SOF

‘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.

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.

Melvin Morris Exemplified What It Means to Leave No Man Behind

Melvin Morris was a Green Beret in the 5th Special Forces Group who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions against Communist forces in Vietnam on September 17, 1969.

Originally awarded a Distinguished Service Cross, the Defense Authorization Act mandated that the military look at the actions of African-Americans, Jewish-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, and other minority veterans from World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War to ensure that no prejudice was shown to those deserving the Medal of Honor. Morris’s award was therefore upgraded to the Medal of Honor.

Morris was born in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, on January 7, 1942. In an interview with American Battlefield Trust, Morris described the limited opportunities available to him back in those days.

“I come from Oklahoma, a place called Okmulgee, capital of the Creek Nation. There wasn’t much going on there in the ’50s, no work to speak of. My first was job was working at the bowling alley; I think I made 65 cents an hour. I said, ‘No, this isn’t going to cut it.’ And my brother and I both went into the military because the National Guard was recruiting minorities.”

After a year in the National Guard, Morris switched to the active-duty Army in 1960, volunteered for Airborne duty, and then joined Special Forces in 1961.

The Mike Forces

In September 1969, Morris, then a staff sergeant, was the commander of the Third Company, Third Battalion of the IV Mobile Strike Force near Chi Lang.

The Mobile Strike Force, known as the “Mike Force,” was created and advised by Special Forces troops as well as Australian SAS. The Mike Forces were staffed with indigenous peoples, pulled from the Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG), and Nungs, people of Chinese descent. At its height, Mike Forces consisted of Bahnar, Hmong, Nung, Jarai, Khmer Krom minorities, and other members of the Degar peoples, also known as Montagnards.

The Mike Force companies mission was to act as a country-wide quick reaction force for securing, reinforcing, and recapturing CIDG Special Forces “A Camps,” as well as for conducting special reconnaissance patrols. Search and rescue, and search and destroy RT missions were also assigned to the units.

No Man Left Behind

On September 17, 1969, Morris’s combined Special Forces/Mike Force team was supporting South Vietnamese troops near Chi Lang when they discovered a large cache of food and weapons the North Vietnamese Communists had smuggled over the Cambodian border.

Defending the cache was a large number of North Vietnamese Army (NVA) troops who quickly opened fire. Another Green Beret team leader was killed while assaulting an enemy bunker. When informed of this by radio Melvin Morris immediately moved his men forward and, with two volunteers, crawled through a minefield to recover his fallen comrade.

They had just reached the killed SF soldier when the NVA hit them with intense, accurate fire. The two men with him were immediately wounded. Under heavy fire, Morris aided the two wounded troops back to a defensive position. He gathered up 20 hand grenades, ran back into the heavy enemy fire, and set about neutralizing the Vietnamese strong points. Morris destroyed four enemy bunkers with grenades and recovered the killed Green Beret before returning for a map case containing classified information.

During the pitched fighting, Melvin Morris was wounded three times in his chest and right arm. He took cover behind a tree and was pinned down for over two hours. Eventually, a helicopter dropping explosives on the enemy distracted them long enough for Morris to make it back to his unit.

“There was automatic weapons fire. I can’t remember too many human voices,” Morris said in an interview with the Army’s website. “I remember looking at my watch once and the next time I looked at it, it was in the evening. This started in the morning.”

Melvin Morris 5th Special Forces Group — SFC Melvin Morris and other members of the 5th Special Forces Group. (U.S. Army)

After spending a week in a field hospital, he was flown to Japan, where he was hospitalized for three months before returning to the United States. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the second-highest award for valor in the U.S. military in April 1970. A month after receiving the DSC, Morris returned to Vietnam for a subsequent tour of duty. He retired from the Army in 1985 as a sergeant first class.

In 2013, Morris was informed that a lengthy review of recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross had determined that he should have received the Medal of Honor instead.

