SOF

US Green Berets Raid Son Tay Prison and Make History

By mid-November 1970, there were 450 known American POWs in Vietnam, and more than double that amount reported as missing in action. Reports were surfacing of brutal conditions, torture, and starvation of American POWs. Operation Ivory Coast was a daring rescue mission conducted by U.S. Army Green Berets, flown in by Air Force Commandos, to rescue the POWs at a small prisoner of war camp at Son Tay, 23 miles west of Hanoi. The raid was commanded by Colonel Arthur “Bull” Simons and 56 specially selected Green Berets who had trained for the mission.

The mission was deemed a failure. Unknown to the raiders, rains had flooded the Son Tay prison just prior to the raid, forcing the Vietnamese guards to move the POWs to another location. The prisoners who had been moved just a few miles down the road, watched the raid unfold.

However, the raid was viewed as a success by many in the U.S. military, as the Special Forces troops killed over 50 guards and took the compound while suffering two very minor casualties. And the Air Force was able to fly them in and out through one of the most heavily defended air spaces on earth at that time.

The POW Camp Is Identified

In May of 1970, the Pentagon learned of the camp when an SR-71 flying at 80,000 feet, streaked over it and took aerial photographs that showed at least 55 American POWs. However, 12,000 North Vietnamese troops were stationed just five miles away from the compound.

Planning began in earnest in early August. Simons, who was a legend and one of the most well-respected Special Forces officers, was named the commander of the raid force. Simons had taken part in the outstanding prisoner rescue during World War II with the 6th Ranger Bn. The Rangers rescued 500 POWs, who had survived the Bataan Death March, by raiding the Japanese POW camp at Cabanatuan in the Philippines. The Japanese were planning on killing every one of the POWs when the Americans arrived at the camp and foiled their plans.

He would have to select the raiders from among the 6th and 7th Special Forces Groups at Ft. Bragg, NC. Word spread through the Green Berets at Ft. Bragg that something big was brewing and it was to be commanded by Simons. Over 500 packed the post theater to hear Simons make a pitch for volunteers for a very dangerous mission.

The training facility chosen for the raiders was Duke Field at Eglin AFB, Florida. USAF planners selected key Air Force commanders, who then picked personnel for their crews. Helicopter and A-1 Skyraider crews were put together from instructors at Eglin and personnel returned from combat tours in Southeast Asia. Two crews for C-130E(I) Combat Talons were assembled from squadrons in Germany and North Carolina.

The men were not briefed on their mission but were only told that it was hazardous.

A total of 219 men were selected: 103 Army and 116 Air Force personnel would serve as raiders, flight crew, support personnel, and planning. The Task Force was known as the “Joint Contingency Task Group” (JCTG).

The staff set up a plan to conduct a nighttime raid, the key point of which was clear weather and a quarter moon at 35 degrees above the horizon for optimum visibility during low-level flight. From these mission planning parameters, two mission “windows” were identified, 18–25 October and 18–25 November.

Training under Simons proceeded on Range C-2 at Eglin. Simons’s Son Tay raiders used an exact but crudely made replica of the prison compound for rehearsals that could be quickly assembled and taken down before any Russian satellite would fly over. The raiders also had a superbly detailed five-by-five-foot scale table model — codenamed “Barbara” after a USAF secretary, Barbara L. Strosnider, who worked very long days supporting planning for the raid — which was built by the CIA for familiarization.

The Air Force pilots flew over 1,050 hours in C-130 Combat Talon and HH-3 aircraft to practice their formations while using the Forward-Looking Infrared Radar (FLIR), to fully acquaint themselves with the mission.

The Special Forces side of the training began on September 9, before moving into night training on September 17, and joint training with aircrews on September 28, which included six rehearsals a day, three of them under night conditions. By October 6, 170 practice sessions of all or some phases of the mission had been performed on the mockup by the Special Forces operators, using live fire.

Son Tay prison mockup — “Barbara,” the mockup of the Son Tay prison built by the CIA. (U.S. Army)

The Ground Force Commander would be LTC Bud Syndor. The assault element leader, which would purposely crashland a helicopter in the prison compound, would be led by another SF legend CPT Richard “Dick” Meadows.

Meadows, who would be integral for the raid, was one of the best Special Operators that this country has ever produced. He enlisted in the Army when he was just 15 and fought as a paratrooper in Korea. By the age of 20, he was the youngest Master Sergeant in the Army. He joined Special Forces in 1953 and for the remainder of his career until 1977 would serve in either Special Forces or Ranger units.

During the Vietnam War, Meadows impressed General William Westmoreland so much during a briefing after an operation with MACSOGV that he was given a battlefield commission. He also helped Colonel Charles Beckwith form Delta Force. He was even recalled from retirement to assist in the Iran Hostage Rescue by posing as a European auto dealer on the ground in Tehran.

On November 6, the first full-scale dress rehearsal, using a UH-1H as the assault helicopter, was conducted at night. It included a 5.5-hour, 687 miles (1,106 km) flight of all aircraft, replicating the timing, speeds, altitudes, and turns in the mission plan. The rehearsal indicated that the UH-1 helicopter was unsuitable for this mission. The smaller passenger compartment resulted in leg cramps to the SF raiders that completely disrupted the timing of their assault. Simons and his raiders opted for the HH-3E. Two further full-night rehearsals and a total of 31 practice landings by the HH-3E in the courtyard of the mockup followed.

The primary October window was chosen, but President Nixon was out of Washington and couldn’t be briefed properly in time, so Henry Kissinger moved back the raid to the November time window. Unbeknownst to anyone, this one-month’s delay would doom the mission to failure.

The Air Force moved all of the pieces for the raid force to Thailand, the jump-off location for the raid, between November 10 and 18. Piecemeal deployment was chosen to not attract attention. There the force was whittled down from the 100 men who trained for the mission to the 56 that would be going — a heartbreaking affair for the 44 men who had to stay behind in Thailand.

