Special Operations

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

President Conde’s Suspect Political Record

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Cigar Humidor – The Perfect Gift for the Traveling Cigar Smoker?

Cigars have become much more popular among special operations troops. This is especially true for veterans who enjoy a good stick when getting together with old teammates and friends along with a nice libation or three. But when traveling, either for pleasure or on a work-related trip, many cigar smokers face the quandary of keeping their sticks fresh. This is especially true if they are going to be gone for a couple of weeks or more. Well, the cigar humidor is the answer.

The cigar has always been one of the most recognizable objects associated with the U.S. military other than say… aviator sunglasses. Social media has helped that along, with troops sharing photos of themselves enjoying a cigar with their brothers and sisters in arms. Yes, many women now enjoy a good cigar. It is the epitome of success and power.

There are several organizations that even send fine cigars to troops deployed overseas. The troops will then send back pics, of them enjoying cigars with their unit, to be shared uploaded onto the organization’s social media pages.

Truth be told, although I don’t smoke as many cigars as I used to back in the day, I still love a good cigar. Depending on the situation and time, some of my (varied) favorites were always the Arturo Fuente 8-5-8, Fuente’s Don Carlos, Padron 1964 Anniversary Maduro, CAO Italia, CAO Brazilia… the list goes on and on.

The Blessings of an Acrylic Cigar Humidor

If you’re looking for a great gift for your best friend or significant other, then look no further than a nice acrylic cigar humidor.

My recommendation would be the XIFEI Acrylic Humidor Jar. It is small enough to pack in a go-bag, holds between 15-20 cigars, depending on the ring size, and will keep those sticks fresh with a humidifier and hygrometer. What’s more, it’s very inexpensive for what it offers.

Acrylic is lighter and more durable than glass, and because it is clear, you can see what cigars are still there to be had. The lid closes shut for an air-tight seal with rubber gaskets.

The humidor houses a built-in hygrometer displaying the current humidity levels. You can control the conditions inside the jar with a cedar insert sheet and a simple, drop-in humidifier.

So whether you’re taking a trip or just heading to a gathering place for the vets to hook up and share some quality time with each other, a cigar humidor is the perfect way to bring some good quality cigars and keep them fresh until it is time to light them up.

While we’re not promoting tobacco use (or the politically correct crowd would go nuts), after sharing the not-so-great times, cigars are (and have long been) a way to unwind with your friends. And a travel cigar humidor will increase your enjoyment without breaking the bank.

Are you listening out there, Mrs. B.?

You can buy the XIFEI Acrylic Humidor Jar here.

The M224 60mm Mortar – Every Light Infantryman’s Friend

The M224 60mm lightweight mortar is a man-portable, smoothbore, muzzle-loading, high-angle-of-fire weapon used for close-in support of ground troops, airborne and special operations forces. It is currently in use with both the U.S. Army and the Marine Corps. It was used extensively along with the M252 81mm mortar in the War in Afghanistan.

Better in Every Way

The M224 LWCMS (Lightweight Company Mortar System) was first adopted in 1978. It replaced the older (WWII-era) 60mm M2 Mortar and the inaccurate M19 Mortar.

While the M2s and M19s had an effective range of only 2,000 meters, the M224’s new primary rounds gave it a range of effective indirect fire of 3,489 meters. Meanwhile, it could still fire all types of older ammunition.

In 2011, an improved M224A1 version came into service. Thanks to its new lighter components the weight of the weapon system decreased from 46.8 to 37.5 pounds.

M224 Components

The M224 mortar is composed of these parts:

M225 Cannon: 14.4 lbs
M170 Bipod: 15.2 lbs
M7A1 Baseplate for use in conventional mode: 9.6 lbs
M8 baseplate for use in handheld mode: 3.6 lbs
M64A1 Sight Unit (The M67 Sight Unit is now widely used for the system): 2.5 lbs

The mount consists of a bipod and a base plate, which is provided with screw-type elevating and traversing mechanisms to elevate/traverse the mortar. The M64A1/M67 sight unit is attached to the bipod mount. The mortar can be fired in the conventional gravity fire mode or the handheld mode by using a manual spring-loaded trigger.

