Spec Ops

10 Things to Know About the Secret Chinese Snow Leopard Commando Unit

The Snow Leopard Commando Unit is an elite military unit of the People’s Liberation Army specializing in mountain combat. They are trained to operate in the snow-covered terrain of the Tibetan-Qinghai Plateau, which is mostly inhabited by ethnic Tibetans and belongs to China.

How did this elite unit come about? Here, are 10 things you might not know about them.

The Snow Leopard

The Mongols refer to a “mountain cat” as a snow leopard. The Snow Leopard’s place of operation is the Tibetan-Qinghai Plateau, which is home to the highest mountain in the world, Everest. It is the only unit of its kind in China.

The unit’s mission is to engage in mountain combat and conduct reconnaissance missions.

The Snow Leopard Commando Unit has an insignia consisting of a snow leopard on a red background. It is organized into three battalions, each consisting of three companies.

The Snow Leopard Commandos

Founded in 1969, the Snow Leopard Unit was originally comprised of a platoon-sized unit of about 100 soldiers. In 1979, the unit was expanded to a regiment-sized unit, and in 1985, it was expanded to a division-sized unit.

In December of 2016, the Snow Leopard Unit became an independent brigade-sized unit. The Snow Leopard Brigade is now comprised of five battalions and three independent companies, totaling over 3,000 troops, similar to the size of the modern-day Navy SEALs.

The unit is stationed in Tibet and has participated in many training exercises in the region. It also has participated in international peacekeeping missions but that sounds like an oxymoron to us.

It was one of the first armed forces units to be created after the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

The unit was composed of 21 members who were sent to Tibet to assist the local military in fighting against rebels. But by the end of 1959, the rebels were pushed back and the unit was no longer needed.

The Leopard unit wasn’t reactivated until 1983 when it was merged with the now-defunct Snow Leopard Liberation Unit. The combined unit has since gone on to serve in countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, and Sudan.

They are mostly used for counter-terrorism operations, reconnaissance, and hostage-rescue ops. Similar units in the U.S. would be Delta Force, and SEAL Team Six.

Members of this elite military unit undergo rigorous training at a specialized selection school. Training takes place in a remote area in China’s northwest province of Gansu. Operators are mainly Tibetans from the Tibetan Autonomous Region.

Selection

In the 1980s, the PLA’s General Staff Department sent a delegation to study the U.S. Army’s Ranger School, where they discovered some valuable insights. The PLA trained the first batch of Snow Leopard Commando Units in 1987 and they have since undergone rigorous training and selection.

Snow Leopard commandos are selected from volunteers who have all passed grueling physical and mental tests. The training process includes:

1) Basic Training: A two-week course that includes physical fitness, live ammunition shooting, unarmed combat, winter survival skills, and combat skills.

2) Advanced Training: A three-month course that includes physical fitness, winter survival skills, unarmed combat, combat skills, and an exercise in a cold-weather environment.

3) Skills: A two-month course that includes: winter survival skills, unarmed combat, combat skills, and a military exercise in a cold-weather environment.

4) Operational Exercise: A two-week exercise that includes: physical fitness, winter survival skills, unarmed combat, and combat skills.

10 Things You Might Not Know About The Snow Leopards

1. They are the only all-volunteer army unit in China;

2. They are trained to operate in the snow-covered terrain of the Tibetan-Qinghai Plateau;

3. They are mostly made up of ethnic Tibetans. A surprise to us;

4. Their motto is “Dare to Win” a play on “Who Dares Wins” from the British SAS;

5. They are designated as the former 11th Group Army Unit;

6. Their commander up until 2009 was General Wang Qingli;

7. They are partly funded by the Tibet Autonomous Region;

8. The average age of their operators is 22 years old;

9. It is rumored they kill their own wounded soldiers to avoid them being captured. A new way to look at, “No man left behind…”

10. Snow leopards are a symbol of wisdom and courage in Tibetan culture, and the unit is named after them because they are masters of fighting in snowy terrain.

We hope you enjoyed learning a bit more about Special Operations units in China.

Taiwan Special Forces Have Been Working With US Troops, but Who Are They?

Recent official confirmation of U.S. troops training with Republic of China (R.O.C.) forces in Taiwan is hardly shocking news. The U.S. Army 1st Special Forces Group even posted a video of joint training to Facebook more than a year ago.

Recently, U.S. foreign policy has placed increased attention on the decades-long Nationalist-Communist Chinese conflict. To the wider world, it may look like an international conflict between two sovereign nations. Yet, in reality, the civil war between Nationalist and Communist forces was only ever put on pause in 1949. To this day, both Taipei and Beijing maintain conflicting claims of legitimacy.

The Taiwanese government has stated that it could not last more than a month against a Communist assault. This forecast emphasizes the importance of international assistance in the event the mainland government makes a move.

Additionally, the R.O.C. armed forces which were once composed mainly of conscripts, are now moving towards an all-volunteer force. Some training remains obligatory in Taiwan, but with a military budget almost one-tenth of the mainland’s, the island is in a precarious position.

