tip of the spear, april 2005 - ussocom 2005 tip of the spear.pdf · tip of the spear 3 u.s. troops...

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SOF Body Armor - Are you covered?Wounded SOF Warriors - Courageous and resilientTask Force K-BAR receives Presidential Unit Citation

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T I P O F T H E S P E A R

This is a United States Special Operations Command publication. Contents are not necessarily the officialviews of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, Department of Defense or USSOCOM. The content is edited,prepared and provided by the USSOCOM Public Affairs Office, 7701 Tampa Point Blvd., MacDill AFB, Fla.,33621, phone (813) 828-2875, DSN 299-2875. E-mail the editor via Unclassified LAN [email protected]. The editor of the Tip of the Spear reserves the right to edit all copy presented forpublication.

Gen. Doug BrownCommander, USSOCOM

Col. Samuel T. Taylor IIIPublic Affairs Officer

Jennifer WhittleEditor

Tip of the SpearChief Master Sgt. Bob MartensCommand Chief

1st Lt. Joseph CoslettChief, Command Information

Tech. Sgt. Jim MoserNCOIC, Public Affairs

Cover: Members of a Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha clear a house during a combined U.S. and Iraqi raid to capture and detaininsurgents in the key Iraqi city of Mosul. SF Soldiers and their Iraqi army counterparts conducted a series of raids in the weeks before thesuccessful Jan. 30 Iraqi election to disrupt insurgent efforts to hinder the election. (Photo by Steve Hebert)

Please submit articles, photos or ideas to the Tip of the Spear [email protected] or (813) 828-2875 or DSN 299-2875.

DepartmentsSOF in the Global War on Terrorism Page 3U.S. Army Special Operations Command Page 20Air Force Special Operations Command Page 22Naval Special Warfare Command Page 24Headquarters, USSOCOM Page 27Special Operations Forces History Page 32

SF, Iraqi special ops help secure election Page 4SF Qualification Course transforms for GWOT Page 10New SOF retention incentives Page 12SOF contribute to tsunami relief Page 18NSW supports Make-A-Wish Foundation Page 24

Highlights

Twenty-five years ago, NavyRH-53s prepare to transportcommandos to a hide site onthe outskirts of Tehran, Iran,where former military andthen-Other Goverment Agencymember Dick Meadows wouldbe waiting, and from wherethey would assault theembassy the next night aspart of Desert One. The failedhostage rescue missionwould be the catalyst for thecreation of the U.S. SpecialOperations Command. Seestory, page 32.

DESERT ONE APRIL 1980

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U.S. troops at Bagram Air Field,Afghanistan, spent time with two high-level U.S. officials who were in thecountry in December to attend theinauguration of Afghan President HamidKarzai.

Vice President Dick Cheney andDefense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld atebreakfast with U.S. troops and SpecialOperations Forces in military diningfacilities and visited with Americanservicemembers inseverallocations.

While thevice presidentwas visitingwith 25thInfantry Division troops, Rumsfeld wasacross the air base having breakfast withservice members from the CombinedJoint Special Operations Task Force - Aat Camp Vance. Special OperationsForces sprearheaded the fight againstTaliban and al Qaeda forces duringOperation Enduring Freedom and arenow based in locations throughoutAfghanistan, continuing to pursue anti-coalition insurgents and support therebuilding of the country.

Leaders visit SOF at BagramBy Kathleen RhemAmerican Forces Press Service

Twenty-five million people havebeen liberated, said Rumsfeld. These(Soldiers) right here will look back infive years and know they have been apart of something enormously importantfor this part of the world.

After breakfast, Rumsfeld walked ashort distance, shook hands with troops,and spoke to a small formation. There,he told individuals from several militaryservices that what theyre doing is not invain.

Every time I come (to Afghanistan) Ican see the progress thats being made,

the energy thatexists in thecountry, therefugeesreturninghome, thesecretary said,noting this was

his eighth visit to Afghanistan sinceOperation Enduring Freedom kicked offfollowing the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

However, he also warned the servicemembers the war on terror is not over inAfghanistan. Theres still groups ofextremists that would like to take thiscountry back, he said. But thats notgoing to happen.

You folks are going to be able tolook back on your lives in five or 10 or20 years and feel that you have been a

part of something enormously impor-tant, he said.

Cheney cautioned troops, there are stilldangers. Our coalition still has impor-tant work to do, he said. Freedom stillhas enemies here in Afghanistan. Andyou are here to make those enemiesmiserable, he added, to loud cheers andapplause.

Before he left the dining facility,Cheney administered the oath of enlist-ment to 30 Soldiers who were reenlist-ing: 26 active-duty Soldiers, and twoeach from the Army Reserve and Na-

tional Guard. He also pre-sented awards to six Soldiers,including a Bronze StarMedal, three Purple Hearts,one Joint Service Commenda-tion Medal and one ArmyCommendation Medal.

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Gen. Doug Brown,Commander, U.S.Special OperationsCommand, speaks withspecial operators onthe ground inAfghanistan during hislatest trip to the area ofoperations.

Special Operations Forces spearheaded thefight against Taliban and al Qaeda forcesduring Operation Enduring Freedom andare now based in locations throughout Af-ghanistan, continuing to pursue anti-coali-tion insurgents...

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld tours theSpecial Operations Forces camp in Afghanistanwith Col. Jeffrey Waddell, CJSOTF-Acommander.

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Iraqi election sites secured by U.S.Special Forces and Iraqi Commandos

The Iraqi special operations forcesembarked on yet another historic missionwhen they massed upon an objective Jan.30. This mission however was not toseize or apprehend suspected insurgents,it was a mission Iraqis have fought for allalong: the right to vote.

Elements from two U.S. SpecialForces Groups trained the Iraqi specialoperators, who served with distinction incombat operations in Fallujah, Ramadi,Najaf, Samarra and Baghdad. Iraqispecial operations personnel providedouter cordon security on election daythroughout Iraq and took a break to casttheir own ballots in the first democraticelections in Iraq in more than 50 years.As the Iraqi troops entered pollingstations, Iraqi civilians applauded in anemotional show of support.

The Iraqi special operators, along with50,000 other Iraqi Ministry of Defenseforces, protected nearly 5,000 pollingsites where millions of Iraqis cast ballots.Nearly 18,000 candidates ran for office

CJSOTF-AP in the new Transitional National Assem-bly, which will select a new primeminister and draft a new constitution inthe upcoming year. Another nationalelection is scheduled for December thatwill select a permanent government.

Alongside U.S. Special Forces, theIraqi commandos fight insurgents whoattempt to prevent Iraq from movingtoward democracy.

In January special operations troopsfrom both Iraq and the U.S. conducted21 raids, capturing 91 suspectedinsurgents and numerous munitions.The combat operations were conductedto get insurgents off the streets prior tothe elections. Special operators helpedsecure the polls and contributed greatlyto the overwhelming success of theelections.

The Iraqi commandos are at a stagewhere they are planning and executingtheir own missions with their Americancounterparts advising, said a U.S.Special Operations Forces adviser.Newly trained commandos are increas-

ing their ranks as well. A third trainingclass was selected and is going throughthe arduous special operations training.From obstacle courses to close-quar-ters combat training, Iraqi specialoperators are learning from the best.Together they conduct vigorous physi-cal training, learn land navigation,practice unconventional warfare tacticsand plan direct action missions.

The embedding of the trainer withthe trainee so to speak is now becom-ing the way of the future of doingbusiness in Iraq.

We already instituted some assis-tance and training support where weembed trainers with Iraqi units, saidChairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen.Richard Myers.

Following the American SOF modelof what is known as foreign internaldefense, the Multinational Force Iraqwill train alongside Iraqi units andbegin to field new equipment to theemerging Iraqi security forces. Nearly140,000 Iraqis are being trained and

are operating with theMultinational Force Iraq.Iraqi special ops may beonly a small part of the totalnumbers, but their reputa-tion for success on thebattle field has been impres-sive.

The intent is for theseguys to become fully opera-tional on their own, saidthe U.S. SOF adviser. Theyare very, very effective.They exercise extremediscipline and are totallymission-focused.

An Iraqi special operator(forefront) and an AmericanSpecial Forces Soldier workside-by-side to secure pollingsites on election day in Iraq.

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An Iraqi special operator takes a break from securing a polling station to cast his own vote during the countrys Jan. 30 democratic election.

After the triumph of Iraqs national elections Jan. 30, coalitiontroops and U.S. special operations Soldiers were able to rest after abusy week of trying to ensure the historic events success.

Jan. 25 and 26, the Civil Affairs Tactical Team from Company Bof the 411th Civil Affairs Battalion stationed in Iraq assisted withmembers of the Iraqi Army and officials from the IndependentElectoral Commission of Iraq in moving election materiel throughSalah ad Din province, from its capital of Tikrit to the city of Tuz.

The 411th CA Bn. is an Army Reserve special operations unitfrom Danbury, Conn., and is deployed in support of Operation IraqiFreedom.

The successful mission was an example of many others that wereborn in the numerous planning meetings between the involvedparties in an effort to coordinate security measures and logistics.

