JANUARY 2016 VOL 61
Chapter 16 Newsle er Organiza on and Responsibili es: President’s Message Editor: Glen Craig Happy New Year to you all and many blessed returns in the upcoming Sec ons: year! In the spring of 2016 Chapter XVI will see a change in leadership,
Message from the President: Dave Shell which I view posi vely and as a move in the right direc on. Both Kevin Pa on and I will be stepping down a er six years at the helm, but will s ll Treasurers Report: Kevin Pa on be very involved with Chapter opera ons and processes. This is the Sec. Rpt (Staff Mee ng Minutes): Paul Bagshaw sustainable model we hoped to build from the start, which is to maintain a Sick Call/Obituary: Chaplain Butch Hall corps of ac vely involved former Chapter Officers who can provide Blast from the Past: Glen Craig exper se, experience, and perspec ve to new Chapter Officers lessening Special Recogni on: Paul Bagshaw their burden and sharing their workload. During my tenure I have enjoyed Upcoming Events: Paul Bagshaw just this kind of support from former Chapter Presidents Bill Gates and Ron Calendar: Dave Shell Rismon. This was a er many years of Ron holding up the Chapter almost Human Interest Story: Chapter at large singlehandedly, and a near miss with regard to the collapse of the Chapter SFA Na onal HQ Update: Dave Shell as a whole due to lack of support. The first mee ng I convened as President in June of 2010 there was a total of twelve in a endance, four of A er Ac on Report: Jim Lessler whom were wives. We badly needed depth, which I recognized as the key Membership Info: Roy Sayer to ge ng more members to volunteer for leadership roles. When I first Adver sements: Glen Craig stepped up six years ago, Bill Gates told me that although the term was for Suspense: two years I was expected to serve four. This was a bit daun ng and is a Newsle er published (Web): 1st of each major reason why most members don’t want to run for office. In fact, I was shanghaied by Bill who convinced me to run by telling me that Jim odd numbered month Lessler was actually slated to succeed him and they just wanted someone Input due to editor: 20th of each else’s name on the ballot to make it appear like more of a contest. Shortly even numbered month before the vote, Jim had a significant health issue and I was le holding the Dra due to President: 27th of each bag. No big deal, all things happen for good reason and here I am six years even numbered month later proud of what we have accomplished together, having had more than th Final Dra due 29 of each one Group Commander and General Officer tell me that Chapter XVI even numbered month func ons as the SFA should. The next Chapter President will inherit a top notch staff that includes the Chapter Newsle er editor Glen Craig, The Drop submission editor Bill Gates, Regimental Mess manager Kevin Pa on, Chapter Distribu on and webpage manager Dave Shell, and other func onaries that are involved with things such as fundraising. I have always maintained that if we all do just a li le we will accomplish more, and avoid the pi all of feeling trapped in a system that bleeds every person who raises his/her hand to point where they stop par cipa ng altogether as the only means of escape. I am confident that we are beyond this percep on and I look forward to many more years of service to the SF community through the SFA. We fill an important void within SF that only a non‐profit, led by excep onal members of the regiment, can properly impact. The elec on for Chapter XVI Officers will be held at the Chapter mee ng in April. Please consider adding your name to the list of those who feel that con nued service to the regiment and to those Soldiers who give and have given in the name of duty and honor is worthy of their me and talents. De Oppresso Liber, Dave
Page 1 Pastor Butch’s Corner I am reminded of the story of a lady taking an a ernoon nap before the fes vi es. A er she woke she confided to her husband, “Honey, I just dreamed that you gave me a Diamond Ring as a New Year’s present. What do you think it means?” “Aha, swee e, you’ll know tonight.” He answered, smiling like the cat that ate the canary. At midnight as the New Year came into being, the husband approached his wife and handed her a small package. Delighted and excited, she quickly opened it. There in her hands rested a book en tled: The Meaning of Dreams. I cannot predict the future, but I can wish for us a very blessed 2016 and may SFA, Chapter XVI and our events of 2016 bring us GOD’s Peace, Love and Joy as we look forward to another year of serving with you all. Happy New Year and GOD’s unending blessings. Chapter 46 SF Company Associa on Wounded Warrior Cruise SFA Chapter 16 has sponsored our fourth consecu ve Wounded Warrior this year it was Nathan Summers and his wife Honey on the Wounded Warrior Caribbean Cruise. Ed & Erma Booth and Jim & Elaine Lessler have a ended four Wounded Warrior Cruises and have greatly enjoyed them. It was a terrific experience to go along on the cruises. Chapter 16 members Bart and Pa y Heimsness and Wayne and Yoko Karvonen have also been on past Wounded Warrior Cruises.
Dinosaurs Luncheon, October 30, 2015 The following members and guests were in a endance: Butch & Regina Hall, Ted Wicorek, Glen Craig & Pa Lakey, Jim & Elaine Lessler, Walt Hetzler, Wayne & Yoko Karvonen, Roland Nuqui, and Mike Cassidy.
Veterans Day Parade Auburn, Washington 7 November 2015 The Veterans Day Parade was the largest in the State with over 200 entries marching in the Parade. Even the rain couldn’t keep the large crowds of spectators away.
The motley Crew that Represented Chapter XVI at the Veterans Day Parade
Page 2 Dinosaurs' Luncheon, Nov. 27, 2015 The following members and guests were in a endance: Ed & Erma Booth and Jim & Elaine Lessler
J. K. Wright Memorial Breakfast, Dec. 5, 2015 The following members and guests were in a endance: Alvin Li le, Butch Hall, John & Jenny Gebbie, Ed & Erma Booth, Dennis Guiler, John Becker, Steve Durfe, David Hsu, Andy McCauley, Richard Klein, Ted Wicorek, Dan Burrsell, Rex Bruce, Dave Barnes, Monte Cooper, Nick Marvais (IMO Eulis Presley), Fred Callahan, Kurt Kagels, Ken Keesler, Ken Garcy, Johnny & Kim King, Wayne & Yoko Karvonen, Roland Nuqui, Walt & Lynda Hetzler, Glen Craig, and Pa Lakey. Chapter 43 members were in a endance: Mike Sherlock and Skip E nger.