The Nationalist Party in Taiwan, descendants of the Kuomintang that led the fight against Japan in WWII, are realists. The Taiwanese government hasn’t seriously considered invading the mainland since the 1970s. Today, the emphasis is on deterring and surviving a potential invasion by the Communists.

But who are the R.O.C. forces who would stand in defense of the virtual fortress country of Taiwan? Who are the special operation counterparts that U.S. Special Forces have been training with, and what are they capable of?

Taiwanese Special Forces of all Shapes and Sizes

For a westerner to understand the R.O.C. Special Forces, first there has to be some understanding of the R.O.C. military.

One significant difference is the R.O.C. Military Police branch. That’s right, I said branch. Like the U.S. and most other countries, Taiwan has an army, air force, and navy.

Yet, the country also has a separate branch for military police, and that branch has its own special forces operators. In fact, even the R.O.C. Coast Guard has special operators.

In total, the island nation has at least five known special operations forces, each with its own unique backstory, history, and mission.

And that doesn’t even count the local police forces with their own SWAT-like units patterned after the National Police Agency’s (NPA) special forces.

Additionally, any defense of Taiwan would involve a “total war” footing. If the Communists were to invade, everyone from local police to construction workers would be pressed into service for defense.

Earliest Taiwan Special Forces

Taiwan Special Forces Sea Dragons — A recent graduate of the R.O.C. Army’s 101st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion’s 15-week training course has the Sea Dragon Badge shoved into his chest by his instructor. (Republic of China Ministry of National Defense)

The 101st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion is the oldest of the R.O.C. Special Forces units. Stood up in 1949 after the Nationalists retreated from mainland China, the 101st was founded with U.S. assistance. They are also the R.O.C. unit shown in the Facebook video posted by the U.S. Army 1st Special Forces Group.

While they belong to the R.O.C. Army, the 101st is operationally similar to the U.S. Navy SEALS. In a callback to the WWII predecessors of the SEALS, they are also known as “Sea Dragon Frogmen.” Their original role was amphibious reconnaissance and stealth missions on the mainland coast, though now they focus on a defensive role.

The members of the 101st qualify through the 15-week “iron-man road” training course. This has an 80 percent failure rate. Training covers such areas as scuba, underwater explosives, survival in the wild, and hand-to-hand combat. The R.O.C. frogmen also specialize in mountain, airborne and amphibious operations.

Prior to entering the longer course, candidates also have to complete a five-day qualification course that tests their physical endurance.

The Taiwanese government recently invested approximately $13 million on equipment and facility upgrades for the frogmen. New forward operating bases on Penghu and Kinmen islands are meant to bolster rapid response capabilities in the Taiwanese Strait.

Response to Terrorism From Taiwan Special Forces

Founded around 1980, the R.O.C. Army has another special forces unit tasked primarily with counterterrorism. The Airborne Special Service Company (ASSC) has a comparable mission to Delta Force.

While little is publicly disclosed about the ASSC, they were recently the alleged target of Communist espionage. Prosecutors in the case alleged that the ASSC is trained both for counterterrorism and defensive counterstrikes against Communist military leaders.

The unit is also known as the Liang Shan Special Operations Company. It is allegedly based out of Pingtung County.

A 2017 report from the R.O.C. Ministry of National Defense discusses ongoing training for defensive operations involving the ASSC. Along with other special forces units, they are part of the Joint Airborne Task Force. The task force is tasked with both homeland defense and airborne infiltration.

Both the ASSC and the 101st were put under the R.O.C. Army’s Aviation and Special Forces Command (ASFC) around 2007. As of 2010, the total troop strength of the ASFC was 9,500, including 300 women. The ASFC also includes the 601st and 602nd Aviation Brigades, the 603rd Aviation Training Command, and the Air Transport Battalion. The elite ASSC is reported to have approximately 150 personnel.

The ROC Marine Corps’ Role in Taiwan Special Forces

Taiwan Airborne Special Service Company training — Members of the Airborne Special Service Company conduct close-quarters training. (Office of the President, Republic of China)

The R.O.C. Army has the first amphibious special forces set up by the Nationalist Chinese. Yet, they aren’t the only amphibious Taiwan special forces unit. Founded in 1950, the R.O.C. Marine Corps Amphibious Reconnaissance and Patrol Unit (ARP) is almost as old.

The ARP’s 10-week course has a reported attrition rate of about 77 percent. Dubbed “Paradise Road,” the final test has the R.O.C. Marines crawl 50 meters over rock and coral. It’s so rough that, in 2014, the National Legislature felt the need to clarify that it is “necessary training.” Previously, critics had sought to have the final test labeled among “abusive acts.”

With the transition to the ROC Marine Corps from conscription to volunteer, critics alleged that harsh treatment could discourage recruitment. However, the counterargument stands that the kind of recruits the ARP wants would not be discouraged by a nosebleed.

The ARP has underwater demolition and reconnaissance teams. Members have allegedly conducted training with the U.S. Marine Corps on U.S. bases in recent years.

