SpecOps

Seventeen Rangers Added to Ranger Hall of Fame at Ft. Benning

An Army Ranger team leader who led a convoy during the fierce battle known as Black Hawk Down in Mogadishu, Somalia, who is now Columbus, GA chaplain is among 17 Rangers that were inducted Wednesday into the Ranger Hall of Fame at Fort Benning.

The Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade and the 75th Ranger Regiment hosted the annual event at Ft. Benning. After the ceremony, photos and citations of the inductees were displayed in the Ranger Hall of Fame at the Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade in Harmony Church.

The inductees to be honored are: Chaplain Jeffery D. Struecker, Sgt. Maj. Tyrone J. Adderly, Command Sgt. Maj. Frank G. Ashe, 1st Sgt. Herbert M. Baugh, 1st Sgt. Ronald W. Grenier, Master Sgt. Gilbert H. Howland, Staff Sgt. Ronnie N. Imel, Command Sgt. Maj. Richard C. Lamb, Maj. Larry D. Moores, Brig. Gen. James C. Nixon, U.S. Navy Lt. Thomas R. Norris, Master Sgt. Leroy A. Petry, 1st Sgt. Michael J. Ramsey, Sgt Maj. John W. Roy, Command Sgt. Maj. Charles W. Thompson, Lt. Gen. John R. Vines and Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew C. Walker.
The Hall of Fame has recognized the contributions of Rangers since 1992 by honoring and preserving the spirit of America’s finest soldiers. Representing and era of Ranger history, inductees are selected impartially from Ranger units and associations.
To become eligible for the nomination, each soldier must be a successful graduate of the U.S. Army Ranger School, be deceased, separated or retired from active-duty military service for at least three years and served in a Ranger unit in combat.
Struecker is now lead pastor at Cavalry Baptist Church in Columbus. As a 24-year-old sergeant, he was a squad leader assigned to Task Force Ranger in 1993 as part of the 75th Ranger Regiment. While facing intense fire in the Battle of Mogadishu, Struecker led the three-vehicle convoy back to the base with wounded Ranger Pvt. Todd Blackburn.

“Ranger School was an introduction into manhood and a rite of passage”, said Adderly, who was personally awarded the Distinguished Service Cross by then President Richard Nixon. Adderly a Green Beret participated in the Son Tay Raid to rescue American Prisoners of War in North Vietnam. It is listed as one of the 10 greatest raids in military history.

“At Ranger School, I came to understand fully what maximum effort is about,” Adderly said. “Either you want to be or you don’t want to be.”

To read the entire article from Ledger-Enquirer, click here:

Photo courtesy US Army

Iraqi PM Declares End of “ISIS Caliphate” in Iraq

Although only a symbolic landmark, the Iraqi government has captured a destroyed mosque in the heart of ISIS’ de facto capital of Mosul. Iraq’s government declared victory over ISIS on Thursday.

The eight-month siege of Mosul by Iraqi troops, who have been fighting their way through Mosul have seized the Grand al-Nuri Mosque on Wednesday. That was considered the heart of the Daesh (Iraqi term for ISIS) caliphate.

US coalition sources believe that the fighting for Mosul will be over in days now rather than weeks.

Though destroyed by ISIS fighters, the capture of the 850-year-old mosque is considered a huge symbolic victory to Iraqis. It is where the Islamic State announced its caliphate almost three years ago.
“The return of Nuri mosque and minaret of Hadba today after being [destroyed] by ISIS marks the end of Daesh State falsehood,” Iraq Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in a statement, using the Arabic acronym for the terror group. “We will continue chasing ISIS until we kill and arrest [every] last one of them.”
While the Iraqi government appears assured of its victory, there is still fighting in areas of Mosul populated by civilians. Between 15,000 and 20,000 noncombatants are trapped in the Old Mosul neighborhood, which still needs to be cleared, according to Joint Operation Command spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Rasool.
“Iraqi forces have liberated the Nuri mosque and advanced in the depth of Old Mosul neighborhood,” Rasool said.
ISIS now controls less than a square mile inside of Mosul, but there were indications of forward momentum inside the city.
About 300 ISIS fighters remained in the Old City, according to the Associated Press.

