issue 12

Leading the undersea enterprise into the future IN THIS ISSUE 2 WORDS TO THE FORCE Adm. Eric T. Olson talks about SOCOM and the Force Formula for success 4 MAKING HISTORY ONE DAY AT A TIME Women fill critical military roles and their missions are growing The Understand, 5 IRONING OUT THE ISSUES 2011 Navy SOCOM talks 6 THE DEEP END Adapt, The future of NSWG-3 and a look at SDV missions 13 EXTENDING A WELCOMING HAND Way Evolve. ISMO recognized for work with foreign military students Articles in this issue of Ethos provide context for some of the 14 LACK OF CULTURAL EXPERTISE, LANGUAGE SKILLS: AN changes SOF is seeing and the adjustments and shifts our operators are being asked to make as our adversaries and the battlefields OBSTACLE TO SUCCESS - THEN AND NOW change. The articles are intended to enhance understanding of How LREC enhances operational effectiveness Ahead the evolving art of war as we are experiencing it today and garner support for the way ahead. 16 COMMANDER’S GUIDANCE Front and center, USSOCOM Adm. Eric Olson has authored Rear Adm. Edward G. Winters discusses the way ahead an article, sharing with us his take on NSW, where we are now and where we need to go. It is reflective of some of his recent 19 ONE SHOT, ONE KILL communications to us in his published guidance for 2011, his VTC The path and mindset of NSW snipers and All Hands calls with the NSW HQ and our components, the Much has SOCOM-Navy Talks, and in the SOF posture statement he delivered 22 MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS TEAMS been written to the Senate Armed Service Committee earlier this year. It is a about the growing terrific article that everyone in the NSW family should read! Behind the scenes, MCT members keep comms flowing dependence I have included in this Ethos issue, the unclassified version of my 24 SCAN EAGLE GET A NEW EYE on Special Operations Forces (SOF) and the Commander’s Guidance to NSW leadership and the Force. The unique capabilities we bring to the fight. While we intent is to give you and your families an idea of where I believe Upgrades to Scan Eagle increase range and use will always excel in our core competencies – special we are going and what I believe is important. Unfortunately, some reconnaissance (SR), direct action (DA), counter terrorism aspects of NSW cannot be covered here because of classification 26 FAR AWAY FROM HOME (CT), guerrilla warfare, and Foreign Internal Defense/Security requirements; those of you who can log on to SIPR Net have access At home, strong families are the backbone of Sailors forward Force Assistance (FID/SFA)-- prioritization of these competencies to the complete guidance. The future is unknown but as always, will change from day to day, year to year, decade to decade, we will do what our country needs us to do. You can be sure that 27 MERGING FOUNDATIONS depending on what our nation needs at the time. Over the past because of NSW’s character, courage, warrior ethos and problem Naval Special Warfare Foundation merges with SEAL Warrior Fund ten years, we have been engaged in the DA mission set at levels solving determination, the nation will depend on NSW to do those SOF has not seen since the Vietnam War. However, steadily over things that are most difficult – WE MUST ALWAYS BE PREPARED 28 CAREER MATTERS this same time frame, we have moved back toward a FID/SFA TO DO THOSE THINGS THAT OTHERS CANNOT DO! environment. The DA mission gave our nation the space needed Center for SEAL/SWCC aids in career management There is a terrific update on the realignment of our undersea to execute a FID/SFA strategy and is enabling our partners in the capabilities in Hawaii. The missions that SEAL Delivery Vehicle fight to take on a lead. This was exactly the plan. Team One (SDVT-1) is doing are simply amazing; unfortunately, 32 TROPHIES OF WAR In this long-term, global fight we will not win by solely you won’t be able to read about that in this publication because of Winner takes all mentality no longer acceptable practice “shooting” our way to success. To enable success, our senior their classification. However, if you knew what they were doing, the leaders correctly stress the need for a more persistent presence, feeling that would come to you immediately would be “PRIDE.” building stronger relationships and bettering our understanding of From both all-hands calls and spouse calls, there have been not only the geographic terrain, but also the human terrain. These numerous questions about our foreign language program. For are the cornerstones of a successful FID/SFA strategy. We must good information on the development of our program, see the two ON YOUR MIND evolve and apply what has been our legacy to our future; we must examples of where we are realigning and shifting to reinvest in develop a better understanding of the cultures, languages and priorities. 30 WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME? customs of the people who live where we operate. This is a tall From a tactical perspective, see the sniper, mobile An essay on wanting more from yourself and your teammates order when so much is already asked of the force; however, this communications teams and Scan Eagle articles – all good stuff. is an order that only SOF can answer. It is also an order that will Lastly, our Family Support Program and its new initiatives are 31 WAR OF THE FLEA have far reaching historical consequences if it is not answered. highlighted as well as the merging of two very influential not-for- A book review of Robert Taber’s classic study of guerilla warfare There will be challenges and sacrifices ahead. I have pushed profit support programs – the NSW Foundation and the Navy because there is criticality in what’s being asked of us; I am SEAL Warrior Fund. These two organizations have joined forces to confident because I have seen and I know what you are capable become the Navy SEAL Foundation whose members are poised of. I know you will succeed because you are driven by a greater and ready to provide our community with an even more robust calling. It’s bigger than the human ego, bigger than the Team, support system than before. To the Foundation – thank you for your bigger than NSW, and bigger than the U.S. military as a whole. COMMANDER > Rear Adm. Edward Winters ASSOCIATE EDITOR > Ms. Mandy McCammon generous and continued support. FORCE PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER > Capt. William Fenick PRODUCTION MANAGER > MC2 (SW/AW) John Scorza I am talking about our national security, and for that matter, the The thing I like most about being a part of NSW is that I get to DEP. PAO/EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS > Lt. Cate Wallace STAFF > MC2 (SW/AW) Sarah E. Bitter, MC2 (SW) Shauntae Hinkle-Lymas, security of our world. Today more than ever, it is depending on go to work with heroes every day! To each and every one of you, a DEP. PAO/INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS > Ms. Patricia O’Connor MC2 (SW/AW) Dominique Lasco, MC2 (SW/AW) Erika Manzano SOF and our success. THIS IS IMPORTANT! most sincere “Thank You!” EDITOR > MCCS (SW/AW) Michael Raney ISSUE 12 > January - March 2011

Ethos is an official production of the Naval Special Warfare Command Public Affairs Office, 2000 Trident Way, San Diego, CA 92155-5599. STAFF Send electronic submissions and correspondence to [email protected] or call (619) 522-2825.

ETHOSETHOS 11 Ultimately, we will regard combat as the result of our failure develop local training ranges, to improve the levels of Service- to prevent it. It will be, more than ever, up to SOF to serve in provided capabilities to our force, to expand our inventory the prevention role through continuous presence in potential of mobility and ISR assets, and to recognize, increase and trouble spots. We will be expected to anticipate emerging incentivize many non-traditional skills as essential military conflicts. Our value is in both the high level of our skills and requirements. These efforts will improve capabilities and our bold and non-traditional methods of applying them. relieve pressure on a heavily committed force. There is more WORDS TO THE FORCE In order to be even more effective in the coming “new that can be done, and each of your ideas is potentially quite normal,” we must revise some of our training and upgrade important to arriving at solutions that are more complete. Adm. Eric T. Olson, some of our equipment. First and always, we must select, As an NSW operator and commander (and as the 14th screen and retain the right people for duty in SOF. Bull Frog), I am fiercely confident that you will rise to future commander, USSOCOM, Our training (and education) will have to include micro- challenges. Individually and collectively, you will meet and regional expertise, language skills and cross-cultural exceed our highest expectations. You will persevere against discusses where we’ve come communications. We must be able to teach, and to teach all odds, fight with honor and lead each other to victory. You from, finding solutions for our others how to teach. As we are much more likely to be in a will remain humble and eager, and you will serve as models of multi-Service environment, our tactical training must include courage and character. challenges and where the force joint operations early and often. You should take time to study our history, because our spirit Our man-carried equipment needs to be lighter, more can be traced back to the Office of Strategic Services, Scouts is heading in the future. rugged and more reliable. Our air, ground and maritime and Raiders, Navy Combat Demolition Units and the Frogmen platforms must give us more range and payload with reduced of the Underwater Demolition Teams. Before Afghanistan and acoustic, visual and radar signatures. Because we have Iraq, our mettle was tested on the beaches of Normandy, the As I look back on 38 years of service Over the last decade, the United States Special Operations learned the true value of advanced technologies, our radio rugged coastlines of Korea, the rivers and jungles of Vietnam, in the Naval Special Warfare and joint Command has doubled the size of its force, tripled its budget, and network communications must provide the speed and the deserts of Kuwait, the streets of Mogadishu and in dozens special operations communities, I am and more than quadrupled its overseas deployments. On bandwidth necessary to pass all information in real time. Our of other well known and lesser known conflicts. struck by my good fortune to have lived, an average day, over 12,500 special operators from across weapons systems will have to give us improved accuracy Future conflicts will bring a similar need for audacity, but worked and fought with such a high quality USSOCOM’s service components and sub-unified commands and dependability without increasing weight or complexity. they will also bring a need for wisdom. Whether conducting a force. You are truly remarkable in your are deployed to 70 countries, only two of which have ongoing Specific to NSW, we have already begun the design process precision raid, organizing a village police force, arranging for physical toughness, creativity, tenacity, spirit and courage. combat operations. As force levels eventually draw down for our next generation of surface and sub-surface craft. a new school or clinic, or partnering with host nation security You have rightfully earned your place on the battlefield and in Iraq and Afghanistan, I am convinced that the unique As always, our real capability will depend on the quality of forces, you will do so in a manner that yields impressive in the history books. Your successes have generated great capabilities of Naval Special Warfare will remain key to many the people who serve in our ranks. Our selection and initial effects. Your impact will be far greater than your relative demand for your capabilities, and I am more convinced than of our military’s most effective strategies. Every Geographic training programs must both ensure we have the right people numbers. ever that your operational employment will remain high. In Combatant Commander recognizes the high value of NSW and prepare them for a career in a demanding, unpredictable, Usama Bin Laden’s death was a remarkable testament to the joint world of special operations, Naval Special Warfare units, regardless of size, operating in their theaters. It is up to wide-ranging profession. Our operators will have to reject joint special operations planning and execution. SEALs are will remain a leader of technical innovation and tactical us to ensure that we are meeting their needs. comfort and glory in order to accomplish their missions. rightfully the focus of much attention for that raid, but it is not application. SEAL operators, Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Understanding that our people must balance their personal lost on anyone in our community that more than two dozen The last decade has been one of war. Most NSW Crewmen, and all other members of NSW represent some of and professional lives, we must relentlessly pursue programs other joint special operations were conducted on that same deployments have been to the Middle East and Central Asia, the most culturally attuned partners; the most lethal hunter/ to improve support to our families. And we must look after our night and every night. and most of our tactical forces have seen combat. Well over killers; and most responsive, agile, innovative and effective wounded and their caregivers and the families of those have I envy you. If I could do it all again, I would. As I prepare to half of our operators and support personnel have entered trainers and warriors any nation has to offer. In fact, NSW’s paid the ultimate price. hang up my fins, I am certain that you will continue to thrive. service since 9/11, so war has been the formative experience impressive capabilities, flexible mindset and aggressive Many initiatives will have to be launched at my level, and You have better training and better equipment than ever that dominates our thoughts, decisions and actions. The fights approach have become the model for many of our partners many will be generated at the Group, Squadron or Team before, but mostly you have first-rate operators, supporters, have been frequent and intense, and real gains have been worldwide. We must know what makes us strong, and we level. I have moved out on programs to analyze the sources leaders and families. I truly believe that future generations of made. So as we look ahead towards a probable decrease must emphasize the fundamentals that provide us such a solid of pressures on our force and determine how to mitigate SEALs will look back at this period as the good old days. in kinetic raids and fierce firefights, it is very important to base. them, to increase the predictability of deployments, to provide “HooYah” and “Easy Day.” I wish you unending success. understand who we are and what our Nation expects from us. I am extremely proud of the Naval Special Warfare the buildings and facilities our force needs and deserves, to How we adjust to a dynamic world while retaining our warrior community, as I am proud of all of USSOCOM’s Components. spirit will define our relevance. Together, we comprise a joint force that is irrepressible and unbeatable. Each element strengthens the others, and the interoperable combination gives us great elasticity. Our force is effective in every operational environment, across the full The value of Special Operations Forces and Over the last decade, spectrum of conflict. This does not mean that we don’t need to improve our specifically of Naval Special Warfare comes from our the United States Special capabilities. One of the great attributes of SOF is that we are never satisfied with what we have or what we can do; we high level of skills and our non-traditional methods Operations Command always strive to get better. Our future missions will most likely require a broader set of skills and a deeper understanding of of applying them. The bedrock of our success is has doubled the size of its the world’s places and people than we have ever had. In my view, SOF will be distinct from all other military the quality of our people - descendants of Draper force, tripled its budget, forces in two primary areas: our ability to conduct focused counterterrorism, man hunting, interdict/capture/kill operations, Kauffman and Phil Bucklew - frogmen are renowned and more than quadrupled and; our ability to engage, train, advise, assist and partner with counterpart military or paramilitary forces around for their innovativeness, agility and audacity. its overseas deployments. the world. The core activities of SOF will endure, but the continuous refinement will be in the depth and precision of our implementation.

