President Trump awarded the Medal of Honor to Technical Sergeant John Chapman posthumously during a White House ceremony. The event took place on Wednesday, August 22, 2018. The award was for conspicuous gallantry during a battle with al Qaida fighters on a 10,000 foot mountain top in eastern Afghanistan in early March of 2002.

John Chapman was a US Air Force Special Tactics Combat Controller assigned to the 24th Special Tactics Squadron at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina. While deployed to Afghanistan he was attached to an element of SEAL Team 6 – a seven-man team with the call sign of Mako 30. The battle took place on Roberts Ridge [1] on Takur Ghar mountain along the Pakistan border. The award is an upgrade of the Air Force Cross that he received posthumously.

Combat on Takur Ghar – Operation Anaconda

The action that took place on Takur Ghar was part of a larger operation called Operation Anaconda. The objective of Anaconda was the destruction of Taliban and al Qaeda fighters that had taken refuge in the Shah-i-Kot Valley (located at 7,500 feet) of Paktia province in eastern Afghanistan. Two SEAL teams were inserted to set up observation posts in order to identify enemy positions and call in airstrikes. Mako 30’s planned observation site provided an ideal spot for an observation post with excellent visibility of key locations.

During the MH-47E helicopter (belonging to the 160th SOAR) insertion John Chapman’s aircraft came under heavy fire (bullets and rocket propelled grenade) and was damaged. A teammate –  Petty Officer 1st Class Neil Roberts (Navy SEAL) – was ejected from the aircraft and the crippled aircraft executed a controlled crash landing in the valley below.

Chapman and other members of the joint special operations team voluntarily returned on a second MH-47 to the snow-capped mountain to rescue the stranded teammate. This aircraft was immediately engaged with heavy fire. The team on the ground was quickly in a firefight with enemy forces. John Chapman lost his life during this effort.

“Sgt. Chapman charged into enemy fire through harrowing conditions, seized an enemy bunker, and killed its enemy occupants. He then moved from cover to engage a machine gun firing on his team from a second bunker. While engaging this position, he was severely wounded by enemy gunfire. Despite severe wounds, he continued to fight relentlessly, sustaining a violent engagement with multiple enemy personnel before paying the ultimate sacrifice.”

After being severely wounded Chapman’s body had been left behind due to enemy pressure. It was believed by the SEAL team leader [2] that Chapman had been killed. An analysis of drone coverage later revealed that he regained consciousness and resumed fighting al-Qaida fighters approaching his position.

More about John Chapman

A native of Windsor Locks, Connecticut, he was 36 years old at the time of his death. He was married and had two children.

Chapman joined the Air Force in 1985. He first served as an information systems operator but then volunteered to be a Special Tactics combat controller in 1989. A Combat Controller must pass some rigorous training schools to be fully qualified. The training includes military diving, static-line and free fall parachuting, air traffic control, and combat control courses and schools.

Once his two-year training program was completed he was assigned to the 1721st Combat Control Squadron, the 320th Special Tactics Squadron, and then to his final unit – the 24th Special Tactics Squadron. The Air Force, because of the award of the Medal of Honor, posthumously promoted Chapman to Master Sergeant on September 1, 2018.

Chapman’s widow and family attended the ceremony at the White House. Chapman is the 19th Airman awarded the Medal of Honor. He is the first Airman to be recognized with the medal since the Vietnam War. The Medal of Honor is the nation’s most prestigious military decoration.

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Footnotes:

[1] Read about “The Battle of Roberts Ridge”, by Dwight Jon Zimmerman, Defense Media Network, September 9, 2012.

[2] Retired Navy SEAL Britt Slabinski received the Medal of Honor in May 2018 for his actions in the same battle.

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References:

Airman to be awarded Medal of Honor, U.S. Air Force Public Affairs, July 27, 2018.

President Donald J. Trump to Award Medal of Honor, White House Statement, July 27, 2018.

Trump awards Medal of Honor to NAVY SEAL for controversial mission in Afghanistan, Fox News, May 24th.

Predator Support for Roberts Ridge Battle – Afghanistan 2002, SOF News, August 21, 2018.

The Navy SEALs Allegedly Left Behind a Man in Afghanistan. Did They Also Try to Block His Medal of Honor?, by Sean Naylor, Newsweek Magazine, May 7, 2018.

Pope airman is first to receive Medal of Honor since Vietnam, The Fayetteville Observer, July 27, 2018.

Airman posthumously receives Medal of Honor, Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs, July 27, 2018.

Photo: Top image by DoD, map by U.S. Army,  photo of Chapman courtesy Secretary of Air Force (DVIDS, Jul 27).

This article was first published by SOF News in August 2018.

Story by USASOC News Service.

Ten additional names were added to the U.S. Army Special Operations Command Memorial Wall during a ceremony at the USASOC Memorial Plaza.

The sacred gathering of Gold Star Family Members, Department of the Army Civilians, and service members both past and present was the first in-person USASOC tribute since the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was held to recognize Army Special Operations Forces Soldiers (ARSOF) who gave their last full measure of devotion while supporting USASOC operations abroad.

“Since September 11, 2001 this command alone has lost 376 extra-ordinary Army Special Operations brothers and sisters who left in our care over 1,600 Gold Star Family members,” Lt. Gen. Francis Beaudette, USASOC, commanding general said. “Their loss in defense of our freedom leaves us no longer whole.”

Beaudette highlighted the roles of ARSOF Soldiers in closing out the Afghanistan conflict along with other combat operations. The American Homeland is safe and standing unafraid due to the patriotic actions of those being honored, he said.

“They are forever irreplaceable and we owe each and every one them and their family members left behind a debt we know we can never repay,” Beaudette said. “These are our greatest heroes. Today, we recognize for the first time in person ten of those we owe so much. Taken together these ten men deployed 50 times to combat. Fifty times they said “send me” asking for nothing in return. There are never words that will ever express the depth of our gratitude or describe the heartfelt loss that remains in their absence.”

Following remarks, the black curtain concealing the wall was drawn back revealing it to the Gold Star Families and Soldiers in attendance. The names of the ten fallen heroes added to the memorial wall join the 1,241 USASOC Soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice from the Korean War to present day.

USASOC leaders placed wreaths in front of the wall following the reading of the names. Wreath laying is a time honored tradition that represents the continuance of life and immortality.

“It’s here at this Memorial Wall where we can see and touch names, remember stories. Recall our connections and reaffirm our pledge to never forget our Nations heroes,” Beaudette said. “Here at this Memorial wall we renew our commitment to our team mates and to their loved ones. Our memorial wall grounds us and it keeps us connected. It reminds why we stand ready, willing and able to confront evil anywhere to protect the unalienable rights of our fellow citizens and to help our partners and our allies do the same.”

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Photo: U.S. Army Soldiers unveil the names of fallen Special Operations Forces on the U.S. Army Special Operations Command Memorial Wall during a ceremony at the USASOC Memorial Plaza on May 27, 2021. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Ramon Wright.

Story. This article by the USASOC News Service was published on May 27, 2021 by the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. DVIDS media content is in the public domain.

Thirty years ago, on January 31, 1991, an AC-130H Spectre gunship went to the aid of U.S. Marines in contact with the enemy during Desert Storm. The aircraft and its crew of fourteen was shot down by an Iraqi surface-to-air missile during the Battle of Khafji, Saudi Arabia.

Spirit 03 was one of three Spectre gunships that were providing air support at the battle of Khafji. The first two aircraft – Spirit 01 and Spirit 02 – had completed their missions and were returning to base. Spirit 03 was the remaining gunship over the target area as the morning sky was lighting up with the approach of dawn. A man-portable surface-to-air missile struck the aircraft and the aircraft crashed into the Persian Gulf. The loss of Spirit 03 constituted 10% of the AC-130H fleet.

Operation Desert Shield. In August of 1990 Iraq invaded and occupied neighboring Kuwait. The U.S. and other nations formed an alliance and rushed troops, aircraft, and navy vessels to the Arabian peninsular and the Persian Gulf region. The intent was to defend Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations from a possible Iraqi attack. In addition, the military buildup was in anticipation of military action to liberate Kuwait.

Operation Desert Storm. Once it became apparent that Iraq would not withdraw from Kuwait the Coalition forces prepared for offensive operations. In January 17, 1991 the Operation Desert Storm air campaign against Iraqi forces began – both in Iraq and in Kuwait. During the air campaign strategic targets across Iraq were attacked disrupting the Iraqi command and control system, air defenses, and establishing air superiority. In the ensuing days that air campaign would shift to attacks on Iraq tactical ground units in preparation for the anticipated Coalition ground offensive to liberate Kuwait.

Battle of Khafji. The first major ground action of the war occurred on January 29, 1991, while the air campaign was less than two weeks old – and weeks before the beginning of the Coalition’s ground offensive into Kuwait and southern Iraq. Elements of Iraq’s 5th Mechanized Division and 3rd Armored Division began to move south towards Saudi Arabia. A large Iraqi force of 40 tanks and 500 troops entered and occupied the border town of Khafji, Saudi Arabia. It is believed by many that, if successful at Khafji, the Iraqi military would push further into Saudi Arabia – with the possible capture of valuable oil fields in Saudi Arabia.

Two six-man Marine reconnaissance teams from the 1st Marine Division were trapped inside Khafji. A counteroffensive was mounted by American, British, and Saudi forces. While the battle for the city was ongoing the Iraqis were attempting to move more forces south toward Khafji and the surrounding area. These formations were also subjected to air attack by the Coalition. This was the first major ground engagement of Operation Desert Storm and it would last three days – from January 29 to February 1, 1991.

It was during this initial ground battle that Spirit 03 was hit by a man-portable SAM. The missile struck the aircraft just after sunrise on January 31st while it was engaged in attacking targets a few miles north of Khafji. The AC-130 was running low of fuel and minutes away from departing the area to return to base.

