US Army Special Forces

USSOCOM Partnering with USF in Cube Satellites, A Smart Move

This week at the SOFIC (Special Operations Forces Industry Conference) gathering in Tampa there was more interesting items to see, touch and experience to see in one viewing. After making the rounds thru the marketplace in the upper echelons of the Convention Center numerous times, there was still items to catch the eye.

And one of the biggest developments may be inside one of the smallest pieces of equipment. USSOCOM is collaborating with the University of South Florida for tiny cube satellites. The satellite isn’t much larger than a tissue box and is relatively inexpensive. The tiny satellite runs on a solid iodine fuel cell that produces electricity and creates thrust. But the intriguing part is the military pairing direct with a university to do so.

This is an area that the military hasn’t explored enough, instead of going with companies from the military/industrial complex who recruit some of the best and brightest to come aboard. But by going directly to the source (universities), USSOCOM is making a very smart move. The Russians and Chinese tap into their potential by using universities in their respective countries but their schools are basically extensions of the state.

More than 12,000 people are attending the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference at the Tampa Convention Center.
Part of the event is a trade show with products for the battlefield from everywhere. But there’s a Tampa connection that’s brand new.
It’s a partnership between U.S. Special Operations Command and the University of South Florida on cube satellites. They’re small; not much bigger than a tissue box.
“Just think of a cell phone 20 years ago and how big it was. Now, think of your cell phone now, ” says James Geurts of SOCOM.
They’re so small that one rocket can carry many of them into earth’s orbit. On the battlefield below, troops can connect with the satellites for vital data.
In the new partnership, USF engineering students will work on secondary payloads. The satellites can carry cameras and all kinds of sensors. The work has already begun at USF.
“It’s a lot of work, but it’s really interesting stuff. I want to do it for a living, so I consider it a real industry experience,” says Peter Jorgensen, a USF graduate research assistant.
They plan to launch the satellites in 12-18 months.

The other amazing thing about the USF cube satellite team is there isn’t an aerospace engineer on board. The team is involved in a NASA-sponsored contest to find the best technological cube satellites to be put on the Orion spacecraft. The winner would win $5 million.

But the team has already collaborated with USSOCOM in a win-win for both parties. This is a development that the command should expand. There is an untapped potential that they’re losing out on by not doing more of this. Hopefully, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

To read the entire article click here:

Photo courtesy of Tampa Fox 13

3rd SFG Honors Their Fallen Operators With a 5K Memorial Run

The upcoming week at Ft. Bragg and every other military base in the United States will be a hub of activity as the bases prepare for Memorial Day to honor the fallen of all of the United States’ conflicts.

But the 3^rd Special Forces Group, 3^rd SFG(A) is getting a bit of jump on the activities of the base by conducting a 5K Memorial Run this weekend to honor the fallen members of the unit in their own way. Soldiers and family members ran and walked to show that 3^rd group is a family and many wore shirts honoring the 50 members of the unit that have paid the ultimate price of freedom. Others placed placards along the route with pictures of the fallen warriors.

But in remembering, the unit chose to focus not on loss, but on the legacies that remain.
“We’re doing this because the ones we represent can’t,” said Col. Bradley D. Moses, the group commander. “But none of them would trade places with us.”
Moses said the group, which has more than 2,600 soldiers, was a close-knit family.
“All of us do this job because we love it,” he said. “This is the moment in time to honor that. It’s more celebration than race.”
Because of the relatively small size of the unit, the loss of one soldier echoes deeply within the 3rd Group, officials said. And when that happens, the group promises to keep the memories of the fallen alive.
The run is part of those efforts. Many soldiers and family members wore shirts featuring the names of all 50 3rd Group soldiers have been killed in combat in the unit’s history and the words “Care for the wounded. Honor the fallen. Continue the mission.”
But Saturday’s event was a time the soldiers and their families could pause for fellowship and reflection on 3rd Group’s and the nation’s fallen.
“This is the opener for our memorial week,” Moses said
Moses said that family atmosphere was exactly what leaders hope for.
He said it’s not something that can be created at will, but instead was fostered over constant deployments for the last 16 to 17 years.
“We’ve learned to rely on each other in times of need,” Moses said. “This truly is a family. We love what we do, and we love each other.”