In March 2014, President Obama awarded the Medal of Honor to Melvin Morris as well as Jose Rodela another Green Beret from Vietnam.

In the interview with the American Battlefield Trust, Morris reflected on the day he was at the White House and the responsibility he feels in educating American youth.

“On March 18, 2014, I went to the White House and received the Medal of Honor from President Obama. And it was an exhilarating feeling, I just can’t describe,” he said. “But I told myself that now, I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me because I have a message to share. Young children need to know that people are out there putting their lives on the line for them every day.”

“That’s what I do today; I go out and I give living history. I talk to students and the people about our heritage, about our military, and about why they should learn about history. We have to honor our heroes, regardless of their race, color, creed, ethnicity. I have made educating the people my life’s task.”

Melvin Morris’s Medal of Honor Citation

Melvin Morris Medal of Honor award Obama — Melvin Morris received the Medal of Honor by President Obama in 2014. (Voice of America)

“Staff Sergeant Melvin Morris distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as Commander of a Strike Force drawn from Company D, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, during combat operations against an armed enemy in the vicinity of Chi Lang, the Republic of Vietnam on September 17, 1969.
On that afternoon, Staff Sergeant Morris’ affiliated companies encountered an extensive enemy minefield and were subsequently engaged by a hostile force. Staff Sergeant Morris learned by radio that a fellow team commander had been killed near an enemy bunker and he immediately reorganized his men into an effective assault posture before advancing forward and splitting off with two men to recover the team commander’s body.
Observing the maneuver, the hostile force concentrated its fire on Staff Sergeant Morris’ three-man element and successfully wounded both men accompanying him. After assisting the two wounded men back to his forces’ lines, Staff Sergeant Morris charged forward into the withering enemy fire with only his men’s suppressive fire as cover.
While enemy machine gun emplacements continuously directed strafing fusillades against him, Staff Sergeant Morris destroyed the positions with hand grenades and continued his assault, ultimately eliminating four bunkers.
Upon reaching the bunker nearest the fallen team commander, Staff Sergeant Morris repulsed the enemy, retrieved his comrade, and began the arduous trek back to friendly lines. He was wounded three times as he struggled forward but ultimately succeeded in returning his fallen comrade to a friendly position.
Staff Sergeant Morris’ extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.”

My Woobie, My Best Friend

It’s undisputed that if a soldier would go in the wilderness for an extended period of time, one of the few things he’d take along would be the woobie. The beautiful polyester camo encased in two layers of joyous quilted nylon is a universal staple for the infantryman.

If you search online for the term woobie, you’ll get various results, from poncho liner to sleeping bags, to blankets, to baby blankets, and yes, even hoodies now.

Woobie is also used as a term of great affection. Calling someone a “woobie” is basically the same as calling them “love” or “sweaty.”

But when it comes to the military, the woobie is the nickname given to the poncho liner issued to all soldiers. The woobie is not a new thing with the first used in the jungles of Vietnam.

A Term of Uncertain Origins

My Woobie, My Best Friend — A Marine private holds up a sleeping system and poncho liner “woobie” during a gear issue return at the SOI Supply Warehouse on Camp Pendleton, CA, September 26, 2017. (Photo by Pfc. Dalton S. Swanbeck/Marine Corps)

How the term “woobie” came to be applied to the poncho liner remains a mystery. Some claim that it started as the phrase, “Because you would be cold without it” and “would be” evolved into “woobie.” Or that it was called a “willbie” from the phrase, “It will be what keeps you from freezing.”

Now anyone has access to woobies. They are sold online and now come in various fabrics, prints, colors, prices, and qualities. Woobies have been widely advertised to civilians. Hunters and campers use them during cold and wet weather. Picnickers and stadium goers use them as blankets. People even use them as comforters and couch blankets at home.

I use mine as a pillow on a hot summer afternoon and always place it inside my ruck frame to give me a little padding on my back and allow me to quickly access it.

