to absorb the force of the explosion with his body, saving the lives of his two teammates. By his undaunted courage, fighting spirit, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of certain death, Petty Officer Monsoor gallantly gave his life for his country, thereby reflecting great credit upon himself and upholding the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

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Michael P. Murphy

United States Navy / ALFA Platoon, SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as the leader of a special reconnaissance element with Naval Special Warfare Task Unit Afghanistan on 27 and 28 June 2005. While leading a mission to locate a high-level anticoalition militia leader, Lieutenant Murphy demonstrated extraordinary heroism in the face of grave danger in the vicinity of Asadabad, Konar Province, Afghanistan. On 28 June 2005, operating in an extremely rugged enemycontrolled area, Lieutenant Murphy’s team was discovered by anti-coalition militia sympathizers, who revealed their position to Taliban fighters. As a result, between 30 and 40 enemy fighters besieged his four-member team.

Demonstrating exceptional resolve, Lieutenant Murphy valiantly led his men in engaging the large enemy force.

The ensuing fierce firefight resulted in numerous enemy casualties, as well as the wounding of all four members of the team. Ignoring his own wounds and demonstrating exceptional composure, Lieutenant Murphy continued

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to lead and encourage his men. When the primary communicator fell mortally wounded, Lieutenant Murphy repeatedly attempted to call for assistance for his beleaguered teammates. Realizing the impossibility of communicating in the extreme terrain, and in the face of almost certain death, he fought his way into open terrain to gain a better position to transmit a call. This deliberate, heroic act deprived him of cover, exposing him to direct enemy fire. Finally achieving contact with his Headquarters, Lieutenant Murphy maintained his exposed position while he provided his location and requested immediate support for his team. In his final act of bravery, he continued to engage the enemy until he was mortally wounded, gallantly giving his life for his country and for the cause of freedom. By his selfless leadership, courageous actions, and extraordinary devotion to duty, Lieutenant Murphy reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

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Hall of

American operators who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the Global War on Terrorism

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MSG Jared N. Van Aalst MSG Danial R. Adams SGT Dustin M. Adkins MAJ James M. Ahearn SSG Leroy Alexander SGT Justin B. Allen SGT Thomas F. Allison CPL William M. Amundson SPC Marc A. Anderson MSG Joseph J. Andres SSgt Christopher J. Antonik SSG Martin R. Apolinar Capt Derek Argel STG2 Matthew G. Axelson MSG George A. Bannar CSM Edward C. Barnhill SSG Ricardo Barraza SFC William M. Bennett SO1 Darrik Benson SSG Jeremy E. Bessa CPL Mark A. Bibby SOC Brian Bill SSG Keith R. Bishop MSG Benjamin F. Bitner SGT Aaron J. Blasjo SGT Jay A. Blessing SFC Bradley S. Bohle SSG Jeremie S. Border HMC Matthew J. Bourgeois MSG Jamal H. Bowers SGT Dale G. Brehm SSG Andrew T. Britton-Mihalo SFC William R. Brown TSgt John W. Brown SSG Jason L. Brown SOC Adam Brown LTC Charles H. Buehring SPC Charles E. Bush Jr. SSG Eric Caban MAJ Jeffrey R. Calero SO1 Christopher Campbell SOC Mark T. Carter SSgt Charles I. Cartwright SGT Nicholas A. Casey

Heroes

CAPT Paul J. Cassidy SPC Ricardo Cerros Jr. SFC Victor H. Cervantes CAPT Jeremy Chandler SFC Nathan R. Chapman TSgt John A. Chapman SSG Kyu H. Chay SO1 Nicolas D. Checque CPL Andrew F. Chris SSgt Eric D. Christian SSG Rusty H. Christian SGT Joel D. Clarkson CAPT Richard G. Cliff SSG Jesse G. Clowers 1SG Christopher D. Coffin MSG Mark W. Coleman CAPT Kyle A. Comfort CPL Matthew A. Commons SGM Bradley D. Conner SGT Timothy M. Conneway SSgt Gregory T. Copes SFC Lance S. Cornett SFC Daniel B. Crabtree SSgt Casey Crate SGT Andrew Creighton SGT Bradley S. Crose SRA Jason Cunningham SSG Joseph F. Curreri SSG Jason S. Dahlke CTT1 Steven P. Daugherty MSG Jefferson D. Davis SSgt Timothy P. Davis SSG Anthony D. Davis SSgt David P Day IT1 Jared Day SSG Edwin H. DazaChacon SPC Marc P. Decoteau SSG Michael A. Dickinson II SSG Trevor J. Diesing GM2 Danny P. Dietz CPL Benjamin C. Dillon SPC Joseph W. Dimock II SSgt Patrick R. Dolphin SFC Kristoffer B. Domeij