This was the largest single loss of life by an United States Air Force unit during Operation Desert Storm. The AC-130H aircraft that carried the crew of Spirit 03 was a modified, 1969 C-130E – carrying the 105mm cannon as well as other armament. The post-Vietnam era aircraft was lacking the advanced systems featured on today’s gunships.

During Operation Desert Storm the United States Air Force lost 20 service members due to hostile action. The crew of Spirit 03 constituted the bulk of those losses. Spirit 03 was part of the 16th Special Operations Squadron based at Hurlburt Field.

Photo: Three AC-130J Ghostriders fly over Hurlburt Field during a memorial ceremony for Spirit 03 at Hurlburt Field, Florida, Jan. 29, 2021. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Miranda Mahoney)

Remembrance Ceremony. The 1st Special Operations Wing hosted a remembrance ceremony for the fallen crew of Spirit 03 at the Hurlburt Field Air Park on Friday, January 29, 2021. Family members of the fallen and leadership from Hurlburt Field attended the ceremony. A video of the ceremony can be found on DVIDS, 4 minutes, 1st SOW Public Affairs.

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Photo: AFSOC, January 29, 2021.

Map: Public domain, Wikipedia.

References:

Video. Battleground: Battle of Khafji, Defense.gov DVIDS, July 17, 2012, 23 minutes. The role of air power during the battle is explained in the video. Several AC-130 crew members are interviewed about the battle for Khafji.
https://www.dvidshub.net/video/151317/battleground-battle-khafji

Summer 2014. “Spirit 03 and the Golden Age of the AC-130 Gunship”, by Maj Gen J. Marcus Hicks, USAF, Air Commando Journal, pages 30-34.
https://aircommando.org/portfolio-view/acj-vol-3-2-spectre/

Summer 2012. “The Untold Story of AC-130 Gunship Crews During the Battle of Khafji”, by CMSgt Bill Walter, USAF (Ret.), Air Commando Journal, pages 23-26.
https://aircommando.org/portfolio-view/acj-vol-1-4-gunships/

September 1996. The Battle of Khafji: An Overview and Preliminary Analysis, by James Titus, Airpower Research Institute, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. A good description of the battle of Khafji. Posted on DTIC, PDF, 39 pages.
https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a360696.pdf

Battle of Khafji, Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Khafji

The Battle of al-Khafji, United States Marine Corps, PDF, 40 pages.
https://www.usmcu.edu/Portals/218/Khafji%20Battle%20Study.pdf

The U.S. military occupied a base known as “K2” (Karshi-Khanabad Airbase) in southern Uzbekistan from 2001 to 2005. This was a former Soviet base where chemical weapons and hazardous materials were stored and hazardous waste buried. There is increasing evidence that K2 Vets – veterans who were formerly assigned to K2 – are experiencing a significantly higher than normal rate of cancer. Many K2 Vets have died from cancer and many more are ill from cancer. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has been negligent in its recognition of the health hazards associated with K2 and non-responsive to the requests for medical treatment by veterans who served at K2.

History of K2

The base was used to launch airstrikes and support operations against al-Qaeda and the Taliban in the fall of 2001. K2 was one of the initial launching pads of Special Forces teams that entered northern Afghanistan. As K2 operations and facilities expanded, several thousand U.S. military personnel would serve there over a period of five years. As initial OEF offensive operations concluded, K2 evolved into a significant logistics hub.

Soviet Era at K2. The Soviet military extensively used the Karshi-Khanabad air base to support its operations in Afghanistan during the 1979 – 1989 period. In addition, it was a base where it produced, stored, and tested various types of weapons – to include chemical weapons. When the Soviets withdrew from the base it dismantled the chemical weapon production facility and removed the stockpile of its chemical weapons. However, residual contamination remained in the ground and associated facilities.

In addition, the Soviet airbase was a former storage area for fuel, solvents, and other contaminants. It also served as a dumping ground for the Soviets for toxic waste materials, asbestos, enriched uranium, and other hazardous materials. Spills of toxic materials were a common occurrence at the former Soviet base.

Launching Pad for Operations into Afghanistan. Very little was known about the base when it was initially occupied by the 5th Special Forces Group, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (-), Air Force units, and other supporting units. In the early phases of the war, having just experienced the 9/11 attacks, there was a huge push on setting up an operational base from which to conduct operations into Afghanistan. In addition, the base was vital for airstrikes, medical evacuation, and resupply airdrops. A base was needed to launch SF teams into Afghanistan to link up with the Northern Alliance and topple the Taliban. [1]

Black ‘Goo’ and ‘Green Liquid’. What was known about K2 in the early stages of its occupation is that ‘black goo’ and ‘green liquid’ would seep up from the ground, nearby ditches and trenches held questionable water (discolored), . . . and people were getting sick. When heavy rains flooded the compound, strange-looking ‘green’ water flowed into tents occupied by US personnel. Some ponds were nicknamed ‘Skittles’ because they glowed like candy. When the U.S. initially occupied the base there were numerous signs posted by the Uzbekistan authorities warning of the presence of chemical agents and radioactive materials.

Initial Concern. There was concern among those based at K2 about the health ramifications of the camp. A favorite ‘photo op’ was taking a picture next to a warning sign about chemical contamination or radiation hazards that were posted in various sections of the airfield. Medical sections of some of the units that were based at K2 distributed memos listing the medical hazards of K2 for personnel to enclose in their health records. These memos highlighted the extraordinary levels of noise at the airbase, the intense dust storms and airborne particulate matter, and volatile fumes in some of the air base structures where U.S. military personnel worked. However, conducting detailed risk and health assessments on the real estate of hastily occupied bases supporting the initial war effort was not a priority.

A Growing Awareness Among K2 Vets

After returning to the states it soon became apparent to members of the units that were based at K2 that an extraordinary number of their fellow service members were falling ill and some of them dying of a host of illnesses. The most serious illnesses plaguing the K2 Vets were the different types of cancer – lung, prostrate, colon, and head and neck cancers. In addition, personnel were experiencing respiratory and gastrointestinal problems, skin rashes, and other unexplained medical ailments.

As the years progressed unit members transferred to other units, left military service, retired, or passed away. No one was keeping tabs on the medical health of service members stationed at K2 as a group. So initially, there was just lots of rumor and speculation among K2 Vets who stayed in contact with each other. However, it was more than speculation for those veterans afflicted with a health condition or diagnosed with cancer. To those K2 Vets there was a very distinct line drawn from their medical condition to a tent city on the edge of an air base in Central Asia.

Veterans Affairs – Very Little Help

Many K2 Vets filed claims with the Veterans Administration (VA) – some with a variety of health concerns. Many of the health concerns could not be directly linked to K2 – even though the veteran certainly had some strong opinions on that topic. For many veterans, dealing with the VA is problematic. A typical retiree with 25 years’ service in the infantry will experience a host of medical issues that develop over time. A bad back, bad knees, traumatic head injuries, and so on. The dilemma is the ‘documentation’ that ties the injury to a specific event in the service. The same can be said about a cancer that develops years after exposure to radiation or chemical agents. How does a K2 Vet with a health condition link it to a nine-month deployment spent in a chemical wasteland years ago?

A Movement Grows

What slowly became obvious to K2 Vets was that fact that many of their colleagues who worked with them at K2 were ill or dying off. It took a lot of years for the K2 Vets to finally come together and organize themselves. Certainly, on an individual basis or as part of a small group, efforts were made, but these were isolated and not tied together in a larger movement.

News Articles Highlighting the Issue. However, things have changed and the K2 Vets are getting organized. In December 2019 Tara Copp, a journalist for McClatchy News Agency, began running a series of stories about the cancer rate of K2 Vets. Her stories were picked up by other news agencies. The story began getting some traction. Other news outlets soon published their own articles. Links to these articles can be found under References: below.

K2 Vets Facebook Group. Some K2 Vets got together and decided to establish a Facebook group for K2 Vets. The membership of this Facebook group – K2 Karshi-Khanabad, Uzbekistan Radiation and Toxic Exposures Group – grew quickly in the past several months. Friends starting inviting friends to the group. It now has thousands of members. Stories were shared about who died, who was sick, and the current frustration with the Veterans Administration. Pictures were posted of the ‘poo’ trenches, green pools of water, flooded tent areas, and chemical warning signs. The administrators of the group provided reference documents for detailing the issue. A survey form was posted encouraging K2 Vets to complete – so that a database could be populated with information that would provide a more informative picture of the K2 problem.

National Attention. As a result of the Facebook page, the news reports, veterans contacting their congressional representatives, and other factors – the K2 Vets are receiving notice and becoming more organized. As a group they are sending letters to congressional representatives and offering tips to fellow veterans for dealing with the VA. K2 Veterans have been meeting with congressional committees in Washington to raise awareness of this issue.

Stronghold Freedom Foundation. The founders of the K2 Facebook group and other activists have come together to form the Stronghold Freedom Foundation. The name that the U.S. gave Karshi-Khanabad camp during Operation Enduring Freedom was Camp Stronghold Freedom. The mission of the “. . . Stronghold Freedom Foundation is to utilize awareness and partnerships to serve those who were exposed to toxic conditions while deployed in the service of our country.” The SFF is a legal, non-profit organization. The Stronghold Freedom Foundation can be found on Facebook.

VA Response

The Veterans Administration’s response to claims by veterans about illness related to K2 has been dismal. Most claims filed at local VA locations were dismissed, stonewalled, or lost in the passage of time. In the bigger picture – in Washington – the VA has not done much better. A recent statement in January 2020 by a spokeswoman for the Veterans Administration, Ms. Susan Carter, said:

“The limitations of self-reported surveys are well documented in the medical research community, but the VA will work with the Department of Defense to study this issue further as new empirical data becomes available.”