According to the official ARP Facebook page, the brigade falls under the Special Operations Command of the Republic of China (Taiwan).

In recent years, the R.O.C. Ministry of National Defense has also invested in new training facilities for special operations. Approximately $36 million was earmarked in 2018 for the new training facilities, with the majority going to naval installations. A portion will also go toward a joint training facility for use with the R.O.C. Military Police’s special operators — but more on this unit later.

The new training facilities are expected to be operational in 2022, providing both live-fire and computer-simulated training scenarios. They will focus on amphibious and conventional operations, as well as individual combat skills. Training will include airborne and amphibious insertion, as well as hostage-rescue drills covering air, land, and sea scenarios.

The joint training base will have urban environments, with plans for both R.O.C. Military Police and regular police to train in them.

‘Night Hawks’ in the Taiwan Special Forces

Taiwanese Marine Special Forces parade — R.O.C. Marine Corps Amphibious Reconnaissance and Patrol Unit members participate in a parade in Taipei. (Office of the President, Republic of China)

As mentioned above, the R.O.C. Military Police (ROCMP) are their own branch. The military police traces its history to the elite imperial guards of the Chou dynasty. The current branch was founded in 1914 by Sun Yat-sen.

Rather than guarding the emperor, Sun Yat-sen’s military police were tasked with maintaining military discipline. In 1925, Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek increased their numbers and used them in purging Communists from the Kuomintang. The Kuomintang is the Nationalist Party of China that originated with Sun Yat-sen and still dominates politics in Taiwan.

During WWII, the military police even served in conventional combat against the Japanese. With the 1946 outbreak of civil war, the military police served a primarily defensive role, guarding government facilities and officials.

In the 1970s, the Nationalists formed a special operations unit within the R.O.C. Military Police in response to global terrorism. The R.O.C. Military Police Special Services Company, also known as the Night Hawks, were established in 1978.

Their mission is primarily counterterrorism and “anti-atrocity,” though they engage in other traditional special operations missions as well. They also train special-service teams for the nation’s police departments.

During times of civil unrest, the Night Hawks have also performed operations related to maintaining public order, according to the ROCMP website. They continue to operate as a protective force for government officials and conduct counter-smuggling operations related to arms and drugs.

The Night Hawks have been deployed for various civil incidents, including a 1987 prison riot.

The Night Hawks have teams that specialize in attack, sniper operations, and explosives. ROCMP members who wish to join the Night Hawks must complete a nine-month training course.

In 2020, the Ministry of National Defense confirmed that the Night Hawks regularly train with Green Berets on U.S. soil. Additionally, the unit has been tasked with training the special forces of other countries.

Taiwan Special Forces of all Stripes

Taiwanese explosive ordnance robot — Members of the ROC Military Police Special Services Company with an explosive ordnance disposal robot. (Wikimedia Commons)

The special operators of the R.O.C. Army, Marines, and Military Police branches are the most readily recognized and discussed. Yet, they are not the only special operators in the country. Both the ROC Coast Guard Administration and the National Police Agency of Taiwan have their own special forces units.

Hardcore Coasties

The R.O.C. Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) Special Task Unit (STU) is the youngest of the nation’s special forces. The unit marked its 10th anniversary in 2010, and at the time had 52 members. While they are stationed at airports around Taiwan, their training includes scuba and underwater skills.

Like the nation’s other special operators, members of the STU train in multiple martial arts. Their initial training includes a three-month course with the ARP and a two-month course with the Night Hawks.

While efforts to form the unit began in 2000, the CGA website states the STU was fully formed in July 2005. The official mission of the STU is counterterrorism in maritime zones.

However, the STU has also participated in drills with other special forces units to counter attacks on the presidential office. The joint training also covered incursions in coastal zones and waterways. One of the primary defensive concerns for Taiwan is a “decapitation” strike by Communist forces. Such a strike would seek to disable the country by taking out senior leaders ahead of an invasion. This has led to increased emphasis on joint operations and training.

SWAT With Benefits

Taiwanese Coast Guard martial arts drill — Members of the R.O.C. Coast Guard Administration Special Task Unit participate in martial arts drills. (Office of the President, Republic of China)

Last, but certainly not least, there’s the R.O.C.’s National Police Agency Special Operations Group (NPASOG), commonly referred to as the Thunder Squad. The unit participates in training with other Taiwan special operations units; this includes anti-decapitation joint training.

Such joint training exercises include both live-fire and simulated exercises intended to secure the nation against a Communist invasion.

The NPA’s special forces are also known as the Wei’an, or Special Security Service Forces. Their missions include counterterrorism, as well as protecting senior leaders and critical infrastructure. That includes protecting nuclear power facilities and border control.

Yet, the Thunder Squad also takes on a role similar to SWAT teams and riot police. Local police units fulfilling that role are also referred to by the Thunder Squad name. The NPASOG supports local police departments in anti-terrorism operations.