SSG Carlos Dominguez SSG James P. Dorrity MA1 John Douangdara TSgt Scott Duffman SPC Thomas F. Duncan III CW2 Michael S. Duskin CW2 Scott Dyer SO1 Kevin R. Ebbert SSgt Douglas L. Eccleston SSgt Douglas Eccleston SPC John J. Edmunds CAPT Daniel W. Eggers SSG Brandon F. Eggleston CW2 Jody L. Egnor SFC Emigdio E. Elizarraras SFC Adrian M. Elzalde HM1 Darrel L. Enos SOC John Faas SSG Christopher M. Falkel SO1 Patrick D. Feeks MAJ Curtis D. Feistner MSG Richard L. Ferguson MSG George A. Fernandez MAJ Gregory J. Fester HMCS Theodore D. Fitzhenry TSgt Michael Flores FCC Jacques J. Fontan SRA Mark A. Forester SGT Jeremy D. Foshee LT Thomas C. Fouke SSG Gregory M. Frampton CAPT Brian S. Freeman SPC Bryan L. Freeman SOC Jason R. Freiwald Capt Jeremy Fresques SSG Kerry W. Frith SPC Nichole M. Frye SGT Steven C. Ganczeski SPC Ryan C. Garbs PFC Damian J. Garza SGT Frank J. Gasper SPC Christopher Gathercole 1Lt Joel Gentz SO2 Shapoor “Alex” Ghane

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CW3 Thomas J. Gibbons GySgt Jonathan W. Gifford GySgt Robert L. Gilbert SSG Shamus O. Goare SFC Wyatt A. Goldsmith SFC Chad A. Gonsalves CW3 Corey J. Goodnature SSG Robert S. Goodwin SPC Brandon D. Gordon SFC Alejandro Granado SFC Ronald A. Grider SFC James F. Grissom Sgt Michael James Guillory Sgt Justin M. Hansen SOC Nathan Hardy PFC Eric W. Hario SSG Gary R. Harper Jr. CW2 Stanley L. Harriman SO1 Joshua Thomas Harris SFC Calvin B. Harrison SFC David J. Hartman SSgt Andrew W. Harvell ITCS Daniel R. Healy PVT John M. Henderson SFC Aaron Henderson SSgt Edgar A. Heredia SGT Josue E. Hernandez-Chavez SFC Richard J. Herrema SGT Tanner S. Higgins CAPT Jason E. Holbrook SSG Aaron N. Holleyman SGT Tyler Nicholas Holtz MSG Kelly L. Hornbeck PFC Christopher A. Horns MSG Robert M. Horrigan SSG Michael W. Hosey SOC Kevin Houston SFC Meredith L. Howard SSG Travis Hunsberger MSG David L. Hurt SFC Mark W. Jackson SPC Kip A. Jacoby CPL Michael D. Jankiewicz SPC Joseph A. Jeffries MSG Ivica Jerak GySgt Ryan Jeschke SO2 Ryan Job SFC Allen C. Johnson MAJ Alan Johnson PFC Dillon Jutras SO3 Jonathan H. Kaloust Sgt Dennis E. Kancler SO1 Mathew G. Kantor SSG Jeremy A. Katzenberger LCDR Jonas Kelsall

