Special Operations Forces

Three Special Operations Members Killed in NM Plane Crash

Three members of the Air Force’s 318th Special Operations Squadron, part of the 27th Special Operations Wing were killed on Tuesday night in a plane crash in Clovis, NM.

The training flight of a U-28A took off from Cannon AFB and crashed about three miles from Cannon and a quarter mile east of Clovis Municipal Airport. The single engine, reconnaissance, and surveillance plane crew that died in the crash have not been identified pending notification of next of kin.

The last deadly crash involving a U-28A occurred in Africa in 2012 as the plane was returning from an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission for the war in Afghanistan. Four airmen were killed.
An Air Force fact sheet says the U-28A is used for tactical airborne intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance in support of special operations forces. The plane typically has a four-member crew of two pilots, a combat systems officer and a tactical systems officer.
According to the fact sheet, the U-28A “evolved from commercially available aircraft that were purchased and then modified with communications gear, aircraft survivability equipment, electro-optical sensors, and advanced navigation systems.”

While the cause of the crash is under investigation, the Commander of Cannon AFB, Col. Ben Maitre said it was too early to speculate. There was no evidence of any mechanical failures and the weather on Tuesday night was clear.

Investigators were looking at the aircraft’s maintenance records on Wednesday in search of a possible cause. Air Force spokesman categorize the U-28A as a reliable airframe that is used for personnel transport, combat support, aerial refueling of helicopters, close air support and drone operations.

“We are deeply saddened by this loss within our Air Commando family,” Maitre said. “Our sympathies are with the loved ones and friends affected by this tragedy, and our team is focused on supporting them during this difficult time.”

To read the entire article from New York Daily News, click here:

Photo courtesy US Air Force

SOF Selection PT Preparation 3.15.2017

Back to the gym today, many of you will be dealing with the ice in the aftermath of the storm we had on the East Coast. So, we’ll deal with that accordingly.

Training:

More Preparation for the UBRR:

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

3 x 12 Lat Pull downs, front

3 x 10 Dumbbell Side Raises

3 x 10 Dumbbell Front Raises

3 x 10 Dumbbell Shoulder Press

3 x 8 Shoulder Shrugs

4 x 25-meter Shuttle Run

3 x 3 Cone Drill (break up the schedule by putting a little NFL Combine work in)

Stretch well after completion

Facebook CEO Zuckerberg Visits Ft. Bragg, USASOC

Ft. Bragg, NC, and USASOC got a surprise visitor on Tuesday, March 14 as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg spent time with soldiers and families during his self-proclaimed “Year of Travel” to all parts of the United States.

Zuckerberg has stated that he plans on visiting and meeting people from all 50 states. Some of his other stops have included an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, a Civil War battlefield in Mississippi and a rodeo in Ft. Worth, Texas.

The Facebook CEO’s visit to the Ft. Bragg area was not publicized but did visit the US Army’s Special Operations Command and spent some time with the soldiers, their families, and the Commander.

LTC Robert Bockholt a spokesman for USASOC told the media that Zuckerberg was on the base learning what the Special Operations command does and how it protects the strategic values of the nation. He described the meeting as a “two-way street.”

Zuckerberg said the military excels at execution and building teams and that his discussion with the USASOC commander, Lt. Gen. Kenneth E. Tovo, explained why.
“The general told me the most important values they instill in their soldiers are empathy and adaptability,” he said. “That’s why their special operators ‘live, work, eat, sleep and fight’ with the communities they operate in. It’s critical to their success that they communicate authentically and build relationships. As one officer told me, ‘95% of people around the world just want safety and jobs for themselves and their families. If you can understand that, you can start building trust.’”

Later Zuckerberg ate lunch with family members at a local restaurant at Pope Field and was interested in what was going on in the local community. Zuckerberg then moved up to Raleigh to meet with UNC and Duke basketball teams and finally to Charlotte where he met NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.

To read the entire article from Fayetteville News and Observer, click here:

Photo courtesy Facebook

Special Operations Command Honors Green Beret Foundation Director

The US Special Operations Command at their recent USSOCOM Care Coalition Conference in Tampa, FL honored Executive Director of the Green Beret Foundation, Jennifer Paquette.

Paquette has been presented with USSOCOM’s “Patriot Award” which was established in 2007 and recognizes individuals who go above and beyond to support Special Operators and their families. Paquette’s work centers around her work for the Special Forces or the “Green Beret” community.