NPASOG has even been on hand for demonstrations related to the legalization of marijuana, and led a manhunt for an armed fugitive.

The NPASOG is also deployed to areas facing high crime rates in order to help restore order.

Taiwan Police special operations group exercise — National Police Agency Special Operations Group members participate in an exercise in 2019. (Office of the President, Republic of China)

My Special Ops Night Halo Jump Gone Bad…

The big engines roared and strained as we climbed up to 15,000 feet over the Arizona desert. The back of the C-130 was splashing a dim red everywhere. The red lights were used at night with no night vision, and green IR lights were used when teams were kitted up with night vision goggles (NVGs).

No goggles for us tonight. We’d jump from 15,000 feet with full combat load. Later, as I’d descend to the desert floor under the canopy, I’d trade the devil my left nut for a pair of NVGs.

Helmet check, oxygen tank, and mask check, front-mounted combat backpack clipped onto our parachute harness secure, check.

The jumpmaster signaled us to get up, the light turned green on the ramp and we got the signal to go. My jump stick waddled to the back like ducks into a pond, only our pond was the black of night.

No moon, high overcast, and no starlight meant the dark of a well diggers arse hole for me and the team.

Off the ramp we waddled out one after the other and dove into darkness.

The forward airspeed of the C130 helped to push you into a stable flying position as we dove out. Small chem lights marked our bodies to identify our stick and take up falling V formation.

I counted eight and slid into my spot near the rear as we descended towards the earth at over 100 miles per hour.

Altimeter 10,000, 7,000, 6,000… slight turn to 35 degrees outward, my hands slid back a bit, legs extended, and I made like I was hugging a barrel. This slowed my descent and I started tracking away from my team.

One one thousand, two, three, four, altimeter check, look, grab, pull with right hand and slightly extend my left arm out to compensate for the pull while falling against the wind.

With a swift and silent snap my canopy was open.

I counted eight again and took up formation to land at our designated spot. But, a small problem had occurred.

I was now at 4,000 feet and still couldn’t see the ground. Three thousand, 2,000, and still nothing but darkness all around me. It was like one of those dark sensory deprivation chambers I’d read about only this chamber had a landing to make.

Passing through 2,000 feet I was starting to line up into the wind with my wrist compass. It was here that I would have made my deal with the devil himself.

One thousand feet I turned base, pulled my quick released to drop my combat pack 10 feet under me, and turned final into the wind and still couldn’t see the ground for shit.

F**k me.

In this situation I knew what to do: feet and knees together, pull my risers to 50 percent, and take it like a man.

“Are my risers at 50 percent? They feel like 30 percent. Shoot, if I pull too much riser I’ll stall my canopy and fall a few hundred feet to certain death, or worse, a wheelchair for life. Maybe a little more riser,” my mind raced as I had this conversation with myself BAM!…. Conversation over.

I felt like that scene in Stephen King’s Misery where that crazy bitch takes a sledgehammer to ankles and hobbles the famous author Paul Sheldon for misbehaving.

The pain was worse in my right leg. I thought it was broken, had a moment with myself, and tried to stand up.

Ok, good, I can put weight on it. It’s not broken but damn me to hell if it didn’t feel like it. It was the kind of sharp turned dull pain you feel when your teeth are pulled in the Navy while you’re awake and the meds wear off after the procedure.

I laid there for 10 minutes taking the pain in like a meditating swami.

Time to go. I grabbed my kit, and limped to the faint lights of the drop zone truck.

Four more night HALO jumps to go.

“Take some motrin and hydrate,” the medic said as he gave me a devilish smile. Some medics make you feel good and some make you want to get the hell out of there quick. This was the latter.

I nailed the rest of my jumps that week like a precision stealth bomber and touched down like a feather on a baby’s ass each time.

Years later I’d find myself looking at an X-ray with an orthopedic surgeon at NYU in Manhattan.

“See that white chip above your right hip? That’s a piece of bone floating because you chipped your hip socket during that landing in 2003.”

The VA hospital refused to give me a service-connected injury for three years. I just got notice last week that they finally acknowledged (after more than four doctor letters, MRIs, and x-rays) the service-connected injury.

One small victory for me but I couldn’t help but wonder about the guys that really need help and don’t get it.

“The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday.”

Heavy Breach Cell: The Secret Weapon of Delta Force

Editor’s Note: Geo’s memoir, “Brothers of the Cloth,” a true account of special mission unit soldiers, has sold out in hardcover and will soon be coming out in paperback! You can keep an eye out for it here.

I’m put squarely in mind of an amazing brother of mine who went by the call sign “Crapshoot.” It is the vision of him I see just past his breaching through an incredibly thick steel vault door with a Broco exothermic plasma torch.

Crapshoot half crawled and then was pulled out of the hole in the door like a rat. His face was black and he was coughing, having pulled his gas mask off at some point during his ordeal. He had crawled in there with a full leather welder’s apron on over his combat load. It hung down to his knees and was spattered with slag burns.