The 60mm mortar is typically fielded at the infantry company level. A small mortar section with two mortars is organic to Army rifle companies (light, airborne, air assault) and Ranger companies. Marine rifle companies have a section with three 60mm mortars in the company weapons platoon.

The mortar can fire a sustained 20 rounds-per-minute with 30 rounds-per-minute in certain circumstances and for short durations. The ranges for the M224 extend from 70 meters to 1,340 meters for hand-held firing and 3,490 meters for the conventional firing mode. A crew of three can operate the mortar extremely efficiently.

60mm mortar Afghanistan — 60mm mortar being fired in Afghanistan using the smaller baseplate and the hand-held trigger. (DoD photo)

The 60mm Mortar’s Ammunition

The M224 Mortar can fire the following principal classifications of training and service ammunition:

High explosive (HE): These are used against personnel and light materiel targets.
M1061: Improved HE with insensitive munitions performance-enhancing fragmentation warhead.
Smoke Cartridge (White Phosphorous): Designation M722. Used as a screening, signaling, or marking munition.
Illumination (ILLUM): Used in night missions requiring illumination for assistance in observation.
Red Phosphorus: Can be seen with or without a Night Vision Optic.
Full Range Practice Cartridges (FRPC): Designation M769. This round is used for practice or clearing misfires.
M1061 MAPAM: SAAB Technologies produced a Multi-Purpose Anti-Personnel Anti-Material round.

While mortars are indirect fire weapons, in mountainous terrain if the mortar crew is located on the high ground where the target is visible, they can be pinpointed right on the target. An example and amusing story of how this can play out happened while an A-Team from the 7th Special Forces Group deployed to Honduras back in the day.

Hey, you gotta have an anecdote with these stories, after all, right?

The M224 60mm Mortar in Action in Honduras

Our A-Team was moving farther up in the mountains to work on pack animal configurations (see Wilson, Charlie) with the 6th Infantry Battalion (Centaurs) at Ojo de Agua, which we regularly called “Ojo de Nada.”

The Centaurs were located in the mountains and had a large base for the Contras. The Centaurs had enough U.S.-made GP Medium tents where a battalion could refit and rest. They also had a large shooting range built on several of the base’s rolling hills.

When we had first arrived the weather had been cold, raw, and rainy. But about a week later, it had dried out and was hot and sticky. A stiff wind had dried everything out to where it was like tinder.

We were high up on a hill with our Honduran counterparts shooting at targets located about 300-400 meters away. We were using M-60 and M249 (SAW) machine guns as well as their Russian 82mm mortars and our M224s. The Honduran kids, not used to having this much ammo, were having a ball, blazing away at the silhouettes with reckless abandon. Those short controlled bursts we had discussed in training were quickly forgotten.

One of the tracer rounds from the SAW started a range fire on top of the hill. Our Hondo allies had a pickup truck, an old beat-up piece of junk that looked like it would fall apart at any minute. It came loaded with soldiers who raced down there and quickly put the fire out. Kind of like a Keystone Kops fire brigade.

After lunch, we had a second group, their mortar section, who were beginning to get the U.S. 60mm mortars. We did some crew training with them and their crew drills were pretty good. They had a few old Soviet 82mm mortars, from God knows where. They looked like antiques. So firing them seemed like an iffy proposition. They used the U.S. 81mm mortar rounds, which we didn’t have any.

The M224 60mm mortar firing in Afghanistan using the conventional firing mode. (U.S. Army)

I had never fired a U.S. round through that Soviet system (I had started as a heavy weapons guy), but one of our other guys had. He said that a weird sound was made when dropping the round. Instead of that metallic sliding, sucking sound, it was a click, clickety-click, sound as the slightly smaller American round would ever so slightly bounce down the tube. Although you could fire those, Luis, our heavy weapons guy, said, they weren’t the most accurate… no kidding.

So, after doing some crew drill on the 60mm M224 mortar, the mortar guys got their turn on the machine guns. After a few moments, one tracer round hit in front of one target, bounced backward about 10-20 meters, and started a small fire in the grass. The fire was burning in a small neat circle.