Green Beret Foundation Chairman of the Board, Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Simeon Trombitas, commented on the esteem in which Jennifer is held in the Special Operations community.
“Jen is an incredible asset to the Special Forces community. Her commitment has been incredible in times of great stress. Our Green Berets are much better off for having her support. Her efforts come at a critical time of need for Green Berets because Special Forces global deployment rates are not expected to slow down anytime soon.”
As Executive Director of the foundation, Paquette has the responsibility of overseeing and generating the foundation’s mission, which impacts on hundreds of Green Berets and their families, combined with raising millions of dollars to support the foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3).

Among Paquette’s many contributions was the formation of the “Steel Mags”. This group started with a small group of women from Ft. Bragg, NC and has since grown to include eight chapters nationwide.

Steel Mags is designed to replicate the Green Beret brotherhood with a sisterhood. With the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan dragging on, the toll on families and children at home rises. It is a unique support group for the women and families back home that aids each other, their communities and “teaches civilian young girls and ladies the philosophies of the Spartan female force.”

Paquette is well known in the Special Forces community and is an honorary member of the Special Forces Association.

To read the entire article from PR Newswire, click here:

Photo courtesy Green Beret Foundation

Passing SFAS – Land Navigation Tips for Finding Your Way in Hoffman

So, you’ve volunteered to be in Special Forces and you’re getting ready to go to SFAS. This is the time to prepare yourself for the grind that is to come. There are certain tips, such as the PT program which will help you attain the level of physical fitness that you’ll need to not just pass the course but to excel where the course isn’t as tough as you’ll see other people struggling.

Now, we get to the elephant in the room, the Land Navigation course and many students fail at either SFAS or the SFQC because they failed the land navigation course. The course is tough, it is the toughest individual land navigation course you’ll find in the US military.

In previous segments, we touched on Map reading, pace count, orienting the map and plotting your starting location as well as your point. Now we need to get to our points. Here are some of the tips for walking the course in the Hoffman area.

Fold Your Map – Sounds like a no-brainer but it is simple and saves a ton of time without having to unfold your map every time you want to make a map check. Fold it down to where it fits perfectly in your map case so that only the part you are traveling shows, it simplifies your task immeasurably. This way every time you make a quick check of the map, only where you are and where you are going next is visible.

A technique that many orienteers use while navigating is what they call thumbing. I’ve talked to some and what they do is to keep their thumb on the spot on the map where they are and it speeds in finding where you are while walking and doing a quick map check. The thought being as you walk along you move your thumb slightly forward to reduce the confusion of scanning for your location on the map, especially in the dark.

Navigating Techniques – So, you’ve plotted your starting location, your first point that you’re looking for. You’ve folded the map and placed it and your protractor carefully inside your map case. The next thing you must do orient the map into the direction that you are traveling. Now the terrain is laid out exactly the way it is in front of you.

Weapon tied down? Check. Compass tied down and easily accessible? Check. You should have a red lens flashlight a notebook that will allow you to write in it, even if it is wet in your pocket or map case. Ensure you have all of your gear and do a quick check of the area before you leave and don’t forget anything.

Pull out the compass and take a quick reading. If you can see far enough in the distance, do the cheek hold method where the notch is the rear sight, and the wire is the front sight. Pick out a point as far in the distance as you can and get to it as quickly as you can.

If you’re following a basic azimuth, rotate your bezel ring so that your North seeking arrow aligns with the bubble. So, say if you are traveling on an azimuth of 65 degrees, your North seeking arrow will be in the approximate 10 o’clock position, rotate the bezel ring so the bubble aligns with the North seeking arrow and it is a quick way to keep on your azimuth, especially in the dark. Also, remember that each click in the bezel ring is three degrees.

Remember, to read the red ring which is in degrees and not the black which is in mils.

Trust your map, pace count, and your azimuth as you move out on the course. During the practical exercises in the course, you’ll notice you’ll veer a bit in the dark. Everyone’s perception changes during hours of darkness and it will vary.

As you encounter ways around the draws, you’ll no doubt see where others have tread before you and those well-worn paths are a good indicator that this is the best spot to cross a draw…if you must. But the best rule of thumb for the course is to veer around them if at all possible. But if you do cross one, make sure you check your compass every 20-25 paces. It is so easy to get turned around in those, don’t let it happen to you.

In SFAS an instructor will be present at your points but you’ll no doubt come across green engineer stakes with a dog tag on them. If you do, do yourself a favor and stop and check them out. These are an eight-digit grid coordinate that is built in GPS. There’s no better way to check your location.

Don’t talk to other students. Don’t be a road runner. Nothing will get you in hot water faster than doing those things.

When crossing the roads, the rule of thumb is at a 90-degree angle….and they’ll be watching.

Take advantage of the practical exercises and learn the terrain and the area as best you can. Do try to do the minimum, it will cost you in the end. Talk with other candidates AFTER the course is complete every day and share notes and experiences about what you find on the course. It will come in handy. It is no different than doing a debrief of another unit when planning a mission.