With the help of coalition forces, Iraqi police and the Iraqi Army,IECI officials established 26 polling centers throughout the easternsection of Salah ad Din province.

CA Soldiers contribute toelection success in IraqBy Sgt. Ryan Schwartz411th Civil Affairs Battalion

Iraqi election facts The Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq

certified results of the Jan. 30 elections Feb. 17 More than 100,000 Iraqi Security Forces

provided protection at more than 5,000 pollingsites, enabling more than 8 million voters to castballots in a democratic election; no pollingstations security was penetrated; voter turnoutwas more than 58 percent

The Shiite-dominated United Iraqi Allianceclaimed the most seats in Iraqs new TransitionalNational Assembly; the Alliance received 140seats in the 275-member Assembly; theAssemblys primary task is to draft a constitution

The Kurdistan Alliance received 75 seats; agroup led by interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawireceived 40 seats

The population of Iraq is about 27 million; thenumber of eligible voting citizens was 14.2 million

More than 18,000 candidates ran for electionon the 256 political party lists

The number of polling centers throughout Iraqwas 5,578


The captain shoulders his M-4 rifleand pulls the trigger. The dog stopsbarking. It is only a few hours beforedawn, and the Special Forces captainfrom Fort Bragg is looking to start afight. He figures there are as many as 50Taliban fighters in the compound, and hehopes to draw them out. If there is goingto be a fight, he wants it to be in thedark. His men own the night. Monthsbefore, the team was after anotherTaliban leader and got into a big firefightin the dark. The SF Soldiers were able topick the Taliban fighters off one by onewith their night-vision goggles andscopes. Now that the team is in positionaround what they believe is a Talibancompound, the captain is hoping for thesame sort of luck. Most of the luck heand his Fort Bragg SF team have had onthe mission up to this point has been bad.

Its a mission that really began a fewdays ago, when the team heard that aTaliban commander had settled into acompound near the provincial capital,Tarin Kowt. Word was that he had 50fighters with him. The Green Beretsdrew up a plan to attack the compoundand coordinated with the 25th Infantry

A-team doesnt return to base empty-handedBy Kevin MaurerFayetteville Observer

Division. The day before the raid, theydrove three hours from their firebase tothe 25th Infantrys sprawling camp.Thats when the problems started. A fewhours before the team left the 25thscamp, a new intelligence report came in:the Taliban leaders and his fighters werethought to have moved. Using flash-lights, the team laid out pictures of thenew compound on the hood of a GMV,or ground mobility vehicle (a Humveemodified for SF), and worked out anupdated assault plan.

With the new raid plan prepared, theteam and its Hazara commandos (mem-bers of a minority group always eagerfor the chance to pay back their Talibanoppressors) loaded up. The Soldiers gotbehind the wheel of the Hazaraspickups because it was dark and only theAmericans have night-vision goggles.

The men, excited to finally be startingthe mission, were keyed up as theycranked the trucks. All of the trucksexcept one. One of the trucks wouldntstart. The Hazaras jumped out andscattered to the other pickups. Theconvoy started creeping toward thecamps gate. The trucks moved at a

crawl because thedrivers couldntsee; the groundwas covered witha fine talc-likedust. Simplywalking in itkicked up a hazeand the convoygenerated animpenetrablecloud. The firstfew trucks madeit out of the gate,but one of thetrucks hit some-thing and flippedover. One of theHazaras was hurtand had to be

taken to the base hospital. The restcrammed in the dwindling number ofvehicles. As the convoy passed throughthe dark, deserted streets of Tarin Kowt,another of the pickups broke down. Thecaptain assigned two Hazaras to guard it.The rest of the men climbed aboard therest of the vehicles, which were startingto look like those tiny cars that unload adozen clowns. Soldiers were sitting onroofs or holding on to the sides of theGMVs.

The only thing we need is circusmusic, the teams medic said as heforced his way into the back of a truck.

The raid team made it without morebreakdowns to a sandy plateau overlook-ing the village where the target com-pound was located. The men could see afew lights in the distance, but the nightwas almost pitch black. Once the teamand the commandos were on foot, theyhad no more problems. The captain andthe team sergeant got their bearings andplotted a course while the rest of theteam organized the Hazaras into six-manteams. Then, with their night-visiongoggles on, nine SF Soldiers led the wayto the compound where they believedarmed Taliban guerrillas were waiting.They crossed creeks on the way to thevillage, walking slowly to keep frommaking noise. At one point, the Soldiershad to sneak through a compound. Theycould hear people talking and see theflicker of cooking fires. When the teamand the Hazara commandos got inposition, covering all sides of the com-pound, the captain shoots the barkingdog. It doesnt bring the response he washoping for. No enemy fighters come outof the compound. The Soldiers settle into wait for dawn.

The men wait three hours for sunrise,then the Green Berets raid the compoundwith the Hazaras in the lead. The com-mandos burst through the main gate andspread through the grassy courtyard. TheSoldiers find bird cages in a house. Theydont find any Taliban. Only one shot isfired in the raid, an accidental discharge


A Special Forces Soldier kicks in the door of a compound as Hazaracommandos watch. The soldiers are clearing a village suspected of hidingTaliban fighters in Afghanistans Uruzgan Province.

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that takes a chunk out of the thumb ofone of the Afghan commandos. He justwraps his wound in a scarf and standsguard outside the compound. Hell waitfor treatment when they get back to the25ths base. The few men in the com-pound are brought out and told to squatalong a wall. But there is no reason tohold them, and it looks as if the missionis a bust. Then a man wanders in fromthe desert. He is much bigger, muchbetter dressed and obviously better fedthan the villagers. He is so obviously outof place that the Soldiers cant miss him.None of the villagers will look at him.The imam, the village religious leader,denies knowing him.

We thought he came with you, oneof the villagers tells the captain.

The teams communications sergeant,who speaks a little Pashtun, asks the manhis name. He says he gets three differentanswers. Gul Shabar, the teams inter-preter, says the mans native tongue isnot Pashtun. The captain believes theman was probably out in the deserttalking on his mobile phone. Thats howTaliban leaders keep in touch andcoordinate attacks. To the captain and hismen, the man from the desert looks andacts too much like a Taliban leader to beanything else. They detain him and put

him in the back of one of their pickups.The team will find out later that the

decision to grab the man was the rightone. He turns out to be a former Talibanbrigade commander named AbdulWadud. The Afghan government hasbeen looking for him.

Even before he knows who the man is,the captain is happy with his catch. Heand the team pack up and start back tobase. They havent been on the roadmore than two minutes before thecaptain gets a call. Its an intelligencereport: Taliban fighters might be in atown three miles away.

The captain talks with the rest of theteam, then agrees to check it out. Whenthe convoy races up a hill overlookingthe town, five villagers see the trucksand start running, but the Hazara com-mandos jump from the trucks and catchthem easily. These men are marchedthrough the main street of the village andback to the trucks. The communicationssergeant starts questioning them as therest of the team starts to search. There isno one on the streets.

The village is a collection of walledcompounds with dirt paths runningthrough them. Each compound has to besearched. The Hazaras are the first in,kicking in the doors and spreading into

the courtyards. A woman and her twochildren huddle in the corner of one.Chickens peck at the ground. The smellof manure hangs in the air as the Soldiersgo from room to room looking forweapons. The men try to be careful andquick in their search, which turns up arocket-propelled grenade launcher, arifle, a .30-caliber machine gun and anAK-47.

The Soldiers also find five bags ofopium, worth a million dollars, they say.Opium-producing poppies areAfghanistans No. 1 cash crop. TheAmericans dont find anyone who lookslike a Taliban fighter. The teams opera-tions sergeant, gives the AK-47 and RPGlauncher to the Hazaras. The rest of theweapons and the drugs are thrown in thetrucks. The men in the village aresquatting in the dust when the trucksdrive away, looking sullen as theirweapons and drugs disappear.

The Green Berets are going home, orat least what passes for it here in Af-ghanistan. Before they can even getback, the word has begun to spread thatthey have captured Abdul Wadud, whomay be wanted by the government butstill has friends in Kandahar and Kabul.Some of those friends start working toget him out of the Americans hands.

Special Forcesteam membersprepare to clear acompoundsuspected ofharboring Taliban.

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The call comes just asthe Special Forces Soldiersreturn from their raid.Release the man youcaptured. Weeks of work-ing sources, days ofplanning and waiting,hours of driving acrossroadless Afghanistan thats what went into theraid.

A raid that turned upnothing, anyway, until asuspicious-looking manwalked in from the desert.The Soldiers snatched himand he turned out to besomeone named AbdulWadud. The captaincommanding the FortBragg-based SpecialForces team talked to the provincialgovernor, Jan Mohammad Khan, whosaid Wadud was definitely a Talibanleader. His capture made the work ofthe raid worthwhile. But now the

Capture of former Taliban commander successBy Kevin MaurerFayetteville Observer

Fort Bragg Green Berets are beingtold to let him go. The captain isincensed at the politics. The word theteam gets is that Afghan PresidentHamid Karzais brother has called theAmerican ambassador in Kabul tocomplain about Waduds capture. Theembassy called Lt. Gen. David Barno,commander of U.S. forces in Afghani-stan, who called the Special Forcestask force.

