SOF

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 4, Day 7

Shoulder and back exercise this morning in the gym before a run to top things off. Pretty icy up here in the Northeast today, so be careful. If you have access to any ropes, you should start incorporating rope climbing into your workouts. If not towel pull-ups are the next best thing. Mark down your progress in your workout log book and remember to stretch well before and after your workout.

Training:

More Preparation for the UBRR:

3 x 10 Lat Pulldowns, rear

3 x 10 Lat Pulldowns, front

3 x 10 Dumbbell Side Raises

3 x 10 Seated Bent-Over Delt Raise

3 x 10 Dumbbell Shoulder Press

3 x 10 Arnold Dumbbell Press

4-mile run (32 minutes maximum)

Stretch well after completion

Having the Proper Boots and Socks at Selection Is Essential

About 8-9 months ago we posted a piece on boots and not only having ones that fit properly but having at least one backup, broken-in pair when you start Selection. With new classes starting up, we’ve gotten some questions about the different gates and events at Selection and we’ve posted on those and will revisit many of them again.

Most of the questions we get regarding the Selection process center around rucking and land navigation and today’s topic, boots, and boot fit are an integral part of passing anything to do with either. Because you’re going to be doing a ton of walking during the rucksack marches and Land Nav and if your boots are giving you problems, you’ll be in a world of hurt.

So, it is a good time to revisit the care of your feet and the proper boot fit that we touched earlier this year. For you younger guys getting ready to attempt Selection, this may seem like a trivial matter, but it is not.

As I’ve said many times… Your feet along with your brain are the two most indispensable parts of your body in Special Operations Forces. I’ve repeated ad nauseam many times what the men who trained me have said over and over. Your feet are your lifeline in Special Operations. Take care of them and they’ll take care of you. Having spent many years in the Special Forces Regiment, care for your feet became second nature and will be a very necessary function.

If anyone in your class or is a training partner has been in a light infantry or an airborne unit. they will know these tips already. If you don’t have that background but have senior NCOs or officers that served in these type of units, seek out their advice on the subject before beginning your prep for Selection.

Proper Fitting Boots: Unless some things have changed at Camp Mackall, and I doubt they have, you won’t be allowed to wear any of the high-speed boots in Selection, only what the military issued you. So, wearing the various boots from Merrell, Asolo, Lowa, Vasque, etc. will have to wait until you graduate and go operational.

The key for proper fitting boots is ensuring that the boot’s heel sits tightly to the rear of the foot while giving the toes some wiggle room up front. If your foot is sliding around too much, either front to back or side to side, you’ll have friction, which leads to blisters. If your boots are too tight, your toes will be curled up inside and that is a blister waiting to happen. Some people advise buying boots a half-size too large because your feet will swell on a long-range ruck march. I wouldn’t recommend that but if your feet swell that much it may be an option.

Have at least two pairs of boots ready for your Selection class and break both in like you would a baseball glove. Walk everywhere in them until they feel like an extension of your leg. It is a good idea to get boots that have good ventilation and water drainage as they’ll allow your feet to breathe and dry out when wet which will cut down on blisters

I know I’ve beaten this horse to death in our PT Preparation articles but having a second pair of broken in boots is essential. Without that, you are setting yourself up for failure. You are going to get wet a lot during Selection, even on days when it isn’t raining or snowing. During the events of that day, you just drive on and do what you must.

But that night, allow the boots to dry out and stuff them with paper towels or newspaper and allow them to dry out properly. Wear the second pair the next day and the first pair will be ready after that. And if your boots blow out on you during an event, you will have a second pair of well broken in ones to take their place. Having to use a new pair of non-broken boots in Selection is not the way to get thru the course with your feet intact.

I can recall one February class when I was a cadre member at SFAS. It was cold and damp and it rained/sleeted and even snowed hard on the candidates nearly every day. The dirt back roads and trails in North Carolina were soupy and underwater in many places. The candidates’ feet were wet nearly all the time, and because training doesn’t stop, their feet suffered.