The Raiding Force

The Special Forces were organized into three platoons: A 14-man assault group codenamed “Blueboy Element” led by Meadows, which would crashland within the prison compound. “Greenleaf” a 22-man support group, would provide immediate support for the assault team. And “Redwine” a 20-man security group to protect the prison area from any NVA reaction forces and provide backup support for either of the other two groups if needed. Simons (using the call sign “Axle”) accompanied the Greenleaf group, while the ground force commander, LTC Elliott P. “Bud” Sydnor, Jr. (“Wildroot”) was with the Redwine group.

The 56 raiders were heavily armed, carrying 48 CAR-15 carbines, two M16 rifles, four M79 grenade launchers, two shotguns, and four M60 machine guns. They carried 15 Claymore mines, 11 demolition charges, and 213 hand grenades. They also had a mix of wire and bolt cutters, axes, chainsaws, crowbars, ropes, bullhorns, lights, and other equipment. The ground force was also equipped for voice communications with 58 UHF-AM and 34 VHF-FM radios, including a survival radio for each individual soldier.

Five hours before takeoff, Simons finally addressed the men to what their actual mission was. “We are going to rescue 70 POWs from a camp called Son Tay. This is something American prisoners have a right to expect from their fellow soldiers. The camp is located 23 miles west of Hanoi.”

It was said that the troops stood and cheered. Simons put his own indelible mark on the operation with his final instructions.

“You are to let nothing, nothing interfere with the operation. We’re here to rescue prisoners not take prisoners. And if we walk into a trap, don’t dream about walking out of Vietnam unless you’ve got wings on your feet. It is 100 miles to Laos… I want to keep this force together. We will back up to the Song Con River and by Christ let them come across the goddamn open ground. We’ll make them pay for every foot across the sonuvabitch.”

Infiltration Into North Vietnam and Arrival at Son Tay

The raid force began taking off at 2200 hours from airfields in Thailand and South Vietnam. The formation flew across the Plain of Jars in Laos before turning northeast. The Air Force meticulously planned 12 separate legs of the flight plan in order to keep the vulnerable helicopters undetected by North Vietnamese radar. The force was aided by diversionary bombing missions going on in the area.

Banana 1, the helicopter purposely crashlanded at the Son Tay prison camp. (U.S. Army)

The assault force arrived at Son Tay at 0219 hours. The helicopter that was to crashland in the compound was to encounter trees thought to be 40-feet tall. In actuality, they were close to 150-feet. However, the pilot chopped through them like a huge lawnmower and the aircraft thudded into the ground. One man, an Air Force crew chief, suffered a broken ankle when a fire extinguisher broke free and smashed into his leg.

Meadows used a bullhorn and announced, “We’re American. Keep your heads down. We’re Americans. We’ll be in your cells in a minute.” Meadows’s group cut down many of the compound’s guards, including several trying to escape through the east wall. But as his men methodically advanced through the compound, they found no prisoners in the cells.

The Support Element landed in the wrong compound, which was known as the Secondary School. It found that it contained 100-200 Chinese soldiers who were there as advisors for some new missile defense weapons that were being emplaced. After a brief but intense firefight, the Special Forces troops using a mixture of automatic fire and grenades, the Chinese were eliminated.

The Security Element (“Redwine”) approached the south wall and Syndor, using the helicopter’s miniguns, wiped out the guard towers, while landing inside the compound. There they blew a utility pole and set up a roadblock, 100 meters from the LZ. They then encountered guards who were quickly trying to react to the raid. The raiders cut down several of them.

Simons leaped into a trench as the fighting raged on around him. A second later, an enemy soldier, roused from his sleep and wearing only his underwear, jumped in beside Simons not realizing what was happening. Simons emptied his .357 revolver into the soldier’s chest killing him.

Meadows radioed to Syndor, “Negative items.” No POWs were present. The assault force was preparing to leave when one of the members decided to leave the Vietnamese a message on who was responsible for the raid. MSG Joe Lupyak took a Green Beret with a 5th SFG flash and nailed it to the compound’s flagpole. The message was, “we can come within 20 miles of Hanoi and we’ll be back.”

The extraction helicopters began arriving at 0239 hrs. The last aircraft departed at 0245. The entire raid had taken just 27 minutes. The formation had cleared North Vietnamese airspace by 0315 and had arrived back in Thailand by 0438 hrs.

Intelligence Failure/Mission Failure

The lack of good intelligence hampered the operation from the start. It was later learned that due to the flooding of the river, the prisoners had been moved to a place they named “Camp Faith” that was about 15 miles closer to Hanoi. The area’s heavy rains had obscured the U.S. satellites from picking that up.

However, as the raiders flew back to Thailand crushed by the fact that they didn’t rescue any of the POWs, they didn’t realize that the impact of the raid would be a tremendous morale boost for the prisoners. The prisoners had watched the raid unfold from their new camp at Dong Hoi and knew right away that they had not been forgotten.

The North Vietnamese realized that had the operation been successful, the sight of the prisoners in their current emaciated state would have been disastrous. Resultantly, food and medical care improved for the prisoners and the Vietnamese consolidated the POWs and for the first time. Many of them were surprised to learn that instead of solitary confinement, they were housed together.

The Son Tay Raid Personnel

Support Element

COL Arthur D Simons, CPT Eric J Nelson, CPT Glenn R Rouse, CPT Udo H Walther, SFC Earl Bleacher, SFC Leroy N Carlson, SFC John Jakovenko, SFC Jack G Joplin, SFC Daniel Jurich, SFC David A Lawhon Jr, SFC Salvador M Suarez, SFC Donald Taapken, SFC Richard W Valentine, SSG Walter L Miller, SSG Robert L Nelson, SSG David S Nickerson, SSG Thomas E Powell, SSG John E Rodriquez, SGT Gary D Keel, SGT Keith R Medenski, SGT Franklin D Roe, SGT Marshall A Thomas.