While Ms. Carter alluded to the necessity of empirical data, she neglected to describe who would generate it and when it would be become available. Her response was viewed by K2 veterans as just another example of the VA dismissing and downplaying the problem. The response of the Veteran’s community was immediate. Many Veterans are writing letters to the VA with their concerns about VA avoidance on the topic. Most have not received responses.

During a recent press conference (5 Feb 2020) the head of the Veterans Administration was questioned about the issue and he provided a quick response. He used some reassuring phrases such as: ‘come forward’, ‘come see us’, ‘file a claim’, ‘this is not your grandfather’s VA’, and more. But reassuring words are worthless without the action that goes with it. His statements put the burden on the veteran to take action – by once again filing a claim with the VA. [2]

The Veterans Affairs has denied K2 veterans service connection of their illnesses to deployment at K2. This affects the veteran’s disability ratings, medical services, and support that the VA provides to the K2 vets.

Veterans want more on this issue. They want action at the national level. The VA should reach out to the Department of Defense and put some effort into identifying those veterans who served at K2. The VA and DOD should work together to develop the ‘empirical data’ concerning the contaminants at K2 and the subsequent health benefits suffered by K2 vets. The military does a good job of monitoring the health of current military personnel. However, those personnel who departed the service shortly after their tour at K2 are not monitored by the VA or military. In addition, the great number of National Guard and Reserve service members who served at K2 are not monitored as well. The VA should reach out to these ‘forgotten vets’ to notify them of possible health repercussions associated with service at K2 and to inquire as to their current health status. There is so much more that the VA could do than encourage the individual veteran to ‘file another claim’.

Congressional Action

Many Veterans are calling or writing letters to their Congressional delegations. Some Veterans are getting ‘polite’ responses thanking them for their question and reassuring them that the Veterans concerns are ‘at the top of my list’. Other Congressional representatives are promising action. A few have even taken action and have called or wrote letters to the Veterans Administration and Department of Defense on the topic.

K2 is a unique situation, compared to Agent Orange and burn pits, in that there is a very specific and clearly identifiable population (7000+ personnel) who occupied a very small piece of real estate for a clearly defined period of time (2001 – 2005). The VA has absolutely no excuse for not already notifying the service members who served at K2 that they may have been exposed to certain hazards. The onus should not be on the veterans, some of whom have not and will not receive any pertinent notification, to close the loop on this issue. [3]

What Can K2 Veterans Do?

One of the first actions a K2 Vet should take is to complete the health survey on the K2 Facebook group. This is a private group and to belong you need to be vetted. Once in the group, take the survey.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/174401532675073/

As the head of the Veterans Administration said, go back to the VA and file or refile a claim. Surely the VA is addressing the issue internally, memos have been sent to all, and VA personnel in the local clinics will now be aware of the K2 cancer incidence situation. At least one would hope this has happened.

One K2 Vet who found he had cancer within months of returning from a long deployment to K2 has some tips for K2 Vets. It is an informal yet informative info paper on how to deal with the VA. [4]

Address your concerns with the Veterans Administration at the national level as well. The more pressure put on the VA the more likely they are to respond. Letters should be professional and detailed. [5]

Contact your Congressional representative. The more exposure Congress has on the issue the more likely ‘veteran friendly’ Congressional staffers and representatives will get involved. This will encourage Congress to apply pressure to the Veterans Administration and the Department of Defense to take action.

Lessons Observed for DOD

There are some enormous lessons that the Department of Defense should have learned from the K2 debacle – particularly as they relate to establishing a lodgment where US forces are compelled to occupy facilities that might be contaminated. Everyone who deployed to K2 understood the necessity of the mission and the risks it entailed. Despite this, it is clear that DoD failed to mitigate the risks early on, and what little they did (putting a layer of dirt on top of contaminants) offered scarce protection to future occupants.

The DoD was aware of the serious environmental (radiation, chemical, and hazardous waste products) at K2. There are a number of unclassified and classified documents, memos, and studies about this issue. It was well-known that personnel at K2 were living in an environment where they were exposed to these hazards present in the air, dirt, dust, and water. The K2 vets were continually exposed to these dangers through skin contact, inhalation, and ingestion.

Strategic planners, once they were made aware of the existing hazards, should have recommended that K2 be occupied only long enough to meet the initial contingency requirements. K2 should have been occupied with a minimal footprint. Housing and work areas should have been relocated on hardstand surfaces. The base should have been displaced to another location as quickly as possible.

K2 was a huge place and there was plenty of other real estate with existing facilities, taxiways, parking areas, etc. available. One lesson that DoD should take from this is that there should be a rapid deployment assessment team, as part of an advance party, capable of executing a relatively thorough environmental assessment to discover hazards that may exist before we put troops on the ground. Granted, the fall of 2001 was hectic, and the mission had priority. But at some point, as the months went on, the welfare of the troops should have become a concern.

There were other suitable locations that could have been used as a northern logistics hub once initial contingency operations were complete. If not in 2001, then certainly as time went on in 2002 or 2003. The operations at K2 probably could have been displaced to Termez Airfield (just across the river from Afghanistan), where the Germans set up their logistics hub and operated C-130s. Another location could have been Mazer-e-Sharif Airport in northern Afghanistan where the Jordanians established a hospital early on in the conflict. MeS is currently the location of Train, Advise, and Assist Command – North where over a thousand Europeans are based at Camp Marmal on the MeS runway. Another option was Konduz Airport in northern Afghanistan.

Clearly, these other facilities would have likely required considerable development to expand their capabilities, but the US also spent years (and millions of dollars) developing K2 as a power projection hub for Afghanistan and Central Asia.

However, the above paragraphs are history. They represent a ‘lesson observed’ if not a ‘lesson learned’. But it is not too late for the Department of Defense to take action. DoD should be coordinating with the Veterans Administration to do the right thing for the K2 veterans.

What Happens Now?

The Veterans Administration is staffed with caring and competent people – for the most part. But it is a huge bureaucracy that moves slowly. Hopefully the growing movement of K2 Vets will not get discouraged and will continue the fight. It is time for Congress to become more involved. The Veterans Administration and the Department of Defense need to make this veteran’s issue a priority and work together to come up with some solutions.

Footnotes:

[1] This combat action was depicted in the 2018 movie named 12 Strong about a Green Beret team that infiltrated by helicopter (from K2) into northern Afghanistan to link up with the Northern Alliance and defeat the Taliban. See “Movie – 12 Strong – the Horsemen of Northern Afghanistan”, SOF News, October 17, 2017.
http://www.sof.news/movies/12-strong/

[2] Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie says he is aware of the reports and is working with the Department of Defense to address the issue. At a press conference the head of the VA stated that Veterans should “come to the VA and file a claim.” Video by Tara Copp, posted by McClatchy Washington Bureau, February 5, 2020, 2 minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVbXVWJ8R2A

[3] If Ford Motor Company can figure out how to notify the 4th owner of a 2006 Ford Ranger that his / her passenger air bag is defective and it needs to be serviced under a recall – then the VA and DOD should be able to figure out how to contact a veteran who served at K2.

[4] See tips on how to interact with the VA by LTC (Ret) Mike Jenne, February 2020.
http://www.sof.news/pubs/Tips-Filing-VA-Claim-Related-K2-Mike-Jenne-7Feb2020.pdf

[5] One example of a letter by a K2 Vet is by LTC (Ret) Mike Jenne and is part of this recent news article by SOF News. See “K2 Veterans Experiencing High Cancer Rate – VA Nonrespondent”, SOF News, February 5, 2020.
http://www.sof.news/veterans/k2-vets-cancer/

McClatchy News Stories about K2:

February 5, 2020, by Tara Copp, “Ready to Help: VA asks sick veterans from toxic ‘black goo’ base to come forward’.
https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/national-security/article239990688.html

February 3, 2020, by Tara Copp, “Toxic ‘black goo’ base used by U.S. had enriched uranium. More veterans report cancer.”
https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/national-security/article239856133.html

December 19, 2019, by Tara Copp, “Cancers strike veterans who deployed to Uzbek base where black goo oozed, ponds glowed”.
https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/national-security/article238510218.html

Recent News Stories about K2:

February 14, 2020, “K2 veterans demand investigation into deadly exposure: ‘Congress needs to act’”, by Shoshana Dubnow, ABC News. Documents show the Defense Department was aware of radioactive uranium on base.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/k2-veterans-demand-investigation-deadly-exposure-congress-act/story?id=68807933

January 15, 2020, “Congress probes American cancers at Uzbekistan base”, Eurasia Net.
https://eurasianet.org/congress-probes-american-cancers-at-uzbekistan-base

January 27, 2020, by Angie Ricono, “Soldiers allege cancers and a cover-up at US military base”, KCTV News.
https://www.kctv5.com/news/investigations/soldiers-allege-cancers-and-a-cover-up-at-us-military/article_bfc63a7a-416f-11ea-bd93-f35cc754cf53.html

Historical News Stories about K2:

June 10, 2002, by Carol J. Williams, “Traces of Nerve Gas Found at Uzbek Base Used by U.S.”, Los Angeles Times.
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-jun-10-fg-badgas10-story.html

About the Author: The author’s first Afghanistan tour was in 2002 to 2003. While there, he visited K2 on a very limited basis for some coordination meetings. Several of his colleagues, unit members who were based at K2 for many months, were diagnosed with cancer – some have died. The latest funeral the author attended was in November 2019 for a K2 Vet. The K2 Vet was a former SF teammate who retired with 30 years Special Forces service and who was based at K2 for 9 months in 2002 – 2003. He died after having fought a brave battle with cancer for several years.

Photo: Divers assigned to Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) 2 surface through an ice hole during ice diving training on a frozen lake at Camp Ripley in Minnesota. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Jeff Atherton, February 11, 2019.

