SOF

Turkey Urges US to “Stop Shifting Terrorists to Afrin”

Turkey with their offensive against Syrian Kurdish YPG fighters in full-swing has stated that they expect the United States to stop “shifting terrorists” from Manbij to Afrin, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters at the presidential complex in the capital, Ankara, Kalin said: “It is particularly expected [by Turkey] that the US must certainly step in and halt the shifting of YPG/PYD forces, which move under its control, in Manbij to Afrin. This is our natural right.
“With this regard, we [Turkey] took the necessary steps via official channels, and we will continue to take [such steps].”
On January 20, Turkey launched a military operation against the YPG militia from Afrin.
Turkey sees the YPG – trained, armed and supported by the US to fight against ISIL – as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
The US has about 2,000 soldiers based in Manbij – 100 kilometres east of Afrin – and, in January, it announced that it will train about 15,000 fighters to be part of a 30,000-strong border force in the region.
As part of its ongoing operation, Turkey said it will eventually launch a military operation against the YPG in Manbij, also.
According to the Turkish General Staff, the operation aims to establish security and stability along the Turkey-Syria borders.

The Turkish offensive in Afrin and the U.S. continued support for the Kurds has been a sticking point between Ankara and Washington as the tensions have rising in the past few years. Thus far, neither side has come into contact with one another in Syria, but the offensive by the Turkish military shows no sign of stopping and it is a matter of time before US forces are facing threats from all sides.

To read the entire article from Al Jazeera, click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 15, Day 6

Back to the gym this Friday morning. It is Chest and Triceps day and then a 5-mile run. Remember to stretch well before and after and to stay hydrated. Mark your progress down in your workout log book.

Training:

More Preparation for the UBRR:

3 x 12 Bench Press

3 x 10 Dumbbell Flies

3 x 10 Dumbbell Incline Press

3 x 20 Pushups (alternate sets with wide, narrow and shoulder width)

3 x 10 ‘V’ Ups

3 x 20 Sit Ups

3 x 20 Cable Push Downs (rope)

3 x 20 Dips or until muscle failure

5-mile run (40 minutes maximum)

Stretch well after completion

March 8, 1917, The “February” Revolution, Marks the End of the Tsar

Russia, which had been battling decades of problems with an archaic social, economic and political structure with a monarch as its head, was ripe for revolution in early 1917. Starving peasants, an unpopular and a very costly war against the Germans finally was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Tensions had been rising in Russia for decades, but early in the 1900s, there had been a humiliating military defeat at the hands of Japan, a mutiny on the battleship Potemkin, and the awful firing on peaceful crowds by soldiers on Bloody Sunday had turned the people against Tsar Nicholas II.

So when the food riots in Petrograd, (modern day St. Petersburg) began, it set forth a chain of events that would initially lead to the tsar’s ouster and eventually set the table for the Bolsheviks under Vladimir Lenin to take over Russia. The country would then become the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). But before that, the riots in Petrograd would encompass 90,000 people, many clamoring for bread and over 1300 Russians would be killed in the violence.

Tsar Out of Touch: The Russian monarchy like many of the dynastic rulers of the early 20th century were incompatible with modern systems of capitalism. And coincidentally, the reason it is called the “February Revolution” was that Russia continued to use the Julian calendar. Corruption was rampant in the Imperialist regime and the Russian military was ill-prepared, ill-equipped and led during World War I. The army suffered horrendous casualties against the much better equipped and led German army.

On March 8th, protesters hit the streets over the lack of bread, flour, and fuel. There, they teamed with over 90,000 people on strike and the crowds clashed with police. Women were marching in large numbers in accordance with International Women’s Day. And they encouraged protesters to demand an end of food rationing, to get out of World War I and to end the monarchy.