Nearly all had multiple blister problems and our cadre’s medics were working overtime. Many of candidates had feet that resembled raw hamburger by the end of team week. They were forced into switching out their boots daily and those who didn’t have a second broken in pair suffered the worst of all.

Prepping and Caring for Your Feet: Having been a cadre at SFAS as I mentioned above, I’ve seen all different kinds of foot preparation and care. Another cadre member Doug P. and I when we had the night duty used to walk around the candidate’s barracks incognito at night to see how they were caring for themselves and their teammates. (Foot stomp… take note. You’re always being evaluated)

You should have a good set of nail clippers with you when attending Selection and ensure that you take good care of those as needed.

Here is where you must know your own body and what works for you. Everyone is different and what works for me, may not work for you and vice versa. That’s where the proper preparation and training BEFORE you get to Selection is invaluable.

Some guys spray their feet or use a roll-on antiperspirant which is supposed to stop the sweating which is the cause of blisters. While I was never a big believer in this, if your feet sweat profusely as mine do, then by all means, try it during your prep phase to see if it works for you.

Other guys, I’ve seen use Vaseline or some type of oil or cream to reduce friction. Again, it isn’t something I’d recommend but it does work for some people.

What worked for me (and again everyone is different) was to use just a small amount of Gold Bond powder on your feet and in your socks before going on a ruck march. Not too much, it is like anything else, if you put half a tin in your socks, it will clump up and create just as many problems. It cuts down on friction which creates blisters. I’d recommend putting some around your crotch as well. If you get rubbed raw “down south” it isn’t pleasant walking for miles that way.

Proper Socks and Fit: Socks are your feet’s last line of defense. Just as proper socks will protect them from blisters, poorly fitted ones will cause even more problems.

So first, what causes blisters? Heat, friction, and moisture. We’ve already covered getting a couple of pairs of boots that fit well, don’t rub, and are ventilated so your feet can dry out quickly and allow some air flow inside.

Initially, get a good pair of tightly fit synthetic or polypro socks that will wick the moisture away from your feet. Rub your feet down with a light coat of powder or whatever you choose and then turn them inside out. Why? So that the stitching inside won’t rub your toes and create hot spots. That stitching can and will cause blisters.

The thick military issued wool socks go over the inner layer of socks and once again inside out to prevent the stitching from rubbing and creating hot spots. The second sock reduces the friction and will absorb the moisture from the inner sock while cushioning your foot inside the boot.

Why do we do this? Good question; the two-sock system is used so that the friction will occur between the layers of socks rather than between the socks and your feet.

Crawl, Walk, Run Approach to Preparatory Training: Like anything else, these are the things that you’ll need to work on in your prep for Selection and all of these issues should be second nature long before you show up to begin your course.

Once you get the proper boots and socks, then begin your rucking prep work. Don’t start off by trying to do a 20-miler or the equivalent of the Brecon Beacons on Day 1. Start slowly and gradually increase your speed and distance. As you get more comfortable rucking, the speed and distance will become second nature.

If you notice hot spots or blisters forming during prep work, stop right away and deal with those. Waiting until completion may result in a much more serious blister which will set your training prep work back. Once the hotspots and blisters are no longer an issue your rucksack training can begin in earnest.

One more thing about your boots and that has to do with the way they are laced. Again, this is a personal preference type of thing but something to just keep in mind. I used to ruck most of the time in my favorite jungle boots. The way the boots were constructed as was the way my foot is constructed, there was a bend in my foot that always rubbed during a long-distance ruck march right at the crease of the boot at the ankle.

I’d always skip the eyelet right smack in the middle of my boots right there as it was always a sore spot that would rub. And after many 20-milers under my belt, it didn’t take long to figure out what needed to be changed. You will find certain things that will or won’t work for you. That’s where the prep work is invaluable.

As always, I appreciate the many questions that you have and will always be here to help in any way I can. Any questions or comments can be emailed to me [email protected] or at my Twitter account @SteveB7SFG

Happy Rucking! DOL

Photos: US Army

Pence Makes Surprise Visit to Afghanistan, Vows “To See it Through”

Vice President Mike Pence made an unannounced trip to Afghanistan to meet its leaders and US troops but the true purpose was to assure Afghan leaders that the US was going to stay in Afghanistan for the long haul and the commitment for the Afghan people was strong.