Danny, our Team leader, was reaching for the radio to tell the Hondos in the beat-up truck to put out the fire when Bruce, one of the other guys, spoke up. “I can put that range fire out, sir,” Bruce said. Bruce was a huge guy who was loaned to us from the 2nd Ranger Battalion for this deployment. He was also the weapons platoon sergeant in the Battalion.

The Hondurans were in awe of his size. He was easily double their diminutive height, so, they were scared shitless of him. Bruce had a very typical Ranger haircut buzzed on the sides. In the Honduran army, they only did that to the criminals, “Los Castigados” in their terminology.

He grabbed the smaller M8 baseplate for the 60mm mortar and put a round in the tube while lining up his range estimation. Giving himself a bit of windage, he pulled the trigger and we all waited a few seconds for the round to go downrange. Bruce grabbed another round and was preparing to fire again when the mortar landed with that flat-sounding explosion. It landed squarely on the fire, which was no more than three-four meters wide at that point.

Special Forces Honduran Airmen — A Special Forces soldier (left) observes Honduran airmen firing their pistols. (DoD)

The results were electric. We whooped, “Good shot bro,” while the Honduran mortar section sat there dumbstruck with their mouths literally wide open. It was a shot in a million. And to put things in perspective, they were used to firing 81mm mortar rounds through a Russian 82mm antique mortar. “Holy shit,” Bruce said to Danny. “I’ve never hit one on the first shot before.”

“Look at them,” Danny said, motioning to the Honduran mortar section. “They are going to kneel and ask you to bring back the sun any minute.” We all cracked up. The Hondos sat there mesmerized for a few more seconds. “Hijo de puta! Their lieutenant yelled. He turned with a big grin and began to bark at his troops. We all cracked up. Bruce, who at that time had a very limited Spanish vocabulary, asked Danny what they said.

“Basically, he is telling them that until they can learn to shoot like that, he’s going to shave all their heads.”

Bruce again tried to tell us that he’d never hit anything like that on the first shot. Danny told him to act as if he did it all the time. Bruce played along, set down the tube, and told the Hondos, “Eso fue fácil” (that was easy).

After that, every time Bruce walked through the compound, the Honduran kids would salute him like he was a field grade officer. Not long after we returned from that deployment, the Special Forces had ruined Bruce with the Ranger Battalion.

He reported to the sergeant major (SGM) with his hands in his pockets, put his feet up on the SGM’s desk, and said, “Hey SGM, I’m back.” His SGM at the time was also a long-time SF NCO. He laughed and said, “Report to RIP in the morning.” Not long after that, Bruce joined SF and went through the Special Forces Qualification Course as an 18E. He later became an officer… and a very good one.

DOL

What Will the Future US Strategy in Afghanistan Look Like?

Foreign Policy

The longest war in American history is now officially over. At 11.59 pm local time on August 30, the last American C-17 took off from Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, carrying the last load of U.S. troops.

While it is very hard to reconcile leaving Afghanistan — and for many people, this is both the right and wrong decision — it is the new reality. Adding to the difficulty of that reconciliation is the controversial and frustrating nature of how the withdrawal was handled over the last couple of weeks. Nonetheless, it is done: this long, confusing chapter of American history has come to an end.

So, now, the question is what comes next. It is likely that the Taliban will return to their brutal and strict version of Islamic Sharia law. ISIS-K will also likely continue to grow and move towards its goal of an even stricter and more brutal Islamic caliphate in the region. Other extremist groups will also likely continue to gain a foothold and influence.

Meanwhile, most Afghans will bear the brunt of this future conflict and any suffering that comes from it. Women, girls, and Afghans who helped the West will suffer the most. The new resistance movement that has emerged will likely fight until it cannot keep fighting any longer. Another long, protracted Afghan civil war will break out. Or, a very short, ruthless civil war in which the Taliban crushes the opposition.

