Special Operations

The SEAL Team 6 Rescue of Philip Walton and the Demonstration Effect

During the early morning hours of October 31, 2020, members of the US Navy SEAL Team 6, also known as DEVGRU (Development Group), carried out a dramatic hostage rescue operation in Northern Nigeria to recover the kidnapped American citizen named Philip Walton.

According to reports, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) supplied the intelligence that led to the whereabouts of Walton, and components of the Marine Special Operations in Africa assisted in locating him. Because of their responsibilities in the region of West Africa, SEAL Team 6 was selected to carry out the operation.

Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs spokesman Jonathan Hoffman told reporters in a statement that “US forces conducted a hostage rescue operation during the early hours of October 31 in northern Nigeria to recover an American citizen held hostage by a group of armed men”. Hoffman added that Walton “…is safe and is now in the care of the US Department of State.”

These operations are essential in ensuring the safety of the hostage, and of course, it speaks about the national security of the country involved. With this rescue mission, US pledged its commitment to defending its citizens and national interests wherever they may be.

What happened to Philip Walton?

Philip Walton, age 27, resided in a tiny village of Massalata in Niger with his wife and daughter. Massalata is located close to the border of Nigeria. US officials said he was kidnapped on October 26, 2020. Near the edge of Niger and Nigeria, it is noted that Walton maintains a flock of camels, lambs, chickens, and mango trees. As per the reports, six bandits armed with AK-47 assault rifles rode up on motorbikes to the house where he lived. They then took him captive.

The US intelligence community was able to track him down in Northern Nigeria by following the clues it left behind. As a result, the green light was given to the US Special Operations Forces not long after former US President Donald Trump was briefed on the situation. Although it was a “tough” decision, in the end, the president chose to go ahead with the operation because he placed the utmost importance on protecting American citizens. According to the sources, the aim of the kidnappers was either to demand a ransom payment or to sell Philip Walton to one of the terrorist groups operating in Nigeria.

The Rescue Attempt

The rescue mission carried out by US Special Operations commenced with a parachute insertion into the area. In most cases, this form of insertion is only utilized in exceptional circumstances, such as when no other covert insertion methods are immediately accessible. Additionally, it is used when the forces entrusted to the raid need to go into the target location on aircraft with a greater range from a substantial distance. During the attack, there was around 30 personnel who were a part of special operations. After the rescue team had successfully parachuted into the region, they set out on foot approximately three miles to the objective. After what was described as a “short but intense firefight,” Walton was carried to the evacuation spot. From there, helicopters transported the captive and the rescue team to a secure location. According to a defense official, of the six kidnappers involved in the abduction and during Walton’s liberation, five of them were killed, while the remaining one managed to escape.

U.S. Navy SEALs are deployed worldwide, conducting missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (Source: U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class George R. Kusner., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Post-Operation Reaction

After the nerve-racking operation, the rescue mission received glowing praise, including former president Donald Trump who said in a tweet that the successful operation was a “Big win for our very elite US Special Forces today. Details to follow!”

During a separate event, he also stated while addressing a crowd in Pennsylvania that “The kidnappers wished they had never done it,” which is something of an understatement since only one of the kidnappers survived.

This successful mission conducted an entire continent away in the remote reaches of a country like Nigeria offers several lessons. The Demonstration Effect can affect the behavior of others who witness an event or the actions of others and the consequences that go with them. The mission to rescue of Walton was something of a marvel in terms of the operational art of war. It may have also been a mission only the United States could pull off successfully.

The long War on Terror had honed the skills of Special Operations Forces like SEAL Team 6 to a very fine point of competence and proficiency.
Our worldwide network of bases provides the Air Force with a global reach, able to send aircraft just about anywhere in the world we might need to conduct operations.
Our intelligence agencies were able to provide timely and accurate information that allowed planners to craft a successful mission.
Our network of satellites was able to provide real-time data of conditions on the ground prior to and even during the raid itself
Political leadership was able to give the green light to the operation with a high degree of confidence that it would be successful.
A successful mission like this creates a deterrent effect. Kidnappers want the ransom money, not a SEAL Team shooting them in the face.

SOF Theory: Multi-Domain Operational Design and Approach is the Future

Members of the Special Operations Forces (SOF) are entrusted with various operations, including but not limited to frontline combat and terrorist operations, the liberation of hostages, provision of humanitarian assistance, and much more. But should traditional, straight-forward force be the core of SOF?

The United States Special Operations Command (USSCOM), with its head office located at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla., is responsible for coordinating the operations of the incredibly competent and frequently undercover organization of military soldiers who are deployed all over the world.

With its history of triumph on the battlefield, SOF has been a subject of theories about whether the forces generate the so-called “fog of war” or it ultimately conducts “military statecraft.” This leads to the theory of SOF, which crafts a functional design that works to its advantage for succeeding operations and ensures the strengthening of its forces against potential risks.