While other events celebrating Memorial Day during the upcoming week will be a somber affair, the run with family members was not. It was a chance for the entire unit, both military and family members to celebrate the lives of those who were briefly a part of the unit and sadly of those gone too soon.

To read the entire article from the Fayetteville Observer click here:

Photos courtesy Fayetteville Observer

Special Operations Forces, Active and Retired, to Benefit from Exoskeleton Tech

One of the more interesting meetings SOFREP had this past week at the SOFIC conference was with Lockheed Martin. SOFIC 2017 for those who don’t already know is the Special Operations Command’s industry conference where the best of the best in terms of arms and equipment try to sell their latest gear to the military, specifically the Special Operations Forces. While most people think of Lockheed as being involved only in the aerospace industry, one of their more intriguing concepts is coming to life that will greatly benefit SOF troops both in the field and after retirement.

Lockheed is working on a very doable project that deals with an exoskeleton that will greatly enable special operators the ability to carry heavy loads for long distances without using up their own energy, especially when climbing steep inclines. Operators can climb 60-degree gradients without a loss of energy from a human standpoint or as the company said, they want to maximize the metabolic efficiency of the operator.

Don’t confuse the Lockheed version of the exoskeleton with the TALOS “Iron Man” suit that is many years away from seeing a practical application in the field. TALOS is going to be a fully armored suit that must be constructed to the operator’s specific dimensions. And currently, it weighs 600 pounds. Lockheed’s exoskeleton, the FORTIS Knee Stress Release Device (K-SRD) much lighter, and only covers from the hips down.

Lockheed says the K-SRD system is a computer-controlled exoskeleton that counteracts overstress on the lower back and legs and increases mobility and load-carrying capability. It boosts leg capacity for physically demanding tasks that require repetitive or continuous kneeling or squatting, or lifting, dragging, carrying, or climbing with heavy loads.

Sensors on the exoskeleton report the soldier’s speed, direction, and angle of movement to an onboard computer that drives electro-mechanical actuators at the knees. The exoskeleton delivers the right torque at the right time to assist knee flex and extension. FORTIS K-SRD ultimately reduces the energy needed to cross terrain, squat or kneel. These benefits are most noticeable when ascending or descending stairs or navigating inclined surfaces.

Versions of the exoskeleton are also available for industrial workers and first responders who have to perform strenuous tasks in difficult environments

It is easily adaptable to any operator and allows a much more robust, nimble, and flexible system. The company is already in the testing phase and had some Tier 1 operators running thru a sewer system with this equipment. As the company rep was talking to the commander of the Tier 1 outfit, an operator had tried it on and within five minutes was doing plyometrics. He completed a standing jump from the floor to the top of a table, similar to a CrossFit box jump. He reportedly turned to his commander and said, “I want one of these.”

The company has pushed its testing out to other deployable units and has 70 pieces in a testing phase with an Army unit as well as with the Tier 1 unit. But perhaps the best news to come out of this was the application for the veteran. Lockheed’s rep told SOFREP that their vision is to have their exoskeleton carry the Warfighter into retirement. He said that with the number of operators that either lose limbs in combat or lose the use of them, the exoskeleton will be their way of leading productive lives and being self-sufficient.

Lockheed’s rep explained that like many ex-operators, he too suffers from debilitating knee pain. He wanted to test the suit himself. At his home, he strapped it on and leaped from the top of his stairs on the second level of his house down to the landing on the first level without any discomfort or problem. As SOFREP’s Derek Gannon said at the conference, “This is the Six-Million Dollar Man for us older guys.”

The power pack for the exoskeleton is easily replaceable and each battery pack lasts six to eight hours. It is much more energy efficient. For comparison, the TALOS has 12 motorcycle size batteries and lasts only an hour as currently configured.

It will be tested very soon in airborne operations and SOFREP’s Derek Gannon will get the tour of the facility very soon in the coming weeks and will get the opportunity to put the K-SRD thru its paces and you’ll be able to read about it on SOFREP. It is a much more manageable system than the TALOS. It isn’t nearly as cumbersome and is already in the testing phase. Between the operators and conventional troops putting the system thru the testing cycles, it shouldn’t be long for Lockheed to have any kinks worked out and having a prototype ready for testing in the field.