A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter door gunner, assigned to TF Wolfpack, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, looking for any sign of trouble while flying through the mountains of Nangarhar province near the Afghan-Pakistan border Feb. 9, 2015. (Photo by Capt. Jarrod Morris, TAAC-E Public Affairs)

Time to End the Dysfunctional and Naive Co-Dependency on Pakistan

By leaving Afghanistan, perhaps the biggest gain for the United States will be the ability to now hold Pakistan accountable for playing both sides over the last 20 years. A huge reason the United States struggled mightily against the Taliban and other extremist forces, is because they simply melted away or found refuge in Pakistan. There is no reason to maintain any more false pretenses. The U.S. no longer has the need to maintain the relationship to benefit from Pakistani ports and roads, either.

One of the best things the Biden administration can do right now is call out Pakistan. It is also time for the U.S. government to finally admit that trying to keep Pakistan as allies had few benefits. The U.S. should create more distance from Pakistan, and instead foster a strong relationship with India.

Holding Pakistan responsible and not giving it any additional economic or military aid, is imperative. Reducing Pakistani interference will be key to any future success in the region. The U.S. must put sanctions in place against Pakistan that will have decisive and severe effects.

The U.S. did not want to take military action against Pakistan when there was a good reason. Now, diplomatic and economic means must be used to impede Pakistan’s ability to play both sides.

The U.S. must stop giving money that ends up in the hands of its adversaries and extremists.

A U.S. Army Special Forces soldier assigned to Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan provides security during an advising mission in Afghanistan, April 10, 2014. (Photo by Spc. Sara Wakai/U.S. Army)

Future Military Operations

America’s exit from Afghanistan is certainly not the last we will hear of this beleaguered country, nor of the extremist factions who want to occupy the region. However, by leaving Afghanistan, there are new options that could and will present themselves to the United States. Perhaps now the U.S. will finally be able to take the gloves off in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan could become a covert intelligence or special operations war. Given that a larger, more conventional approach to dealing with Afghanistan did not yield the desired results, it is clearly time to try something else.

Further, there are still Americans and Afghan allies left in Afghanistan. They will need to be rescued. It would not be the first time that U.S. special operations forces conduct raids or rescues in foreign countries, either. Such rescues could set the stage and the pace for future operations, as well.

There will be operational costs and intelligence losses by not having “boots on the ground,” however. Creating new assets and allies will have to be a priority. The U.S. will have to find new methods of gaining information. Hopefully, this will be underway shortly. Even if leaving Afghanistan was the right decision, conducting limited and precise operations is still quite likely. This will not be the end.

Charlie Wilson’s War, Part II

Waging the war in Afghanistan for over 20 years has been very expensive. It is going to be more expensive to have to go back one day. But if things keep escalating and extremist groups gain both a strong foothold, the U.S. will have to go back. In this situation, the similarities between ISIS’s emergence in Iraq and Syria are notable. The fact that the U.S. went back to Iraq as a result, should not be ignored.

Funding the resistance to the Taliban will be a cheaper option in the long run. It could possibly yield better results than funding the Afghan National Army, did. At the least, everyone knows the resistance will fight.

The terrorist and extremist groups in Afghanistan must be targeted, militarily and economically. We have to make it painful for them, in every way possible. Perhaps, the better way will be through funding the resistance.

Creating and funding an insurgency against the insurgency just might be the most brilliant thing that can be done. Part of the U.S. counterinsurgency mission was to win the hearts and minds of the Afghan people. While there is merit to that, part of the problem is that the U.S. and NATO allies were still always seen as foreigners and outsiders in the country. Allowing the Afghans to learn how to win the hearts and minds of their own people, and instill them with courage would be a true victory.

U.S. special operations forces, members of Task Force Dagger, and Afghanistan Commander Abdul Rashid Dostum on horseback in the Dari-a-Souf Valley, Afghanistan, in October 2001. (Photo by Master Sgt. Chris Spence/U.S. Army)

A New Chapter

Al-Qaeda, ISIS-K, and other extremist groups will most certainly once again find haven, training, and support in Afghanistan. The Taliban cannot be trusted to limit these groups to any real degree any more than before. Now that the Taliban are back in power, al-Qaeda and other groups will probably expect sanctuary. Some groups, like ISIS-K, will likely try to take over the country; that will be worse.