Topics – Curated news, commentary, and analysis about special operations, national security, and conflicts around the world.

SOF News

Nine SF Soldiers Wounded in Afghanistan by IED. A Special Forces team responded to a suicide car bomb blast on Thursday, September 5, 2019 that killed and wounded at least 15 people outside an Afghan military base in Logar province. The SF team was then targeted by a blast at the scene of the earlier bombing that wounded at least nine SF soldiers. According to some sources all have been released after receiving medical treatment. (Newsweek, Sep 5, 2019).

10th SFGA Medic Profiled. Read up on the story of the 21-year career of a Special Forces Medic. See “Jeff ‘Patch’ Adams: Combat stories worthy of an HBO series”, Spec Ops Magazine, September 7, 2019.

Navy SEAL Team 7 Leadership Fired. The Naval Special Warfare Command announced on Friday, September 6, 2019 that the three senior leaders of SEAL Team 7 were relieved of their positions “due to a loss of confidence that resulted from leadership failures.” (New York Post, Sep 6, 2019).

“Commander, Naval Special Warfare Command Rear Adm. Collin Green relieved the three senior leaders of SEAL Team Seven from their positions Sept.6. Green relieved the unit’s commanding officer, Cdr. Edward Mason; executive officer, Lt. Cdr. Luke IM; and the team’s top enlisted leader, Command Master Chief Hugh Spangler due to a loss of confidence that resulted from leadership failures that caused a breakdown of good order and discipline within two subordinate units while deployed to combat zones.”

Statement by NSW on September 6, 2019.

Former SEAL May head SO/LIC. A former Navy SEAL is being considered for the top civilian post overseeing special operations forces. Lou Bremer is an eight-year pre-9/11 SEAL veteran who left the Navy and eventually became successful in the private equity investment world. He has ties to the Trump administration – his firm’s head was involved in advocating for the privatization of the Afghan war. Read more in “Tequila-drinking Navy SEAL in the running to oversee elite troops“, Politico, September 8, 2019. (Editorial note: currently Mark Mitchell (ret SF) is in the seat (acting ASD) – one wonders why he isn’t being nominated. Probably not seen as a Trump loyalist.)

International SOF

New Cdr of Belgian SOF. Colonel BEM Tom Bilo took over command of the Belgian Special Operations Regiment. He has a long history of service with parachute and SOF units and commands. The regiment consists of the Special Forces Group, the 2nd Commando Battalion, and 3rd Parachute Battalion, the Commando Training Center, and the Parachute Training Center. (Army Recognition, Sep 7, 2019).

SOF Competitions. Annual events such as Fuerzas Comando or Warrior Competition that pit special operations teams from various countries are important of the exchange of new TTPs and improving regional interoperability. Read more in “Special Operations: The Competitions”, Strategy Page, September 6, 2019.

UK’s SAS Seeking Communicators. A dwindling recruitment pool is hampering efforts to keep the ranks filled in the British Special Air Service. Read more in “SAS forces to take out job advert as elite regiment battles recruitment crisis”, Mirror, September 7, 2019.

Britain’s SAS of Cyber-Warfare. One of Britain’s top female spies will head a new cyber-warfare unit of the UK. Read more in “Female spy to net terrorists as head of ‘cyber-SAS’”, The Sunday Times, September 8, 2019.

Middle East

Syria. Joint U.S. and Turkish military patrols have begun in the newly established (but still evolving) ‘safe zone’ in northeastern Syria. Also of note is the Iranian oil tanker seized by the British for violating EU sanctions against Syria but then released has been spotted off the Syrian coast. The Danish government has announced that they will deploy military forces to Syria in support of Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR). Denmark will be working with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to ensure that ISIS remains degraded.

U.S. Bases in Middle East. The United States has military personnel scattered throughout the ME region to include personnel from all of the services. Read more in “US-Iran Dispute Brings Attention to Military Bases in Middle East”, Voice of America, September 6, 2019.

Africa

The Ogaden War (1977-1978) and HOA Today. Sam Wilkins, an active-duty U.S. Army Special Forces officer, provides us with a history of the Soviet-U.S. cold war activities in the Horn of Africa and compares it to the future China-U.S. rivalry in the HOA. Read “Buried in the Sands of the Ogaden: Lessons from an Obscure Cold War Flashpoint in Africa”, War on the Rocks, September 6, 2019.

Islamist Extremist Threat in Burkina Faso. West Africa is facing a growing presence from Islamist extremist groups. They have established themselves in remote areas of northeaster Burkina Faso. Read more in “Coastal West Africa Now Facing Islamist Extremist Threat”, Council on Foreign Relations, September 4, 2019.

Dictator of Zimbabwe Dies. The long-time leader of Zimbabwe, former President Robert Mugabe, has died. He is known for being one of the leaders of a faction that fought for independence from the white minority ruled country of Rhodesia. His long tenure as president is marked by human rights abuses and gross economic mismanagement that impoverished millions of his nation’s citizens.

Afghanistan

U.S. Casualty Identified. The Department of Defense announced on September 6, 2019 the death of SFC Elis Barreto Ortiz, from Morovis, Puerto Rico. He was killed in action on Thursday, September 5, 2019 when a VBIED detonated near his vehicle in Kabul, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division based at Fort Bragg, NC. A Romanian soldier also died in the same bombing incident.

Trump Nixes Peace Talks. On Saturday evening (Sep 7th) President Trump tweeted out news that he cancelled a series of meetings involving President Ghani, President Trump, and Taliban leadership to be held on Sunday at Camp David.

CIA Staying in Afghanistan? The White House is considering expanding the Central Intelligence Agency’s presence in Afghanistan if / when international forces begin their withdrawal from that nation. Read more in “Trump wants the CIA to stay behind in Afghanistan. What could possibly go wrong?”, Newsweek, September 6, 2019.

Europe and NATO

Poland – A Key NATO Country. The eastern European country is becoming increasingly important in NATO efforts to deter Russian military threats. Read “Poland is Becoming the Keystone of NATO’s Evolving Security Architecture”, Real Clear Defense, September 6, 2019.

Books and Videos

Small Boats and Daring Men. Major Zachary Griffiths, a Special Forces officer, reviews Benjamin Armstrong’s new book entitled Small Boats and Daring Men: Maritime Raiding, Irregular Warfare, and the Early American Navy, (University of Oklahoma Press, 2019). Read the review in “Battlefield Lessons from the Swashbuckling Irregular Warfare of the Early American Navy”, Modern War Institute at West Point, September 6, 2019.

Call Sign Chaos. Jim Mattis and Bing West have collaborated on a book about leadership. Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead focuses on three levels of leadership: direct, executive, and strategic. Read a book review by Dave Maxwell (ret SF Col) posted on Small Wars Journal, September 6, 2019.

Trojan Footprint: Embedded with Special Forces in Europe. Marty Skovlund, Jr. travels to eastern Europe to embed with the U.S. Special Forces “Green Berets” for one of the largest multi-national special operations training exercises in the world: Operation Trojan Footprint. Over 1,400 special operators from ten different nations participate in small teams in Hungary, Romania, and Bulgari to conduct training in the air, sea, and on land. Watch a 14-minute-long video published by Coffee or Die Magazine on September 5, 2019.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25t-L2KYC4Q

1st SFC CBRNE VALEX. Soldiers of the the 1st Special Forces Command validated their ability to neutralize and render safe chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive threats at Dugway Proving Grounds, Utah. Video by 10th Special Forces Group, September 4, 2019, 1 min.
https://www.dvidshub.net/video/706811/1st-sfc-cbrne-valex

SIG Sauer P365 SAS. The pistol manufacturer has produced a new variant of the P365 line with the ‘Sig Anti Snag’ pistol. Read about and watch a video in “Sig Sauer Quietly Launches the P365 SAS Pistol”, Recolin Web, September 6, 2019.

Photo: A Lebanese Special Forces Regiment 5 member at a sniper range during Exercise Eager Lion 2019 at King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Rose Gudex, August 31, 2019.

Topics: Curated news, commentary, and analysis about special operations, national security, and conflicts around the world. Ethics guide for SOCOM, alienating allies, UAV contract for SOF, advising, political warfare, language training, and more.

Casualties in Afghanistan

Casualties. Two members of Resolute Support – one American and one Romanian – were killed in a suicide bombing near the U.S. embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan on Thursday, September 5, 2019. The names will not be released until 24 hours after the next of kin notification.

SOF News

Ethics Guide for SOCOM. The chaplains of the United States Special Operations Command will soon be kitted up with an ‘ethics field guide’. USSOCOM intends to negotiate and award a sole source contract to develop the guide which will help chaplains within SOCOM to reduce incidents of suicide as well as provide a moral compass for special operators. The high rate of suicides among SOF operators and recent incidents of unethical conduct has prompted the special operations command to field the guide. Read “SOCOM is in the hunt of a field ethics guide”, Military Times, September 3, 2019.

Former Wounded Navy SEAL Heads to Yale. A Navy SEAL who was involved in the search for Beau Bergdalh in Afghanistan – resulting in wounds requiring 18 surgeries – has been accepted to Yale University. He will start off, at age 52, as a freshman. (Fox News, Sep 3, 2019).

Online Biometrics and Exploitation by SOF. A research topic currently being explored by U.S. Special Operations Command is the use of applications to gather biometrics posted online for intelligence value. Fingerprints, voice recordings, and photographs (selfies) could be the next frontier in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Read more in “How special ops could exploit information people are already sharing online”, Military Times, September 4, 2019.

Former Army Ranger Enters Politics. A West Point graduate is running for the seat now held by Senator Jeanne Shaheen (NH). Read “Former Army Ranger challenging Shaheen for US Senate Seat”, Army Times, September 4, 2019.

