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Free-Floating Rucksack May Ease the Pounding on Operator’s Joints

Like any other rite of passage, one thing nearly all of Special Operation Forces troops share in old (er) age are issues with their joints. Back backs, knees, shoulders, necks with pain and arthritis is common from rucking under heavy weight takes its toll. SOF personnel are always carrying a ton of “light-weight” gear from Point A to Point B and beyond. But some help may be on the way.

Dr. Lawrence Rome is a biology professor at the University of Pennsylvania and expert in muscle function and biomechanics. He worked with the Office of Naval Research in an effort to reduce the load that Special Operations Forces have to bear on their frames.

He invented the HoverGlide, a free-floating rucksack with a technology he patented called Suspended Load Technology (SLT), which allows the heavy rucksack to seamlessly move up and down with respect to the person walking or running. This keeps the load at a constant height with respect to the ground. While it looks awkward as hell, it is stable, much like the gunsight on an M-1 tank and presents far less pressure on the rucker’s joints.

It is amazing on how well it works as they explain on the HoverGlide website:
While standing still, a 50 lb load in your backpack exerts 50 lbs of force (static weight). This changes when you walk or run, where the peak force exerted on you can be up to 3x the weight you are carrying. Suddenly a 50lb pack can put as much force on the body and joints as if it weighed 150 lbs. With the movement of SLT, this additional force over and above the static weight can be reduced by as much as 86%.

The Army has also been working on a similar project since 2005 and has been testing prototypes in field trials for the past four years. The Army version called the Energy Harvesting Assault Pack (EHAP) has a unique feature which is as a portable generator. Their rucksack will generate more than 3 watts of power an hour if the rucker can maintain a pace of 3 mph, which will keep a personal communication device charged. By the way, our readers will note that the 3 mph pace is below the standard that we deem as necessary for Special Operations troops.

As one can easily imagine there will be some issues in regard to moving parts which can break and the noise factor is something that must be addressed as the Army version can be noisy.

While military applications are still a work in progress, the HoverGlide is marketing three different versions, a civilian large backpack “The Trekker”, a smaller 28-30L daypack and the one that our readers will probably be most interested in, the “Tactical” rucksack.

It is a perfect size for most needs and especially in training or prepping for Selection and or the qualification courses. It is large enough to carry all of what you’d need as well as have enough pockets to store needed gear where it will be easy to get to.

30L capacity sized
Permits you to suspend up to 25 lbs (more weight can be carried but the pack must be locked)
The main compartment carries clothing layers, bivy gear, first aid, and off-trail work materials
Easy-access secondary pocket stores lunch and layers
The internal organization holds smartphones, GPS units, pens, documents, and maps secure and easy to locate
External stash pocket keeps emergency clothing layers instantly accessible
Harness and detachable padded hip belt are constructed of closed cell foam covered in a 3D breathable “air mesh” to wick water away
Internal sleeve holds a two-liter reservoir for hydration on the move
Webbing grid on back panel accepts MOLLE units to expand capacity and organize essential gear
Exceptionally durable 1000D Cordura pack material resists tears and abrasion and holds weights.
DWR (durable water repellent) finish protects contents from light rain and moisture

The HoverGlide is a very intriguing piece of equipment that could eventually help all of our Special Operators reduce the wear and tear on their bodies, which means the future operators may not have the aches and pains the rest of us FOGs have. Check out their video below on how the rucksack works.

Photo: US Army

The Mali Green Beret Murder Case is a Stain on All of SOF

The murder case of SSG Logan Melgar of the 3rd Special Forces Group (3rd SFG) is another tough scenario for the SF Group’s soldiers to bear. The unit lost four of its members in a deadly ambush in Niger and then to find out that one of its finer NCOs was murdered in US Embassy housing while stationed in Mali was worse. But worst of all was the fact that SSG Melgar wasn’t murdered by terrorists but reportedly at the hands of his fellow US Special Operations warriors from the Navy SEALs and Marine Corps Raiders. That is a stain regardless of the outcome of the court-martial on all of SOCOM that won’t soon fade.

While we’re not going to argue the merits of the case, this much is clear. Melgar shared an apartment with two members of SEAL Team Six, operators identified as Petty Officer Adam Matthews and Petty Officer Anthony DeDolph. Both SEALs admitted to breaking into Melgar’s room while he was asleep. Melgar died of asphyxiation and DeDolph has admitted to putting Melgar in a chokehold. The SEALs stories have changed several times which raised red flags which triggered a further investigation.

Last week, the military has said that they are charging the two SEALs and two Marine Raiders who are still unnamed with felony murder, conspiracy, obstruction of justice, burglary, hazing, and involuntary manslaughter in the strangulation death of Melgar in June of 2017. A preliminary hearing is set for December 10.

How this came to be is still a source of speculation but the military has obviously found enough evidence to proceed. Melgar was assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Mali as part of a six-man intelligence cell in support of counterterrorism efforts against al-Qaeda’s local affiliate, known as al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. The Daily Beast had a source with knowledge of the situation stating that Melgar was put off by the unprofessional behavior of the two members of SEAL Team Six.

The two had several lapses of operational security, bringing prostitutes to the safe house in the capital of Bamako. Worse, Melgar reportedly found evidence of the two skimming cash out of the operational fund to recruit informants about illicit Islamic activity in the area. Melgar reported his concerns to the chain of command. That had to have gotten back to the SEALs.

On the night of June 4, 2017, Melgar was invited to an Embassy party but the other four members had not. That, according to the Daily Beast was the final straw. They decided to plan an attack on him later that evening. According to the source, they planned for hours.