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CPL Jason Kessler SGT Jeffrey D. Kettle SSG Matthew Kimmell SPC Adam G. Kinser SSG Daniel L. Kisling SGT Charles Kitowski SGT Keith A. Kline SGT Adam L. Knox SOC Michael Koch SFC Obediah J. Kolath CPL Benjamin S. Kopp LCDR Erik S. Kristensen SGT Ronald A. Kubik SSG Patrick F. Kutschbach Capt Neil C. Landsberg SFC Mitchell A. Lane SOCM Louis Langlais SFC Steven M. Langmack Capt Garrett T. Lawton SO1 Matthew Leathers AO2 Marc A Lee SO1 Jason D. Lewis SPC George V. Libby PR1 Andrew J. Lightner MSG Arthur L. Lilley MAJ Robert D. Lindenau SSG Nino Livaudais SSG Andrew T. Lobosco SPC Ryan Long SSG Christian Longsworth LT Brendan John Looney ET1 Jeffrey A. Lucas CAPT Ronald G. Luce SGT Martin A. Lugo PFC George A. Lutz CW3 Niall D. Lyons SGT Thomas R. MacPherson IT2 Mario Maestas CAPT Shan R.M. Mahaffee MSG Thomas D. Maholic MSgt Michael Maltz SFC Curtis Mancini Capt Matthew P. Manoukian SOCS John W. Marcum SSG Paul C. Mardis SSG Justin C. Marquez SSG Jack M. Martin III SSG Ryan D. Maseth SOC Matthew Mason TSgt Christopher Matero CW3 Hershel D. McCants SFC Shawn P. McCloskey MSgt Bill McDaniel SFC David L. McDowell SFC Robert K. McGee

CPL Ryan C. McGhee LT Michael M. McGreevy Jr. CTRCS David Blake McLendon SSG Shawn H. McNabb MSG Michael McNulty MC1 Robert R. McRill Capt Joshua S. Meadows 1SG Tobias C. Meister SGT Kashif M. Memon SFC David E. Metzger HM2 C. Luke Milam SSG Robert J. Miller SGT Marco L. Miller SSG Joshua M. Mills SOC Stephen Mills SO3 Denis Christopher Miranda SFC Sean K. Mitchell SFC Robert J. Mogensen SFC Justin S. Monschke MA2 Michael A. Monsoor CW4 Michael P. Montgomery SGT Alberto Montrond SSG Orlando Morales SFC Jeffrey M. Rada Morales MSG Kevin N. Morehead SFC Lawrence Morrison SSgt Sky R. Mote SGT Nickolas A. Mueller SPC Scott Mullen SFC Pedro A. Muñoz SFC Marcus V. Muralles LT Michael P. Murphy SSG William R. Neil Jr. SO1 Caleb A. Nelson Sgt. Stephen M. New SSG Clinton T. Newman SFC Tun M. Nguyen SFC Jamie S. Nicholas SGT Andrew C. Nicol EODC Nicholas Null SFC David Nunez SGT Michael C. O’Neil CW3 Mark S. O’Steen SFC James S. Ochsner SSG Tony B. Olaes CDR Peter G. Oswald BM1 Brian J. Ouellette SSG Michael G. Owen CAPT Bart D. Owens SGT Timothy P. Padgett SGT Jason Palmerton SSG Kevin Pape SFC Dae H. Park MM2 Shane E. Patton SSG James R. Patton

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SSG Robert J. Paul SSG Ronald L. Paulsen CPT Andrrew Michael Pedersen-Keel SPC Jonathan K. Peney SSG Brandon R. Pepper SFC Daniel H. Petithory LTC Mark P. Phelan CTTC Christian Michael Pike SSG Christopher N. Piper SSG Robert R. Pirelli SO1 Jesse Pittman SRA Jason Plite SGT Alessandro L. Plutino SFC James W. Ponder III ENS Jerry “Buck” Pope SN Freddie Porter GySgt Daniel J. Price CW2 Bruce E. Price CDR Job Price SSG Brian C. Prosser SSG Matthew A. Pucino CW3 John A. Quinlan CAPT Waid C. Ramsey SPC Bradley D. Rappuhn SOCS Thomas Ratzlaff SGT Regina Reali SOCS Robert Reeves SGT James J. Regan MAJ Stephen C. Reich IC1 Thomas E. Retzer SSgt Juan Ridout CAPT Russell B. Rippetoe GM2 Dion R. Roberts ABH1 Neil C. Roberts SGT Nicholas A. Robertson CAPT Charles D. Robinson SFC Christopher L. Robinson SOCS Heath Robinson SSG Robb L. Rolfing SFC Daniel A. Romero SPC Nicholas R. Roush Sgt Michael C. Roy SGT William P. Rudd SSG Clinton K. Ruiz SSG Bruce A. Rushforth SFC Michael L. Russell 1SG Carlos N. Saenz SSgt Armin J. Sahrai SGT Roberto D. Sanchez SRA Dan R. Sanchez SGT Anibal Santiago SGT Jason A. Santora CPL Jonathan J. Santos SSgt Scott D. Sather SFC Ryan J. Savard