2 ETHOS ETHOS 3 Making

Historyone day at a time

engagement activities in support of combat theater SOF. Women in these OCOM/NAVY teams will provide commanders on the ground with another capability to SSOCOM/NAVY initiate and sustain meaningful engagement with the women and children of local populations by leveraging gender, language, micro-regional expertise, and relevant functional skills; such as medicine, education and community development. “We have all services combined within Naval Special Warfare — G-10 very much a joint force and a joint fight and some of the missions that we are preparing for are culturally inappropriate for males,” said Rear Adm. Garry Bonelli, deputy commander of Naval Special Warfare Command, at the 24th annual Sea Service Leadership Association Joint Women’s Leadership Symposium. Bonelli went on to say, “We are trying to prepare for the future fight and sustain and evolve the force. That’s where you [women] come in, in the evolution of the force and how women can play a stronger role in special operations.” Of the approximately 450 female Sailors within NSW community, many are taking on more operationally relevant jobs closer to the battlefield. Since 2007, the NSW squadrons have each deployed with 10 to 15 female intelligence specialists, yeomen, legal specialists, builders, and information technicians in support of overseas contingency operations. The skills, qualities and characteristics women possess are recognized and valued by NSW and efore the 1970s, officially recognizing the cultural and historical have proven to be a tremendous enabler to our team, mission and patrols. contributions women made to the landscape of American The cultural engagement capability will provide commanders one more tool In late January, the Chief of Naval said Capt. Richard Sisk, NSW’s assistant chief of staff for plans, society was a notion missing from public consciousness. Less to gain understanding and insight into Afghan culture and enable counter Operations (CNO), Adm. Gary Roughhead assessments and strategy. “These are the folks that want to change the than a decade later, the Education Task Force from Sonoma County, insurgency capabilities. and Commander, U. S. Special Operations direction of SOF and the Navy, and how they work together. “ Calif., organized a “Women’s History Week” celebration in 1978 and Although Cultural Engagement Teams are one of the newest Command, Adm. Eric T. Olson, along with 54 Months before the talks take place, groups representing both the chose the week of March 8 to coincide with International Women’s opportunities for women, it’s only one of many ways women contribute to other flag officers, met during the SOCOM- CNO and SOCOM commander start compiling lists of topics to be Day. The idea caught on and within a few years, it sparked interest in the Navy Combat Team every day. Women throughout the force continue Navy Talks to discuss current issues and critical strategy, identify and discussed. Those lists are scrubbed to determine what items make other communities that began their own local Women’s History Week to leave their mark in history as new barriers are broken down and new resolve interoperability issues, and ensure that Navy and SOF can their way into the leadership dialogue. Ultimately, Olson makes the projects across the nation. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued the opportunities arise. build a better partnership in the future. final call on topics of discussion for NSW. first presidential proclamation declaring the week of March 8 as National MC2 Sarah Bitter “The main purpose of this meeting is to ensure that issues are “The talks are not a place to air issues that we should be working Women’s History Week. The following year, Congress followed suit by elevated to the point where you have the senior officer in the Navy out at the staff level,” said Sisk. “If it is preventing you from doing declaring a national Women’s History Week as a national celebration. In and the senior officer in special operations saying we need to sit down your job, meaning, giving the person in the field the capability to do 1987, the National Women’s History Project petitioned Congress to expand and figure out some big picture items,” said Cmdr. Kent Van Horn, what he needs to do to complete the mission; those are the types of the commemoration to cover the entire month of March. Since then, the strategy and concepts for WARCOM. “They discuss issues that are issues worth bringing up.” National Women’s History Month Resolution has been approved every year important and need to be resolved.” According to Sisk, Rear Adm. Edward Winters, commander, Naval with bipartisan support in both the House and Senate. One of the many issues brought to the table was sea-based support Special Warfare Command, had the chance to tell the NSW story and The role of women in the military has changed significantly since female to SOF. Leaders discussed potential requirements and equipment that brought along five operators who recently completed deployments to service members were officially recognized by the Navy in 1908, when Rear Adm. Garry Bonelli, would be needed once SOF are aboard a ship and how communication illustrate NSW concerns. Congress created the Navy Nurse Corps. Today, nearly every community deputy commander of between the two organizations can be improved. “I think this was a very successful way of presenting,” said Sisk. of naval service is open to women. Last April, the Department of the Navy WARCOM, speaks at the Leadership also discussed the undersea program and how purchasing “It also allowed the flag level leadership to ask the operators about announced a policy change that allows women to serve on submarines, a 24th annual Sea Service commercial submersibles is difficult because most are constructed what has been going on and help educate them a bit about some of barrier that many thought would never be broken. Leadership Association in other countries. The U.S. government is currently prohibited the issues.” Although women are currently prohibited by law from conducting ground Joint Women’s Leadership from buying foreign manufactured vessels. A possible solution of At the conclusion of the daylong talks, action items were assigned combat operations, women are playing an increasingly significant support Symposium. submitting waivers was forwarded to the Secretary of Defense, who and deadlines set to be readdressed at next year’s talks, which are role. In what some are calling a first step toward integrating women into ultimately will decide DoD’s options in developing its future SOF already on the schedule for the spring of 2012. the Navy’s most elite ranks, the Naval Special Warfare community is now undersea mobility capability. If you would like to see what items were discussed, they are opening its doors to women in more than traditional combat support roles. “If I take anything from these talks, it’s that these are big issues; available to SOF personnel on the NSW portal. NSW will soon be recruiting women from each branch of service to join these are the folks who want to go to Congress and change laws,” MC2 Sarah Bitter MC2 Erika Manzano “Cultural Engagement Teams” to conduct both episodic and sustained

4 ETHOS ETHOS 5 T H E D E E P E N D

NSW OPERATORS WILL GET THE JOB DONE

MEANS DIVING INTO THE DEPTHS OF THE

WARRIORS AND THE PEOPLE WHO STAND

JOURNEY AND GIVE YOU A GLIPMSE OF THEIR LIFE ON THE JOB AND THE FUTURE OF NSW UNDERSEA COMMANDS.

6 ETHOS ETHOS 7 UNDERSEA UPDATE Naval Special Warfare Group THREE (NSWG-3) has Deck Shelters, and the next generation combat submersibles. It Dry Combat Submersible – Mediums (slightly larger craft with greater also includes ordnance, air operations, mobile communications and endurance and payload). Obviously by having a multitude of platforms gone through an extensive transformation over the last integrated undersea medical support. Finally, LOGSU-3 provides we gain the flexibility to have platforms pre-staged in different theaters three years. NSW’s undersea commands were spread skilled technicians to integrate into the Combat Service Support or on different host platforms at any given time. among multiple geographic locations due to decades Teams assigned to SDV Task Units. SDV Teams provide a means for SOF to insert at the tactical level. LOGSU 3 is set to become the 52nd Supply Corps command-at-sea While recent exercises and operations have been successful, they have of organizational changes. In 2008, WARCOM billet beginning in July of 2012 with the arrival of its first Supply Corps also drawn attention to areas within the NSW undersea enterprise that approved an undersea consolidation initiative. By commanding officer. Standing up this command further displays the needed improvement. Supply Corps’ expanding role in supporting NSW. NSW’s undersea commands were spread among multiple geographic consolidating the expertise, resources, training locations due to decades of organizational changes. In response, in 2008, WARCOM approved an undersea consolidation. By shifting the and infrastructures of these commands to Hawaii, Training Detachment 3 (TRADET 3) expertise, resources, training, and infrastructures of these commands NSWG-3 would be able to optimize resources and build Since its establishment last November, TRADET-3 has improved to Hawaii, NSWG-3 would be able to optimize resources and build a a single “center of excellence” for USSOCOM’s combat training by helping to align the team with its counterparts, and also single “center of excellence.” submersible capability. provide an additional focus on undersea qualifications. Establishing a command to handle supply, maintenance and other According to Chief Warrant Officer Billy Lumpkin, TRADET-3 logisticsis necessary for future mission success. This streamlined undersea force is tailored and focused assistant officer in charge, the ULTs for SDVT-1 platoons are longer on meeting today’s challenging global mission than those at traditional SEAL Teams to accommodate for the required undersea skills. The team receives a full land warfare course and then requirements more efficiently. In its end spends three months on undersea qualifications. During this training state, NSWG-3 headquarters, SEAL Delivery period they certify SDV platoons to conduct launch and recovery operations from host platforms. TRADET-3 also provides SOF Vehicle Team One (SDVT-1), NSWG-3 Training specific training to submarine crews that may insert or extract SOF. Detachment (TRADET-3), NSWG-3 Logistics and Support Unit (LOGSU-3), and the Naval Future Platforms / ASDS vs JMMS While it is unfortunate that the Advanced SEAL Delivery Special Warfare Center Advanced Training System (ASDS) was lost due to a battery fire, a new, lower- Command’s (ATC) undersea training detachment risk strategy is in place that incorporates a fleet of both wet and dry submersibles. The budget previously in place did will all be co-located in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. not support a viable Joint Multi Mission Submersible (JMMS) program, which was basically a replacement The Relocation Timeline for the ASDS capability. Fortunately, commercial industry has made progress in the development of The consolidation of SDV Teams ONE and TWO occurred as establishing a command to handle supply, maintenance and other dry submersibles. In fact, NSW has been using planned and on schedule. The NSWG-3 headquarters move to logistics was necessary for future mission success. commercial dry submersibles concept Hawaii is currently scheduled to be complete in 2013, however that is Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command, Adm. Eric T. vehicles as a low cost means to dependent on a FY13 Military Construction Corporation (MILCON) Olson approved establishment of LOGSU-3 in October 2010. On Jan. potentially reduce technical project At this point the Group Headquarters move won’t be fully 1, 2011 the command was formally established and recognized by the and financial risk until our executed until FY14. Chief of Naval Operations. next dry submersible is In the mean time, many of NSWG-3 billets will migrate from San Following in the footsteps of LOGSU-1 and 2 who provide supply developed. Diego to Hawaii over the next serveral years. As service members and logistics support to Naval Special Warfare commands on the East Instead of investing in rotate from Group THREE at their normal projected rotation date, and West coast, LOGSU-3 was created to be the premier logistics and a platform that requires their reliefs will receive orders to Hawaii. In other words, the Group maintenance support activity for NSWG-3. cutting edge design, THREE move will happen over time. The NSWG-3 flag pole is “During the past 10 years, LOGSU-1 and 2 have demonstrated great and a technically high- expected to shift sometime in FY14. success in supporting the consolidated presence on both the West and risk venture, WARCOM The SDV school and other undersea related courses are run by East coasts. As our consolidation plans began to take shape, it was a believes it makes more sense Advanced Training Command out of Panama City, Fla. which is also logical next step -- to create a similar support structure in Hawaii that to develop a fleet of vehicles that scheduled to move to Hawaii. The precise timeline of the move is still would result in similar improvements, effectiveness and efficiency” industry can produce within a budget being worked out, however, some of the courses that ATC teaches said Cmdr. Curtis Leyshon, LOGSU-3 commanding officer. and on schedule that meets operational will migrate out to Hawaii during this fiscal year and the entire school LOGSU-3 provides scalable logistics solutions. It also enables requirements. While some operational capabilities may house will likely be located in Hawaii by the end of FY12. NSW Undersea to be task organized, allowing the SDVT-1 Task Units be sacrificed in the near term, most of capabilities will be to focus on current and anticipated operational tasking, while the obtained and significantly increase our operational flexibility, Logistic Support Unit 3 (LOGSU 3) logistics command leadership assures continuous superior support. while reducing both risk and cost. For example, instead of having LOGSU-3 is functionally unique, in that its mission is to provide a program that includes one or two extremely costly platforms, the As NSWG-3 forces consolidated in Hawaii, it quickly became garrison and deployed logistics support of worldwide NSW undersea goal is to have a fleet of dry submersibles, including Dry Combat apparent that with the operational growth expected in Pearl Harbor, operations, including maintaining SEAL Delivery Vehicles, Dry Submersibles – Lights (smaller medium endurance craft) and four