Pence whisked into Afghanistan on a military flight early Thursday. He then flew by helicopter to Kabul, where he met President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah at the presidential palace.

Pence told the leaders he hoped his presence there was tangible evidence that the United States was “here to see this through.”
In a reversal of his campaign call for a swift withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, Trump in August pledged a stepped-up military campaign against Taliban insurgents and signaled the United States would send more troops to fight in what is the longest war in its history.
At the end of August, there were some 11,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan and more have since arrived.
Ghani expressed gratitude to the U.S. government and said Afghanistan’s partnership with the United States was cemented in sacrifice.
Pence told reporters the strategy of increased troops on the ground and greater authorities for military leaders was paying dividends.

Pence told Afghan officials that President Trump’s campaign will see it through for stability for Afghanistan and the defeat of the Taliban but deferred to the press to President Trump when asked if the US will commit more troops.

To read the entire article from Reuters click here:

Photo courtesy: Wikipedia

After ISIS Campaign, Iranian-backed Militias Vow to Oust US Troops From Iraq

You were waiting for this… right? The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) who are backed by Iran, that they’ve helped push the Islamic State from much of Iraq, is training its sights on the remaining U.S.-led coalition troops scattered across the country.

The 100,000-thousand-member force has fought both with and against Americans in Iraq. This can hardly come as a surprise to both the Iraqi and US governments.

“America should only be here for embassy, any military presence and we will target them,” Saif Ali, a 37-year-old member of the PMF’s Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba paramilitary — based in the southern Iraq governorate of Basra — told Fox News. “I fought the Americans after 2003, and the British in southern Iraq, and I am happy about that. I don’t hate the American people, only hate the U.S. military, and I have killed many of them.”
Ali is one of thousands of PMF members who also took advantage of Iran-supplied weapons and ammunition to take the lives of hundreds of U.S. troops during the insurgency that followed the invasion of Iraq.
Rayan al-Kildani, the 32-year-old leader of the PMF’s Babylon Brigades, an Iraqi Christian militia, noted that he, too, got his start fighting the Americans post-2003 — allegedly after learning how to use weapons from action-oriented TV shows and movies. And although he has relatives in the U.S. and even visited a few years ago, he said that he threatened to attack U.S. intelligence personnel he encountered after the Mosul battle and ultimately wants to see American forces gone.
“America was not there at the beginning of this ISIS crisis when we needed them most. We are strong now, and as long as we are fighting, Iraq does not need Americans on our land.”

The Iraqi government has a sensitive issue to deal with here. These militias are gaining influence in the political arena as well as militarily and many of the members are expected to run in political elections in the spring.

To read the entire article from Fox News, click here:

Photo courtesy: Wikipedia

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 4, Day 6

Friday is Leg Day at the gym which happens to be my favorite day of the week. The weighted Sled push and the squats help you build up power and speed. The lighter weight dumbbell squats will also build up endurance in your legs as well as strength.

A 3-mile run to finish the workout. Aim for a better time than the standard which is 24 minutes. Continue to prep for the UBRR.

Training:

3 x 10 Pullups

3 x Front Squat 20-15-12 reps (lighter weight)

3 x Goblet Dumbbell Squats 20-15-12 reps (lighter weight)

3 x 10 Barbell Squats

3 x Weighted sled push or Fireman’s carry

30 x “V”-ups

3-mile run (24 minutes maximum)

Stretch well after completion

Dec. 20, 1941, the AVG, Flying Tigers Flies in Combat For the First Time

The First American Volunteer Group [AVG] popularly known as the Flying Tigers was a civilian contractor group of US Army, Navy and Marine Corps aviators who volunteered to fight for the Chinese against the Japanese in the early days of World War II.

Although the Flying Tigers were in existence for a very short time, they established a stellar combat record and have become one of the most iconic units of the war, readily identifiable by their Shark’s tooth nose art painted on their P-40 fighters.