ISIS controls a small, densely populated area west of the city. And as many as 2500 ISIS fighters remain in the Syrian city of Raqqa. But while the capture of the Nuri mosque is largely symbolic, the ISIS stronghold of Mosul is now almost completely back in Iraqi government control.

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

Photo courtesy DOD

SOF Selection PT Preparation 6.30.2017

It is the start of a long weekend for some and it is our Leg Day at the gym. Start with Squats – (front, dumbbell goblet, and barbell), then some Lunges and the Weighted Sled Push. Follow it all up with a five-mile run. Mark your progress down in your workout log book and stretch well after the session.

Training:

Continue to prep for the UBRR.

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

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

3 x 10 Barbell Squats

3 x 10 Dumbbell Lunges

3 x 10 Romanian Lunges

3 x Weighted Sled Push

5-mile run

Stretch well after completion

Remembering Navy SEAL Michael P. Murphy, Medal of Honor 6/28/2005

On June 28, 2005, Navy SEAL LT Michael P. Murphy would perform heroic actions that would result in his being awarded the Medal of Honor. It would also cost him his life in the process, in one of the bloodiest days in the history of the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and the SEALs.

Murphy was killed in action while taking part in a kill or capture mission in Afghanistan during Operation Red Wings. He was a member of SEAL Delivery Team Vehicle Team ONE as the commander of Alpha Platoon and was deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Operation Red Wings was a counter-insurgency mission in Kunar Province, Afghanistan. The mission was for Murphy along with SEALs Danny Dietz, Matthew Axelson, and Marcus Luttrell to locate and then either kill or capture Afghan top resistance leader, Ahmad Shah (code name Ben Sharmak), who commanded a large group of insurgents west of Asadabad.

The follow-on missions of Operation Red Wings after the neutralization of the target and his insurgent group were for the US Marines in the area to pacify and improve the stability of the Afghan villages in the area.

The team was inserted by helicopter using a fast rope technique and covering the insertion near the border of Pakistan by conducting a series of false insertions to throw off any Taliban or insurgent forces in the area.

The crew chief of the MH-47 Chinook helicopter cut the fast rope away as soon as the SEALs inserted which would leave evidence of a US unit on the ground. Murphy and Axelson did their best to cover the rope with vegetation but the mission was off to an ominous start.

The mountainous area immediately posed problems with the team’s communications. The team had eschewed the more powerful and heavier PRC-117 radio for the lighter PRC-148 MBITR with a satellite link back to their headquarters.

The team moved to near the summit of Sawtalo Sar which offered them good observation of the village where the target was thought to be located but little cover and concealment. There just before dawn, a fog rolled in, obscuring their view. Murphy decided to find another site and he and Axelson went in search of one.

They returned and moved the team to the new site about 1000 yards away which offered better observation for the snipers but was even more exposed. Worse, there was only one way in and out and if compromised, the team would have to shoot its way out.

The team was in position when about noon, three Afghan goat herders with 100 goats wandered into the SEALs position. They were quickly rounded up and detained. The team sent a message back to their headquarters that they had been “soft compromised” which meant by civilians, not Taliban.

After a short discussion on their options, Murphy decided to cut them loose. “We gotta let them go,” he said according to Luttrell. Once the goat herders disappeared down the mountain, the SEALs gathered their gear and double-timed as quickly as possible back to their original position to continue the mission.

About two hours later the SEALs heard movement above and to the left of their position. Shah’s men had been alerted and were using the terrain to their advantage. He had a group of insurgents of around 40 men armed with AK-47s and RPGs.

With the Taliban closing only about 20 yards from their position, the SEALs opened fire. With superior numbers and the terrain at their advantage, the insurgents began to flank the vastly outnumbered SEAL team. Dietz had managed to alert Bagram air base that the team had been hard compromised by armed insurgents which set in motion a rescue force being alerted. But the team had no way of knowing if the message had gotten through.