Negro Mountain
JW Kent November 9 at 8:35am ·
If you drive west on Interstate 68 from Cumberland Maryland, you will cross over several tall, steep ridges. These ridges were formed by the Alleghenian Orogeny during the late Permian Period, when the African con nent slammed into what is now North America. On the summit of one of these ridges there is a sign that has sparked a good deal of controversy. “Negro Mountain,” the sign reads. Not too long ago a white poli cian a empted to change the name of Negro Mountain because the name was “embarrassing and offensive.” He may well have succeeded if not for the efforts of a group of African American historians, who raised an outcry of “Don’t you dare!” Good for them. The mountain was named by Thomas Cresap, circa 1756. Cresap was an early se ler, who built a fort, and trading post on what was then the western fron er of Maryland. You probably won’t see his name in a school textbook, because someone famous didn’t write a silly poem about him. Cresap did a lot of trading with the Na ve Americans that frequented the area, and they referred to his trading post as “The big spoon,” because he was famed for feeding any and all who came. He was even invited to the council fires of one tribe, an honor seldom bestowed. When the Seven Years War broke out, the French came up with a strategy to pull Bri sh resources away from the “real” figh ng, by sending Indian mercenaries to a ack the western se lements. Before you go all poli cally correct on me, I must say that if a group has to travel for hundreds of miles to torture, murder, burn and butcher innocent civilians that are no threat to them, and do so under the payroll of another European power, they are not “defending their homeland,” they are simply ac ng as mercenaries. This war of terror did not have the desired effect, because the Bri sh sent precious li le help to the fron er. Sure, they sent a few token Provincial troops, but for the most part, the se lers were le to defend themselves. Thomas Cresap was given the rank of Colonel, and in 1756 raised a group of forty Rangers. The colonial Rangers were the elite of the mili a. The best of the best. They did not fight “in line” like regular troops, they used guerrilla tac cs, and were commonly deployed as scouts. Rangers, unlike regular troops, had to be able to think and act independently, so only the most intelligent and skilled of men were allowed to volunteer. One of Cresap’s forty Rangers was a freed African slave. Yes, one of the “best of the best” was black. This may sound surprising, but it shouldn’t. The early se lers were a diverse bunch. Sure, many like Cresap, were English, but most of them were Germans, Dutch, Swiss, Welch, French Huguenots, Irish, and Scots. Many of the last two were former slaves themselves. Most of them didn’t speak English when they arrived on American soil. A man’s background didn’t ma er on the fron er. The color of his skin didn’t ma er. A man was judged by his own merit. He was judged by his sense of honor, his skills, and his willingness to help others face hardships and adversi es that few today can even comprehend. I must say that this is how it should be; everywhere, and in all mes. This black Ranger was by all accounts a huge man, possessed of an almost unbelievable strength. He refused to give anyone his name. His comrades had a great deal of respect for him, and refused to refer to him as “Hey *insert ‘n‐word’ here*,” as he jokingly requested, so they gave
Page 3 him a nickname. They called him Nemesis based on his prowess in ba le, for when it came down to the inevitable hand‐to‐hand combat, none could stand against him. On one fateful day there was an a ack on the se lements. Several se lers were killed, and some horses were stolen. Cresap’s Rangers went in pursuit, and caught up to the Indians on an unnamed ridge. Using tac cs similar to that of modern Rangers, the men split up. One larger force acted as a diversion, while the rest flanked the enemy. Unknown to the Rangers, many of the Indians, mounted on the stolen horses, had circled around, and caught Cresap, and the diversionary force unawares. The Indians immediately dismounted to fire. With no me to re‐load, the men were si ng ducks, and would surely have been killed. Enter Nemesis. Roaring like an enraged bear, Nemesis burst from the woods some thirty yards away, and discharged his weapon into the enemy’s midst, drawing their fire. He saved Cresap’s life, and the lives of many of his fellows. Sadly, he was killed. His act of selfless heroism gave his comrades the me needed to re‐load, and the Indians were defeated, and those not killed “ran off.” There is no greater deed a man can do than to give his life for his friends. Today, his heroic ac ons would surely earn him the Medal of Honor. Alas, there was no equivalent of such an award then. To honor Nemesis, Cresap named the ridge a er him. He believed it inappropriate to give the ridge his nickname, and so gave it the name the big man had requested they call him. Negro Mountain it has been ever since. Perhaps it is a good thing that the name makes many people uncomfortable. If it did not, the story of Nemesis may well have been long forgo en. That would be a tragedy of mountainous propor ons, because his story of courage and sacrifice should never be forgo en. Somewhere on Negro Mountain rests the unmarked grave of a big, big man. A man so big, that only a mountain could serve as his monument. All Americans owe him a huge debt. It was par ally him, and those men like him on the fron er, that defined this country and what it stands for. So here’s to you Nemesis. I can only wish that I could shake your hand. If the name of your monument makes some uncomfortable, so be it. Maybe it’s a good thing. If nothing else, perhaps it will raise awareness that not all heroes of that me were white, and not all men with black skin were friendless slaves. His almost two hundred sixty year old story stands as a shining example that men of different races can walk together in friendship, mutual respect, and love. Didn’t Know You’re a Caregiver? Here’s Some Resources November 11, 2015, in Wounded Spouse by Amy Bushatz A Defense Department office is on the prowl to make sure the caregivers of wounded and ill service members — including those who don’t really think of themselves as caregivers — have access to the resources they offer. You’ve probably heard of the Med‐Board process (also known as the “Integrated Disability Evalua on System”). But you may not have heard about the DoD level office that oversees it and the many other things they offer veterans and their families. The Office of Warrior Care Policy has been around since 2008 to integrate all the different DoD wounded warrior care programs like IDES, the adap ve sports program and caretaker support into one office. But un l now, said James Rodriguez, the deputy DoD secretary who oversees the office, they haven’t done a good job of ge ng informa on out to the people they might be able to help. That’s why they had a booth last month at the Associa on of the United States Army (AUSA) annual conference — to let people know what they do. “We need to do a be er job of communica ng what the roles of caregivers are in general so people can look at themselves and say ‘I do this on a daily basis — maybe I do fall into a caregiver category,'” he said. The office offers four programs specifically for military spouses and family members. The first, the Special Compensa on for Assistance with Ac vi es of Daily Living (SCAADL — not the world’s longest acronym but it feels like it might be close) gives cash to the service member and his family if he receives full me care at home from a family member rather than be housed in residen al ins tu onal care. You probably have only heard of that program if your service member is very injured. The remaining programs are designed to support caregivers and hook them up with resources. Military Caregiver PEER Forums (PEER is – no surprise – an acronym. It means “Personalized Experiences, Engagement and Resources) meet on 70 military installa ons across the U.S. and are designed to be support groups for caregivers and their ill or injured troop. A Military Families Learning Network aims to connect caregivers with topics that can help them be er assist their service members. And, finally, a Caregiver Resource Directory aggregates hundreds of ve ed organiza ons into a handy‐dandy booklet with their web address and a brief descrip on of what kinds of things they do. You can go here to find out more informa on about all of these resources. One of the things officials have recently realized is that many caregivers are o en not the categories of people who have tradi onally filled the role. And many caregivers don’t recognize themselves as being such. But any person who helps a service member deal with an injury — big or small — is a caregiver, Rodriguez said, and has access to his offices’ resources. “We also know that a caregiver could be any one — could be a friend, could be a social worker,” he said. “[‘Caregiver’] is a defini on that’s fluid because we are finding out some mes there are people that are providing support in the caregiver capacity that we didn’t realize were providing support.”