Assault Element

CPT Richard J Meadows, CPT Thomas W Jaeger, CPT Dan H McKinney, 1LT George W Petrie, MSG Thomas J Kemmer, MSG Billy K Moore, MSG Galen C Kittleson, SFC Anthony Dodge, SFC Lorenzo O Robbins, SFC William L Tapley, SFC Donald R Wingrove, SSG Charles G Erickson, SSG Kenneth E McMullin, SGT Patrick St Clair.

Command Element – Security

LTC Elliot P Sydnor, LTC Joseph R Cataldo, CPT James W McClam, CPT Daniel D Turner, MSG Joseph J Lupyak, MSG Herman Spencer, SFC Tyrone J Adderly, SFC Donald D Blackard, SFC Freddie Doss, SFC Jerry W Hill, SFC Marion S Howell, SFC Billy R Martin, SFC Gregory T McGuire, SFC Charles A Masten Jr, SFC Joseph M Murray, SFC Noe Quezada, SFC Ronnie Strahan, SSG Paul S Poole, SSG Lawrence Young, SGT Terry L Buckler.

Support Personnel

LTC Bill L Robinson, LTC Gerald Kilburn, CPT Randel L Smith, SGM Minor B Pylant, MSG Jesse A Black, MSG Edgar C Britt, MSG Bernard L Rauscher, SFC Franklin Abramski, SFC James A Bass, SFC Archie Batrez Jr, SFC Robert L Dodd, SFC Charles M Erwin, SFC James A Green, SFC Bobby R Hansley, SFC Roswell D Henderson, SFC Frederick L Hubel, SFC Bruce M Hughes, SFC John R Jourdan, SFC Ernest R Pounder, SFC Aaron L Tolson Jr, SFC Burley W Turner, SFC Grady C Vines, SSG Elmer D Adams, SSG Rodger D Gross, SSG Larry G Stroklund, SSG David L Wilson, SGT Brian J Budy, SGT Michael G Green, SGT Robert R Hobdy, SGT John J Lippert, SGT Arlin L Olson, SP5 William F Dezurik, SP5 Lawrence C Elliot, SP5 Gary R Griffin, SP4 Christopher Casey, SP4 Frank J Closen.

UH-1 Crew Members

1LT George W Williams, CW2 Ronald J Exely, CW2 Jackie H Keely, CW2 John J Ward, SP6 Larry C Boots, SP4 Alan H Wood.

What Would ARSOF’s Role Be in Near-Peer Conflict With Russia?

The Army’s Special Operations Forces (ARSOF) are in transition. With the end of the 20-year war in Afghanistan and the slow winding down of combat operations in Iraq, ARSOF units are moving from an emphasis to a door-kicking counter-terrorism role to a more traditional role of countering near-peer adversaries such as Russia or China.

ARSOF’s operators spent 40 years working against Russia during the Cold War. Many of the concepts remain the same, but warfare has changed since then, and there are more domains to be studied and targeted.

The U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), funded the Rand Corporation to conduct research on how ARSOF and SOCOM would best be utilized in a near-peer conflict with Russia. The report, which was released earlier this week, took a detailed look at how ARSOF units should be used. It concluded that the units need better and more detailed direction.

The Rand Corporation report recommends a return to ARSOF’s roots to combat neer-peer adversaries. Pictured above is the 7th SFG A-Team in El Salvador. (U.S. Army)

The report highlighted ARSOF’s history in countering Russia. “Long before ARSOF were used for counterterrorism missions, these forces were created for combat and competition with other great powers. Many of the U.S. antecedents of contemporary ARSOF arose in response to the exigencies of World War II, and they provided perhaps the preeminent military tools for competition with the Soviet Union in the Cold War.”

The RAND report calls for a return to ARSOF’s roots, which center around developing a physical presence in friendly countries and engaging in activities that the U.S. has frequently used to strengthen partnerships. These include subject-matter expert exchanges, intelligence gathering, and sharing operations. They also include the core SOF activities of Unconventional Warfare (UW), Foreign Internal Defense (FID), Security Force Assistance (SFA), Military Information Support Operations (MISO), and Civil Affairs Operations (CAO).

In studying how best to use ARSOF in a near-peer environment against Russia, it is also important to study the Russians’ doctrine in asymmetric warfare. A report by the Joint Special Operations University highlights the Eight Phases of New Russian Generation Warfare.

eight phases of Russian new generation warfare — The Eight Phases of Russian New Generation Warfare. (Joint Special Operations University)

Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, all NATO members, are the most vulnerable to Russian aggression. While ARSOF units won’t have any influence in countering a conventional military invasion, they can be used very effectively against the Russian “little green men,” or proxy forces.

According to RAND,

“In conditions of more intensified competition, when the risk of armed conflict is high, ARSOF can help to defend against proxy forces used by U.S. adversaries.”
“ARSOF can also be used to disrupt adversary operations in denied environments or to impose costs on adversaries, although the most aggressive uses of ARSOF — unconventional warfare intended to overthrow adversary governments—have traditionally been high-risk activities with relatively low rates of success. It may be more successful when used for less ambitious goals, such as disrupting adversary lines of communication in denied environments where reasonably effective and politically acceptable local surrogates exist.”

In the report, RAND Corporation recommended the following:

The U.S. Army needs to revise its multi-domain operations (MDO) concepts and provide better and more specific guidance for the employment of ARSOF;
SOCOM, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict, and other key stakeholders need to periodically review allocations of ARSOF to ensure that they are optimally utilized in near-peer power competition;
Given the high levels of risk, ARSOF should only engage Russia in UW or information warfare in rare circumstances;
Because the benefits of ARSOF tend to be incremental and best measured by partner nation successes, Special Operations troops should be embedded with partner nations for long-term strategy.

Despite the lip service given to the new near-peer competition, the U.S. is lacking direction for its ARSOF units according to the RAND report. “Although U.S. strategic guidance proclaims that the United States has entered a new era of great-power competition, concepts for succeeding in that competition remain underdeveloped.”