The AVG was recruited from the military with Presidential authority and was commanded by Claire Lee Chennault. The strength of the group was never more than about 90 planes with three squadrons of 30 aircraft each. The three squadrons were named “Adam & Eve”, “Panda Bears” and “Hell’s Angels” after the 1930 Howard Hughes film.

R.T. Smith of the 3rd Pursuit Squadron, (Hell’s Angels) of the AVG. The Flying Tiger logo was done by the Walt Disney Co.

Although they were in combat from only December 20, 1941 – July 4, 1942, they shot down 229 Japanese aircraft and destroyed another 68 on the ground against a loss of just 16 of the AVG. The members of the volunteer group were in actuality members of the Chinese Air Force although their pay $250 a month for a mechanic, and up to $750 a month for a squadron commander was about three times what they were paid in the US military.

Chennault, was a retired U.S. Army Air Corps officer who had worked in China since August 1937, as an advisor to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek and later as the director of a Chinese Air Force flight school centered in Kunming.

The pilots were discharged from the military and promised $600 a month for flight officers, $675 for flight leaders and $750 for squadron commanders. They were promised a bounty of $500 for every Japanese plane shot down. In April 1941, the pilots took ships from the United States to Burma while they awaited their aircraft to be shipped over and shuttled to their training fields.

Chennault’s Training Doctrine Proves Effective: Chennault studied the Japanese aircraft, their tactics and the results the Soviet pilots had while flying against them in 1940. He decided to break from established US doctrine that was being taught to US fighter pilots in the states.

Chennault’s doctrine forbid the AVG pilots from taking on the enemy in a turning dogfight. The Japanese fighters were far too maneuverable for the P-40s to take on in a dogfighting. Instead, the AVG would dive on enemy aircraft in teams from an altitude advantage, and then to execute a diving or slashing attack and to dive away to set up for another attack. This “dive-and-zoom” technique proved to be extremely effective once the Tigers took on the Japanese fighters. Although much more nimble, the Japanese fighters didn’t have the dive speed of the heavier American fighters.

The P-40 was superior to the Japanese fighters in a few areas. The pilot’s armor protection, much heavier armament and self-sealing gas tanks. Plus, they had the advantage of diving faster which fit their tactics to a tee.

Combat begins: Shortly after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, the AVG was now combat ready. Chennault moved a squadron [Hell’s Angels] to Kunming to defend the Burma road on December 20, the Japanese sent a force to bomb Rangoon and the AVG shot down four aircraft with no losses of their own while breaking up the attack.

On the 23rd, the Japanese struck again and the Tigers shot down eight more of the enemy while losing three of their own.

On Christmas Day 1941, the Japanese Air Force sent 63 bombers escorted by 25 fighters to attack again, they were met by a force of just 14 P-40s. The AVG ripped into the Japanese formations shooting down a combination of 35 bombers and fighter with a loss of just five of their own.

The combat continued into 1942 as the AVG found itself consistently outnumbered by superior Japanese numbers and although the Chinese and Allies were pushed back, the AVG took a toll on the attacking Japanese pilots. The AVG maintained a superior kill ratio to the enemy and far beyond anyone else in the theater.

Nineteen AVG pilots became Aces while in the service of the Chinese:

Robert Neale: 13 victories
Ed Rector: 10.5 victories
David Lee “Tex” Hill: 10.25 victories
George Burgard: 10 victories
Robert Little: 10 victories
Charles Older: 10 victories
Robert T. Smith: 8.9 victories
William McGarry: 8 victories
Robert Walters: 8 victories
Charles Bond: 7 victories
Frank Lawlor: 7 victories
John V. “Scarsdale Jack” Newkirk: 7 victories
Robert Hedman: 6 victories
C. Joseph Rosbert: 6 victories
J. Richard Rossi: 6.25 victories
Robert Prescott: 5.5 victories
Percy Bartelt: 5 victories
William Bartling: 5 victories
Edmund Overend: 5 victories
Robert Sandell: 5 victories
Robert H. Smith: 5 victories

Return to the US Military: In typical bean-counter form, the US military decided to revert the AVG back into the armed services in mid-1942, and in a total snafu sent a general officer General Clayton Bissell to strong-arm the Tigers back into the US military. Bissell was a long-time hater and enemy of Chennault. His “recruitment” speech for the AVG was full of demands and threats as to what would happen to the Tigers if they refused. Most of the pilots told him to pound sand. Only a few stayed on out of respect for Chennault who was promoted to Brigadier General and put in command of the new unit.