The team was forced to retreat down a steep, rocky slope and they half-slid, half-fell down to a rocky ledge where they re-organized. Murphy had been shot in the abdomen, Dietz had his thumb shot off.

The fire from the insurgents increased and the team leaped to another rocky ledge 30 feet below. Dietz was shot two more times and was dead, and the SEALs were forced to leave him behind. Axelson was shot in the chest and the head.

Murphy knew that their situation was desperate, he took out his satellite phone but the signal was blocked. The only way he could make contact was to get out in the open in plain view of the insurgents. Knowing what was going to happen, he moved.

With bullets peppering the rocks around him, Murphy got through to Bagram. “My men are taking heavy fire. We’re getting picked apart. My guys are dying out here . . . we need help.”

Just then a bullet tore through his back and went out his chest, causing him to drop the phone. He picked it up and said, “Roger that, sir. Thank you.” Seconds later, in a position above Axelson and Luttrell, he was fatally wounded. An RPG explosion blew Luttrell down the slope and his last view of Axelson was him using his pistol.

The rescue force of two MH-47s carrying SEALs, Blackhawk helicopters and Apache gunships were on the way. But they ran into heavy gunfire. An RPG fired from an insurgent went right in the open rear compartment door of the MH-47 Chinook, causing it to crash into a ravine, killing all eight SEALs and eight aircrews from the 160^th Special Operations Aviation Regiment onboard. Operation Red Wings had become a disaster.

Luttrell was discovered by a friendly villager and following the centuries-old custom of Pashtunwali, the villager brought Luttrell suffering from numerous wounds to his village where he was protected from the Taliban under the Pashtun code of melmastia. One of the village elders brought a note from Luttrell to the nearest US base, a Marine encampment, describing his plight. A rescue force of US Army Rangers then rescued Luttrell, five days after the team initially began the mission on July 2.

On July 4, 2005, Murphy’s remains were found by a group of American soldiers during a combat search and rescue operation and returned to the United States. Nine days later, on July 13, Murphy was buried with full military honors at Calverton National Cemetery, Calverton, New York, Section 67, Grave No. 3710, less than 20 miles from his childhood home

Murphy’s parents were awarded his Medal of Honor by President George Bush on October 22, 2007. There have been numerous places and awards honoring the sacrifice of Murphy, but perhaps the best was a naming of a US Navy ship in his name. The Arleigh Burke Class Destroyer (DDG-112) was named the USS Michael Murphy.

Murphy’s heroism and self-sacrifice were portrayed in the films “Lone Survivor” and “Murph the Protector”.

Medal of Honor Citation: During his speech with Murphy’s parents in attendance, President Bush read Murphy’s Medal of Honor citation:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life and above and beyond the call of duty as the leader of a special reconnaissance element with Naval Special Warfare task unit Afghanistan on 27 and 28 June 2005.
While leading a mission to locate a high-level anti-coalition militia leader, Lieutenant Murphy demonstrated extraordinary heroism in the face of grave danger in the vicinity of Asadabad, Kunar Province, Afghanistan. On 28 June 2005, operating in an extremely rugged enemy-controlled area, Lieutenant Murphy’s team was discovered by anti-coalition militia sympathizers, who revealed their position to Taliban fighters. As a result, between 30 and 40 enemy fighters besieged his four-member team.

Demonstrating exceptional resolve, Lieutenant Murphy valiantly led his men in engaging the large enemy force. The ensuing fierce firefight resulted in numerous enemy casualties, as well as the wounding of all four members of the team. Ignoring his own wounds and demonstrating exceptional composure, Lieutenant Murphy continued to lead and encourage his men. When the primary communicator fell mortally wounded, Lieutenant Murphy repeatedly attempted to call for assistance for his beleaguered teammates. Realizing the impossibility of communicating in the extreme terrain, and in the face of almost certain death, he fought his way into open terrain to gain a better position to transmit a call.