His hair and mustache were singed and he had smoke coming off him… somehow. He was helped up and sat down with his back up against the concrete bunker. One man was left to stay with him while he rested for a spell and traded the contents of his lungs for actual air. He cradled his rifle in the crooks of his elbows like a man whose hands were burned.

One by one we wormed through the hole in the gargantuan portal door. We all regarded Crapshoot in a positive manner as we passed him: a sap on the leg or the shoulder, a punch in the arm, and a compliment for a job well done. Crapshoot had an imitation grin on his face, but otherwise closed eyes that were so glad to be done fencing with a demon for the last 20 minutes.

A cartoon I did in honor of Crapshoot’s breach through a vault door. It depicts him standing with welders leathers and mask (A-TM) offering to assist our 2-Troop with their share of the breach.

Those were the days of the inception of the Hardened Deeply-Buried Targets (HDBT) problems. The target set that included hunting and accessing nuclear weapons cached in deep underground structures was a unique one, and we had to invent a way to cope with approaching and destroying such threats.

With already full plates on our hands, the HDBT problem was a heaping ladleful of mashed potatoes that started to flow over the edges of those plates. I distinctly remember thinking of my brothers and me as engines that the unit kept trying to put bigger and bigger transmissions on. And when the transmissions weren’t spinning fast enough they just kept trying to soup-up that same engine time and time again — eventually, that engine is going to throw a rod and blow!

It is not unusual for a thrown rod to actually punch through an engine block, especially if the engine is a Japanese POS like this.

If Rod Serling will imagine, we have a fully kitted-out operator ready to lay down some original smoking scunion. Now he has to affect heavy breach operations — how much more can be piled onto this guy?

We practiced chopping through heavy steel vault doors and several feet of reinforced concrete wall — and doing it all while down in bottomless holes and (seemingly) endless tunnels and drifts. So many problems are associated with that sort of work.

In the realm of being nearly overburdened with equipment, all paratroopers are familiar with this painful trudge from their impact point on a Drop Zone (DZ) to a Rally Point (RP); in some cases, the trudge can be thousands of meters — Airborne All The Way!

The atmosphere deep underground may be poisonous or nonexistent; we had to wear open-circuit pressed air or closed-circuit oxygen rebreather systems — all heavy and cumbersome affairs. Now, a breacher wielding a welding torch has to drape himself in a full posture of leather floor-length aprons to be protected against molten slag. Everything was hot and heavy and men keeled over out “cold” from overheating. It was dangerous work, I’m here to tell you.

A closed-circuit rebreathing apparatus used in the mining industry.

Every heavy breach seemed to sport its own personality, each being a major brain-buster to defeat, as well as a physical nightmare to tackle. The buzz phrase for every event became:

“HOLY CRAP — NOW WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO??”

Beyond learning the function of the breaching tools, systems, and apparatus, the pattern of maneuver was on us to figure out. As with most special operators, the temptation was very often too great for the pipe hitters who were responsible for pulling security while the brothers breached. Security kept letting themselves get sucked into the breaching work like they were on the Event Horizon of a Goddamned Black Hole!

I mean some folks might be happy as a pig in shit that they are not caught up in a particular struggle within their eyeshot, but pipe-hitters seeing their bros having a tough time with a thing are all in. “Sucks being you” is an expression that is vigorously filtered through the Unit’s personnel firewall. Indeed, it occurs to me that I may have never heard: “Hey, can you give us a hand over here?” a phrase that is simply not necessary with pipe-hitters.

Delta brothers all pitched in to help dig out Gear-King Markey-Mark “COS” Stephens when his gear collapsed on him in our team room.

The matter ultimately came down to this: the men can no longer be expected to fight and breach. The decision was clear, though it gave rise to the next problem — how to remedy that issue into a cogent solution. The answer in, my what-it’s-worth, opinion was brilliant: We outsource all our breaching to the Chinese! I’m absolutely kidding about the Chinese; I actually wouldn’t even outsource rectal boil lancing to those haters.

The Unit formed another internal group that was to be the dedicated heavy breach cell. The men to handle the work (this was the brilliant part) were 18-Charlie Engineer sergeants from the Green Beret (GB) Groups. It was a stellar deal for the GB Engineers who wanted to be in the Unit but were not necessarily able to pass the Selection and Assessment trials. It also provided a sergeant major with a leadership position to fill, thus allowing him to remain in the Unit.

Such was the fate of a master sergeant (MSG) getting promoted to sergeant major (SGM, Smadge) in Delta. There was no guarantee that there would be a position in the Unit for the new SGM, resulting in him being reassigned outside the Unit — even back to Big Army! That horrifying threat alone was enough to make a brother resort to snorting crushed glass.

A photo of me snorting some lines of crushed glass rather than going back to Big Army.

The new 18-Charlie GB engineer pipe-hitters did a bang-up (no pun intended) job. Well, they did an absolutely remarkable job at an ultimately stellar level. Not only did you have a shit-hot team of heavy breacher bubbas, you still had all the treasure trove of skills and abilities that Green Berets — arguably the most versatile race of people on the planet — bring to every situation.