Special Forces Soldiers from four NATO countries observe targets on a firing range at the Grafenwoehr Training Area during a Judging Distance (JD) exercise on July 24. JD exercises, a common aspect of sniper training conducted by the International Special Training Centre (ISTC), are undertaken nearly daily and provide Soldiers a better understanding of determining distance to the target with the naked eye and rifle scope. The ISTC is sponsored by the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command (JMTC). (Source: Staff Sgt. Gina Vaile-Nelson, 133rd MPAD, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

These objectives suggest the primary components needed by SOF to radicalize their victory through a realistic design that enforces well-equipped troops, trained, and resolutely led armies to avoid the generation of “fog of war” from their side. In addition, SOF members receive training, education, and a skill set that is unparalleled in the military, allowing them to obscure the view of the opposing commander and influence their judgment to the point where it causes “operational paralysis.”

The 19th-century Military Theorists Carl von Clausewitz wrote in his famous piece, On War:

“The great uncertainty of all data in war is a peculiar difficulty, because all action must, to a certain extent, be planned in a mere twilight, which in addition not infrequently — like the effect of a fog or moonshine — gives to things exaggerated dimensions and unnatural appearance.”

According to this concept, the fog of war is thought to be caused by special operations forces carrying out missions and operations outside the purview of the public eye.

Multi-Domain Operational Design and Approach

Tech. Sgt. Brandon Tatum, Air Warfare Center chief of joint terminal attack control training, works with Pakistan commandos to locate and coordinate various targets of opportunity during a training scenario at a Pakistan military range, March 1, 2022. The partner nation training was part of Falcon Talon 2022, an Agile Combat Employment operation and the first bilateral training event between the U.S. and Pakistan since 2019. (Source: Capt. Monique Roux, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Multi-Domain Operational Design and Approach

The Multi-Domain Operational Design and Approach focuses on three facets: Offensive Action, Support, and Financial Disruption. These are aimed at influencing the leadership and the forces accompanying it. The population from whom the enemy pulls its troops, whether by force or choice, is called the host population. They provide the financial and economic resources necessary to maintain the military.

Offensive action:

The enemy should be considered the centric Line of Operation or Effort in which human and technical assets, resources, and sources are employed to “exploit” the enemy’s location, organization, plans, and TTPs (tactics, techniques, and procedures). Offensive action uses available forces, not simply conventional military operations (Military, Governmental, and Commercial). So, theoretically, SOF planners and strategists should not limit Offensive Actions to military activities only. Ultimately, the purpose is to paralyze the enemy’s decision-making.

Support:

The active and passive supporters who give recruitment and resources are impacted by actions and efforts to erode the enemy’s faith and convert them towards neutrality.

This can be done by keeping the population, protecting civilians, creating economic opportunities, developing or repairing facilities, and assuring partner troops respect their populace.

This strategy contradicts the conventional understanding of the military’s role in society because it depends more on “soft power” than “hard power.” Statecraft is more applicable to special operations forces experts and operator dynamics than conventional warfare is, but modern warfare requires unconventional thinking and approach.

Lastly, financial disruption:

This concept elucidates the enemy’s survival ability through exodus, international donations, and state funding. Friendly nations and the Partner Nation must develop and implement this technique so the enemy cannot restore captured or damaged equipment and sustain military and propaganda activities.

Even while Special Operations Forces are working to improve partner capacity and train, advise, assist, and accompany operations, we must understand that these lines of operations need to be carried out as quickly and efficiently as possible. SOF’s effectiveness in its approach should be grounded on stable financial backing.

Getting Started with Multi-domain Ops

SOF Theory: Table created by Michael B. “Bulldog” Kelley and Greg E. Metzgar (Source: Smallwarsjournal)

The first thing that needs to be done to carry out Special Operations Forces Operational Design successfully is to concentrate on the intel and information that genuinely articulates the Operational Environment and the method of Joint Planning.

The SOF planner is responsible for comprehending and accurately determining the “Centers of Gravity.” As argued in the report, deciding where the enemy’s center of gravity is critical.

The approach also notes that in today’s conflicts, special operations forces often find themselves pitted against an adversary whose tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) are designed not to monopolize “key terrain” or to overpower and kill the enemy in large-scale conventional maneuvers,” but rather to decimate and bring down the “pillars of the state” to achieve a decisive win.

Therefore, the terrain comprises the people, which includes both passive and active supporters, and the rural or urban ground over which it travels and operates. Ultimately, SOFs should be given access to information and intelligence as well as recruits and weapons, but most importantly, they need finance.

Legendary Cold Warrior And Green Beret John Singlaub passes away at 100

Retired Major General John Singlaub, a decorated military legend well-known not just for his service but also for publicly criticizing Former President Jimmy Carter’s foreign policy in Korea, has passed away at 100.

John Singlaub reportedly died peacefully last Saturday, survived by his children and loving wife, Joan. The Special Operations legend fought and survived in World War II. the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 George A. Valdez, a team sergeant with 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), receives the first General John Singlaub Award from Gen. Singlaub himself in Feb. 2016.

Special Operations Legend

John Singlaub first entered the US Army as 2nd Lieutenant for the US Army Infantry during World War II, January 14, 1943. He was immediately deployed to France, where he was part of Operation Jedburgh. It was a three to four-man special operations team composed of soldiers from the British Special Operations Executive, the US Office of Strategic Service (OSS), and the Free French Bureau Central de Renseignements et d’Action. Note that the OSS would go on to become the CIA – staffed by many former members of the OSS.

