By David Vergun.

On June 25, 1950, North Korean forces crossed the 38th parallel and attacked South Korea. Three days later, North Korean forces captured South Korea’s capital, Seoul. The following week on July 1, the first U.S. ground troops, arrived in Korea to support South Korea.

The decision to aid South Korea was made by President Harry S. Truman. In his “Memoirs,” published in 1956, Truman states: “If South Korea fell, the communists would attack other nations, resulting in World War III.” The communists he referred to, were the former World War II U.S. allies China and the Soviet Union, which now supported North Korea. 

By early August 1950, the North Korean army had overrun most of South Korea except for a small pocket in the far southeast known as the Pusan Perimeter. During the months of August and September, U.S. Soldiers and Marines, along with United Nations forces, landed in Korea to bolster South Korea’s defense. 

U.N. forces besides the U.S., were the United Kingdom, Canada, Turkey, Australia, Philippines, New Zealand, Thailand, Ethiopia, Greece, France, Colombia, Belgium, South Africa, Netherlands and Luxembourg. 

U.S. forces landed on the western port city of Inchon Sept. 15, and two weeks later, U.N. forces captured Seoul. The following month saw U.N. forces crossing the 38th parallel into North Korea, capturing Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, and advancing to the Yalu River, the northern boundary of North Korea and China. 

In late October 1950, Chinese forces crossed into North Korea to aid their ally. By January 1951, Chinese and North Korean forces recaptured Seoul. By March 1951, U.N. troops recaptured Seoul.  

On April 11, 1951, Truman relieved MacArthur, who had led the U.N. Command. MacArthur had wanted to expand the war into China, which was against the directives of the president, who didn’t want a wider conflict, which would likely involve the Soviet Union. 

“We were in Korea in the name and on behalf of the United Nations. This ‘unified command’ which I had entrusted to [U.S. Army Gen.] Douglas MacArthur, was a United Nations Command, and neither he nor I would have been justified if we had gone beyond the mission that the United Nations General Assembly had given us,” Truman states in “Memoirs,” an account of his presidency. 

By the latter part of 1951,1952 and 1953, heavy fighting continued, with the front line stabilizing in a stalemate in the vicinity of the 38th parallel. Dwight D. Eisenhower became president Jan. 20, 1953, and on July 27, 1953, the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed, ending the fighting. Prisoners were exchanged and South Korea gained a bit of territory northeast of the 38th parallel. 

About 37,000 Americans lost their lives during the Korean War and over 92,000 were wounded and 8,000 were missing. South Korea sustained 1.3 million casualties, including 415,000 dead. Casualties among other U.N. forces totaled 16,500, including 3,100 dead.  

No peace treaty was ever signed between North and South Korea and in the decades since the Korean War, North Korean forces have conducted numerous cross-border incursions and other acts of aggression. U.S. forces and U.N. representatives are still in South Korea with the goal of preventing another war. 

U.S. Forces Korea is responsible for supporting and training joint South Korea-U.S. forces and United Nations Command multinational forces. The Korean War Veterans Memorial at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., honors those who served and sacrificed. 

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This article by David Vergun was first published by the U.S. Department of Defense on July 24, 2023. DoD content is in the public domain.

Photo: Army Chaplain (Capt.) Emil Kapaun (right) and Army Capt. Jerome A. Dolan, 1st Cavalry Division, carry an exhausted soldier off the battlefield in Korea, early in the war. (Courtesy photo U.S. Army).

June 19th, 2017 is the 65th anniversary of U.S. Army Special Forces. The elite Green Beret unit was formed in 1952. It draws its heritage from a number of different special operations, intelligence, and unconventional warfare organizations to include the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), U.S. Army Rangers, 1st Special Service Force, and others. Currently there are seven Special Forces Groups – five active duty Special Forces groups and two National Guard Special Forces groups.

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.

By Christopher (Moon) Mullins.

Bret Werner’s book, The First Special Service force at the Winter Line, Italy 1943, details the history and one of the most famous battles of the First Special Service Force at Monte La Difensa in Italy during WWII. A legendary raid that cemented 1st Special Forces in legend and history. Formed in the early stages of WWII in a remote location of Montana in the US, this force was a mixture of Canadian and American soldiers trained in Special Operations.