Meanwhile, back at the teamsfirebase, the Afghan admits that he isa former Taliban brigade commander.The Soldiers say he tells them that hescouts compounds for Taliban com-manders to use as safe houses. Ex-cited, the captain relays the informa-tion to the SF headquarters inKandahar. The intelligence is goodenough to earn the team something ofa reprieve. They dont have to letWadud go; instead, they are to puthim on the next chopper to the head-

quarters. It is a small victory, butenough for the team. It isnt the firsttime that politics had a role indictating policy in fighting the waron terror. At one point, the 10-member team was almost confined tothe firebase after killing a group ofTaliban guerrillas in a firefight.

The captain says he was told thathe and his team were cowboyspushing too close to the edge of therules for operations. What got themoff the hook was an intelligencereport that said the remaining Talibanhad left the area because they weretired of being harassed. Successvalidates tactics, and the captainbelieves the SF tactics in Afghanistanare working. The Green Berets aremore flexible than conventionalforces in a place like Afghanistan.The infantry is built to take on anidentified enemy on a battlefield. ASpecial Forces team is trained to

Abdul Wadud, a former Taliban brigade commander, is captured by Special ForcesSoldiers during a raid in the Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan.


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Special Forces Soldiers provide security while Hazara commandos search a compound in Uruzgan Province,Afghanistan, for Taliban fighters and weapons.

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Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and CIA director Porter Goss are working toensure President Bush has a full range of options for dealing with terror threats, said a topDOD official in February.

This includes covert and clandestine operations, said Thomas OConnell, AssistantSecretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict (ASD/SOLIC).He also said studies are under way to determine whether all of the CIAs paramilitaryactivities should fall under DOD jurisdiction.

OConnell delivered the keynote address during the 16th Annual National DefenseIndustrial Association SOLIC Symposium and Exhibition in Washington, D.C. He fo-cused on the role of Special Operations Forces in the coalitions Global War on Terrorism.

The president and a truly historic coalition of more than 90 nations have sought toconfront a new and perhaps even more dangerous enemy, OConnell said.

Special Operations Forces will help to meet the capabilities required of DOD as part ofthat coalition, he said. SOF are charged with disrupting, defeating and destroying terroristnetworks that threaten the United States and its citizens, according to the U.S. SpecialOperations Command mission statement.

These capabilities must be used in concert with the capabilities of coalition partners aswell as other, nonmilitary stabilization capabilities of the U.S. government and thecivilian world, said Jeffrey Nadaner, OConnells deputy. Were trying to place stabiliza-tion operations on comparable footing with combat operations. This would mean thatthese types of operations would be considered in all phases of the planning of an opera-tion.

Were making progress. Were moving forward, OConnell said. Were puttingtogether execute orders that will help U.S. Special Operations Command orchestrate itsWar on Terrorism.

ASD/SOLIC looks at future coalition warfareBy Samantha QuigleyAmerican Forces Press Service

U.S. Special Forces operating in Iraq work side-by-side with members of the Iraqi 36th Commandos.

ferret out a secret enemy andneutralize it. For the team thatcaptured Wadud, the strategy fordoing that is simple: make it hardfor the guerrillas to launch theirattacks.

According to a special operationsstaff officer in Afghanistan, thereare three pieces to the continuedAfghan resistance: the undergroundsupply network; the guerrillas; andthe auxiliary to the fighters. The SFSoldiers are targeting the auxiliary.They are the leaders, the linkbetween the supply system and thefighters. When someone likeWadud is captured, a link is bro-ken.

Three days after Waduds cap-ture, the faint thud of helicoptersbounces around the mountains. Theechoes make it tough to tell whichdirection the Chinooks are comingfrom until the big choppers appearover a ridge. Waiting for theweekly supply flight are 25thInfantry Division and SF Soldiers.The Soldiers are in Humvees andpickups. Some of the SF Soldiersride four-wheelers equipped withmachine guns. The helicopters,dual propellers whirling, set downon a gravel landing pad outsidecamp. They stir up a huge dustcloud, and the Soldiers wait until itdissipates before moving to theChinooks. The air crews quicklypush supplies off the back of thecargo helicopters into the arms ofthe Soldiers. The flights providethe camp with everything fromvehicle parts and fuel to mail andfood. The helicopters are the onlyregular link between the firebaseand Kandahar. Once the suppliesare off, Wadud is escorted onto thehelicopter. He is blindfolded, andhis hands are bound. They havedone their job, captured their man.Now it is time to plan the nextmission.

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Raising the bar: Transforming the SF training model

For the first time in more than adecade, the U.S. Army John F. KennedySpecial Warfare Center and School(SWCS) is significantly changing theway it trains Special Forces Soldiers.

Throughout all phases of the SpecialForces Qualification Course (SFQC) orPipeline, the institution is looking tofind areas of improvement that will makethe SFQC a world-class training andeducation experience. From the waycandidates are processed during theSpecial Forces Assessment and Selectionto the ceremony in which a Soldier isawarded the Green Beret, SWCS ismaking changes.

The transformation plan focuses onproviding the SFQC student with rel-evant training that concentrates onenhancing core skills for unconventionalwarfare, linking the program of instruc-tion to the battlefield, and placing greateremphasis on foreign-language training.The transformation is designed toproduce an SF warrior who will be betterprepared with the skills necessary for

fighting and winning on todays battle-field.

The transformation project began lastOctober when the commander of SWCS,Maj. Gen. James Parker, hosted a week-long conference with his senior officersand noncommissioned officers to draft ablueprint from which the command coulddevelop its plan. The group collectivelydeveloped a vision for what the SFQCshould become.

At the core of the vision is an updatedtraining methodology and improvedquality of instruction. Overall, thepipeline will change from a sequential,linear program to a modular one. Duringthe classroom-training portions, theSFQC student will follow a curriculummuch like a high school or collegecurriculum, with multiple subjects beingtaught concurrently. Modularization ofthe pipeline will provide a greaternumber of the iterations of each majorblock of training, a better instructor-to-student ratio, and less time that theSoldiers will spend waiting for the nexttraining block to begin. Modularizationwill also give students multiple training

options, based on the students uniquestrengths and requirements.

Phase II, Small Unit Tactics, is the firstmajor training block to be converted tothe modular program. Beginning inMarch 2005, Phase II will be broken intofive modules of 75 students each. A newPhase II module will begin every twoweeks.

In order to execute the commandersintent SWCS is integrating the latesttraining methods available, employingmore efficient use of time and resources,and leveraging technology. The coremilitary occupational specialty (MOS)programs of instruction will remainlargely intact, but they will add materielto the curriculum. Additional subjectsinclude intelligence operations, abduc-tion-avoidance and captivity survival,adaptive thinking and learning, andadditional training in SF common skillsand warrior skills. Even with the addi-tional training, the transformation planwill decrease by two to four months thetime it takes for the average SFQCstudent to complete the pipeline.

Two overarching goals of the plan arethat the SFQC will maintain its highstandards and that none of the changeswill do harm to the current success of theSF Pipeline. The performance of SF inthe Global War on Terrorism has vali-dated the majority of the program ofinstruction for the individual 18-seriesMOS and for the collective training. Toensure continued relevancy, the Director-ate of Training and Doctrine (DOTD) islinked to the battlefield conductingcritical task review boards to capturerecent lessons learned and get them intothe various programs of instructionquickly.

This April SWCS will begin imple-menting a program whereby a Soldierwill know his SFG assignment, theforeign language he will study, and his18-series MOS at the beginning of histraining. That knowledge will allowtrainers to organize cohort student

By Lt. Col. David FitchittUSAJFKSWCS

See SF, page 11A Soldier crawls through a portion of the Special Forces obstacle course. The SF QualificationCourse is undergoing transformation to meet the requirements of the Global War on Terrorism.

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operational detachments for thecollective-training phases of the SFQC.

The ability to speak a foreignlanguage is a core unconventional-warfare skill for the SF Soldier.Because of the importance of languageskills, the DOTD is developing acomprehensive language-trainingprogram that will introduce students totheir foreign language early and makelanguage a core part of SFQC training.Once the language program has beenfully implemented, language trainingwill be as common to the SFQCstudent as physical training is now.Foreign-language training is beingwoven throughout the SFQC asadvanced distant learning allowsstudents to study language from home.Higher language proficiency standardsare achievable, and are, in fact, alreadyin place. A score of 1/1/1 on theDefense Language Proficiency Test isnow required before a student cangraduate from the SFQC. More than 95

percent of SFQC students are currentlyachieving this standard, and some qualifyfor language proficiency pay, even in themost difficult languages.

Beginning in May 2005, Survival,Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE)training will be integrated into the initialphase of the SFQC. As early as July2005, the Peacetime GovernmentalDetention/Hostage Detention course willalso be added.

The capstone event of the SFQCremains the Unconventional WarfareCulmination Exercise (UW CULEX).Up to now, this CULEX has takenplace exclusively in the towns andcounties surrounding Fort Bragg, N.C.,in a mythical country calledPineland.