The SEALs went to the place where the Marines were staying for duct tape to restrain him. Shortly before 5:00 a.m. they kicked open his door, used the duct tape and then DeDolph put Melgar in a chokehold. When they saw he wasn’t breathing, they covered their tracks by doing first CPR and then a tracheotomy. They took him to a French hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Here is where the stories began to come apart. The story in the DB stated that the SEALs then began a coverup which included returning “to the safehouse, they engaged in a cover-up, according to several witnesses—including cleaning up evidence and coaching witnesses. The charge sheet accuses the members of the conspiracy with “providing a false timeline of events to the Navy chain of command,” and “purposefully” left out the duct tape when making their statements on Melgar’s death. They as well allegedly “disposed of the alcohol” they kept in the shared Army-Navy quarters and lied to investigators.”

The same sources told the DB that the SEALs filed two operational reports of the incident and this is where things began to go awry. In one report, the Navy operators said that the men were wrestling and Melgar was drunk. But Melgar didn’t drink alcohol and blood alcohol levels taken during a toxicology report showed zero in his system.

And the report that the men were just “playfully wrestling” left out that the SEALs used the duct tape to restrain him. Plus DeDolph as an MMA fighter knows the difference between when a chokehold would incapacitate another fighter or do serious harm.

This incident will have long-lasting implications. The very nature of Special Operations Forces and units like JSOC is the fact that all of the units in all of the services have to have one another’s back. And the trust factor to watch out over one another has to be supreme in SOF.

Melgar’s widow Michelle, was briefed on this case twice in the past month, first in Norfolk, Virginia and later again at Ft. Bragg, NC. While she declined to address specific aspects of the case, she uttered support for the prosecution but also feels that she doesn’t want to cause a rift between the Special Forces and SEALs and Marine Raiders.

“While I have faith that the military court will handle this situation in the best possible way, I also understand that the mission continues,” she said. “Our men must work well together, and we need to support them in doing so.”

She reiterated much the same feelings in a statement that she released to NEWSREP. “I fully support SOCOM, NCIS, and the prosecutors. It is important to me that we continue to support all of our Special Operators and their efforts to work together. The actions of these individuals is not a direct reflection on the organizations themselves. I am grateful for the continued support that SOCOM has shown me and my family throughout the investigation.

The U.S. Special Operations Command’s (SOCOM) spokesman, Navy Captain Salata said the command honored Melgar’s memory and kept his loved ones in its thoughts. He pledged unity among the U.S.’ elite forces that probably none of them are feeling right now.

“We will not allow allegations or substantiated incidents of misconduct to erode decades of honorable accomplishments by the members of U.S. Special Operations Command. Ours is a culture of professionalism and accountability, which prides itself in being a learning organization that uses critical self-examination in a relentless dedication to improvement,” Salata said.

While all of what Salata said is absolutely true, it takes only one incident such as this one to erode what decades of dedicated Special Operators have accomplished. The command has a lot of work to do in this regard. The services have their jobs cut out for them in regards to this incident. They will have to tread very carefully here. The troops will smell B.S. in a second. But they must get everyone pulling in the same direction again.

Trust is very hard to build and it can be lost in a split second. Even if these charges are proved false, the damage has been done. And the losers are everyone in the SOCOM community.

Photo of Logan Melgar and his father: US Army

A Dangerous IDF Special Forces Mission Goes Awry

Opinion: The news wasn’t good for the Israeli Defense Forces earlier this week. One of their elite Special Forces units conducting an intelligence operation in Gaza across the border was compromised. In the ensuing shootout, one senior IDF officer, a Lieutenant Colonel in their Special Forces was killed and another SF operator was “moderately wounded” and is expected to survive. He’s recovering in an Israeli hospital in the intensive care unit. During the shootout, seven Palestinians were killed although Hamas claims only six were members of their military wing.

The press immediately proclaimed that this dangerous Israeli mission was pushing the region close to all-out war. Well, as always there is plenty of that going around.

What is known about the operation so far is that the Israelis were operating in an area outside of Khan Yunis and had been conducting a long-term operation. Outside of a small farming community of Abasan, they were compromised and fired upon by Hamas security forces.

In the initial exchange of gunfire, the commander of the IDF team was killed. He was only identified officially as LTC M. But he was lauded by both the IDF and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying that the army owed him “more than we can say.”

The wounded officer, a captain in the reserves was shot in the back which exited near his groin. But he was still able to direct Israeli troops to their exfiltration point. Once they boarded helicopters, the IDF launched an airstrike destroying the vehicles they were riding in.

Hamas released a statement where they admitted that a commander of its armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, Nour Baraka, as among the seven Palestinians killed. They claimed that the operation was an assassination or kidnapping of the Hamas commander possibly by the IDF’s Duvdevan unit.

But IDF spokesman Ronen Manelis hinted that the operation was part of their long-standing intelligence-gathering missions. “It is the sort of thing that takes place every night, and in most instances remains under the media’s radar.”

“It is an operation that takes time to plan. Commanding it directly are the Head of Intelligence and the Chief of General Staff. We are talking about an operation that was well planned right down to the smallest of details,” Manelis said.

This sounds more like a Sayeret Matkal operation. Sayeret Matkal is also known in the IDF as Unit 269 is the principal Sayeret or reconnaissance unit in the IDF. They are used to obtain strategic intelligence behind enemy lines and to perform hostage-rescue missions on foreign soil. They report directly Military Intelligence Directorate.

The Israelis didn’t need a long mission with people on the ground to assassinate a Hamas commander. There were numerous ways it could have been conducted that wouldn’t have been so overt. Especially with the Prime Minister trying to make concerted efforts to ease the suffering of the people there.

However, the mainstream media has made little mention of the Hamas response, which was to launch over 370 rockets at Israel from launch sites inside of Gaza. Apparently, that was considered a justifiable response. One Israeli civilian was killed and 10 others wounded. The Israelis then unleashed air strikes on the missile sites and also took out the Hamas owned and operated Al-Aqsa television station. The Israelis claim that the station is nothing more than a propaganda wing of Hamas.

