Special Operations Forces

‘Raise the Black’ Green Berets Raise Money For Fallen Iraqi CTS Comrades

Former Green Berets who selected, trained, and fought alongside the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) are watching with pride the fighting is doing in Iraq while trying to drive ISIS from the country. And now some of the Special Operations soldiers are trying to help the families of their fallen comrades by raising money for them.

The Golden Division, as the CTS unit is called is among the best units in the Iraqi army and is doing a lion’s share of the fighting to retake Mosul. The SF operators who trained them are proud of their achievements but know how costly the battle has become as hundreds of their former charges have died in battle.

Now they’re starting a GoFundMe page that will alleviate the cost of Iraqi families of losing loved ones. The SF soldiers led by Loren Schofield and Bryan Myers kicked off the idea and are selling flags, bumper stickers and T-shirts to raise money for the CTS families.

The CTS program, which recruited Shiites, Sunnis, and Kurds, was stood up in 2004 as the U.S. military grappled with the insurgency in Iraq.
“Special Forces soldiers selected, trained, mentored, fought with and died alongside the CTS,” Myers said. “It is the biggest success story to come out of Iraq.”
The commandos mainly battled Sunni insurgents, but also played a lead role in a 2008 offensive against Shiite militias. When ISIS invaded in 2014, CTS commandos held Iraq’s largest oil refinery for months while the rest of the Iraqi military retreated in disarray.
“Most Americans think the Iraqi army are cowards,” Schofield said. “But (CTS) stood in the breach and held the line against ISIS.”
In the last two years, the commandos led the battle to retake Ramadi and took part in operations in Hit, Rutbah and villages along the Euphrates River. The Golden Division was also the first Iraqi force to break through ISIS lines in Fallujah last year.

Much too often, the focus for our country is very short and many of our allies have been abandoned in the past. These two Green Berets are making sure that these allies know that they won’t be forgotten.

To read the entire article from The Washington Post, click here:

Photo courtesy GoFundMe

Parents say their Green Beret son was murdered and want answers

Three members of the 5^th Special Forces Group who were conducting weapons training for the Jordanian armed forces were killed in November when re-entering a base they had left and entered many times in the past.

The Jordanian government has ruled the deaths “a tragic accident” where a member of their military, M’aarek Abu Tayeh fired from point blank range killing two of the SF soldiers right in front of a guard shack as the troops re-entered the base after conducting range operations in the morning.

A third Green Beret was killed in the ensuing gun battle with Tayeh before a fourth, armed with just a Glock handgun, emptied his pistol at Tayeh who was seriously wounded in the exchange.

Jordanian Ambassador Dina Kawar said in a statement that Tayeh responded to shooting from the Americans.

“Abu Tayeh was tasked with swift response,” Kawar said, and fired toward the source of what he took to be gunshots coming from the Americans, “who in turn fired directly at Abu Tayeh, believing he was targeting them.”

The FBI has analyzed video footage from the incident and deemed that the Americans followed what had been normal procedure when entering and leaving the base. The families of the killed Americans believe that the soldiers were murdered and want answers from the Jordanians.

Earlier this month, Chuck Lewellen and fathers of the other fallen Green Berets spoke at the National Press Club in Washington. They want an apology from Jordan, and they’ve called for a suspension of aid to the country until that happens.
“The government of Jordan lied to the world, immediately claiming that our sons failed to stop at the gate,” James R. Moriarty told the press club. “When the FBI confirmed the video showed that to be a lie, the Jordanians then claimed there had been an accidental discharge by one of the Americans. This was also proven to be a lie.
“The American public is told Jordan is our ally. Jordan has never accepted responsibility nor has a Jordanian official ever explained what truly happened.”

The families want answers and the Jordanians to clear their sons of any wrongdoing, which the video and the FBI investigation played out. However, the Jordanian government is sticking to its story, (the third now) that Tayeh acted appropriately and was responding to a threat from the Americans.

Jordan has been a staunch ally of the US in the region and although terrorism has been ruled out by the host government, and they cited Tayeh’s 14 years of service, for the families, there is the legitimate question in their minds as to what happened and why.

To read the entire article from The Olympian, click here:

Photo courtesy DOD

Passing BUDS, Interview with Thomas Rosehaley Pt. 2

Thomas Rosehaley is a busy man these days. When he’s not flying across the globe working as a personal security professional, he’s back at home keeping on top of his medical training, which is his bailiwick. He had just arrived back in the states but was not getting much free time. “I’m diving tomorrow in Monterrey Bay and then have a Med class at Folsom Prison, I’ll call you on my way home from there,” he said.