From the diary of Dick Rossi: We were in actual combat for seven months; we had less than 300 people. As of Dec 2, 1941, there were 82 pilots and of the original 100 P-40s sent out to Chennault, 78 remained with 62 in commission, 68 with radios and 60 with armament. There were shortages of just about everything and no spare parts to speak of. The group has a confirmed count of 297 enemy aircraft destroyed with another 150 probable. Our losses were 4 pilots lost in aerial combat, 7 shot down and killed by anti-aircraft fire during strafing runs, 8 killed in operational and training accidents unrelated to enemy action. Four were MIA and of those 3 were found to be POWs. Three died from Japanese bombing raids. One was shot down and seen alive, but no word as to his fate. The American Fighter Aces Association confirms 20 AVG pilots as Aces with another 6 pilots achieving Ace status during the next few years.

Chinese Memorials: Despite not being on the best terms with the US during the Communist years, the Chinese people remember the Flying Tigers and the AVG quite fondly and there are numerous memorials built to honor the memory of the American men who risked their lives for the Chinese people.

From Wikipedia: A Flying Tigers Memorial is located in the village of Zhejiang, Hunan Province, China and there is a museum dedicated exclusively to the Flying Tigers. The building is a steel and marble structure, with wide sweeping steps leading up to a platform with columns holding up the memorial’s sweeping roof; on its back wall, etched in black marble, are the names of all members of the AVG, 75th Fighter Squadron, and 14th Air Force who died in China. In 2005, the city of Kunming held a ceremony memorializing the history of the Flying Tigers in China, and on 20 December 2012, the Flying Tigers Museum opened in Kunming. The date is the 71st anniversary of the first combat from Kunming of the Flying Tigers. The Memorial Cemetery to Anti-Japanese Aviator Martyrs in Nanjing, China features a wall listing the names of Flying Tiger pilots and other pilots who defended China in World War II, and has several unmarked graves for such American pilots.

The largest private museum in China, Chengdu Jianchuan Museum, devotes a wing in its military section to the history of the Flying Tigers, including a tribute wall featuring a thousand porcelain photos of members of the Flying Tigers as well as many historical artifacts from the era.

In March 2015, the Flying Tiger Heritage Park was opened in Guilin in collaboration with the Flying Tiger Historical Organization. The park is built on the site of Yangtang Airfield and includes a museum, aircraft shelters, and relics of a command post located in a cave.

Photos; US Archives

US Special Operations Troops Train To Capture Korean Nukes

The U.S. is reportedly conducting training to enter North Korean territory with the objective of “infiltrating” and “removing weapons of mass destruction,” according to foreign military sources.

The recently finished military exercise conducted with South Korean forces called Warrior Strike IX, shows a military unit conducting training with night-vision equipment, armored vehicles, and full-face protective gear, including gas masks. However, the pictures that were made public look more like conventional troops than SOF.

According to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, which quoted anonymous military sources, the combined exercise was designed to simulate “infiltrating North Korea and removing weapons of mass destruction in case of conflict.” An Army spokesperson stationed in South Korea declined to comment.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has suggested repeatedly that one of his main goals in Korea was to avoid sending U.S. forces into North Korean territory. But he also seemed to concede last week that is a scenario that might need to be addressed.
On Dec. 13, State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert reiterated to reporters what Tillerson has described as the four things he won’t do when it comes to North Korea – a list he calls the “four no’s.”
“We are not seeking the collapse of the North Korean regime. We are not seeking regime change. We are not seeking the accelerated reunification of the Korean Peninsula. And we are not seeking an excuse to send our military north of the [border with South Korea],” according to Nauert.
John Bolton, a former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. and a Fox News contributor …sees when it comes to North Korea’s nuclear arsenal is to convince China to support a regime change in Pyongyang.
“We’re either going to have to kind of play it using military force, or accept that North Korea will be the nuclear arms sale center of the world – to Iran, to terrorist groups, to other third-world countries that have nuclear aspirations,” Bolton said. “That is not a future I look forward to,” he added.