CW4 Chris J. Scherkenbach WO1 Joseph L. Schiro Capt. Joseph W. Schultz SO2 Joseph Clark Schwedler SGT Danton K. Seitsinger SOC Brett Shadle SFC Christopher D. Shaw SPC Timothy M. Shea SOC Eric F. Shellenberger LTC Anthony L. Sherman MSG Shawn E. Simmons SFC Matthew S. Sluss-Tiller SSG Marc J. Small LTC Albert E. Smart SO2 Adam Olin Smith SSgt David Smith MAJ Charles R. Soltes Jr. Cpl David M. Sonka Capt Panuk Soomsawasdi EOD1 Luis Souffront SFC Christopher J. Speer SO2 Nicholas Spehar SSgt Nicholas Sprovtsoff SGM Michael B. Stack PFC Nathan E. Stahl SFC Riley G. Stephens SSG Mark A. Stets MSG Benjamin A. Stevenson SO1 Tyler Stimson CTR1 Michael Strange QM2 James Suh SFC Severin W. Summers SGT Philip J. Svitak SSG Paul A. Sweeney MAJ Paul R. Syverson PFC Kristofor T.Stonesifer SSG Ayman A. Taha PH1 David M. Tapper CAPT Michael Y. Tarlavsky SFC John E. Taylor HM1 Jeffrey S. Taylor SSG David W. Textor SSG Michael D. Thomas SOC Collin Thomas PFC Kristofer D. S. Thomas SSgt Robert Thomas CAPT David J. Thompson SFC Duane A. Thornsbury CAPT Benjamin Tiffner CPL Patrick D. Tillman CAPT John Tinsley CAPT Jeffrey P. Toczylowski SPC Teodoro Torres SSG Joshua R. Townsend TSgt Martin Tracy

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EOD2 Tyler J. Trahan SGT James M. Treber MSG Gregory R. Trent SFC Michael J. Tully SO1 Jon Tumilson SFC Peter P. Tycz SOC Lance M. Vaccaro SGT Nathan J. Vacho SOCS Thomas J Valentine SSG Gene Vance SGT Thomas E. Vandling Jr. SFC Gary J. Vasquez SFC Travis R. Vaughn SO1 Aaron Vaughn BM1 Robert P. Vetter EODCS Kraig Vickers SFC Lance H. Vogeler CW2 Douglas M. Vose III SFC Brett E. Walden SSG Kyle R. Warren SO1 David J. Warsen CW5 Jamie D. Weeks SSG Joshua R. Whitaker 1LT Ashley White SRA Benjamin White SRA Benjamin White SSG Justin R. Whiting SGT Cheyenne C. Wiley SGT Adam A. Wilkinson SFC Nathan L. Winder SPC Daniel W. Winegeart SFC Benjamin Wise Capt David A. Wisniewski David A. Wisniewski Sgt William Woitowicz SGT Roy A. Wood SO2 Ronald Woodle Cpl Travis M. Woods SFC William B. Woods SO1 Jason Workman MAJ Matthew W. Worrell SPC Christopher S. Wright SGT Jeremy R. Wright Sgt Christopher M. Wrinkle MSG Anthony Yost MSG Mitchell W. Young SFC Mickey E. Zaun TSgt Daniel L. Zerbe

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