Beware of Extor on, Scams Week of November 16, 2015 The U.S. Army Criminal Inves ga on Command (CID) warns the Army community to be aware of Internet extor on and blackmail scams and report any instance where a Soldier, Army dependent, or Army civilian is or has been faced with threats involving the payment of money or other valuables. If you receive a phone call or email you believe to be an extor on a empt, take the following measures: (1) if the safety or wellbeing of someone is in imminent danger, contact local law enforcement immediately; (2) do not reply to the email, click on any links, or open any a achments; (3) report the email to the Internet Crime Complaint Center; (4) file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission; (5)
Page 4 report the email to your email and Internet service provider; (6) move the email to your SPAM folder; (7) if contacted through social media, report the contact to the social media provider. Soldiers, Army civilians, and their family members who have been threatened with extor on should contact their installa on Military Police or CID office. Individuals can also call CID at 1‐844‐ARMY‐CID (844‐276‐9243). Female Soldiers Cleared to Serve in Infantry, Ranger, Special Forces
Family members pin Ranger Tabs on Capt. Kristen Griest and 1st Lt. Shaye Haver. (Photo by Ma hew Cox/Military.com) Dec 03, 2015 | by Ma hew Cox
In 2016, female soldiers will have the chance to serve in any infantry company, the 75th Ranger Regiment and on Special Forces teams ‐‐ all jobs that were previously closed to women. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter's historic announcement on Thursday that all military combat‐arms jobs will be open to women comes months a er the first three female Armyofficers graduated from Ranger School, a grueling infantry leadership course opened only to males since it was founded in 1952. Capt. Kristen Griest, a 26‐year‐old military police officer and 1st Lt. Shaye Haver, a 26‐year‐old AH‐64 Apache helicopter pilot earned their Ranger Tabs in August. Maj. Lisa A. Jaster, a 37‐year‐old combat engineer with the U.S. Army Reserve, graduated from the 62‐day course in October. The trio were part of an original group of 19 females who volunteered to take part in the first‐ever Ranger School class in April. Carter's ruling finalizes the February 2012 direc ve made by then‐Defense Secretary Leon Pane a that all the services develop plans to open all direct‐ac on combat jobs by January 2016. The move puts an end to the 1994 Direct Ground Combat Defini on and Assignment Rule, the primary policy that restricted female members of the U.S. military from serving in units below brigade level whose primary mission is to engage in direct combat on the ground. "There will be no excep ons. This means that as long as they qualify and meet the standards, women will now be able to contribute to our mission in ways they never could before," Carter said at a Pentagon briefing. "They'll be allowed drive tanks fire mortars and lead infantry soldiers into combat," he said. "They will be able to serve as Army Rangers and Green Berets, Navy Seals, Marine CorpsInfantry, Air Force Parajumpers, and everything else that previously was only open to men." As of Jan. 1, women in the enlisted, commissioned officer and warrant officer ranks will be able to serve in all 11 series (infantry), 13F (fire Support Specialist), all 18 series (Special Forces) and all 19 series (armor and cavalry) military occupa onal special es, or MOSs. All the services conducted studies to study the possible effects opening direct‐combat jobs to women. Army Training and Doctrine Command conducted the U.S. Army Gender Integra on Study, which considered ins tu onal and cultural factors associated with the move. Army Medical Command conducted the U.S. Army Research Ins tute of Environmental Medicine task assessment, which considered physical factors. On June 21, Frank Kendall, the undersecretary of defense for acquisi on, technology, and logis cs issued guidance to the secretaries of the military departments regarding combat equipment for female military members, according to informa on released by the Pentagon. The guidance directed all services to take immediate steps to ensure that combat equipment provided to female service members is properly designed and fi ed to accommodate their requirements and meets required standards for wear and survivability. On Sept. 30, the services submi ed their final recommenda ons for those occupa ons and posi ons that remained closed to women to Carter along with cer fica ons of their occupa onal standards. The Marine Corps requested two broad excep ons consis ng of 48,779 posi ons in the ac ve and Reserve components of the Corps and Navy. One excep on was for specific military occupa onal special es ‐‐ infantry officer, infantry weapons officer, rifleman, light armored vehicle ccrewman, reconnaissance man, machine gunner, mortarman, infantry assaultman, an tank missileman, infantry squad leader, infantry unit leader, special opera ons officer, cri cal skills operator and fire support man. The other excep on was to restrict women from serving in types of units ‐‐ infantry regiments and below, reconnaissance ba alions, light armored reconnaissance ba alions, force reconnaissance ba alions, Marine raider companies and combat engineer/assault companies. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus did not approve the Marine Corps' requests but did forward them for excep ons to Carter for his review. "A er careful review and consulta on with key leaders, to include the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Secretary of Defense decided to open all remaining occupa ons and posi ons to women with no excep ons," according to December 3 background briefing document.