UAV Contract Awarded by SOCOM. The U.S. Special Operations Command is upgrading its MQ-9 and MQ-1C fleet with special operations forces-unique mission kits, mission payloads, weapons, and other modifications. The UAVs are used to find, fix, finish, exploit, and analyse time-sensitive high-value targets. The contract has a potential maximum estimated value of $93 million. Read more in “GA-ASI Gets $93M Reaper / Gray Eagle Special Ops Contract”, UAS Vision, September 3, 2019.

Green Berets and Rangers Survive Mount St. Helens Eruption. Read the story of how a group of Green Berets and Rangers lived through the volcanic eruption that killed 57 people in 1980 and ejected hundreds of millions of tons of ash. (TDN.com, Sep 5, 2019).

Remembering Det – A. Eugene Piasecki tells of his experiences with his SF assignment in Berlin during the Cold War. Posted on 10th SFGA Facebook, September 5, 2019.

Changes for 27th Special Operations Medical Group. Two squadrons of the 27th SOMG have been renamed and restructured to ensure the group becomes more efficient in the care for patients and to increase the ability to support the overall mission. (DVIDS, Aug 29, 2019).

Oldest College Football Player is SOF Vet. The oldest player on a major college football team is still on active duty in the US Army (attending a two-year stint for a college degree). He is also a veteran of a few Army special operations units. (Coloradoan, Sep 4, 2019). (Editor’s note: When I played cornerback at Boston State College in the ’70s we had a placekicker who was a retired U.S. Army veteran).

International SOF

Kenya’s Female SOF Unit. A new special operations unit is on the scene in the capitol of Kenya. After five months of intensive training it has deployed for duty. Read more in “All-female commando unit hits Nairobi streets”, The Standard Media, September 5, 2019.

Indonesia’s CT War. One of Indonesia’s national security priorities is finding a strategy to deal wit terrorism. This article takes a look at the counterterrorism measures the country has adopted over the past two decades and judges the success of those measures. Read “Tracing Indonesia’s Counterterrorism Measures Since the 2002 Bali Bombings”, The Diplomat, September 4, 2019.

Publications

HR and Training Foreign Security Forces. The United States is involved in numerous efforts to train FSF in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. In addition, it is heavily involved in training up the security forces of Iraq and Afghanistan – as well as proxy forces such as the SDF in northeast Syria. However, it is falling short in the requirement to evaluate the effectiveness of their human rights training. This . . . according to a recent U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) 43-page report entitled U.S. Agencies Should Improve Oversight of Human Rights Training for Foreign Security Forces, August 12, 2019.

Paper – Air Advising and 6th SOS in OEF-P. Major Michael M. Trimble (USAF) has authored a 131-page paper (PDF) entitled Asymmetric Advantage: Air Advising in a Time of Strategic Competition. The paper is published by the USAF Air University Press, August 2019. There are several chapters on the current status of the USAF advising effort. Of note for SOF professionals is the chapter about the 6th Special Operations Squadron in Operation Enduring Freedom-Philippines.

National Security

Sig Sauer Prototypes for Replacement M4 / M249. The arms manufacturer has released information on the prototypes that may replace the Army’s M4 carbine and M249 machine gun. Sig Sauer is one of three firms selected to develop prototypes for further testing. (Military.com, Sep 3, 2019).

Mattis on Women in Combat Units. Former SECDEF Mattis doesn’t seem to go all out in support of women in combat units. Read “Mattis Still Has Concerns About Women Serving in Combat Units”, Military.com, September 3, 2019.

Navy Takes the Cake. According to a recent DOD study 22 percent of our naval service is obese. Read “This branch takes the cake as the US military’s fattest”, Military Times, September 3, 2019.

Votel on Intel Challenges. The former commander of Central Command retired General Joe Votel recently spoke at an intelligence conference about intelligence challenges the U.S. military faces. Read “Former CENTCOM Boss Outlines Intel Challenges in Current, Future Fights”, Air Force Magazine, September 4, 2019.

Commentary

Mattis, Political Identity, and Tribalism. General James Mattis has a new book out and one of the themes is the importance of international alliances and the growing divisiveness in America to tribalism. But Jeff Goodson, a retired U.S. foreign service officer, believes that Mattis gets this point about domestic divisiveness wrong. Read “What Mattis gets wrong: Alliances also need rebuilding at home”, The Hill, September 3, 2019.

Australia and Political Warfare. Thomas Paterson, a writer covering national security and cyber policy issues (and an active Australian Army reservist), provides his view that Australia needs to recognize the importance of being able to practice and counter political warfare (hybrid warfare, gray zone activities, etc.) in the new digital age where controlling the narrative becomes increasingly important. Read “The ‘grey zone’: Political warfare is back”, The Interpreter, September 3, 2019.

Language Training and Advising. George Calhoun, an Army Captain and future foreign area officer, writes about the importance of cultural and language fluency for advisors working with foreign security forces. Read “Speak Fluently and Carry a Big Stick: Strengthening Language Training to Enhance Capability”, Modern War Institute at West Point, September 4, 2019.

Middle East

American Deminer Killed in Iraq. On Tuesday, September 3, 2019 Brandon Pinson, an American, was killed following the explosion of an IED near Mosul, Iraq. He was a supervisor of a team of Iraqi deminers. Pinson was a seasoned explosive ordnance disposal technician with ten years of experience in the field. He had been in Iraq for five months demining explosives left behind by the Islamic State. Pinson was working for FSD – a humanitarian NGO based in Geneva. He is survived by his wife and two young children. Read a statement by FSD (Sep 3, 2019).

Yemen Update. Saudi Arabia is struggling to keep the coalition fighting the Houthis together. Local allies in southern Yemen have turned on each other in power struggles and have caused some damage to the Saudi – UAE relationship. Meanwhile, al-Qaeda Arabia Peninsular (AQAP) is exploiting the strife by attempting to gather support. (Reuters, Sep 2, 2019).

U.S. Military Bases in Persian Gulf. The United States had military units stationed / based in many countries of the Middle East to include Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. There are also large and smaller ‘temporary’ bases in places like Jordan, Turkey, Syria, other locations in the Middle East region. Read “A Look at Foreign Military Bases Across the Persian Gulf”, The Washington Post, September 3, 2019.

Iran’s Expanding Militia in Iraq. Michael Knights dives into the pro-Iranian militias in Iraq and provides detailed information about the ‘special groups’ that are allied with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force (IRGC-QF). Read “Iran’s Expanding Militia Army in Iraq: The New Special Groups”, CTC Sentinel, Combating Terrorism Center at West Point, August 2019.

Africa

US CT Efforts in Somalia. The United States is engaged in a small war which currently has a light footprint approach. But increased involvement in the future is very possible. Read “Assessing the Goals of U.S. Counterterrorism Efforts in Somalia”, Small Wars Journal, September 5, 2019.

Europe and NATO

NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence. Beginning in 2017 the North Atlantic Treaty Organization deployed multi-national battlegroups to the Baltic region in an effort to deter Russian aggression. The four battlegroups were based in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Poland. Many observers cite a RAND study that says Russia could take the Baltic nations in 60 hours. However, Steven Maquire – a British Army officer and associate editor at the Wavall Room – believes that the battlegroups are significant in the overall plan for deterring Russia. Read “The Positive Impact of NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence”, Real Clear Defense, September 3, 2019.

Denmark, Greenland, Trump, and More. Our president seems to be adept at alienating our best allies. Former Secretary of Defense James Mattis is right to point out that the U.S. needs friends overseas to assist us in pursuing our objectives around the world. Denmark has been an ally that has stood alongside the U.S. for the past 30 years. It lost many of its soldiers fighting alongside U.S. Marines in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Trump’s recent statements about Greenland and his abrupt decision to cancel a trip to Denmark may have an effect on Denmark’s foreign policy. Recently the small European country was asked to provide troops for northeast Syria (filling a vacancy by departing U.S. troops) and to participate in a naval force to ensure freedom of passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Hmmm. Read “Through Thick and Thin: Will Danish Military Engagements with the U.S. Endure in the Middle East?”, by Helle Malmvig, Foreign Policy Research Institute, August 27, 2019.

Videos and Movies

Video – U.S. Navy Rescue Swimmers Partner with Colombian Special Forces, DVIDS, August 29, 2019. Sailors assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 28 on the hospital ship USNS Comfort participated in a 3-day aviation and search and rescue swimmer event with a Colombian Army Special Forces Battalion.
https://www.dvidshub.net/video/706174/us-navy-rescue-swimmers-partner-with-colombian-special-forces

Movie – Danger Close. In August 1966 approximately 100 Anzac troops found themselves in a fight for their life in South Vietnam. Read a review of the movie. (Stuff.co.nz, Sep 4, 2019).

Photo: SDF Room Clearing Exercise. Coalition forces are training commandos in Military Operations in Urban Terrain in Syria. Photo from video by Specialist Alec Dioone, CJTF-OIR, Aug 3, 2019.

Topics: Curated news, commentary, and analysis about special operations, national security, and conflicts around the world. We are back from our summer vacation and a trip to West Virginia to attend the Special Forces Association annual convention. Some articles are forthcoming about the convention.

Casualties in Afghanistan

Two Service Members KIA. Two U.S. service members have died in Afghanistan according to the Department of Defense. The deaths occurred on Wednesday, August 21, 2019. James Laporta of Newsweek has reported that the two KIA were U.S. Army Special Forces Green Berets that were serving with the NATO Special Operations Component Command – Afghanistan (NSOCC-A).

SOF News

Leadership Change at USAJFKSWCS. MG Patrick Roberson took command of the Army’s Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He replaced MG Kurt Sonntag. The institution has had a challenging few years under Sonntag’s command with allegations that it has weakened standards for the Special Forces Qualification Course to allow more students to graduate and for women to be able to pass the very demanding course. The schoolhouse trains Civil Affairs, Psychological Operations, and Special Forces troops. Read MG Roberson’s bio.