This deliberate, heroic act deprived him of cover, exposing him to direct enemy fire. Finally achieving contact with his headquarters, Lieutenant Murphy maintained his exposed position while he provided his location and requested immediate support for his team. In his final act of bravery, he continued to engage the enemy until he was mortally wounded, gallantly giving his life for his country and for the cause of freedom. By his selfless leadership, Lieutenant Murphy reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

Photos courtesy of US Navy

Philippine Insurgents Beheading Civilians in ISIS Stronghold

As the fighting in the Philippine city of Marawi continues, the Islamist rebels have been accused of decapitating civilians. The military has reported that they’ve recovered five civilians who were murdered by rebels and reports that more atrocities are bound to occur as the military wrests control back from the insurgents.

Philippines military members discovered the five decapitated victims among the 17 bodies that have been recovered in Marawi so far. The battle for the city has been ongoing for five weeks as insurgents loyal to the Islamic State are now beginning to try to escape the city as the military noose tightens.

The claim has not been verified by third party personnel yet but that has been the modus operandi for the IS insurgents.

Seventy-one security force personnel and 299 militants have been killed and 246,000 people displaced in the conflict, which erupted after a failed attempt on 23 May to arrest a Filipino militant commander backed by Isis’s leadership.
President Rodrigo Duterte promised to destroy the militants in Marawi and said the Philippines was now dealing with “a very dangerous situation” due to young Muslims inspired by the “mass insanity” of Isis.
“All they do is just to kill and destroy, and killing in a most brutal way,” he said at an event where he received hundreds of sniper and assault rifles donated by China to help the military campaign in Marawi.
“They enjoy decapitating people in front of cameras. They have to be dealt with, with the same ferocity but not the brutality,” he said.
The information about the beheadings came via a text message to reporters from Lt Cnl Emmanuel Garcia of the Western Mindanao Command.

Now fears that the insurgent group is freely crossing into the Philippines from Malaysia and Indonesia have the governments there worrying that the insurgent group may have a larger presence in those two countries than previously thought.

To read the entire article from the Guardian, click here:

Photo courtesy SOFREP

SOF Selection PT Preparation 6.29.2017

Back to the gym this morning for a Chest and Triceps workout before heading out for a 4-mile run. Remember to stretch well before and after and to stay hydrated. Mark your progress down in your workout log book.

Training:

More Preparation for the UBRR:

3 x 12 Bench Press

3 x 10 Dumbbell Flies

3 x 10 Dumbbell Incline Press

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

3 x 10 ‘V’ Ups

3 x 20 Sit ups

3 x 20 Cable Push Downs (rope)

3 x 20 Dips or until muscle failure

4-mile run

Stretch well after completion

“Those Green Berets Sure Taught You How to Shoot Straight”

“No, sir. This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.”
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

Sometimes having a reputation can work against you and then there are others when you just do your job and move on. And then there are those times you get treated like a rock star, say nothing and smile at karma . How so? Read on.

Back in the day, I was on a Mountain Team in the 1^st Bn. 7^th Special Forces Group. Our company was going on a deployment to Honduras. And our team’s mission was to train the Anti-Tank troops of the Sexto (6^th) Infantry Battalion that was deployed near the border of Nicaragua. The Hondurans had requested our support specifically for this unit.

These troops had a real-world mission as the threat of Nicaraguan invasion was very real in those days. In fact, they had a few border skirmishes with their neighbors as the borders were slightly ill-defined. The Nicaraguans had crossed the border inadvertently on several occasions while hammering it out with the Contras. (Remember them? See Ollie North, Iran/Contra) And yes it was inadvertent. We were there for the “invasion” during Operation Golden Pheasant.

Since the Nicaraguans had armor, the Anti-Tank troops were the first line of defense. They were constantly being tested had recently put on a firepower demonstration for the Estado Mayor (General Staff) of the military with their Vietnam-era M-40 106mm Recoilless Rifles that were combined jeep mounted and fixed on the ground and fired 50 rounds down range and hit nothing…not one single target.

Our guys who visited the base for a site survey didn’t get to meet or talk with any of the Anti-Tank unit. They’d been alerted en masse and were sent to the border. They only spoke with the Battalion’s commander and training officer. That was a big detriment to mission planning.