This operation, composed of multiple, small units, were involved in covert missions behind Axis lines, providing intelligence and helping resistance fighters. Singlaub was one of the 83 Americans selected to participate in the program, along with French, Belgian, and Dutch soldiers. Singlaub was assigned to Jedburgh team “JAMES” and worked with French Maquis to pave the way for the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944.

Singlaub In Asia

After Germany surrendered, Singlaub would then be sent to the Pacific. He would parachute onto Hainan Island, in Nationalist China, leading an 8-man team to rescue American, Australian, and Dutch prisoners of war (POWs) from the Japanese. He didn’t stop there. He also arranged food and medical care for all POWs while still fighting the Japanese.

He would then be recruited in the CIA after the OSS had disbanded. He stayed in Manchuria to monitor the political situation of the Chinese Communists and the Nationalist Chinese in their Civil War. He would come home to the States for only a brief period and come back to Asia for the Korean War. In the 1950s, tensions within North and South Korea would come to an all-time high. He gathered intelligence as part of the Joint Advisory Commission in Korea (JACK) as Chief of Staff and Deputy Commander in 1951. He also led an infantry battalion in the Korean War while doing intelligence work. Because of his accomplishments, he was awarded the Silver Star.

In 1966, Singlaub led the Military Assistance Command Vietnam Studies and Observation Group (MACV-SOG) during the Vietnam War. This mission involved him leading special operators from the US military to fight North Vietnamese communists. Particularly, he had a direct hand in the mission to interdict the Ho Chi Minh trail, a vital supply line for communists. In later interviews, his team and colleagues would emphasize that Singlaub was one of the most dedicated and passionate officers they ever knew.

Not just a warrior but also an academic, Singlaub would return to the States to attend the Army Command and General Staff College and the Air War College. He also completed flight school at Fort Rucker as a 50-year-old in 1971.

Going back to Korea as Chief of Staff of the US Forces in 1977, he feuded publicly with former President Jimmy Carter as he proposed to withdraw US troops from war-torn Korea. This would get him fired and relieved of duty. He would also be forced to retire in 1978 when he continued to criticize Carter during a Georgia Institute of Technology lecture.

Together with former Congressman Larry McDonald and British Journalist John Rees, he would start the Western Goals Foundation. This private intelligence agency was directly involved with the Iran-Contra network.

Retired Major General John K. Singlaub attending a US Army Special Operations Command Red and Black Ball in 2016 (USASOC Public Affairs)

Active for over 40 years with the military, Singlaub was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal with the oak leaf cluster, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit with not one but two oak leaf clusters, the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, the French Croix de Guerre with Palm and Bronze Star, the Order of the Cloud and Banner, the United Nations Korea Medal, and the Air Medal with lead cluster to name a few.

In honor of him, the US Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) created the Major General John K. Singlaub Award in 2016 to honor US military personnel who served courageously off the battlefield. He was also inducted into the US Army Ranger Hall of Fame in 2006 and a Distinguished Member of the Special Forces Regiment in 2007.

A Very Crazy Special Forces Thanksgiving in Bolivia

During Thanksgiving, we all give thanks for spending time with our families, friends, and loved ones. We enjoy food, football, and spend time reminiscing. Early this Thanksgiving morning, I spent some time reading some excellent posts on Thanksgiving experiences and what the holiday means.

We had a conversation at our home over morning coffee sitting outside enjoying a nice cool Florida morning about how many holidays were spent away from home… and there were many. Some were spent in schools (NCO Academy during my enlisted days) and others at SERE School which I wrote about a while back.

That One Thanksgiving

One particular Thanksgiving stands out, thanks to what transpired in a typically bizarre set of circumstances that always seemed to make life interesting and funny in Special Forces. But first, a bit of background information.

Back in the day, the 7th Special Forces Group was supporting the U.S. Andean Ridge counter-narcotics policies by sending A-Teams throughout South America to work with and support DEA teams (Snowcap). The DEA teams were trying to eradicate cocaine labs and processing and stop the drug from making its way to the United States. One can argue whether those missions succeeded or failed, but for years we constantly had A-Teams in areas all over Bolivia, Colombia, and Peru.

One such area was the “lovely little village” of Chimore, Bolivia. Then-Captain Charlie Cleveland was the first A-Team commander who carved out a little base in Chimore. The base was in the strategic spot where the Chapare River intersected with the highway (Highway 4) that ran from the Chapare Valley where the majority of the coca-growing (and illicit drug labs) were being farmed. The drugs were transported to the capital of La Paz through Cochabamba to the west or Santa Cruz to the east. Cleveland later became a lieutenant general and headed Special Operations Command.

The 7th SFG built up the camp at Chimore and expanded it where a battalion of UMOPAR (Unidad Móvil Policial para Áreas Rurales), counternarcotics paramilitary police was then stationed. Ostensibly, the UMOPAR fell under the Bolivian Special Anti-narcotics Force (Fuerza Especial de Lucha Contra el Narcotráfico — FELCN) of the Bolivian National Police (Cuerpo de Policía Nacional). But the reality was much different. The UMOPAR really worked for the DEA and to a lesser extent the U.S. military.