The time to re-engage in Afghanistan is now. As more and more time passes by, extremists will become increasingly entrenched, and progress will be difficult. Atrocities will continue, and opportunities will pass. Right now, the Taliban are spread thin. Other groups are planning their next move. Therefore, the U.S. should immediately put things in motion.

Perhaps now it’s our turn to play the insurgent.

People and Events That Shaped D-Day: The Special Operations Executive (SOE)

In a war of secrecy, spies, and destruction, Britain’s Special Operations Executive (SOE) was on the leading edge. Formed in July of 1940, under Minister of Economic Warfare, Hugh Dalton, the SOE’s mission was to conduct espionage, sabotage, intelligence gathering, and support resistance organizations in an effort to defeat the Axis powers.

The SOE operated across occupied Europe and into Southeast Asia. The Executive employed over 13,000 people, 3,200 of them being women. Winston Churchill had been the catalyst for the inception of the SOE. After the organization was created, Churchill told Hugh Dalton, “And now go and set Europe ablaze.” Dalton used the Irish Republican Army that fought in the Irish War of Independence, as the framework for setting up the SOE.

All parties were not in support of the SOE, MI6, in particular, had an issue with it, claiming it was “amateur, dangerous, and bogus.” MI6 feared the SOE would interfere with its intelligence gathering missions due to the SOE’s inherent destructive nature. RAF Bomber Command didn’t appreciate the SOE either, due to the fact that they had to dedicate their aircraft to SOE missions. But, the SOE had the only supporter that mattered — Winston Churchill. The SOE wasn’t going anywhere.

A Spiderweb of Activity

In order to train this network of fighters, training centers, marked by Arabic numerals, were set up in country houses all over England. Commandos that would be going into the field, operating behind enemy lines, received specialized weapons and hand-to-hand combat training in Arisaig, Scotland. If candidates passed the “Commando” course, they would receive parachute training with STS 51 and STS 51A in conjunction with the No.1 Parachute Training School RAF. Following parachute training, agents attended schools, learning about security and tradecraft. Finally, depending on the specific missions that the agents would participate in, they would receive further training in demolition and morse code communication.

The radio played a key role in every aspect of SOE operations. Airborne drops were guided in by radios, except for certain missions where they flew in blind, behind enemy lines. Regular communication and mission updates were dispatched by the BBC through radio transmissions from Britain. Specific coded instructions were sent out to each individual Resistance unit. Needless to say, it was a requirement for each resistance unit to have a radio operator.

Within France, there were many different Resistance groups. The beliefs, political views, and agendas of these groups did not always align. Britain knew that in order to make the Resistance a formidable and successful fighting force, they needed organization, materials, and tactical assistance. This is where the SOE came in.

French resistance fighters American paratroopers — French resistance fighters and American paratroopers during the Battle of Normandy. (U.S. Army Signal Corps)

From 1941 to 1944 the SOE assisted in sabotage, warfare instruction, coordination of attacks against the enemy, and the collection of intelligence. This dangerous job description didn’t come without serious risk with many agents losing their lives during the war.

On May 5, 1941, the first Special Operations Executive agent parachuted into Nazi-occupied France. Over the next three years, until August 1944, over 400 SOE agents would be dropped into France. Female agents were very much in the fray as well, with the first female agent, Andree Borrel, jumping into France in 1942. She was later captured and executed in 1944.

In 1942, the SOE created the Prosper network. Directed by SOE officials in London, its purpose was to convince the German high command that an invasion was forthcoming in 1943. The Prosper network was a complex system, encompassing the majority of the Resistance groups in France. The network specialized in coordinating train derailments and the assassination of high-ranking Nazi officers.

German intelligence eventually infiltrated the Prosper network resulting in the death of many SOE agents and Resistance volunteers. Making the situation worse, many SOE agents continued to be sent to the Prosper network after it had fallen into the Nazi’s hands thus causing more loss of life. Hitler had issued the Commando Order, which stated that any non-uniformed soldier would be considered a spy, resulting in the torture and subsequent execution of any SOE agents captured.