We were told to expect a nightmare. The anti-armor unit that can’t hit water out of a boat with a 106mm. For those unfamiliar with the M-40 106mm RR, it was a great short-range weapon that was actually a 105mm but the designation changed during the Korean War because the ammunition was not compatible with the failed M-27 design.

The M-40 had an M-8C .50 caliber spotting rifle attached to the top. The spotting rifle fires a round whose trajectory is nearly that of the 106mm round and gives off a puff of smoke on impact with the target. The system used a spotting rifle because the back blast of the main gun left such a signature, that a first-round hit was essential.

On the left (gunner’s) side, there is an elevating wheel, in the center of which is the trigger wheel used to fine adjust the elevation and at the same time firing the spotting rifle when pulled, and the main gun when pushed.

The weapon is mounted on a tripod, but the front leg has a wheel. On top of the mount is a traverse wheel. On the center of the traverse wheel is a locking wheel, when the wheel is down, the rifle is locked in traverse, and can only be moved right and left with the traverse wheel. When the wheel is raised, the rifle can be traversed by hand.

The 106mm RR fired HE (High Explosive), HEAT (High Explosive Anti-Tank), and an APERS (High Explosive Anti-personnel) that fired flechette rounds. There were other types of ammunition but no other type was available for the Honduran troops at that time. The rear end of the cartridge case is perforated, to allow the propellant gas to escape through the vented breech, thus neutralizing recoil. The 106mm RR could penetrate 12 inches of cold rolled steel at 300 meters. The .50 caliber ammo was not the standard issue for the M2 machine gun. But was shorter and specially designed to mimic the flight path of the main gun ammunition.

The weapon was bore sighted by using a cut-down 106mm round with a subcaliber .30 caliber round inserted. This would come into play much later.

The team prepared by making some coordination with JFKSWC (Special Warfare Center) Weapons Committee. They gave an excellent block of instruction on the 106 and got every member of the team up to standard on the operation, maintenance, and crew drills. We could each perform all the functions of a crew member, boresight the weapon and were then each comfortable enough to teach it to the Honduran troops.

We got to spend a couple of days on the range and put some steel on targets. Range control got really pissed when they specifically told us that an old school bus was danger close and off limits to us shooting at. And of course, one of our guys (I’ll never tell), put a flechette round into it. When the range control guys returned, the bus was still smoking and looked like Swiss cheese. Range Control was hot enough to spit flames at our team leader, but sometimes it is better to beg forgiveness than to ask permission.

We were ready. Our team nearly filled a C-141 with 106mm ammo with a slew of .50 caliber spotting rounds and we flew down to Honduras to get the mission underway. After a day or so to get settled in and get trucks to pack all the ammo and gear up into the mountains, we were underway.

Our initial training schedule had a couple of days for crew drills since we expected them to be pretty sloppy. We began by doing a quick inspection of the guns and they were all in very good to excellent condition. The troops obviously took very good care of them. Which was an encouraging sign.

Next, we broke down the unit into their mounted (Jeep) and fixed gun crews and had them walk thru their crew drills. They then went thru their crew drill at normal (combat) speed. I was on the gun crew next to the one our team leader was with and we made eye contact with one another. His eyebrows went up and without saying anything, I could tell he wasn’t expecting this. These guys looked incredibly smooth, much better than any regular Honduran line unit we had worked with, especially on Day 1.

After running them thru the crew drills a few more times, we had the crews bore sight their weapons and once again they did it without the slightest hitch. We broke for an early lunch at the range and would commence live fire after their break. Our weapons guys were surprised at how smooth they looked and at they seemed to have their act together, which for the Honduran army back then was no easy feat. And we wondered aloud why these troops couldn’t hit the side of a barn. Our questions would soon be answered.

After lunch, the crews broke down with their respective guns and we readied to see how well they could hit their targets. The targets were dugout areas on the side of a ridgeline 400-500 meters away and had logs laid into the 4’ x 6’ area and were painted white for easy identification.