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has become terrified about an assassination plot and is now paranoid about his security according to the report. So, he’s bought in totally that the U.S. and South Korea are serious about regime change.

To read the entire article from Fox News: click here:

Photo courtesy: US Army

Military First Responders First on the Scene At Deadly Train Derailment

A fortunate turn of events occurred during the terrible train derailment in Washington. Many military first responders happened to be on the road near the site of the deadly accident that claimed three lives. Many of the soldiers had just finished physical training and once seeing the accident, leaped into action.

The soldiers were stationed at the nearby Madigan Army Hospital where many of the injured civilians were taken as the military hospitals are well versed in triage care.

Second Lt. Robert McCoy, an evacuation platoon leader in the 62nd Medical Brigade, had just completed physical fitness training at JBLM and was headed home Monday morning.
Driving south on Interstate 5, he saw the train with 14 cars and engines about to cross the span over the freeway. There was a loud noise and the bridge’s concrete abutments exploded.
“It fell off of the bridge and just kept coming and kept coming and kept coming,” McCoy said. Train cars fell on to the freeway and nearby slopes.
“I slammed on the brakes and pulled on to the shoulder,” he said.
Seconds earlier, Maj. Michael Livingston had been headed south to Lacey with his teen daughter.
Livingston, a nurse anesthetist, didn’t see the derailment but saw a cloud of smoke or steam rise, probably from a crushed automobile. He parked his car and ran to the scene.
Just then he saw a man dressed in Army physical fitness clothes begin climbing a semi-trailer that was smashed against the level train car.
“I saw Lt. McCoy scale up the back of the semi-trailer like Spider-Man, so I thought I’ll get up the same way,” Livingston said.

Madigan Hospital, seven miles away then alerted into action. Once local first responders arrived they worked with the military men on the scene for about 90 minutes until they were released. The hospital cleared room for a triage center and as the injured poured in, they were quickly cared for.

Nineteen of the injured were sent there. Others were sent to Olympia and Tacoma.

To read the entire article from The News Tribune: click here:

Photo courtesy: US Army Madigan Medical Center

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 4, Day 5

Thursday is another UBRR training day followed by a 4-mile rucksack march. Are you keeping a log of your times on your runs and rucks? You should mark down your workouts and especially your times on the runs and rucks. You should notice a marked improvement as we progress. Ensure you stay hydrated as well as break in the second pair of boots.

Training:

More Preparation for the UBRR:

3 x 20 pushups

3 x 20 sit-ups

3 x 20 crunches

3 x 20 dips or until muscle failure

3 x 20 side planks

4-mile rucksack march (45-pound minimum, 60 minutes maximum) over varied terrain, note your time

Stretch well after completion

Special Operations Highlighted the Early Hours of Operation Just Cause

In the early hours of December 20, 1989, 28 years ago, the United States began operations against Manuel Noriega and the Panamanian Defense Forces in Operation Just Cause.

During the opening hours of the US operation, several US Special Operations units conducted operations to rescue American Kurt Muse from the notorious Modelo Prison, stop Noriega from leaving the country by disabling his aircraft, seizing the two main airports at Panama City and Rio Hato by an airborne operation and by stopping his troops, specifically his armored unit [Battalion 2000] from reaching the capital of Panama City and influencing the immediate takedown of his government and military hierarchy.

The plan, minus the Muse rescue was actually rehearsed in the spring of 1988 when conditions between the Noriega Panamanian government and the US deteriorated to the point that the US was ready to move. A year earlier it would have been a surgical Special Operations only mission with very little conventional troops involved. In 1989 it would be a full complement of conventional troops to include elements of the 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized), the 7th Infantry Division (Light) and the 82nd Airborne Division as well as units stationed in Panama.