Task Force Dagger Heals Families and Veterans Without Saying a Word

As a former Army Combat Diver, I take great interest in anything regarding the water. The water and ocean are healing, therapeutic, and often help calm the internal storms of our veterans. Task Force Dagger Special Operations Foundation harnesses just that.

Task Force Dagger’s Mission

The Foundation provides an emotionally safe space for veterans and families to share and heal together.

Last week, the foundation finished up its annual Dagger Diver 2021 with a week of events for veterans and their families in the beautiful Key West, Florida.

A family dives during Task Force Dagger Dive 2021. (Courtesy of Task Force Dagger)

Task Force Dagger’s mission statement is simple.

“Task Force Dagger Special Operations Foundation provides assistance to wounded, ill, or injured US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) members and their families. We respond to urgent needs, conduct Rehabilitative Adaptive Events (RAE), and provide next-generation health solutions for issues facing our servicemembers.”

With the help of many sponsors, volunteers, the Coast Guard, and the Special Forces Underwater Operations Committee, they were able to take many veterans on their annual trip to Key West.

Additionally, they bring specialists to the retreats. For example, should an amputee break a piece of equipment, staff will be there to fix whatever they need.

The Healing Power of Water

You cannot speak to each other underwater. So, without saying a word, you must communicate with your families using non-verbal skills. This often strips away frustrations that have been built up and initiates the healing.

“Families could be at each other necks while being on the boats, jump into the water and come back holding hands,” Mark Stephens, Task Force Dagger Chairman of the Board, U.S. Army Special Operations (Ret) said.

The water will force you to communicate without words, work together as a team. The majestic views of Key West enhance the experience.

“There is so much more to this week than getting Dive Certified. There is a bigger picture as to why we do Dagger Dive. We truly appreciate our community and their families for all they do,” the foundation wrote.

The families toured the Special Forces Underwater Operations compound and did all their pool dives there. Additionally, they enjoyed the Truman Little White House, the Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory, and sunset cruises.

Moreover, Task Force Dagger had the honor and privilege of helping an incredible couple renew their vows at sunset!

Marriage on the beach — (Courtesy of Task Force Dagger)

Veterans Should Know That They Are Not Alone

Special Operations veterans are a special breed. They take on the most monumental tasks with little guidance or support and make the mission happen, every time, without fail. Year after year, they push harder than anyone and beat up their minds and bodies.

Suicides among veterans are on the rise. These Special Operations warriors often struggle with day-to-day life when they get home.

That’s where foundations such as this one step in to help the immediate needs of families.

From 2007 to 2017, the rate of suicide among veterans jumped almost 50 percent. Veterans are 1.5 times more likely to die by suicide than Americans who never served in the military. For female veterans, the risk factor is 2.2 times higher.

If you need help, say something. You are never truly alone. Text 838255 or call 1-800-273-8255.

The Best Way to Prepare for Special Forces Selection

When looking to improve yourself at anything in life, the first thing you have to do is push yourself straight out of your comfort zone. Joining any Special Operations Forces unit, means being able to make the uncomfortable known and to push yourself to your absolute limits. That is the most important part of your preparation.

However, we are putting the cart before the horse here. This post is designed for those of you who are aspiring to be one of those SOF folks. And to become one, first, you must be prepared to pass the rigors of the Selection and then the qualification courses. And, unfortunately, many of the candidates are woefully unprepared.

And as the old saying goes, “Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.”

Push Yourself Out of Your Comfort Zone

Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with a former Navy SEAL officer Mike Hayes, who rose to be the commander of SEAL Team Two and worked in a Joint Special Operations Command billet and many other challenging assignments.

Mike Hayes touched on something that is near and dear to every SOF cadre that knows what it takes to succeed, where so many others have failed. He said that until a person is pushed beyond their own perceived limits, they’ll never know the limits of their character.

Special forces vehicle — U.S. Army Soldiers from the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) conduct a field training exercise near Panzer Kaserne, Boeblingen, Germany, October 29, 2019. (Photo by Rey Ramon/U.S. Army)

In other words, SOF candidates have to push themselves out of their own comfort zone.

We’ll never be able to find out exactly how far we can go and what we can accomplish until we push into that unknown. And rest assured… it isn’t easy.

Breaking out of our comfort zone is one of the hardest things to do for all of us. That not only goes for training, which we’ll be talking about today, but for everyday life situations. How frequently do we do many of the same things because “we’ve always done them?” Why? Because we’re comfortable doing so and mostly like what we’re going to encounter in those situations. In truth, it isn’t really a comfort zone we fall into but a “comfort rut” which isn’t a good thing.

Being in a “comfort rut” in preparation for Selection is to risk failure at the worst possible time. It is a given that we all have our strengths and weaknesses and when working out we all have our favorite exercises which we do religiously. Why? Because we’re good at them.

Our Biggest Fear

The biggest fear one has as a Special Operations Selection candidate is failing. It is not an option and no one anywhere ever wants to fail at anything. It is this ingrained mindset that we will not fail at anything that is one of the things that all SOF troops, regardless of unit or service, share. You’ve heard many times the saying that “failure isn’t an option.” Well, that mindset begins in one’s own preparation.

Special Operations live fire training — U.S. special operations Soldiers, assigned to 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), U.S. Special Operations Command Europe, conducts a live-fire training exercise at the Panzer Range Complex, Boeblingen, Germany, January 13, 2021. Live-fire training enables the unit readiness and proficiency to be able to respond within the European area of operations whenever called upon. (Photo by Yvonne Najera/U.S. Army)

Arguably, another of our biggest fears is looking foolish when doing something, especially among our peers. And very, very few people are good at things the first time they try. That’s why we must ensure to break through that wall of uncertainty when prepping for Selection. We have to leave our comfort zone and practice the things we may not be very familiar with or good at.

Are you an excellent runner but not very good with a rucksack? Chances are that you probably don’t like rucksack-marching as a result and avoid it if possible. We’ve all been there.