The first gun crew was readying to fire when our senior weapons leader stopped them. “What the fuck are you doing,” he asked? The crew wasn’t loading spotting rounds for the .50 caliber but the .30 caliber device for bore sighting. “We don’t have .50 caliber spotting rounds,” they said. Apparently, according to their Lieutenant, they hadn’t had any in years.

Some visiting straight-leg officer from the US MILGP (Military Group) in the US Embassy who had zero knowledge of the M-40 had told them in lieu of spotting rounds, the sub-caliber device for bore sighting could be used as a spotting round. Mystery solved. For any target farther than 100 meters, you wouldn’t hit jack shit.

We went into the back of our truck and broke out the spotting rounds and they loaded them up (for the first time) into their spotting rifles. The first gun crew fired the spotting round dead center of a target on the ridge in the distance and then fired their main gun. The target exploded with a direct hit. The unit cheered like they just scored a touchdown at the Super Bowl.

After ensuring that each crew had spotting rounds we spent the rest of the afternoon live firing the 106s and there were very very few misses. These guys were just lacking the proper ammunition for their spotting rifles and taking what an American officer had told them at face value. They did what they were told and had failed miserably. After the first day, their morale was sky high. For most of them, this was the first time, they hit a target with their assigned weapon.

Our training outline would have to be changed…obviously. And we got into more advanced training than we ever envisioned we would be able to accomplish. The support guys who set out the targets were told to start making them smaller. The lesser profiles were much harder to hit.

The mounted jeep sections were quickly getting adept at hitting their targets while racing between firing positions. And the others were getting their guns into action much faster getting them off-loaded from trucks.

Two months later, the Estado Mayor were once again called out to the range. They were briefed on the upcoming scenario, on the ridge line in the distance of 400 meters away was an enemy attacking force of armor. But the targets weren’t sized 4’ x 6’ but just 55-gallon drums painted white and much harder to hit.

The jeeps drove up quickly from the dirt road and took up firing positions. They engaged the first line of “tanks” and quickly destroyed every one of them. While they were moving to their secondary firing position, the fixed guns, which had been camouflaged using the brush and unseen from the VIPs opened fire quickly, covering their movement and destroying many more targets on the opposite hill.

The vehicle mounted sections again hit their targets decimating the remaining 55-gallon drums on the far side. As a final scenario, the Honduran LT called out an infantry attack coming up the draw, 150 meters to their left front. That was simulated by having about 50 rifle silhouette targets on a skid. The first gun sections depressed the barrels and gave them a salvo of flechette rounds. The silhouettes disappeared in a flash of dust and debris. Not a single target was left. What a difference from their earlier disaster just a few months earlier.

Was it great training on the SF part or just getting them the correct equipment? We knew the answer. But the LT begged our commander not to say the real reason why as it would make them look bad he said.

The Estado Mayor approached our Team Leader and asked to address our team. They were very pleased they said with the training. They could see the difference in the soldiers’ confidence and attitude. “A few months ago, they couldn’t hit a thing. Now, they can handle anything that comes at them and we thank you for that. Our border area is now safer thanks to you.” He then told our Captain not to let the Anti-Tank unit fire any more flechette rounds. “Save them for the “perro cacerros” when they cross the border.

They then addressed the Lieutenant. “You and your men did a fantastic job today. We can see how hard you’ve worked.” And then with a smile, he added, “Those Green Berets sure taught you how to shoot straight.”

______________

A sad footnote was that less than a week later, while responding to another alert on the border, one of the jeeps carrying a 106, took a corner too fast and rolled. The gun crushed one of the crew killing him and seriously injured two others.

Photos courtesy Author, US Army

SOF Selection PT Preparation 6.28.2017

Shoulders and back day in the gym before doing the SOF (Special Operations Forces) Triathlon. A run, a rucksack march, and a swim with fatigues and boots. If you can do all three of these things well, you will have the inside track for most of the selection courses.