In Part 1 of our interview, we spoke about how he ended up in BUDS right after high school, and the initial training he went thru right up until he made it to his training at Coronado. His initial class of about 160 was sliced down to 46 before the class even made it to Hell Well and was further reduced to 26 after that 5 ½ day experience.

But if you think that was the hardest part, think again, he said the next portion of the training, during the Dive Phase actually had some of the more difficult moments.

“The course is designed to demoralize you at first,” Rosehaley said. “Their thought process is we’re going to break you down, test your mettle and then…slowly build you back up.”

“You really have to suck it up, and the instructors are constantly in the background encouraging the guys to quit, looking for any weakness. At that point, you just narrow your focus,” he said. “There were times my only focus was to survive until dinner.”

We both laughed because everyone has been there at one point or another. Rosehaley added, “then at night, as you are hunched over your creamed corn, you find the resolved to go one more meal, one more day. It gets reduced to that at times.”

After Hell Week, he said the sailors got a week where there was a bit of recovery where the candidates got a chance to regain some strength and grow back the toenails that were lost during Hell Week.

But then it was right into the Second Phase, the Dive Phase. That consisted of one week with an introduction to SCUBA which many of the candidates had never dove before. And then they’d roll into LARV Rebreathers which Army SF guys will remember as the Draeger system.

“Pool Comp is to the second phase what Hell Week was to the first phase,” he remembers. “It is a brutal, and yes brutal assessment of your underwater, open circuit and SCUBA abilities, he said.

The candidates once again are beaten down by the instructors in very tough conditions. Rosehaley stated that most of the training is conducted in just 9-12 feet of freshwater in the CTT (Combat Training Tank). So what was the purpose of the beating underwater I asked? “Well, more than anything the instructors want to see that you won’t panic underwater when things go wrong and frequently can. And the beatings were equated to coming ashore in very rough surf.”

So what happens underwater during the toughest parts of this? “Well, your mask will be ripped off, you may get a shot to the face with your regulator in your mouth, you’ll lose one if not both of your fins and they may try to untie your weights, all fun stuff,” he said.

Rosehaley recalled one instructor stretching his dual line gas line and tying an overhand knot in it which effectively blocked his air supply. He said that candidates have to keep their wits about them, remove the tanks and restore the air supply while maintaining their depth. “Pool Comp is a tough challenge and many of the guys who made it thru Hell Week didn’t have what it took there,” he said. “It was a life-changing experience.”

In should be remembered from the first part of the interview that the training he was going thru, some of the toughest in the military or anyone’s military for that matter was done when he was just months removed from high school. It isn’t often that men pass that course after having a few years of military experience. To do it right out of high school is quite an accomplishment these days.

In our final segment of the interview, we’ll talk about finishing out BUDS training, one terrifying sequence that he remembers and what life has been like post-Navy for Rosehaley. Including working for some high-profile celebrity clients and working as a professional security detail for a Hollywood film in Mexico.

SOF Selection PT Preparation 3.25.2017

Today we’ll hit the legs hard again and then rest on Sunday. More reps on the legs today, as we’ll get ready for the Rifle PT squats, that everyone loves so well.

Training:

More Preparation for the UBRR:

First, head into the gym:

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

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

3 x Hungarian Lunges 20-15-12 reps light weight

3 x 10 Pull-ups

3 x 10 reps Standing Arnold Press

3 x 25 Push-ups

30 x “V” ups

6-mile rucksack march with 45-pound minimum

Stretch well after completion

SOF Selection PT Preparation 3.24.2017

Training:

Shoulders and Chest Day in the gym, all of this will help with the UBRR

3 x Lateral Raises with a Dumbbell (reps 20-15-12)
3 x Military Press Dumbbell (reps 20-15-12)
3 x Front Raises Dumbbell (reps 20-15-12)
3 x Bench Press 80% body weight for as many reps as you can do
3 x Incline Bench press
3 x Dumbbell Fly’s
3 Mile Run in 24 minutes or less

Stretch well after completion

Special Operations Gala to Feature Naval Special Warfare Deputy Commander

The Global Special Operations Forces Foundation is holding a networking reception among Special Operations professionals in San Diego on April 5^th. San Diego is home of the Navy’s and Marine Corps Special Operations Commands and will feature a keynote speaker, Captain Keith Davids, the Deputy Commander of the Naval Special Warfare Command.