The next day, the crowds had swelled to 200,000. They demanded the Russian get out of the war, and that the Tsar be replaced with a more progressive leader. By March 10th nearly all of Petrograd was brought to a standstill by the strikes and protests. The Tsar, who had been visiting the front, ordered a Russian general, Sergey Semyonovich Khabalov to disperse the crowd with rifle fire and “to suppress the rioters with force.”

The capital was in chaos, certain units in the military had begun to mutiny and the government of the Tsar was frozen with indecision. The Tsar was wired with a bleak picture of the events:

The situation is serious. The capital is in a state of anarchy. The Government is paralyzed. Transport service and the supply of food and fuel have become completely disrupted. General discontent is growing … There must be no delay. Any procrastination is tantamount to death.

The Tsar left the front but was unable to get to Petrograd because the revolutionaries controlled the railroads. The Imperial Guards left their posts, basically abandoning the Tsar and his family. His closest confidantes advised him to abdicate the throne. Which he did on 3 p.m. on the afternoon of the 14th. He tried to hand over the throne to his brother Michael. Once he refused, it was done.

Three hundred years of Romanov rule in Russia was over. The Romanov family was placed under protective custody in the palace at Tsarskoye Selo along with their royal retainers.

The Provisional Government had shared dual power with the Petrograd Soviet and as a result, neither had the control needed to right the ship. Meanwhile, Vladimir Lenin, who had been in exile in Switzerland, returned to Petrograd on 16 April. He immediately tried to gain control of the Bolsheviks and do everything in his power to undermine the provisional government.

Initially, he didn’t curry favor with the Bolsheviks and the riots of July caused the government to put out arrest warrants on all of the prominent Bolshevik leaders. Lenin fled to Finland with many of the Bolshevik leaders. The new head of the provisional government, Kerensky never had firm control of the government and he constantly feared that troops would mutiny against him.

Finally, Lenin and the Bolsheviks would overthrow the Kerensky government during the October Revolution. Lenin survived two assassination attempts and finally moved the capital to Moscow as they feared the Germans would take Petrograd. He never liked the city but once there he rarely left for the rest of his life.

At first, Lenin tried to downplay his Marxist ideology to not scare off any support from non-Bolsheviks. The first order of business was getting Russia out of the war. He agreed to terrible terms from Germany and the Central Powers but it was just the beginning of a few years of civil war, strife with Poland and a consolidation of power that would give him absolute rule over the country.

Photos: Russian archives

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 15, Day 5

Chest and Triceps workout in the gym and then hit the trails for a 4-mile run. Remember to stretch well before and after and to stay hydrated. Mark your progress down in your workout log book.

If you’re living in the Northeast, you may have to forego the run today until the weather stops snowing. It may be treadmill time.

Training:

More Preparation for the UBRR:

3 x 12 Bench Press

3 x 10 Dumbbell Flies

3 x 10 Dumbbell Incline press

3 x 20 Pushups (alternate sets with wide, narrow and shoulder width)

3 x 10 ‘V’ Ups

3 x 20 Sit-ups

3 x 20 Cable Push Downs (rope)

3 x 20 Dips or until muscle failure

4-mile run

Stretch well after completion

Another Opportunity to Ruck For a Great Cause, “Ruck Your Dog”

For those aspiring Special Operations candidates out there, as they finish their workout today in preparing for Selection (you can find it right here). Here is another challenge for you to pledge some time and effort for a really good cause, while you just add to your preparation time in getting ready to go to the Selection.

The good folks at GO RUCK are running their second annual fundraiser with “Pets For Patriots” and by pledging to do some mileage under a rucksack, preferably with your dog if you have one and buying some of the shirts and patches that they’re offering, then 100 percent of the proceeds will go through Java Forever, GORUCK’s 501(c)(3) non-profit. GORUCK will publish the donation amount upon completion of this virtual fundraiser. And all of it goes to the “Pets For Patriots” project.

From their website, Pets For Patriots gives the gifts of fidelity, joy and love to both veteran and pet through companion animal adoption. Their mission is like no other because they are serving the men and women of the most extraordinary military of the most exceptional nation in the world.