When I was young, I had a phobia of speaking in public. It wasn’t until college that I finally got over that. How? I had a professor that broke down what exactly I was afraid of. (And those fears were truly nothing to dread). This allowed me to break through that wall. While no one will ever confuse me with, say, a Winston Churchill, now I actually do enjoy public speaking — and as anyone on the line when we do a writers’ call will tell you getting me to talk isn’t the problem, instead, they’re probably wondering when that guy will shut the hell up.

When training for SF Selection, I was just an okay but not great runner. I could easily run for distance but was never one of the faster guys (and still am not). I also sucked at climbing ropes, and again, the truth be told, I’m still not great at that either — although in my old FOG state, at least I have a “slight” excuse.

In preparing for Special Forces Selection, my training partner was a deer in the running department and, as he used to say, “a rope-climbing MFer.” He, however, wasn’t a great rucker so we decided to work out together. Because I liked to ruck, he was forced to do that more than he probably would have on his own. And we incorporated much more rope climbing than I would have done otherwise.

We pushed each other out of our comfort rut and both ended up successful in the end. It isn’t rocket science. It is simply pushing through one’s own perceived limits and putting aside the feelings of looking foolish among your peers. But better to face such situations in preparation and improve than to find yourself wanting in Selection.

Be Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable

Special Operations Selection — First Phase Basic Underwater Demolition/SEALs candidates from Class 281 navigate through Naval Special Warfare Centers obstacle course. First Phase is an eight-week course that trains, prepares, and selects SEAL candidates based on physical conditioning; water competency; mental tenacity and teamwork. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class John Scorza/Released)

I never enjoyed leg training back then, but my partner had legs like fireplugs and could squat a small Toyota. After working out together, it ended up being one of our more fun days of the week as we’d push each other to where we could barely walk down the stairs after some workouts. He smoked my a$$ on those days. But it wasn’t about who could do more — he clearly could — but about improving (not that I ever stopped trying to catch him). Hardly a leg day at the gym comes by now without my thinking of my buddy back in the day, although my leg days aren’t quite as challenging as back then… Arthritis does present some challenges along the way.

It wasn’t until years later that I was able to generate more speed with my running when I met a football coach who was working out at a local track. He was running some laps and then was doing a series of sprints. We spoke and I told him I had tons of endurance but no speed. “Then do something about it,” he said. By foregoing the normal distance run, we worked on sprint work which not only improved my endurance but my speed as well. Just that little extra push helps.

Before moving from the northeast, I employed a personal trainer three times a week to push me into doing things that I know I wouldn’t choose to do. And truth be told, I miss her (yes she is a beast in the gym) telling me to do those uncomfortable things.

Remember, you won’t be able to truly challenge yourself until you reach a stage that is uncomfortable for you. Pushing yourself past your own perceived limits and comfort zone is the path to achieving your goals. It is also the path that professional athletes refer to as “in the zone” which is when you are operating at peak performance.

Good luck in the journey. It’s the difficulty that makes being in the Regiment great. If it was easy everyone would do it.

De Oppresso Liber.

GROM – Poland’s Tier 1 Special Operations Unit

The Polish Special Forces unit GROM (Grupa Reagowania Operacyjno-Manewrowego), which translates to Group for Operational Maneuvering Response, is Poland’s premier special operations unit.

GROM, which also means “thunder” in Polish, traces its lineage to the exiled Polish paratroopers of World War II known as the Silent Unseen (Cichociemni Spadochroniarze Armii Krajowej). The Silent Unseen was a special operations unit of 315 men — and one woman — trained in Great Britain before inserting into occupied Poland to oppose the Germans.

The Polish Tier 1 Unit

GROM is modeled after the Tier 1 units of NATO, such as the U.S. Army’s 1st SFOD-D (Delta Force), the US Navy’s SEAL Team Six (DEVGRU), and the British Army’s SAS.

During the transition from Communism to democracy in 1989, the Soviet Union allowed many Russian Jews to emigrate to Israel. Poland was one of the few countries that provided aid, in the form of logistics for the operation, later dubbed Operation Bridge (Operacja Most).

However, because of this, Poland earned the ire of many countries in the Middle East. In Lebanon, two Polish diplomats were shot by the terrorist group Hezbollah. The Polish government dispatched the larger-than-life soldier Lieutenant Colonel Sławomir Petelicki to Lebanon to secure the safe passage of civilians and Polish diplomats.

Upon returning to Poland, Petelicki presented a plan for the creation of a special operations unit that was to be assigned to the Ministry of Interior. Petelicki’s concept was approved and on June 13, 1990, GROM was formally established as JW 2305.

GROM logo and patch. (Polish Ministry of National Defense)

LTC Petelicki was chosen as the first commander of GROM. A professional holdover from the Communist regime, Petelicki set about establishing a professional, highly-trained organization. The first candidates for GROM all came from already-existing special units within the Polish Armed Forces.

The selection and assessment process was grueling. Few men were able to meet their standards.

A Polish website about GROM offers a glimpse inside of what the unit is looking for in its candidates.

“Special units, unlike general military units, require an appropriate selection of people, which in GROM is guided by selection. It cannot be limited to a physical test of the organism’s efficiency – says Col. Roman Polko, GROM commander. – Candidates should be intelligent (higher education recommended), professional in various fields. In the most stressful situations, they need to stay sober and analytical, and even cheerful. In addition, special units require different training, functioning, and management, a specific structure of subunits, and specialized equipment. Otherwise, there is no point in bothering to form and maintain them.”

The initial physical fitness test to get into GROM selection include:

– Pull-ups;
– Deflection of the arms on the rails;
– Torso bends;
– Rope climb;
– Shuttle run 10×10 m;

Running Endurance Test:
– 3,000m run;

Swimming Test:
– 50m swim;
– Swimming underwater;
– Tower jump.

Hand-to-hand combat test:

Fitness tests and psychological tests usually last up to 24 hours.