In addition to the Pineland experi-ence, in August 2005, SWCS plans toemploy two student operational detach-ments to test a pilot of the UW CULEXat the National Training Center, FortIrwin, Calif. SWCS is also addingregionally oriented scenarios to theUW CULEX so that students can

employ their foreign language andcultural awareness. During varioussituational training exercises, studentswill encounter dilemmas that are basedon Soldiers recent battlefield experi-ences.

The graduating class of March 2005will be the last to wear the Green Beretprior to completing language andSERE training. Beginning with theOctober 2005 graduating class, Sol-diers will be inducted into the 1stSpecial Forces Regiment and attendtheir graduation ceremony at the end ofall training. Only then will they beawarded the coveted Green Beret,signifying that they are fully preparedto join their brothers on SF operationaldetachments.

It is not business as usual at SWCS.Everyone understands that the U.S. isat war and that Army Special Forces isat the forefront. With those thoughts inmind, the Transformation Plan is beingdeveloped and implemented as quicklyas possible. All elements of the planare scheduled to be in place next year.

SF, from page 10

Nine Airmen assigned to the 8th Special Operations Squad-ron, Duke Field, Fla., were among the last members of the unitto return home in February, following a series of highly suc-cessful deployments in support of Operations Enduring Free-dom, Iraqi Freedom and Secure Tomorrow.

This isnt a ceremony that needs a lot of words, said Col.Tim Hale, vice commander, 16th Special Operations Wing.Watching the aircraft land and taxi with the (American) flagwaving out of the hatch, speaks for itself. When you seefamilies waiting for loved ones, husbands and fathers arrivingto open arms, we should all have a lump in our throat.

The squadron, known as the Blackbirds, has continuouslydeployed in support of the Global War on Terrorism since 2001.

Such a high ops tempo led to the squadron being named theAir Forces most deployed active duty squadron in 2002 and2003. After Sept. 11, 2001, the 8th SOS was propelled intoOperation Enduring Freedom. During that time, nearly theentire squadron was deployed, operating from several locationsto unseat the Taliban rulers and install the interim government.

When Operation Iraqi Freedom kicked off, the 8th SOS wasonce again at the forefront. Its crews were some of the first to

Blackbirds return home after series of deploymentsBy Capt. Tom Knowles and Tech. Sgt. Andre Nicholson16th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs

A young boy smiles at thehomecoming of 8th SpecialOperations Squadron Airmen.

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cross the Iraqi border as hostilitiesbegan, providing specializedairpower for coalition conventionaland Special Operations Forces.

Throughout this period, the unitflew 2,555 combat sorties for acombined total of 6,778 combatflying hours, performed 307combat airdrops, delivered 6.75million pounds of cargo andsupplied 1.3 million pounds of fuelto 275 helicopters in support ofcombat operations.

The 8th SOS, assigned to the16th SOW, is a geographicallyseparated unit located at nearbyDuke Field.

The primary mission of the 8thSOS is insertion, extraction andresupply of unconventional warfareforces and equipment into hostile orenemy-controlled territory using air-land or airdrop procedures.



The Department of Defense recently approved a new retentionincentive package for Special Operations Forces aimed at main-taining combat readiness and keeping experienced operators inuniform. The initiative uses existing DOD incentive programsincluding Special Duty Assignment Pay, Critical Skills RetentionBonus, and Assignment Incentive Pay to retain individuals whohave years of experience, especially as they become retirementeligible and at the peak of their value to the armed services.

The following retention incentives were approved for U.S.Army Special Forces; Navy SEALs and Special Warfare Combat-ant Crewmen; Air Force Combat Controllers and Pararescuemen:

The ranks of E-4 to E-9 in identified U.S. Special OperationsCommand billets will receive Special Duty Assignment Pay in theamount of $375 per month.

A Critical Skills Retention Bonus will be available to seniorenlisted service members (pay grades E-6 to E-9) and warrantofficers. Contract amounts are as follows: $150,000 for six years,$75,000 for five years, $50,000 for four years, $30,000 for threeyears, $18,000 for two years and $8,000 for one year.

Enlisted members and warrant officers with more than 25years of service will receive Assignment Incentive Pay in theamount of $750 per month provided the member signs an agree-ment to stay on active duty for at least an additional 12 months.

In addition to the new incentives, the military services willcontinue to offer SOF service members Selective ReenlistmentBonuses as needed.

Our investment in these professionals is great, and the experi-ence gained through years of service makes them invaluable assetsto our nations defense. Younger replacements can be trained, butexperience is irreplaceable in the current worldwide War onTerrorism, said Lt. Col. Alex Findlay, USSOCOM personneldirectorate.

DOD approves retention incentives for SOFUSSOCOM Public Affairs

This retention incentive package is the result of widespreadquality-of-life studies, interviews, and town hall meetings with ourSOF operators and their families, said the commands seniorenlisted adviser, Command Chief Master Sgt. Bob Martens. Ourgoal is to better understand what is most important to our peopleand their families in order to determine what we can do to make usthe employer of choice for the long term.

Findlay said the retention initiatives are a first step in keepingseasoned SOF warriors in the command in order to maintainpersonnel combat readiness.

We cannot win the GWOT without maintaining ourwarfighting excellence through an unwavering commitment toreadiness. The incen-tives that were ap-proved are great forour senior SOFwarriors. However, wewill continue to pursueinitiatives and pro-grams that cover thecomplete lifecycle ofSOF from entry tothe senior enlistedranks to ensure wemaintain personnelcombat readiness nowand well into thefuture.

Eligible servicemembers can contacttheir unit personnelcenters for more detailson the retentionincentives package.

Pararescuemen exit an aircraft during a high-altitude, low-opening airborne operation.

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Special Forces Soldiers using night vision equipment conduct areconnaissance mission during Operation Enduring Freedom.

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When you ask Special Forces warrantofficers why they made the transitionfrom noncommissioned officer towarrant, money will rarely be theanswer. Instead, Green Berets whovebecome warrant officers often list jobsatisfaction and team time as topreasons for making the switch.

To help keep them on the job andencourage more Special Forces NCOsto consider joining the warrant officercorps, changes arebeing made thatwill impact every-thing from acces-sions and educa-tion to assignmentsand pay.

The U.S. ArmyJohn F. KennedySpecial WarfareCenter andSchools Director-ate of SpecialOperationsProponency, Fort Bragg, N.C., isspearheading an effort to review andtransform the SF warrant officer careerfield, which is known by its militaryoccupational specialty code of 180A.

While there are a number of signifi-cant initiatives already underway, therecent addition of SF warrant officers tothe Critical Skills Accessions Bonus andthe Critical Skills Retention Bonusprograms are likely to have the mostimmediate impact on the career field.Under the CSAB program, new 180Acandidates are eligible for up to $60,000per year, while under the CSRB pro-gram eligible SF warrants could get$8,000 to $150,000.

Another pay initiative that will have apositive impact on the force is Assign-ment Incentive Pay for 180As withmore than 25 years of service. The180A must serve in a designatedoperational billet to be eligible for the

extra $750 per month.Green Beret warrants are among the

most experienced Soldiers in the specialoperations community, and they are theonly warrant officers in the Armyinventory to serve as combat leadersduring split-team operations or in theabsence of commissioned officers.

Warrant officers have the opportunityto spend five to seven years of teamtime on a Special Forces Operational

Detachment A, or A-Team, providingsubject matter exper-tise, continuity and theability to influence longterm planning, all keyfactors in the decisionto trade in stripes forbars.

One Green Beretwarrant officer assignedto the U.S. ArmySpecial OperationsCommand says the

challenge for him is the opportunity todevelop future SF commanders.

I would tell you that my goal hasbeen to make a battalion commander outof a good captain when I was on (an SFA-Team), he said. Im seeing thosebattalion commanders today and Ivebeen a warrant for 11 years now.

According to Chief Warrant Officer 5William McPherson, chief warrantofficer of the Armys SF branch, ex-panded promotion opportunities for SFwarrant officers are another reasonnoncommissioned officers choose tomake the switch. The selection rate fromchief warrant officer 2 to chief warrantofficer 3 is between 90 and 100 percent,while the rate to chief warrant officer 4is nearly 100 percent, he said.

The selection rate to chief warrantofficer 5 is about 66 to 70 percent, ahigh selection rate when compared to SFenlisted promotions, McPherson said.

Special Forces warrant officer incentivepay overhauled By Kathleen DevineUSAJFKSWCS Public Affairs

But high job satisfaction and highpromotion rates may not be enough tokeep existing billets filled, which is whyUSASOC has made SF warrant officerissues a top priority.

McPherson said he feels the programis a big step in the right direction butthat pay issues are something that mustbe continually reviewed and worked toensure that the force is filled with theright people at the right time, both nowand in the future.

Specific details on the 2005 accessionand retention pay incentives are beingworked through personnel and financechannels and are in effect from January2005 to December 2007.

McPherson said that there are alsomajor transformation initiatives under-way in the area of military education andprofessional development based on inputfrom SF warrants worldwide. A new180A career model will incorporate jointand interagency training and assign-ments. Warrant officers are attendingadvanced schooling at the Naval PostGraduate School, and there will be asubstantial investment in technology,training and equipment for select SFwarrants in the intelligence fusion,information operations and communica-tions areas.