Everything Pets For Patriots does is with a vision to end animal homelessness in the United States while giving military veterans and their families the greatest “thank you” of all: the extraordinary love of a companion pet.

GoRuck has run some excellent fundraisers in the past, a couple of us here, took part in the Rucking for the Green Beret Foundation last fall. They raised quite a bit of money for the folks who so much for our warriors. Now, this fundraiser helps not only veterans but gets dogs in need of a good home, the link-up with families in the military community.

We are all dog lovers in this house, and we have a rescue English Bulldog who is attached to my hip 24/7. If you’ve read some of my earlier rucking posts, you see she was mentioned quite often last spring/summer/fall whenever I was out with the ruck. With the onset of winter here in the Northeast, she’s been on hiatus, but it is time to for both myself and the dog to begin hitting the trails together.

Of course, as I’m saying this, the dog is pushing the mouse to the shorter distance to pledge….slacker. LOL

You can pledge 10 miles, 25 miles, 50 miles, 75 miles or go for the gusto and pledge 100 miles for the cause. For the aspiring SOF Candidates, you guys should pledge at a minimum of 75! (Just kidding, anything is appreciated) It is all on the honor system, you complete the mileage and adjust your own weight…they recommend 25-30 pounds, but being the good SOF ruckers we know that it is always 45-pounds minus food and water…right?

So, add some extra mileage to your SOF Preparation workouts and get the rucks back on for a great cause. Be sure to follow our workout guidelines for rucking and make sure you hydrate…and break in those spare boots. And if you guys are on social media, ensure you tag your posts with #RuckYourDog2018 so that the guys there at GoRuck can keep up with the action. Take a picture of you and your workout partner while out on the trail and we’ll do the same.

We are due for a foot of snow or more today, with some estimates as high as 20 inches here in the Northeast….so I guess my workout partner better get started before it gets a bit too deep and our footing gets slippery.

Keep us informed of your progress and we’ll post updates as well.

Happy Rucking! DOL

Photos: Courtesy of GoRuck Fundraiser

USS Lexington, “The Lady Lex” Found in the Pacific

The aircraft carrier USS Lexington, sunk during the Battle of the Coral Sea in May of 1942, has been found by a team of wreck-hunters led by the billionaire Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

The Lexington was the first aircraft carrier ever to be sunk in combat. But during the battle, her planes also sunk the Japanese carrier Shoho and stopped a Japanese drive on Australia. A month later, the Japanese lost four carriers in attempting to invade the tiny island of Midway. It would alter the course of the war.

Allen’s team of researchers found the USS Lexington’s sunken wreckage 500 miles off Australia’s eastern coast in the Coral Sea, about 3km below the surface, resting on the floor.
“To pay tribute to the USS Lexington and the brave men that served on her is an honor,” Allen said in a statement on his website announcing the discovery.
“As Americans, all of us owe a debt of gratitude to everyone who served and who continue to serve our country for their courage, persistence and sacrifice.”
Lady Lex was launched in 1925, four years after construction work started. Less then two decades later, she would be fatefully deployed in the Pacific Theatre of World War II.
“Lexington was on our priority list because she was one of the capital ships that was lost during WWII,” said Robert Kraft, director of subsea operations for Allen.
“Based on geography, time of year and other factors, I work with Paul Allen to determine what missions to pursue. We’ve been planning to locate the Lexington for about six months and it came together nicely.”

Because over 200 of her crew died defending the ship and still on-board no attempt will be made to raise it. The Japanese had severely crippled the ship during attacks and after the crew abandoned ship, the Lexington was scuttled by US torpedoes.

To read the entire article from Newsweek, click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

Russian Plane Crash in Syria Kills 39 on Board

A Russian transport plane crashed in Syria, killing 39 passengers and crewmembers as it was attempting to land at Hmeimin air base in northwest Syria, Russian state media reported.