8 ETHOS ETHOS 9 SDV MISSIONS Andrew MCCS McKaskle

SEALs are called on for a variety of unconventional warfare missions, and although they are capable of reaching targets by completing long- START range swims, sometimes mission urgency, distances involved, equipment weight factors or the need for stealth requires a different insertion method. In these situations, SEAL Delivery Vehicles (SDVs) are used. SDVs transport SEALs and their gear underwater to points near the shore, where Navy Divers (ND) and the SDV Navigator conduct final checks SEALs then leave the vehicle and swim to the target area. prior to launch. Pilots and navigators are qualified to perform SDVs are wet submersibles, which mean they transport SEALs and their both positions onboard the SDV. gear in fully flooded compartments, exposing SEALS to the harsh undersea elements. SDVs are propelled by an all-electrical propulsion sub-system, powered by batteries. While in transit, SDVs can also provide life support to the embarked SEALs allowing them to plug into an onboard air source when required. Understanding what an SDV does and how it operates is one thing, but MCCS Andrew MCCS McKaskle actually conducting an SDV mission is another. Mental fortitude is not a MCCS Andrew MCCS McKaskle buzzword in SDV operator circles; it is a way of life. Those who suffer from claustrophobia need not apply. Space is very limited within an SDV. Once THE SDV NDs watch as the SDV launches off the operators and their gear are inside, the space is filled to maximum capacity. track. NDs are DDS shelter qualified and SEAL missions are typically mentally complex and physically grueling, are the technicians that maintain the and for SDV operators, lengthy exposure to the effects of pressure and cold readiness of DDS operations. water adds a whole new mind/body element to the experience. Prior to launch, an SDV crew will conduct final equipment and systems checks. Neutral buoyancy is vital to keep depth control during the submerged transit. Mastering neutral buoyancy takes dozens of repeated A glimpse of the SDV launch dives to achieve proper load planning of the mini wet-submersible. Depending on the location of the target and the type of mission being Members of a SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team perform rig performed, SDV operators may be submerged for many hours during the check of an operator inside a flooded dry deck shelter and recovery cycle. insertion phase of an operation. What makes the missions challenging mounted on the back of the USS Philidelphia. The dry for SDV operators, is the lack of movement during long transits. Normally, deck shelter is used to house and luanch the team’s in cold water, the ability to stay warm comes from muscle movement, but SEAL Delivery Vehicles (SDV) while the sub is underway. within an SDV, there is simply no room for operators to move around to The SDVs transport Navy SEALs from their submerged stay warm. host submarine to targets while remaining underwater As the SDV reaches its target area, operators exit the SDV and swim and undetected. the rest of the way to the target. Since SEALs leave the SDV to complete missions, they must be ready to accomplish any task. SDV SEAL s are more than masters of the operational submersible world, they also maintain the tactical war fighting skills required on land.

After reaching the objective area and completing the mission, the Andrew MCCS McKaskle mission is far from complete. The SDV pilot and navigator still face the daunting task of returning to sea and exfiltrating the area. In most cases, when the exfiltration phase of a mission commences, operators have Andrew MCCS McKaskle been deprived of sleep and endured an already long, extremely cold and exhausting evolution. The men’s bodies are numb from hours of exposure The SDV is on tether and is in the process of to the ocean’s wrath. Fingers and hands retain minimal dexterity and bieng winched down and secured to the cradle. feeling, while feet receive little circulation due to hours in a seated position and minimal movement. Some operators describe it as “temporary hell,” but in the same breath, they will tell you that they do nothing less than “whatever it takes” to complete the mission. To understand the mental Andrew MCCS McKaskle toughness required, one must experience it. Suffice it to say, by the time Members of a SDV Team transit to the the team is ready to return, each operator has developed a gut-burning target area while conducting training in desire to complete the mission. the Caribbean. While transit time varies When an SDV crew is well in the extraction window they are overcome from operation to operation, it is not by mental back flips and smiles in anticipation of a successful mission’s uncommon for transits to take several end. Words seem inadequate to describe the jubilation an SDV operator hours each way. The SDV is on tether and is in the process of bieng winched experiences after a rendezvous with their extraction platform. down and secured to the cradle. The host platform is capable of conducting duel shelter operations. WARCOM Public Affairs

10 ETHOS ETHOS 11 The CHALLENGES OF Photo Illustration by MC2 Shauntae Hinkle-Lymas SDV OPERATORS

Ask anyone at SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team ONE (SDVT-1) what are still very physically and mentally challenging times that are they like about being there and you will hear the same answer – It’s associated with SDV training and operations,” said the XO. “The all about the challenge. Like other NSW operators, SEALs assigned command is gratified at the commitment of these guys every single to SDVT-1conduct dangerous missions, long workups before day.” International Military Student Officer, Francisco Melara, is recognized for deployments and do whatever it takes to carry out the commander’s “You can feel like you’re going from hypo to hyperthermic 10 times intent. Being at the SDV team is very similar to being on a traditional in a night,” said an SO1 who is a waterside trainer with TRADET-3. his work with foreign military students team but with a particular focus on the core undersea skill. Being an “From freezing in the water to baking in a dry suit, you’ve got to be They come to Mississippi from more than 55 partner nations. It’s they are called upon to accomplish tasks unlike any others in the SDV operator requires a unique level of maturity and trust required to tough to manage it.” a unique student body comprised of international students, Sailors military. The IMSO serves as host, administrator, counselor, expediter take on missions in support of our nation’s highest defense priorities. Each platoon is assigned four maintenance technicians who are from various militaries, raised in very different cultures, speaking and diplomat, as well as the official U.S. government representative Prior to the end of the Cold War, the U.S. undersea mission was one responsible for the performance of the craft. The four technicians different languages. They converge at the same location, with the and the primary point of contact for the international military students of strategic deterrence. With new and emerging threats from rogue make up the support team which is critical to maintaining all aspects same goal – to learn small craft operations from a world-class cadre undergoing courses of instruction at U.S. military installations. states and terrorist elements, the evolving face of war began to require of the SDV and ensuring mission success every time. They are charged of instructors at Naval Small Craft Instruction and Technical Training Asked what he enjoys most about the job, Melara referred to the something much different. In response, Naval Special Warfare sought with the pivotal role of ensuring the SDV is prepared and the vehicle School (NAVSCIATTS). student diversity he encounters on a daily basis. improvements in its undersea capabilities to meet these emerging launches and returns, without issue. “Our technicians take great pride It takes a skilled and culturally sensitive team of instructors and “The knowledge I learn from an array of cultures and countries is threats. in making sure the SEALs get back safe. They know that their attention support staff to teach the 10 formal courses of instruction, while at the simply immeasurable,” Melara said. “Instead of having to go to the “SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team ONE has a very unique function to detail determines if a mission is completed safely.” same time doing so in such as way that the students develop positive United Nations in New York, the U.N. comes to my office every day.” within the Naval Special Warfare community,” said the executive Regardless of how or why SEALs get stationed at SDV Team ONE, perceptions and attitudes about America, its people and military. IMSO staff members serve as intercultural relations specialists for officer (XO) of SDVT-1. “Our specific mission set focuses on they stay for the unique challenge. Francisco Melara, a NAVSCIATTS international military student international students at the two most important times of their visits, executing global operations within the maritime environment. Much “I’m staying because the caliber of people I work with every day is officer (IMSO), is one of those staff members whose tireless when they arrive and when they depart. Acting as a student’s primary like our brothers within Naval Special Warfare Group’s ONE and unbelievable,” said SO1. “I take comfort in knowing that the guys I commitment to the task at hand is appreciated. He maintains contact contact throughout an entire training cycle is important work. TWO, we execute a core unit level training (ULT) period followed by go out with will do what it takes to overcome any challenges we may with visiting international students from the moment they arrive, until “These contributions are invaluable to the success of each new several months of undersea mission specific profiles. The SDVT-1 encounter. It’s hard and it’s rewarding.” the day he sees them off on their journey home. Melara’s ability to training cycle and with as many as 500 students each year, this requires SEALs are trained to meet the expectations placed on them with the MC1 Andre Mitchell effectively explain the rules of student life, help students adjust to an incredible amount of individual effort and attention to detail,” said highest levels of trust.” the American culture and deal with issues that come up during their Cmdr. Bill Mahoney, NAVSCIATTS commanding officer. The success of SDV missions depends on many factors, most training has earned him recognition as the Navy’s IMSO of the Year. Melara agrees and understands that value. importantly, training and preparation. One aspect of NSW’s undersea Melara was recognized for his “As an IMSO, I must be prepared to put outstanding service by Rear Adm. in long hours and be ready to immediately enterprise is that it requires maritime skills sets in addition to those of Jeffrey Lemmons, director of the and effectively react to any emergency or SEALs operating on the ground. Typically, SEALs will rotate through U.S. Navy International Engagement other situation as it happens, no matter ULT in roughly six months and get qualified in a variety of combat Division, at the annual Navy IMSO what time of day or night it is,” he said. skills. Previously, if they opted for a stint at an SDV team they were Conference held Nov. 2 - 5 at Melara has a long list of duties and required to get trained and qualified in very different skill sets. The Pensacola Beach, Fla. responsibilities, all equally important feeling of many operators was, “Why go to an SDV team? I want to The IMSO Conference was to facilitate a student’s needs. He must remain competitive and keep myself qualified.” launched 24 years ago to bring coordinate all incoming requests from Now, SEALs going to SDVT-1 have similar training requirements together U.S. Navy, Marine Corps U.S. military liaison officers and provide seen throughout NSW. It is expected that all SEALs will excel within and Coast Guard IMSO personnel solutions needed to execute logistical the core skills in addition to the unique capabilities associated with from schools across the country to support as needed. He routinely coordinates working out of an SDV. Environmental conditions during missions discuss policy, student administration housing, medical and financial services as and training remain very challenging; however, state-of-the-art and best practices, and to ensure part of his daily activities. equipment used today has vastly improved underwater consistent handling of students from In addition, Melara also provides partner nations. Francisco Melara, 2010 IMSO of the Year award recipient, talks operational cultural awareness briefings and conditions for operators. with a group of foreign students and other guests during a recent “Even though we have made great According to Carlos Zengotita of graduation event at NAVSCIATTS. cross-communication resources to training improvements in gear and training, there Naval Education and Training Security teams and other instructors assigned to Assistance Field Activity (NETSAFA), teach the students. Melara was selected by NETSAFA and Navy International Programs Melara is also responsible for ensuring that each student attending a Office for exemplifying the highest standards in student processing, course at NAVSCIATTS has the opportunity to participate in the Field communicating with country program managers, interpreting policy, Studies Program (FSP), the objective of which is to assist students in identifying issues and providing solutions. acquiring an understanding of U.S. society, institutions and goals, in “I was very surprised when they called out my name as this was conjunction with their training experience. my first year working as an IMSO,” Melara said about receiving the “The cultural experiences that the students have in their interaction award. “I worked as a language instructor for seven years before with the staff and through FSP involve some of the most important becoming an IMSO and was able to learn some aspects of the job, work we do,” he said. “Ultimately, these are experiences and memories but it was still a huge surprise to be honored with this award my first of America that will last a lifetime.” time out.” Darian Wilson, NAVSCIATTS Public Affairs Melara feels the IMSO staff has one of the most challenging and important jobs within the Security Force Assistance program, because 12 ETHOS ETHOS 13 whose effectiveness depends on many things including English fluency, intellectual intelligence, technical Lack of Cultural ability, reliability and loyalty. “You’re trusting them, even when you’re downrange. MCCS Dave Neagal It’s whatever the interpreter is telling you,” an operational SEAL said of trust and accuracy issues Expertise, Language Skills: when relying on interpreters with no in-house language skill. “If he’s telling the truth, you’re good to go. But if he is not, you would not know until it is too late.” To build its own language capability, NSW is working An obstacle for sucess proactively to expand language and cultural skills across the force. A concentrated 12-week language course for new operators is being added to the SQT then and now and CQT training cycles and veteran operators of the SEAL and SWCC community will be sent to rigorous – Then and Now - Although challenges in language and cultural training through universities on Iraq and Afghanistan have certainly brought the importance of language and each coast. cultural competency to the forefront, the lack of service member proficiency The goal of the in-house training class is to get operators communicating at a 1/1 level of proficiency. in critically-needed foreign languages is not a new problem. In fact, In World This is the baseline of language capability, where an War II, the U.S found itself hamstrung by the lack of Japanese, Italian and operator will be able to speak and listen in very simple A member of Maritime Civil Affairs Squadron 2, left, speaks to German speakers. The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the terms. In more difficult dialects like Arabic, Farsi and a role player villager through an interpreter during the Navy House Armed Services Committee used two vivid examples at its first hearing Chinese, speaking proficiency may only reach a “zero plus” ranking. Expeditionary Combat Command Advanced Training Exercise. In this case, individuals, are able to ask questions or make statements describing the contrasting World War II experiences of Sen. Daniel Inouye of with reasonable accuracy but only with memorized words or formulas. Hawaii and Pfc. Guy Gabaldon. These incidents dramatically demonstrate how Easier to learn languages like Spanish, French and Tagalog may yield “The only way to measure the success of this training requirement is time,” said Cmdr. Frank Frankey, Special Boat Team 22, commanding foreign language skills or lack thereof can impact ground force operations. a “one plus” level, meaning the speaker possesses an elementary speaking proficiency. They conduct themselves in a polite manner, are officer. “I don’t expect all the classes to develop into fluent speakers, Gabaldon, with some knowledge of the Japanese language, was able to single- able to use questions and answers for simple topics within a limited but I do expect the guys to have a basic foundation and understanding handedly persuade more than 1,500 Japanese soldiers to surrender in Saipan. level of experience and are able to understand basic questions and of the language.” On the other hand, Inouye’s inability to speak or understand German, led to speech, which allows for guides, such as slower speech or repetition, After recently completing the language training course at Mission Valley Center in San Diego, an NSW officer discussed his experience. tragedy when he killed a German soldier who appeared to be reaching for a to aid in understanding. The NSW program emphasizes practical speech and in an operational context; it is an element to developing “I recently completed a four-month course in Farsi,” said Lt. j.g weapon, only later to learn the soldier was reaching inside his coat for photos the “new” operator. Christopher Sanchez of Support Activity 1. “I really enjoyed the class of his family. Inouye recalled that experience and said it haunts him to this day. “This is what we would like to call a cultural change within the because it was one-on-one for three-months and during the fourth force,” said Dr. Carl Czech, force education/LREC officer. “The new month, two other guys joined me. The course was a military-outlined requirement for having a language skill-set is just as important as class, which focused on the colloquial aspect, for instance, what it having a sniper qualification.” would be like on the street and not on the reading and writing aspect After the 12-week language course, NSW Advanced Training of it.” Command graduates report to their permanent commands. This A West Coast-based SEAL officer recently completed an Arab Transformation Roadmap temporary duty effectively lengthens the basic training pipeline, but language and cultural course off-site and said the training will be a great asset for him and his team during upcoming deployments. In March 2009, Adm. Eric Olson, commander, USSOCOM has minimum or no impact on Inter-Deployment Training Cycles “The course was language intensive, but the insight into the cultural mandated a dramatic increase in SOF language, regional expertise, (IDTC). aspects of the Middle Eastern way of life, thinking and beliefs was and cultural awareness (LREC). The intent of his directive is clear. “LRECs will help us enhance our operational effectiveness for invaluable,” said Lt. j.g. Bramwell Arnold. SOF must “maintain a basic level of linguist ability appropriate for regional expertise, but it is important for SEALs and SWCC not to just