UOES 3 and Navy SEALs. The User Operational Evaluation System 3 is a strange name for a new dry submersible mini-submarine. (The National Interest, Aug 19, 2019).

Mental Health and SF. A recent news article examines the life and death of Staff Sergeant Michael Mantenuto – 1st SFGA and former Hollywood star. See “He was a Special Forces self-help guru. Then he took his own life”, Army Times, August 20, 2019.

Robin Sage. An exercise is being held across several counties in North Carolina during the month of August. The unconventional warfare exercise is conducted for Special Forces candidates in the SF qualification course. (The Charlotte Observer, Aug 21, 2019).

Female Airman Dropped from AFSOC Operator Selection. A candidate for the Special Reconnaissance (SR) career field has been dropped during the selection phase. Women have been able to join AFSOF since 2015 – however, thus far, only one is still in the demanding Air Force special operations training pipeline for pararescue, combat control, special reconnaissance, and TACP billets.

24th SOW and Social Media. The 24th Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida is looking to increase its social media presence and effectiveness. (Air Force Times, Aug 20, 2019).

SF in Vietnam. One writer provides his perspective on the Vietnam conflict, the movie Apocalypse Now, and SF icons. (Pratt Tribune, Aug 20, 2019).

SOF and Ethics Review. There has been a lot of news about U.S. special operators engaging in bad behavior lately and the command at USSOCOM is concerned. General Richard Clarke has ordered a review of the SOF community’s culture and ethics. See “SOCOM Must Make These Changes as it Reviews Ethics Problems, Operators and Experts Say”, Military.com, August 16, 2019.

SEAL Catfishing Case. A military judge has ruled that SEAL Team 6 leaders may have used unlawful command influence in the case of a Naval special operator accused of ‘catfishing’ women. (Navy Times, August 19, 2019).

Sitting Next to McChrystal. A former CIA officer tells us of the time he shared space with former General Stan McChrystal in “American Spy Chapter Excerpt: Sitting Next to a Rock Star”, Small Wars Journal, August 2019.

Catan and Insurgent Uprising. Two military officers have invented a board game to teach and reinforce unconventional warfare to U.S. Special Forces. They have modeled the game after the popular board game of Catan. See “You’ve heard of Settlers of Catan, but are you ready to play Insurgent Uprising?”, TechLink, August 15, 2019. (Editorial note: the editor is an avid player of Catan!)

International SOF

Special Operations Forces of Militant Groups. Most literature about special operations is focused on the SOF units of state actors (nations). Very little is about the SOF units and capabilities of insurgent and terrorist groups. Read more in “Insurgents and the Flip Side of Special Operations”, Foreign Policy Research Institute, August 13, 2019.

SAS History to be Showcased. Ben Macintyre’s book SAS: Rogue Heroes will be the topic of a new BBC drama series. (The Bookseller, Aug 19, 2019).

Noble Rose – U.S. and IDF SOF. A joint drill took place between the Israeli Defense Force’s elite Shayetet 13 navy commandos and the U.S. Army Special Forces. The scenario involved the assault on a hijacked vessel and the extraction of troops from enemy territory. (The Jerusalem Post, Aug 20, 2019).

Thai Navy SEALs Honored with Watch. A new watch is making its arrival that honors the SEALs of Thailand. Read “Paying tribute to Thai Navy SEALs”, Bangkok Post, August 20, 2019.

Irish Police in Spat with Irish Army Rangers. During a Special Operations Forces (SOF) commanders conference held in Dublin members of the Army Ranger Wing provided security. However . . . see “Garda clash with Army Rangers over use of firearms”, The Times, August 18, 2019.

UK’s SRR. Read about the United Kingdom’s Special Reconnaissance Regiment established in 2005. See “Shadow Warriors: The Ultra-Secret Special Reconnaissance Regiment”, Gunpowder Magazine, August 18, 2019.

‘Russian Contractors’. The Russian Federation has seen an increase in the number of operations performed by private military contractors. They are extending Russia’s influence in the Middle East, Africa and in Latin America. Read “Russian Contractors in the Service of the Kremlin”, Warsaw Institute, August 14, 2019.

China’s New CT Unit. China has formed a new counterterrorist special operations unit in the western province of Xinjiang. The ‘Mountain Eagle Commando’ will be used against terrorists and religious extremists according to Chinese military spokesman. The Muslim minority in the province – the Uighurs – are subject to harsh rules under the Chinese regime with some members being held in a network of extrajudicial camps in Xinjiang. See “China reveals new counterterrorism unit in Xinjiang”, UPI.com, August 21, 2019.

Military and National Defense

Analysis of Intelligence Profession. Zachery Tyson Brown, and intelligence officer and U.S. Army veteran, takes a look at the intelligence field and offers some analysis of the way forward for intelligence analysts. Read “Intelligence’s Accidental Profession”, Real Clear Defense, August 20, 2019.

SFABs to Get Raven Bs. The newly established Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs) will receive the Raven B unmanned aircraft systems for their deployments to Afghanistan and elsewhere. (Yahoo! News, Aug 19, 2019).

U.S. Army Update. An informative article about the state of the Army has been published by Kyle Rempfer. Some of the content is about the dwell rate for U.S. Army Special Forces. Read “The Army’s outgoing leadership: Where the service stands, and where it’s going”, Army Times, August 20, 2019.

Origins of the Challenge Coin. Some folks believe that the challenge coin tradition began with Special Forces. Read “The Challenge Coin Tradition: Do You Know How It Started?”, DoDLive, August 13, 2019.

Mideast

U.S. CAS in Iraq Now Limited. The United States now has to ask the Iraqis for permission before providing close air support to troops in combat. (Task & Purpose, Aug 19, 2019).

Soldier dies in Saudi Arabia. An Army Reserve military policeman died in an accident during an on-duty incident in Saudi Arabia. Specialist Clayton Horne of Louisiana was assigned to the 351st Military Police Company based in Ocala, Florida. (Army Times, Aug 19, 2019).

Iran Oil Tanker Free. After being held for six weeks in Gibraltar by British authorities a ship has been released and is now on its way to a new destination. The oil tanker was seized as it entered the Mediterranean Sea – it was suspected of delivering oil to Syria in violation of EU sanctions.

Yemen. Micheal Knights spent some time with United Arab Emirate forces engaged in the long-running civil war. He provides some insight on the accomplishments of the UAE in that troubled country. Read “Lessons from the UAE War in Yemen”, Lawfare Blog, August 18, 2019. The departure of UAE forces has increased political fragmentation and weakened the government’s control of territory. A separatist militia has filled the void left by the UAE. Houthi rebels have shot down a MQ-9 drone. The incident took place on Tuesday evening (20 Aug). (Task & Purpose, Aug 21, 2019).

Syria. August 21st was the sixth anniversary of the nerve agent sarin attack in Damascus by the Assad regime that killed over 1,400 Syrians. (U.S. DoS, Aug 21, 2019).

Asia

Kabul Bombing. The Islamic State took credit for the bombing of a wedding party that killed 80 people in Afghanistan’s capital city on Saturday, August 17th. The people targeted were Hazara and referred to as ‘non-believers’ by IS.

ISIS in Afghanistan. Jared Keller reports on the significant territorial gains of the Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) in Afghanistan’s eastern provinces since December 2018. Read “ISIS is biding its time in Afghanistan”, Task & Purpose, August 19, 2019. In other news, the DoD has announced that the 3rd Security Force Assistance Brigade and the 10th Mountain Division Combat Aviation Brigade will soon deploy to Afghanistan. Currently there are 13,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan as well as troops from various NATO and partner nation countries. A peace agreement with the Taliban may prompt a withdrawal of several thousand U.S. troops in the future. Some observers worry that a cutback in international aid to the Afghan security forces will result in a possible new Afghan civil war. (Military Times, Aug 17, 2019).

CT MOU with Philippines. A new agreement with strengthen counterterrorism cooperation between the U.S. and Philippines. (The Diplomat, Aug 19, 2019).

Commentary

UW and Strategic Nonviolence. Thomas Doherty, a officer who has served in a variety of special operations units, believes that U.S. SOF should expand its understanding of doctrine and incorporate the use of strategic nonviolence to accomplish the objectives of a UW campaign. Read “Adding Strategic Nonviolence to the Unconventional Warfare Doctrine”, Small Wars Journal, August 2019.

Buying Greenland? With the onset of climate change the natural resources of Greenland are slowly revealing themselves. And there is money to be made there. While President Trump’s desire to ‘buy’ Greenland may be a non-starter one state actor (can you say China?) is moving in and acquiring the rights to some of the resources. Read “Buying Greenland: Trump’s Gaffe With a Point“, Vantage Point North, August 16, 2019.

Publications

National Security Primer. The National War College had published (2019) a 84-page pub entitled A National Security Strategy Primer. The publication provides the reader a tool for understanding concepts of national security strategy and strategy development.

Videos

Video – SDF Room Clearing. Watch a 33-sec video depicting Syrian Democratic Forces commandos practice room clearing techniques. Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve, August 3, 2019.