Some soldiers have altered their woobie to have a zipper. When lined inside their poncho, they now have a lightweight waterproof sleeping bag. The woobie has several anchor points with ties to fix to the poncho.

It can also be used as an overhead shade. In the desert, we would use two woobies or ponchos, one about a foot over the other. This created a buffer for the heat and kept us significantly cooler underneath.

Can the Woobie Keep You Warm?

Matched with its poncho counterpart, the woobie can be very warm. Even if you are wet, it will help trap your body heat. If you have never experienced the joyous hug from a woobie, I highly suggest you get yourself one and take it on your next hiking adventure. Or better yet, put it in your living room for watching movies.

US Green Berets Were Training Guinea’s Special Operations Troops at the Time of the Coup

US Army Special Forces troops were training special operations troops in the West African nation of Guinea when the Guineans left the training to take part in a coup organized by their commander.

The Guinean special operations troops stormed the presidential palace in the capital, Conakry, placing the country’s president, 83-year-old Alpha Condé, under house arrest at an undetermined location. A few hours later, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, the commander of the Guinean special operations forces, announced the coup and the suspension of the country’s constitution.

Doumbouya was well-known to the Americans as he had participated in several joint American/Guinean exercises. He was a former officer in the French Foreign Legion and, at one time, a close ally of the deposed president.

Once the coup took place, the American Green Berets from the 3rd Special Forces Group, quickly suspended their activity and moved, with Guinea security personnel support, to the U.S. Embassy in Conakry.

The Green Berets have been in the country since mid-July training Doumbouya’s special forces troops on a regularly scheduled Joint Combined Exchange Training event (JCET). The base where the training took place was in Forécariah, close to Guinea’s border with Sierra Leone, and about a four-hour drive from the presidential palace.

Screenshot of American SF troops driving through the crowds of Conakry, Guinea en route to the U.S. Embassy. (Twitter)

Apparently, the Guinean troops waited until early Sunday morning, while the Americans were sleeping, before slipping away and driving to the capital to conduct the coup.

Kelly Callahan, a spokesperson for the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), said the SF troops suspended the training as soon as they realized that a coup was unfolding. The coup, she said, is “incompatible with U.S. military training and education.”

The United States, the United Nations, as well as the African Union have condemned the coup.

Meanwhile in Conakry. pic.twitter.com/YJRFrWay4r
— The House of Kongo (@MvembaDizolele) September 9, 2021

In a video posted on Twitter, a vehicle with American Green Berets is seen trying to navigate the throngs of people flooding the streets of Conakry and blocking traffic. Guinean troops are seen attempting to wave the people away.

However, the mood of the crowd was more celebratory than hostile. They are dancing and shouting “Freedom” as they move through the traffic. The Americans appear relaxed, with the windows down waving to the crowds. One SF soldier in the front passenger seat is filmed smiling and high-fiving passersby, while appearing to be capturing footage with a cell phone.

President Conde’s Suspect Political Record

Critics of the U.S. say that the behavior of the troops represents a tacit American approval of the coup. Nevertheless, the behavior of the SF troops was correct. Moving through throngs of people is a potentially volatile situation. The Green Berets, by their amicable comportment, prevented any potential violence that could have easily erupted had the crowd sensed that the Green Berets were hostile or unfriendly.

Still, the U.S. had to deny any involvement. “The U.S. government and military are not involved in this apparent military seizure of power in any way,” AFRICOM said. “The United States strongly condemns these actions in Guinea and any attempts at forceful seizures of power or unconstitutional actions.”

Deposed President Conde of Guinea appears disheveled and in an unknown location following the coup that removed him from power. (Video screenshot from Guinean television)

According to Doumbouya, President Conde was removed after he, the president, illegally amended the constitution thereby allowing him to run for an unprecedented third term.

The last presidential elections were disputed because of alleged irregularities. Following the elections, Conde arrested and imprisoned more than 400 political opponents. According to Amnesty International, several of them have since died.