The Defining Moment for the Special Operations Executive

Leading up to D-Day, the SOE and the Resistance continued to gather intelligence and sabotage rail lines and trains. Railway workers also went on strike and worked at a deliberately slow pace to slow down the spread of the Germans’ railroad system.

About a month before D-Day, BBC dispatched a radio communication to the SOE agents and the Resistance, telling them that an invasion was coming. Another message followed on June 1, confirming an invasion was imminent. The night before D-Day, a final message was dispatched, telling the SOE agents and French Resistance to take “maximum effort” in carrying out sabotage and interrupting German forces.

In support of Operation Overlord and the D-Day invasion, Special Operations Executive implemented Operation Jedburgh. The operation consisted of three-man teams dropping into occupied France on the night of D-Day and the days following. They linked up with the French Resistance and disseminated plans for coordinated sabotage against the Nazi army. These “Jedburgh Teams,” as they came to be known, were comprised of two officers and one radio operator. Members of these teams were American, British, and French. They wore their military uniforms, in the hope of being treated as prisoners of war, instead of spies, in the event of capture. And unlike the covert SOE missions which had been the standard for years prior, this operation was to consist of overt attacks against the enemy.

D-Day: The Special Operations Executive (SOE) — SOE’s Jedburgh Team Aubrey seen just before boarding the plane that would fly them to Normandy. (ww2images.blogspot.com via National Archives and Records Administration)

There was grave risk and uncertainty in this operation. Earlier in 1944, 33 SAS soldiers from the SAS Brigade had jumped into France, to destroy the railway connecting Paris to the southwestern portion of France. The mission was a disaster; the 33 SAS operatives were captured and executed by the SS.

Among all of the success stories of the Jedburgh Operation, one Jedburgh Team’s contributions went above and beyond. Tommy Macpherson, a Scottish British Army officer, and his two other team members successfully halted the movements of the 2nd SS Panzer Division. Tommy and his team managed to siphon the axle oil out of railway cars, on which the 2nd Panzer Division was to be transported. They replaced the oil with abrasive grease, causing the axles to lock up. The team’s contributions were specifically recognized by General Eisenhower’s staff.

The Jedburgh Operation would result in 100 SOE operatives jumping into France, complimented with 6,000 tons of military supplies. General Eisenhower’s staff at the Supreme Headquarters credited the Jedburgh Teams, saying they had “succeeded in imposing more or less serious delays on all the divisions moved to Normandy.”

Back Into the Shadows

Success and victory came with a heavy price. Approximately one out of three of the 42 SOE females and one out of four of the male agents would lose their lives, totaling over 400 dead. Thousands of French Resistance fighters and supporters were killed by the Nazis for assisting the SOE.

The SOE officially shut down in January of 1946. Some members of the Executive entered into a civilian career and others entered into conventional military service. But 280 of the agents would transfer into MI6’s Special Operations Branch. MI6 believed they could learn a lot from the SOE’s training curriculum and research.

In 2014, France requested for the United Kindom’s D-Day veterans to come forward in order to be awarded the Légion d’Honneur. They specifically requested members of the Special Operations Executive and other secret organizations to make themselves known. Many did not come forward. These operatives have kept their secrets since the war ended and it appears that many will continue to stay tight-lipped for the rest of their lives.

Army recognizes top ten operators from across its special operations community

On June 7, the Army Special Operations Command recognized ten soldiers and civilians from across its special operations units for their distinguished service.

Brig. Gen. Harrison Gilliam, the deputy commanding officer of the U.S. Army Special Warfare Center and School, inducted five soldiers into the Special Forces Regiment, two soldiers into the Civil Affairs Regiment, and three soldiers into the Psychological Operations Regiment as distinguished members.

The induction ceremony is held twice every year. According to the local newspaper, The Fayetteville Observer, General Gilliam said he always looks forward to the ceremony, and particularly the reading of the inductees’ biographies, “because they talk about the valor, and the jobs, and the tremendous effort that goes into supporting our soldiers and what they’ve done.”