Initial reports put the crash as a technical malfunction and not combat related. Hmeimin is located about 150 miles north of Damascus and is home to the Russians largest base in Syria.

All 33 passengers and six crew members were killed in the crash, state-run RIA-Novosti reported, citing the Defense Ministry. Earlier, it had been reported that 32 people had died.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was briefed on the incident by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu during a working visit to Russia’s Sverdlovsk region, the Kremlin said in a statement.
The crash occurred as the Antonov-26 transport plane came down 500 meters (about 550 yards) short of the runway, the Defense Ministry said in a statement quoted by the state-run news agency, Tass.
The ministry said it was investigating the crash, adding that “preliminary data suggests it could be a technical malfunction.” It also ruled out the possibility that the plane had been fired upon.
Russia’s Investigative Committee has launched a criminal case over the crash, committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko told Tass.
Tuesday’s crash was not the deadliest air incident related to Russia’s military intervention in Syria.
In December 2016, a Tupolev Tu-154 aircraft crashed after taking off from the Adler airport near the Black Sea resort city of Sochi, killing 84 passengers and eight crew members. The plane was carrying more than 60 members of the Alexandrov Ensemble, the Russian army’s official dance and choir company, on its way to Syria to give a holiday performance for troops.
Putin visited Hmeimin in December, using the opportunity to meet with his Syrian counterpart, Bashar al-Assad.

Most Russian people support their involvement in the war in Syria, but opposition politicians were quick to point fingers at the Putin administration.

“How does the draw-down of forces look now? For the sake of what are these people dying? When will this senseless war end?” Dmitry Gudkov, a former member of parliament said on social media.

To read the entire article from CNN, click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 15, Day 4

Shoulders and back training day in the gym before heading off to do the SOF (Special Operations Forces) Triathlon. A run, a rucksack march, and a swim in fatigues and boots.

Almost all Special Operations training is based on one of these events. If you can do all three well, you will be in good shape to pass the Selection course.

Training:

More Preparation for the UBRR:

3 x 12 Lat Pulldowns, behind the neck (go as heavy as possible)

3 x 12 Lat Pulldowns, front

3 x 10 Dumbbell Side Raises

3 x 10 Dumbbell Front Raises

3 x 10 Dumbbell Arnold Press

3 x 8 Shoulder Shrugs

3-mile Run (24 minutes maximum)

3-mile Rucksack march (45-pound minimum without counting food, water, 45 minutes maximum)

100-meter swim in fatigues and boots (no time limit)

Stretch well after completion

On This Day in 1966, Barry Sadler’s Ballad of the Green Beret Goes to #1

In 1966, the average house cost $14,200 or less than a decent Harley today. The median income was $6900.00, the price of gas was 32 cents a gallon, the Dow Jones Average at years end was 785. Batman, the campy comic book come to life, debuted on Network television as did Star Trek… “Space the final frontier.”

Americans found out what a “Miranda Warning” meant and why it was important. And mass killings weren’t a 2010s only phenomenon. Richard Speck murdered eight nurses in Chicago and Charles Whitman, who perched himself in the bell tower of the University of Texas with a rifle (not an AR-15) shot and killed 14 people and injured 31.

In China, the Cultural Revolution starts and Mao Tse-Tung begins to purge intellectuals. Mini-skirts are in fashion. Ronald Reagan enters politics and becomes the Governor of California, and the Houston Astrodome opens, complete with a 710 diameter of the dome. And there are now 500,000 U.S. troops in South Vietnam.

And finally, in January 1966 Barry Sadler, a Green Beret from the 7th SFG appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show and sang his “Ballad of the Green Berets” to a national audience. Sadler later appeared on other television shows such as the Jimmy Dean Show and the Hollywood Palace. He and the unit by the same name became household words in the United States. By March 6, his song skyrocketed to #1 on the Billboard Top 100 hits of the USA. It would remain there at #1 for five weeks.