Doumbouya and the Defense Minister Mohamed Diané developed an adversarial relationship over the events. Fearing a coup several months ago, the defense minister moved the special operations unit to the Forécariah base.

After the coup, the Guinean troops filmed a disheveled Conde sitting on a sofa at an undisclosed location. Conde declined to answer questions as to whether he was being mistreated.

Shoot Better by Mastering These 4 Simple Marksmanship Fundamentals

Before even picking up that shiny new rifle you just purchased, let’s take a moment and talk about the four fundamentals of marksmanship. These aren’t going to make you a trick shot or a sniper on day one, but they underpin everything you need to hit your target, whether at 50 meters or 500.

There are many schools of thought for this, but here is an easy one for everyone to remember: Steady Position; Aiming; Breath Control; and Trigger Squeeze.

For this article, the shooter will be in the prone or laying down position.

1) Steady Position

The first marksmanship fundamental has to do with your position. The rifle handguard should rest one heel of the non-firing hand in the V formed by the thumb and fingers. The grip of the non-firing hand should be light, do not squeeze the rifle.

Place the butt of the rifle in the pocket (just above the armpit) of the firing shoulder. This will reduce the effect of recoil and help ensure a steady position.

The firing hand grasps the pistol grip, having it fit in the V formed by the thumb and forefinger. The firing finger should be placed on the trigger, so the rifle’s lay is not disturbed when the trigger is squeezed. Basically, you don’t want the rifle to move right or left when you pull the trigger. The remaining three fingers apply slight rearward pressure to ensure that the buttstock remains in the pocket of the shoulder so that it minimizes the effect of recoil. Nobody wants to get shoulder punched by a rifle.

The firing elbow is essential in providing balance. Placement should allow the shoulders to remain level.

The non-firing elbow is positioned under the rifle to allow a comfortable and stable position. When you are engaging moving targets or targets at various elevations, the non-firing elbow should remain free from support.

The rifle’s stock should provide a natural line of sight through the center of the rear sight, to the front sight post, and onto the target. It would be best if you began by trying to touch the charging handle with your nose when assuming a firing position. This will aid you in maintaining the same cheek-to-stock position each time the weapon is aimed. You should be mindful of how the nose touches the charging handle and you should be consistent when doing so.

2) Aiming

Having mastered the fundamental task of holding the rifle steady, you now must align the rifle with the target in the same way for each firing.

Alignment of the rifle with the target is critical. It involves placing the tip of the front sight post in the center of the rear sight aperture. Any alignment error between the front and rear sights repeats itself for every half meter the bullet travels. For example, at the 25-meter line, any mistake in rifle alignment is multiplied 50 times. If the rifle is misaligned by 0.1 inches, it causes a target at 300 meters to be missed by five feet.

A proper firing position places your eye directly in line with the center of the rear sight. When the eye is focused on the front sight post, the eye’s natural ability to center objects in a circle and seek the center of the aperture aids in providing correct sight alignment. For the average person firing at targets, the eye’s natural ability can accurately align the sights. Therefore, you can place the front sight post’s tip on the aiming point, but the eye must be focused on the front sight post’s tip. This causes the target to appear blurry while the front sight post is seen clearly.

Marksmanship fundamentals — A correct sight picture.

Once you can correctly align your sights, you can obtain a sight picture. A correct sight picture has the target, front sight post, and rear sight aligned.

3) Breath Control

The third fundamental is about your breathing. As your skills improve and as timed or multiple targets are presented, you must learn to control your breath at any part of the breathing cycle. There are generally two types of breath control techniques that most people use. You must be aware of how the rifle’s movement (while sighted on a target) changes due to breathing.

The first technique is used when time is available to fire a shot. According to it, you fire the shot the moment of natural respiratory pause when most of the air has been exhaled from your lungs and before inhaling. Breathing should stop after most of the air has been exhaled during the normal breathing cycle. The shot must be fired before you feel any discomfort.