“By George (no relation), I do believe I am one brilliant son-of-a-bitch!” suggested the Unit commander regarding his decision to establish the heavy breach cell.

“Yes Sir, I do believe you are ready for the post-examination!” brown-nosed his suck-up executive officer.

“How did the breaching get done before the heavy breach cell came to the Unit,” a junior operator once asked me.

“We did it ourselves — we had to. We slung our assault rifles and we breached,” I replied to the incredulous little brother.

It sucked, really (REALLY) truly sucked, but I’m glad I was involved at the inception of the heavy breaching capability. I respect my time standing around in pissing rain with 70 lbs of assault kit and breaching gear hanging off me while staring at a failed breach:

“HOLY CRAP — NOW WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO??”

In fact, the huge concrete core-cutter barrel did grind its way through the approximately three feet of solid concrete. The cutter was shaped like a huge three-foot hardened steel cup that mounted to the wall hydraulically, spinning and cutting deeper into the concrete as we dumped a steady stream of water into the hollow of the cut. It was a welterweight chore to keep it running.

A large core-cutter barrel mounted to anchor rails above it spins hydraulically and cuts into the concrete barrier.

“WATER UP!” and a pipe hitter with gat slung across his back came jogging up toting five-gallon water cans — one in each hand.

“HEY, YOU PHUQRZ NEED TO GET BACK ON SECURITY — DROP THOSE WATER CANS!”

With the cut complete the core cutter barrel was yanked out of the hole, but the concrete core slid right out of the barrel and lay there in the hole like a giant plug — enter:

“HOLY CRAP — NOW WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO??”

“By God… that is enough!” hissed the Grinch.

The Grinch (L) seen here in Iraq with sorely-missed, dearly-departed brother Tom Greer AKA Dalton Fury AKA Red Fly.

The Grinch, who was always already pissed off from the very beginning of EVERYTHING, had had enough. He stomped over to a Pinzgauer and started thrashing around with lumber and cargo straps. He configured (I am not shitting you) a battering ram with a 4 x 4 wooden beam strapped firm to the bed of the Gauer protruding about three feet past the edge of the Gauer.

“STAND CLEAR!” someone hollered as the brothers pulled back away from the wall. Grinch backed the Gauer until the ram was just touching the concrete plug. He lined up, then pulled forward about 40 feet, put it in reverse and — slowly at first then picking up speed — he headed at a healthy clip toward the wall aiming for the plug.

6 x 6-wheel drive Austrian Pinzgauer rough terrain vehicle.

The grinch spanked the plug hard and popped it right through and into the building with a helluva din. It had taken one shot, just one shot — badass Grinch!

“I hope nobody was standing in front of that thing!” I shouted to the grinch in the pissing rain.

“I do!” the Grinch certainly shouted back at me with a look on his face that was just a smidge south of enchanting.

We pipe-hitters threw breaching gear away, snatched our gats forward, flung a baker’s bushel of bangers into the gaping hole, and started pouring through the tunnel in the wall, heads-first, spitting lead.

In Delta, it was good to be king, even while snaking through a concrete tunnel in the pissing rain.

Breach affected through a solid concrete wall with a core-cutter saw.

By Almighty God and with honor,
geo sends

My brother MSG Gaetano “Guido” Cutino (KIA) languishing momentarily in the bed of our breaching Pinzgauer.

So, You Want to Be a Part-Time Navy SEAL? There’s a Way

Believe it or not, being in special operations can be a part-time endeavor. The Army, Navy, and Air Force all have reserve and/or national guard special operations units at their disposal. These “part-time” units give people the unique opportunity to serve in America’s elite forces while still being able to maintain their civilian careers and lifestyles.

The 19th and 20th Special Forces Group make up the Army National Guard’s special operations units. Individuals that receive a National Guard Special Forces contract are required to go through the same Special Forces Qualifications Course (SFQC) as their active-duty counterparts. A National Guard member going through Special Forces training is placed on “active duty” during their time at SFQC and must complete the entire pipeline before they return to National Guard status. National Guard units stay extremely busy and take part in deployment rotation just as active-duty Special Forces units do.

3rd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group operators (3/20th)

The Navy consists of NSW and EOD reserve units. The NSW reserve units are SEAL Team 17 and SEAL Team 18. These two teams are comprised of both SEALs and SWCCs. The majority of the SEALs and SWCCs at these units are prior active duty members that transferred to the reserves upon completion of their active duty commitment. But, some sailors are able to obtain an NSW contract while in the reserves and upon completion of training are assigned directly to a reserve SEAL Team. EOD operators are similar to their NSW brothers, with most being active duty service members before their transfer to the reserves. The NSW and EOD reserve units are also on a constant deployment rotation. Usually, reservist operators are mobilized for a year. The first three to six months are used for pre-deployment training and the f0llowing six to nine months are the actual deployment, which could be anywhere in the world.