Many of the initial GROM candidates were trained by the U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets). The unit also received funding from the CIA.

In 2013, SOFREP’s Brandon Webb was invited to Poland and got a first-hand peek into GROM and filmed an Episode of the SpecOps Channel on the unit. You can watch the episode here.

GROM During the Global War on Terror

GROM deployed a 40-man well-trained unit in Afghanistan and Iraq as part of the U.S.-led coalition.

In the invasion of Iraq, GROM was part of the Naval Special Operations Task Group, along with U.S. Navy SEALs, British Royal Marines, and attached U.S. PsyOps and civil affairs teams.

Polish GROM operators special forces — Polish GROM operators are highly trained and well respected by their Western peers. They have been valued members of the coalition of forces during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. (Polish Ministry of National Defense)

In the Afghanistan War, GROM operators were tasked for a time as bodyguards for VIPs.

However, that duty was not a highlight for the unit. “Never send a Ferrari to dig coal,” quipped one GROM veteran, as highlighted in John Pomfret’s upcoming book From Warsaw, With Love which will be released later this month.

In late March 2003, GROM operators assaulted the KAAOT Oil Terminals, while U.S. Marines and Navy SEALs from SEAL Team Eight and 10 seized the MABOT oil terminal. Both of the terminals were seized with no casualties, while the teams found explosives that were defused by GROM and SEAL operators.

After the initial phase of the operation, GROM operators were assigned to form the core of Task Unit Thunder, as an element of CJSOTF-AP (Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Arabian Peninsula), providing a Tier-1 counterterrorism unit for the task force.

American operators have great respect for their Polish counterparts. Poles mingled with Americans on missions, and as referenced in Pomfret’s book, one couldn’t tell the difference between a Polish or an American operator unless they would hear them speak.

The Unit’s Organization

GROM is organized along the following lines:

A Squadron (ZBA) – Land Element located in Warsaw

B Squadron (ZBB) – Maritime Element located in Gdańsk

C Squadron (ZBC) – Specialty unknown located in Warsaw

The logistic and security unit is located in Warsaw.

GROM’s mission set includes:

CT – (Counterterrorism)
(Non Combat Evacuation)
SR – (Special Reconnaissance)
DA – (Direct Action)
MS – (Military Support)
UW – (Unconventional Warfare)
CSAR – (Combat Search and Rescue)

GROM Weapons and Equipment

GROM operators use a variety of weapons depending upon the mission. But the most common weapons found in the unit include:

Heckler & Koch HK416 D10RS and D145RS;
Heckler & Koch USP;
SIG P226 & P228;
IMI Desert Eagle Mark XIX;
SIG MPX submachine gun;
Accuracy International AWM-F sniper rifle .338 LM round;
Heckler & Koch PSG1sniper rifle.

Green Berets Deploy to Taiwan as Tensions With China Rise

China continues to test and harass Taiwan’s air defense capability with nearly daily forays into Taiwanese airspace. Tensions between China and Taiwan which the Chinese consider a wayward province, and the United States continue to rise. Now, it was reported that U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) troops are in Taiwan training Taiwanese troops.

For the past seven decades, Taiwan has considered itself an independent country.

China has never ruled out taking Taiwan by force and its aircraft have continuously buzzed over Taiwanese airspace.

The Wall Street Journal was the first to report that about two dozen special operations troops and support personnel were in Taiwan along with a small Marine contingent training the host nation forces. This is a significant development as China’s aggressive actions increasingly look like a prelude to open war. According to an unnamed Pentagon official, the training by the U.S. has been ongoing for more than a year.

The Pentagon would neither confirm nor deny any troop deployments or training in Taiwan. Pentagon spokesman John Supple said, “I don’t have any comments on specific operations, engagements, or training, but I would like to highlight that our support for and defense relationship with Taiwan remains aligned against the current threat posed by the People’s Republic of China.”

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry sidestepped any training comments, stating that “all military exchanges are carried out in accordance with annual plans”.

Last year, Taiwanese media outlets reported that U.S. troops had arrived there to train Taiwanese marines and Special Forces in small-boat and amphibious operations. However, those reports were denied by both American and Taiwanese officials, who stressed that the two countries are only involved in bilateral military exchanges and cooperation.

Video screenshot of U.S. Special Forces in a casualty evacuation exercise with Taiwanese SF.

A video surfaced last year showing U.S. troops on the island taking part in an exercise dubbed “Balance Tamper.”

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said that the United States needs to cease all cooperation with and arms sales to Taiwan. Spokesman Zhao Lijian said that the already tense relations between the U.S. and China will suffer.

“The U.S. side should fully recognize the great sensitivity of the Taiwan issue,” he said during a press conference.

“China will take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Lijian added.

U.S. Congressman Ami Bera (D-CA) confirmed that special operations deployments have been ongoing for more than a year. Bera, who sits on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, was asked by the press at a defense conference if the Committee was aware of this present SOF Deployment.

“Not particularly this deployment, if I call it a deployment. I think we have special operators and others there, and we have in the past that are there training (Taiwan’s) military, working with them,” Bera replied.

Taiwanese Special Forces during a training exercise. (AP photo)

Meanwhile the Chinese have stepped up their aggressive, and dangerous forays into Taiwan’s airspace. On Monday, 52 Chinese aircraft entered Taiwan’s air defense zone. The action was characterized by U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price as “destabilizing and provocative.”

“We strongly urge Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic and economic pressure and coercion against Taiwan,” Price said, calling the American commitment to the island “rock-solid.”

NSW Prep: The First Hurdle in Becoming a Navy SEAL or SWCC

It is a long and thorough process to earn a contract to attend BUD/S or SWCC school. Those that do receive a contract go to Navy Boot Camp and are assigned to 800 divisions. These 800 divisions are comprised of SEAL, SWCC, EOD, Navy Diver, and Air Rescue candidates. The purpose of these divisions is to hold candidates to a higher physical standard and to begin grooming them for the tough training they are soon to endure.