But the most sweeping changes willinvolve revising the basic, advanced andsenior staff warrant officer coursesbased on current wartime lessonslearned.

The SF Warrant Officer Basic Coursehas been updated and streamlined to an11-week course from the 19-weekversion taught in various forms since1993.

This provides the warrant officerbasic student with a more concisecurriculum based on lessons learnedfrom instructors who have just returnedfrom supporting the War on Terrorism,McPherson said.



Building confidence in their skills and helping them feel saferas they patrol the streets of Baghdad, Iraq, is an importantcontribution toward an eventual transfer of authority and return-ing Iraq to its rightful caretakers.

Part of that confidence already exists, and the remainder canbe strengthened through training and the reinforcement oftactical as well as technical skills.

Army Civil Affairs teams supporting the 1st CavalryDivisions 3rd Brigade Combat Team conducted basic weaponstraining and a live-fire range exercise for 26 Iraqi police officersfrom the Al Karkh patrol sector at Camp Independence.

While conducting joint operations, the teams helped identifythe need for weapons training during neighborhood assessments.They were told by the commander that members of the Iraqipolice in their sector were uncomfortable with their weapons,said Maj. Jim Joos, commander of Company B, 443rd CivilAffairs Battalion, an Army Reserve special operations unit basedin Warwick, R.I.

This is a very good Civil Affairs mission since there are a lotof cops within the Civil Affairs ranks, and cops know how tohandle weapons, said Joos, a police officer from Philadelphia.This puts them in a very good position to help train the Iraqipolice.

For two hours, Sgt. Les Coash, an assistant team leader for atactical Psychological Operations team from the 307th Psycho-logical Operations Company based in St. Louis, instructed theIraqi police officers on fundamental marksmanship skills in aclassroom setting. He demonstrated each position as he ex-

CA train Iraqis on police, weaponry proceduresBy Staff Sgt. Susan German122nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment plained it, using an AK-47 rifle and Glock pistol, the weapons

the Iraqi police are most familiar with. A former Marine, Coashhas trained more than 2,000 Marines and Sailors, and hasprovided refresher training to Special Operations Forces.

Another purpose for the training was to improve the Iraqisshooting accuracy. While out on operations, Coash and hiscolleagues noticed that at times Iraqi police and National Guardwere firing without direction, shooting entire magazines ofammunition at the side of a building with no actual targets.

That puts our guys at risk, because weve been in thosebuildings, and all of a sudden were getting shot at, Coash said.So we started to work this in to get them trained to try and getaway from that to where they can operate safely and accurately.

Moving out to the range, the Iraqi police officers split into twogroups, with one group firing while the second group partici-pated in police training. Those on the range were advised toadjust some other shooting factors, such as their breathing,trigger squeeze and muscle relaxation, based on where theirrounds were hitting the target.

Safety was the emphasis throughout the day. Examples ofunsafe acts were explained to the students. They were warnedinvolvement in any such acts would result in them being re-moved from the range.

The range was good. They gave us a lot of information thatwe didnt know before, said Ibrahim Hussein, who has been onthe police force for two weeks since his return from training.

Police procedures training was conducted for the group thatwasnt firing, by Sgt. Dan MacDonald, of the 443rds CivilAffairs Team, who is a police captain in his civilian life.

MacDonald spearheaded the concurrentpolice training, according to 1st Lt. RalphRafaelian, CAT team leader. Instructionincluded proper procedures for stopping avehicle, arresting a person, cuffing a person,weapons retention, and using a nightstick orbaton.

Before leaving the range, Coash gatheredthe Iraqi police officers and commendedthem on their performance during the day.He also advised them that they had one lasttask before they were allowed to leave therange policing up the spent brass.

It was a long day at the range, but wetrained to standard, not to time, Rafaeliansaid. We did courses of fire, in the crawlstage and hopefully, well be doing thisagain real soon, with either new people orcontinue with these people here, and maybego to the walk stage and eventually therun stage.

An Iraqi police officer aims his AK-47 rifle and fires at the range at Baghdads Camp Independenceduring weapons and police training led by both Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Soldiers.

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For leaders in the Helmand province in southern Afghani-stan, soccer is more than merely a fun pastime for youth.

Soccer is being used to help keep young men away fromdrugs. By building a soccer league, local leaders hope to giveyouth a sense of belonging and purpose by replacing idlehours with a focus on teamwork and fitness.

The Lashkar Gah Minister of Sports, Mohammed Gaus,recently approached Maj. Reginald Truss, a team leader withthe 450th Civil Affairs Battalion, at the Lashkar Gah Provin-cial Reconstruction Team headquarters to inquire about sportsequipment for a proposed soccer league.

Truss and his command agreed that the anti-drug messagejustified funding the project. Truss CA team spent $16,000,outfitting not only 25 soccer teams with balls, nets and cleats,but also 25 volleyball teams and 25 cricket teams.

Getting young guys off drugs by providing a good alterna-tive, Truss said, makes the expenditure worthwhile for thecoalition, the local Afghan leaders and their communities.

Long term, I hope Mohammed Gaus also introducessports to the girls as well, Truss said.

To bring the community together in a show of solidarity,Gaus and Truss arranged to have a local soccer team playagainst Soldiers from the Lashkar Gah PRT.

The game came about to convey an anti-drug message butalso that (U.S. troops) are human and like to have a goodtime, Truss said.

CA Soldiers organize youth soccer leagueChildren play soccer off a street in Baghdad, Iraq. Civil Affairs Soldiers gave away soccer balls to hundreds of children in bothIraq and Afghanistan to help bring together communities, engage kids in fitness, and push the message to say no to drugs.

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At the game, held at the Lashkar Gah Sports Complex inKarzai Stadium, the CA team also provided a public addresssystem to convey the anti-drug message.

The PRTs commander, Marine Lt. Col. Eugene Augustine,spoke before the soccer game began to a crowd of more than500 spectators.

My message today is clear: Say no to drugs, whether itbe growing, selling or taking drugs, you must say no,Augustine said. Drugs are not the future of Afghanistan; youare the future of Afghanistan. Education, democracy and hardwork are the future of Afghanistan. Let us celebrate thefuture of Afghanistan today by watching these drug-freeathletes compete.

The Soldiers who played soccer against the Afghan teamwere members of the PRT, which includes service membersfrom the 168th Infantry Battalion of the Iowa NationalGuard, the 450th CA Bn. from Riverdale Park, Md., militaryintelligence specialists from the 25th Infantry Division andmembers of the 209th Military Police Company from FortPolk, La.

According to Truss, this event was a great opportunity forthe Soldiers as well as giving to the community.

This gives our force protection guys something fun to doso theyre not just guarding , Truss said. I hope this pullsthe community together as far as not always hearing badnews. This is a goods news event that was generated byAfghans and Americans and we hope to do more events likethis to pull the community together.


In a Djiboutian village on the coast of the Red Sea,service members from the Combined Joint Task Force -Horn of Africa provided basic medical care for residentsand their livestock during a medical and veterinary CivilAffairs program.

Members of the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion startedthe medical treatment at the local clinic, whichprovided caregivers with four rooms to treat patientsand a room that served as a pharmacy.

The medical providers treated ailments rangingfrom the common ear infection to asthma, with themost common being malnutrition, eye and respiratoryproblems, and skin disease. They also treated minorscrapes and bruises. Each person treated was alsogiven vitamins and a toothbrush with toothpaste.

The team, which included the hospital staff of twodoctors and five nurses, treated more than 1,200patients.

The host nation support for this mission wasoutstanding, said Capt. T.J. Reed, team leader, 96thCA Bn. The doctors and nurses came in to help uson a Friday without question, which is their holy day.The staff was friendly, courteous and willing to work.They were pleased to be able to see as many peopleas they did.

In the four months the 96th CA Bn. has been inDjibouti, this was their most successful mission,according to Reed.

One of the interpreters who was working in thepharmacy said the people were glad to see the Ameri-cans and happy that we were able to take time andhelp them, Reed said.

While the medical team was treating the people theveterinary team was treating the animals.

The team vaccinated about 125 goats with vitaminsand a deworming medication. The day before theproject, the Civil Affairs team treated about 270animals in the village of Waddi, Djibouti.

I was helping herd the goats and giving them avitamin injections, said Lance Cpl. Justin Ginther,administration clerk, CJTF-HOA, who volunteered tohelp with the mission. It was difficult to herd thegoats; once we caught them we had to have a couple

CJTF - Horn of Africaprovides treatmentto coastal villageBy Sgt. Wayne CampbellCJTF-HOA

of people hold them down while I gave them a shot inthe hamstring of one of the back legs. We didnt wantthem to kick and hurt themselves.

It was a thrill to see the smiles on the kids faces andoverall an enjoyable experience, Ginther said.

This is a non-intrusive way for CJTF-HOA to reachout into the community and exhibit the goodwill thatthe commanding general is trying to project into thearea of operations, said Maj. Fredrick Little, com-mander, 96th CA Bn. Through these good events wecan impact the entire community and not just the elitesof the community, and show what the U.S. is all aboutwithin a day or two.