Successive A-Teams under Operation “Red Dragon” and “Stonebridge” continually built up the base. It ended up including an airstrip that would handle C-47/DC-3 aircraft that the U.S. sold to Bolivia as well as UH-1Hs as the U.S. provided the Bolivians with their own rotary-wing capability, called the “Red Devils.” Later, more A-Teams would do some great work just down the road in Villa Tunari as they’d be co-located with folks from the Narcotics Affairs Section (NAS). There are some great stories from there…

As Chimore grew, it became the major DEA hub in the area. Eventually, the embassy and the MILGP wanted to cut the SF advising group from an A-Team to just two-three advisory teams. I had been there with an A-Team and then found myself back as part of the two-man team with my bud Dave O.

Our Life Gets Better

Special Forces in Bolivia — The old SF living quarters (shacks) behind the haul of a night raid where about 80-90 pounds of uncut cocaine and precursor chemicals lay. (Courtesy of author)

The living conditions became much better. The A-Team lived in small plywood shacks that were hot as all hell during the day. When Dave and I got there, we moved into a small house on the Bolivian side of the base. It was run by NAS and our liaison (a great guy who wasn’t Bolivian but Paraguayan… go figure) did all the logistical work to keep the base running smoothly. He could and did get us anything we asked for… within reason.

Our house that we lived in with our NAS liaison was fairly austere by conventional standards but was the Taj Mahal by what we lived in with the A-Team. We even had a housekeeper/cook. Life was pretty darn good for being in the middle of nowhere in the jungle. During the days leading up to Thanksgiving, we asked (frequently) for us to get a turkey since we weren’t getting any football (the internet was science fiction for Bolivia at the time). We were told that the turkey was coming but it might be a bit late… fair enough.

Thanksgiving came and went (we ate roasted chicken and fish caught in the river) and we were happy enough.

A couple of days later we were preparing to spend a long day at the demo range where Dave was going to teach the UMOPAR troops, cratering, and steel-cutting charges.

I was getting dressed sleepily in my room dying for some coffee when I heard a commotion in the kitchen and our cook screaming in Quechua, the indigenous Indian language.

I walked out and saw that she had cornered a large armadillo in the kitchen and was beating it to death with a broomstick.

In between whacks, she asked me “Would you like some coffee and breakfast?” “Ah no thanks,” I replied, “we’ll just skip that this morning.” Such was life in the jungle camp.

We stayed on the range all day and the troops had a ball. There is something about blowing sh*t up that brings out the little kid in all of us. Morale was high. We ate MRE’s for lunch and were still out there as the sun was beginning to set.

Be Thankful!

Around mid-morning, we got the great news from our NAS guy that the turkey was supposed to be arriving on a DEA plane ASAP. And sure enough soon after we saw it swoop in over at the airstrip…We must have mentioned turkey for dinner about 10 times during that day. We just hoped our cook would know enough to prepare it right.

About 5-6 p.m. we cut the UMOPAR boys loose for their evening chow and headed for the little casa that was home. Upon opening the door, a delicious smell came upon us… that was a plus. Our cook told us that dinner was almost ready. Since we were waiting for our NAS guy (his name escapes me), I jumped in the shower to wash some Bolivian funk off me, and got ready to eat.

We all sat down. Dinner was served and my first thought was…what the heck had she done to the bird… It was quartered but roasted with potatoes and veggies… ah well. As soon as I took a bite, I was taken back by some awfully nasty taste. She totally f**ked up our post-Thanksgiving turkey.

A few more bites didn’t improve matters. It was then our NAS bud asked our cook about the “pavo,” the Spanish word for turkey in Quechua. “No, no, no,” she said and rambled on in her native tongue for a few moments. “What did she say,” Dave and I asked in unison?

Our NAS started laughing. “She said no turkey came in on the plane, we are eating the armadillo,” he said.

Is it an armadillo or a Bolivian turkey? (Wikimedia Commons)

I could feel the color drain from my face. I wanted to hurl. Knowing that armadillos carry leprosy, I immediately imagined that in a few months Dave and I would look like the guy in the village in Papillon who gave Steve McQueen the boat.

So, the next time a family member complains about your turkey being dry and overdone, remind them that it is better than a freakin’ armadillo!

South African Special Forces (Recce) Selection

The South African Reconnaissance Regiments are one of the lesser-known or understood groups of soldiers in the world today. They have been through many phases and missions under the command of very different governments, especially in the last quarter-century. Today’s ‘Recce’ is often attached to missions of the United Nations for peacekeeping missions in various parts of Africa. The old SADF (South African Defense Force) was primarily a highly specialized unit born in the midst of a growing fire of communist insurgencies across the continent.

Similar to the big Army mindset of the United States that was against any type of Special Forces, South Africa did not see the need for anything beyond the vaunted airborne forces known as the Parabats. A few visionary soldiers saw the need for highly specialized and mobile forces, able to perform deep recon and direct action behind enemy lines. In 1967, Jan Breytenbrach, a highly innovative officer in the Parachute Battalions secured permission to take 12 of his men to Rhodesia and undergo SAS selection in an attempt to bring that training back and multiply it and eventually form up a successful Counterinsurgency (COIN) unit of its own.