Overall, the author does a great job of detailing the birth of this historic unit. The First Special Service Force became what we know today as Special Forces for the US and other countries. I have personally served in a Special Forces Support unit, and I can provide testimony that it is a special and unique assignment. You always feel a part of something bigger. You are treated special; you have special missions and the expectations are very high. Leaders expect you to perform your military job at a very high level and maintain that level of excellence throughout your mission.

The First Special Service Force was selected by Allied Leadership for special operations in the Italian Theater. Because the Western Front was not established yet, the Italian Theater of Operations saw some of the best the US had to offer from various units such as the 82^nd Airborne Division, The Ranger Battalions, and British Commandos. Often these units were used as straight-leg infantry shock troops sent into the front line right beside normal infantry soldiers.

The Raid on Monte La Difensa was a special mission because of the approach that the Commander selected. The Force Commander Colonel Fredrick decided to storm a German mountaintop defensive position from the reverse sloop. That part of the mountain was determined to be no-go terrain so severe that the Germans didn’t even defend it or assign troops to watch it. The Commander was determined to assault the reverse sloop by taking an entire regiment and used ropes to climb the mountain. The Regiment took the better part of the night, dusk to dawn, to send the 2^nd Regiment over the approach. Small battles took place that clearly was a surprise and shock to the Germans defenders. They never expected the enemy to approach from that direction, so they didn’t defend it. Therefore, they were initially slaughtered from behind.

The overall joint operation with other US Army infantry Divisions and our British allies resulted in a domino effect of the Allies taking hill after hill over the next few weeks. Later these same forces would go on to Assault Anzio and later Rome. These actions helped close out the Italian campaign. The Germans surrendered and conducted a scorched earth retrograde operation that destroyed the Italian cities and natural resources during their retreat. The First Special Service Force and their assault on Monte La Difensa would go down as one of the Great Stories of the Italian Campaign and WWII.

About the author. Bret Werner was raised in the Philadelphia area of Pennsylvania. He is deeply involved with living history organizations with an emphasis on the soldier of the 20th century. The author is also an associate member of the First Special Service Force Association, and he attends the veteran reunions every year. Peter Dennis the illustrator of this book was inspired by contemporary magazines such as Look and Learn he studied illustration at Liverpool Art College. Peter has since contributed to hundreds of books, predominantly on historical subjects, including many Osprey titles. Johnny Shumate, also serving as an illustrator for the book, works as a freelance illustrator living in Nashville, Tennessee. He began his career in 1987 after graduating from Austin Peay State University. This book is available on Amazon.com (US),  Amazon UK, and at Osprey Publishing.

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Christopher “Moon” Mullins is a former paratrooper with service in the 82nd Airborne Division. He also served with the 5th Special Forces in a communications support role on a “B-team”. Chris retired from the U.S. Army after 20 years service. This article by “Moon” Mullins was first published by ARGunners. Republished with permission from author and ARGunners.

Curated news, analysis, and commentary about special operations, national security, and conflicts around the world. Afghanistan heading south, ASD SO/LIC, oversight of SOF, celebrating Father’s Day, Danish SOF, Ukrainian SOF, USAF SR Airmen, diversity in SOF, international SOF, SFABs in Indo-Pacific, and more.

SOF News

Oversight of SOF. David Barno and Nora Bensahel argue that civilian oversight of special operations forces is best done by the Secretary of the Army. “Fixing Oversight of Special Operations Forces”, War on the Rocks, June 15, 2021.

SOF, Generals, and Technology. Special operators will need to be cyber-capable or risk being irrelevant. U.S. Special Operations Command Chief Information Officer Dr. Lisa Costa said that even high-ranking officers in SOF need to be ‘upskilling and reskilling’ to remain relevant. “Even generals must learn new skills in tech-dominated special operations future”, Marine Corps Times, June 17, 2021.

USAF SOWTs are now Special Reconnaissance Airmen. The Air Force has revamped its old Special Operations Weather Teams into the new Special Reconnaissance career field. The 352nd Special Warfare Training Squadron at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina is now training the SR airmen in land navigation, communications, small-unit tactics, use of drones, intelligence gathering, and other critical tasks. “Air Force Special Operations Job Transformation Takes Big Step Forward”, Military.com, June 17, 2021.

Combat Diver Competition. An event that pitted combat dive teams from the 3rd and 7th Special Forces Groups against each other has concluded. The events included an Army Physical Fitness Test, academic exam, maritime stress tests, long surface swim, ruck march, and an open and closed-circuit dive. “This Year’s Best Combat Diver Competition Was the Toughest Yet”, SOFREP, June 15, 2021.