The second technique is to hold your breath for a moment in order to fire a shot.

4) Trigger Squeeze

The final of the marksmanship fundamentals is about the trigger squeeze. Even a novice firer can learn to place the rifle in a steady position and correctly aim to target if he follows the above three fundamentals. However, if the trigger is not squeezed correctly, the rifle will be misaligned with the target at the moment of firing.

Trigger squeeze is essential for two reasons: First, any sudden finger movement on the trigger can disturb the rifle’s lay and cause the shot to miss the target. Second, the precise instant of firing should be a surprise to you. Otherwise, your natural reflex to compensate for the noise and slight punch in the shoulder can cause you to miss the target if you know the exact instant the rifle will fire. You usually tense your shoulder when you’re expecting a rifle to fire. This isn’t easy to detect since you don’t realize you’re flinching.

Your trigger finger should be placed on the trigger between the first joint and the tip of the finger (not the end). This will also adjust depending on hand size, grip, and so on. The trigger finger must squeeze the trigger to the rear so that the hammer falls without disturbing the rifle’s lay. It isn’t easy to see what effect trigger pull has on the lay of the rifle. Thus, it is important to experiment with many finger positions to ensure the hammer is falling with little disturbance to the aiming process.

Hopefully, this article helped you out some or maybe refreshed your knowledge. With ammo prices seemingly on the rise, consider applying these four fundamentals while dry firing and have a buddy watch you. When coaching, I almost always watch the shooter exclusively, then see where the bullets hit the target later.

The Intriguing History of the Term Special Operator

Operator – someone who operates.

In the civilian world, that could be someone operating an excavator, a wheeled tractor, and other similar heavy equipment. Historically, the term applied to people who worked in the old-school telephone centers and operated the manual telephone switchboards that were necessary in order for someone to call another number.

In the military, conversely, the term operator has come to be associated with troops serving in Special Operations Forces (SOF). A Navy SEAL operator, a Special Forces operator, a Marine Raider operator has become standard nomenclature, even in official communique and statements.

But what’s the actual origin of the term? For many in the spec ops community, an operator is someone who is serving or has served in one of the Joint Special Operations Command’s (JSOC) Special Mission Units (SMU). This would apply to members of the Delta Force, SEAL Team Six, also known as the Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU), 24^th Special Tactics Squadron (24^th STS), Intelligence Support Activity (ISA), or one of the other smaller, blacker SMUs.

The office of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) historian, however, posits that the term originated from within the Green Beret community. In support of this claim, there is a document from the late 1950s. Dated April 2, 1959, the document’s headline reads: “The Code For the Special Forces Operator.” It includes 10 provisions by which a Green Beret must abide. They range from the volunteer and highly dangerous nature of Special Forces – during the Cold War, Special Forces Operational Detachment Alphas (SFODAs) were designed to remain behind enemy lines once the Soviet mechanized onslaught had been unleashed on Western Europe; their role, as it is today, was to organize, train, and lead indigenous forces in waging an Unconventional Warfare (UW) campaign against the Communists – to superb physical fitness, soldiership, and professionalism, among other things.

“I realize,” the document’s sixth provision states, “it is my responsibility as a Special Forces Operator to undergo more intense and more rugged training than is required of the average soldier of the United States Army.”

The document was signed by Captain Albert Clement, 1^st Company, 77^th Special Forces Group (SFG), and witnessed by John Hanretty. The 77^this one of the original Special Forces Groups and the predecessor of the modern-day 7^thSFG.

So, there it is. According to the existing historical evidence, it is the Green Berets who have the claim over the term “Operator.” Does a title matter, though? Not to those who operate.

Malayan Emergency: The Birth of the Modern Special Air Service

Malaya — 1948.

The United Kingdom and the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) are vying for the post-colonial soul of the country.

From the start, it wasn’t going to be easy for the British military.

Malaya, you see, was in that awkward situation so common wherever Europeans decided to plant a flag: One border, two ethnicities.