So, what is in store for the operators of today and future operators of tomorrow? They should have a very workable system for the troops to use in operations where they’re going to be required to carry a lot of weight while carrying heavier loads. Working in mountainous terrain going up and down steep inclines will mean less wear and tear on the soldiers’ joints and they will arrive fresher than ever before.

And looking at the photos of the system that the soldiers are testing now, the equipment isn’t bulky and allows the operator to be as nimble and agile moving thru tight quarters was without it. And if, as many operators will at some point in their career, get injured, the K-SRD will be available for veterans to help them keep their mobility even after their careers in the military are long over. That was perhaps the best-selling point of all.

Lockheed Martin is building a piece of equipment that will allow the humans operating it to do so without being subjected to undue physical stress and the threat of long-term injury. And if an operator does suffer a lower body injury, this equipment will help them cope with the outside world.

And Lockheed Martin’s commitment to the veterans after their service ties in perfectly with SOF Truth #1: Humans are more important than hardware.

SOF Selection PT Preparation 5.22.2017

A good workout is the best way to start Monday and the week off right. We’ll start with the basics of pushups, sit-ups, and crunches, then to the bar for V-ups, pull-ups, and dips before a 5-mile run in a mini UBRR test. Remember to mark your progress in your workout log book.

Training:

More preparation for the UBRR

1 x 1-minute Pushups

1 x 1-minute Sit-ups

1 x 1-minute, Crunches

1 x 1-minute, V-ups

1 x Dips as many as possible to muscle failure (no time limit)

1 x Pullups as many as possible or to muscle failure (no time limit)

5-mile run

Stretch well after completion

SOF Selection PT Preparation 5.21.2017

Time for our Sunday morning ruck march. Do a quick warm up of pushups and sit-ups before heading out. Stretch well both before and after the event. Remember to drink plenty of water and stay hydrated out there. With the heat of the warm weather months upon us, it is imperative.

Training:

Warm up

2 x 20 Pushups

2 x 20 Sit ups

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

Stretch well after completion

SOF Selection PT Preparation 5.20.2017

Let’s start the weekend and Saturday off right. It is time to go back to the gym for some shoulders and back work. Followed by a four-mile run. Log your numbers down in the workout notebook

Training:

More Preparation for the UBRR:

3 x 10 Lat Pull downs, rear

3 x 10 Barbell Dead Lift

3 x 10 Wide Grip Pullups

3 x 10 Towel Pullups

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

SOFIC: Robots, rappelling, rifles, and Special Ops gadgetry

The SOFIC Conference is over and the turnout, especially on Tuesday, was heavy. The conference is a fantastic display of weapons, equipment and nice to have gadgets for the Special Operations Forces on not just the United States but others as well. While it is billed as a gathering for US personnel, there was a smattering of other countries uniforms as well.

If you are a guy that loves the latest in weaponry, communications, equipment, and virtual reality components as well, then SOFIC is like Disneyland on steroids. Except for these are toys for big boys, and you don’t need a CGI artist to make them come to life. These pieces of equipment are the real deal and it won’t be long until you see some of them come to life on CNN or Fox News…or if you are a subscriber on SOFREP.

It’s like a supermarket for Navy SEALs. A grocery store for Green Berets. A Costco for commandoes.
It’s a conference for military special operations forces and their gadgets, weapons and tools. The Special Operations Forces Industry Conference is held yearly in Tampa. Here, the U.S. Special Operations Command — the Tampa-based unit that oversees all of the nation’s elite military teams — shops for equipment.
Lantern-jawed Marines in camo mingle with computer geeks in chinos who run complex intel programs on the convention floor. Panels such as “Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit Sessions” are popular, and alphabet soup acronyms are common in casual conversation (“Are you going to the USSOCOM J-Code Directors Panel?”).
Outside the convention center, maritime displays of sleek boats with mounted weapons cruise by, and underwater drones surface.
Prototypes of new gadgets and gear are showcased. Robots, holograms, tanks, lethal weapons — it’s all on display.
Deep Trekker is a Canadian company that sells underwater drones. The small grey cylinders with cameras can be remote-controlled on land or in the water, and Sam MacDonald, president, says the device can dive down 150 meters — it’s great for hull inspection or contraband, checking out port security.
“We’ve also had it used in the Special Forces, for things they can’t really tell us a lot about,” she said.

While the keynote addresses were a bit slim this year, the conference is well-worth the time to go down to Tampa and take it all in. See you at the 2019 SOFIC conference.