The Air Force’s special operations career fields, Pararescue (PJs) and Combat Control Teams (CCTs), Special Reconnaissance (SR), and Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) have Air Force National Guard and Reserve units. Like the Army, individuals are able to enlist into the Air Force National Guard or Reserves and directly enter into a special operations training pipeline. Upon completion of PJ, CCT, SR, or TACP training, operators are assigned to their respective units.

The Pararescue community has many Rescue Wings (Guardian Angels) assigned to both the Air Force National Guard and the Air Force Reserves. The Combat Control Teams only have two Special Tactics Squadrons under the Air National Guard. These units have a wide array of responsibilities, ranging from domestic operations to deploying to combat zones downrange.

If an individual has the burning desire to become a member of the United States Special Operations Command, but still wants a “normal” life, becoming a special operator in the reserves or National Guard could be the perfect blend.

The Navy SEALs You Didn’t See in ‘Black Hawk Down’

The Battle of Mogadishu is one of the most infamous and controversial engagements in modern U.S. military history. The battle has been documented in books and film, most notably the 2001 film Black Hawk Down. The film depicts the Rangers, Delta operators, 160th SOAR pilots, and Air Force Pararescuemen that made up the ill-fated Task Force Ranger. Even the 10th Mountain Division and Pakistani UN Peacekeepers were mentioned and depicted respectively. However, the film does not depict or even refer to the Navy SEALs from the elite SEAL Team Six that joined the raid on October 3, 1993, all of whom received Silver Stars for their actions during the battle.

HT1 Howard Wasdin enlisted in the Navy in 1983 as an antisubmarine warfare operator and rescue swimmer. He served with distinction in Anti-Submarine Squadron 7 (HS-7) and even survived a helicopter crash over water before he re-enlisted to attend BUD/S. Wasdin graduated with Class 143 in July 1987 and was assigned to SEAL Team Two in Little Creek, Virginia. He completed deployments to Europe and the Middle East during the Gulf War before he volunteered for the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, better known as SEAL Team Six, in November 1991. Wasdin completed an eight-month specialized selection and training course to join DEVGRU and later completed the USMC Scout Sniper Course.

In August 1993, Wasdin deployed to Mogadishu with three other snipers from SEAL Team Six and their skipper, Commander Eric Thor Olson, as part of Task Force Ranger. The special task force’s primary mission was to capture the warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid who had been attacking UN supply convoys and food distribution centers. The task force also included Air Force Combat Controllers who, like the SEALs, were omitted from the 2001 film.

Navy SEALs Black Hawk Down Wasdin — Wasdin (second from the left) with the rest of the DEVRGU sniper team. (Photo by Howard Wasdin)

In the time leading up to the October 3 raid, Wasdin and the other SEALs conducted a number of missions in and around Mogadishu. On the day of the raid, the four-man team returned to the airfield from setting up CIA repeaters in the town to find the task force gearing up. The intel driving the raid had developed earlier in the day and the mission was planned quickly.

The SEALs received the hour to hour-and-a-half-long mission brief from Cdr. Olson in just a few minutes. “You’ll be part of a blocking force. Delta will rope in and assault the building. You guys will grab the prisoners. Then get out of there,” Cdr. Olson said, slapping Wasdin on the shoulder. “Shouldn’t take long. Good luck. See you when you get back.” With that, the SEALs, and three soldiers joined the convoy of trucks and drove into the city.

Not long into the mission, the convoy received sporadic fire. The SEALs’ Humvee, referred to as a “cutvee,” had no roof, doors, or windows. The only protection that it offered was the iron engine block and a Kevlar ballistic blanket underneath the vehicle. Neither of these was able to protect one SEAL, known as Little Big Man, from taking a round on the way to the target building. “Aw hell, I’m hit!” He shouted. Wasdin pulled over to check his buddy out and found no blood. Rather, he saw Little Big Man’s broken custom Randall knife and a large red mark on his leg. The knife, strapped to Little Big Man’s leg, had absorbed most of the bullet’s energy and prevented it from entering the SEAL’s leg.

The convoy made it to the target building and the SEALs joined their assigned blocking position with the Rangers and Delta operators as the Delta assaulters infilled on the roof. Wasdin engaged a handful of enemy snipers with his CAR-15 for 30 minutes before the call came over the radio to return to the convoy. It was then that he took a ricochet to the back of his left knee. “For a moment, I couldn’t move,” he recalled. “The pain surprised me, because I had reached a point in my life when I really thought I was more than human.” Wasdin’s SEAL teammate, nicknamed Casanova, quickly neutralized two militia fighters as Air Force CCT Dan Schilling dragged Wasdin to safety for a medic to patch him back up.

Navy SEALs Black Hawk Down Task Force Ranger — (Kneeling, left to right) Little Big Man, Casanova, Wasdin, and Sourpuss, with other operators of Task Force Ranger (Howard Wasdin)

Thirty-seven minutes into the routine mission, a call came over the radio that changed the mission, and Wasdin’s life. “Super Six One down.” CW3 Cliff “Elvis” Wolcott’s bird had been shot down by an RPG, turning the raid into a rescue mission. Wasdin hopped back behind the wheel and the SEALs joined the convoy to secure Wolcott’s crash site. Holding the wheel with his left hand, Wasdin returned fire with his CAR-15 in his right hand.