Many growing armies in war and peace seek knowledge from other countries who have experience in the areas they want to strategically employ. Breytenbach and all of his men were ground down with intention but passed Rhodesian SAS selection in good shape. This nucleus would be the beginning of a unit that would be permanent and legendary.

The initial training of a special operations soldier is generally referred to as Selection. There are other terms such as Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) but Selection is a word that holds significance. The magnitude of what men go through to make it into a unit is intended as a mutual selection. The instructors get a chance to determine the suitability of a candidate through whatever means they can devise but equally important is the soldier’s chance to select whether he truly wants to follow through and be standing at the end.

Each unit has its own tried and true methods to strip everything away down to raw and bloody will and each soldier must find a way, inside, to not only stay in the game but to find a way to perform up to standards.

Recce operators before conducting a cross-border operation during the South African Border War.

The Recces went through their own learning curve to find the best men. In the beginning, a traditional SAS-style course was undertaken. Half of the cruel and unusual punishment came from the landscape and wildlife of Africa itself. The heat, terrain, and ability to endure it would ensure Darwins ‘Survival of the Fittest’ had some say so in the Recces.

Once the unit became official in the mid-1970s the recruiting and training classes commenced, the cadre often found themselves searching far and wide for candidates. With the rigorous process of applying, showing physical fitness, and a suitability interview with a psychiatrist much was invested in prospects before they showed up for Selection.

A series of events in 1975 proved that the ‘head shrinks’ would be an invaluable tool and that the evolution onto a plain of pain and endurance was indeed a large part mental.

One class began with 14 candidates. Only one of them graduated. He was on the course alone for a great part of it. General Fritz Loots, who had become the General for Special Forces command and development with Breytenbach was quite distressed. Missions for the Recces were available and a lack of manpower was holding the entire concept hostage.

The course officer had also reported that a further eight of them had the potential to become operators. Both Loots and Breytenbach decided that until further notice, no one would leave the course without permission. They reasoned that duty with the Recces was chosen and like any other unit, it was their duty to stay on regardless.

Another class of 28 formed up and within a week fourteen men had thrown in the towel. Angered by this, the 14 were ordered back to Selection and several of them continued on to graduation and proved to be useful and capable Recces.

Two psychiatrists were put on duty to be available to help the men on Selection. The idea of seeing a ‘headshrinker’ being for the weak-minded was slowly dispelled and accepted by the majority of the cadre.

Although eventually men would be allowed to drop or ‘throw in the towel,’ the importance of a strong psychological workup before and during Selection greatly improved their success rate. They also improved the entire pre-selection work up to determine the likely success of volunteers. Sports science was coming into its own and was advantaged by doctors to find out if the cardiovascular system was capable of enduring training. Joint flexibility, wear and tear on knees, hips and lower back was profiled with X-rays and load tests to weed out those who were unable to carry up to 120 pounds on their back.

The old school method of finding bodies and letting them sink or swim was not proving useful and amounted to a waste of time and money to a fledgling organization. In essence, men who showed up had nothing standing between them and success except the unforeseen injury.

The cadre learned as well. Simple mistreatment and discouraging an individual did not gain positive results. Pushing a man to his limits and instilling desire while holding to the rigorous standards gave the best results.

However, these changes did not lessen the difficult nature of the course. Recce Selection proved to be one of the most difficult in the world. As with any mission, the terrain dictates the type of training needed. Operating in the subtropic heat and arid environment proved to be the downfall of many men.

Some people simply could not acclimatize to the heavy workload in the heat. Endless marching through rough terrain with packs, rationed food, and water day after day was simply too much for many men.

Being able to map read and keep yourself and your team on a ruler’s edge to an objective was fundamental. Doing so after a 24-hour march shouldering an 80-pound ruck with blood pouring out of your boots from raw skin and limited food and water became exceedingly difficult.

A man’s temperament was constantly under surveillance, especially at these key times. A cool head in the midst of extreme physical discomfort was paramount. A man who would lose his head with another candidate or God forbid an instructor could lead to a swift ticket home. The Recces needed the type of mentality that could ruck 150 klicks, recon a target, and hoof it back on foot with the enemy in pursuit, being out of food and searching for water.

The wildlife of Africa was a built-in part of the course that could not be avoided and would always be present in combat operations. A notorious exercise to quell the natural fear of predators including the crocodile is presented in Harry McCallion’s book “Killing Zone.” McCallion had served in the British Paras and sought adventure in South Africa. Upon arrival, he was offered a slot to try out for the Recces. He was accustomed to the extreme physical fitness required and endless marching but one exercise nearly caused him to leave straight away.

The class was conducting evolutions near a lake. The men were brought up to see the crocodiles that slithered up and down its banks and into the water. Later into the night after endless log and rifle PT and hard running they ended back up at the lake. They were instructed to dress down to their skivvies and swim across a croc-infested lake. There was a lot of protesting, and especially from McCallion.

Why in the world would he risk his life during Selection? A rope was there to help you get across. Twenty men refused to swim the 100 yards and disqualified themselves. McCallion decided that he had some and pass the course, alive or dead, and went for it. He lived as did the others.

Later a course instructor came to him and told him the reason for the evolution. A similar situation had occurred recently on a hot extraction after contact. Several chanced it and made it but two men refused. A scout happened to have found a narrow place farther upriver. The whole team’s life was in jeopardy due to fear. They didn’t want mindless men. They wanted men who could face their fear in the direst of circumstances, overcome them and continue the mission.

Almost all selection courses have their version of Hell Week. After my personal interviews with two Recces one thing stood out that the South Africans required of the men during the most mentally and physically grueling part of the Selection course to determine if they had the fortitude to become Recces. The intentional lack of food for 5-6 days. Whereas in BUD/S they are fed up to 6000 calories/day, potential Recces had a handful of rice here, a fruit there. In fact, one of the Recces I interviewed said that was the hardest part and probably the thing that messed with their will to finish the most.

When the body is beyond empty and at a physical low, the South Africans believed they could find a man’s deepest desire. Taking one of the most powerful needs that humans have and depriving them of it while continuing the demands of endless marches and PT could reveal the men who could stick around and endure the missions required by these Soldiers.

All of the bushcraft, tracking, counter tracking, minor tactics, assaulting tactics, reconnaissance fieldcraft could only be given to the men who were physically, mentally, and morally able to undergo the fear, deprivation, and punishment that is Selection for the Reconnaissance Commandos.

Below you will find a Recce candidate’s notes during the equivalent of Hell Week. It contains many gems and insights. The translation belongs to Willem Ratte, one of the most experienced small unit reconnaissance operators in the world (thank you, Mr. Ratte).

Wednesday (4.5.75): We got wet in the rain that night and it was bloody cold.
Thursday (6.5.75): Start 6 am with PT running through water and over sand dunes With a full sandbag. Lectures. Went to Sibaya lake where we had to swim. Nearly saw my ass. At 6pm we started our z (bedford) BD with ropes too sore. Waiting now for the next trick.
Friday (7.5.75): The next trick was to walk to Sibaya lake with full sandbag 16km. This morning we had to double 16 km back to camp. Then we had to run with kit on the beach and the crawl through the surf. Midday we had a compass lecture, practical. We walk up to our hips in a huge swamp. Then shooting practice. 8pm we start to walk, until 2am, approx 20km.
Saturday (8.5.75): the night was heavy & cold. 6am we started to pull the bedford with ropes, until 9am, approx 4km. Suffer heavy because we have been without food for 2 days now. 10am we start walking until 1.30pm, approx 8km. Midday we do observation skills. Tests that evening. 8pm we must do 16km again. GREAT EVENING FOR ME.
Sunday (9.5.75. 6): Am we double back to camp. Rifle inspection and bush lane. Swim with kit and ambush for night.
Monday (10.5.75): after ambush we have to move along beach to our RV. Arrive in the morning at 7am, approx 10km then mountain climbing exercises. We are heavy & hungry. 3 days without food. Get food and sleep well.
Tuesday (11.5.75): rest and get kit ready for big thing. Jump tonight for our starting point. We will have to do 400+km.
Wednesday (12.5.75): Jump last night and start walking until 2am, approx 20km. start walking at 6am. Do 28km until 12pm. Ha!
Thursday (13.5.75): Walk approx 25 km to Sibaya lake. Then row for 20km to the other side of the lake to the next RV.
Friday (14.5.75): Walk with the boat for approx 8km. Suffer a lot. Then walk for 30km to coast. Eat lekker (nice) pap (porridge).
Saturday (15.5.75): Start walking 5am. Must do 36km before 3pm. get there 4.30. Only group there. Throw food out for us by parachute.
Sunday (16.5.75): Wait until 1pm for others. Made nice porridge for breakfast. Must now walk 43km. They take all our kit and food.
Monday (17.5.75): It is now 6am and we are hungry and ice-cold. Wait for instructors. We walk approx 40km in direction of Ovbombo mountains. Must go over river. Me and Hein go over first. Half-way the rope breaks. float back to bank. Hein probably kicks off rope which holds rifles, 2 metres from shore. Search but find nothing.
Tuesday (18.5.75): Walk until this morning 4.15. We receive orders to walk back 45km with a pole. My feet are one blister.
Wednesday (19.5.75): Walk approx 30km until 9,30. my feet heavy & sore. Cross river by boat. Eat coffee and bread. very tired and full of longing.
Thursday (20.5.75): get to RV at 9.30am. We cammo ourselves with ash. Think is nearly over. General loots is at RV and we must do buddy rating. We lay an ambush 24km further on.
Friday (21.5.75): Get to RV at 8am. Bush was very thick. The next RV 15+12km far. My feet heavy & sore. Take short-cut through swamp. (They) Catch us and take our shoelaces and all our food.
Saturday (22.5.75): had to walk 12km further the previous night to emergency RV. From there we start walking at 1am. For 45km. Have no food. with (native) chief we eat porridge, tea and coffee. Full of longing. We are first to get to RV. Tell us to walk along road for 10km. Hope this is the last stretch. (They) chase us all the way. Get there 5pm. 6pm they tell us back 25km. We are heavy & tired, exhausted and hungry. Walk only until 8.30. O ja, ;we ate many dates. Wish I could give them to Hannelie.
Sunday (23.5.75) Start walking at 4am. am still stiff. 40km. Get to RV at 10am. First there. Get food and tell us to walk along road, individual test, appr 5km, when instructor in the bush calls us and gives us a beer and tells us the course is over. Bloody glad. Gen Loots also there.

This Is How 4 OSS Operators Captured Sardinia From 270,000 Italians in WWII

The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) grew out of humble beginnings and Washington’s political infighting to be a huge part of the American effort in World War II. OSS agents provided important intelligence, furnished operatives who worked behind the lines, and helped resistance and guerrilla movements against occupying German, Japanese, and Italian forces. One of the most successful operations of OSS was the capture of Sardinia, where four American operators convinced more than 270,000 Italian troops to surrender.

The Glorious Bastards

General William Donovan and his band of “PhDs who can win a bar fight” had developed a stellar reputation among the senior Allied leaders. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, credited the American OSS and the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) with the exemplary manner in which the resistance forces were organized, supplied, and directed. After the war, Eisenhower said,

“In no previous war and in no other theater during this war, have Resistance forces been so closely harnessed to the main military effort…I consider that the disruption of enemy rail communications, the harassing of German road moves, and the continual and increasing strain placed on the German war economy and internal security services throughout occupied Europe by the organized forces of Resistance, played a very considerable part in our complete and final victory.”

General George Marshall, after WWII, wrote how the OSS had far surpassed expectations. “The Resistance surpassed all of our expectations, and it was they who, in delaying the arrival of German reinforcements and in preventing the regrouping of enemy divisions in the interior assured the success of our landings.”

OSS Jedburgh team William Colby — OSS Jedburgh team gather around Lt. William Colby, future Director of the CIA, prior to a mission. (U.S. Army)

A Russian Aristocrat in Sardinia

Sardinia had a garrison of 20,000 Germans and over 270,000 Italians. With the invasion of Italy underway, the Allies wanted to capture Sardinia without having to resort to another full-scale invasion by ground troops.

It was a tailor-made mission for the OSS. The mission was tasked to a four-man special operations team. General Marshall later wrote that he wanted to “give [General] Donovan a chance to do his stuff without fear of compromising some operation in prospect. If he succeeds, fine, if not, nothing will be lost.”

Chosen to lead the OSS team was the larger-than-life character Lieutenant Colonel Serge Obolensky.

Born a Russian aristocrat, Prince Sergei (Serge) Obolensky had a life full of vicissitudes and varied experiences in both the Russian military under the Czar and the American military. During World War I, he was awarded the highest medals for personal courage as an officer in the Russian cavalry. After the Russian Revolution, the Bolsheviks hunted him. He escaped to America, where he remade himself as a financial advisor to President Roosevelt. He became one of the founders of the U.S. Special Forces, a lieutenant colonel of the Office of Strategic Services, and the oldest combat U.S. Army paratrooper at the age of 53.

Because of his experiences, propensity for languages, and natural ability to influence people, he was a natural for OSS. General Donovan quickly recruited Obolensky into the fledgling agency.

In early September 1943, the U.S. Army landed at Salerno. Eisenhower wanted the Italian soldiers on Sardinia to surrender and harass the Germans on the island. Obolensky was to carry a letter from Eisenhower, the Italian King Emmanuel, and Prime Minister General Pietro Badoglio to the garrison commander, General Basso, ordering him to surrender. Donovan personally selected Obolensky because he believed the former Russian aristocrat had both the social standing and the gift of gab to persuade the Italian general in charge to surrender to him.

The second member of Obolensky’s four-man team was 1LT Michael Formichelli from New York City. An original member of the Italian-American Operational Group, whom Obolensky had trained with in the U.S., Formichelli was to be the interpreter. The team was rounded out with two radio operators: 2LT James Russell, a special operations instructor at the OSS training school in Algeria; and Sergeant William Sherwood from the British SOE, who would relay information to the OSS base station in Algiers.

Although neither Formichelli nor Russell had ever jumped from an aircraft, they both volunteered for the mission. Since the OSS had no contacts on Sardinia, this operation would be a “blind jump” into enemy-held territory.

The Coup de Maître

On the night of September 13, 1943, the team parachuted into the island via a blacked-out bomber. They landed safely and buried their parachutes. Russell and Sherwood remained with the communications gear, while Obolensky and Formichelli took off on a 15-mile reconnaissance of the town of Cagliari.

Warned that the Germans were close, the sight of the two Americans in uniform with submachine guns shocked the Italian townspeople at the nearby railroad station. Yet, thinking that the Americans had arrived to free them from the hated Germans, the Italians began to cheer.

Approaching the local police station, Obolensky acted as if he had battalions of paratroopers under his command nearby. He told the police chief, “I have a very important message from the King of Italy and General Badoglio to General Basso. Take me to him!”