Davids a graduate of BUDS/SEAL Training Class 177 in 1991, will speak about the path of future operations for the command. The affair is expected to draw attendees from not only the US Special Operations professionals but from several of our allied countries forces as well.

This San Diego networking reception was a logical addition to the Global SOF Foundation’s event calendar. The greater San Diego area is home to several SOF commands, including Naval Special Warfare Command (NSW) and units from Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC). The abundance of active and retired members of the military has led many defense-focused businesses, small and large, to root themselves in San Diego. These factors, coupled with the views and weather, made Coronado Island the prime location for a networking reception.
As Global SOF Foundation President Stu Bradin said at the Global SOF Symposium in February, “GSF events are all about connecting people.” While GSF receptions are focused heavily on networking opportunities, this event will also feature a keynote speaker. Capt. Keith Davids, the Deputy Commander of NSW, will provide remarks to the audience, focusing on NSW’s approach to the future of special operations

Retired LTC Bradin created the foundation after his retirement from USSOCOM to connect and convene the global Special Operations Forces (SOF) community at multiple annual events across the United States and Europe. They hold multiple symposiums during the year both in the US and in Europe.

To read the entire article from the IT Business click here:

Photo courtesy DOD

Task Force Dagger Foundation Receives Award From USSOCOM for Enduring Support

The Commander of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) General Raymond Thomas recently commended the Task Force Dagger Foundation for “significant and enduring” support of the command.

Thomas awarded the Foundation the “Patriot Award” for their support of families, injured and disabled soldiers and advocacy.

Accepting the award on behalf of Task Force Dagger Foundation were Keline and Keith David. Keith stated, “We are blessed to be part of a team that goes above and beyond every day. Our board members both governing and advisory, our volunteers and our donors are the ones that make what we do possible. They are the ones that step out and put action to their words that gives us the manpower and the funding to help where we can.”
The award was given at the USSOCOM Warrior Care Program Conference held 1-2 March 2017. The Warrior Care Program was established in 2005 and is charged with providing Special Operations Forces (SOF) Wounded, Ill, Or Injured Service Members and their families’ advocacy after life changing events in order to navigate through recover, rehabilitation, and reintegration. The Task Force Dagger Foundation works closely with the Warrior Care Program as one of its benevolent organizations.

Task Force Dagger Foundation’s works within three core programs: Immediate Needs, SOF Health Initiatives, and Recreational Therapy Adaptive Events. These programs provide resources and healing for Special Operations Forces (SOF) members and families.

The SOF Health Initiatives provides program recipients care and treatment that is designed to treat the root cause and not the symptom through the use of Functional Medicine and other modalities that are patient centric.

The foundation supports Army Green Berets, Rangers, Civil Affairs, Military Information Support Operations, Army Special Mission Units, Navy SEALs, Air Force Special Tactics/Operations and Marine Special Operations and their families. These are the units that comprise the US Special Operations Command.

To read the entire article from the PRweb click here:

Photo courtesy Task Force Dagger Foundation

Passing BUDS, Interview with Thomas Rosehaley Pt. 1

I was trying to catch up with him to talk about his experience with the Navy’s Selection program, Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training which Rosehaley attended and passed just after high school at the age of 18. He was able to enlist for Naval Special Warfare right out of school as he’d been a member of the Sea Cadets in High School.

Rosehaley joined the Bryce Canyon Division of the Sea Cadet Corps based out of LA at the age of 14 where he learned basic seamanship, knots, flags, semaphore as well as basic firefighting. They had an adopted frigate, USS Wadsworth (FSG-9). During the summer months, the cadets got to go on float.

At the age of 15 he went on float to Hawaii, and Canada for a couple of weeks. “I got my Helmsman qualification before I got my drivers’ license,” he said. “Within the Sea Cadet Corps there was a mini-SEAL camp.” A series of tryouts ensued, which Rosehaley did three years in a row, he got to go to Coronado with 20 other Sea Cadets and got to experience a one-week BUD/S course to include a shortened (24-hr) version of Hell Week, not quite what he’d experience later but enough to open his eyes.

“By the time I joined the Navy, I had a good working knowledge of the Navy which was a good thing, as I was ahead of my peers a bit,” he said. And there was an ace in the hole.