To read the entire article from the Sacramento Bee click here:

Photo courtesy SOFREP

The Attrition Rate for Special Operations Forces Don’t Matter

One of the things that always gets a ton of mileage on social media when discussing Special Operations troops is the attrition rate. Drop in on any of the major sites and the talk of the training attrition rates always comes up.

Would-be SOF candidates are always doing the math in their heads, trying to game plan the odds of them making it as opposed to the unspoken alternative. A good piece of advice for those attempting the courses is to ignore it, it is what it is. And it isn’t anything within your control.

The drop rate from Special Operations Forces will never be an area that can be manipulated by those in the levels far above the schools’ level no matter how hard they try. It’s always slightly amusing when I hear some bureaucrat say, “We need (insert number here) more Special Operations troops.” There isn’t a shaker that you can drop a few hundred people in and they all emerge as operators. Not without lowering the standards.

Many in the media and in our government talk about this as well and trying to make sense of the minutiae of Special Operations attrition rates as if it is something that can be controlled from class to class. It isn’t. While the attrition rates remain remarkably consistent across the board for most of the courses thru the past several years, there are far too many variables that go into each class to be able to point a finger and identify why the rates fluctuate.

Down at the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC) this week, I had the opportunity to speak with and listen to some of SOF personnel involved in the training and selection of their forces. And the questions always come around to the attrition rates.

I spoke with one officer from SOCOM and asked if this is still a topic of conversation that as commanders that they have to be subjected to. “Of course,” he said. “The dropout rates are always something that we get asked about.”

But when pressed further, he said, “The attrition rates may rise and fall for each individual class a bit, but we don’t worry about them. In as much as this: If we identify a recurring issue with course failure where we as instructors and trainers aren’t doing a good enough job of teaching the troops, then it is an issue that we most certainly would look at changing.”

“But Special Operations, by their nature, are very physically and mentally demanding,” he added. “Not just anyone can do them. That’s why the missions are and more importantly, the people that do them are special.”

“So I guess, to answer your question,” he said with a wry smile, “we don’t worry at all about attrition rates.”

I recall the hand-wringing going on at Camp Mackall and Ft. Bragg right after we started the SFAS Course. The first couple of training cycles were called SFOT back then. When Selection was started, being new, there was absolutely no G-2 going on in the course. The resultant mind-games (politically correct word used) were much more effective as the candidates were truly in the dark as to what to expect.

But the first couple of classes were heavily staffed with motivated hard chargers from the Ranger battalions, the 82^nd Airborne, and other light infantry background units. After that well dried up a bit, the courses were filled with more different backgrounds and many of those soldiers weren’t physically or mentally prepared for what would follow. The drop rate rose pretty dramatically.

The Special Warfare School was feeling the heat from higher authority and word came down to our officers that they were being asked, “what are the guys at Mackall doing differently now?” The short and correct answer was nothing.

There is no way to micromanage the drop rate in Special Operations training and our officers knew this right away. But it never stops the bean counters from trying. A few months later we had a class in February where it rained and rained hard for nearly every day of the course. The difficulty in every aspect of the course was magnified for the candidates. What it took a toll more than anything was their feet.

During a normal course, our medics were a busy bunch of guys as the candidate’s feet take a beating. During this one iteration, it looked like a major foot epidemic hit North Carolina. By the end of the long-range movement back to Ft. Bragg, most of the candidates were hobbling around like Walter Brennan on the “Real McCoys”….look it up.

The drop rate for medical issues and VW (voluntary withdrawal) again peaked. And once again our cadre leaders were again being asked silly questions about the attrition. Want to know why so many dropped? Come out and walk in the rain for a week and see for yourself. The cadre weren’t failing people by anything they were doing. The course and the conditions were doing what the course was designed to do. Weeding out those who can from those who cannot.

For the candidates going thru the various Selection courses, take a note from Bill Belichick, “Ignore the Noise.” Who cares if the attrition rate is 5 percent or 95 percent. Stop dwelling on negatives or issues you have no control over. Be in that top 5 percent. Years ago one brilliant instructor somewhere told the candidates this and it rings true:

Somewhere a True Believer is training to kill you. He is training with minimal food or water, in austere conditions, training day and night. The only thing clean on him is his weapon and he made his web gear. He doesn’t worry about what workout to do – his ruck weighs what it weighs, his runs end when the enemy stops chasing him. This True Believer is not concerned about ‘how hard it is;’ he knows either he wins or dies. He doesn’t go home at 17:00, he is home. He knows only The Cause.