Malayans and Chinese, in equal numbers, called the Southeast Asian country home. So far, it had worked. But now the British were scooting, and the proposed Federation didn’t appeal to the Chinese half of the family.

And what do they decide to do? Launch an insurgency to grab power.

Malay Peninsula Malayan Emergency — The Malay Peninsula. The divided geography and long borders added to the government’s woes. (Wikimedia Commons)

Counterinsurgency operations (COIN) — always a hurdle for conventional armies and mindsets — in a jungle with lengthy borders brew a nightmarish ale.

For 12 years (1948-1960) the government forces and the MCP fought it out.

And it wasn’t till 1960 that the Malayan Emergency ended. (A war in all but name, it was branded an “emergency” because London insurance companies wouldn’t cover economic losses otherwise.)

The Communist Terrorists (CTs), as the British called them, operated from within the virgin jungle. Like ethereal creatures, they’d spawn from their hideouts to attack British rubber plantations and tin mines and terrorize the local workers and their families, then vanishing from whence they came.

Chinese squatters, a Japanese addition reminiscent of WWII, fed, sheltered, and joined them. Throughout the conflict, CT numbers ranged from 5,000 to 8,000.

At this point, one may wonder why this is important? Isn’t the same old play of a postcolonial independence struggle, just in another theatre?

You’re right. Partly.

The Malayan Emergency is important to the student of military strategy and special operations for two reasons: First, because the British showed that a COIN campaign could succeed — spoiler alert, the government forces won — that a hearts-and-minds strategy is sometimes preferable to big numbers (remember, this was right before the Vietnam War, and the U.S. military was watching). And second, because it set the stage for the return of the Special Air Service (SAS).

The initial British approach to the Malayan Emergency was to throw large numbers of men. It didn’t work. By the time the cumbersome conventional units arrived at the scene of an attack, the CTs had already vanished in the jungle.

A fresh approach was needed.

Headquarters instructed Brigadier “Mad Mike” Mike Calvert, the last CO of the SAS during WWII, to tour the battlefield and gauge the situation. He recommended a two-pronged strategy: erect protected camps to safeguard the locals from the CTs’ influence and terror, and raise unconventional units that could hunt the CTs in their jungle havens and fight them on their terms.

Protected communities, called “New Villages,” began to mushroom all around. And the locals (both Malays and Chinese) were given further incentives to resist Communism’s charm for “equality” by being given a stake in the colony’s economy.

As for Calvert’s second recommendation, first came the Ferret Force.

And soon thereafter, the SAS.

In this series, we’ll see how these units developed, operated, and succeeded in stemming the Communist tide; and how the harsh jungle environment created Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) that aspiring SAS troopers still learn.

This article was originally published in March 2020 by SOFREP. It has been edited for republication. Stay tuned for part II.

The Giant Killer: A Fascinating Look at the Smallest Green Beret in History

The Green Berets, the U.S. Army’s Special Forces, are the military’s premier unconventional warriors. And Richard Flaherty was, perhaps, the most unconventional Green Beret warrior to ever serve.

Flaherty served with the 101st Airborne during Vietnam. He was awarded a Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, and two Purple Hearts. After Vietnam, he did contract work for the CIA all over the world.

But he had to fight to even get into the Army and the Army’s Officer Candidate School (OCS), going so far as to get his congressman involved. The reason was that Richard Flaherty was just 4’9” tall.

Years after Vietnam, David Yuzuk, a career Miami Beach police officer, struck a friendship with a confident but unassuming homeless man. After 15 years the man told Yuzuk, “It’s time I tell you who I really am.” The homeless man was Richard Flaherty.

Yuzuk finally learned the man’s story and began a quest to discover all there was to know about this diminutive man who cast a giant shadow in combat.