Upon graduation from Boot Camp, Naval Special Warfare (NSW) candidates move right across the street from Great Lakes Recruit Training Center to the Training Support Center, in Illinois. This is where students get their first taste of the NSW training and lifestyle.

Although NSW hopefuls were in 800 divisions and “trained harder,” they are most likely completely out of shape after spending two months in Boot Camp — it is a shitty environment for maintaining and excelling in physical fitness; NSW Prep didn’t come into existence on accident after all.

The purpose of NSW Prep, if you didn’t put two and two together, is to prepare candidates for the real deal in Coronado, CA. The idea is to ensure that the individuals arriving in Coronado have a shot in hell at making it through training. NSW Prep weeds out the initial weak, hell even Boot Camp weeds out a few people. The prep course saves the Navy time, money, and frustration by preventing unprepared sailors from being sent to Coronado.

The Final Primer

Upon arrival to NSW Prep, candidates are required to complete a PST (Physical Screening Test), consisting of the usual push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, swim, and run routine.

Over the next two months, SEAL and SWCC candidates participate in physical training instruction. The candidates are introduced to and trained in topics such as swimming techniques, principles of running, and strength and conditioning, just to name a few.

Candidates are broken down into physical training groups, based on ability level. The training regimen is fluid and changes daily in an effort to improve the physical level of these wannabe operators. Physical assessments are conducted often, which helps in tracking improvement and setting goals.

In addition to the daily physical routine, students spend time in an academic setting: NSW needs more than basic knuckle-draggers. There, candidates are introduced to many subjects, including principles of team building, mental toughness, treatment of heat- and hypothermia-related injuries, and nutrition. Performing at a high level physically requires strong performance mentally and vice versa. Academic achievement in the SEAL and SWCC pipelines is just as important as physical performance.

Throughout the two months at NSW Prep, each candidate’s progress is tracked in order to determine their ability to improve and their desire to be there.

At the end of NSW Prep, students are subjected to a final modified PST, consisting of a 1,000-yard swim (with fins), push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, and a four-mile timed run. If students fail this test, they may be rolled, but more than likely will be removed from SEAL or SWCC training.

Candidates participate in one final review board and then are put on a commercial airliner and sent to Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, CA, where the real fun begins.

‘I Stand Between My Brothers and Death’ – How Navy SEAL and SWCC Medics Are Made

Special Operations medics are arguably the best-trained emergency medical care responders in the military, or indeed in the medical world. The nature of SOF operations means that operators more often than not find themselves in austere environments far from resupply or assistance. As a result, their medic training has to be the best possible.

A few years ago, the Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC) created a medic course for its operators. The Special Operations Tactical Medic (SOTM) course has been tailored to meet the specific needs of the NSW community. It’s a 28-week-long course divided into four phases:

Phase One, which lasts four weeks, covers IV Therapy, Dive Medicine, and Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS).
Phase Two, which lasts three weeks, teaches students Trauma, Airway, and Patient Assessment in a tactical environment.
Phase Three, which lasts 16 weeks, is the meat of the course and initiates students to the dark arts of the Paramedic.
Phase Four, which lasts five weeks, teaches Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC), Trauma lanes (patient assessment and management), Prolonged Field Care – in case SEAL/SWCC medics are too far behind enemy lines – and culminates with a final training exercise (FTX).

The goal of the SOTM is to produce SEAL and Special Warfare Combatant Crewmen (SWCC) medics who will be able to provide critical life-saving assistance to their teammates downrange. But there is an important caveat: SOTM graduates are operators first and medics second – meaning that they don’t just sit on the side and wait for someone to get shot but that they are all-around contributors to their platoon or boat crew.

As of now, only pinned SWCC and SEAL operators are allowed to attend the SOTM. Graduates of the SOTM receive an NREMT-Paramedic license, which translates into a more robust and competitive resume for those seeking to leave service early.

Before the inception of the SOTM, SEAL and SWCC operators joined their SOF brethren from the other branches in the Special Operations Combat Medic (SOCM) course – arguably one of the tougher courses in the military and with an exceptionally high attrition rate. The establishment of the SOTM has as much to do with a desire for independence as with a need to train NSW medics to the unique needs of the SEAL and Boat Teams.

And yet not everything is rosy. Sources within the Naval Special Warfare community said to SOFREP that although the SOTM is a great addition to the NSW syllabus, it has some way to go before it catches up to SOCM in terms of class quality. Currently, SOCM is out off limits for NSW operators wishing to go down the warrior-healer path, and yet its reputation among the SEAL community is still the higher.

The motto of the SOTM school is “Inter Meos Fratres Et Mortem Sto,” which is Latin for “I Stand Between My Brothers and Death.”

Injuries Without Scars: How Special Operations Medics Treat Brain Injuries

Since the start of the United States’ armed engagement in Iraq and Afghanistan, many military members have fallen victim to Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and other explosive blasts. As most people know, IEDs have been a major contributing factor to the death toll of Americans in the Middle East. A lot of servicemembers have survived these blasts with visible injuries and others have walked away unscathed, or so they thought.

According to the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, in 2017 it was reported that approximately 350,000 military personnel had experienced a traumatic brain injury (TBI) since 2000. It was estimated that anywhere from 11 to 23 percent of deployed personnel had been exposed to a TBI event. There is such a wide range in the estimate because many individuals either didn’t report their injuries or didn’t realize they had experienced a TBI at the time they were exposed to a blast.

It was estimated that approximately 50 percent of the individuals who experienced a TBI also exhibited Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Before the true dangers and repercussions of TBIs were understood, many operators claimed they would experience concussive blasts while outside the wire, or on a mission, to only go out the next night and operate all over again.

Treating Brain Injuries

When I arrived at the Special Operations Combat Medic Course (SOCM) in 2012, the severity and dangers of TBIs had become fully understood. Dealing with and treating TBIs was at the forefront of the special operations medical community and was implemented into the SOCM training curriculum.