Operation Acid Gambit – The Rescue of Kurt Muse: Muse was an American who grew up in Panama, got married and moved back after his service in the military was over. His wife was a DOD schoolteacher. He was arrested and thrown in Modelo Prison for running a covert anti-Noriega radio station in May of 1989. One Panamanian newspaper reported that Muse was a CIA operative.

President Bush decided to that a rescue of Muse was the course of action after receiving a letter that was smuggled out of the prison but a US military doctor that was allowed to treat him.

The Army’s Delta Force began rehearsing a raid on the prison on a mockup they built at Eglin AFB, Florida from notes supplied by the doctor. They moved to Panama undetected and began preliminary plans to raid the prison. Shortly after midnight on the 20th, 23 Delta operators boarded four MH-6 “Little Bird” helicopters and landed on the roof of the prison.

Delta Little Bird of 160th Special Operations Aviation that crash landed in a Panama City street.

Delta Snipers quickly eliminated sentries in the area as well as the Comandancia (Noriega’s Headquarters) across the street. At that moment, two Air Force C-130 Spectre Gunships began shelling the Comandancia to get attention away from Modelo Prison.

One operator climbed down the side of the building to a window outside Muse’s cell to eliminate the guard who was tasked with killing him as a soon as a rescue attempt was begun.

The breaching team blew the door to the roof and the extraction teams started down the stairs two floors to Muse’s cell. The Delta operators eliminated two guards and bound another who was not armed and did not resist. Muse saw the beams of their flashlights and saw the smoke. Just then he heard an American voice tell him to take cover. Delta operator Pat Savidge tried to shoot the lock off, but it stood up and had to be cut off with bolt cutters supplied by Delta’s Kelly Venden. Savidge told Muse “Merry Christmas and gave him body armor, goggles, and a Kevlar helmet. They moved back up to the roof.

Once on board the MH-6 that was called back for extraction, the now overloaded Little Bird began nose diving for the street, 60 feet below. The pilot regained control just a few feet off the ground and they flew along the street putting distance between themselves and the prison just a few feet off the ground. After setting down in a courtyard, the pilot was going to attempt to take off again. Savidge and Venden didn’t buckle in during the tumult.

As the chopper lifted off, it took serious ground fire. Venden was hit in the chest and toppled out of the helicopter 20-30 feet to the ground. Savidge attempting to save his friend, grabbed ahold of his gear to hold onto him and was pulled out as well. The Little Bird was peppered with fire and crashed on its right side. The skid pinned Delta operator James Sudderth’s ankle. All four operators were wounded but Muse and the pilots were fine.

The Delta operators got to the most defensible position and prepared to protect Muse. About 15 minutes later they signaled a passing chopper with an IR strobe light. They relayed their position by radio and an armored vehicle of the 5th Infantry Division came shortly after and picked everyone up and brought them to safety.

Bloody Action At Punta Paitilla Airfield: The Navy SEALs were tasked to destroy Noriega’s aircraft at the airfield. This mission fell to SEAL Team 4 with 48 operators. The SEALs under the command of LtCdr Patrick Toohey landed just south of the airfield at 0030 hrs on the 20th.

By 0105 hrs, they were in position, however security elements reported that Panamanian V300 Cadillac Gage armored cars were rapidly approaching the airfield. Toohey sent a squad to set up a blocking position but as soon as they began moving, the Panamanians at the airfield opened fire killing one SEAL and wounding five others. The other SEALs reinforced the troops under fire and in the resulting firefight, suffered two more killed and four more wounded. They disabled Noriega’s plane with an AT-4 rocket.

During the night, they rolled an aircraft into the middle of the runway to keep the airfield from being used. The wounded were MEDEVAC to Howard Air Force Base. The SEALs secured the airfield until mid-morning when they were relieved by a company from the 75th Ranger Regiment.

