Tough Week for the Special Forces Regiment. One SF Soldier (7th SFGA) died during training at the Combat Dive Qualification Course (CDQC) at Key West, Florida. Two SF Soldiers (10th SFGA) died in Afghanistan conducting combat operations against the Taliban. In addition, three Special Forces members(5th SFGA) died in Jordan.

SOF News Update for 20161106 – Parachute jumps into combat, security contractors in the overseas traveling mode, technology and USSOCOM, SF Association HQs flooded by Hurricane Matthew, what is a “Quiet Professional”, The Drop (publication of the Special Forces Association), “Special Ops Leadership”, SF in Afghanistan, Intel (I&CI) training of non-U.S. persons, review of “Rogue Heroes”, defense contractors thriving, and more.

Stories about combat jumps. The West Point Center for Oral History interviewed four Army members (past and present) about their experiences during a parachute jump into a combat zone. The jumps took place in northern Iraq (2003), HALO jump into Afghanistan (2001), and Holland during Operation Market Garden (WWII). Watch the one-hour long video interview in “Video: Opening Shock: Four Combat Jump Veterans Tell Their Stories”, July 21, 2016.

Security Contractors and Overseas Travel. You know who they are. They wear there 5.11 trousers, a web belt, Merrill hiking shoes, Oakley sunglasses, and carry a Blackhawk 3-day pack. But don’t be that guy. Read Ed Thompson’s article on “How to Travel Grey”, LinkedIn Pulse, November 30, 2015.

Preparing for War. A Special Forces NCO writes about his deployment with an SFODA in Afghanistan in “Nothing Prepares You For War”, The War Horse, November 2, 2016.

USSOCOM and Technology. How can the United States Special Operations Command outfit partner forces working with U.S. SOF with commercially-available items or open source software? This is a challenge for SOFWERX – USSOCOM’s collaboration workshop. Read “USSOCOM Rapid Prototype Event Rodeo”, DVIDS, October 21, 2016.

“The Drop”. The Special Forces Association has a quarterly publication that is mailed out to its membership every three months. Some interesting tidbits about the SF community are enclosed. You can read past issues of The Drop at the link below:
www.specialforcesassociation.org/the-drop-archive/

Lockheed going for $8B USSOCOM contract. The U.S. Special Operations Command Global Logistics Support Services contract is up for recompete. Lockheed Martin is putting in for it. Read more in “Lockheed aims to retain incumbency on $8B recompete”, Washington Technology, November 2, 2016.

Dangerous SOF Raids. Read a short history on the most dangerous special operations raids by We are the Mighty.

SOF Leadership and the World of Business. Gil Limonchik offers his perspectives on how commando techniques work in the business world. Read “Secrets of Special Ops Leadership”, LinkedIn Pulse, October 23, 2016.

Studying College Athletes to Help SOF Teams. An Air Force laboratory based at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio is studying the athletes (wrestlers, football players, etc.) to gain knowledge that will benefit special operations teams in action. Read more in “Air Force applying study of OSU athletes to Special Forces”,  Daily Progress, October 30, 2016.

Fat? Stoned? Tattoed? The military has a job for you. The Pentagon is looking for tech-savy talent for its ranks and it is lowering standards to recruit the new generation of American youth. Read “Overweight, tattooed, stoned? The Pentagon may still want you”, Los Angeles Times, November 3, 2016.

New Pub on Intel & CI Training of Foreigners. The Department of Defense has issued a new instruction that outlines policy and assigns responsibilities for the training of non-US persons in intelligence and CI. Read DoD Instruction 3305.12, Intelligence and Counterintelligence (I&CI) Training of Non-U.S. Persons, October 14, 2016.

3rd SFGA Rigger Dies. A parachute rigger from the 3rd Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg, NC died from injuries suffered when struck by a vehicle while conducting physical training on Fort Bragg. Read more in “Fort Bragg soldier dies after being hit by vehicle”, Fayetteville Observer, November 1, 2016.

Book Review – “Rogue Heroes”. Max Boot provides a review of a book about the British Special Air Service (SAS) during World War II. Read “The Story of the SAS, Britain’s First Special Operations Unit”, The New York Times, November 2, 2016.

AFSOC and South Korean SOF. U.S. Air Force aircraft from the 353rd Special Operations Group (based at Kadena Air Base) and U.S. and South Korean Special Forces recently took part in an exercise in South Korea. (The Japan Times, November 5, 2016).

Defense Contractors Doing Well. “Sales are up, earnings are strong, and the guidance to shareholders is for positive trends in coming quarters.” Despite the Pentagon’s decreased demand for weapons systems the defense industry is doing okay. Read a news report by Loren Thompson in Forbes, October 31, 2016.

SFA Association HQs Damaged. Hurricane Matthew caused extensive damage to the Special Forces Association compound in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Read more in “Matthew’s floodwaters wipe out Special Forces Association records, artifacts”, Fayetteville Observer, November 1, 2016.

What is a “Quiet Professional”? The buzz word has been around the Special Forces community for about twenty years (maybe a little more). It is about being superb at your job without telling everyone about it (SEALs: please take note). Read more in “What Does it Mean to Be a Quiet Professional”, LinkedIn Pulse, October 4, 2016.

Contractors in a War Zone. It is common knowledge that, at least in the past decade, there are almost as many if not more contractors working in a war zone than there are military personnel. These contractors seem to be everywhere – in the PX, the dining facility, air terminal, sometimes in the gym, and walking around the FOB or compound.

But what do these contractors do? How much money do they really make? One writer (we assume he has spent some time in a war zone) has categorized them into six different groups: “The Action Figure”, “The Poser”, “The Professor On Safari”, “The Perpetual Expat”, “The Technician”, and “The One-And-Doner”. I guess, as a past and sometimes present contractor I used to be “The Action Figure”, but now I am “The Perpetual Expat”. Then again I am old enough and dress closely enough (love L.L. Bean) to be “The Professor On Safari”. But I am thinking that my work ethic and knowledge is very similar to “The Technician”. Hmmm. If I had to settle on one then it would be the expat.

Read more in “The 6 Types of Contractors You Encounter Overseas”, by Chief Reilly, Task & Purpose, September 28, 2016.

Leader of ISIS in Afghanistan Killed by U.S. An airstrike in July by the United States killed Hafiz Sayed Khan, the head of the Islamic State’s branch in Afghanistan. Read more in a news report by USA Today, August 12, 2016.

How are Things Going in Afghanistan? Not so good. Read one perspective of the current situation in that troubled country by Kenneth Katzman – a specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs. He has penned a 81-page report entitled Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy, Congressional Research Service (CRS), June 6, 2016.

SOF Professionals Preparing for Transition. The time to think of life after your military service is before you leave the service – not after. John Klapperich, a retired Special Forces Sergeant Major, offers transition advice in a article posted online. Read “4 Reasons SOF Professionals Should Prepare Now for Transition”, Cleared Jobs Net, August 12, 2016.

Jetboots for Navy SEALs. The SEALs have a lot less work to do underwater on their long swims. Now they can glide along with the Jetboots Diver Propulsion System. Jetboots is essentially a pair of small thrusters that attach to a divers leg. Wish I had these on my timed, navigation underwater swims at Key West! Read more in “Check Out the Underwater Jet Boots Used by Navy SEALs”, Task and Purpose, August 12, 2016.

SSR – Challenges and Lessons Learned. Security Sector Reform (SSR) is intent on improving existing structures and methods in a country’s security sector with the objective of improving security for the population. However, it is important that the well-trained and equipped security forces are controlled by a democratically elected government so as to avoid repression by security forces against the country’s population. Read more in The Challenges and Lessons Learned in Supporting Security Sector Reform, Global Public Policy Institute, July 13, 2016.

Taliban’s New Commando Force – “Red Group”. The Taliban have a new fighting force operating in Helmand province. Read more in a news story in The Diplomat, August 12, 2016. Other news sources say that the name of the group – translated into English – is “Danger Group”. Hmmm.

Paper on the Islamic State – 2011-2014. Jonathan S. Baker has wrote a tract entitled Harbingers of the caliphate: Islamic State revolutionary actions 2011-2014, July 2016. It is a 106-page long thesis done for the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS). https://calhoun.nps.edu/handle/10945/49330

Story of Force Recon Marine Who Killed 18 Enemy Fighters in a Single Battle. Read this amazing story of an eight-hour engagement with the Taliban in Farah province, Afghanistan in August 2008. (Task & Purpose, August 11, 2016).

Book by Israeli Special Forces Commander. Gal Hirsch writes an autobiography of his life in the Israeli military. Read the review at Defense News, August 12, 2016.

Preparing for Ranger School. The U.S. Army’s Ranger School is one of the toughest the military has to offer. It is one of the most physically and mentally demanding courses in the Army. Read “Properly Preparing For the Rigors of Ranger School”, Infantry Magazine, January-March 2016.

Australian Security Contractor Released from Afghan Prison. A former Australian soldier working in Afghanistan on a security contract was convicted of murder and sentenced to hang. He served over 7 years in an Afghan prison before being released. Read more of this story in The Advertiser, August 13, 2016.

House Report on Central Command Intel Analysis. The U.S. House of Representatives has released its report with the initial findings on U.S. Central Command Intelligence Analysis. You can read the 17 page document posted on Public Intelligence, August 13, 2016.

Fires Magazine. The School of Artillery at Fort Sill publishes its Fires bulletin every few months. The July – August 2016 edition is now online.