As he began digging into Flaherty’s background, Yuzuk decided to write a book, having previously put together an award-winning documentary on the man’s fascinating life. To do so, he enlisted the help of his father, Neil. The book dives into some of the details of Flaherty’s life that weren’t in the documentary. The trailer for the documentary can be seen here.

The book begins with Flaherty’s bizarre death. He was killed by Leslie Socolov in a hit-and-run incident. Socolov who worked for the Miami-Dade homicide division and who, despite leaving the scene of a deadly accident, was never charged with any crime, recently made headlines for an anti-Semitic rant caught on camera.

Richard Flaherty was always sensitive about his height. When he was young growing up in Stamford, Connecticut, he set about achieving the best possible physical condition he could and started learning martial arts.

When he joined the Army, he was bullied and harassed by both fellow soldiers and drill sergeants. That was until he showed his mettle in the hand-to-hand combat pit against his largest and biggest bully. He went through much the same in OCS, but persevered and graduated. Evidently, his nickname, “The Giant Killer,” which was given to him back in high school, was apt.

His commander in Vietnam hated the diminutive lieutenant. Some of Flaherty’s men corroborated this. As a result of the commander’s animosity, they always got the short end of the stick when it came to operations. His men knew Flaherty to be fearless and ruthless in combat and a capable commander.

After the war, like many Army officers, Flaherty was riffed out. This was a devastating blow to him. A failed relationship, an assortment of jobs, and later the death of a fiancé devastated him and eventually left him homeless.

That’s when he met Yuzuk. After he told him his story, the veteran police officer was skeptical. He frankly thought that Flaherty’s tale of working with the CIA was pure fantasy. But after Flaherty’s death, he spoke with his fellow vets and found his awards and decorations.

Richard Flaherty then went through Flaherty’s storage unit and found his passport. It was full of stamps to the world’s hotspots: Cambodia, Venezuela, Iraq, and Jordan among other places. Why would a homeless man visit those places, and how could he afford to?

His work with the CIA in support of the Nicaraguan Contras ended up with him being arrested and spending time in prison for drug-running. That incredible chapter involves HALO jumps from aircraft over “Alligator Alley” in Florida, guns, and lots of cocaine during the wild Miami days of the 1980s. Flaherty eventually worked undercover for the ATF in an effort to stop the flow of cocaine and weapons in the Fort Bragg, NC area.

His manner of death and his adamant statement to Yuzuk not to look into his undercover work, only raised more questions.

Yuzuk’s book is a fascinating look at one of the most extraordinary characters ever to wear a Green Beret. It is a story that sounds so off the wall that it could never be true. But it is.

The book is very well-written and guaranteed to keep your attention throughout. It is the incredible but true story of a man determined to beat the odds and make a difference. We highly recommend it. It can be ordered on Amazon.

US Military’s working dogs are the worst nightmare for the enemy

Cry havoc…

Since the time of Greece and the Roman Empire, the dog has been a valued and trusted member of the military. The Romans used a breed of Mastiff that is now extinct. Then, they covered their canines in armor with spiked collars and used them to wreak havoc on their enemies.

The use of military dogs by the United States was largely an unknown to the general population until a Belgian Malinois named “Cairo” was thrust into the spotlight after the raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan by US Navy SEALs.

But the use of military dogs goes far back from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The first well-known military dog was SGT Stubby who was a stray Bull Terrier that was adopted by the 102^nd Infantry Regiment of the 26^th Infantry Division (The Yankee Division).

SGT Stubby with uniform coat and decorations in WWI.

Stubby was smuggled on the troop ship to France but quickly proved his worth. He could warn the troops of impending poison gas attacks, could hear artillery shells coming before human ears could detect them, he could find American wounded in no man’s land and even caught a German prisoner, grabbing the enemy by the seat of his pants and holding him until the soldiers made him a prisoner.

Stubby met three US Presidents, marched in numerous parades and even received a half-page obituary in the New York Times when he died in his sleep in 1926. But dogs have been used in every conflict since the Revolutionary War, but only officially used since World War II.