First Lt. Gustavo Ramos, physician, 96th Civil Affairs Battalion, examines apatient during a medical Civil Affairs project in Djibouti.

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Combined Joint Task Force -Horn of Africa hosted a dedicationceremony for the reopening of theHol Hol road at the 45-foot culvertbridge along the road just south-west of Djibouti City, Djibouti.

The dedication was attended byDjiboutian, U.S. and CJTF-HOAofficials as well as members of the823rd Expeditionary RedhorseSquadron, who toiled on the road.

Projects such as Hol Hol roadare taking place throughoutDjibouti and remind us of thestrong partnership between theUnited States and Djibouti, saidMarguerita Ragsdale, UnitedStates Ambassador to Djibouti.The project also reminds us ofwhat we can accomplish when wework together.

The dedication marked thecompletion of almost sevenmonths of renovations to the roadwith a cost of more than $250,000.During the renovations, a teamfrom the squadron constructed theculvert bridge and nine concretefords on the 35-kilometer road toprevent it from being washed outduring rain and floods such as theones during April of last year,according to Capt. Scott Stanford,officer in charge, 823rd Redhorse.

The team also used more than42,000 linear feet of rebar, 1,300cubic meters of concrete and11,000 cubic yards of fill materielin constructing the bridge andfords. The team also hauled andgraded the whole length of theroad to improve its surface.

Ceremonymarks endof the roadBy Sgt. Chad SwaimCJTF-HOA

For many Americans, good memories and close friends were made on school play-grounds during recess.

Six Soldiers from the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion volunteered five days of their freetime to help more than 1,100 Baballa children who attend a primary school enjoy going toschool a little more by installing playground equipment at their school.

According to Army Staff Sgt. Walter Clay, engineer, 96th CA Bn., the children onlyhad a small soccer field for playtime.

The team installed benches for the students to sit on, a tetherball, a seesaw, slides and amerry-go-round.

The children spend one hour each day playing on the equipment, according to Clay.The seesaw and the slide are the favorite among the children, according to Ahmed Ali,

school director.The kids like it and the parents are very happy, Ali said. The whole village is talking

about it.The teachers are also happy about the new equipment. Not too long ago I came

outside and saw two teachers playing on the equipment, Ali said.This school was chosen because it is better maintained than the other local schools

without help from Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa, according to Sgt. 1stClass Michael Rush, 96th CA Bn. infantryman. They provide their own security and areself-sufficient.

The parents and local village people volunteer their time between sessions to clean theclassrooms and prepare them for the next session, Ali said.

Being in Civil Affairs is new to Rush. I am used to blowing things up and destroyingthings, he said. This is a complete 180 from what I am used to. We were working oninstalling the equipment when the children were in school and you can see the excitementin their eyes. When we finished I felt like Santa Claus giving kids presents.

The Civil Affairs team plans on installing playground equipment to five more schoolsthroughout the area.

By Sgt. Wayne CampbellCJTF-HOA

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Students who attend a primary school in Baballa enjoy their playtime on a seesaw installedby volunteers from the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion.

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When Lt. Col. David Mobley arrived inBangkok as the 353rd Special OperationsGroups point-man for disaster relief, heenvisioned a steady flow of aid from thekingdoms sprawling capital to devastatedprovinces in the South.

He never imagined, that in 48 hours, themodest pile of assorted blankets, sleepingmats, food, tarps and medicines wouldgrow into a mountain of material, bulgingthe seams of two aircraft hangars andspilling out onto the ramp.

On the back side of the internationalairport sandwiched between two RoyalThai Air Force hangars, hundreds of Thaivolunteers sorted the materiel into distinctfoothills of the mountain. Blankets werebundled, wrapped in tarps, and piled 25feet into the air. Cases of medicine fromthe United States Greece, Germany andother countries were inventoried and slatedfor airlift.

The generosity of the Thai people tohelp their countrymen is amazing, Mobleysaid. The efforts of their friends aroundthe globe are equally impressive.

Royal Thai Air Force leadership andmilitary experts from the country teamdirected priorities. They assigned itemsand locations and it was the job of the AirCommandos to make the delivery. Thevolunteers were given a list of the dayspriorities. They built and weighed palletswith the help of Air Force loadmasters. Aseach plane was loaded, the prioritiesshuffled up three tons of dry ice toKrabi, two pallets of blankets to Raynong,1,500 body bags to Phuket, and so on.

In Phuket, Thailands largest touristdestination, nearly 5,000 were identifiedas dead along the coast.

In addition to taking aid and disasterworkers into the hardest hit areas, thespecial operators also brought out theworst of the wounded. Several dozeninjured victims of many nationalities weremedically evacuated to Bangkok.

Air Commandos fly aidto disaster-torn areasBy Master Sgt. Michael Farris353rd SOG Public Affairs

An aircrew member withthe 1st Special OperationsSquadron said the impactwas brought home his firstday there.

Bringing a dozenpatients back to Bangkokwas by far the most meaningful thing Ivedone, he said. The sincere thanks andabsolute gratitude of peoples whose liveshave been crushed was amazing. Illnever forget it.

The 17th Special Operations Squadronpersonnel created daily schedules thatpushed the aircrews and maintainerstoward a vigorous pace that saw singleaircraft flying the round-trip shuttleseveral times a day.

The flight times were about an hour-and-a-half, but the ground time varieddepending on availability of gas trucks,fork lifts and ground support personnel tooffload the airplane.

Its a delicate balance of trying to helpeverybody, one Airman said. Theres amassive amount of donated aid and a

finite number of planes and crews totransport it all.

With limited aircrews, a skeletonmaintenance squad, a few spare parts andalmost no support functions, the workcarried out by this team was amazing,Mobley said. Every Airman there under-stood that to be doing anything else justwouldnt seem right.

A planner with the 17th SOS said he washappy to be involved.

Ive volunteered to fly south with theaircrews and help unload planes or assistwherever I could. It made me feel proud topitch in to help make these peoples lives alitter easier.

Mobley said his troops were enthusiasticabout their getting to work early andstaying late: its about making a difference.

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A Spanish Red Cross water purification trailer is taken off anMC-130 Combat Talon II.

Airman 1st Class Emily Starcher, 353rd Special Operations Group flight engineer, helps SriLankan relief workers unload boxes of vegetables during an Operation Unified Assistancemission in January. The Kadena Air Base, Japan, Airmen helped bring food, medicine andsupplies to people affected by the December tsunami.

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For the Civil Affairs Soldiers helpingto coordinate tsunami relief and recon-struction missions in support of Opera-tion Unified Assistance, day-long meet-ings with civilians can be frustrating butare an important part of their work.

A dozen Soldiers from the 96th CivilAffairs Battalions (Airborne) Detach-ment 220 are at work in Thailand, SriLanka and Indonesia to assist CombinedSupport Force 536 with Civil Affairs andcivil-military operations, said Maj. GerryMessmer, officer-in-charge of thedetachments Civil Affairs Team plan-ning and operations element.

The Soldiers serve as the chief liaisonsbetween the military and civilian organi-zations conducting humanitarian aidprojects in Southeast Asia.

The 96th CA Bn., a special operationsunit based at Fort Bragg, N.C., is theArmys only active duty CA unit.

Messmer explained that CA help toaccomplish tasks like relief and recon-struction projects largely by identifyingsuch needs on the ground in troubledareas and alerting civilian aid organiza-tions.

We provide continuity betweencivilian government agencies and (non-governmental agencies) and the militaryto help make them aware of what isavailable to them from the military andthe U.S. government, Messmersaid. Its not our intention to actually doprojects, but to help the agencies identifythem and to prioritize funding from theU.S. government.

According to Sgt. 1st Class BillGordon, CAT-B team medic, such projectidentification is done by conductingspecial, rapid-needs assessments offactors like food and water availabilityand conditions of local hospitals andschools.

Such assessments are often compiled

Army Civil Affairs Soldiers assist civilianaid workers in helping tsunami victimsBy Sgt. Kyle CosnerUSASOC Public Affairs into a database format easily shared with

the civilians.Government aid agencies and non-

government organizations operating nowin Southeast Asia include the UnitedNations World Food Programme, theWorld Health Organization, the Interna-tional Red Cross and the U.S. Agency forInternational Development. Army CASoldiers have worked extensively withall four agencies in the past.

Constantly meeting helps the CA andthe organizations they support stay instep with each others operations,Messmer said. By integrating into dailysituational briefings here, the CAT-B isattempting to establish a credible pres-ence with the NGOs and other agencieshere in the region.

We dont want to dotheir job we want tosupport them and helpthem do their job,Messmer said. Theyrebetter at doing medicalrelief and theyre better atbuilding houses, so itsvery important that wehave credibility and makethem understand thatwere here to supportthem.

That credible presencewill be critical to thereconstruction process inthe weeks to come,especially after themajority of more than15,000 U.S. militarypersonnel now operatingin the region depart,Gordon said.

Deputy Secretary ofDefense Paul D.Wolfowitz laid thegroundwork for a near-term withdrawal of U.S.troops from large-scale

relief efforts during a Jan. 16 pressconference in Indonesia. Wolfowitzannounced that he hopes the U.S. mili-tary is able to transfer responsibility forrelief operations throughout the region toNGOs and host nation governments assoon as possible.

The Civil Affairs Soldiers are expect-ing to stay in the region after that transi-tion to assist with initial reconstructionefforts.

International efforts to minimize suffer-ing and mitigate loss of life resulting fromthe effects of the earthquake and tsunamicontinue as the combined support force ofhost nations, civilian aid organizations andU.S. Department of Defense work togetherto provide humanitarian assistance insupport of Operation Unified Assistance.

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Soldiers from the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion, Fort Bragg, N.C.,help load their equipment onto a C-130 aircraft at Royal Thai NavalAir Base, Thailand, while preparing to deploy to Sri Lanka insupport of tsunami aid efforts.


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More than 50 Rangers were recognized during a ceremonyat Fort benning, Ga., for their actions during a recent deploy-ment in support of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom.

Rangers from 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment re-ceived awards including two Bronze Stars with Valor De-vices, 39 Bronze Stars, three Purple Hearts and six JointCommendation Medals presented by Lt. Col. John Castles,commander of 3rd Ranger Battalion. Several Rangers alsoreceived Army Commendation Medals and Combat Infantry-man Badges.

Between October 2004 and January 2005, the battalionconducted more than 140 direct action raids between missionsin both Iraq and Afghanistan, Castles said.

Sgt. 1st Class James Anderson, platoon sergeant, CompanyC, 3rd Ranger Bn., was awarded the Bronze Star for his rolein support of Operation Enduring Freedom. While deployed,Anderson was crucial to mission success, serving as theplatoon sergeant and senior non-commissioned officer for histeam, according to his award citation.

Reflecting on earning the Bronze Star, Anderson describedwhat earning the medal means to him about his leadershipskills. It lets me know that as a leader, I safely deployed allof my men to combat, led them through numerous combatoperations, and brought every one of them back to theirfamilies.

Anderson went on to explain that the medal is a smalltoken for the excellence of not only himself, but for hisplatoon. Receiving this award is a great honor, but I couldntdo it without my men, he said. Because of them, we weresuccessful in every operation we conducted.

Capt. Roger Crombie, commander of Company C, echoedthe citation on Andersons award. Rangers honestly look upto Sgt. First Class Anderson. He is a great leader, Ranger,husband and soon-to-be father.

Anderson, a native of Martinez, Calif., has spent hisentire 11-year Army career with the Rangers. During histenure, he deployed four times in support of OperationEnduring Freedom and two times in support of OperationIraqi Freedom.

During the ceremony remarks, Castles took time toshare a few thoughts with his Rangers and their guests. Inaddition to recognizing the service, mission success andsacrifices of the battalion, it was an opportunity forCastles to personally thank all of his Rangers, their fami-lies and those who support them.

Rangers receiveawards for combatdeploymentUSASOC Public Affairs

Castles concluded his remarks with an important re-minder about the missions the quiet professionals in the75th Ranger Regiment conduct. Though deployments,homecomings and missions cannot always be publicizedlike some other units because of the nature of the Rangerjob, know that your service does not go unnoticed and isrelied upon now more than ever.

According to official definitions, the Bronze Star forvalor is awarded for acts of heroism not involving participa-tion in aerial flight, which are of lesser degree than requiredfor the award of the Silver Star. Awards may be made torecognize single acts of merit or meritorious service. Therequired achievement or service, while of lesser degree thanthat required for the award of Legion of Merit, must never-theless have been meritorious and accomplished withdistinction. The Purple Heart, a specific combat decoration,is awarded to members of the armed services who arewounded by an instrument of war in the hands of theenemy.

Rangers from 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment stand in formationwhile Lt. Col. John Castles, battalion commander, and Command Sgt.Maj. James Hardy, battalion command sergeant major, present awardsfor a recent deployment in support of Operations Enduring and IraqiFreedom. Spc. Kyle Butcher, Company A, receives a Purple Heart.

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It doesnt take requests, doesnt play Top 40 or run contests,but for 18 hours a day Peace Radio, channel 9.365 on shortwave radio, entertains and informs residents of Paktika Prov-ince with a theme that benefits both coalition forces andAfghan civilians.

Transmitting from Forward Operating Base Orgun-E, PeaceRadio is run by three Soldiers from the U.S. Army Reservewho never expected to be disc jockeys in Afghanistan, but whoare enjoying the experience because of its uniqueness.

While being a DJ may appear to be a glamorous job ofpicking music, thats not the reality for the Soldiers at the radiostation.

Most of the operation is automated, but maintaining andmonitoring the equipment falls squarely on the shoulders ofthe three-man crew and remains the backbone of their job.

To keep Peace Radio operating, the station has its owngenerator supplying power. The harsh conditions of Afghani-stan require the Soldiers to remain diligent in their mainte-nance to stay operational.

Everything having to do with theradio station we take care of, said Pfc.Donald Olsen, Peace Radio stationtechnician and a member of the 306thPsychological Operations Company, anArmy Reserve special operations unitbased in Los Alamitos, Calif.

Aside from the job of maintenance,the crew also organizes and transmits avariety of programming.

The station plays music ranging fromAfghan to Indian music, and evenbroadcasts four hours of internationalmusic each week.

National and local news are broadcaston Peace Radio in Dari and Pashto eachday, along with other messages from thenational government and coalitionforces.

Childrens stories are played everyWednesday and Saturday. Although theradio station hasnt done an officiallistener survey, those who tune in havegiven feedback and the Soldiers knowthey are making a difference. We knowthat it is heard in a good part of

Soldier-DJs useairwaves to informand entertain AfghansUSASOC Public Affairs

(Paktika) province, said Staff Sgt. John Calvin, 320th TacticalPsychological Operations Company, a team that interactsregularly with the Afghan population.

With the remoteness of some villages and a low literacy rate,Peace Radio is the only link to the government for some, Calvinsaid.

They appreciate hearing news, he said. They also like thevariety of music.

Peace Radio appreciates the feedback and takes any personlistening as a compliment, he said.

You would be amazed at how many stations are out there,Olsen said.

From stations that transmit out of Kabul, Kandahar andGhazni, to stations from Pakistan, the fact that people choosePeace Radio makes Sgt. Christi Hamby proud.

Hamby, another Peace Radio station technician, is a DJ as ahobby in the United States.

For her, Peace Radio is a unique experience that she didntexpect to encounter when she was first told she would deploy toAfghanistan.

It is kind of neat because it is in the same field that I want towork in, Hamby said. It is a good experience.

Providing a service in a remote area is also another positiveaspect for the Peace Radio crew.

I like the fact that we are making a difference, Olsen said.People are being informed about current events and learningabout their country through the service we provide. That makesme feel good.

A Soldier from the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C., pulls security outside of anAfghan radio station where Soldiers from the 13th Psychological Operations Battalion are operating tokeep information flowing to the Afghan people.

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A quiet village of long barns, stud farms and winding roads,stretches out beneath the Airman assigned to the 321st SpecialTactics Squadron one last knot check, a final tug on the rope,a harness security check, and then he slips over the side.

Vertical work is not new to Senior Airman Konrad Schwinnor Master Sgt. Michael Fleming (belaying the rope from theground to belay means to make secure, or in this case tostop the descent of the climber during an emergency situation),but the location and mission are different.

Using a simple rappelling system from the top of the AllSaints Church Bell Tower at Gazeley, Suffolk in the UnitedKingdom, gave the Airmen access to a rusty drain pipe few

Airmen rappel frombell tower athistoric UK siteBy Sandra-Dee FlemingAFSOC News Service

others could reach and caused the least amount ofdisruption to the sanctity of the churchyard.

Schwinn lowers the first section of drain pipe to theground while rappelling from the bell tower of thechurch. Removing the 100-year old drain pipe from the12th Century Church gave the Pararescue specialoperator a chance to practice high angle skills (skillsnormally used in search and rescue operations), whilealso saving its congregation an estimated $6,000.

The building is fast approaching its 700th birthdayand is an unusual venue for training and practicingskills used in search and rescue operations, but it works,and there are other benefits as well.

Weve never done anything like this before,Fleming said. But I thought it would be a special thingto do, and it allows us to give something back to thecommunity.

The church vicar was grateful. There is much to bedone around the church and this helps out a lot, thevicar said, who also noted professional removerswouldve charged about $6,000 for the work.

This (type of situation) isnt new to me, Schwinnsaid. I did some adventure outfitting and rope climbingbefore I joined (the service), plus we brought the mostimportant climbing tool of all the crescent wrench.

Schwinn estimated the first section of 100-year oldpipe weighed in at about 60 pounds. He removed two

sections and lowered them to the ground via rope before takinga break. Hanging from a rappelling harness can cause ones legsto go numb, and safety is always a paramount concern.

The job took some time much like a real operation. Forinstance, it can take anywhere from a few hours to a couple ofdays to prepare and execute a real world rescue depending onlocation and situation.

The nuts came off easily, but the bolts are mortared in andthat makes it a little more time consuming, but we came out toget the drain pipe down and we will, Fleming said.

Several hours later, Fleming and Schwinn coiled rope andcleared up climbing gear. Sections of drain pipe on the ground,nuts and bolts gathered in a pile on the grass communitymission complete.

According to the vicar, there is still much work to be done onthe 13th century structure, but every little bit helps and theAirmens efforts were much appreciated especially in the faceof other expenses.

The way I see it a save is a save. We only did a smallpart, but with a little luck and tender loving care, maybe theGazeley Church will stand for another 700 years, Flemingsaid.

A I R F O R C E S P E C I A L O P E R A T I O N S C O M M A N D

Senior Airman Konrad Schwinn, 321st Special Tactics Squadron,lowers the first section of a drain pipe to the ground whilerappelling from the bell tower of the 12th-Century All SaintsChurch at Gazeley, Suffolk, in the United Kingdom.

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A first-of-its-kind joint Special Opera-tions Forces medical training initiativewas held in conjunction with a CompanyC, 528th Special Operations SupportBattalion (Airborne) training exercise.

Medical elements from the Air ForceSpecial Operations Command joinedSoldiers from the 528th during theweeklong exercise. It combined ArmyLevel I and Level II combat treatmentcapabilities with Air Force surgical andenroute intensive care.

According to Maj. LoryKay Wheeler,Special Operations Support Command(Airborne) surgeon, the 528th Level Imedical facilities handle emergencymedical treatment and advanced traumalife support.

It also provides a sick call and preven-tive medicine capability to units operatingin the area of operations. Each teamconsists of nine medical personnel,including a physicians assistant, sevenmedics and a preventive medicine special-ist.

A Level II joint medical capabilityalready existed unofficially within theU.S. Special Operations Command,Wheeler said.

The addition of Level II facilitiesprovides SOCOM a more robust initialentry patient care facility. The Level IIteam can fall in on any Level I capableunit and will provide four intensive care(ventilator capable) patient beds and sixadditional beds for regular patient holding.

In addition, the Level II team provideslaboratory services, digital X-ray, ultra-sound and dental capabilities to thesupported SOF. Ten medical personnel,including a critical care nurse, twolicensed practical nurses, one SpecialOperations Combat Medic, one X-raytechnician, one laboratory technician, onepatient administration specialist, onemedical logistics non-commissionedofficer and a biomedical equipment repairspecialist, make up the Level II team.

In the near future, with additions

Special ops medics test joint capabilitiesBy Joanna HawkinsUSASOC Public Affairs

planned in a new personnel-manningdocument, the 528th will have thecapability to field two separate Level IIteams.

During the planning and developmentof the Level II team, we wanted to ensurethe team was fully modular to provide theright medical care at the right time,Wheeler said. The team can be taskorganized to meet any mission require-ments and can be augmented with aveterinarian, veterinarian technician andan environmental science officer based onthe mission.

Combining all components of a Level Ifacility plus resuscitative surgical capa-bilities make up a joint SOF Level IImedical facility.

During a recent deployment to Iraq, the528th used its treatment and patientholding in conjunction with the U.S.Army Special Forces Command (Air-borne) dental capabilities. AFSOC addedits surgical and critical care evacuationcapabilities.

This combination proved highlyeffective and provided excellent medicalcare for Soldiers, according to Wheeler.

Wheeler said in May she began

working with AFSOC and suggestedthat the medical capability be handledjointly.

This way, SOF would have a jointLevel II medical facility with resuscita-tive abilities, she said.

The Air Force added elements to theexercise too.

The Air Force Special OperationsSurgical Team (SOST) conducts dam-age control surgeries, according toSOST Chief Lt. Col. Mark Ervin.

The SOST team includes: a generalsurgeon, an orthopedic surgeon, ananesthesiologist, a surgical technicianand an emergency room physician.

Level II facilities include Air ForceSpecial Operations Critical Care andEvacuation Teams, or SOCCET. Thisthree-person team, including a respira-tory therapist, critical care nurse andcritical care physician, evacuate post-surgery patients to higher levels of care.

Ervin said the joint medical trainingis the first of a series of training exer-cises intended to test and validateproven methods.

This is round one, making sure thepuzzle pieces fit, he said.

Special operators conduct the three-man carry during joint combat medical training.

Sgt.

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As long as she can remem-ber, her son wanted to be aNavy SEAL. Even whenCheryl Greiners 17-year-oldboy was diagnosed withHodgkins disease more thanthree years ago, he wanted tobe a SEAL.

Today Michaels dreamhasnt faded, and his wishcame true recently, when heand his family visited NavalSpecial Warfare command inCalifornia courtesy of theNavy and the Make-A-WishFoundation.

He experienced what it waslike to begin Hell Weekduring BUDs training late atnight, under flares and ma-chine gun fire and screaminginstructors; he blasted acrossthe waves in Navy speedboatsat white knuckle speeds; hepacked parachutes with the Navys elite parachute jumpteam, the Leap Frogs; and conquered some of the moremanageable parts of the obstacle course.

This meant the world to him, Cheryl said, who togetherwith her husband David and other son Matt, experienced theday with Michael. Were so glad we were able to do this.Its been his dream to be part of special operations and Isupport him in that goal.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation put Michaels wish intomotion with a phone call to the Naval Special WarfareCommand in Coronado, Calif. In turn, the Navy generated afull-blown itinerary that included visits to Special BoatTeam Tweleve (SBT-12), the Naval Special Warfare Center,and the Leap Frogs.

It was really easy to put together, said MonetteDuewell, a volunteer coordinator for Make-A-Wish. TheNavy was really helpful. These kinds of dreams create hopeand give a person something to look forward to.

At SBT-12, he spent the morning aboard the teams 11-meter Rigid-Hull Inflatable Boat (RIB), and later aboard the82-foot MK-V Special Operations Craft. He saw howSpecial Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen (SWCC) operateand maintain the Navys inventory of state-of-the-art, high-performance boats.

After the rides he was made an honorary SWCC and

NSW operators grant teens wish to be a SEALN A V A L S P E C I A L W A R F A R E C O M M A N D

By Chief Robert BensonNSWG-3 Public Affairs Officer

given a command hat, T-shirt, plaque, mugs, and othermemorabilia.

On paper, the SEALs mission is to use stealth andclandestine methods of operation allowing them to conductmultiple missions against targets that larger forces cannotapproach undetected. Michael saw some of that missionfirst hand, when BUDs students went through Hell Week,arguably the toughest week of training for a Navy SEALcandidate.

After a lunch of MREs, Michael was paid a visit by theLeap Frogs. Michael, sitting in a chair on the landing zone,was just a speck at 12,500 feet, when seven SEALs and twoSWCC jumped out of a plane and conducted free fallmaneuvers toward him at 120 mph. But soon all jumpers hitthe mark, and huddled around Michael for pictures anddiscussion.

The day culminated with a tour of the Naval SpecialWarfare Center armory and obstacle course before Michaelwas presented with an Honorary Frogman certificate signedby Rear Adm. Joseph Maguire, Commander, NSWC.

This was definitely a special day, more than I can say inwords, Michael said. Most people cant usually do this, butI was lucky to have the opportunity. These guys are highlyskilled, great professionals and really incredible. Words cantdescribe how much I appreciate this.

Michael Greiner (left) helps two Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen (SWCC) in the MK-V SpecialOperations Craft in San Diego Bay during his Make-A-Wish Foundation tour. Michaels wish was to be aNavy SEAL for a day.

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Navy Recruiters, SEa-Air-Land(SEAL) Sailors, and a Special WarfareCombatant-craft Crewman (SWCC)Motivator recently spent five days inAspen, Colo., recruiting and creatingNavy awareness at the annual ESPNExtreme Winter Games.

The ninth annual, free-to-the-public,winter extreme sports competitionfeatured more than 230 athletes from allover the world. They competed formedals and prize money in sports such asMoto X best tricks, Ski, Snowboard(superpipe and slopestyle), and Snowmo-

By Petty Officer 1st Class Candice HaleNavy Recruiting District Denver

NSW Sailors fitin at Extreme

Winter Games

bile. These competitions attracted over69,000 spectators throughout the events.

According to ChiefTodd Tucker, Zone FiveSupervisor for NavyRecruiting District,Denver, the X Gamespresent a perfect venueto reach his target Navyapplicant.

The kids that come tosee the X Games are hereto see these athletes, whodemonstrate courage andcommitment, which arethe same attributes welook for in a Navyapplicant, he said.They also admire the athletes becausethey have jobs that challenge them fromday to day. The jobs we offer in the Navycan also be challenging and out of theordinary. This is the perfect place toshow these kids what we have to offer.

In an effort to directly showcase theNavys extreme job opportunities, sixNavy SEALs and a SWCC Motivatortraveled from San Diego, Calif., to assistthe Navy recruiting effort.

Navy SEALs and SWCCs could beconsidered extreme athletes because ofthe rigorous training and daily challengesthat come with their jobs. According toSWCC Motivator, Petty Officer 1st Class

Anthony Edwards, thecommon thread betweenthe athletes featured at theX Games and the Sailorswho attended is themindset that has madethem successful.

You have to set a goal,and then take on thephysical and mentalchallenges that come alongwith it. In order to besucc

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