Training:

More Preparation for the UBRR:

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

3 x 12 Lat Pulldowns, front

3 x 10 Dumbbell Side Raises

3 x 10 Dumbbell Front Raises

3 x 10 Dumbbell Arnold Press

3 x 8 Shoulder Shrugs

3-mile Run

3-mile Rucksack march (45lb minimum)

300-meter swim in fatigues and boots

Stretch well after completion

Philippines Won’t Negotiate with Rebels That Seized Marawi

The battle on-going in the Philippines has taken an ugly turn as the rebels holding the city of Malawi are resorting to tactics that have been seen in other places. Local residents are being forced to fight government troops, loot homes of valuables and serve as sex slaves for the rebel forces.

On Tuesday, military leaders cited residents of Marawi City who either escaped or were rescued and said some hostages were forced to convert to Islam, carry wounded fighters to mosques, and marry militants of the Maute group loyal to Islamic State.

The claims by the residents haven’t been confirmed by third parties but there is no doubting that the suffering of the citizens has been high since the battle commenced.

The government ruled out negotiations after reports that Abdullah Maute, one of two brothers who formed the militant group carrying their name, wanted to trade a Catholic priest hostage for his parents arrested earlier this month.
The military said on Saturday Abdullah Maute had fled.
Taking advantage of a short truce to mark the Eid al-Fitr Islamic holiday, eight Muslim leaders met briefly on Sunday with Maute. The Philippine Daily Inquirer said he had asked for his father, Cayamora Maute, and influential businesswoman mother, Farhana Maute, to be freed, in a swap for Father Teresito “Chito” Soganub.
But presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said deals with militants were against government policy, and anyone trying to bargain had no authority to do so.
“The local religious leader-led talks with terrorists last Sunday was one not sanctioned,” Abella told reporters.
“Any demands made inside, therefore, hold no basis. Let us remind the public, the gravity of the terrorists and their supporters’ offences is immense.”
The military’s public relations machine has been insisting that the rebel leadership was crumbling, saying top commanders had escaped or were killed in action, and the group was fraught with infighting, even executing their own men for wanting to surrender.
Military officers, however, accept they lack solid proof of such developments and were working to verify intelligence reports.
The army said there were reported sightings of the departure from the battle of Isnilon Hapilon, Islamic State’s anointed Southeast Asian “emir”, which Abella said showed he was not committed to his cause.

Thus far, official figures show 70 troops, 27 civilians and 290 militants have since been killed and 246,000 people displaced since the battle began in May.

To read the entire article from the Reuters click here:

Photo courtesy SOFREP

When Special Operations Training Takes a Step Back in Time

When Special Operations guys enter the units that they’ve worked so hard to get into, they all have a burning desire to use that newfound knowledge and go out and do great things. Those type of operations that they’ve envisioned inside the recessed part of their brain but never publicly spoken about for fear that it would ‘jinx” their chances.

But sometimes the operations that you’ll get tasked to do won’t be those “high-speed”, high visibility operations using the state-of-the-art gadgets from Q-Branch, but using very necessary and forgotten knowledge from generations before. And now, with the operators of all the services conducting missions in all kinds of austere environments, those forgotten lessons are once again…thankfully being taught at the schoolhouse.

My first team that I was assigned to was a Mountain team and I was thrilled. After high school and while in college, I took up rock climbing and the Northeast has several superb areas to practice your craft. I spent a ton of time climbing in the White Mountains of NH, the Adirondacks of NY including the world famous “Gunks” as the local climbers call the Shawangunks and Crow Hill State Park in Leominster, Massachusetts.

Crow Hill is just minutes from Ft. Devens, MA, which in those days was the home of the 10^th Special Forces Group and they frequently used Crow Hill for training and I ran into quite a few of them back in the day as they conducted their training much to the chagrin of the local climbers who bemoaned (from afar) their use of pitons in the cracks rather than using “nuts” which didn’t scar the rock. The SF guys could care less.

So as the new guy on the team, I was anxious to show, at least in the climbing realm, I already had a lot of experience and would be a definite bonus to the team. And when we got the word that the mountain team was getting alerted for a mission, I had visions of getting the best alpine gear and going on a climbing expedition to the Andes or some exotic locale.