“I had a really good mentor by the name of Gordon Meehan, who was an original UDT (Underwater Demolition Teams). He stood beside when I went to my recruiter,” Rosehaley said. “And he said, ‘so when he finishes boot camp, he’s going to his Corpsman A-school and during A-school, he’s going to get a chance to try out for BUD/S, and then he’s going straight into BUD/S Selection, right?’,” Rosehaley said with a laugh.

The tryout for BUD/S was administered by NSW2 sailors and consisted of a 500-meter swim, a mile and a half run, pull-ups, and two minutes of pushups and two minutes of situps. Passing that, got him into the pre-BUD/S pipeline.

Rosehaley wasn’t even the youngest sailor in his class, although just 18, another candidate was younger by just a few days but it was an eye-opening experience. Laughing now, Rosehaley says, “I had no clue what was going on then, and truth be told, I was too immature at 18-19 to get the whole picture.”

So, what was it like on Day 1? “You learn very quickly to ‘Embrace the Suck’ because the class was quickly whittled down. Very few people make it non-stop for the entire six months of BUD/S.”

The first phase of BUD/S he related was basically a hammer session as he called it. “That’s all it is, they’re not really working on teaching you anything yet other than learning to embrace the suck,” he said.

At the culmination of that first phase was Hell Week which is Week 4 for the candidates. That was pretty much a blur for him, where you are pushed to the maximum. This is where the rubber meets the road. Before the Navy invests a lot of time and training (and money), in a candidate, they have to know what he’s made of.

Hell Week consists of 5½ days of brutally intensive training where the candidates are cold, wet, and tired (they average less than four hours sleep). Here is where mental toughness and dedication take hold.

“We started Day 1, Week 1 with 160 students,” Rosehaley said. “We were already down to 46 at the start of Hell Week, and by the time we finished it were down to 26, the attrition rate is pretty significant.”

“And by this time, we weren’t taught anything that you couldn’t get from a P90X video,” he added. But the NSW instructors then knew they had 26 sailors that could handle the stress of being maxed out physically, under trying circumstances and still be able to think on their feet.

“I’m not trying to downplay what they do there, but it is what it is. It is a total fucking gut check. We’re going to break you down, and they see…by design how you respond to being broke down,” he said. How did you feel after Hell Week, I asked? “Shattered,” he said laughing.

In part 2 of our interview, we’ll get further along in the BUD/S program and Rosehaley will share some of his experiences post-Navy, including working as a contractor in Iraq, Haiti, going to Hollywood and keeping up with the young guys.

SOF Selection PT Preparation 3.23.2017

SOF Selection PT Preparation 3.23.2017

A heavy day of preparation with the pushups, sit-ups, and crunches. Plus, the longer ruck march to get you ready for a tough day ahead.

Training:

More Preparation for the UBRR:

100 x pushups (no time limit)

100 x sit ups (no time limit)

100 x crunches

3 x 20 dips or until muscle failure

25 x V-ups

6-mile rucksack march (45 lb minimum) over varied terrain, note your time

Stretch well after completion

British Arrest Eight In Wake of Westminster Terror Attack

The British police forces have conducted raids on six properties in London and Birmingham and have arrested eight people in the aftermath of the London terrorist incident of Tuesday. The attack outside of Westminster left four people dead, including the terrorist and injured 29.

The terrorist was a British born citizen turned jihadist who was investigated by MI5 for alleged extremism in the past. Authorities classified him as a “lone wolf” terrorist so the raids and arrests could be a separate crack down on extremists or related to the incident as the dead terrorist had lived in the properties at one time.

Scotland Yard said that it was ‘not prepared to discuss’ the operation coordinated with West Midlands Police. But a witness who works nearby said: ‘The man from London lived here.’
The Hyundai Tucson 4×4 which was used as a weapon to kill two pedestrians and maim at least 29 others was also rented in the same area.
Police believe the attacker worked alone and was inspired by ‘international terrorism’. They say there is no information to suggest any further threat to the public.

The terrorist suspect who has not yet been named by authorities ran down pedestrians on the Westminster Bridge injuring several, some fatally before trying to ram his way into Parliament. There armed with two knives he fatally stabbed a member of the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Squad before being shot and killed by police around 2:30 p.m.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has been offered words of support from around the world including US President Donald Trump. She characterized the terrorist suspect as a ‘peripheral’ figure, adding: ‘He was not part of the current intelligence picture’. She told fellow Ministers of Parliament that there was ‘no prior intelligence’ of his intent.

To read the entire article from the Daily Mail click here:

Photo courtesy AP