Elite US Commandos Seeking Diversity. The Army’s Green Berets and Navy’s SEALs are conducting a greater effort to recruit a more diverse force. The US special operations forces tend to be less diverse than the military as a whole. “US military’s elite commando forces look to expand diversity”, Associated Press, June 15, 2021.

USSOCOM Diversity Chief Reinstated. A US Special Operations Command official leading the commands’ diversity and inclusion programs has been reinstated following an investigation into his social media posts. Richard Torres-Estrada posted a meme in June 2020 that compared then President Trump to Adolf Hitler. “SOCOM’s controversial head of diversity and inclusion is back in his job”, Air Force Times, June 17, 2021.

ARSOF Diversity. A webpage posted by the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) Office of the Command Historian explains how Army Special Operations Forces have long included members of diverse backgrounds throughout its long history. Out of Many, One.
https://arsof-history.org/diversity/index.html

Combat Controller on Life and War. Dan Schilling, an Air Force combat controller turned book author, is interviewed about his past (Mogadishu and other battles) and his current endeavors as a writer. At age 60 he still hikes up mountains. “Peace in the Clouds: How One of the World’s Deadliest Warriors Found His Zen”, Coffee of Die, June 20, 2021.

A CST Remembers Afghanistan. Jackie Munn was a member of a Cultural Support Team that worked with Special Forces in Afghanistan. She shares a short story about one mission. “Spilt Milk, Giggling Girls, and No Use Crying”, The War Horse, May 9, 2018.

Father – Son Parachute Jump. The command sergeant major of the 3rd Special Forces Group’s support battalion parachuted from a C-27 Spartan tactical transport on Fort Bragg last week. His son from the 82nd Airborne Division joined him. “Soldier Dad and Son Celebrate Father’s Day with Airborne Jump”, Military.com, June 20, 2021.

919th SOW – A Family Affair. Retired Master Sgt. Kenneth McDowell served with Air Force Special Operations Command for most of his career. His daughter is now assigned to AFSOC. “Daughter follows father’s footsteps to the 919th SOW”, 919thSOW, June 20, 2021.

Do you receive our daily newsletter? If not, you can sign up here and enjoy it five (almost) days a week with your morning coffee (or afternoon tea depending on where in the world you are).

International SOF

Danish SOF. The missions of a special operations unit of Denmark includes unconventional warfare, special reconnaissance, direct action, and counterterrorism. During the Cold War Denmark decided to create a special unit with the mission of long-range reconnaissance. During the years that followed the Cold War the unit was transformed into a SOF unit. “Danish Special Forces | The Jaeger Corps AKA the Huntsmen Corps”, by Steve Balestrieri, SOFREP, June 20, 2021.

Ukrainian Special Forces. The newest branch of Ukraine’s Armed Forces – the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (UASOF) – is continuing their development. However, the UASOF still has some obstacles that will prevent it from attaining a superior state of combat readiness. The 2,000 person unit requires advanced training and very technical equipment, but financing is a big problem. “Growing Pains in the Ukrainian Special Forces”, Eurasia Daily Monitor, The Jamestown Foundation, by Yuri Lapaiev, June 16, 2021.

Italian Navy Selects Special Diving Operations Craft. The SDO-SuRS will have the ability to support submarine rescue and special forces units. (Defense World, Jun 15, 2021).

SOF History

10th Special Forces Group Activation. On June 19, 1952 the 10th SFG was activated on Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The group grew to 1,700 personnel within a year. In September 1953, 782 members deployed to Germany, 99 to Korea, and the remainder stayed at FBNC. The Fort Bragg element was re-designated the 77th SFG.

Task Force Viking in Northern Iraq (2003). The 10th Special Forces Group and a small team of CIA paramilitary officers opened up a second front in northern Iraq during the 2003 invasion. The Green Berets and intelligence officers linked up with the Peshmerga in Kurdistan. Read more in “How special-ops units used ‘old-school commando stuff’ behind enemy lines to keep Saddam’s forces distracted”, Business Insider, June 15, 2021.

“Father of Naval Special Warfare”. Phil H. Bucklew served as a Navy frogman during World War II. He would retire from the Navy in 1969. “The Father of Naval Special Warfare Almost Changed the History of the Vietnam War”, Military.com, June 2021.

Vietnam HALO Combat Jumps. In the late 1950s members of the 10th Special Forces Group created the Trojan Parachute Club which led the way to developing the techniques of night, combat equipment parachute jumps from high altitudes. These techniques would later be used by small teams of the Military Assistance Command Vietnam Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG) to infiltrate behind enemy lines utilizing high altitude low opening techniques. “The Trojan Parachute Club Were the Army’s First Combat HALO Jumpers”, Coffee or Die Magazine, June 17, 2021.

SF and CN Missions on Mexican Border. In the 1990s there were not a lot of wars being fought. The Cold War was over and the Global War on Terror had yet to begin. Some Special Forces units got involved in counternarcotic missions along the southern border. “How Green Berets ran counter-narcotics ops on the Mexican border”, Audacy.com, May 3, 2021.

Weapons of the OSS. The Office of Strategic Services was a joint intelligence and special operations agency established during World War II. It was a precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency and U.S. Army Special Forces. The secret organization developed some intriguing weapons. “The Strangest Covert Weapons American Spies Carried in WWII”, SANDBOXX, June 15, 2021.

First Muslim Green Beret. When Changiz Lahidji joined the Iranian special forces Reza Pahlavi was still the Shah of Iran. But he soon left the Iranian military and moved to California. In 1978 he joined the U.S. Army and by 1979 was a fully qualified Special Forces NCO. He would soon be back in Iran – this time in support of Operation Eagle Claw. The mission went badly and he was forced to smuggle himself out aboard a fishing boat. “The first Muslim Green Beret was also in Iran’s Special Forces”, We Are the Mighty, June 17, 2021.

National Security and Commentary

USMC and SOF. DoD’s strategic guidance (with a focus on the Indo-Pacific) and China’s rising global status and ambitions has triggered the service components to relook at their structure and doctrine. This is true of the United States Marine Corps – which has an opportunity to optimize USMC – SOF teaming through increased integration, interdependence, interoperability, and deconfliction (I3D). “Marine Corps and Special Operations Forces Teaming for Great Power Competition”, by Major Michael Masters, Small Wars Journal, June 17, 2021.

US SOF in Estonia. The United States Special Operations Forces have increased their presence in Eastern Europe. Senior US SOF officers are serving at Estonia Defense Forces headquarters. “US Special Forces operating in Estonia at higher level than ever before”, ERR News, June 18, 2021.

Advisory Teams in the Pacific. Small teams of US Army soldiers have been deploying across the Indo-Pacific on missions similar to those done by Special Forces. The twelve-man advisory teams of the Security Force Assistance Brigades are deploying to numerous countries on long-term deployments. (Editorial Note: A number of misrepresentations are made in this article . . . someone with an SF background will be quick to note them) “Rank-and-file soldiers begin Special Forces-style security missions across Indo-Pacific”, Stars and Stripes, June 17, 2021.

Ice Breakers Needed. Currently the US is lacking in ice breakers that can provide for the needs of the US in the Arctic region. The US has two ice breakers – one currently undergoing maintenance and another that has surpassed its service life. Russia has 40 ice breakers. The US needs to expand its fleet of ice breakers – and quickly. “U.S. Needs Icebreakers to Keep Up With China and Russia in the Arctic”, The Heritage Foundation, June 18, 2021.

Things Are Heading South in Afghanistan. As the withdrawal of U.S. and international forces from Afghanistan continues reports of significant Taliban victories in rural areas of Afghanistan are in the news. Over 30 district centers have fallen to the Taliban since May 1, 2021. The Taliban have made some progress in taking key areas in Kunduz and Faryab provinces. More than 20 Afghan commandos were killed while deployed to recapture a district seized by the Taliban in Faryab province. The commandos have been the offensive punch for the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces – however they have been recently suffering big losses attempting to stem the Taliban offensive. The insurgent gains are likely a combination of the Taliban offensive as well as government security forces consolidating their forces into more defensible positions.

NATO has asked Qatar to host training for Afghan commandos. The Minister of Defense and Minister of Interior have been replaced by President Ghani. The CENTCOM commander says that the US won’t use airstrikes to support Afghan forces after the withdrawal. The US Embassy in Kabul is in a ‘lockdown’ due to an outbreak of COVID. In an interview with the Associated Press former Afghan President Hamid Karzai said that the international community failed in their 20-year attempt to end extremism and bring stability to Afghanistan. Lacking in the article is any acknowledgement of his role in the Afghan disaster while serving as the Afghan president for 13 years. NATO had scheduled a flag lowering ceremony in Kabul for Friday, June 18th to mark the departure of the US and NATO forces from Afghanistan. The event was cancelled just hours before the scheduled time due to confusion over what the ceremony would signify. Some thorny issues remain to be solved to include the safety of thousands of Afghan interpreters who aided the U.S. and NATO forces and the contractor support that keep the Afghan Air Force aircraft in the air.

Sending SOF Back to Somalia? Security conditions in Somalia have deteriorated since the Trump administration pulled 700 U.S. service members from that country in January 2021. Now it appears that AFRICOM is looking at re-introducing troops into Somalia to train indigenous forces. “Proposal Calls for Sending Special Operations Forces Back to Somalia, Report Says”, Military.com, June 16, 2021.

Upcoming Events

June 23, 2021. Virtual Event
SOF Stories Live! – MARSOC Part 2
Global SOF Foundation

July 11, 2021. Sagamore Beach, Massachusetts
11th Annual Blackbeard’s Motorcycle Ride
Matthew Pucino Memorial Foundation

July 13-16, 2021
Fort Bragg VA Disability Claims and Benefits Seminar
Green Beret Foundation

July 16, 2021. Newport, Kentucky
Riverboating for Berets
Green Beret Foundation

Books, Pubs, and Reports

Book Review – North Korea in a Nutshell: A Contemporary Overview. David Maxwell, former SF officer and commentator on all things North Korea, provides a review of a new book on that is of value to the policy maker, strategist, military planner, and to the public. “An Area Study: North Korea in a Nutshell”, Small Wars Journal, June 19, 2021.

New Army Training Field Manual. The Army has updated FM 7-0 Training. The manual describes how the Army trains its people to compete, fight, and win. There are chapters on training management, prioritizing training, planning and preparation, execution, and evaluation and assessment. There are eleven appendices on training guidance, task crosswalk, individual training, meetings, exercises, live-fire, lane training, AARs, and more. PDF, 116 pages.
https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN32648-FM_7-0-000-WEB-1.pdf

Al Qaeda Background Brief. The Congressional Research Service has posted an update to Al Qaeda: Background, Current Status, and U.S. Policy. This ‘In Focus’ brief, published on June 14, 2021, is a PDF and is two pages long.
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF11854

Podcasts, Videos, and Movies

Podcast – The US and Influence Operations. Michael K. Nagata and Dr. Anthony Cordesman discuss the drastic of loss of global influence by the United States. Being able to project influence is an important component of strategic power and the U.S. has fallen behind in this competition. “American Decline: Losing the Campaign for Influence”, The Irregular Warfare Podcast, Modern War Institute at West Point, June 18, 2021, 42 minutes.
https://mwi.usma.edu/american-decline-losing-the-campaign-for-influence/

Video – Iraq’s CT Unit. Watch a video of Iraqi counter-terror teams fighting ISIS – both in training and on actual missions. The CT forces are the countries premier military unites. PBS News Hour, June 17, 2021, 11 minutes.

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Photo: Marine Corps Cpl. Francesco Prestia of the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion participates in a water navigation course during Exercise Caribbean Coastal Warrior at Savaneta Kamp, Aruba, June 10, 2021. The exercise is designed to increase global interoperability and expand knowledge and proficiency while operating in littoral and coastal regions. Photo by Lance Cpl. Jennifer Reyes.

When most people think about the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) they are most likely conjuring up images of men in vehicles traversing the deserts of North Africa during World War II. These forays against the Germans and Italians deep behind enemy lines required a special breed of men who navigated the vast desert regions on missions lasting several weeks and ranging in hundreds of miles. The LRDG conducted reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, and raids during the Africa campaign. The LRDG also guided and transported units of the Free French as well as elements of the Special Air Service. Members from several allied nations made up the LRDG to include those from Britain, New Zealand, and Southern Rhodesia.

What is less known about the Long Range Desert Group is that after the successful conclusion of the Africa campaign the unit was deployed to the Aegean Sea to help defend a series of strategic islands located between Greece and Turkey against an invasion by the Germans. This employment phase of the LRDG was a less successful endeavor and resulted in a number of LRDG members killed, wounded, or captured.

Brendan O’Carroll, the author of The Long Range Desert Group in the Aegean, traces the movement of the LRDG from Africa to a training base in Lebanon and on to their destination on Dodecanese Islands in the Aegean Sea. The book provides a lot of detail on the use of the LRDG in the Aegean and how the combat operations unfolded. O’Carroll, residing in New Zealand, has had a long interest in military history. New Zealand provided a significant number of volunteers that served with the LRDG in both Africa and the Aegean. O’Carroll has wrote about the LRDG in previous books as well. In this book he provides information found in official British and German sources as well as individual accounts by members of the LRDG.

Prior to deploying to the Aegean the unit underwent an extensive retraining period in Lebanon. The unit members were trained in mountain operations and movement on foot – which was quite a change from their use of vehicles in the desert. While in Lebanon the unit trained up on demolitions, long-range communications, skiing, use of mules, and parachuting. The physical conditioning was extensive as it was believed they would be required to carry heavy packs on foot in future missions.

In late 1943 the Italians left the alliance with the Germans. This established a void on many of the islands in the Aegean that were occupied by Italian forces. Winston Churchill decided that the Dodecanese Islands in the Aegean Sea should be occupied by allied forces. Churchill believed occupying these islands would distract German attention from the Italian campaign and provide a base for air and sea operations against the Germans in the ‘soft underbelly of Europe’.

In September 1943 the LRDG received the task to head to the Aegean Sea region to conduct island coast watch operations and intelligence gathering. The plan envisioned that Italian troops garrisoned on the islands would join the Allies in opposing the Germans. In addition, there was hope that perhaps Turkey would enter the war on the side of the Allies as well. Despite American reluctance in supporting this plan – their attention was focused on Sicily and Italy – Churchill proceeded with Operation Accolade. The British landed 3,000 troops of 234 Brigade on the island of Leros as well as other nearby islands. About 200 men belonging to the LRDG – as well as men from the Special Boat Service (SBS) and No. 30 Commando – joined the occupation of these several islands.

The Germans wasted little time – deploying experienced troops with significant air power – to take the islands from the British and Italian forces. Many men of the LRDG were casualties or became prisoners of war. However, some of the LRDG were able to escape from the islands. Operation Accolade proved to be a failure and an embarrassment to the United Kingdom. The Long Range Desert Group conducted themselves well under adverse conditions . . . but the use of the unit in this campaign was ill-advised. The LRDG lost more men in three months in the Aegean than it had in three years in North Africa.

The book was published in November 2020 by Pen & Sword Books. It is available in hard cover as well as an ebook. O’Carroll provides an interesting and informative read about a little known action by a World War II era special operations unit and an important part of SOF history.

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Map of Dodecanes Islands By Pitichinaccio – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3260045

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

COL Keith Nightingale (Ret) is the author of Phoenix Rising: From the Ashes of Desert One to the Rebirth of U.S. Special Operations. The book, published in 2020 by Casemate Publishers, provides a detailed look at Operation EAGLE CLAW. This was a mission by U.S. Army Special Forces, supported by other military forces, to rescue American hostages held in the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran.

The hostages were taken in November 1979 by Iranian demonstrators that gained control of the embassy grounds and were held prisoner for months. The rescue attempt by Delta Force was aborted once on the ground in Iran at a staging area – due to maintenance problems the force came up one helicopter short. Tragically, after the mission was aborted, and the rescue force prepared to depart Iran, an aircraft mishap took place killing eight servicemembers.

The failed attempt was an embarrassment for President Jimmy Carter and proved to be a major factor in his defeat in the upcoming presidential election to Ronald Reagan. The aborted hostage rescue prompted a reexamination of America’s special operations capabilities.

This book provides a first person account of the coordination, preparation, and conduct of the hostage rescue mission. Keith Nightingale, as an Army major, was the Deputy Operations Officer for Joint Task Force Eagle Claw. Based on his personal diary the book offers an inside look at the personalities, issues, bureaucratic infighting, coordination, and preparation for the mission as well as the events during and after the mission.

The book follows a logical path: covering the planning, training, execution, and aftermath of the hostage rescue mission. It concludes with a description of post-mission actions and events that would eventually lead to a reorganization of the special operations community.

The author employs a unique format: providing almost standalone vignettes relating to the mission, many only 1-3 pages long. Some of these are entitled: “Inside an RH-53”, “The Agency Men”, “The Truck Option”, “The Navigator”, “The Shrink”, “Cash and Carry”, and many more. This particular style made for an interesting and engaging read.

An important part of the book – at the end – involves the ‘politics’ of the formation of what would become the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations / Low Intensity Conflict (SO/LIC) and the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). The bureaucratic infighting and Pentagon stonewalling of the intent of Congress to increase America’s SOF capability is explained in great detail by Nightingale.

If you are a student of special operations or someone interested in military history then you will find this a worthwhile and interesting read. The book is available on Amazon in hardcover and Kindle format.

Phoenix Rising, by Keith Nightingale, Casemate Publishers, 2020
https://www.amazon.com/Phoenix-Rising-Hostage-Rebirth-Operations/dp/1612008771/

Army University Press Films announces its second film in the Operation Iraqi Freedom film series. Beginning on 1 April 2003, this film features Coalition Forces’ fight for Saddam Hussein’s capital. The film opens with the fight for Objective PEACH, covers the battles for objectives around the city, and concludes with Soldiers and Marines meeting up in downtown Baghdad.

Army University Press, August 14, 2020, YouTube, 50 minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8uaFZAxzpw

By Otto Fiala and Ulrica Pettersson, PRISM, Vol. 8, No. 4, June 2020.
The complete article can be accessed here – PRISM or view the PDF.

During the Cold War, NATO, led by the United States, and the Warsaw Pact, led by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), maintained vast numbers of military forces in Central Europe, facing each other along what Winston Churchill labeled as an Iron Curtain. On the western side, in addition to these conventional forces, several NATO allies also maintained what were called “stay-behind networks,” intended to remain within territory potentially over-run by Soviet forces in a war.

These networks were established to remain within Soviet occupied territories, to conduct sabotage and other guerrilla type activities against Soviet forces, and to send intelligence to NATO allies. The networks were intended to engage in resistance against a Soviet occupation. Upon the dissolution of the USSR, these stay-behind networks were completely dismantled, due to the perception that the threat had disappeared with the end of the Cold War.

In the 21st century, Russia, which had been the core of the former USSR, became resurgent and began to re-assert its power and influence in and over several former Soviet Republics. In 2008, Russia seized the Georgian provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. In 2014, Russia seized the Crimea from Ukraine and continues to support separatist activities in Eastern Ukraine. These aggressive acts, coupled with additional aggressive Russian behavior toward the Baltic nations, prompted the 2014 U.S. European Reassurance Initiative, renamed the European Deterrence Initiative (EDI) in 2017. This was an initiative of the Obama administration in 2014, which was included in the Department of Defense’s FY 2015 Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) budget request to Congress.

Since FY 2015, the initiative has provided funding in support of five lines of effort: (1) Increased Presence, (2) Exercises (e.g., Exercise BALTOPS is an annual, multinational maritime exercise focused on interoperability, maritime security, and cooperation among Baltic Sea and regional partners) and Training, (3) Enhanced Prepositioning, (4) Improved Infrastructure, and (5) Building Partnership Capacity. Additionally, at NATO’s 2016 summit in Warsaw, the United States sponsored and NATO adopted the enhanced forward presence (EFP) program to expand the number of NATO participants forward deploying troops into the Baltic NATO allies on a rotational basis. This resulted in a continuing NATO program whereby the United States rotates a forward deployed battalion size Army presence in northeastern Poland, near the Suwalki Corridor, while the United Kingdom, Canada, and Germany rotate similar-sized elements in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, respectively. These sponsoring nations rotate their troops on a heel-to-toe basis approximately every six months, resulting in a seamless continuous presence.

Concurrently, United States Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR) began its concept exploration of resistance, as it recognized that the forward deployed NATO conventional forces were not adequate to defeat a major incursion. SOCEUR then collaborated with the Baltic NATO allies Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, as well as with other allies and partners in seminars and workshops, to relearn what had been forgotten from the previous stay-behind organizations of Western Europe, to add new knowledge, and to develop a practical and effective Resistance Concept.

Read the remainder of the article here.

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“ROC(K) Solid Preparedness: Resistance Operations Concept in the Shadow of Russia”, by Otto Fiala and Ulrica Pettersson, PRISM, Vol. 8, No. 4, National Defense University Press, June 2020.

COL (R) O. Fiala, PhD, JD is the author of the Resistance Operating Concept at SOCEUR. Ulrica Pettersson PhD, is an Associate Professor at Swedish Defence University.

This article was first published in PRISM on June 11, 2020. Re-posted by SOF News with the permission of the PRISM editorial staff.

Download PDF, 12 pages.

Image: From the article.