Get used to moving at night and make night movement a breeze. It will serve you well once you get in one of the operational Groups.

Move with a purpose but never out of control. Land Nav is like Selection is to a smaller extent. It can be a lot more difficult if you’re not using your head. Think everything thru and don’t let doubt creep in. Your training will get you thru this. Thousands of students have done it before you and you can too.

You get familiar with a bunch of landmarks out there on the course. I researched thru several social media pages and made note of what different people mentioned. Many of the names remain from my time.
Five Points
Puppy Palace
Lake Baggett
Bones Fork Creek
3 Wire Road…and some new names
Jurassic Park
Scuba Road
Dagobah (I don’t know who named this area in the north, but he deserves an impact award) My personal favorite.

Photo courtesy of DOD

SOF Selection PT Preparation 3.14.2017

Today is a gym day, if you’re one of those unfortunate souls who lives in the Northeast, you may have to shovel out from two feet of wet, heavy snow. In which case that may be all the work out you’ll get today as most everything is shut down.

For the rest…hit the weights today and get some running in.

Training:

More Preparation for the UBRR:

Run 5 miles (record your time) “Do the best you can.” Get used to hearing that.

Then, head into the gym:

3 x Front Squat 10 reps (heavy but doable weight)

3 x Goblet Squats 10 reps (heavy dumbbell)

3 x 10 Pull-ups

3 x 10 reps Standing Arnold Press

25 x Push ups

30 x “V”ups

Stretch well after completion

Special Operations “Iron Man” Suit To Begin Testing in 2018

Special Operations troops who perform dangerous hostage rescue and similar type missions may soon find themselves with some new equipment that will better protect them. The new “Iron Man” suit will begin testing with operators during the summer of 2018.

The Pentagon and the Special Operations Acquisitions and Technology Branch has been working on procuring a Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit (TALOS), which became known as the “Iron Man” suit for the past four years.

“We are on our fifth prototype. Will we get everything we want? Probably not. That was never the intent,” James Geurts of Special Operations Forces Acquisition, Technology and Logistics told Military.com on Wednesday.
The suits may use new technologies to improve communication between team members and convey a wide range of biometric data, however.
“So in TALOS, don’t just think exoskeleton and armor. Think of the whole equation,” Mr. Geurts said. “Survivability is part of what armor you are carrying, but it’s also a big part of whatever information you have, what is your situational awareness, how do you communicate. So as we are going down all those paths, we can leverage quickly some of the stuff that is ready to go right now.”

While the TALOS suit probably won’t appear much like a Marvel superhero outfit, it will have a variety of sensors, heads-up displays, an exoskeleton to reduce the load special operators carry, medical sensors, and potentially much, much more.

Earlier versions had a unique body armor system. Manufactured by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, TALOS had a revolutionary type of electrically-activated shield called liquid body armor. While wearing the suit, the operator simply triggers a magnetic or electrical current on the TALOS and the body armor transitions from liquid to solid in a matter of milliseconds.

To read the entire article from Washington Times, click here:

Photo courtesy DOD

Combat Vets Go Hog Hunting with Special Operations Wounded Warriors

Special Operations Wounded Warriors, a non-profit organization dedicated to taking care of our combat injured operators, recently put together a four-day hog hunt for veterans in North Carolina.

Eleven combat wounded veterans were treated to an all-expenses long weekend of camaraderie and hunting as SOWW picked up the tab for the entire event. Including the campers the veterans stayed in during the hunt.

The 8^th Annual Hog Hunt took place in Tabor City, NC at a hunting camp.

“When you’re in the service, you’re going a 100 miles an hour. Then when you come back to stateside, it’s like an immediate stop. So a lot of anxiety built up there. You don’t know what to do or where to put that energy. That’s what this hunt provides for guys,” says Ron Bellan. He’s a retired Navy Seal Master Chief who spent 25 years as a Seal. Bellan’s been a part of the Hog Hunt for several years and says the weekend of hunting, shooting, and camping in the woods does a whole lot of healing. “It brings together a brotherhood.”
“They get to enjoy fellowship and spend time with guys that are going through similar situations as they may be with some of the trauma their bodies have faced,” says SOWW Vice President Joel Pellici. He says the hunt grows bigger each year, as former participants, like Keith Morges, come back to offer support to the newcomers. “My intent in coming back in the support role was to give somebody the feeling of hope. Because I felt absolutely hopeless for so long,” says Morges.

To the veterans attending the event, it has been described as not only a weekend hunting, but as a form of therapy. The weekend of hunting, camping and shooting brings together the brotherhood that the wounded special operators may be missing in their lives post-military.