Well imagine our surprise when our team leader announced we were going to mule packing school. Now back then, the JFKSWC (Special Warfare Center) didn’t have an advanced mountain school or have any course where animal packing was done. We’d learn from civilians in Arizona. The Army hadn’t done serious mule packing since the days of Merrill’s Marauders in Burma. A friend of mine from the SF Reserves in New York sent me an Army Mule Packing Manual from the early 1900s.

We had very strict guidelines in what was to be packed and carried by the pack animals and we set off to learn and to experiment on what worked, what didn’t and how we’d go about in altering the pack saddles and panniers to fit what we need to tote along.

We took our mission to Honduras and the mountains in the interior of the country, far from prying eyes. Working with the Airborne battalion in Tamara and the 6^th Infantry Bn. home of “The Centaurs” at Ojo de Agua, commonly known as Ojo de Nada would provide our host nation troops. Some of them had pack animal experience, but most did not.

The animals were a mixed bag, having only a few mules, we worked with tiny burros and horses which aren’t as good as mules when it comes to carrying a heavy load as well as their footing but we used what we had. We spent days working up a solution to what needed to go in a specific load, putting it on an animal, and marching them around the compound. Then take it the pack saddle off, readjust the load and the lashing and do it all over again.

We were basically learning on the fly and everything we tried and tested was put on the computer or filmed as to help the next guys who would get tasked to run this type of operation. Our team Warrant Officer, Rick B. probably was the SME (subject matter expert) on pack animal operations in the military at that point. It truly was a forgotten art at that point in time.

Finally, we were ready to take a mule train across the mountains. We loaded up our rag-tag group of 20 mules, horses, and burros and loaded them down with food, water, mortars and mortar ammunition, Stingers as well as our rucksacks. We’d carry our vests and weapons.

Author with “Samurai” horse getting a drink in a mountain stream

Almost immediately, problems arose. The pack saddles, sized for big Tennessee mules in the states, were too big for their smaller Honduran cousins. Loads were slipping and sliding after a short few steps and the train stopped constantly. Rick was everywhere, moving up and down the train, helping everyone get their loads straightened out. As soon as one would get fixed, another would slide and need fixing.

After pushing out of the battalion soccer field at 0700, by dark, we made about 500 meters…and were still in view of the base guard towers, who shouted out good-natured insults to their soldiers working with us.

The second day started off much the same way, the first few hours were once again spent constantly fixing the shifting loads before everything started to fall into place. By noon time of Day 2, we started trucking and we covered about 20+ kilometers, which thru the mountains was no easy task. The animals handled their loads, once they were properly loaded, without any problems at all. Days 3-4 we blazed across the mountains and reached the point we had initially picked to reach on Day 5 before our problems surfaced at the start.

Our mission was a success and the lessons learned on our mission were turned over to the proper people who needed that expertise in another part of the world. That mission proved to be successful as we watched it unfold from afar and the military took notice.

Pack animals are now used in many places by our Special Operations troops where vehicles can go or are not available. A few years later we watched as a group of 5^th SFG (A) and Air Force Special Operators made the first mounted horseback charge in over 100 years.

The JFKSWC’s Senior Mountaineering Course and the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training School both teach the finer points of using animals including horsemanship, animal packing instructions, equipment maintenance in their curriculums.

A Special Forces soldier leads his pack mule down a trail Sept. 18 during the Special Operations Animal Packing Course at Fort Bragg, N.C. The course prepares special operation troops for extended movement in undeveloped areas where motorized transportation is not an option. (Photo by Cpl. Kyle J. Cosner, USASOC PAO)

Graduates can go back to their units and be the subject-matter experts in tactical military operations in mountainous terrain, lead untrained and indigenous forces over mountainous terrain, as well as conduct pack-animal operations.

Sometimes, the “high-speed” isn’t in the equipment being used, but in the manner that the operators use the old ways and tailor them to modern missions.

Photos courtesy of the author, US Army