I hope that his commander gave that guy an impact award. Because that is what it all comes down to in the end.

SOF Selection PT Preparation 5.19.2017

It is Friday, so it also means back from Florida Leg Day. Begin with some Squats – front, dumbbell goblet, and barbell. Then some lunges and after the weighted sled push, finish the workout off with a 4-mile run.

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

4-mile run

Stretch well after completion

A Funny Blackmail Moment in Special Forces Courtesy of AFSOC

Most of what we write here at SpecialOperations.com deals with the training side of the house. What you’ll need to do to pass the Selection and Assessment courses and the follow-on training in the qualification courses, with a fair bit of history thrown in. Today isn’t any of that. Although in the past, the history part of this is debatable. It is just a story that hopefully will break up the day a bit and show, no matter what, as a member of Special Operations, you’ll always be on the clock and to be prepared. And most importantly, there is always some funny stuff going on around you.

A little background on this story, in the early 1990s our team from 3/7 SFG was tasked to go down to Paraguay to train the Special Forces unit there. The unit was “officially” tasked to be the premiere counter-narcotics strike force that had zero levels of the chain of command between the captain in command of this unit and the Chief of Staff for the National Anti-Drug Secretariat, (SENAD).

Paraguay wasn’t a drug producing country but it became a big way station in the flow of cocaine from Colombia to points east to Europe and some to the US. The DEA increased its presence there during this time and that’s what we were originally tasked to do.

But the unit we were to train was much more than a Counter-Narcotic (CN) force. Due to the very fluctuating political climate in Paraguay, they were getting training in a variety of methods in what would be more of a Counter-Terrorist (CT) mission. After our completion, their follow-on training would be taken up by a Tier 1 unit.

We weren’t even sure we would be going, due to the constant changing of the command structure in Paraguay. But we got orders to go down to do a site survey. We were briefed by USASOC Commander General Wayne Downing to find out what exactly was going on and brief the staff immediately upon return.

My Team Sergeant (Art M.) and I flew down. We were met by the MILGRP guys and brought over to meet the Captain in charge of the unit. He was a great guy, a hard charger and had a definite, clear vision of what his boys lacked, and where they wanted to go.

Art had a great training outline which he liked and said, “This is exactly what we’re looking for.” He told us we had to sell the idea to the commander of the SENAD, who he reported directly to. Excellent…we thought now we find out who “HE” is.

We’re led into a huge meeting room and seated at the end of a long mahogany conference table. This general walks in and we’re introduced…after the requisite glad-handing and “con mucho gusto” BS, this general in perfect unaccented English asks us, “Why didn’t Wayne come?” Art and I looked at one another and asked, “Wayne who?”

“Downing,”…the general says. “We went to West Point together.” Art and I shared a look and each of us had the look of a ‘no $hit’ on our face. Mystery #1 Solved. We told him that knowing that he’s in charge, we were sure that he’d be down to visit. The general, Marcial Sanmiego was indeed a graduate of West Point and told us to stop back in two days and he’d have some gifts for us to bring back to “Wayne”. He signed off on the training and we were due back there in six weeks (July 4) to start.

On our return to Bragg and the briefing to the USASOC Staff, the very first question was what was going on and who exactly was in charge. Downing was floored and promptly booted the staff out. It was just he, his aide, Art, and I. We spoke for a few moments. Downing told his aide to try to schedule some time for him to visit us during our training. “It is going to be crazy down there, while you’re there,” General Downing said. Indeed, it would.

We left Ft. Bragg on the 4^th of July on a C-141 and it was over 100 degrees. When we arrived in Asuncion, (winter in Paraguay) it was a balmy 32. The unit asked if we could condense the training by two days. In the middle of the schedule, the Paraguayans had their national fair in Asuncion and their SF guys skydive into it each year. They arranged for us to stay at the nicest hotel in the capital.

Also in Paraguay was a team of Air Force Combat Controllers who were working with the Airborne Brigade there and they had numerous C-130s at their disposal. They were some great dudes and we immediately made plans to do some joint parachute training that we had scheduled with our unit and them. Instead of Paraguayan C-47s, we’d jump from 130s.