Sadler’s song was co-written by Robin Moore who wrote the book about Special Forces, “The Green Berets” which became a 1968 pro-US involvement in the war film by John Wayne. The song was a tribute to SP5 James Gabriel, a Special Forces soldier who was killed in Vietnam in 1962. The original song had a verse with a reference to Gabriel but it wasn’t included in the recorded version by Sadler.

Sadler was an SF soldier who suffered a severe punji stick wound to his leg, which cut short his tour in Vietnam in 1965 where he was a team medic. During his long rehabilitation from his injuries, Sadler submitted his song to RCA after he and Moore cut the song from a 12-verse long version to a length that was more palatable for pop radio at the time.

Within two weeks after its release by RCA, the song sold a million copies. It would become Billboard’s top song of 1966. In an era of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys et al, it is amazing that Sadler’s anti-war song was the top-selling song of the year. And make no mistake, while it is a VERY pro-Special Forces song, it speaks of the cost of war and how it never seems to end. Something we can all understand quite well 52 years later.

The album which sold two million copies, (the single sold nine million) had a total of 13 tracks on it.

Ballad of the Green Berets
I’m a Lucky One
Letter From Vietnam
Badge of Courage
Saigon
Salute to the Nurses
I’m Watching the Raindrops Fall
Garet Trooper
The Soldier Has Come Home
Lullabye
The Trooper’s Lament
Bamiba
The A-Team

Sadler was sent by the Army on a publicity tour during 1966, and it turned him against the military, although he loved being a part of Special Forces. He left the military in 1967 and had a few walk-on roles in television westerns. He then tried Nashville but his career never took off.

Later he was writing a series of pulp fiction books about a Roman soldier, Casca Rufio Longinus, who is assigned to watch Christ die on the crucifix. Bored, he thrust his lance into Jesus’ side to shorten his time. Because of this, Chris sentences Casca to be a soldier who cannot die to wander the earth aimlessly until the Second Coming.

Sadler sadly died at the age of 49. He was shot in the head in a cab in Guatemala and died a year later. The circumstances have always been murky surrounding his shooting and have never fully been explored. His was a tragic life cut far too short.

But for a brief period in 1966, the Ballad of the Green Berets was the top song in the land.

Photos: Wikipedia

US Army Admits it Mishandled War Dogs and Will Comply With Reforms

The dogs who serve ably and bravely among U.S. and coalition troops in war-torn areas of Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and other places are not being treated with any respect once they return home. The Army confirmed an Inspector General’s report that it mishandled war dogs and vowed to comply with recommendations in the DOD report that calls for reforms.

In a report released on Friday, the Inspector General said that canine heroes, which saved the lives of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan while working with brigade combat teams to sniff out roadside bombs, were mistreated by the Army after they returned to the United States.

Army spokesman Major Christopher Ophardt said in a statement emailed to Reuters, “The Army concurs with the DoDIG [cq] (Defense Inspector General) report and is complying with” its recommendations.
The report said that some dogs were left in kennels for up to 11 months, beyond a deadline for giving them away for adoption or re-using them in the military or other government agencies. It said they were mistreated through lack of care and attention, and others may have been put down.
Contrary to military rules, new owners were not screened before the Army allowed them to adopt the dogs. It said that some dogs with histories of biting were given to families with children, and others were given to owners who lacked the ability or resources to care for them.
In some cases, the report said, soldiers who wanted to adopt dogs with which they had worked were not told they had the right to do so. An investigation was started after soldiers who had handled the war dogs complained about their fate.

The bond between the working dogs and their handlers is as close if not closer than the bond between soldiers who experience combat. Why would anyone involved in the adoption process look to deny the dogs to live out their lives in peace with their handlers? It makes no sense.

The handlers should always be given first priority if they wish to adopt these dogs who have given so much of themselves. And to neglect them in a kennel without proper care is nearly as bad as the VA scandals where our troops don’t get proper care. It needs to be fixed…now.

To read the entire article from Reuters, click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia