Special Operations Forces

State-Backed Iraqi Militias Attack Kurdish Positions in Kirkuk

Iraqi Kurdish officials said on Monday that federal forces and state-backed militias had launched a “major, multi-pronged” attack aimed at retaking the disputed northern city of Kirkuk that is held by the Kurdish peshmerga forces.

One local Iraqi Kurdish commander said federal forces had seized an oil and gas company and other industrial sites south of Kirkuk, in fighting with Kurdish forces that caused “lots of casualties.”

State-sanctioned Iraqi militias have taken up positions inside the disputed northern city of Kirkuk after federal forces clashed with Kurdish forces outside the city.
The mostly Shiite Arab militias, known as the Popular Mobilization Forces, are viewed with deep suspicion by the city’s Kurdish community. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had previously vowed they would remain outside the city.
An Associated Press reporter on Monday saw the militiamen at posts in Turkmen areas on the western side of the city that had been abandoned by Kurdish forces.
Kurdish forces were falling back from their positions around Kirkuk as federal forces advanced on the city. Kurdish commanders say they have sustained casualties in the clashes, without providing specific figures.

Tensions have reached a high point between the Kurds and Iraqis since the Kurds voted for independence last month in a non-binding referendum rejected as unconstitutional by Baghdad.

Both sides are receiving US support in the fight against the Islamic State. Official U.S. spokesman U.S. Army Col. Ryan Dillon tweeted that the coalition is “closely monitoring sit. near Kirkuk; urge all sides to avoid escalatory actions. Finish the fight vs. #ISIS, biggest threat to all.”

To read the entire article from The ABC News click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation 10.16.2017

A Monday morning pre-test of the Upper Body Round Robin (UBRR) with many of the exercises that will be tested. Always go for perfect form when doing the pushups, it will be an area that is always looked at hard during the PT tests in Selection.

After the exercises, a three-mile run as fast as you can. Mark the time in your workout logbook. Remember the time limit on the run is 24 minutes maximum. Go thru the entire list of exercises, take a two-minute break for water and do it again. Then go for the run.

Training:

More preparation for the UBRR

2 x 1-minute Pushups

2 x 1-minute Sit-ups

2 x 1-minute, Crunches

2 x 1-minute, V-ups

2 x Dips as many as possible to muscle failure

2 x Pullups as many as possible or to muscle failure

3-mile run (24 minutes maximum)

Stretch well after completion

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation 10.15.2017

It is time for our Sunday morning Rucksack march. Do a quick warmup of pushups and sit-ups before heading out. Head out over varied terrain and try to go as fast as you can without running. The standard is 120 minutes, maximum. Your goal should be to come in much quicker.

Stretch well both before and after the event. Remember to drink plenty of water and stay hydrated out there. Break it up by wearing your second pair of boots today to ensure they are properly broken in for the course.

Training:

Warm up

2 x 20 Pushups

2 x 20 Sit-ups

8-mile Rucksack march over varied terrain with a 45-pound minimum. And mark your times in your workout log book.

Stretch well after completion

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation 10.14.2017

Back in the gym this Saturday morning for a shoulder and back workout. Towel pull-ups if you have no access to ropes or climbing ropes if they are available. Followed by a four-mile run. Log your numbers down in the workout notebook

Training:

More Preparation for the UBRR:

3 x 10 Lat Pulldowns, rear

3 x 10 Barbell Dead Lift

3 x 10 Wide Grip Pull-ups

3 x 10 Towel Pull-ups

3 x 10 Dumbbell Side Raises

3 x 10 Seated Bent-Over Delt Raise

3 x 10 Dumbbell Shoulder Press

3 x 10 Arnold Dumbbell Press

4-mile run

Stretch well after completion

SAAB Barracuda Camo Nets Makes Special Operations Vehicles Disappear

Camouflage and camo netting is nothing new, but Saab Barracuda is breaking new ground and merged the classic camo net with new state of the art high tech materials to make vehicles nearly impossible for the enemy to spot.

US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is already deploying these new camouflage nets on operations and allows SOF teams to keep their light vehicles undercover but can instantly take off when the situation arises.

Ultra-high-tech merges with an old-school concealment classic to make U.S. special operations forces vehicles vanish before the eyes of an enemy.

Breakaway is being featured this week at the annual Association of the US Army (AUSA) conference, an exhibition of the latest in land warfare innovation held in Washington D.C. These nets are going like hotcakes, as SOCOM just received nine additional orders before the conference started.
These days, it is not nearly enough for camouflage nets to fool the naked eye.
Breakaway defeats all sorts of key sensors that an enemy may use to try to locate US forces. It can defeat an enemy scanning with the naked eye, but it will also keep the vehicle concealed when enemies are kitted up with thermal devices.
Broadband radar? No problem. Breakaway will not let it reveal the vehicles beneath the state of the art nets.
An enemy could try to locate US Special Operations teams with near infrared and shortwave infrared, but they’ll have no luck spotting their vehicles while shielded with the Breakaway camouflage.

To disengage the system, the vehicle just has to back up about a foot and disengage the front net and then just drive out. It is as simple as that. The stitching of the netting is what keeps it from tearing.

Saab is making these for the smaller Special Operations vehicles but is also constructing larger nets for the Stryker vehicles.

To read the entire article from Fox News click here:

Photo courtesy Saab Barracuda

Russia Says U.S., NATO Broke Peace Deal, Threatens Response

The United States announced on Thursday that they are moving the 2^nd Cavalry Regiment to a Polish outpost in an attempt to bolster allied nations against what they see is a military threat from Russia. However, the Russians have accused both the US and NATO of violating a peace treaty between it and NATO and says that the West is undermining Russian security by surrounding it with hostile forces bent on aggression.

Vladimir Shamanov, head of the defense committee for Russia’s lower house of parliament, said the country would consider adding more nuclear-capable Iskander ballistic missiles on its side of the border to deter a U.S. military buildup in the region.
“This creates prerequisites that may eventually enable them to create a certain stronghold. We will surely not turn a blind eye on this. We will take retaliatory measures,” Shamanov said, according to the state-run Tass Russian news agency.
“Not just personnel, but combat equipment. For instance, the group of Iskanders, including that in Kaliningrad, may be increased,” he added.
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said it was the U.S. “preparing for the aggression” by stationing the 2nd Cavalry Regiment across Russia’s border without removing the military equipment of U.S. forces previously posted there, a move he said violated the 1997 NATO-Russia Founding Act. The agreement was designed to end decades of Cold War animosity between the two sides and states that “NATO and Russia do not consider each other as adversaries.”

With Russia trying to expand its influence far beyond its borders, the NATO alliance hopes to counter that by placing troops in Poland as well as in Romania near the Black Sea. It is there where both NATO and Russia have contended for influence. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis emphasized that the purpose of the deployment was “peace, not war,” however the Russians also consider that move “provocative and unacceptable”.

To read the entire article from Newsweek, click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation 10.13.2017

It is Friday the 13^th so that must mean that it is Leg Day at the gym. Starting with Squats – (front, dumbbell goblet, and barbell), then some lunges and the weighted sled push. If your gym doesn’t have a sled, you can substitute a Fireman’s carry. And then finish the workout with a five-mile run. Mark your progress down in your workout log book and stretch well after the session.

Training:

Continue to prep for the UBRR.

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

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

3 x 10 Barbell Squats

3 x 10 Dumbbell Lunges

3 x 10 Romanian Lunges

3 x Weighted Sled Push or Fire Man’s Carry

5-mile run (40 minutes maximum)

Stretch well after completion

More Rucking Tips, Revisiting the Hills With a 45-lb Ruck

About six months ago in our SFAS training tips, we hit the trails with our rucksack and were hitting the hills as they present issues that as a Selection candidate that you will encounter in the various courses that the services will offer.

With the rain, we had in the area as the remnants of a hurricane dumped some needed moisture in the forest, what better time is there than to get out in the rain and mud and carry a rucksack? The one good thing is that the trails would be empty as most people that time of morning decided that hiking in the rain and muck isn’t the most fun way to start the day.

It should be noted, that my erstwhile training companion bailed on me. My bulldog took one look outside at the rain and wind and gave me a look like, “you’ve got to be kidding me?” and flopped, not rolled over, flopped on her side with her back to me. Sigh. I was on my own.

On another side note, besides the training value of rucking for those of our readers who are aspiring Special Operations candidates, going out on an early morning hike/ruck is a great stress reliever for a bit. For those who need to clear their head and decompress, it is a wonderful tonic for the cluttered brain. And there has been plenty of that lately…Nuff said.

In getting the weight right for the rucksack, which should be a 45-pound minimum, I went back to using a sandbag that I placed in the top radio pouch of the rucksack. Back a few months ago, we got several questions about using bricks, which you can and for the purpose of that one exercise I did. But to me, and it is just my personal opinion, bricks are bulky and it takes quite a few of them to get the weight right.

For the purposes of training and just for the plain ease of getting it right, a sandbag is much easier and foolproof. But there is no right or wrong answer here, whatever works for you is fine as long as the weight is correct. And that is what it is all about…

We’ve posted some tips based on our experience that we feel will be of good value to you. I don’t claim to know it all, but after many years in SF, these tips and techniques worked for me and hopefully, they’ll work for you as well.

So, the weight, in this case, the sandbag should be packed up high between the shoulder blades as much as possible. The ruck that I’m using has radio pouch up high, that is where the sandbag was placed. And it bears repeating that I prefer sandbags because it will mold to your ruck and back and doesn’t have any sharp edges that can rub you on a long-distance ruck march.

On this particular ruck march, I once again used the waist strap on my rucksack, that way, the weight rides more on your hips and not on your shoulders. This way you can loosen your shoulder straps just a bit so that the weight isn’t all on them.

We covered boots in a several of our earlier pieces. I have several favorite pairs that I take on hikes depending upon the conditions. Since I had recently purchased a new pair of the Merrell MOAB2 boots. As we’ve stated before, these are great boots.

They are comfortable right out of the box, very stable, have excellent traction in all kinds of conditions (this day would be a mix of wet forest and rock) and the new footbeds fit better with improved arch and heel cup design. I almost went with the heavier Sawtooth boots but I’m putting them on a pitch count so to speak so that they last as I can’t get any more of them.

Someone emailed me a while back and asked what boots I rucked in back in the day. It is a very good question. I answered my issued jungle boots. Why? Because that is what I was going to use when I was either at home base or deployed and had several pairs broken in. Use what you are going to wear down range.

The closed loop trail in my favorite “Purgatory” hike gives plenty of varied terrain so it was up and down some steep hills. As it is a short trail I went back and forth (twice) to get some distance in which is guaranteed to get you some strange looks from any other hikers that you come across. But on this rainy, wet morning I was alone anyway.

From an earlier ruck march, the Snapping Turtle and I have logged a few miles together. (Photo author)

I took my SFAS Cadre walking stick (The staff of Ra) on the course. But unlike Mr. Indiana Jones’ medallion, mine has a large snapping turtle skull attached. It makes for an attractive topper and a good weapon for the occasional dog that decides to attack the crazy person walking in the woods alone. Usually, all it takes is to point it and Fido thinks better of it. Of course, that is what the bulldog’s secondary (implied) task is for.

So, with the Apple iPod in place, some soothing Metallica in my ears, it is off to Purgatory. When hitting the upslope of the hills, I like to lean forward just slightly and lengthen, not shorten my stride. Some people do the opposite, whatever works for you. Try it. I’m not talking a big difference, just an ever so slightly longer one which keeps your momentum going. The walking stick will definitely help here and when you reach the downside of the slopes.

Running: This is a touchy subject with a lot of people and you’ll get 100 different answers from a 100-different people. But when it comes to increasing speed, I don’t recommend that you run with a rucksack on your back while in training. Learn to increase your speed without resorting to running.

Running with a rucksack puts an incredible amount of stress on your knees. On this trail, there are some steep downhill slopes where it is easy to pick up a shuffle for a short distance, and it can speed things up but there is a difference between doing that and for running a longer distance.

From one of our earlier articles on rucking while preparing for selection, “They’ll be times in your selection course or the qualification course that you’ll have to make up time or want to pick your pace, especially on the downhill slopes. At those times, you’re going to have to do what you must.”

I can’t stress enough as someone who now has two arthritic knees and a back to boot to learn to increase your speed without running. Lengthen out your stride and generate power with your legs and your speed will come naturally without resorting to running. But while in the course…do what you must, to pass. When I was becoming a SFAS Cadre member, we had to go thru the course before working there. I was one of the “dinosaurs” who went thru the SFQC before there was SFAS. And on one of our long-range rucks, I jogged the last mile and a half, almost two, just to get it over with as I still had plenty of time (why do people who give advice, never take their own?).

The standard is a 15-minute mile pace to pass the course. That is the minimum. You should be aiming much better than that. I used to keep about a 12-minute per mile pace. It is plenty fast enough for where you’ll finish a 12-mile with just over 30 minutes to spare and is a pace that you can keep up for an even longer distance.

Water and hydration are very important as we keep harping on in every PT piece every morning. On this day, despite the rainy, raw conditions, I drank quite a bit of water, close to 36 ounces. It is a good habit to get into during training to continue to push water all the time. If you get into the habit now, you’ll keep it up during the course.

Happy Rucking…now I have to have a word with a bulldog about abandoning me.

If anyone else has any questions, feel free to send them along to [email protected] or at my Twitter page @SteveB7SFG and I’ll be glad to answer them.

Photo courtesy of US Army, author

Mattis: US Army “Needs to Be Ready” for North Korea Military Options

Defense Secretary James Mattis turned a few heads on Monday when he told the U.S. Army “to be ready” should President Trump order military action against North Korea. With the on-going war of words reaching new heights after a series of missile tests this summer, the rogue state of Kim Jong Un has increasingly rattled its saber, now it is threatening nuclear tests in the Pacific Ocean.

Mattis made his comments while speaking at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) convention in Washington. He said while the US will continue to seek a peaceful solution with North Korea, a nuclear-armed North Korea threatens regional and global peace.

“It is right now a diplomatically led, economic-sanction buttressed effort to try to turn North Korea off this path,” said Mattis. “What does the future hold? Neither you nor I can say, so there’s one thing the U.S. Army can do, and that is you’ve got to be ready to ensure that we have military options that our president can employ, if needed.”
The retired four-star Marine Corps general also spoke about how past mistakes made during battles are “a reminder that we’ve got to be brilliant in the basics of blocking and tackling. Right now, what we want to do is be so ready and be very much aware that we fight the way we come that everybody in the world wants to deal with Secretary [of State Rex] Tillerson and the Department of State, not the Department of Defense and the United States Army.”

Mattis mentioned on-going improvements in budgeting for new troops and equipment, modernizing the force across the board and called on the leaders of industry and the military to get together to allow the services to get their hands on more technologically better pieces of equipment and capabilities.

To read the entire article from CNBC click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation 10.12.2017

Thursday morning is a Chest and Triceps workout at the gym before heading out for a 5-mile run. Flat and Incline Bench Presses as well as Flies, Pushups, Pushdowns, and Dips ought to have your triceps feeling the pump. Then a 5-mile run over varied terrain in 40 minutes or less.

UBRR PrepTraining:

More Preparation for the UBRR:

3 x 12 Bench Press

3 x 10 Dumbbell Flies

3 x 10 Dumbbell Incline press

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

3 x 10 V Ups

3 x 20 Sit-ups

3 x 20 Cable Push Downs (rope)

3 x 20 Dips or until muscle failure

5-mile run

Stretch well after completion