Obolensky and Formichelli were escorted to General Basso’s headquarters. General Basso was concerned. Although he agreed to “follow the orders of my king,” and surrender his troops, he did not agree to attack the Germans who were leaving for Corsica and then northern Italy.

The attitude among the Italian officers was split. Many of them wanted to fight the Germans. However, one unit of paratroopers commanded by a hardcore fascist disobeyed General Basso’s surrender order and shot his representative. The OSS men, including the two radio operators, were kept in a safe house until General Basso and his men could bring the paratroopers back in line. The audacious plan had worked.

Obolensky radioed back to OSS HQs that “except for the Germans retreating in the far north, Sardinia was ours.”

The mission was a complete success, and it was astonishingly completed in 36 hours without the loss of a single American life.

Serge Obolensky Marilyn Monroe OSS — Serge Obolensky dances with Marilyn Monroe in the years after the war. (Obolensky family)

Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. arrived a few days later with a small occupation force and formally accepted the surrender of the 270,000 Italian troops on Sardinia. But it was Obolensky and the OSS men who had made it all happen.

After the war, Obolensky worked for the Hilton Hotel chain and later started his own public relations firm in New York City, Serge Obolensky Associates, Inc. He hobnobbed with celebrities and high-ranking politicians and was photographed dancing with Marilyn Monroe at one of his parties. He died in 1978 at the age of 88.

The modern-day CIA and U.S. Army Special Forces are the direct descendants of the OSS.

Top 5 Jobs Navy SEALs Take After Service

The career of a Navy SEAL after the military is more exciting than you may think. These are the top five jobs Navy SEALs take after service.

1. Paramilitary Contractor

Most guys I know who did over 10 years in the Teams are on this gig. I think most like it because of two reasons: freedom and pay. There are not too many places where you can make over $100k a year and work 4-6 months. Tired of paying Uncle Sam? Move to Thailand or the Philippines. I know a lot of guys who are banking 100% of their paychecks and laughing on the beach in Thailand, living like Dan Bilzerian for $1,500 a month.

Who’s hiring? CIA, DOS, DOE, DynCorp, Triple Canopy, MVM, Academi, maritime shipping companies, and more.

2. Private Security Professional

Who’s on Bill Gates’s private personal security detail? Former Navy SEALs, that’s who.

Death threat? Hire a SEAL turned JSOC (Joint Special Operations Command) intel professional turned private sector operative. He’ll run a vulnerability assessment on his client’s “pattern of life” that will have them begging for momma.

Pay is good — well into six figures. However, you risk being an overpaid private security guard and getting abused by over-zealous clients who confuse babysitting with security. The dirty secret of this job is the JSOC guy — he can pull in more money and knows both sides of the game, and no babysitting duty.

Russia oligarch — Russian oligarchs are hiring, especially in Bahrain.

Who’s hiring? Silicone Valley moguls and Fortune 500 CEOs. Bonus option: Go rogue and seek offshore employment with some rich Russian oligarch with a pet baby giraffe, and make friends with Snowden.

3. Business Owner

Something about the SEAL Teams makes the operators exceptionally programmed to build and run companies. A great example is Mike Noell of Blackhawk. I think guys start their own businesses because they can accept the risk (better than getting shot at), and they are encouraged to lead in the Teams from the moment they get there. The bonus is that you get to be your own boss and dictate your own schedule.

Navy SEAL photo — Who’s hiring? You are. Now, that’s a top Navy SEAL job!

4. GS (Government Service) Contractor

Perhaps the biggest boondoggle out there is the GS gig. The pay isn’t great but it’s steady and lets guys double down on federal retirement. The downside is that you don’t get a look at the outside world (maybe this is an advantage), and you lose a lot of the privilege that came from your former rank in the community. A lot of guys who do over 20 years go this route. Bonus: retirement, and you don’t have to deal with civilians in the real world.

Screen Shot 2014-04-22 at 9.24.24 PM — You were once hard, but now you’re GS.

Who’s hiring? Your last command. It’s the good ole boy club at its finest.

5. Professional Pilot

Want to know an open secret in the SEAL community? We have our own enlisted-run airlines (AKA TWA-Teeny Weenie Airlines, and yes, it’s real). Have your knees or back start giving you problems as an E-8? Put your application in and get a few thousand hours flying jets for your teammates. FedEx doesn’t deliver parts to obscure African countries on the fringe of civil war…

After you retire, coast into a nice job with one of the major airlines, or take a private flying gig for a major company. Pay is great, and there’s nothing like piloting multi-million dollar aircraft around the globe.

Who’s hiring? Harrahs, Delta, American, Dan Bilzerian, and any Asian airline with a bad safety record.

private jet airport Abu Dhabi — Private jet airport in Abu Dhabi

Note: This list of the top five jobs that Navy SEALs take after service, is compiled from my own (un)official survey of friends in the SEAL community, and represents my own personal perspective. I wanted to list Author or Hollywood Tech Adviser but in reality, these professions provide more part-time income and are not a long-term play. Most of the guys I know don’t go this route because of peer pressure. Hope you enjoyed this.

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

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

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

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

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

The Final Primer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Injuries Without Scars: How Special Operations Medics Treat Brain Injuries

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

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

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

Treating Brain Injuries

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.