SOWW is a volunteer organization based out of Myrtle Beach, SC

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

Photo courtesy SOWW Hog Hunt 2015

Passing SFAS – Plotting and Planning Your Route in Land Navigation

In previous segments, we touched on Map reading, pace count, orienting the map and plotting your starting location. Now we’ll get into the plotting and planning of your route. A proper plan makes getting there a heck of a lot easier.

Plot Your First Point: Okay in our previous segment, we’ve checked and then double-checked our location so that you know exactly where you are starting from. Now you plot your first point the exact same way.

Read to the right and up and using the 1/50,000 map scale, carefully plot your eight-digit grid coordinate to where you are going. Remember, four-digit grids get us to within 1000 meters, six-digit grids to within 100 meters and an eight-digit grid gets us to within 10 meters. Double check your plot and ensure you’ve got it right.

Now measure the distance between the two points. Remember this is straight line distance and not walking distance. Your actual traveling distance will vary from point to point depending on your route selection and the terrain that you’ll encounter.

Planning the Route: There are two basic ways you can get to where you’re going. Either will get you to where you’re going but for your purposes in SFAS, one may prove to be a better option. Again, don’t go with what everyone else is doing, always do what is right for you.

Dead Reckoning – Is a system that is done in two steps. The first is getting an azimuth from your starting point using your map and protractor and determine the distance to where your point is located at. The next step is to use your compass and your pace count and apply what you’ve already learned and walk to your point by staying as close as you can to your azimuth.

Your position can be checked from time to time using both resection or intersection when the terrain features are available. Dead Reckoning has some advantages; it is easy to teach the neophyte navigator and in open terrain, especially in grassy areas or desert type regions, it is easier to stay on the azimuth. It works well also when the distances to be covered are short.

A distinct disadvantage of this method is when you’re facing the terrain you’ll be subjected to in the Hoffman area. Thick vegetation, intermittent streams, draws and swampy areas make Dead Reckoning a dicey proposition. However, it can and does work. I know several SF guys who plowed thru the Land Nav course using this exact method. I wouldn’t recommend this but it can be done at times and will work. But perhaps the second method is the better way to go.

Terrain Association – Is a bit more difficult to plan but is much less forgiving of mistakes and as a rule a helluva lot less time consuming than Dead Reckoning. It requires a more detailed map study of where you’re going and how you plan to get there but the time spent planning your movement is better served than trying to plow your way thru the draws.

The advantages of terrain association are obvious. If you veer off course in Dead Reckoning, you are in trouble. But using terrain association, your position is easily checked and adjustments made on the fly.

Selection and identification of terrain features are key here. Plan your route using handrails as a guide and ensure to plot checkpoints along the way. Ensure your map is oriented and use the available terrain as a guide. You won’t be following a specific azimuth per se, but more of a cardinal direction to your checkpoints using your map to guide you.

You can use the roads both the improved and the unimproved as a guide but the best advice is DON’T BREAK THE RULES! Parallel the roads but not too closely. Make sure that plot a backstop on your route that you can identify as having gone too far.

A word of caution about the roads in Hoffman. There a lot of them out there, and many are not on the map. While there are exceptions…You’ll become familiar with “Five Points” but for the most part, those are at times difficult to judge. Just be careful.

Always remember and the instructors will drill it into your head, that if you come upon a hardball road. Stop. You won’t be crossing any of those in the course but a few of the points may be near them so you can use those as a handrail at times.

But surer than the national deficit going up, someone in your class is going to cross a hardball road. It used to happen in every class and don’t be surprised to hear about it from the other students. Just don’t be “That Guy”.

Plot checkpoints along the way to ensure that you are on track and on target. Choose an attack point that will put you no farther than 200-300 meters from your point. When you arrive there, that is the time to use dead reckoning and plot an azimuth to your point.

We’re almost ready to head out and attack the course. Remember everything you learned and the best advice is to practice, practice and practice some more. The more comfortable you are using your map, compass, and skills at terrain association now, the easier the course will be for you.

In our next segment, we’re heading to Hoffman.

Photo courtesy of DOD

SOF Selection PT Preparation 3.13.2017

Monday is Fun-day! Special Operations Selection is not easy and demands a lot of upper body strength and stamina. Let’s get the week off to a good start.

Training:

More Preparation for the UBRR:

Warm Up – 3 x 25 meter shuttle run

100 x pushups (no time limit but go as fast as you can)
100 x situps (no time limit)
100 x crunches
3 x 20 dips
5 Mile Ruck with 45lb minimum under 75 minutes
Rope climb (if you have access to one)

Stretch well after completion