Page 5 US Special Operators Say No to Women in Special Opera ons Jobs
A group of U.S. Navy SEALs clear a room during a no‐light live‐fire drill near San Diego on Dec. 4, 2015. Daniel Stevenson/Navy Associated Press | Dec 11, 2015 | by Lolita C. Baldor WASHINGTON ‐‐ The men in the U.S. military's most dangerous jobs care li le about poli cal correctness or gender equality. And they have a message for their poli cal leadership. When they are figh ng in the shadows or bleeding on the ba lefield, women have no place on their teams. In blunt and, at mes, profanity‐laced answers to a voluntary survey conducted by the Rand Corp., more than 7,600 of America's special opera ons forces spoke with nearly one voice. Allowing women to serve in Navy SEAL, Army Delta or other commando units could hurt their effec veness and lower the standards, and it may drive men away from the dangerous posts. An overwhelming majority of those who agreed to respond to the RAND survey said they believe women don't have the physical strength or mental toughness to do the grueling jobs. Some of the broader conclusions of the survey, taken from May through July 2014, were disclosed by The Associated Press earlier this year, but the detailed results and comments wri en by respondents had not been released. The Pentagon released the summer survey and other documents when Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced last week that he was opening all combat jobs to women. That decision was based on recommenda ons by the military service secretaries and the leaders of the Amy, Navy, Air Force and Special Opera ons Command. Only the Marine Corps asked to exempt women from certain infantry and frontline posi ons, but Carter denied that request. Half the men who got the 46‐ques on survey responded to it, and Rand did not iden fy any of them. In some cases, people who feel most strongly about an issue are more inclined to answer surveys. Some 85 percent of the respondents said they oppose opening the special opera ons jobs to women, and 70 percent oppose having women in their individual units. More than 80 percent said women aren't strong enough and can't handle the demands of the job. And 64 percent said they aren't mentally tough enough. "I could list hundreds of reasons why women cannot do the job that a Green Beret is required to do, but as I only have 1,000 characters, I will choose the one that I think is the most important," said one respondent. "I weigh 225 pounds, and 280 pounds in full kit, as did most of the members of my ODA (a 12‐man Army Green Beret unit). I expect every person on my team to be able to drag any member of my team out of a firefight. A 130 pound female could not do it, I don't care how much me she spends in the gym. Do we expect wounded men to bleed out because a female soldier could not drag him to cover?" Another said poli cians don't win the covert wars. "Gender equality is not an op on when the bullets are flying," he said. "Most males in the area of the world I work in would rather back hand a female than listen to her speak. There is a reason we send men to do these jobs." Some were even more blunt. "No one wants this. Do us a favor and listen to what we are saying for a change. Can Washington really afford to take that risk so poli cians can brag to the public that they brought gender equality to SOF?" said one, who con nued profanely. Some saw it as inevitable. "This integra on will happen eventually and we might as well embrace it while we have current solid leadership and incoming solid leadership at the top to facilitate the transi on," one said. The deep challenges the survey revealed with integra ng women into ght‐knit commando teams are not lost on the Pentagon. Gen. Joseph Votel, head of U.S. Special Opera ons Command, posted a memo and video online last week a er Carter's announcement, explaining the decision and vowing that the qualifying standards for special opera ons jobs will remain the same. He noted that women have already moved into some special opera ons jobs, including as helicopter pilots and crew, members of cultural support teams in Afghanistan and in civil affairs and informa on opera ons. And he added, "If candidates meet me‐tested and scien fically validated standards, and if they have proven that they have the physical, intellectual, professional, and character a ributes that are so cri cal to special opera ons ‐‐ they will be welcomed into the special opera ons forces ranks." The bulk of those who responded to the survey were young, white married men. They worry that having women in their small teams could fuel jealousy at home or create problems with sexual harassment or illicit affairs. And they rely on and trust their teams and units as family. Ninety‐eight percent agreed that their unit is united in trying to accomplish its missions. But when asked whether men and women in a unit would be united to accomplish a mission, only 48 percent said yes. Nearly 33 percent said no, and almost 20 percent were undecided. And nearly 60 percent said they expected that women assigned to their unit would be "treated unfairly" at least some of the me. Some, however, said they might be willing for women to serve in some, more peripheral special opera ons jobs. Several suggested that women could be used as a achments or addi ons to some units, just not as actual members, such as the cultural support jobs they fill now. But that's where they drew the line. "They have no place in a team room. We all know this but nobody has the b(asterisk)(asterisk)(asterisk)s to say it," said one man. "We are hunter killers, we are coarse, we bleed, we get blown up, we fight together. And we do the same with our HN (host na on) counterparts. At the end of the day we want to crack a beer and talk, joke about very unpoli cally correct things. They are not going to feel part of the team. They will feel alienated, and they will be frustrated, and they will be angry. And before you know it the whole team is falling apart."
Page 6 How Special Forces Learn To ‘Train, Advise, Assist’ — Which Is What They’ll Do In Syria
ALEX QUADE Freelance War Reporter12:01 AM 11/06/2015 With the White House sending Special Opera ons Forces to Syria to “train, advise and assist” Syrian rebels against ISIS, The Daily Caller got an exclusive behind‐the‐scenes look at how Green Beret students train for just such a situa on. This reporter went to Fort Bragg’s John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School in North Carolina for two weeks to cover and train with Army Special Forces students trying to earn the coveted Green Beret and Special Forces tab. Part of that me was spent embedded with student A‐Teams in the culmina on exercise to their Special Forces qualifica on course called Robin Sage, where the candidates must put their unconven onal warfare training to the test. The exercise requires Special Forces students to build rapport with people posing as indigenous forces in their fight — the very same type of mission they’ll perform in Syria. Robin Sage is the foremost unconven onal warfare exercise in the world. It tests the Special Forces students as they support guerrilla forces in the fic onal country of “Pineland.” It’s staged over 15 coun es in central North Carolina, and has been used to train students for more than 50 years. “When they come here already, they [have] advanced tac cal and technical proficiency,” said Lt. Col. “Stone,” a Special Forces Assessor playing the role of a guerrilla chief or war lord. “But what they don’t know what to do is teach a bunch of people who have a different culture, maybe a different language, certainly different customs why they have to do something like that and to get folks to go along with American policy, na onal policy, and make it a win‐win situa on for both sides.” More than 1,000 people — instructors, students, volunteers and civilian authori es — par cipate. Local ci zens portray na ves and auxiliary forces, while addi onal service members role‐play opposing and guerrilla forces to depict a realis c unconven onal warfare environment. “If [they] can manage an unconven onal warfare campaign within the poli cal, military and cultural boundaries of the North Carolina ‘Pineland’ scenario, then [they] can handle any unconven onal warfare or foreign internal defense situa on in the world, a er they graduate and become Green Berets,” Major “Derek,” a Special Forces Company Commander explained while in Diyala Province, Iraq in 2007, during coverage of real‐world A‐Team missions. Major “Derek” had been a Special Forces instructor previously, and recommended covering Robin Sage to learn more about one of the core Green Beret missions: unconven onal warfare. “There’s a lot of dilemmas out here that they put us in,” Captain “Jarrod,” a Special Forces student, told TheDC. “We have to think through the solu ons, and those effects that your ac ons could cause.” “Is that the key — the ‘thinking’ part? Since your soon‐to‐be A‐Team brothers downrange are known for thinking outside the box, and having very li le to work with?” TheDC asked Captain “Jarrod” during the war game scenario. “I would certainly say it is,” he replied. This intense training exercise runs eight mes per year; the next itera on begins a er Veterans Day next week across North Carolina. McCain: Halt Army Handgun Program, Choose the Bullet First