Today the training and use of military dogs are extensive and there are a few thousand serving in the armed forces. Many of them are in harm’s way in the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria, among other hotspots and they’ve proved invaluable.

America’s military dogs can find illicit drugs, sniff out bombs and IEDs (improvised explosive devices), search out and find enemy combatants. They’re almost all trained at the Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland as part of the Department of Defense Military Working Dog Program (MWD). The military has been training their canines there since 1958.

German shepherds and retrievers are commonly used, but the Belgian Malinois (i.e.Cairo) has proven to be one of the most outstanding working dogs used in military service. The vast majority of military working dogs are purchased in Germany or the Netherlands, where they have been breeding dogs for military purposes for hundreds of years. But because of the uptick in operational tempo as well as the demand, the breeding programs in the United States are flourishing.

The dogs must exhibit focused, aggressive behavior, with a heightened sense of smell and a strong desire to work for reward before they are assigned to operators worldwide.

Typically, pups begin their training very early. When they’re very young, (6-8 weeks of age), they’re sent to homes for socialization skills in a stable, home setting. They’ll come back to the school between 7-9 months where they’ll be observed for consideration as a working dog. The puppies must exhibit a strong drive, are adaptable to a host of different environments and respond to reward-for-work motivation before they can begin the pre-training program.

The training is long and difficult and only 50 percent of the dogs pass thru their dog school “Selection.” After the dogs are a year-old and pass their advanced training, they’ll have two primary roles. Either as an operator in search for explosives or narcotics detection or as patrol member for apprehension and search for the enemy.

Malinois’ are favored because of their agility, speed, focused aggressive behavior and the fact that their sense of smell is 40 times that of their human handlers. Military dogs frequently are used in airborne operations, rappelling, and helo-casting.

Dogs that work with Special Operations units are specifically trained in just a handful of locations. CBS’ Lara Logan did a story on former Navy SEAL Mike Ritland who trains dogs for the dangerous world of Special Operations as well as for the FBI and SWAT teams.

In the same story, Logan did a story on Chris Corbin from the 7^th Special Forces Group and his dog Ax. They both almost lost their lives on the same day in Afghanistan on their final mission. Ax had already found one bomb and the two were moving toward an area that had already been cleared.

Corbin missed Ax’s signal, thinking he was just smelling another dog in the cleared area when the bomb went off. Ax was shaken but ok, Corbin lost both of his lower legs. But a few months later he was back on active duty…with Ax and the two grew inseparable.

Corbin told Logan that the bond was there when his teammates brought Ax to see him at Walter Reed Army Hospital. “They brought him up for a visit. And I heard him, getting him out of the back of the truck. And opening his kennel, and he just being a stir-crazy dog, just, ‘Hey, let me out of here. Let’s do a look around.’ I just said something simple. Hey, where’s my boy at? and he stopped. He froze. He looked around. And he went into a panic until he found me and he jumped on my legs. Painful. Just– I was just happy to see him. I didn’t care how much it hurt.”

Some dogs, like their human counterparts, can suffer from the throes of PTSD. Many of the dogs are treated for such and return to have successful completions to their military careers. When one of these canine operators is wounded, they’re transported via medevac just like a wounded soldier would.

Sadly 42 dogs have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country and their handlers. But a good indicator of their worth is how the enemy feels about them. The Taliban and ISIS hate the military working dogs and have a healthy respect for them. The Taliban soldiers have orders to shoot the dogs first and American soldiers second.

The unfortunate footnote to this story is that prior to November 2000, military working dogs were euthanized upon the finish of their career. Now, most are adopted by their handlers. A few each year go to civilians who apply for adoption rights. The waiting list for an adoptable military working dog is about a year.

Our military forces continue to keep us safe, at home and abroad. And their four-legged counterparts are doing their share as well. And SGT Stubby? He’s being immortalized in an upcoming animated feature film that is being released in 2018.

Photos Courtesy DOD