Movie Trailer – Rambo: Last Blood. Arriving in theaters on September 20, 2019 is another Rambo movie. Sylvester Stallone, playing a former Green Beret, is in the thick of things once again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPuhNtG47M0

Video – ‘Charging Charlie’. Charles Beckwith was a Special Forces legend. Learn more in Delta Force founder was almost impossible to kill, We are the Mighty, November 2, 2017.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU-GyydWBYA

By Brian Morris, SF MSG (Ret)

On Monday, October 1, 2018 former Staff Sgt. Ronald J. Shurer II received the Medal of Honor for going above and beyond the call of duty on April 6, 2008 while assigned to Special Operations Task Force-33 during Operation Commando Wrath in Shok Valley, Afghanistan. [1]

I remember that day well. I was the Air Reaction Force (ARF) team lead for a combined US and Afghan 8-man quick reaction force (QRF) that was flying racetracks above the objective on standby in the event of an emergency. We got the call to go in almost immediately after the initial infil, just after the fighting started and things started to go badly. As we hit the ground I can remember the chill of the ice-cold river water on the valley floor making contact with my feet through my boots. I had the vulnerable feeling that my element was almost completely exposed – the impact of enemy automatic rifle fire could be clearly seen and heard just ahead as we made our way forward towards the fierce fire fight that was raging only several hundred meters up the valley.

When we could no longer move under cover I made the call for my element to set up a fighting position where we could support ODA 3312 which was just up the valley from our position. ODA 3312 was run by their warrant and the Team Sergeant, Master Sergeant James Lodyga. [2] If my memory serves me they were short a team leader due to their detachment commander, then Captain Bob Cusick, having been wounded a month or so prior on the same night that Robert J. Miller earned the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions.

Map: Shok Valley is located in the remote mountainous province of Nuristan – highlighted in red.

ODA 3312 was about 200 meters up the valley from my position and at the base of the steep hills and sheer cliff faces that ODA 3336 was attempting to negotiate down in order to get out of the direct line of enemy fire. Sadly my element lost one of the Afghan Commandos that was attached to my ARF to enemy gunfire in the river that day. I believe that one of ODA 3336’s most trusted and competent interpreters lost his life that day as well . . . I’m pretty sure his name was CK.

One thing is for sure; while there was more than just one ODA on the objective that day, ODA 3336 was without a doubt the most exposed element on the ground. Due to the extreme nature of the terrain, the ODA found themselves – for a substantial portion of the fight – cut off and exposed to a massive amount of sustained enemy fire. The team did not have the luxury of any of the other elements being able to cover their withdrawal as they made their way down a virtual shear cliff.

I can still remember to this day the horribly helpless feeling of listening to Master Sergeant Scott Ford call out over the radio for assistance for his team. You could clearly and distinctly hear the life start to leave his voice as the blood ran out of his body. I was so relieved to find out in the days following that he had survived his gunshot wounds and was expected to live and make a full recovery.

In the end ODA 3336 proved to be almost larger than life on that day with most of the team members receiving Silver Stars for their actions. One event that comes to mind is then Staff Sergeant John Wayne Walding sliding down the cliff with his severed leg held tightly in one arm and clutching his M4 rifle in the other. It was during this time that Staff Sergeant Shurer went above and beyond the call of duty by displaying a level of bravery that is just as deserving as any who have received our nations highest honor in the past.

I can recall being on the radio talking in both UH-60 Blackhawk Medevac birds as they came into a hot LZ in order to guide them under an electric power cable that ran from a generator on one side of the valley to a fortified fighting position on the other side of the valley. Staff Sergeant Shurer saved the lives of a lot of guys that day and he deserves all the honors and accolades that he can get. His actions were no less than heroic and he is a great example of the caliber of men who are serving in SF today.

By the time we got extracted we were all physically and mentally exhausted. Everyone was low on ammo and water, and my team was out of 84 mm recoiless rifle rounds for the Carl Gustaf. After more than 6 hours of fighting in the river bed and the ridge lines, at the end of the day the ODA 3336 JTAC dropped over 20,000 lbs of ordnance onto this giant enemy strong hold. Some of the bombs were so close to our fighting position that boulders the size of Volkswagens came flying off the side of the mountain coming to rest uncomfortably close to our position. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity we consolidated and sat in a defensive perimeter, watching what was left of Shok village smoking and smoldering off in the near distance, waiting for an extraction that almost did not happen.

I can remember the ODA 3336 commander, Captain Kyle Walton, telling me that he received message traffic that there was some inclement weather rolling in and the exfil birds were not sure if they could make it to our extreme altitude under the current weather conditions. To make things worse, we received intelligence that the enemy was regrouping on the other side of the ridge and planning a counter attack on our now exposed position while we waited in PZ posture.

On top of that it was beginning to get dark at the point when about 2/3 of our force had been exfilled out of the valley. The last group of us that remained were starting to contemplate the real possibility that we were not going to make it off the objective on that day and may have to wait for extraction until the next morning at first light.

I distinctly recall Captain Walton and I discussing the possibility of setting up battle positions in the event that we were forced to RON (remain overnight) and we began talking about calling up higher to have them dispatch the C-130 that was sitting on standby at Jalalabad Air Field (JAF) to fly in to conduct a resupply. The resupply would drop ammo, food, water and medical supplies by preplanned parachute door bundles that we had built and propositioned at JAF airfield prior to kick off as a contingency. [3]

In retrospect it’s a good thing those door bundles never got dropped because a member of the B team loaded blue tipped training rounds for the Carl G recoilless rifle in the resupply and had we needed it to defend our position from another wave of enemy contact it would have made a really bad situation even worse.

I can vividly recall the end of that day when the first of 3 or 4 CH-47 sorties ripped through the clouds and landed in the valley to pick up the 90+ Afghan commando Kandak and what remained of ODA 3336, as well as ODA 3312 and the ARF element provided by ODB 3310 [4]. I was on the last bird out of Shok on that day and I can still remember the feeling of relief as the valley began to shrink into the distance as we made our way back to JAF airfield.

Photo caption: Staff Sgt. Ronald J. Shurer conducting a mission in Afghanistan, circa 2006. Photo courtesy of Ronald J. Shurer II.

A lot of guys had their metal put to the test on that day. I am honored to be able to say that I had the privilege of serving with men of such caliber and grit like those displayed by true American hero’s like Staff Sgt. Ronald J. Shurer II. I am proud of and will remember those men that were wounded and killed fighting for the guys to their left and right on that day, on a remote and desolate rock in a valley tucked high in the treacherous and unforgiving snow-covered mountains of Eastern Afghanistan.

Congratulations brother; you deserve every honor that you are receiving.

De Oppresso Liber!!!

**********

Images: All photos provided by U.S. Army news media. Map from Wikipedia (Creative Commons license).

Footnotes:

[1] Special Operations Task Force 33 was a special operations unit in Afghanistan formed with a nucleus of soldiers from the 3rd Special Forces Group based on Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The 3rd SFGA has had an essential role in building the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) since 2003. The group has assisted in developing elements of the ANDSF to include ANA Commandos, ANA Special Forces, the Afghan Local Police, and several other police special tactics elements.

[2] ODA is short for Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha (SFODA). The twelve-man team is the basic operational element of U.S. Army Special Forces.

[3] Jalalabad Air Field is located in Nangarhar province south of Kunar and Nuristan provinces along the Pakistan border.

[4] ODB is short for Special Forces Operational Detachment Bravo (SFODB). It is a company-level headquarters element that provides C2 for six SFODAs.

References:

Video of Award Ceremony. Former Army Medic Receives Medal of Honor for Valor in Afghanistan, Defense.gov DVIDS, October 1, 2018.
www.dvidshub.net/video/630249/former-army-medic-receives-medal-honor-valor-afghanistan

Video – Staff Sgt. Ronald Shurer : Shok Valley, U.S. Army, December 12, 2018. Shurer describes the events that day for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Author:

Brian Morris is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces Master Sergeant. Serving on active duty for over twenty-five years, he spent the majority of his time in service with the Special Forces as a Green Beret. He is a decorated combat veteran who served multiple tours in Afghanistan during the Global War on Terrorism since September 11, 2001. Brian has been deployed all over Africa, Bosnia, Iraq, Kuwait, Korea, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia. Brian also taught at the Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) School and wrote SERE doctrine for the Army Special Forces including the Army Special Operations Forces Resistance and Escape Manual and the US Army Special Forces Personnel Recovery Manual.

Additionally, he is an expert and Master Briefer in anti-terrorism and personal security techniques tactics and procedures. Mr. Morris holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Homeland Security from the American Military University. After retiring from the Army in 2012, he spent a year in Afghanistan working as Counterinsurgency Advisor to the International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF) Commander. After returning to the United States in 2013 Brian spent several years working as the chief Personnel Recovery advisor for the US Army Special Operations Command.

During this time he wrote his first book on terrorism awareness called the Green Beret Pocket Guide which was published in 2014. After being diagnosed with leukemia in 2015 he took 2 years to fight his way into remission and by 2016 he was back to writing. His second book, SpecOps Shooting, was published in 2016. Brian has also taken on a monthly writing commitment with American Survival Guide Magazine. In 2018 Brian’s third book, SpecOps Bushcrafting, was published. Today, Brian continues to write as well as doing work as a personal security consultant for high risk travel and running a wilderness survival school. He is married and the father of 3 grown and successful children. Brian lives on a small farm in central North Carolina with his wife and their dogs.

http://www.brianmorrispersonalprotectionsolutions.com/

]]> 8486 https://sof.news/update/20180319/ Mon, 19 Mar 2018 05:00:45 +0000 http://www.sof.news/?p=5359 SOF News Update 20180319 – Kurds fighting Turkish forces (not ISIS), HH-60 crash in Iraq, building coalitions, 4th Recon Bn Cdr dies, USMC seeks RIAB for PSYOP, NATO’s annual report, ‘7 Days in Entebbe’, Singapore’s combat divers, SF field kitchen [...]]]>

SOF News Update 20180319 – Kurds fighting Turkish forces (not ISIS), HH-60 crash in Iraq, building coalitions, 4th Recon Bn Cdr dies, USMC seeks RIAB for PSYOP, NATO’s annual report, ‘7 Days in Entebbe’, Singapore’s combat divers, SF field kitchen in Alaska, Lockheed Martin training for AFSOC, USASOC updating its chopper fleet, ‘Prospect Theory’ and COIN, Petraeus on Iraq War, 19th SFG valor awards, USS Colorado, and more.