On the way to the crash site, five Somali women walked up to the roadside shoulder to shoulder, their colorful robes stretched out to their sides. When a Humvee reached them, they pulled their robes to reveal four militia fighters underneath. The militia opened fire on the soldiers. Seeing this, Wasdin flicked his CAR-15’s selector switch to full-auto and emptied a 30-round magazine into all nine Somalis. “Better to be judged by twelve than carried by six,” he said of the incident. Shortly after, the call came over the radio that CW3 Mike Durant’s Super Six Four had also been shot down. With two birds down, ammunition running low, casualties mounting, and an entire city out to kill Americans, things looked grim for the men of Task Force Ranger.

To make matters worse, the convoluted communication network between the observation aircraft, the JOC, the C2 bird, and the convoy leader was further mired by the misunderstanding of sending the convoy to the closest crash site rather than the first crash site. This led to the bullet-ridden convoy going literally in circles and passing the target building that they raided at the start of the mission.

Randy Shughart Gary Gordon — Sgt. First Class Randy Shughart and Master Sgt. Gary Gordon were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for trying to rescue Mike Durant before they were overrun (U.S. Army)

Even the AH-6J Little Birds providing direct fire support from the air were feeling the strain of the not-so routine mission. “We’re Winchestered,” one pilot told Wasdin as he called for air support. With no ammunition left, the Little Bird pilots flew low over the enemy positions in order to draw the attention of the militia fighters skyward and off the beleaguered convoy. “The pilots didn’t just do that once. They did it at least six times that I remember,” Wasdin said, recalling the bravery of the Night Stalkers. “Our Task Force 160 pilots were badass, offering themselves up as live targets, saving our lives.”

Contact was so heavy that Wasdin ran out of 5.56 for his CAR-15, including the ammo given to him by the wounded Rangers in the back of his cutvee, forcing him to draw his 9mm Sig Sauer sidearm. As the convoy slowed, a militia fighter emerged from a doorway with an AK-47. Wasdin and the fighter exchanged rounds. The first double-tap from the Sig missed and the fighter put a round through Wasdin’s right shinbone before a second double-tap put the fighter down.

His right leg hanging on by a thread, Wasdin switched seats with Casanova and continued to return fire with his sidearm despite the incredible pain. Five to 10 minutes later, Wasdin was wounded a third time, taking a round to his left ankle. “My emotions toward the enemy rocketed off the anger scale,” Wasdin recalled. “Suddenly, I realized I was in trouble.” As the convoy pressed on, the SEAL cutvee hit a landmine. Though the occupants were protected by the Kevlar blanket, the explosion brought the vehicle to a halt. With three holes in him, Wasdin thought of his family and likened his situation to one of his favorite films, The Alamo. Not willing to give up without a fight, he continued to return fire. “Physically, I couldn’t shoot effectively enough to kill anyone at that point,” Wasdin said. “I had used up two of Casanova’s pistol magazines and was down to my last.”

As if scripted in a movie, the Quick Reaction Force soon arrived to extract the battered convoy from the city. With the arrival of the QRF, the militia fighters retreated and gave the convoy a much-needed reprieve. “Be careful with him,” Casanova said as he helped load Wasdin onto one of the QRF’s deuce-and-a-half trucks. “His right leg is barely hanging on.” The convoy returned to the airfield without further incident.

Battle of Mogadishu — The only picture taken on the ground during the battle (U.S. Army)

The scene at the base was unreal. Dozens of American bodies laid out on the runway as medics tried to sort out the most critically wounded. “A Ranger opened a Humvee tailgate — blood flowed out like water.” The sight enraged Wasdin who itched for payback. Many of the chieftains in the Aidid militia, anticipating the revenge that Wasdin and his brothers sought, fled Mogadishu. Some even offered to flip on Aidid to save themselves. “Four fresh SEAL Team Six snipers from Blue Team were on their way to relieve us. Delta’s Alpha Squadron was gearing up to relieve Charlie Squadron. A new batch of Rangers was coming, too.” Ultimately, there would be no counteroffensive.

With the broadcast of the results of the battle on American televisions, the Clinton administration feared the negative publicity that further operations could bring. “In spite of the gains, President Clinton saw our sacrifices as losses,” Wasdin recalled angrily. “He ordered all actions against Aidid stopped.” Four months later, all prisoners taken by Task Force Ranger were released.

On what should have been a routine snatch-and-grab operation, special operators were left exposed and eventually trapped by thousands of Somali militia fighters. Conducting the raid in the afternoon without the cover of darkness removed one of the biggest advantages that the operators had. Sending them into the city without armored fighting vehicles or Spectre gunships further reduced the American technological advantage. For warriors like Wasdin though, the ultimate defeat was not finishing the job.