Noriega’s private plane after Navy SEALs destroyed it with a rocket launcher

Meanwhile, four SEALs using Draeger rebreather systems swam from Zodiac assault craft to plant explosives on Noriega’s heavily armed gunboat, Presidente Porras. They swam under the boat planted the explosives and then were shot at by Panamanian guards who dropped grenades into the water. The SEALs swam to the pier and hiding under it, could watch the gunboat be disabled by the explosions. They later swam back out into the canal where they were picked by rubber assault craft.

Rangers Seize Rio Hato, Tocumen Airports: The 2nd and 3rd Ranger Battalions were tasked with seizing Rio Hato airfield, destroying the PDF garrison at the base, [the largest in the army] and seizing Noriega’s plush beach house.

At H-hour, two F–117A stealth fighter-bombers delivered two 2,000-lb. precision bombs in an attempt to stun and confuse the PDF garrison of two heavily armed infantry companies defending the airfield.They missed. The precision munitions succeeded in only waking the defenders.

Thirteen C-130s flying from the US dropped the Rangers into a maelstrom of fire from just 500 feet. Moving and assembling quickly despite the incoming fire, two companies of Rangers moved to take the airfield, cut the Pan-American Highway running through it, and seize a nearby ammunition dump.

Meanwhile, another company attacked a nearby NCO academy complex and another struck the two PDF companies deployed to defend the airfield.The PDF defending the airfield were claimed to be Noriega’s best and the firefight was furious. Two Rangers were killed and four wounded when a helicopter gunship raked them in a friendly fire incident. But within five hours, the entire complex was secure to include Noriega’s beach house.

Outside of Panama City, Torrijos [Tocumen] Airport, the site of the national commercial airport, the 1st Ranger Battalion jumped in to seize it and secure it for follow-on forces. The Rangers suffered just two wounded while Panamanian casualties were slight, with just 5 killed and 21 captured. The 82nd Airborne Division about an hour after the Rangers secured the airfield arrived and began jumping in.

Special Forces Seize Pacora River Bridge Stop Bn 2000: The men of A Co. 3rd Bn 7th Special Forces Group who were stationed in Panama were tasked with keeping surveillance on Fort Cimarron, home of Bn 2000, the only armored unit in Noriega’s army. Under the command of Major Kevin Higgins, A-3-7 was told of the departure of 10 vehicles from Cimarron and he and 24 Green Berets were moving to the Pacora River Bridge to stop the convoy from reaching Panama City.

The Blackhawk helicopters flying to the bridge got lost on the way but they flew over the armored column rapidly approaching the bridge. The SF troops got to the western side of the bridge just as the Panamanians reached the eastern side. The slope to get up to the bridge was steep and the heavily laden SF troops were just getting to the bridge when they were illuminated by the headlights of the Panamanian vehicles. SFC “Tico” Roman and SFC Dana Bowman were among the first men on the bridge and they blasted the lead vehicle with AT-4s. That stopped the convoy in its tracks. But the SF troops were armed mostly with M-16s, M-249s, and M-203s. Higgins didn’t hesitate. He called in AC-130 Spectre gunships fire, dangerously close to his men and the gunships decimated the column. The Panamanians tried to get away from Spectre by crawling under the bridge. But the SF troops raked the girders with machine gun fire and buckshot rounds with M-203s. The running firefight lasted most of the night with the Panamanians trying to flank the SF troops, who were augmented by elements of A Co. 1st Bn, 7th SFG from Ft. Bragg during the night. They finally linked up with members of the 82nd Airborne later the next afternoon after their Sheridan armored reconnaissance vehicles got moving from the airport.

Operation Just Cause was far from a smooth operation, there were still glitches in communications, and many units couldn’t talk to one another. Coordination between Special Operations and conventional units was shaky at times and non-existent at others. Despite this, different elements of our Special Operations Forces were laying the groundwork for interacting with one another that would bear fruit in later conflicts. The troops’ use of Air Force Special Operations gunships which supported ground troops across the board became invaluable. Those airmen along with their Combat Controllers have become an extremely sought after asset. While many of the troops involved with a few months later move to the desert for Desert Shield/Storm, many of the SF troops remained and assisted Panama with the switch over from the PDF to the PNP [Panamanian National Police].

Photos: DOD