Kurds Fighting Turkish Incursion. Syrian Kurds, who were busy applying the finishing touches to an offensive against ISIS in Syria, are being pulled away from that fight. Once the Turkish military entered Kurd-controlled areas of northwest Syria the Kurds focus shifted. This two-month old offensive by Turkey has pulled at least 1,000 Kurdish fighters from the ISIS battle. Read more in “The US could finish off ISIS if Turkey would stop fighting the Kurds, Pentagon say”, Washington Examiner, March 15, 2018.

HH-60 Crash in Iraq. Central Command has announced on March 16th that all personnel aboard a U.S. Air Force HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter that crash on Thursday, March 15th have been killed. An accompanying U.S. helicopter immediately reported the crash and a QRF security the scene. Read more about the crash of the HH-60 helicopter in western Iraq.

4th Recon Bn Cdr Dies. A reserve reconnaissance commander was found dead in his California home earlier this month. The commanding officer of the 4th Reconnaissance Battalion based in San Antonio died on March 11th. LE officials have ruled the death a suicide. (Marine Corps Times, Mar 15, 2018).

USASOC Updating Chopper Fleet. The US Army is going to replace some of its SOF MH-47s with newer models. (Janes.com, Mar 14, 2018).

NATO’s Annual Report. The Secretary General’s Annual Report 2017 is now available online. Posted on March 15th it is about 120 pages. Not a lot of information about special operations but a good read in general about what NATO is doing in Europe and around the world.
www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/opinions_152797.htm

“Prospect Theory” and COIN. Sidharth Kaushal, a doctoral candidate in International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science, writes about the application of “Prospect Theory” to counterinsurgency operations. Perhaps We Can Eat Soup With a Knife: Prospect Theory and the Use of Conventional Military Strategies in Counterinsurgency Operations, Small Wars Journal, March 2018.

Retired SEAL Writes on ‘Employee Engagement’. Brent Gleeson, a motivational leadership speaker (and more), writes What We Can Learn About Employee Engagement from the Navy SEALs, Forbes.com, March 16, 2018.

USS Colorado – SOF Capable. The Navy’s newest submarine has special features to support special operations forces – including a reconfigurable torpedo room which can accommodate a large number of personnel and all their equipment for prolonged deployments and future off-board payloads. Read USS Colorado Commissioned, Maritime Executive, March 17, 2018.

Singapore’s Combat Divers. The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) combat diver training lasts five months. It ends in a ‘hell week’ and then the trainees can become elite frogmen in the Naval Diving Unit. Read “SAF’s combat diver course pushes even the fittest and strongest to breaking point”, The Strait Times, March 15, 2018.

19th SFG Valor Awards. Soldiers from the 19th Special Forces Group were honored for their valor during a 2017 deployment to Afghanistan. (The Seattle Times, Mar 17, 2018).

Lockheed Martin Training for AFSOC. The USAF awarded a contract to provide training support services for AFSOC. The contract includes support to the AF SOF schoolhouse and will last for several years. The Air Commando Training and Support (ACTS) contract has a overall value of over $200 million. (Florida Trend, Mar 16, 2018).

Review of ‘7 Days in Entebbe’. Katie Walsh of the Los Angeles Times reviews (Mar 15, 2018) a movie about the plane hijacking that occurred in June 1976 when two German and two Palestinian terrorists hijacked an Air France flight from Tel Aviv to Paris and directed it to Entebbe, Uganda. As we all know – Israeli commandos launched a successful rescue of the passengers.

Video – SF Field Kitchen in Alaska. Watch a 12-minute long video of a Special Forces field kitchen set up during the Arctic Edge field exercise in Alaska. The cooks are from the 19th Special Forces unit of the Colorado Army National Guard. These cooks are part of the shaft that supports the pointy end of the spear. Watch Colorado SF Kitchen in Arctic Training, DVIDS, March 1, 2018.

Petraeus on Iraq War (2003-2011). Jeff Schogol interviews retired a general most closely associates with the long war in Iraq. We Asked Gen. Petreaus Whether the Iraq War Was Really Worth It. Here’s What He Said, Task & Purpose, March 16, 2018.

Building Coalitions. Mike Nelson, a Special Forces officer, writes a commentary on how the U.S. should take steps to build regional militaries to confront aggressive regional actors that challenge U.S. interests. Read “Preparing for the Worst-Case Scenario: Building Coalitions Left of Boom”, War on the Rocks, March 16, 2018.

USMC Seeks RIAB for PSYOP. The Marines want a ‘radio in a box’ capability to enhance their ability to conduct information warfare. The hope is that a commercial off-the-shelf FM broadcast radio kit with FM band radio acquisition and equipment that can conduct live broadcast. Hmmm. Sounds very familiar to the radio in a box capability that was once deployed to Afghanistan. Read “Marines look to beef psychological ops with a radio station in a box”, Marine Corps Times, March 15, 2018.

Night of Excellence – The SSG Matthew A. Pucino Memorial Foundation held a fund-raiser on Saturday, March 10, 2018 in Boston. The venue was the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel and the event featured several speakers, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, silent auction, and a static display by a Special Forces team. The foundation was established by the Pucino family in memory of Matthew Pucino – a Green Beret who died in Afghanistan in 2009.

Staff Sergeant Matthew Pucino was a member of the U.S. Army’s Special Forces. He first served with the 5th Special Forces Group based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. While with the 5th SFG he deployed twice to Iraq. When he left active duty he joined the 20th Special Forces Group – a National Guard unit based on the East Coast. When not participating in training activities with the 20th SFG he worked overseas in combat zones for NEK Advanced Securities Group on training projects. He died at the age of 34 when deployed with his 20th SFG ODA in Afghanistan. Learn more about SSG Pucino.

Night of Excellence Event Speakers

Mark Ockerbloom. The Night of Excellence fund raising event was presided over by Mark Ockerbloom – a Boston 25 News Anchor. As Master of Ceremony, Mark provided background on the Pucino family and its foundation. He also introduced the event speakers – Albert Pucino, MSG Jeff Caudill, SSG (Ret) Kevin Flike, and LTC Mike Waltz.

Albert Pucino. Matt’s father thanked the attendees, supporters, and sponsors for the event. He informed the gathering about the importance of the foundation’s activities. Al is a retired Captain from the Massachusetts State Police.

Jeff Caudill of the 20th Special Forces Group was a teammate of Matt on ODA 2223 during the Afghanistan deployment. During his address to the audience Jeff provided some vivid memories of Matt and highlighted the important role that Matt had on the SF team. Jeff, now a Master Sergeant, also complimented the Pucino family on the foundation’s good work helping wounded veterans. Jeff is currently assigned as a Team Sergeant on an SFODA and is soon departing on another overseas deployment.

Kevin Flike, a medically retired Special Forces NCO, described his road to recovery after being severely wounded in Afghanistan. He was a member of the 1st Special Forces Group. Kevin deployed to the Philippines, Thailand, and twice to Afghanistan. While on his second deployment to Afghanistan he was shot. He provided insight into the physical, mental, and emotional challenges a wounded Soldier grapples with while trying to heal. Kevin’s struggle in the rehabilitation process was long and difficult. He stressed the importance of charitable organizations in the recovery process of the wounded Soldier and described how he was assisted by those types of organizations. Kevin is employed by Goldman Sachs in Boston. In his free time Kevin is actively involved with the Green Beret Foundation and other veterans support organizations – especially on challenges faced by wounded veterans on their long road to recovery. Visit his website at Wounded by War.

Mike Waltz was Matt’s company commander in Afghanistan in 2009. He described the mission of Matt’s team and Special Forces company. Mike stressed that the fight that Matt was engaged in is ongoing and of a ‘generational nature’. Waltz served as Vice President Cheney’s Special Advisor for South Asia and Counterterrorism. Prior to his time in the White House, Mike was the Director for Afghanistan policy within the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Mike is currently a LTC assigned to a Special Forces unit in the National Guard. He is a former Fox News commentator, a businessman, and book author. Mike authored Warrior Diplomat: A Green Beret’s Battles from Washington to Afghanistan. Net proceeds from book sales are donated to the Green Beret Foundation. Mike is running for Congress in the state of Florida.

Night of Excellence Event Activities. A SF operational detachment from B/2/20th Special Forces (Maryland Army National Guard), Matt Pucino’s SF company, provided a display of the equipment used by U.S. Army Special Forces. Each of the team’s members provided an interesting information of the importance and utility of the various items on display to include radios for communications, items needed to do a forcible entry into a building, a SF medical kit, and various other pieces of SF equipment. ‘Blackbeard’ sweatshirts, t-shirts, and baseball caps were available for purchase. A Silent Auction was held to raise money for the foundation. Generous attendees eagerly signed up for the chance to win the many items available.

Sponsors of the Night of Excellence. The event was sponsored by a number of organizations and businesses to include American Fire Rustic Design, De Espresso Liber, Junior’s Bullet Pens, Loon Country Flagpoles, Metis Solutions, Old Yankee Cutting Boards, SI2 Technologies, Boston Red Sox, LSSI, Victor Brandon Corp, and Waveform D.J. Service.

About the Pucino Family. Al and Kathy Pucino (Matt’s parents) are now retired in Florida. Lisa Pucino Haglof, a sister of Matt, is Executive Director of the SSG Matthew A. Pucino Memorial Foundation. Melissa Pucino, a sister of Matt, works full-time as Director of Finance for the Green Beret Foundation.

The foundation conducts a number of activities throughout the year to raise money for wounded veterans. There are golf tournaments, motorcycle rides, and more.

Read more about the SSG Matthew A. Pucino Memorial Foundation.