Here are the five new distinguished members of the Special Forces Regiment:

Former Staff Sgt. Ronald Shurer II. A former Green Beret and Medal of Honor recipient, Shurer trained and served as an 18 Delta (medic). He received the Silver Star for his actions in a six-hour firefight in Afghanistan when he was key to the survival and success of a combined American-Afghan force. His medal was upgraded to the Medal of Honor in October. Shurer is currently a Secret Service agent on a Counter-Assault Team.
Retired Col. David McCracken. A West Point graduate and Green Beret, during his career, Colonel McCracken fought in Operation Just Cause (the 1989 invasion of Panama), commanded the 3^rd Special Forces Group, and was the head of the Special Operations Division of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Upon retirement, he served in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict.
Retired Lt. Col. Albert Manning. Colonel Manning fought in the Second World War and the Korean War. In the latter conflict, he worked with the CIA to establish and train guerrilla forces to operate behind Communist lines. He later commanded the 1^st Special Forces Group and the 1^st Psychological Warfare Battalion. He died in 1984.
Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Gary Koenitzer. During his illustrious career as a Special Forces operator, Sergeant Major Koenitzer deployed to Haiti, Southeast Asia, Afghanistan, and Iraq. His last assignment was as the Senior Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC) of the 1^st Special Warfare Training Group. Since his retirement in 2010, Sergeant Major Koenitzer has served twice as the president of the Special Forces Association (SFA).
Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Christopher Zets. Sergeant Major Zets earned the Green Beret in 1979 and deployed to Africa, Central and South America, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He is currently a civilian contractor training Green Berets at Fort Bragg. Sergeant Major Zets is also a founding member of the Green Beret Foundation.

Here are the three distinguished members of the Psychological Operations Regiment:

Retired Special Forces operator Pat O’Brien. After serving 20 years in the Army, O’Brien worked as a civilian contractor at the Special Operations Command (SOCOM), developing and managing a number of classified programs focusing on the Army Reserve PSYOP capabilities.
M. A. Thomas. Although a civilian, Thomas was selected for and completed the PSYOP officer course in 1994. He specializes in nuclear non-proliferation, political-military relationships, and counterterrorism, with a focus on South Asia.
Jared M. Tracey. After six years in the Army, Tracey worked as a research historian and collections manager at the Airborne & Special Operations Museum. In 2010, he became the PSYOP branch historian for SOCOM.

Here are the two distinguished members of the Civil Affairs Regiment:

Retired Lt. Col. Truman Smith. Colonel Smith fought in both World Wars and was pivotal in the creation of the Civil Affairs Regiment.
Retired Sgt. Maj. James Lane. Sergeant Major Lane currently works as a civilian contractor with the 3^rd Civil Affairs Battalion, coordinating operations and planning.

This article was originally published on NEWSREP and was written by Stavros Atlamazoglou.

*Lead image (Rangers in Afghanistan) courtesy of 75th Ranger Regiment.

SOF Video of the Day: SEAL students in the surf

Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUDs) students participate in Surf Passage at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, Jan. 21. Surf Passage is one of many physically demanding evolutions that are a part of the first phase of SEAL training.

U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Russell/Released

Learn more about Navy SEALs Surf Passage training in the video below:

How long will it really be before we see special operators in Iron Man suits?

Given the spectacular special effects on display in Marvel’s “Iron Man” movies and the Defense Department’s clever allusions to the popular hero throughout the development of programs like their TALOS armored exoskeleton, you could be forgiven for thinking mankind is on the cusp of fielding some real-life superheroes. Many media outlets have been happy to latch on to reports of progress made on the Pentagon’s exosuit efforts, running headlines suggesting special operators will soon be tooling around in super-strong, bulletproof power-armor suits that will completely change the way combat operations are conducted.

It’s an exciting prospect, but realistically speaking, these reports of special operators fielding Iron Man-style suits on near-future battlefields are almost as fictional as the comics in which Iron Man can be found.

“When we get the exoskeleton here in a few months, we will have the best exoskeleton in the Department of Defense,” explained SOCOM Acquisition Executive James Smith earlier this week. “It will not be something our operators will feel comfortable putting on in a close [combat] environment today. So, moving, shooting, communicating in the face of enemy fire—not quite there yet.”