U.S. Army Sgt. Felipe A. Montoya qualifies with the M9 Bere a pistol during a live fire exercise event of the U.S. Army’s Best Warrior Compe on, at Fort A.P. Hill, Va., Oct. 6, 2015. (U.S. Army photo by Henrique Luiz de Holleben) Oct 31, 2015 | by Ma hew Cox Sen. John McCain is recommending at the U.S. Army throw out its current plan to replace the M9 service pistol un l it can decide upon a specific caliber and type of ammuni on soldiers need. The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Commi ee blasted the Army's Modular Handgun System, or MHS, effort in the latest in his "America's Most Wanted: Indefensible" report series. The Oct. 29 report cri cizes the effort as a "costly misfire" and maintains that the Army has taken "10 years and wasted poten ally tens of millions of dollars in order to purchase simple handguns." McCain says the Army needs to select the caliber it wants for a new sidearm before going any further with the effort. Army formally launched its XM17 MHS compe on to replace the M9 9mm pistol in late August by offering gun makers the chance to supply the service with a new pistol and the ammo to go with it. "The Army plans to conduct ‘an open caliber compe on,’ which means the choice of caliber is le up to the discre on of industry. But the caliber of the cartridge and the type of bullet it launches is arguably the most important performance component of the handgun," the report states. "The Army should suspend or cancel the current [request for proposal] un l it can conduct a caliber study to determine what caliber and cartridge is op mum for the next handgun to meet current and emerging threats." Meanwhile, the Army maintains that it adopted the requirement for a new modular handgun from the Air Force in October 2013. In January
Page 7 2014, based on valida on that both requirements and adequate resources existed, the Army ini ated the XM17 MHS program, according to a wri en response by Army spokesman Lt. Col. Jesse Stalder. "The Modular Handgun System Acquisi on Strategy has been designed to afford all poten al vendors the maximum opportunity to submit mul ple proposals, featuring both the handgun and ammuni on, to promote considera on of a wide‐range of available technologies," said Stalder. "The Army has used the past 16 months to gather extensive market research and industry feedback before releasing the final RFP. Many small arms vendors had requested an itera ve and deliberate process featuring mul ple industry days and dra RFPs in order to give the Army feedback on MHS requirements and the compe on." One of the major goals of the MHS effort is to adopt a pistol chambered for a more potent round than the current 9mm, weapons officials said. The U.S. military replaced the .45 caliber 1911 pistol with the M9 in 1985 and began using the 9mm NATO round at that me. MHS is set to cost at least $350 million and poten ally millions more if it results in the selec on of a more potent pistol caliber, sources said. The compe on will also evaluate expanding or fragmen ng ammuni on, such as hollow‐point bullets, that have been used by law enforcement agencies for years. Earlier this summer, the Army's dra solicita on cited a new Defense Department policy that allows for the use of "special purpose ammuni on." The winner will have to be able to deliver 6,300 full‐size pistols per month within a year and 3,000 compact pistols per month with in a year, according to the RFP. The winning contractor will have to be able to ramp up to delivering 2.8 million rounds of ball ammuni on per month within three years and 1.6 million rounds of special‐purpose ammuni on per month within three years, according the RFP. "One of the principles of a commercial‐off‐the‐shelf acquisi on is that the government must be clear on what it is seeking to buy. This lack of clarity will likely result in top handgun makers not compe ng as many of them are not large defense contractors, which means that our soldiers won't necessarily get the best handgun that commercial industry has to offer," the report states. "Or perhaps that's the whole point, and the Army already has a preferred outcome in mind and is just going through the mo ons with this 'compe on.' By purchasing both handguns and ammuni on from a single vendor on a single contract, the total value of which could exceed $1.2B, the Army's selec on process favors larger companies over smaller ones and increases the risk that the Army will not select the best performing weapon, ammuni on, silencer, holster and training system components available." Current plans call for the Army to purchase more than 280,000 full‐size handguns and 7,000 compact versions, Army officials maintain. The other military services par cipa ng in the MHS program may order an addi onal 212,000 systems above the Army quan ty. As an alterna ve, McCain suggests that Army units be allowed to choose their own handguns as long as they are already in the inventory. "The easiest solu on would be to allow Army divisions or even brigade combat teams to select from handguns, ammuni on and accessories that are already tested, approved and are being used in combat by units within the U.S. Special Opera ons Command and the Joint Special Opera ons Command," according to the report. "The rela vely low unit price and low quan ty of issue at the brigade and division level would save many millions in acquisi on costs and bureaucracy and get new handguns to the troops three years earlier than the current plan. The Army already does this for eyewear through the Authorized Protec ve Eyewear List (APEL) where lower level Army units can order from over thirty different types of commercial protec ve eyeglasses."
US Army Scores 'Weak' in Think Tank's Review of Military Power
Stars and Stripes | Oct 30, 2015 | by John Vandiver A smaller U.S. Army, stretched too thin to fight two wars simultaneously, was judged "weak" in an annual assessment of U.S. military power issued by a conserva ve think tank. The declining state of the overall readiness of the force ‐‐ a situa on leaders from all military branches have long warned was reaching crisis levels ‐‐ was a major factor in the poor scorecard, according to the Heritage Founda on’s 2016 Index of Military Strength, released Wednesday. "The U.S. does not have the right force to meet a two‐major regional con ngency requirement and is not ready to carry out its du es effec vely," said the Founda on, which is o en cri cal of the Obama administra on. "Consequently, the U.S. risks seeing its interests increasingly challenged and the world order it has led since World War II undone." The two‐major con ngency requirement refers to the ability to respond to two regional conflicts simultaneously. While the U.S. enjoys overwhelming military superiority on the world stage and is unmatched in its ability to deploy forces across the globe, Heritage concluded the military is in a con nuing state of decline. "Threats against American interests are stronger and more numerous than a year ago; key regions are more unstable, and our military capabili es have weakened further over the past year," Dakota Wood, senior editor of the Index, said Wednesday. "These are very disturbing trends." North Korea was singled out as a “severe” threat to U.S. interests, followed by Russia, China and terrorism out of Afghanistan/Pakistan, which all rated "high." Terrorist organiza ons from the Middle East, where groups such as the Islamic State group operate, was called an “elevated”
Page 8 threat with only “aspira onal” capacity to threaten the U.S. The Army, which Heritage rated as marginal last year, was singled out as a service in a state of serious decline. In the Heritage Founda on’s, the key tes ng factor was each service’s ability to respond to two regional conflicts simultaneously, a long‐standing military objec ve that Pentagon officials in recent years have acknowledged difficulty mee ng. Rather than being able to fight two large‐scale wars, the Pentagon’s 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review modified that demand, requiring that the military "be capable of defea ng a regional adversary in a large‐scale mul ‐phased campaign, and denying the objec ves of – or imposing unacceptable costs on – a second aggressor in another region." The Army in par cular is unprepared for such a con ngency, according to the Heritage Founda on. Degraded readiness, fewer troops and a reduc on in brigade combat teams were cited as main areas of concern, the founda on found. In an analysis of past conflicts, the Army on average commits 21 brigade combat teams for a major conflict, which means mee ng two conflicts simultaneously would require 42 brigades available for use. However, the Army brigade restructuring cuts the number of BCTs from 38 to 32. Moreover, as of March only 12 ac ve brigades were ready for ac on and only three ready for "decisive" ac on, the Army reported at the me. "With this in mind, actual readiness is therefore likely dangerously close to nearing a state of 'very weak,'" the Heritage Founda on concluded. Degraded readiness also was a factor for the Navy and Marines, which received overall "marginal" scores, the same as last year. That puts them in the middle of a five‐point scale ranging from very weak to very strong. With the con nued decline in the Navy’s fleet size, poor readiness assessments and uncertain funding increases, "the Navy’s score could degrade to ‘weak’ in the near future if it does not reverse course," the report said. A lone bright spot in the Heritage analysis was the capacity of the Air Force, which received a ra ng of "very strong." With about 1,113 fighter aircra , the force has the air power needed to fight two regional conflicts. S ll, aging equipment and readiness concerns resulted in an overall “marginal” score, down from last year’s "strong" ra ng.
US‐Backed Syrian Rebel Group on Verge of Collapse
Stars and Stripes | Dec 14, 2015 | by Slobodan Lekic IRBID, Jordan ‐‐ The main Western‐backed Arab rebel group in Syria appears on the verge of collapse because of low morale, deser ons, and distrust of its leaders by the rank and file, threatening U.S. efforts to put together a ground force capable of defea ng the Islamic State and nego a ng an end to the Syrian civil war. "A er five years of this war, the people are just red ... and so are our fighters," said Jaseen Salabeh, a volunteer in the Free Syrian Army, which was formed in September 2011 by defectors from the army of Syrian President Bashar Assad. The Free Syrian Army, or FSA, some of whose members are trained by the Central Intelligence Agency, is the biggest and most secular of the scores of rebel groups figh ng the Assad government. Although defea ng the Islamic State is the focus of Western a en on, the U.S. believes there can be no las ng peace in Syria, and no elimina on of the Islamic State there, as long as Assad remains in power. In order to deal with both the Islamic State and the future of Assad, Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov have brokered a plan to bring the Syrian government, which Russia supports, and all "moderate" rebel groups to the nego a ng table in Vienna next month. The aim is to build a coali on to wage a counterterrorism campaign against the Islamic State militants and prepare for democra c elec ons within the next 18 months. With an es mated 35,000 fighters, the FSA remains the biggest rebel group and is a key element in the U.S. strategy. Islamic State fighters are believed to number about 30,000 but spread over a wider area of both Syria and Iraq. If the FSA can't be relied on as a strong partner, however, the U.S. and its Western partners would have to turn to an assortment of smaller hardline Islamic mili as ‐‐ backed by Saudi Arabia and Qatar ‐‐ that the West fears are too militant to reconcile with the secular government. Kurdish rebels, known as the YPG, have fought well in Kurdish areas but are not considered a viable op on in Arab parts of the country. Unlike the Islamic State and other more extremist groups, however, the FSA has failed to achieve any significant victories or create a "liberated" zone of its own. On many occasions, its former fighters say, FSA units have cooperated closely with the al‐Qaida‐linked Nusra Front, which is strong in the north and shares the same ba lespace as the FSA in southern Syria. "The lack of ba lefield success has mi gated against them," Ed Blanche, a Beirut‐based member of London's Interna onal Ins tute for Strategic Studies and an expert on Middle Eastern wars, said of the FSA. "They haven't been ge ng significant (outside) support because they haven't been showing results." Among other problems, Salabeh and others say, FSA fighters are losing faith in their own leaders. "They regularly steal our salaries," said Salabeh, who came to this city in northern Jordan a er being wounded in ba le and now intends to stay here. "We're supposed to get $400 a month, but we only actually receive $100." He also complained of lack of support for those killed or wounded in ba le. Fighters who lost legs in the figh ng were reduced to begging inside the massive refugee camps in northern Jordan.
Page 9 "If somebody is wounded, they just dump him in Jordan and abandon him," he said. "Widows of martyred fighters also receive nothing a er their deaths." As a result, many FSA men in southern Syria were abandoning the group, usually leaving for Jordan or joining the es mated 15,000‐strong Nusra Front, according to Saleh and other Syrians interviewed in northern Jordan. By contrast, the Nusra Front reportedly pays its fighters $1,000 a month and cares for its wounded members, paying their medical bills and providing for the families of those killed in combat. The situa on has go en so bad, Salabeh said, that some FSA fighters are ques oning the reason for con nuing the conflict. He said a growing number believe the me has come for a cease‐fire, even it means coopera ng with Assad. "A er all, Bashar isn't all that bad," Salabeh said. Karim Jamal Sobeihi, a refugee from southern Syria and a self‐described FSA supporter, said the opposi on's main problem was that various groups owed their allegiance to foreign governments that provide the money and, therefore, the rebels cannot agree on unified posi ons. This included the FSA, which itself consists of many different fac ons, he said. That made the radicals ‐‐ with their Islamist ideology and independent streak ‐‐ more a rac ve to those willing to fight the regime, he said. "There is total disunity. Syria has become a ba leground for America, Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and other countries and terrorists of all kinds," Sobeihi said. Analysts in Jordan and Lebanon, which both host huge numbers of Syrian refugees, have blamed the FSA for allowing the revolu on that broke out in early 2011, to be taken over by hardline jihadist groups. Hisham Jaber, a re red Lebanese general and military analyst, said the interna onal focus on figh ng the Islamic State rather than ous ng Assad indicates the West and its Arab allies recognize that Assad cannot be overthrown by military means ‐‐ especially a er Russia's interven on on the Syrian president's behalf. This has in turn demoralized FSA troops, Jaber told Stars and Stripes during an interview in Beirut. He said FSA units in both the north and south were coopera ng more closely with the be er‐organized and be er‐funded Nusra Front, regardless of its al‐Qaida connec ons. "In contrast, Nusra is winning the hearts and minds of the people, and posi oning themselves as moderates despite their al‐Qaida links," said Elias Hanna, a former Lebanese general and professor of geopoli cs at the American University of Beirut.
Obama has the wrong strategy on Syria by Pete Hoekstra November 11, 2015 Sports are trivial compared to ma ers of war and peace, but some parallels apply. One of which is calling me‐outs when opponents seize the momentum. It creates space to regroup and revisit strategies and tac cs that will blunt the advances and regain the offensive. The U.S. could use a breather to regroup and revisit strategies and tac cs in its war against radical Islam. No, war is most definitely not a sport. It is a life‐and‐death struggle for survival, and that's why it is so important to reassess why and how we are losing so badly.
Wakil Kohsar | AFP | Ge y Images
The pressing need for a me‐out became apparent with the administra on's recent pivot to becoming more ac ve in the Syrian conflict by sending boots on the ground and addi onal quan es and quality of weapons systems into the combat zone. It should provide an opportunity to pause and reflect before rushing ahead without a clear vision of the intended result. Sending 50 special opera ons personnel into a conflict with no clear objec ve can almost be characterized as criminal malfeasance because it is so totally inappropriate and ineffec ve. The administra on miscalculated nearly every situa on in the ba le against jihadists, largely because of feel‐good poli cs that say the enemy will become a friend if only we extend a warm embrace. In every case – Yemen, Egypt, Libya and Syria – the U.S. sided with the wrong groups and further destabilized the Middle East and northern Africa. President Obama failed to support Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh in the 2011 Arab Spring uprising among al‐Qaeda‐linked rebels. The country has now a plunged into a ravaging civil war fought by Saudi Arabian and Iranian proxies. He and his advisers allowed the Muslim Brotherhood to remove long me Egyp an President and U.S. ally Hosni Mubarak from power, even invi ng members of the terrorist group to sit in the front row of his historic outreach speech to the Muslim world in Cairo. In Libya, the U.S. trained, funded and supplied weapons to Islamist terror groups with American blood on their hands to depose dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who from 2003 to 2011 sided with the U.S. in the fight against jihadists. Syria may serve as the most drama c example of where the U.S. armed and equipped a group that would develop into a JV team — as iden fied by Obama — to a varsity team, and now a professional team that controls great swaths of land and has established a caliphate in the Middle East. Current leadership remains impervious to allowing itself to modify whatever it calls its strategy these days. Imagine a sports team taking the court, field or ice on a playbook filled with empty phrases such as "leading from behind" or prac cing "strategic pa ence." Republicans in Congress are faced with li le else other than to minimize the damage that the administra on may cause over the final 14 months that it remains in power. There's no doubt that urgent steps are needed to face the enemy in Syria and Iraq, and that flailing is not a plan.
Page 10 Let's engage in an informed and legi mate discussion about how best to move forward and recognize that 14 years a er the Sept. 11 a acks, the world and America are less safe than they were then. We can find common ground in agreeing that poli cs have no room in foreign policy. We need to recognize the reality of the threat from radical Islam, that it will be an enduring conflict, that there are no easy decisions and that mistakes have and will be made. The point is to acquire knowledge and insight from them and apply it to future endeavors. The least that the administra on can do is to reveal its thinking and how it incorporates the lessons learned seven years into the presidency prior to commi ng more service men and women, weaponry and financial resources into Syria. Revising strategies and tac cs without pausing to reflect on the broader goal will not result in winning because nobody knows what they are doing or how to envision success. Just as sports teams recognize the poten ally game‐changing benefit of calling me‐outs, failing to do so in ma ers of warfare is a surefire way to con nue losing. Army Has 50,000 Ac ve Soldiers Who Can't Deploy, Top NCO Says
A sea of U.S. Army soldiers salute during the 1st Armored Division's 2nd Brigade uncasing ceremony held on Baumholder's Minick Field, Germany, June 5, 2009. Sgt. Brandon Moreno/Army photo Nov 25, 2015 | by Ma hew Cox The U.S. Army's top enlisted soldier said the number‐one readiness problem facing the service is that the ac ve component ‐‐ the most deployable force ‐‐ has 50,000 soldiers who can't deploy. That figure represents the largest number of non‐deployable soldiers in all three components of the service. The Na onal Guard has 28,000 non‐deployable soldiers and the Reserve component has 25,000, according to Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel Dailey's office. Having 50,000 non‐deployable, ac ve soldiers is comparable to three of the Army's 10 ac ve combat divisions, Dailey told a group of sergeants recently at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, according to an Army press release. "That's huge. That's three out of the 10 divisions," he said. "If you will not or cannot fight and win, then there's no place for you in the Army. We have to become unemo onal about this. We have a job to do." Dailey's comments come at a me when President Barack Obama is under enormous pressure to commit some type of ground force to the Middle East to fight extremists from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS. Just days a er ISIS a acked mul ple civilian targets in Paris, Republican Sen. John McCain and GOP presiden al candidate Sen. Lindsey Graham made a renewed push for commi ng thousands of U.S. ground forces to lead a ground war against ISIS forces occupying large por ons of Iraq and Syria. The ac ve Army is on a path to reduce its size from 490,000 to 450,000 by fiscal 2018. In total, the Army's ac ve, Guard and Reserve force 102,499 soldiers from all ranks that were non‐deployable for medical, legal, or other administra ve reasons as of mid‐August, according to Master Sgt. Michelle Johnson, spokeswoman for Dailey, adding that that number is about 10 percent of the total force, Johnson said. This group of non‐deployable soldiers does not include soldiers who are transients between duty sta ons, trainees or students who make up approximately another 10 percent of the force, Johnson said. Total Army non‐deployable numbers have been steadily declining over the past five years. In September 2013, approximately 14 percent of the then‐total Army was non‐deployable, Johnson said. As a possible solu on, Dailey is proposing to Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley that in the future, there should be a box to check on the soldier's evalua on form, indica ng if that soldier is deployable, according to the Army release. Soldiers with long‐term medical profiles would be cri cally evaluated against their ability to recover and be deployable if called, under his proposal. Dailey said he wants to incen vize deployments by increasing deployment pay and offering more promo on opportuni es. Of the 50,000 non‐deployable soldiers in the ac ve component, about 44,000 are enlisted, 4,000 are commissioned officers and 1,000 are warrant officers. Medical reasons make up the largest category for non‐deployable status, Johnson said. The breakdown for Guard and Reserve components was not available, but on the ac ve side, roughly 37,000 of the 50,000 non‐deployable soldiers are unavailable for medical reasons. Medical reasons are broken into three categories. About 27 percent of the 37,000 are in Category 1, which accounts for short‐term medical profiles under 30 days. About 50 percent of the 37,000 fall under Category 2, which accounts for injuries that require more than 30 days of recovery ‐‐ such as a soldier that was playing basketball and tore his ACL and needs surgery, Johnson said. "The recovery me is three months. He is not going to be discharged from the Army but requires me to recover and do physical therapy," Johnson said. And about 23 percent of the 37,000 fall under Category 3, which applies to significant injuries such as a soldier wounded by an improvised explosive device or injured in a car accident, Johnson said. "Even if it's determined that due to medical, administra ve or legal reasons, a soldier can no longer con nue their service in uniform, these soldiers will be treated with dignity, respect and professionalism because we see them as soldiers for life," Johnson said.
VA Seeks To Remove Net Worth Repor ng For Healthcare Benefits Oct 19, 2015 | by Jim Absher The VA has proposed removing the net worth repor ng requirement for veterans seeking VA healthcare.
Page 11 In a proposal scheduled to be filed in the Federal Register on October 20, the VA seeks to make permanent its temporary prac ce of not requiring a veteran to submit a net‐worth statement when they apply for healthcare. The VA will also no longer require annual net‐worth statements from veterans who are currently enrolled in its healthcare programs. When a veteran is determined eligible for VA healthcare they are assigned a priority group based on the severity of their disability and ability to pay for care. There are 8 possible priority groups with group 1 being the highest. See our VA Health Care Eligibility page for details. The priority groups determine what types of care veterans are eligible for and whether or not they are required to pay co‐pays for treatment and prescrip ons. When making a priority group determina on, the VA puts the veteran in the highest category possible a er examining several factors including: the type of disability the severity of the disability service‐connec on of the disability combat service yearly income net worth
A visitor leaves the Sacramento Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Rancho Cordova, Calif., on April 2, 2015. Rich Pedroncelli/AP In 2013, the VA stopped requiring annual net‐worth financial statements from veterans who were receiving healthcare and only required a net‐worth financial statement as part of an original applica on for VA healthcare. In March of this year, the VA announced it would stop requiring net‐worth financial statements from new enrollees as well, ci ng wording in the law that says VA can "use its discre on when requiring financial statements of a veteran's net worth". The VA now seeks to remove any wording in the law related to its collec on of net‐worth data to prevent any confusion and make it permanently easier for veterans to receive free healthcare. The VA es mates that removing the net‐worth repor ng requirement will move 53,000 veterans to a higher priority group this year. Over five years, the VA expects that 135,000 veterans who previously were ineligible for healthcare would be able to enroll in the VA health care system because of this change. Depending on public comments received by the VA, the change is scheduled to become effec ve December 19 of this year.
Army's 5th Special Forces Group to Resurrect Vietnam‐Era Beret Flash
The Army's 5th Special Forces Group's exis ng beret flash (le ) is a black shield‐shaped embroidered item with a semicircular base. The new flash (right) reverts back to include alterna ng yellow and scarlet stripes. (Army Ins tute of Heraldry) Dec 01, 2015 | by Bryant Jordan The 5th Special Forces Group is headed back to its Vietnam past for its future beret flash. The all‐black U‐shaped shield it has worn on its Green Berets since the mid‐1980s is being re red in favor of the Vietnam‐era flash that was both a nod toward the Republic of Vietnam as well as the two Special Forces groups that preceded the 5th into the war. "We are going to be rever ng back to what we wore during the Vietnam conflict," Sgt. Jacob Mahaffey, a spokesman for the group, told Military.com. "It may be in the April or May me frame." An announcement posted Nov. 18 on Facebook noted the change would occur during a March 23 ceremony at Gabriel Field, Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Mahaffey said the date is subject to change and that the service would likely announce a date certain this week. "Everyone I've talked to around here is fine with" the change, he said. "A lot of the older guys I've talked to, the veterans, are really excited about it. It means more to the group than the solid black." Cliff Newman, execu ve director of the Special Forces Associa on, said 2016 will be "the 55th anniversary of the 5th Special Forces Group, and this change is to honor that history and especially those who did not return." Re red Col. John Tobin, president of the associa on, said the change was done "within the 5th SFGA [Airborne] and the Regiment." "I would not presume to speak for the ac ve duty troops concerning the ma er," he wrote in an email. Within the SF community, there is disagreement over the colors and pa ern of the Vietnam Era flash ‐‐ three red stripes divided and bordered by yellow stripes. The scheme is same as the flag of the Republic of Vietnam. But the associa on states the yellow and red stripes pay honor to the 1st and 7th Special Forces Groups, respec vely, which deployed to Vietnam prior to the 5th going over in 1964 ‐‐ not the flag. When the band was struck from the flash in the mid‐80s, however, it was 5th SFG Commander Col. James Guest who a ributed the colors and pa ern to the South Vietnamese flag.
Page 12 Guest argued that the colors of another country's flag should not be part of a Special Forces flash and also pointed out that the flag and the Republic of Vietnam no longer existed,according to a pos ng on the website ProfessionalSoldiers.com, which cites as its source the 1990 book, "Special Forces of the U.S. Army," by Ian Sutherland. On the same website, which is mostly private, one writer said the only reason he could think of for the change "is that Hollywood has made that flash famous." "People that have no idea who the [Green Berets] are or what Special Forces is recognize that flash" from movies, wrote someone iden fied as Team Sergeant. "If that's what 5th SFG (A)'s leadership thinks is important, that's their business," wrote another commenter iden fied as Peregrino. "Personally, I think it's indefensible (translated as "stupid beyond belief") but then what do I know. A er all, I le 5th for 7th in 1983 and never looked back." But if history ‐‐ in par cular Vietnam history ‐‐ at the heart of it, wrote another iden fied as CW3SF, "20 yrs from now they will have to bring back the black flash for all of the [Global War on Terror] vets.
Happy New Year
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Chapter XVI Special Forces Associa on Quartermasters Store
The Quartermasters Store has Special Forces Crest Uniform and Blazer Bu ons for Sale. They can replace the Army Dress Uniform or the SF Associa on Blazer Bu ons. They really look sharp. The Bu ons are $5.00 a piece. A set of 4 Large and 6 small are $50.00. If you would like them mailed there is a shipping and handling cost of $4.50. We also have a number of other Items of SF interest. We also have SF T‐Shirts, hats, jackets, SFA Flashes, SF Door Knockers, Belt Buckles, Money clips and numerous other Items of Special Forces interest.
1st SFG(A) Ar facts
The current 1st SFG(A) Commander is solici ng support from former 1st SFG(A) unit members for dona on of ar facts that could be displayed in the units Regimental Mess area at Fort Lewis. He has his PAO officer working on the project and he is asking for items that could be secured in display cabinets for viewing by guests who use the facility for ceremonies, re rements and other ac vi es. Hank Cramer is planning to donate some uniform items that his dad wore in Vietnam and others from SFA Chapter and First In Asia Associa on are pu ng out feelers to our community. If interested, please contact Major Jason Waggoner at [email protected]
Looking For Historical 10th SFG(A) Items ‐ Assistance Requested ‐ for Group Foyer POCs: SSG Ryan Sabin OR Andy Tyler Public Affairs NCOIC [email protected] 10th SFG (A) 719‐524‐4528 [email protected] We are looking for any historical items and photos that will cover the following areas. I a ached the history outline that we will be following. These items will be used in the HHC foyer and we are trying to tell the 10th SFG(A) story. ‐ 1952‐ Ac va on of 10th SFG (A) ‐ 1953‐ Bad Tolz ‐ 1954‐1955 Authoriza on of the wear of the Green Beret ‐ 1962‐ CPT Roger Pezzelle Trojan Horse Unit Insignia ‐ SF Soldiers opera ng in; western and eastern Europe, clandes ne organiza ons in England, France, Norway, Germany, Greece, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Pakistan, Iran, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. ‐ Fort Devens ‐ JOINT ENDEAVOR and PROVIDE COMFORT ‐ Opera on Desert Storm ‐ Panzer Kaserne ‐ Task Force Viking
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I am delighted to invite you to join me in I am looking forward to seeing you all enjoy celebra ng the recent publica on of my and share my work. book. Titled “To Order” Captain Ron Books will be sold for $66.00 + $20.00 Flying Life’s Longitudes and Latitudes Shipping. The book Explores the fascina ng life and Call (253) 670‐2760 Or mes of Ron Rismon. E‐mail: [email protected] Page 15