The critical piece to understanding and treating a TBI is to identify when a TBI event occurs. It had been discovered that if an operator did experience a TBI, they would be much more susceptible to serious brain damage if they were exposed to a secondary TBI or a concussive event soon after. The SOCM schoolhouse understood this and began training medics on how to properly conduct a Military Acute Concussion Evaluation, better known as a MACE exam.

During a MACE exam, the medic asks the patient a variety of questions and conducts different tests to determine the cognitive function of the patient’s brain. The MACE exam assists medics and medical professionals in determining if an individual experienced a TBI and what is its severity level.

Conducting a MACE exam provides multiple benefits for the patient. First and foremost, by conducting a MACE exam, medical providers can definitively determine if an individual experienced a TBI and thus prevent him from re-entering a dangerous environment until he is completely healed and considered fit for duty. Secondly, if an operator experiences a TBI and the event is documented by the use of a MACE exam, the operator will be entitled to disability compensation benefits and other resources to help heal and manage this “invisible” injury.

A SEAL medic who recently attended the mandatory, two-year SOCM Refresher Course, claimed that the special operations medical community is placing more emphasis on TBIs now than ever before. This is supported by the amount of training that is taking place at the SOCM schoolhouse and the implementation of the MACE 2 exam. The MACE 2 exam became available in 2018. This updated exam provides improved brain injury information, testing, and vestibular-ocular-motor screening.

The United States military has made great achievements in identifying and treating individuals who have experienced TBIs. The research, treatment, and preventative care today will help keep our warriors strong tomorrow.

‘Brothers of the Cloth’ by George Hand IV – A Fantastic Account of Life in Delta Force

George Hand IV, better known as “Geo,” is among the rare breed of special operators who have served at the very tip of the spear in the United States military. Geo’s book Brothers of the Cloth gives an inside look at life in a Special Mission Unit (SMU), the Army’s Delta Force.

Yet, the book isn’t about Geo, although he is there in all of the short stories he has put together. No, Brothers of the Cloth is about his brothers-in-arms in Delta and life “at the ranch,” as another Delta member once put it.

A Distinguished and Elite Career

Geo spent 20 years in the United States Army, nearly all of it in Special Operations units. He served in the 7th and 1st Special Forces Groups and as an instructor at the Army’s Combat Diver Qualification Course, known as “Scuba School” by SF troops. He then embarked on Selection for Delta Force where he spent the final 10 years of his military career.

His life after the military was as varied and interesting as his service. His civilian life also took him to SOFREP where we got to know one another. In comparing notes we realized that once we were standing within five feet of each other during the retirement of General William Garrison.

George Hand Delta Force — Geo ready to board a Little Bird. (Courtesy of George Hand)

Geo, who is fluent in more than half a dozen languages, is also a master cabinet maker and master photographer. Since his retirement, he has helped get Counter Human Trafficking organizations off the ground in Albuquerque and the Northeast.

Geo’s stories for SOFREP, WE ARE THE MIGHTY, and Sandboxx are a cause to stop what you were doing and read them.

Geo’s service took him — as one can imagine of someone with a 10-year career in Delta — all over the world. From helping chase down Colombian drug cartel kingpins, including Pablo Escobar, to the city of Mogadishu, Somalia, in the immediate aftermath of what later became known as “Black Hawk Down,” to Bosnia where his language proficiency became more of a curse than a blessing, and many places in-between.

Brothers of the Cloth

George Hand Delta Force HALO — Geo conducting a HALO jump over the desert. (Courtesy of George Hand IV)

The focus of the short stories collected in Brothers of the Cloth is Geo’s brothers in Delta.

As always with Geo’s writing, there are moments of hilarity, such as when during a mortar attack in Mogadishu, Geo dove behind what he believed to be cover only to later discover that it was a mosquito net. His friend Sam shined a flashlight on him and said, “Good thinking George… do you feel safe behind this mosquito net that even mosquitos can break through?”

However, other parts of the book are touching as Geo relays the sad passing of members of the Unit. And if it weren’t for Brothers of the Cloth, the story of these men would have been completely unknown to us.

Geo’s tale of Delta Force Selection is classic Geo, complete with a myriad of intriguing characters, humor, and the pain and misery — that one can only imagine — of trudging through the mountains of West “By God” Virginia. There, he met his now life-long friend and Delta legend, retired SGM Pat McNamara, whose videos “Basic Dude Stuff” are must-see on YouTube. But his most compelling character of the many in that chapter has to be the Marlboro Man.

Through all of the book’s short stories, the reader becomes part of the action and is transported right there besides these special operators, as Geo tells the tale from his perspective.

The book also touches on some dark moments of Geo’s own life and the struggles he faced after his military service.

By Almighty God and With Honor

Everyone who knew Geo back in his Delta days has a fond memory of him, for his humor, resourcefulness, and, most of all, humility. Recently, SOFREP Radio recorded a podcast with Geo’s former commander at Delta, Pete Blaber who relayed a great story of Geo while in Bosnia.

If you’ve read any of Geo’s articles, you will have noticed that he finishes them off with the sendoff, “By Almighty God and with honor, geo sends” without capitalizing the first letter of his name.

That is his humility shining through. The lowercase G denotes his respect for one of his departed comrades whose last name also began with a G. That man, Geo says, was the most humble man, and every time he signs his name he thinks of him.

That speaks volumes of that operator and of Geo himself.

Geo is someone we are proud to call a friend.

We can’t recommend Brothers of the Cloth enough. It is a page-turner and a must-have to everyone who enjoys military books. Unsurprisingly, the book’s hardcover edition is already sold out. The softcover edition will soon become available on Amazon. You can keep an eye for it through Geo’s website and we will also notify you once it becomes available. In the meantime, stay tuned for our upcoming SOFREP Radio interview with Geo!

By Almighty God and with honor… buy Brothers of the Cloth… you’ll be glad you did.