For the sake of emphasis, let’s revisit that last sentence one more time: “So, moving, shooting, communicating in the face of enemy fire—not quite there yet.”

The TALOS suit may not be the only exosuit under development in the Pentagon’s varied tool box, but it is, by most accounts, the most advanced and combat-centric. Back in 2013, the Defense Department even released this hype video that—it’s fair to say—could compete with the Kremlin’s work in terms of propagandized claims of “near-future” capabilities.

Now, however—six years of development later—the TALOS suit still lacks the ability to move, shoot, or communicate. What gives?

The truth is, as simple as Tony Stark makes it look, developing a truly functional combat exosuit is an extraordinary undertaking. Not only does it require developing new and advanced technologies, but it also requires those technologies to mature to a sufficient extent as to make them extremely reliable. It isn’t enough to build a TALOS suit that can survive a single engagement. To make the concept truly feasible, the suit has to be resilient enough to survive the extreme operational tempo of today’s special operations community. The suit needs to fire up and function day in and day out for months on end, in the most extreme and dangerous circumstances imaginable.

The very concept of the suit invites some difficult questions. In the minds of most ballistics experts, bulletproof isn’t a real thing; only bullet resistant is achievable. That differentiation is important when building equipment for combat operations: Even the mighty M1 Abrams tank isn’t considered bulletproof. It would just take one hell of a projectile to puncture the 600mm of armor adorning the front of it. Truly bulletproof armor plating of the thickness employed by Tony Stark’s Iron Man suit simply doesn’t exist, so systems like TALOS need to rely on a trade off between ballistic protection and maneuverability. Put simply, if you cover the suit in enough armor to stand and eat rounds, it becomes extremely heavy and immobile. If you build it to be able to move quickly and with enough agility to do things like dive behind cover, it will require either less armor or more power.

Lockheed Martin’s ONYX exosuit skips the idea of armor altogether, focusing instead on increasing endurance. (Courtesy of Lockheed Martin)

That need for power is a serious issue for these endeavors. It takes a lot of energy to move a giant armored suit around at all, forcing the suit to rely on either a huge store of batteries (which increases load and adds to the power requirement) or a fuel-powered generator that would compromise any form of stealth the suit would offer. Just imagine preparing to breach during a nighttime raid when the gas generator on your exosuit kicks on. So much for the element of surprise.

So in order to make these suits feasible, the Pentagon needs a small but potent power source, or far better batteries than we may be capable of producing currently. The suit needs to offer more agility than existing technology allows, and it needs to do so while demonstrating better reliability than a Toyota Camry, despite being used in only the worst and most dangerous conditions on the planet.

So how long will it be before we start seeing the 160th’s Little Birds being retired in favor of JSOC teams running in while dressed like War Machine? Optimistically, you could say years. Realistically, we may really be looking at decades.

Feature image courtesy of Marvel/Disney

SOF Video of the Day: Hopping a ride in a CV-22 Osprey

Members from the 3rd Special Forces Group watch as a U.S. Air Force CV-22 Osprey lands Feb. 26, 2018, at Melrose Training Range, New Mexico. At Emerald Warrior, the largest joint and combined special operations exercise, U.S. Special Operations Command forces train to respond to various threats across the spectrum of conflict.

U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Clayton Cupit

See U.S. Special Operations CV-22 Ospreys in action in the video below:

SOF Video of the Day: The Joint Special Operations Forces Medical Element (SOFME)

A Joint Special Operations Forces Medical Element (SOFME), which includes Flight Surgeons, Physician Assistants and Independent Duty Medical Technicians (IDMT) and their augmentation team, Public Health, Bio-Environmental and Administrative Personnel, conduct a medical scenario during Emerald Warrior 18. Combined Joint Special Operations Forces participate in Emerald Warrior 18 in the Special Operations Air Component, at Hurlburt Field, Florida on Feb. 28, 2018. At Emerald Warrior, the largest joint and combined special operations exercise, U.S. Special Operations Command forces train to respond to various threats across the spectrum of conflict.

US Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Joshua L. DeMotts

Watch Airmen assigned to the 1st Special Operations Wing Special Operations Forces Medical Element conduct training in the video below: