SOF News Update 20180321 – More GBU-69/B SGM’s for USSOCOM, BG (ret) Bolduc on leadership, UK sniper stories – fact or fiction (?), AF and multicams, Niger mission aftermath, PSYOP and Kony’s LRA, Jordan’s SOF training center, SF training in Alaska tied to arctic, Yemen and the bigger picture, how insurgencies end, SOF in OIF’s early days, early 1950s video of SF, Rangers at JMRC, and more.
BG (ret) Bolduc on Leadership. Brigadier General (ret) Don Bolduc, a Special Forces officer with 32 years in the Army, has penned a long article about leadership in the U.S. Army. “My Leadership Journey and Other Observations”, Small Wars Journal, March 2018.
AF and Multicams. It appears that the U.S. Air Force is considering the use of multicams. (Stars and Stripes, Mar 20, 2018).
Niger Mission Aftermath. The October 2017 deaths of four members of the 3rd Special Forces Group in Niger has the DoD taking another hard look at its Africa mission. Read “Pentagon grapples with a thorny question after Niger ambush: What Next in Africa?”, by Dan Lamothe, The Washington Post, March 19, 2018.
Niger Investigation Getting Final Review. The ill-fated mission of Operational Detachment Alpha 3212 has been the subject of an intense investigation. The report is now at the highest levels (Gen Dunford and SECDEF Mattis). “Soldier in Bloody Niger Mission Had Warned of Gaps, Defense Officials Say”, The New York Times, March 19, 2018.
Yemen and the Bigger Picture. Kareem Fahim and Missy Ryan provide an informative article on the current civil war in Yemen and how it fits into the bigger Middle East picture in “Yemen is a humanitarian nightmare. But the U.S. is resisting calls to end its role in the war.”, The Washington Post, March 20, 2018.
PSYOP and Kony’s LRA. The use of Special Forces teams and some psychological operations in Uganda and neighboring countries negated the threat posed by Joseph Kony and his Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). (OpsLens, Mar 19, 2018).
1950s Era Video of SF. Watch a 30-minute film entitled the Phantom Fighters produced in the 1950s by the Army Signal Corps about the Green Berets. “This Is The Army Video That Finally Introduced America to the Green Berets”, Task & Purpose, March 20, 2018.
UK Sniper Stories – Fact or Fiction? There have been quite a few stories coming out of the British press about the exploits of Brit snipers. However, there appears to be a crossing over from fact to fiction according to Paul Szoldra. Read “The Anatomy of a Bullshi*t SAS Sniper Story”, Task & Purpose, March 19, 2018.
Jordan’s SOF Training Center. The King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Centre is located on the outskirts of the capital city of Amman. This 6,000 acre compound – referred to as KASOTC – is dedicated to the training of special forces operators from around the world. (SFGATE, Mar 19, 2018).
How Do Insurgencies End? At a recent testimony before the House Armed Services Committee General Thomas Waldhauser, the commander of AFRICOM, stated that most insurgencies end in negotiated settlements. This may not be entirely accurate according to Slim Tack – see “How Insurgencies End”, Strafor, March 19, 2018.
Rangers at JMRC. Platoons from the 75th Ranger Regiment have recently been training at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC) in Hohenfels, Germany. The combat training center trains leaders, staffs, and units up to BCT in combat operations. (DVIDS, Mar 15, 2018).
SOF in OIF’s Early Days. From March 19 to May 1, 2003 U.S. Special Operations Forces played an important role in the invasion of Iraq. Read John Gresham’s account of U.S. SOF’s activities in “Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF): Special Operations Forces and the Liberation of Iraq”, Defense Media Network, March 19, 2015.
SF Training in Alaska Tied to Arctic Battle. Christina Maza writes that Green Berets are training in the frigid temperatures of Alaska this month in order to prepare for potential battles in the Arctic. Read “U.S. Special Forces Train for Arctic Battle”, Newsweek, March 19, 2018.
19th SFG Soldiers Awarded Silver Stars. Members of a Utah-based National Guard Special Forces unit were awarded medals for valor for their actions against fighters of the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP) in Nangarhar, Afghanistan. See “Special Forces soldiers was awarded Silver Stars for bravery in Afghanistan”, Army Times, March 20, 2018.
Brit Sniper Kills ISIS Chief. Read how a British sniper killed an ISIS chief with an extremely long-range nighttime shot. (Epoch Times, Mar 19, 2018.
More GBU-69/B SGMs. The United States Special Operations Command is going to buy additional small glide munitions in 2018 and 2019. (Janes.com, Mar 19, 2018).