There was also a Brigade staff from the 9^th Infantry Division there to do a big map exercise with the host nation officers. In other words, a total cluster**ck.

After some good training time in our assigned area down on the border, the time for our national fair break was upon us. General Sanmiego made sure the guests on the top floor of the hotel were booted. It was the 9^th ID staff and they were pissed because they were moved to a fleabag dump to make room for us. Or as the Brigade Commander said, “we have to leave for a bunch of snake eater NCOs?” Life is grand at times.

One night after dinner, the night manager of the hotel stopped us and said we had a message from the Air Force guys. They left a note but he couldn’t find it. But he told us he thought we had to send two guys in the morning to the airport to pick someone up.

Thinking it is General Downing, myself and one of my commo guys Bill set off in civilian clothes to the airport. We get there to see a couple of planeloads of paratroopers loading C-130s for a combat equipment jump. The CCTs (Combat Controllers) were like “Chief WTF! Didn’t you get our message?”

We didn’t need to pick anyone up, the guys needed a couple of jumpmasters because the Air National Guard pilots didn’t trust host nation jumpmasters and wanted an SF guy on each bird since it would a jumpmaster release instead of CARP (Computed Air Release Point) which the CCTs used.

“Where’s the pilot?” I asked? The Air Force 0-6 from the WV ANG was a great guy. “Can I jumpmaster dressed like this” I asked? I was clad in stonewashed jeans (hey it was the 90s), cowboy boots and a black leather jacket. “I don’t know, can you?” he said with a grin. “Son, I don’t care if you do it in a jockstrap, as long as we’re safe and if any of those Paraguayan kids freeze, we do not throw him out, we bring him back in. I don’t want any towed jumpers today.”

So, here are two C-130s loaded with combat-equipped paratroopers and the primary jumpmaster is in cowboy boots and a leather jacket. I donned an air force parachute in case one of the kids knocked me out of the plane and off we go. As we’re taxiing down the runway, I asked the crew chief, “This is probably the absolute height of folly but does anyone have a spare helmet I can wear.

The CCT guys are all laughing their ass off, and I soon found out why. They produced the biggest, ugliest puke-colored gold metallic flecked painted motorcycle helmet. It looked like they got it from the bad guys in the old a-ha video “Take on Me”. To top it off, it would fit over a beachball. It came down to my eyes. Shaking my head, I said, “I can’t wear this…” A resourceful CCT guy produced a few cravats which we stuffed in there so it could be cinched down and was actually almost comfortable.

But one look from the crew chief told me how ridiculous it looked. He had to bite his lip to keep from laughing out loud. Once they opened the door, he couldn’t even look at me in the eye. As I’m going thru my jump commands, one of the CCT guys in the second stick is standing up behind the safety with….a video camera in his hand.

He gives me a big thumbs up and says, “This shit is a classic, you’re buying the beer for the next year after this!” The air force guys are all laughing and a second small video camera appears. It just so happened that the pilot handed his camera off to another CCT operator to film this as well. The subliminal message being that this film was blackmail material forever and ever amen.

Thankfully, our airborne operation went off very well, we had to make four passes over the drop zone as it wasn’t very long. It was at the edge of the base right past the skyscrapers of downtown Asuncion. Needless to say, I’ve never had to wait for the aircraft to pass over six-seven story buildings before putting the jumpers out of a plane before.

Later during an airborne operation that we did with our guys, the CCTs were jumping too and we rigged up General Sanmiego to sit across from the door to film his troops making an airborne op. During the taxi ride out to the end of the runway, the air force cameras appeared again and my Air Force “friends” are showing General Sanmiego the tape of the earlier jump.

“Hey Chief, you looked ridiculous,” the general said. UGH. Indeed.

So if any ex-AF CCT guys ever tells you he has film of an SF guy dressed like James Dean, wearing a friggin’ ridiculous motorcycle helmet while doing jumpmaster duties in a C-130, he may be telling the truth. Because sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction. And I witnessed it first-hand.

While my jumpmaster instructors from way back may not have been meaning this particular event when they told us to always be prepared, it served us well I don’t know of many guys who can say they put jumpers out of a C-130 dressed in cowboy boots and a leather jacket. Just another great day to be in 3/7.