Hamas tried to deflect the blame on Israel saying it wanted a truce and the prospects of peace was in Israel’s hands, which played well to the international press. But another issue that it failed to mention was that Islamic Jihad, two weeks ago, launched over 30 rockets at Israel, supposedly on the orders of the Iranian regime.

Hamas has been not been popular among the Palestinians lately, however this latest episode instead of furthering their stature among the Palestinians has re-elevated them to the status of heroes again.

To the Israelis, and the Netanyahu government, this is not coming at a good time. With tensions rising in Lebanon with Hezbollah, where the IDF is supposedly is planning operations, they don’t need another conflict on their border. But they also no that there is little hope for true peace with the regime. “There is no diplomatic solution to Gaza,” he said.

“You can’t have a political resolution with people who are committed to your destruction,” he said.

The operation, which went awry, is a testament to how dangerous these missions can be. The Israelis continuously conduct these, which are quite risky, but where they gain their intelligence on what is happening outside of their borders. Their operators, dress in Arab clothes, speak fluent Arabic and take incredible risks.

But it is also one of the reasons why they have the best intelligence in the region by far.

Photo: Wikipedia

On This Day, Green Berets Insert Into Afghanistan, Link-up With Hamid Karzai

During October and early November of 2001, the United States was hitting back hard at the Taliban in the early days of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. In the aftermath of 9/11, the Taliban had no idea of what was soon to engulf them.

US and coalition airstrikes pounded Taliban positions. Two US Green Beret teams (ODA-595, ODA-555 The “Horse Soldiers, with Air Force Combat Controllers) inserted into the country with the help of CIA Special Activities Division and linked up with Northern Alliance (anti-Taliban) fighters. In the south, Navy SEALs and in the northwest British SAS were setting up and conducting special operations. Army Rangers jumped in via parachute and seized a key airfield in Kandahar. More SF A-Teams were inserted and one by one, the key cities in Afghanistan fell to the U.S. and Northern Alliance soldiers.

ODA-574 Brings in the Future President:

On November 14, the U.S. inserted ODA-574, another Special Forces A-Team into Afghanistan. It was commanded by CPT Jason Amerine and CWO Bob Pennington and inserted into Uruzgan Province on 4 MH-60K helicopters with Hamid Karzai and a small band of guerrillas loyal to him.

As the force of US and Afghan fighters closed on the town of Tarin Kowt, with about 10,000 people, the local inhabitants revolted against the Taliban controlling the area and expelled them. As Karzai met with the village elders, the Taliban decided to strike back at the village and take it back. They approached the town with 500 fighters.

Karzai a Pashtun, lobbied the U.S. that many Pashtun were allies with the Taliban only out of a sense of survival. He went into Afghanistan prior to the American insertion to round up guerrilla fighters. Another Pashtun leader, Abdul Haq was captured and killed by the Taliban and Karzai escaped into Pakistan with a few followers.

Karzai met with the Green Berets prior to the insertion and the Pashtun leader brought the team up to date on the intelligence in the area.

“Our mission was to infiltrate the Oruzgan province, link up with Hamid Karzai and his Pashtun fighters, and advise and assist his forces in order to destabilize and eliminate the Taliban regime there. More importantly, we were there to ensure that al Qaeda couldn’t operate in Afghanistan anymore,” Amerine remembered after the battle.

Battle of Tarin Kowt:

The combined coalition force was hugely outnumbered by more than 5-1. But the Air Force combat controller attached to ODA-574, Tech Sgt Alex Yoshimoto was a force multiplier and the ODA’s lifeline to the combat aircraft of the coalition in the skies overhead. Amerine correctly deduced that the Taliban’s forces would attack thru the Tarin Kowt Pass. He set up his small team of SF troops and the ragtag untrained guerrillas who didn’t speak English on the plateau overlooking the wide valley below.

Yoshimoto had three F-18 Hornets above them to provide cover, as the first bomb dropped into the valley on the Taliban, the untrained guerrillas with the Americans panicked. Not realizing what was happening, they raced to the trucks and fled back to Tarin Kowt.

The Americans were forced to do the same. Nevertheless, Yoshimoto once again leaped into action. After alerting the aircraft of the tactical situation on the ground, he organized the defense thru the air of the town.

The Taliban split into three groups, Yoshimoto decided to take out the one in the middle first. It was the largest of the three. As Air Force bombers took a toll on the approaching Taliban, they smashed the attacking force.

Only one small group of Taliban managed to reach the rear entrance of the town but they were quickly repulsed and bombed on their retreat. In the end, more than 30 vehicles and over 300 Taliban were killed.

The word quickly spread and one-by-one the towns began switching their allegiance over to Karzai. The Americans now had a Southern Alliance to go along with the Northern Alliance.

Tragedy at the “Alamo” in Shawali Kowt:

As the force moved on Kandahar, they attacked the town of Shawali Kowt on December 2. The Taliban counter-attacked with over 100 fighters. Most of the guerrillas bolted and retreated back. The ODA with just 25 guerrillas who stuck it out, retreated to a hill that was surrounded that the Green Berets dubbed the Alamo.

They called in AC-130 gunship runs to pound the Taliban assembly areas. For the next two days, they called in numerous airstrikes and pounded any attempts to take their position. Then a disaster occurred.

An Air Force bomber dropped a joint direct attack munition (JDAM) that landed on the team. MSG Jefferson Davis, the team sergeant for ODA-574and SSG Cody Prosser were killed instantly. SFC Daniel Petithory was seriously injured. Worse, the team called for an immediate medevac to get Petithory to the Marine base at Camp Rhino where then-BG Jim Mattis commanded 1000 Marines 45 minutes away.

Mattis refused to send a medevac because, at the time, he was unsure on whether the bomb was a US miss-dropped weapon or one from the Taliban. Petithory died later that day from his injuries. Five ODA members and Karzai were also wounded, while 20 of Karzai’s men were also killed. It was a bitter memory for the SF troops towards the future Secretary of Defense.

Within five minutes of the accidental bombing, Karzai was notified via radio that he had been chosen to lead the new interim Afghan government. Hours later, with the Southern Alliance troops with the Americans poised outside of Kandahar, the Taliban leader, Mohammed Omar slipped away in the early morning hours of December 6. The so-called “spiritual home” of the Taliban was in the hands of the Green Berets and Karzai. Just four days later Karzai was sworn in as the Interim Prime Minister.

ODA-574 was awarded three Silver Stars, four Bronze Star Medals for Valor, three Bronze Star Medals, and eleven Purple Hearts during their combat deployment.

Then the US, just as Congressman Charlie Wilson had proclaimed after the Russians were kicked out of Afghanistan a decade before “fucked up the end game.” With the speed at which the Special Operations troops took the country, no one in the US government or the military bothered to plan on what to do after the Taliban was out.

The Special Forces troops were quickly shooshed out of the country, and replaced by the “Big Army” units. But none of the brigades sent into Afghanistan had any experience of working with the Afghan people and leaders. It was…and is a clusterfuck.

According to Amerine, interviewed just a few years ago, the troops coming in didn’t have the experience of working hand-in-hand with the Afghan leaders. “All of that was forgotten and kind of left behind, and that was kind of the tragedy of what followed,” Amerine said. “When big Army came in, 5th SF Group picked up and went to Iraq. All of our relationships were lost. They had to reinvent the wheel.”

But a handful of Special Operations forces showed how valuable unconventional warfare methods are…when placed in the right hands. The years of hard training and working elsewhere by, with and thru local forces had paid off in spades.

“There is another type of warfare, new in its intensity, ancient
in its origin, war by guerrillas, subversives, insurgents,
assassins; war by ambush instead of by combat, by infiltration
instead of aggression, seeking victory by eroding and
exhausting the enemy instead of engaging him. It preys on
unrest.”
– President John F. Kennedy

Photo: Special Forces ODA-574 with Hamid Karzai (US Army)

Both Sides Got it Right, The SNL Apology Was Well Done

Former Navy SEAL Crenshaw And Davidson Take High Road

By now as everyone is well aware, last week on NBC’s Saturday Night Live, one of the actors during the “Weekend Update” portion of the show, made a particularly tasteless joke at the expense of Congressman-elect Pete Crenshaw.

Crenshaw a former Navy SEAL lost an eye in combat and was shown in a campaign photo as he was running for office. Davidson poked fun at his appearance with an eye patch in the skit, and said that “viewers might be surprised he’s not a hitman in a porno movie.”

As is poking fun at a man’s appearance because he suffered war wounds wasn’t enough, Davidson then mentioned that he was a war veteran and finished with a dismissive …”whatever”. The outcry, especially from the veteran community was huge and the weekend before Veterans Day was especially bad timing. SNL producer Lorne Michaels is famous for saying that they don’t apologize for their jokes but they have in the past and did again.

Because the outrage wasn’t just confined to the Republicans…which Crenshaw is from the state of Texas. Crenshaw stated that he didn’t think that SNL didn’t need to apologize but made a video where he removed his eyepatch and showed a glass eye with a Navy SEAL Trident, stating that the terrorists can’t take this from me. And the perception for him and wrongdoing did to him grew.

SNL stepped over the line…way over the line and rather than sweep it under the rug or issue some-kind of inane apology where they double down on the bad joke, (which has been done before), they did it right.

The show opened with Davidson, apologizing while poking fun at himself.

“In what must be a huge shock for people who know me, I made a poor choice last week,” Davidson said. “I made a joke about Lt. Com. Dan Crenshaw and on behalf of myself and the show, I apologize… I mean this from the bottom of my heart, it was a poor choice of words. The man is a war hero and he deserves all the respect in the world. ”

Davidson added, “If any good came of this, maybe… it was for one day, the left and the right finally came together to agree on something: That I’m a dick.”

From off-camera, a voice was heard to say…”Ya think?” It was Crenshaw, who was invited on the show and in typical SNL fashion, he had to slam Davidson including his appearance very similar to what Davidson did to Crenshaw on the episode the week before. “This is Pete Davidson,” Crenshaw said of the blue-haired Davidson. “He looks like if the meth from Breaking Bad was a person.”

Davidson then again apologized for his jokes the week before, which Crenshaw shot back, “Thanks for making a Republican look good. And SNL added a touch of irony as they played what was supposed to be Crenshaw’s cellphone ringtone, which was an Ariana Grande song, “Breathin,’” in a slam at Davidson’s high-profile breakup with the singer. “Do you know her?”, Crenshaw cracked.

Crenshaw closed out his appearance with a heartfelt speech about remembering both military heroes and those who died on September 11th – like Davidson’s firefighter father – on Veteran’s Day today.

“There’s a lot of lessons to learn here. Not just that the left and right can agree on some things, but also this: Americans can forgive one another,” Crenshaw said. “We can remember what brings us together as a country and still see the good in each other.”

Crenshaw stated that it was Veterans Day weekend and encouraged people to say “never forget” to veterans, in lieu of “thank you for your service.”

“When you say ‘never forget’ to a veteran, you’re implying that as an American, you are in it with them,” Crenshaw said. “Not separated by some imaginary barrier between civilians and veterans, but connected together as grateful, fellow Americans. We’ll never forget the sacrifices made by veterans past and present, and never forget those we lost on 9/11 — heroes like Pete’s father,” Scott Davidson, a New York firefighter who died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

“So I’ll just say, Pete, never forget,” with that the two shook hands and Davidson could be heard whispering in Crenshaw’s ear, that he was a good man.

So, the aftermath of the entire episode was that both parties got it right. SNL and Davidson realized they made a huge mistake, and they owned it and made the attempt to extend an olive branch. Crenshaw could have reacted much differently to the entire episode but he didn’t. He took the high road and perhaps this is just a very small beginning on bringing this country back together.

On Monday morning, Crenshaw appeared on the “Today” show and spoke about how he was at first hesitant but decided to appear and how it all came to be.

“But in the end we decided to do it because what better platform to give a united platform for the country, talk about forgiveness and talk about veterans? And they let me do that last part, and we got a little serious and I was able to give the message about what I think it means to connect with veterans and how to bridge that gap between civilians and military.”

Comics and shows like SNL always are pushing boundaries. Sometimes they’re going to cross them. But recognizing that and acting the way both parties in this did is encouraging. Crenshaw was right, we have to have the ability to forgive one another as well as listen to each other when we do.

This country is as divided as we’ve ever been lately. Neither side of the aisle has a monopoly on the good or the bad. Crenshaw’s message is let’s remember what made this country great and get back to doing those things…together.

Photo/Video: Saturday Night Live

Remember Our Veterans Every Day and Not Just Once a Year

Opinion: This has been a busy week in our neck of the woods. We’ve been quite occupied as our town has been preparing for Veterans Day and I can proudly say that our bucolic little burg in the Northeast has never been one to just pay lip service to days like Veterans Day and Memorial Day. They have always put a lot of thought and effort into these events which veterans and citizens can interact.

Our local Veterans Council, the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), visited several of the area schools where students, teachers, and veterans interacted both in classrooms and in an assembly. We also visited a local nursing home we spent time with about 20-25 veterans who are getting services there and to also let them know they haven’t been forgotten.

On Saturday morning, the residents of a new development had the Town’s veterans in their community center for a great breakfast where the people donated their time and volunteered to cook for the vets and the community. It is a trend that they started a year ago and helps bring all of us together. A nice touch was around the flagpole in front of the community center was 100 small flags to signify the 100 years since the end of the fighting in World War I.

But the purpose here isn’t to remark on the way the area treats our vets and veterans organizations, which is superb. But the way our unseen and little talked about veterans, the ones who have chronic health problems, substance abuse issues or possibly all three and are on the streets homeless. We can do better by those men and women. Much better.

We all know and are aware of the problems some Veteran Administration Centers and hospitals have had. Several have been awful, while the vast majority have been doing well by our vets. This isn’t an indictment on them…far from it. Nobody foresaw a war lasting as long as the Global War on Terror has. It has stretched on longer than any conflict in our history and still has no end in sight. Some of the young men and women who signed up immediately after 9/11 are within three years of retirement if they remained in the service.

Our veterans have always been there for our country and answered the call when she beckoned. And the country owes them the same loyalty when both the visible and invisible scars of war take their inevitable toll on both the body and mind. Our veterans who served their country faithfully deserve to be treated with the same loyalty that they’ve shown the country when answering its call. In both the VA and civilian healthcare sectors. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

Too often, we read about veterans being turned away or forced to wait for months to receive care for the wounds they’ve suffered. That is completely unacceptable. The suicide rate for veterans is vastly above the national average. And many of the veteran community will say that they feel the country wishes they’d just fade away than acknowledge that a problem exists or that they are a burden to the American taxpayers. That’s an indictment on us as a country.

We’re constantly reminded how the cost of freedom never goes away but is continually being paid for in the blood of our troops. Just last week, a member of my old unit, the 7th Special Forces Group, 7th SFG(A), lost a soldier in a training accident. Specialist Nicholas C. Jividen, who was assigned to the group’s 3rd Battalion Headquarters and Support Company, died at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California. Meanwhile, the fighting goes on and on in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and countless other places.

Today and all week, everywhere we go, especially in our little hometown, we hear the familiar and very appreciated, by the way, words, “Thank you for your service.” There is always a sense of pride, of their unit and belonging to something bigger than themselves that will always mark our veterans. They also know that they have done their part in keeping America free. Many who have traveled extensively have seen how the rest of the world lives and what a blessing it is to live in the United States where we all take so much for granted.

But in reality, we need to remember all of the country’s veterans. And not just thanking them for faithful service, but by repaying that loyalty, which is a two-way street in taking care of their legitimate health care needs.

As we celebrate the 100-year end of the “War to end all wars” today, it is the veteran who knows that no such thing exists. There will always be “the next one” and they are at the point of the spear representing America’s interest. We also honor all of the vets today, both the young and the old who have responded to the needs of the many.

In a country that supposedly prides itself on valuing our veteran community, don’t we all owe it to them to give them the best available health coverage? So while we truly appreciate the “Thanks for your service” wishes today, let us not forget the ones who need help the most. They’ve answered the call and deserve our respect.

When there are no more homeless veterans and waiting lists for months in advance at the VA, then we can truly say, we thank American veterans for their service. They deserve nothing less.

Photo: Wikipedia

World War I, “The War to End All Wars” Centennial

At the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the Armistice to end World War I was to take effect. It ended the bloodbath which consumed Europe from 1914 until November 11, 1918. Nearly 20,000,000 people were dead including 9-11,000,000 troops and a like number of civilians. Another 20,000,000 were wounded.

The United States got involved in the fighting late in the war, in 1917, but by war’s end, had put nearly 5,000,000 men and women under arms. Americans would suffer over 300,000 casualties. Called “doughboys” because the British and French troops considered them Ill-trained and ill-equipped, they had by war’s end did a large share of the fighting that caused the Germans to seek terms.

When the Germans signed the terms of surrender in a train car in France, the had to leave all their conquered territories in Western Europe within two weeks and surrender 5,000 guns, 25,000 machine guns, and 1,700 planes.

With the news of armistice, there were huge celebrations in London to celebrate the end of the war. However, once the initial stage of euphoria wore off, the news was met with a mainly melancholy expression. The huge cost in terms of the young generation was felt by all countries. It was a Pyrrhic victory that nearly destroyed an entire era of Europe’s young.

Unfortunately, the harsh lessons of the “Great War” as it was also called weren’t paid proper heed to and just 21 years later Europe and the entire world was thrust into an even bigger and bloodier conflict.

However, in 1918, the war in Germany had not gone well. They tried to take Paris in a series of offensives in 1918 to try to force the issue, but all of their attacks were rebuffed. In October, General Erich Ludendorff told the government that he couldn’t even guarantee that the front would hold another two hours. The German General Staff believed the situation was hopeless.

Germans Revolt Against the Kaiser:

On the night of October 29-30th, German sailors revolted in the port of Wilhelmshaven quickly spread across the entire country and in just a little more than a week’s time, had led to a proclamation of a republic (Weimar Republic) on November 9.

Kaiser Wilhelm II then abdicated and fled to Holland. Friedrich Ebert, a Social Democrat became the Chancellor. A German peace delegation arrived at the front line in five cars and was escorted thru the bombed-out, devastated areas of Northern France for 10 hours. They were taken to a secret destination where they boarded General Ferdinand Foch’s personal train in the forest of Compiègne. Foch did not, however, take part in any of the negotiations. He appeared when the Germans arrived and then did not appear again until the signing of the documents.

The German negotiators heard about the Kaiser’s abdication while in the train car and were instructed by their superiors in Berlin, with the new government to sign the Armistice. They did this at 5:30 a.m. on November 11. The Germans asked for an immediate cease-fire to prevent the useless and wasteful loss of life of the common soldiers. Foch denied this request, insisting on the 11th hour, of the 11th day of the 11th month as the official cease-fire and the end of hostilities.

As a result of Foch’s insistence, there were nearly 11,000 casualties, with 2738 killed on that day during those fateful hours waiting for the Armistice to take effect.

The date, November 11th is recognized by many countries and is known as Remembrance Day, Armistice Day, Veterans Day and Independence Day. But rather than build grandiose memorials of glory and triumph, the 5000 or so memorials that were built in Britain, revealed the horrible sacrifice paid by the ordinary soldiers of the military. There were to remind future generations of the heavy price and burden paid by the troops.

Events Held in Europe on the Centennial:

In Britain, there are numerous events being planned. The biggest one is to be the National Service of Remembrance in Whitehall, central London, at the Cenotaph paying respect to the men and women of Britain and the Commonwealth who served in the World Wars I & II and in subsequent conflicts. The Royal Family will be in attendance.

After the ceremonies, there will be a poppy wreath-laying ceremony and the sounding of “The Last Post” by a Royal Marines bugler.

In France, both French President Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will preside over a ceremony in Compiègne, at the clearing where the signing of the Armistice too place, said to be “defined by the simplicity of a moment of silent reflection and of tribute”.

President Macron will then give a speech at the Arc de Triomphe, in Paris at exactly 11 a.m. which will be attended by more than 120 foreign dignitaries representing the countries involved in the First World War.

Photos: Wikipedia

Rucking For a Cause on Veterans Day

Yesterday in a post we spoke about giving back to our people and community by getting involved in many of our Veterans Day events locally. Here is a way everyone regardless of whether they served or not can give to some great and needy veterans organizations. While searching for local events on Veterans Day, I came across several events across the nation where veterans and citizens are combining rucking and fundraising.

The will not only help out for vet causes but will also play into our Selection prep work which will serve our readers who are aspiring to become members of the best fraternity in the world, our Special Operations Forces.

As we’ve stated here many times, rucking is the basis for virtually all of the missions that you’ll be tasked with accomplishing in the Special Operations community. It is an activity that we push here in both our preparation workouts and while conducting any other kind of training like Land Navigation as it can, and will be easily incorporated with. It is also one of the harder parts of the various Selection courses as well as the Qualification courses.

It is great to see so many people, civilians, as well as veterans, take to rucking. It is becoming increasingly popular with the masses as they like to challenge themselves in different ways, more and more outside of the gym and this is different and a challenge.

Here are just a few that jumped off the screen where you can combine rucking for preparation as well as donating to a veteran cause this weekend.

The guys at GORUCK have Veterans Day events all over the country, including two here in Massachusetts. You can check out their webpage for events near yourself.

Veterans Overcoming Obstacles Veterans Day Ruck will take place in Pueblo, CO. on Sunday, November 11. They are conducting a 10-mile weighted ruck, a ½ mile walk, and a 5K Walk Run. All proceeds raised will go to the non-profit organization Veterans Overcoming Obstacles to help aid in their fight to battle Veteran substance abuse and PTSD related suicide.

Carry the Fallen- Ruck March: Teams ruck-march for 3, 6, 12 or 22 hours while carrying a weight that symbolizes the burden that many veterans carry post-war or post-trauma. The ultimate purpose of “Carry The Fallen” is to reduce veteran suicide and assist Military Families.

BICENTENNIAL VETERANS DAY 5K RUN/RUCK: Takes place in Bloomington, Indiana this weekend. The Ruck challenge will be completed as a group, with obstacles and challenges placed throughout the trail. The ruck will be led by local members of various branches of the military.

The run and ruck are for adults ages 18 yrs. and up, but there are family-friendly games and entertainment at RCA Community Park throughout the event. Bloomington-area veterans services will be on site to connect with military members and their families.

Hope for the Warriors: Is a ruck march that will take place at Southern
Illinois University Carbondale. They are conducting a 24-mile ruck march from the Murphysboro, Illinois VFW to the Marion Illinois VFW in attempt to raise money for the
Student Veterans Organization.

This money will be used for small emergency needs such as electric bills, social events, and assistance for students to attend the 2014 Student Veterans of America National Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Saluki Veterans Organization will be assisting the organizers and participants during the ruck march. Another organization called Team Red, White, & Blue will also be in attendance and assisting.

United War Veterans Council 2018 Honor Ruck: will be conducting a walk/ruck (at the participant’s discretion) in New York City and visiting several memorials, including East Coast (WWII), Korean War, Vietnam War, America’s Response and end at the 9/11 Memorial, where there will be a short closing ceremony. As part of the 9/11 Memorial’s Salute to Service, participants in the ruck will receive complimentary admission to the 9/11 Memorial Museum during the next available timeslot.

Ruck and Food Drive will be conducted at the University of Washington campus by the Student Veteran Life organization. The participants will be rucking canned food from one location to another and they are turning it into an adventure.

It’s like a ruck march and scavenger hunt combined for an awesome race. The prize goes to the person who can cross the finish line with the most food for donation.

Annual Veteran’s Day Family Fun Run and 10K Ruck Challenge are to be held in Birmingham, Alabama where all of the proceeds from the Fun Run and Team Ruck Challenge are distributed to local charities that support veterans, as chosen by the winning teams.

Team Ruck participants are required to individually complete the 5k/10k course carrying a set amount of weight in a military rucksack (a ‘ruck”), a commercial backpack or a weighted vest. Participants are required to provide their own ruck & weights.

Veterans Day 10K Ruck/Walk & Run is being conducted in S.Hamilton, AL where the proceeds will go to Team RWB that helps veterans. Ruck participants will be required to carry 55lbs dry for males and 35lbs dry for females. Dry weight means ruck without water, electrolytes or snacks. Rucks will be weighed prior to and after ruck challenge to verify weight.

There will be race day event activities to include: Live music, Vendor booths, Food, a Rock Climbing wall, a Gladiator pit, and other family activities. More information can be gleaned from their website.

In this day and age, we have to put forth the disclaimer that we don’t personally vouch for the validity of any of the organizations involved but they all appear to be first class organizations at first glance but you know how that is today.

But this is a great way to get out and get your rucking in over the Veterans Day weekend while promoting some great causes and having fun with your friends, workout partners, family, and pets even.

As I pointed out in yesterday’s column, we’ll be visiting our area schools and old age homes on Thursday and Friday and we have a Veterans Breakfast at the community center for one of the new developments in town. So, to keep in the spirit of the weekend’s events, I’ll volunteer to do a 12-miler on my own, since I didn’t register for any events. And I’ll donate some money to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, which supports SOF warriors and their families from all of the services.

I hope to see you all out on the rucking trail this weekend.

Don’t be Light, Don’t be Late, and Don’t be out of uniform. DOL.

Photo: US Army/Author

Giving Back on Veterans Day, Why it is So Important

As we get ready to recognize Veterans Day this year, it always is a very busy time for us in my little hometown in Massachusetts. The small bucolic town of Millbury has a rich tradition of military history and the town’s schools put a lot of thought and preparation for their programs during both Veterans Day and Memorial Day in the spring where veterans are invited guests and take an active role in the events there.

Our little town was the home of Peter Willard of the American Revolution. Willard was a free African-American and was part of the militia that fought at Lexington and Concord. Therefore, he’s probably the first African-American soldier in our history. He’s buried in our West Millbury Cemetery. His portrait hung in our town hall for many years until a fire destroyed the building completely in 1971.

Millbury was once home of the Asa Waters Amory, one of six at that time in the United States, where Waters, a gunsmith, produced arms for the U.S. Army from 1808 until the Civil War.

As the Commander of our Local Veterans Council, we coordinate with the town and schools for veterans that belong to the local chapters of the American Legion and the VFW and our council to help make the programs a success.

Most of our vets on the council are aging. Many are from World War II, and we’ve lost two just since September, Korea, and Vietnam eras. Very few veterans from the modern era are getting involved. Which is a shame because not only are the children from the town not hearing their stories and experiences, but they are walling themselves off from helping the young understand not only the daily sacrifices that a military life entails but what is going on in the far-flung corners of Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and 100 other places that most adults don’t understand let alone children.

Many have done their time, and are content with stepping back into their lives and don’t want to get involved. I get that, I was the same way when I got out. But then I met Joe Bianculli. Joe was a WWII/Korean War NCO who developed an eye disease later in life that robbed him of his eyesight, but he was far from blind. Joe heard more than the rest of the town ever saw and was involved in local politics, veterans’ affairs and everything else under the sun.

He wanted to more than anything else to be a paratrooper. He lied about his age to get into WWII to join the airborne. But the Army didn’t need them at the time, so he was an infantryman on occupation duty as he didn’t make it in time. He re-enlisted for airborne but Korea kicked off and his orders were diverted and he ended up as an infantryman fighting in Korea. He found out I was a veteran when I moved into town and he came to my house to tell me when the Veterans’ Council next meeting was. No invitation needed, be there and on time…

Joe was a character and I miss him terribly. Although blind, he marched every year in the Memorial Day Parade. He would place flags in the spring on the veterans’ graves in the cemetery with the help of his wife. I went to his house one fall afternoon to find him on his roof, cleaning the leaves out of his gutters. I stopped and stared, not saying a word. He said, “I can tell by the look on your face you think I’m crazy.”

So I went and got involved and two or three years later, Joe nominates me to be the next commander for the Vets council. At the time I remember thinking “what the heck just happened and how did I get myself into this.” But several years later, I am glad I did.

As I mentioned above, before going off on another tangent, (sign of old age), our town puts a lot of thought and preparation into their programs. And it involves a lot of interaction between the veterans and the students. And the reaction that we get from our educators and principals is that the kids get so much more out of these type of programs than the old standard ones.

At one of our elementary schools, the veterans are split up and sent to each of the classrooms where each will just a very brief bio on their military service and then the kids who have spent time researching different subjects will ask questions. And the way the educators split us up, you may have a veteran from World War II or Korea with a younger guy from the modern era. Their experiences are pretty different and make it much more interesting when it came to question and answer time. All of them were well thought out and a few were hilarious.

One kid said to me that his dad fought in the first Gulf War before he was born. He asked his dad about his war service and he won’t say much about it. He asked his dad if he was afraid there. He then told me, “my dad said he was more afraid of eating MREs than the enemy. He calls them ‘Meals rejected by Ethiopia’. Is this true or is he pulling my leg?”

One young man would tell me every year, that as soon as he graduated, he was enlisting to try to be an Army Ranger. He said it for four straight years. He graduated this spring and is currently at Ft. Benning finishing up his infantry training before awaiting to go to RASP.

Our high school does much the same thing where the vets will go to the Media Center and the students and vets have a question and answer session. Both sides get a lot of out of these school visits. We look forward to these every year as do the students.

We all give back because on Veterans Day is the time to recognize everyone who served regardless of their MOS, service or duty station. Everyone’s story is important and it is vitally important to our young people to recognize and realize how important everyone’s sacrifices are.

If you haven’t gotten involved with your local veterans group when they plan for Veterans and Memorial Day events, you really should. With so many families continuing on with military tradition, too many of our young people don’t understand what it entails to be an active service military member. And these people will someday be voting or serving in our governments that will determine your veterans benefits.

Photo: Millbury-Sutton Chronicle

On This Day in 1891, the Only Survivor of Custer’s Last Stand Died

On June 25, 1876, LTC George Armstrong Custer led the U.S. 7th Cavalry into an action against a vastly superior force of Native American tribes consisting of combined forces of the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes at the Little Big Horn in the Montana Territory. Custer’s Cavalry consisted of 12 companies with 45 officers and 718 enlisted men.

Custer vastly underestimated the strength of the Native American tribes and his immediate thoughts were on how to stop them from fleeing. He split his command into three columns and he took five companies to attack the Indian village, completely unaware that his 212 men were facing thousands of battle-hardened Native American warriors.

The Native Americans were given the land as a reservation after signing a treaty with the United States. But gold was found in the Black Hills and the government, with no true legal standing was going to take it by force. The Indian tribes weren’t going to go quietly.

It was a slaughter. In less than 30 minutes, his entire command of the five companies was wiped out. Among the dead were his two brothers, a nephew and dozens of horses. After Custer and his men were killed the Indian warriors attacked the other two split units where hard fighting between the two sides raged until the Cavalrymen got reinforcements and the Indians withdrew.

There was, however, one survivor, from the carnage of the “Last Stand”. Comanche, the horse of Captain Myles Keough, who was killed along with Custer, survived the battle with no less than seven bullet wounds. Although it is believed that many other horses survived the battle including a yellow bulldog, the Native American warriors took them for their own use and perhaps believed that Comanche would perish due to the wounds he suffered during the battle.

Comanche was found by U.S.troops on the battlefield and transported back to Fort Abraham Lincoln in the Dakota Territory where he was treated for his wounds and nursed back to health.

Comanche was officially retired from the United States Army and active service in April of 1878. During his retirement ceremony, the unit generated special orders for him.

Headquarters Seventh United States Cavalry, Ft A. Lincoln, D. T., April 10th, 1878. General Orders No. 7.

(1.) The horse known as ‘Comanche,’ being the only living representative of the bloody tragedy of the Little Big Horn, June 25th, 1876, his kind treatment and comfort shall be a matter of special pride and solicitude on the part of every member of the Seventh Cavalry to the end that his life be preserved to the utmost limit. Wounded and scarred as he is, his very existence speaks in terms more eloquent than words, of the desperate struggle against overwhelming numbers of the hopeless conflict and the heroic manner in which all went down on that fatal day.

(2.) The commanding officer of Company I will see that a special and comfortable stable is fitted up for him, and he will not be ridden by any person whatsoever, under any circumstances, nor will he be put to any kind of work.

(3.) Hereafter, upon all occasions of ceremony of mounted regimental formation, ‘Comanche,’ saddled, bridled, and draped in mourning, and led by a mounted trooper of Company I, will be paraded with the regiment.

By command of Col. Sturgis, E. A. Garlington, First Lieutenant and Adjutant, Seventh Cavalry.”

Comanche was then bestowed with the honorary title of “second-in-command” of the 7th Cavalry, and he lived out the rest of his days as the unit’s mascot. He reportedly developed a taste for beer like any good trooper. His keeper and farrier wrote this about him:

Comanche was a veteran, 21 years old, and had been with the 7th Cavalry since its Organization in ’66…. He was found by Sergeant [Milton J.] DeLacey [Co. I] in a ravine where he had crawled, there to die and feed the Crows. He was raised up and tenderly cared for. His wounds were serious, but not necessarily fatal if properly looked after…He carries seven scars from as many bullet wounds. There are four back of the foreshoulder, one through a hoof, and one on either hind leg. On the Custer battlefield (actually Fort Abraham Lincoln) three of the balls were extracted from his body and the last one was not taken out until April ’77…Comanche is not a great horse, physically talking; he is of medium size, neatly put up, but quite noble looking. He is very gentle. His color is ‘claybank’ He would make a handsome carriage horse…

Comanche lived a full life until 1891 when he passed away from colic. He was believed to be about 29 years old. He was given a funeral with full military honors. He is one of only four horses in the United States to be granted that honor. The others being Sgt Reckless who fought with the Marines in Korea, Chief, from Ft. Riley, KS and the Army’s last horse-mounted cavalry regiment and Black Jack. Black Jack was a member of the 3rd U.S. Infantry (The Old Guard). He took part in thousands of funerals for veterans and dignitaries in Arlington National Cemetery. Black Jack was always the riderless horse, with boots turned backward in the stirrups to signify a fallen leader. Black Jack took part in the funerals for JFK, Herbert Hoover, Lyndon Johnson, and Douglas MacArthur among others.

But Comanche wasn’t buried. He was brought to the University of Kansas to be stuffed by a taxidermist. He now resides permanently there in the Natural History Museum.

So in essence, Comanche is indeed, the sole survivor of Custer’s Last Stand. Everyone else is long gone and buried. But he still stands in the museum in Kansas, a reminder of a sorry part of our history for our nation.

Photos: US Archives