Lance Cpl. Sarah Furrer hgiuugiu Although extra pay is motivation to maintain additional skill-sets a globally employed force, while achieving a high-level of skill by a understand or have a degree of fluency, but apply it in the battlefield,” like language, many people in the community believe that strong relatively small number of people in language specific to regions of said Cmdr. Alexander Mackenzie, commanding officer of Support language and cultural know-how could contribute to saving the lives current and certain future employment,” Olson said. Activity 2. “This will help us with today’s and tomorrow’s battlefield of teammates and mission accomplishment. Since issuing this order, a new section of training has been added versus intelligent advisories in a very tough hybrid environment.” “Operators attaining proficiency in languages are eligible for to the already demanding pipeline of SEAL and SWCC Qualification While learning targeted language and cultures is expected to be an additional pay benefits as incentive,” Czech said. “Although bonuses Training (SQT/CQT), adding to an operator’s diverse skill set. attainable challenge, it isn’t looked at as the toughest part of training. from $50 to $1,500 may be available, the real payoff is in missions “The complexity of today’s and tomorrow’s strategic environments “The hardest part of the this transition to language training is not well-accomplished.” requires that our (SOF) operators maintain not only the highest levels going to be the initial training, but it is going to be customizing the “I think one of the primary motivators is for the SEAL/SWCC guys of war fighting expertise, but also cultural knowledge and diplomacy courses to fit and ensuring that the operator is sustaining the skill-set to be able to chose the language rather than it being chosen for them,” skills,” Olson said in a posture statement to the House Armed Services once the course is complete,” Czech said. “We are putting this program added Sanchez. “I think it makes learning the language easier and Committee. “We are developing 3-D operators, members of a multi- into place to put LREC in the faces of our operators and leaders; we allows the guys to have a sense of ownership of it.” dimensional force prepared to lay the groundwork in the myriad need everyone across the force to recognize the value of it.” NSW continues its work to develop a robust, competent and diplomatic, development, and defense activities that contribute to our The first groups scheduled to complete the new LREC requirement adaptive language abilities and cultural understanding course of study Government’s pursuit of our vital national interest.” are SQT class 280 and CQT class 66. According to Czech, after they for the Force, especially at the tactical level, to remain at the forefront On an average day, SEALs and SWCC are among the more than wrap up this critical training, all speakers must engage in deliberate of special operations and fill gaps left by lack of formal training. 12,000 SOF and SOF support personnel deployed in more than 75 practice to retain their newly acquired language skills. PO3 Jessica Vessel of Special Operations Task Force-West countries across the globe. It is critical that NSW deployers can “Language, especially at a 1/1 level is perishable,” Czech said. (SOTF-W) speaks to an Iraqi family through an interpreter effectively communicate with partner forces and local populations “Language proficiency is sustained through formal and informal from 5th Battalion, 10th Marines, during an Iraqi Women’s MC2 Sarah Bitter Engagement (IWE) operation in Fuhaylat, Iraq, June 14. with cultural sensitivity, rather than relying solely on interpreters, training and can be done in groups or self study.”

ETHOS 15 14 ETHOS Southeast Asia, the Middle East, South America, Eastern Europe, and Africa. We must develop our partner networks (joint, combined and Commanderís Interagency), seek and maintain pervasive regional access and, through strong relationships, pressure violent extremists and in some cases, criminal organizations. NSW will continue to “Our drawdown in set the conditions required for partner-nation security forces to Guidance defeat violent extremist organizations and render their networks Iraq will be offset ineffective in influencing the populace. As Gen. Stanley After ten years of war, NSW is approaching a transition point—tactically, McChrystal often states, “IT TAKES A NETWORK TO DEFEAT A by the increase in operationally and strategically. Today’s environment is vastly different from NETWORK.” what we faced a decade ago, and tomorrow’s environment will certainly To this end, we are establishing a new major command, Naval forces we deploy to change as significantly. We are an extremely agile and adaptable force. As Special Warfare Group TEN (NSWG-10). It will provide focused evidenced by our storied past, we look ahead and adapt quickly in order leadership and direction for our Support Activity Squadrons and our to meet challenges to our nation’s security. To remain relevant, the Force Mission Support Center. NSWG-10 will improve NSW’s capability Afghanistan must understand and adapt to the future operational environment and be to provide tailored Find, Fix, Exploit and Analyze (F2EA) support prepared to undertake tasks that others cannot—the hardest jobs in the that the NSWRONs have become so reliant upon, as well as ... we will see more most difficult and ambiguous environs, nuanced tasks in uncertain geo- specialized requirements for other joint, interagency, and combined engagement political situations, and strategically important, national-level missions. elements. NSWG-10 will lead the way in persistent engagement. population Our warrior ethos and combat skills are coded into the DNA of our Force; Our relatively young Anchor Teams, composed of SEAL and/or and a rougher while these are among NSW’s greatest strengths, as a force we must not SWCC operators, have initiated long-term relationships that will grow complacent by relying solely on our tactical prowess. In fact, while we enable our deploying forces to train and advise partner security terrain ....” are unarguably winning the tactical fight, we must strive to get even better. forces. The Anchor Teams will be the point men … not only as Our nature is self-criticism: Are the tactics we’re applying against the the lead elements/anchors for deploying numbered squadrons for current enemy consistent with those needed to fight a more professional and FID/SFA missions, but also in the event of contingency operations. technologically advanced military force or terrorist organization? We have They will become the “Masters” of the indirect approach. I have also To meet the challenges we face, now and in the future, we must continue to be prepared to fight tomorrow’s enemy at the same time we are executing directed the establishment of Cultural Support Teams, partly in response to evolve the Force. We must understand operating environments that are against today’s. It’s been said long ago that, “We do not rise to the level to a near-term demand in Afghanistan, but more importantly, to enable different in geography, history and culture, politics and threats. We must of our expectations. We fall to the level of our training.” (Archilochus—7th our operations in politically and culturally sensitive environments. These elevate the importance of strategy development and strategic planning to century BC Greek writer and warrior.) Some things don’t change, and what activities will build upon our core expertise as special operations warriors shape and prepare for uncertain operational and fiscal environments. To was true then is true now. and facilitate our continued ability to be the Nation’s “global scouts.” help in developing our future direction, we must understand global trends The global strategic environment is dynamic, increasingly challenging and assess our future operational requirements centering on NSW’s core and, therefore, well-suited for the capabilities and adaptability of NSW. competency. We must continue to recruit, select and retain the best of the To meet these challenges, NSW developed four strategic pillars: (1) Win Prevent and Deter Future Conflict Prepare for Future Conflict best in NSW—this cannot be overemphasized. NSW’s Center for SEAL the fight in Iraq and Afghanistan, (2) Prevent and deter future conflict, (3) Our persistent engagement, working with our partners around the world, and SWCC is currently focused on identifying those key characteristics Prepare for future conflict, and (4) Evolve and sustain the Force. These As the majority of our Force will soon be committed in Afghanistan, will mitigate the potential for conflict. However, history tells us that conflict that ensure success in the people we recruit for the future. At the same pillars are consistent with our National Defense Strategy and U.S. Special we must continue to anticipate contingency operations in other regions – will persist and rise again in the future. Even after operations in Iraq and time, our training pipeline is better than it has ever been and it will continue Operations Command (USSOCOM) guidance; it is imperative NSW strategic particularly in today’s rapidly changing world where stability is being tested Afghanistan end, our Nation has many potential—and actual—adversaries to improve. It must meet today and tomorrow’s sophisticated and deadly planning supports and upholds each. Furthermore, we must recognize the on a daily basis. Our experience throughout our history has shown that we who are conspiring to erode our power, attack our values and way of life, threats. NSW personnel must have political savvy, cultural understanding, unique maritime and land capabilities SEALs, Special Warfare Combatant- must influence and shape future environments to prevent future conflict. e W and diminish the U.S. role as the world leader for freedom. We must a problem-solving mindset and a warrior ethos. We will evolve the Force Craft (SWCC) Crewmen, and supporting personnel possess, identify cannot do this alone. Assisting a partner nation in increasing its ability to prepare for future conflict in a variety of scenarios and contingencies.The through continuous training, expanded education opportunities, and learning capabilities and capacities that must be further developed and expanded, bring security to its territory and region is our best means to prevent large- turmoil in North Africa and the Middle East is an example of how difficult it from real-world experience. We must continue to emphasize strategic and postulate where and how those capabilities will most likely be used. scale crises that may require a large U.S. intervention. To do so will require is to forecast when or where crises will arise. If we stay forward, engaged, human resources and expand education, mentorship and leadership This Commander’s Guidance charts that course. NSW to combine our efforts with other SOF organizations, General Purpose development throughout the Force. We will build strong partnerships and Forces, U.S. interagency elements and foreign counterparts to implement a knowledgeable, and combat-ready, we will be better prepared and ready to integrate our forces more seamlessly to build joint, combined, interagency “whole of government” approach. fight. TEAMS. Our leadership has directed SOF to engage in the long-term, unseen We are developing now the capabilities we will need in the future. We are Our strategy cannot be executed without focused support for our Win the Fight in Iraq and Afghanistan struggles around the world. With the execution of NSW-21, the relevance of modernizing our equipment and upgrading our critical surface and undersea warriors and their families. We expect greatness of our warriors, but can an entire SEAL Team has increased dramatically as the “NSW Squadrons” mobility platforms and capabilities. We will continue to provide SOF warriors do so only when a foundation of information, accessibility, networking During 2011, we will dramatically downsize our efforts in Iraq. We became engaged in operations. However, we lost much of our theater/ the systems they need to accomplish their missions. We are expanding and empowerment is available to the entire NSW family. We will help our have enabled success there through training and partnering with our Iraqi regional expertise when the geographic priorities of each NSW Squadron the Force during the next five years to increase the numbers of SEALs and families deal with challenges arising from our unique, warrior lifestyle, and counterparts. We will build upon this successful strategy as we shift the were changed to support the increased global requirements placed on the combat support and combat service support personnel to help decrease the maintain responsive family support programs. We will stay committed to majority of our focus and efforts to Afghanistan. Our drawdown in Iraq will squadrons. This theater / regional expertise must be rebuilt – it is vital in all strain on all our people and provide enabling technical capabilities to support family resiliency and helping our families prevail on the home front … this is be offset by the increase in forces we deploy to Afghanistan. Afghanistan our mission sets. Whether it is the Direct Action (DA) mission or the Foreign our missions. an imperative that directly impacts mission accomplishment. is a different campaign strategy and regional environment—one where we Internal Defense / Security Force Assistance (FID/SFA) mission, Language, Today’s SOF is better funded and equipped than ever before. This will will see more population engagement and a rougher terrain—than we had in Regional Expertise, Cultural (LREC) expertise will be essential to mission not change. However, the days of huge budget increases are gone; we are Iraq. To succeed, we will need to adapt our training, our operational mindset success. Additionally, the long-term, persistent engagement strategy, Sustain and Evolve the Force at steady-state. For everything new we need, there is a tradeoff. We must and our support structure. So far, we have performed exceedingly well in using repeat deployers to the same locations is the most critical element to The demand signal for NSW and other SOF operators and support adjust to the new fiscal environment. Programmatic requests for additional this environment, and we will continue to do so. prevent and deter future fights. This strategy is most important and most personnel continues to outpace our growth. I do not expect this to change resources must not be our first response. At a strategic level, we will divest challenging. As we build capacity and develop relationships, we earn the anytime soon. Two questions that I deal with every day: How do I evolve the of legacy missions and capabilities that are obsolete, with low or no demand trust and respect of our partners, deter aggression by would-be adversaries, forces to be relevant in countering tomorrow’s challenges? And, how do I or relevancy now or going forward. We will continue to equip the Force for and posture ourselves for future contingencies. We will continue our efforts sustain our Force with all the pressures that they deal with—at work and at success while being good stewards of taxpayers’ money. to build capability and capacity in partner security forces in South and home?

16 ETHOS ETHOSETHOS 17 1 While developing the “GO-TO-WAR” combatant craft of the future, also evolve NSW’s maritime capability to contribute to capacity building and 2011 Guidance irregular warfare. Our enemies continue to adapt and will become more deadly than those Improve NSW Reserve Component capability to seamlessly integrate we face today. Indirect approaches not only help prevent and deter but value-added “citizen-sailors” across NSW for Total Force impact. The also prepare us for future fights. NSW will undertake the following specific Reserve Component must provide capable operational elements in addition actions to meet and counter this threat: to key individual augmentees (IAs) for the global fight. Recruit the finest, most capable warriors and support personnel who Continue to review and adjust NSW regionalization with regard to have ever walked the planet. They must thrive not only in combat but in fostering LREC abilities, increasing regional situational awareness, the ambiguous environments between war and peace. We must recruit expanding knowledge of the geographic and human terrain, and maximizing problem solving, multi-taskable, out-of-the-box thinkers, as well as diverse NSW interoperability with host nation partners and U.S. country teams. candidates who will allow us greater opportunity for success and less risk to Retain the ability to surge in response to crisis tasking. Continue to our Force in Middle Eastern, African, Latin American and Asian countries. evolve squadron headquarters to better meet short notice contingencies and Train, educate and mentor the finest warriors and support personnel who sustainment in prolonged engagements. Evolve NSW Group’s capability as have ever walked the planet. Continue to evolve training to stay well ahead a forward deployed O-6 command headquarters. of our enemies. This includes our training detachments, the Naval Special Increase our “tooth-to-tail” ratio. Continue to adapt and integrate our Warfare Center training pipelines, and follow-on professional development combat support and combat service support (CS / CSS) doctrine and force courses. In addition, we must continue to leverage the Navy to ensure our structure. Emphasis will be on small, disaggregated teams of operators and Combat Support / Combat Service Support personnel are well trained and combat support deployed around the world capitalizing on “reach back” as prepared as they report to NSW commands. a force multiplier. Adaptive CS / CSS personnel must have the capability to Develop the Force and build the Network to defeat the enemy’s network: support these widely distributed elements. In addition to standard Squadron deployments, deploy junior through Enhance knowledge management and communications capabilities senior officers and enlisted personnel to key leadership and other relevant by creating collaborative operational frameworks and sharing common positions forward to influence the battlefield, build relationships, build NSW operational understanding. and personal credibility, and for professional development in preparation for Spend and invest money wisely. Invest only in what will make a follow-on assignments. Build partnerships between NSW throughout the difference in NSW’s mission. Find efficiencies. Buy what we need, not what Joint, Interagency and Combined Team. At deployed staff level, prepare we want. for and seek organizational opportunities to establish Combined/Joint Task Forces, and other C2 nodes in the global Counter Terrorism / Counter Insurgency networks. In Closing ... Continue to improve NSW regional expertise by deploying NSW Anchor Detachments as regional lead elements, by building Cultural Support and NSW must continue to shape and influence operating environments Female Engagement Teams to enable all categories of NSW operations, through both kinetic and non-kinetic expertise. NSW will maintain its Direct and by developing foreign language speakers in support of NSW missions. Action and Special Reconnaissance (SR) prowess while at the same time, Mature the NSW Military Accessions Vital to the National Interest (MAVNI) increase its capacity to conduct FID, SFA, and Unconventional Warfare program and further improve NSW’s population engagement capabilities. (UW). We must always remain the PREMIER MARITIME SPECIAL Continue to evolve and mature NSW-unique, undersea, strategic OPERATIONS FORCE, ready to transit and fight on the planet’s most capabilities. unforgiving environment, the sea – NO ONE ELSE CAN DO THIS. Persistent operations and activities conducted by disaggregated forces will become the norm. Those disaggregated forces may include only NSW personnel but will just as often be made up of a joint, combined, interagency team. We must be prepared to lead those teams when appropriate. Increasingly, operations will be by, with, and through foreign and U.S. partners. Change is constant and NSW will continue to adapt. We will apply our technological and tactical superiority in response to the sound of guns even as we apply knowledge and wisdom to remain ahead of the sound of guns. NSW is comprised of a team of “problem solvers” who will not quit. They will provide capabilities and solutions others cannot. I count on every member of our community to be outstanding NSW, SOF, Navy and U.S. ambassadors and recruiters for the NSW Team. A handful of courageous men and women, of strong will and character, with the right training, the right experience, and the right knowledge, can change the course of history… or, perhaps, even more importantly, preserve the course of history. You are those men and women! The mere mention of the word “sniper” conjures up images of a stealthy, assassin-like lone SQT Students train at the Rear Adm. Edward G. Winters Naval remote training gunman who moves about like a shadow, undetected by his enemy prey. You’ve seen it in war facility in Niland, Calif., movies; when the moment is just right and a target is framed nicely in the cross hairs of concentrating on tactics, his weapon ... click. A silent and deadly kill shot is delivered on target, a key enemy weapons familiarization soldier goes down and his death has the adversary squad reeling in fear and uncertainty. and demolition. Like clockwork, a force multiplying sniper with the right training, tools and tact gets the job done under the most daunting and extraordinary of circumstances.

18 ETHOS ETHOS 19 stress response and to optimize their mindset and ultimately, their Sniper performance. Some of these mental training techniques entail focus instructors tell and concentration, visualization, breathing and heart rate control, their students compartmentalization and emotional control.” Mental management also includes emotional control, which is that their duties paramount in suppressing Buck Fever, or the nervous excitement felt should come as by an inexperienced hunter as he approaches his game. second nature, especially when it comes to taking “What we do is give the guy so many scenarios, that by the time it becomes real, his body doesn’t know the difference between the thousand another man’s life. If you asked Navy SEAL Lt. j.g. hours he spends in training, to this one second in time where he’s actually Michael Sandino, an Iraq war veteran and sniper, if he pulling the trigger on a live target,” Shea said. “So with more training and thought he was a killer or assassin, he would scoff at more experience, all the Buck Fever dies away.” Sniper training also demands versatility. SEAL snipers learn a great the idea. His efforts are focused on the teammates’ deal about technology and must be trained to expertly use four different lives that he saves, not on those of enemies that he weapons systems. while at the sniper takes. The mission precedes all, including his identity. “We have a different feel for what we want our snipers to do,” Shea says. course, seals will “The Army course is a two gun course, the Marine Corps course is a one Sandino is an alias used by one West-Coast based SEAL team sniper to Two snipers take aim during training operations at a NSW facility in Niland, Calif. work with four protect his identity and future missions. At the same time the alias allows gun course. But we have a four gun course. The other service courses are eight weeks long. Our courses are 10 weeks long, to incorporate the different weapons. him to tell the NSW story, his story. their bullets in one area, they move on to the second qualifier, which is a different tactics that we’re trying to teach, plus the number of gun systems we break them “I deploy to do a job for our country,” Sandino said. “We have successfully marksmanship test. According to Shea, the M-4 test is very difficult and that they have to learn. They have to meet the Special Forces common accomplished the missions that we set out to accomplish and that is cause of course attrition. down here. qualification standards, and then exceed it, if you will, to get the guys up to something that is absolutely necessary to ensure the continued freedom of “What it proves to us is that he can hold a group of shots. So that lets us a level where we want them.” the United States.” know that this guy can at least be trained further,” he said. Once a sniper meets his qualification standards and passes all of SEAL snipers undergo a robust training pipeline designed to provide A scout reconnaissance and sniper class will start with about 40 men MK11 Sniper Rifle his courses, he can receive more training from NSW Group 1 Training candidates with the tools and skills necessary to successfully maneuver fighting for 32 slots. After the M-4 and marksmanship tests are complete, an Detachment (TRADET), where advanced training in technology, land and behind enemy lines, gather reconnaissance or put bullets down range average of 11 students is usually sent home. However, if a student passes Caliber: 7.62 mm urban warfare are available. in expert marksman fashion. Having the right candidates with dissecting the tests, he reaches the point of the course where a sniper candidate Weight: 15.3 lbs “We’re a pretty dynamic cell,” said Chief Special Warfare Operator James Length: 45.5” experiences and interests is helpful. is motivated and rewarded by displaying patient perfectionism and level Byrne, leading chief petty officer of NSW Group 1 TRADET sniper cell. “We Effective Range: “Sniper was the primary qualification that I was interested in pursuing headed decision making in order to stay in the two courses. 1,000m tailor the training to the guys who are coming to TRADET.” when I came in the Navy. I grew up hunting, fishing and doing outdoor “We teach them how to hide and how to be patient,” Shea said. “We Rate of fire: Byrne says that TRADET’s sniper cell also augments other TRADET 5 rds/min activity back home,” Sandino said. “Sniper work was work that I felt like I teach a sniper how to use all of his tools, so he can’t be detected and departments, such as the land warfare department, by facilitating training Capacity: 20 was well suited to do, so I requested to go to the school and was lucky to be ultimately, to take that shot and get out of there without getting caught. scenarios that will help further enhance the SEAL sniper’s skills. MK12 MOD1 allowed to attend.” Those are the things that make you a sniper.” While a sniper’s skill set is vast, the one proficiency he has to take with Depending on where SEALs are stationed and when classes are Shea said that a sniper has to display fortitude Special Purpose Rifle him and apply to his everyday life is discipline. In the book “On Killing,” a available, students attend training at Naval Special and vigor, operate and move under the cover of study of techniques the military uses to overcome the powerful reluctance to Warfare Center’s Advanced Training Command his surroundings or night. For these silent warriors, kill and how killing affects soldiers, Lt. Col. Dave Grossman asserts that no (ATC) in San Diego, or Camp Atterbury Joint patience is more than a virtue, it is a survival tool and Caliber: 5.56 mm matter what, a sniper must always maintain his discipline, even while he’s at Maneuver Training Center in Edinburgh, Ind. way of life – especially when snipers are forced to Weight: 12.1 lbs peace and there is no war. Length: 42” Training includes a two-week photo intelligence stay completely still for hours or even days at a time Sandino agrees with Grossman’s statement and recalls how he Rate of fire: course (PIC), four weeks of scouting/stalking to avoid discovery, waiting for the right moment to 20 rds/min maintained vigilance and discipline after a monumental event in his Effective Range: training and a six –week shooting course. deliver that one shot. operational career - the day he killed his first bad guy. 600m According to Senior Chief Special Warfare Sandino agrees and believes the recreational “The first kill that I had was actually on a machine gun,” he reflected. Operator Thomas Shea, leading chief petty officer hunting he did while growing up helped him .300 WinMag MK13 “The drive to continue to work and accomplish the dismantling of an of ATC’s west coast sniper cell, photography skills successfully complete the course. MOD5 Sniper Rifle insurgent network - the drive to take those guys down remained the same learned at this specialized course are nothing like “I think part of the mindset is similar, as far as without having a significant effect on my self-discipline or focus.” you’d see on display in a Sears portrait studio. the patience required to successfully participate in Self-discipline, mental management and training have combined to “PIC is learning how to use the technologies of hunting and sniping,” Sandino said. “You have to Caliber: .300 keep snipers like Sandino alive and have helped send bad guys to their WinMag the computer system, how to take a picture, how to be patient as a hunter and you have to be patient Weight: 11.4 lbs graves. In recent years, the sniper has become revered as one of the most integrate that into a digital file, how to submit your as a sniper. The biggest difference is hunting is Length: 47.5” vital battlefield specialists – and for good reason. Sandino and his peers Barrel Length: reconnaissance information and push it forward to a recreation and the work that we do is mission are expert marksmen, intellectual, resourceful, patient and they practice 26.5” another unit,” Shea said. “It takes some effort and oriented. The patience that’s required for sniper work Capacity: 5 rds common sense. The sniper is a master of his craft – both in training and time in order to do that.” exceeds that.” .50 cal MK15 Special on the field of battle, where his ability to make decisions must be quick PIC is like the calm before the storm. After Part of the patience Sandino references is Application Sniper Rifle and exact. His mental toughness and maturity help him manage the successfully completing PIC, shooting proficiency of achieved through mental management, which is a psychological toll associated with deliberately delivering death. each sniper candidate is evaluated using a 200-yard critical skill honed during training. With growing concern from increased air strike civilian casualties in test and a test for marksmanship on the M-4 rifle. “The instructors and students are taught methods southern Afghanistan, snipers are playing an increasingly critical role there. Caliber: .50 Cal Both tests qualify SEAL sniper candidates for scout to control both the physiological and cognitive Weight: 27 lbs Weighing collateral damage caused by air strikes and the cost-effectiveness reconnaissance and sniper courses. effects of stress and adversity,” said Cmdr. Eric Photo by MC2 Kevin BeauchampLength: 55.5” of sniping, the stock of men like Sandino is on the rise. Effective Range: The M-4 qualification test is a grouping test that Potterat, Naval Special Warfare Group 1 command 1,000 yds requires students to shoot a certain amount of psychologist. “Specifically, the focus is on learning MC2 Shauntae Hinkle-Lymas Capacity: 5+1 rds bullets in one area of a target. If students can group and reinforcing techniques to minimize the human

20 ETHOS ETHOS 21 communications to be up and functioning. While the Internet is still the reigning champion of electronic communication, it is only one portion of Mobile the responsibilities, capabilities and equipment the MCT inherits on the battlefield. Communications “There’s a large portion of our existence that we can’t train on until we get to the battlefield,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Mark Szumowski, assistant officer in charge of MCT 1. “What we inherit and need to support while deployed, also differs from where one is at on the battlefield, whether it’s a task unit or a detachment.” Teams: MCT members assigned to the task unit location, or central control center, may inherit large systems from Army and Marine Corps teams. Each system is different, but thanks to technical expertise, MCTs are required Keeping NSW Talking to train quickly on how to troubleshoot and fix these systems. An MCT Communication is the communal bond that that holds together member assigned to a detachment, or smaller unit, may not inherit the large nations, corporations, families and military organizations. Communication systems from other forces, but are often responsible for the radios and other technologies in the 21st century have yielded a host of tools and mediums communication equipment specific to respective units. for personal and professional interaction. Desktop publishing, e-mail, video Thanks to technology tailored to supporting SOF missions and new teleconferencing, multimedia and Internet technologies, including the equipment incorporated as quickly as communication methods evolve, the training pipeline for MCTs is a continuous effort and constantly growing.

social media craze have changed our business administration and family Photo by MC2 Dominique Lasco relationships, as well as personal and professional work habits. The world MCT technicians are not only responsible for keeping up with new we live in is a vast landscape of evolving communication tools with a system technology, they also maintain the rest of the communication systems used Mic Check One. IT2 Jennifer Turnbull conducts a comms of behind-the-scenes networks, consultants, helpdesks and technicians that and needed for a deployment. check in the simulated Tactical Operations Center (TOC) are often forgotten until there’s a glitch in one of those systems. “We get as much training as possible before we deploy, but it’s almost while at the communications course held at Camp Morena Naval Special Warfare operators also benefit from advancing impossible to learn about all of it,” says Ramsey. “We learn a lot of the communication technologies used to transmit vital information on the equipment on the spot. You can train on the equipment here, but it’s not until battlefield and communicate with commanders in the rear and families you are on the battlefield in a real life situation that you learn everything.” at home. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are used over the skies of “If it has a communication flavor to it, from a radio to a computer asset, Afghanistan to take surveillance photos and video. Internet connectivity and then we, being who we are, become the proxy owner,” said Szumowski. e-mail still reign as the method for sending memos to staff and letters home “We quickly get smart on how to get technical support to it and how to from remote locations, and radios are crucial communication tools used to Photo by MC2 Dominique Lasco troubleshoot it and get it back online. Out in the field it becomes quite maintain security on convoys and coordination between SEAL teams. challenging.” For example, a sniper team on a photo image capture (PIC) mission MCTs are primarily comprised of electronic technicians and information takes digital photos of suspected insurgents. A member of the team systems technicians whose duties, responsibilities and expertise are transmits that image back to the Tactical Operations Center (TOC) for expected to overlap through training and on the job experiences. Deploying interpretation by intelligence analysts, who determine that the photo reveals team members are divided into troops, similar to arrangements found in a person of interest and report it to the operations officer. The OPS officer and set up as quickly as possible. The largest system, called the Special SEAL teams, which is where they are temporarily assigned for the duration then orders the sniper team to wait for back-up and ensuing capture Operation Forces (SOF) Deployable Node (SDN) “Heavy,” which weighs of their unit level training (ULT) and deployment. mission. This flow of information is communicated via satellite and radios more than 200 pounds, is set up first. After returning from a deployment, the command does its best to keep in the TOC, an essential element of NSW operations and communications. “Everything we use to communicate through the Internet is run by teams intact and continuity in place. This robust battlefield capability is also a delicate and complicated system to this system and they want it up as quickly as possible,” said Information “We try to keep those Sailors in the troops together, so they can get maintain and track – a challenge that NSW Mobile Communications Teams Systems Technician 2nd Class Trista Ramsey. “We either have to set it up ready for their next deployment and still be cohesive,” said Senior Chief (MCT) are up to meeting. from scratch or we have to take whatever system they have out there and Information Systems Technician David Ross, MCT 1’s senior enlisted “Communications are essential for operators to complete their missions,” transfer it to a new system. leader. said Lt. Cmdr. Craig Gabriellini, officer in charge of MCT 1. “Our Sailors’ According to Ramsey, an MCT troop of approximately 20 Sailors Since 1977, NSW has employed a small group of enlisted primary focus when deployed is to get all the communications equipment will deploy together, but they are often distributed to support forces in communicators to deploy with operators, but the demand has increased on the battlefield up and running and keep that connectivity to the task units different locations. On Ramsey’s first deployment supporting SEAL Team since 2001. In 2007, the transition and expansion of these small teams and detachments intact, so they can complete their missions successfully.” 3 in Iraq, she was assigned to the largest operational unit with five other extended to their own commands, where they work directly for the N6 Unfortunately, the communications networks don’t set up and maintain MCT members. Other members deployed from MCT were distributed to departments of Groups 1 and 2. themselves. MCT members deploy to assist in setting up, maintaining different, smaller locations where they were working independently or Although a small group within the modest numbers of the NSW and tracking every piece of communication equipment NSW uses on the with one other member of MCT. With Ramsey and five others working community, members of MCT know and see the large impact they make on battlefield. More than nine aircraft pallets of servers, radios, satellites, tools shifts 12 to sometimes 20 hours long, it took only five days to get the NSW operations. and cables deploy with the team and systems are expected to be unpacked main communication system fully operational and two weeks for all the “While deployed, we really get to see how much we impact the teams and how much of an asset we really are,” said Ramsey. “They really rely on us for communications, whether it is networking, e-mail, Internet or radios in They relyon us for a convoy. On deployment we get to see how our job is so important to the “ communications, overall asset of NSW.” MC2 Dominique Lasco whether it is internet networking, IT2 Jennifer Turnbull assembles radios in preparation for a field exercise while at a communications e-mail, or radios in a convoy.” course in Camp Morena. - IT2 Trista Ramsey 22 ETHOS MCT 1 ETHOS 23 Photo by MC2 Dominique Lasco Gets A New Eye

You may have heard people use the phrase “eagle eye,” referring to somebody who sees well and for good reason - eagles have “The biggest process was the manufacturing and simply having exceptional eyesight. An eagle’s eye is almost as something to upgrade,” said Gardner. “The company took feedback on what we needed and they developed a new camera.” large as a human’s, but its sharpness is at least NSW already received some of the improved cameras and is using EAGLE EYE These images show the difference of the same view between four times that of a person with perfect vision. them in training and the E6000 and the new MWIR 2.0. on deployment. So The eagle can identify its prey moving from far, the feedback has almost a mile away, meaning an eagle flying at “We’ve been positive. an altitude of 1,000 feet over open country could “Being able to see Staff and students have learned that launching and landing the UAS gone from an image clearly gives with the new camera system on board is a new skill set that requires spot a rabbit over an area of almost three square us a greater capability practice. miles from a fixed position. in the battlefield,” “You have to take into account that it’s now a bit heavier,” said barely said Chief Aviation Bramwell. “You need a larger launcher to get it into the air and when Like its feathered namesake, is most stealthy and effective while surveying the battlefield at just under a Structural Mechanic it lands, it lands higher up on the wire.” NSW’s state-of-the art Unmanned half mile slant range from a target; this is the distance where it is practically seeing Travis Bramwell, Operational learning curves aside, Naval Special Warfare commands Aircraft System (UAS) ScanEagle undetectable, visually and acoustically from the ground, but still powerful as operations leading have seen or heard about the improved capabilities of NightEagle and can silently scour the skies over an imagery collector. anything chief petty officer, want to add it to their respective arsenal of war fighting tools. As Afghanistan for nearly 20 hours Parallel similarities between bird and machine don’t stop there. The eagle Naval Special Warfare with any integration effort, the rollout process is dependent on outside at a time, providing operators and ScanEagle are both lacking in night vision capabilities. Since an eagle’s to being Support Activity 1 factors. on the ground with real-time retina has more cones than rods, there is no getting around its impaired (SUPACT 1). “It’s going to take us a little time to get everyone outfitted due to intelligence imagery. ScanEagle night vision. ScanEagle on the other hand, is not limited by Mother Nature, able to While improved the contracting and manufacturing process,” said Gardner. “We’re but by technology, which is why its nocturnal capabilities have increased capabilities are going to start with a small number of deliveries and as we go through considerably thanks to a new nighttime camera system called mid-wave clearly quickly noticed and them, we will increase the numbers for breakage and damage. We infrared (MWIR). appreciated, so is the have this capability and now everyone wants one; we can’t get them ScanEagle currently employs an infrared (IR) camera, the E6000, which make out concern and need fast enough.” produces a very hazy image of operations after dark. The muddled nighttime for proper operating MC2 Erika Manzano images it produces make it difficult to differentiate a car from a building, objects.” and preservation requiring the ScanEagle to fly at riskier, lower altitudes to capture usable instruction on this imagery. According to ScanEagle manufacturer Insitu’s website, once the new and important MWIR 2.0, or NightEagle is installed, it will provide pictures of the system. same quality as ScanEagle’s electro-optic daylight imagery. “We want to be sure operators know how to install the camera,” “When we first started with the IR camera, the resolution said Gardner. “They also need to know how to maintain it and operate was not what we needed,” said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Brent it.” Gardner, ScanEagle Joint Urgent Operational Needs Statement SUPACT 1 has developed and implemented a week-long Mission (JUONS) program manager. “We’ve gone from barely seeing Qualification Training course that is offered at Camp Roberts, Calif. anything to being able to clearly make out objects.” The transformation from ScanEagle to NightEagle is a two hour pit-stop in the field, consisting of nothing more than a few performance enhancing UAS modifications that have been in development for about a year. A third tail fin and a larger nose EAGLE EYE The MQ-11 Raven B, classified as Rucksack Portable containing the MWIR are switched out and the after-dark version UAV, has 4.5-foot wings, antenna mast, hand-held controller and of this intelligence gathering tool is primed to provide operators with laptop and can easily be stuffed into a backpack and hand-launched the type of resolution and picture quality they need around the clock. for quick “over the hill” reconnaissance, serveillance, target acquistion or battle damage assessment.

24 ETHOS ETHOS 25 NSW Charitable Far Away Organizations from Merge to create:

Strong are the backbone of warriors forward deployed Photo Illustration by MC2 Shauntae Hinkle-Lymas ust as NSW adjusts tactics and Richards, chairman of the board of directors of the NSW Foundation, bringing together the two fam i li es Home reorganizes command structure organizations was a “natural extension” of their long-standing and close relationship. Both President Barack Obama recently said Group One efforts have been a huge success and paved the way for the in order to improve the fighting expressed their confidence in the organization’s ability to provide a more comprehensive, support for military families is a moral significant boost in additional funding. “BUMED’s full support and funding effectiveness of the SEAL Teams, so effective and increased level of service to the community’s active-duty warriors, survivors of our program in the out years will enable us to roll out the program to the do the benevolent organizations supporting and families. obligation and matter of national security. entire NSW community. This means that no matter where they live, every them. The combination of the two organizations is extremely compelling for the NSW family will have the opportunity to engage and participate in the assessment On Jan. 1, 2011, the Naval Special Warfare community and all its constituents, especially donors. Together, the organizations can “Our armed forces have done everything they’ve been asked to do,” and programs.” Foundation and the Navy SEAL Warrior Fund enhance and combine their unique capabilities and passion to better serve the entire Obama said at a White House event where he announced a plan to “This is just one program that we are building in Family Support,” said combined to create one organization whose community. The Navy SEAL Foundation now provides a dynamic local and national coordinate assistance among 16 federal agencies. “As a grateful nation, we Barnes. “Additionally, we’re hosting Spouse All-Call meetings to encourage mission is to assist and sustain the NSW presence, coupled with the ability to streamline support and fundraising efforts. It will must do our part.” dialogue between Winters, his leaders, spouses and families.” community -- its combat veterans and their will deliver an even broader range of programs to the families and an expanded level of Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he has These meetings provide an invaluable way for Winters to stay in touch families -- by providing tragedy assistance aid to the commands, ensuring unparalleled assistance to the men, women and families never witnessed a conflict like current operations in Iraq and Afghanistan with what NSW families are experiencing. He hears concerns about the support, bereavement resources conducting of Naval Special Warfare. that demand so much of its people. The current operational pace, he high operational tempo of deployment and training schedules. health, education and welfare programs and “What everyone needs to know is that we are fully capable of responding to the believes, requires that the armed forces develop programs that build “The meetings give spouses a voice,” said Damaris Wilson, NSW family sponsoring command and seasonal family needs of the community, and have been throughout the whole process,” said Bill resiliency in military families, so families are able to support their loved ones support deputy director and senior analyst. It’s also a venue where they are events and activities. White, Navy SEAL Foundation board member. No one knows this more than who are making multiple deployments overseas for contingency operations. told in no uncertain terms what they can expect and not expect in regards “It’s important that everyone knows this Lt. Korrina Donald, NSW’s wounded advocate and liaison for the U.S. Special Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Gary Roughead, attended the grand to NSW missions and operations. It’s the truth from the highest level in the newly formed foundation encompasses the Operations Care Coalition. opening of Naval Station North Island’s Child Development Center in community and the spouses appreciate that.” best of both organizations,” said Tim Phillips, “It sounds fantastic, but I never would have known any of this was going on; September and praised these kinds of quality-of-life initiatives for military The Spouse All-Call meetings are expected to continue biannually as a board member and legal counsel for the Navy the support requests never missed a beat.” families—or, as he refers to the families, “those who serve with us.” way to keep lines of communication open between NSW leadership and the SEAL Foundation. “It seemed only fitting The Navy SEAL Foundation is headquartered at the SEAL Heritage Center, NSW Commander, Rear Adm. Edward Winters, believes that our families. that the name includes not only a portion of Joint Expeditionary Base, Little Creek, Va., and will retain a significant presence community owes a great deal to what he calls ‘the power behind the Another important initiative is the new NSW family website which each organization, but clearly identifies to in New York; Coronado, Calif., and other key areas around the country. For power’—the families of our Navy SEALS, SWCCS, and Support personnel launched in April and serves as an enhanced tool families can use to our donors and the nation exactly what this additional information about the Navy SEAL Foundation and the services who are deployed worldwide. Demonstrating the value he places on communicate with leadership, build support within the community and foundation is all about.” provided, please call 757-363-7490. MC2 Erika Manzano a strong family support team, Winters recently elevated the program find additional resources when they need them. Its design will be easy According to Brendan Rogers, president director to that of a special assistant and is seeking additional billets so to navigate and include blogs written by spouses, event calendars and of the board of directors of the Navy SEAL that the Family Support staff can better serve the needs of all component discussion boards. Additional features will include polls, links to other Warrior Fund and retired Rear Adm. Tom commands. helpful sites and a digital download of the NSW Family Support Newsletter. Among the family support core resources that will be available across “The website will give spouses an easy way to gain information specific the community by fall 2011, is the NSW Resiliency Program. This Program to their needs, provide feedback, and communicate directly with the highest began as a Bureau of Naval Medicine (BUMED) funded pilot two years levels of the NSW leadership,” said Barnes. “It sounds ago. The effort will focus on enhancing the ability of Naval Special Warfare The type and extent of family support required during wartime and active duty and their families to adapt to stress by providing programs sustained operations is challenging. fantastic, but and services that promote total wellness. Program elements will include “We have seen that each component (Group and related Teams) has its anonymous assessments for active duty and family members, automated unique issues and clearly needs its own dedicated support person,” Wilson I never would results, and referrals to resources to include on-line training modules. Also, said. “We are working to staff a full-time Family Support Coordinator (FSC) A photo taken there will be pre and post-deployment retreats designed and refined based at each of the components to standardize the menu of programs offered have known any at the opening on the feedback received. Lastly, there will be additional group training on a and strengthen the current communication between the leadership, the of the SEAL wide-range of issues such as stress and sleep deprivation. Ombudsmen and the families. With these positions, we can further tailor of this was going Heritage Center Much of the initial concept and program elements were developed Family Support to each component’s needs and ensure accountability for on; the support in LIttle Creek, and tested with the help of NSW Group 1 leadership, members and their Va. This building our major initiatives – those rolling out now and those to come.” is just one of the families. According to Cmdr. Dave Barnes, NSW family support director, the requests never many things the MC2 Dominique Lasco foundation has missed a beat.” accomplished. Lt. Korrina Donald, NSW wounded advocate and liaison, SOCOM

26 ETHOS ETHOS 27 Chief Special Warfare Operator John Hudika, assigned to a West-Coast- “They actually went and based SEAL Team, who already had his associate’s degree, knew he Career Management System showed us where to find the wanted to get an accredited bachelors degree from a better school. tools to manage our careers Sitting down with Silver, they designed a roadmap to help him achieve supports NSW operators his individual goals. “Laura took the time to listen to my needs and review instead of just telling us it’s out my record to find a list of schools that would accept the credits I had already earned so I could earn my degree faster,” Hudika said. “With her help, I there somewhere. I think it should complete my degree during my next tour.” is great for the younger guys, “We provide individualized support for NSW personnel, whether they are so they can update and fix any new to the teams, getting ready to retire, or just ready to earn a degree,” Silver said. “Ultimately, we just want to help people be successful and take errors in their ESR and OMPF full advantage of all their benefits.” before they go up for Chief.” To ensure operators anywhere in the world can get the support they SO1 Wilfred Hernandez need, CENSEALSWCC maintains active portals on SIPRNET and Navy East Coast-based SEAL Team Knowledge Online (NKO) where information concerning advancement, AFMS, career management and advanced education can be found. advanced education opportunities and helping to ensure the communities’ “We post everything on the portal so operators anywhere in the world top performers advance. can have access to our services,” said SIPRNET portal administrator Chief “Our staff does a great job of assisting operators so they can focus on Information Systems Technician Jose Alicea. “We check it daily so if you the things they need to do to be successful at the teams,” said Lindsay. have a particular question, just post a comment and we’ll get you in contact In order to ensure that personnel understand how to maximize the with someone who can help.” benefits of the Alternative Final Multiple Score (AFMS), NSW’s new Even with its broader mission, CENSEALSWCC remains the go-to place Photo by MC2 Shauntae Hinkle-Lymas promotion system that relies on data in an operator’s Electronic Service for operators looking to proactively manage their careers and personal Record (ESR), CENSEALSWCC deploys teams worldwide to conduct “road development, determining options for advanced education or learning about show” briefs. changes that affect the SO and SB ratings and officer career paths. These presentations familiarize operators not only with advancement Is your SMART transcript CENSEALSWCC and records management support, but all the tools, services and benefits available to them to further their careers. “The team’s goals are to train and educate personnel on the full to capabilities of the ESR and explain not only why it’s important, but UP DATE demonstrate how to use the ESR and other available tools to manage their Five Navy websites careers,” said Jerry Moy, CENSEALSWCC’s knowledge manager. Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Wilfred Hernandez, an East Coast- vital to your career - Have you looked at based SEAL, who attended a brief in December, said that he thought the career development portion was the most useful. “They actually went and showed us where to find the tools to manage our mypay.dfas.mil AFMS worksheet? careers instead of just telling us it’s out there somewhere,” said Hernandez. Use this web site to check your LES and LES notes, “I think it is great for the younger guys, so they can update and fix any errors manage your Thrift Savings Plan, modify your tax YOUR in their ESR and OMPF (Official Military Personnel File) before they go exemptions, or manage your travel pay. up for Chief. My only complaint is that I wish I had gotten this information -Did you get an award, and when I first arrived at the team, so I could have been more proactive about nko.navy.mil managing my career.” You can manage your career progression, prepare When Chief Special Warfare Boat Operator Zach Riley, assigned to for the next advancement exam, and find an old wonder if it has been recorded in your NSW’s Basic Training Command, was preparing his record for the Chief’s shipmate. You can also update your resume, and take board, he used the AFMS worksheet to identify missing pieces of his record. tests to qualify for Officer’s Candidate School. “Once I determined what was missing, CENSEALSWCC sat down and SERVICE RECORD helped walk me through the process to ensure my record was updated,” he nsips.navy.mil said.”It was an easy, painless process for getting my record in order.” Take a look at your service record, awards, and Navy While the worksheets are designed for time-in-rate eligible E-6s, anyone career. And don’t even THINK about checking out on The Center for SEAL and SWCC is standing by to can use them as a framework to check their record and ensure they get full leave without visiting this site. credit towards advancement when the time comes. answer all of these questions, and more. One element of an operator’s record that often contains errors is the bol.navy.mil Sailor/Marine American Council on Education Registry Transcript (SMART), You can use this site to track down those Navy admin which translates one’s military occupational experience and training into notes, look for your next duty station, glance at your (Well, they can at least point you in the right direction.) corresponding college credits while also tracking traditional college classes. PRT scores, or find your detailer’s contact information. NSW, humans are our personally and professionally,” said Capt. Chris Lindsay, commanding officer While Navy College is responsible for overall educational weapon system - nothing is of the Center for SEAL and SWCC (CENSEALSWCC). opportunities,CENSEALSWCC’s Laura Silver provides individualized courses.netc.navy.mil/navycollege.navy.mil more important. We interact CENSEALSWCC has provided proactive career management support support to operators. As an educational program specialist and retired Take courses that pertain to your rating, or basic directly with the community since it was first established in 2005. The group’s experienced staff of master chief, Silver ensures their SMART transcript is up-to-date and error Navy seamanship at courses.netc.navy.mil. Use the and human resource civilians and retired and active duty operators first worked to establish free. She then assists personnel in identifying long term goals, choosing Navy college web site to register for certification professionals, taking care the Special Warfare Operator (SO) and Special Warfare Boat Operator a degree that is right for them and taking advantage of tuition assistance classes, or pay for school. “ of our operators, both (SB) ratings; now they provide more comprehensive support, beyond just available to them.

28 ETHOS ETHOS 29 WAR Q:(What’sWIIFM? in it for me?) of the FLEA Something It goes without saying that U.S. forces have a better chance of defeating their enemies A: GREATER by knowing more about them. However, than yourself! as members of Naval Special Warfare seek to better understand enemy insurgencies, provides NSW the ability to avoid the intended pitfalls and exploit the what gives them greater pleasure, receiving something for themselves or they can become lost in the sea of popular enemy’s dependencies. giving something meaningful to those important to them? This usually yields literature on the subject available today. Taber’s historical summaries also present accounts in which insurgencies an ‘Aha! Moment.’ have failed. This, of course, provides the operational reader with insurgency The satisfaction of using your talents well in the service of something For a clear and inclusive grasp of the strategic, operational and vulnerabilities on which to focus. Conversely, Taber also illustrates some key greater than yourself, even when you are not in the limelight, that’s a big weaknesses developed by historical counterinsurgency campaigns. Some WIIFM – at least for the people we want in the Teams. The pleasure of tactical perspectives of an insurgency, Robert Taber’s classic study of Photo Illustration by MC2 Shauntae Hinkle-Lymas guerrilla warfare offers a beacon of comprehension. Although originally of which we could be found guilty of today, within our more conventional watching someone you mentored get promoted or put into a great job; the ranks. Furthermore, Taber’s book is useful in presenting some alternative WIIFM 2nd Class who missed the party to fix the weapons; the Chief who stays late published in 1965, “War of the Flea” is an enduring and insightful book – pronounced wiff-em – is a simple little introducing all of the fundamental concepts that encompass modern methods for solving an insurgency issue. Undoubtedly, some of these turning out great evals so his men get promoted; the E-9 who volunteers for recommendations will be considered controversial. However, variations of acronym with so many different applications. It can be used to pejoratively staff duty to ensure the men are taken care of; the hero who sacrifices his counterinsurgency. The reader will make a number of parallels between describe a selfish approach to any endeavor, or it can be a question we the case studies Taber presents and the difficulties we face during today’s these alternative perspectives are thought provoking, at minimum. life so that others may live. Although a classic, there are some areas in the book that could be ask ourselves about whether a challenge is worth the effort in credibility, What’s In It For Me? To feel good about what I’ve done, how I’ve served counterinsurgency struggles. resources and time that it demands. In a leadership context, it can be the On the strategic level, Taber discusses the volatile political environments updated. For example, if one were to expand Taber’s study today, they my shipmates, my unit, my community and my nation. The pleasure of would need to include the integration of new technology and the networked question we help our subordinates answer for themselves, to help them knowing I’ve done my part to make my Team, my Navy and my country that create, nurture and ultimately yield to insurgencies. These same better understand the task at hand. The more I’ve thought about the WIIFM political atmospherics can be indentified today in a number of countries organization of insurgencies. Clearly, Taber did not foresee the Internet and better (and not worse) for my having been a part of it. And not just for what cellular phones becoming such super-empowering tools for the insurgent. question, the broader I see the scope of its implications. I could get out of it, but for what I could give. The satisfaction of having a where NSW frequently deploys. Taber also examines the concepts of I was first introduced to the WIIFM acronym when I was discussing with “shadow governments” and the voids created from delegitimized regimes, Nor was it expected that the relationships between insurgency cells would reputation as someone who can always be counted on to do my best, the favor a modern, social network more than a military hierarchy. Nevertheless, a friend how we teach business ethics at the University of San Diego. She satisfaction of knowing I’ve lived well, that’s WIIFM. both relevant issues today in Afghanistan and Yemen. Taber’s analysis of told me she uses WIIFM as a starting point in her business ethics class. revolutionary motivations also provides a sound explanation and prognosis these modern-day observations only slightly impact Taber’s explanation of SPECWAR operators know that there is more to their service and the insurgent’s behavior. I was initially a bit put off by this approach, but she reminded me that profession than the thrills, the yucks, the good times and satisfaction of of the recent Tunisian and Egyptian uprisings. Furthermore, similarities can teachers should meet their students where they are. be drawn between the historical “ideological” struggles against Communism Overall, Taber meets his intent to examine the motivations and methods tracking down the enemy. The training is hard and the deployments can be of insurgencies, the failures and successes of counterinsurgencies and the I’ve come to realize that this may also be a useful point of departure in even harder, especially if one has a wife and family. When tired, stressed and some of the variables encountered today with fundamentalist and leading and inspiring our troops. radical extremists. From the varying strategic phases of an insurgency, possibilities of how to avoid the struggle entirely. His theme analogy of the or worn out, the WIIFM question can be challenging. The excitement, struggling dog, infested with fleas, provides a clear conceptual framing of The military has traditionally relied on carrot and stick responses to the challenge, companionship and prestige of being a SEAL or SWCC operator to the political pressures felt at home during a “long war,” Taber provides WIIFM question: “We may not be able to make you do anything, but we valuable clarification on all of the strategic variables surrounding a asymmetric warfare well before the term was popular. Ultimately, Taber’s and fighting in the GWOT - is that all there is? Ok, I’ve got that T-shirt. Now “War of the Flea” captures the varying perspectives of an insurgency can certainly make you wish you had …” Answering the WIIFM question by what? WIIFM? To answer it, one has to wrestle with the larger goals in protracted insurgency. appealing to cost-benefit calculations of fear of punishment or anticipation On the operational and tactical levels, this book provides the reader and provides the reader with valued knowledge of the enemy, which will one’s life. undoubtedly aid them on their next assignment. of fun, excitement or money can certainly be effective, but then the When faced with a big decision, each of us has to answer that WIIFM with an understanding of the insurgent’s perspective, objectives and commitment to a mission or task is only as strong as the credibility of the question for ourselves – based on who we are, what we value and who we methods. The author explains the reasoning behind seemingly irrational threat or the belief in the promise of reward. The best leaders know that as a want to be. Get the job done or go home? Stay in or get out? Take this job acts of terrorism, their resulting operational effects and our amplifying primary motivator, this approach has serious limitations. Appealing to less reactions. Taber’s description of an insurgency’s manipulation of space, or that job? Sometimes when faced with a choice, both paths may serve Lt. Cmdr. (SEAL) tangible, but more intrinsic values inspires greater long term commitment to you well. And sometimes HOW you do what you do matters as much time and will power explains the futility of temporarily denying safe-havens the task at hand and the goal(s) which it supports. as WHAT you do. Sometimes the answer to WIIFM may be: Another or briefly deterring enemy activity by conventional force. Impressively, Matthew Peterson What one truly values and whether one measures value over the short opportunity to do the best I can at whatever challenge this path throws my Taber’s understanding of the population-centric nature of an insurgency wrote this review or long term are the fundamental issues behind the WIIFM question. way – and to serve others, and thereby myself, honorably. was demonstrated more than 45 years ago, when he wrote about the When leaders are trying to motivate subordinates, they must assume that necessity of local popular support. He also warns readers about the free- while a student at the consciously or unconsciously, all are calculating their return on investment rider dilemma, which deals with enemy forces benefiting from U.S. civil Naval Post Graduate in the assigned task and are silently asking themselves, “What’s In It affairs projects. Taber further speaks of the tendency for counterinsurgency School Montery,Calif. For Me? How do I work this to get what I want out of it?” Leaders must campaigns to overcompensate with “carrots” and neglect the “stick” when help their subordinates answer that question, and help them define for it comes to deterring future insurgents. On the other hand, Taber also themselves, their values and their long term best interests. advises of the negative ramifications of indiscriminate air attacks and When talking to BUD/S classes, Master Chief William Guild used to draw imprecise conventional operations. Additionally, the author encourages Bob Schoultz retired after spending the distinction between the pleasure one gets from a really good party and counterinsurgency efforts at the local police level, a priority just now being War Of The Flea: The Classic Study 30 years as a NSW officer. He is Of Guerilla Warfare Book: Paperback the pleasure of having a senior officer pin the Trident on one’s chest when officially implemented in Afghanistan with Village Stability Operations currently the Director of the Master of | 8.9 x 5.9 in | 199 pages | ISBN graduating from SQT. The party feels good for a little while, the Trident for Science in Global Leadership School (VSO). In general, Taber’s intuitive observations of historical guerrilla 1574885553 | 2002 | Brassey’s a lifetime. He then goes on to make the point by asking these young men of Business Administration at the warfare provide all members of NSW with a fundamental awareness of the University of San Diego. operational and tactical mind of an insurgent. Consequently, this awareness

30 ETHOS ETHOS 31 www

A brief history of war trophies ou are about to wrap up a long and tiring Since the beginning of time, soldiers have returned from war deployment down range. You can’t wait with booty and souvenirs, hard-earned payment for their efforts to get home to hug and kiss your wife and on the battlefield and a significant reflection of being victorious kids, drive your own car, walk barefoot warriors. Fittingly, the word “trophy” is derived from the Greek through your carpeted house or devour tropaion, which comes from the verb trope, meaning “to rout.” Trophies some carne asada at your local Mexican Of In ancient Greece, military victories were immediately restaurant. celebrated on the field of battle, by triumphantly parading As you reminisce over the experience of the captured weaponry and flags of fallen enemies and then past months, you begin packing your bags for the fashioning them into a warrior mural as an offering to the gods. pilgrimage back to the good ole U-S of A. You’ve Scribes would then craft a detailed description of the victorious got your bath towels, alarm clock, flashlight, battle and place it with the war trophy, so the facts or highlights MP3 player, hydration system backpack, a mini- of the conquest would not be forgotten. mouthwash container filled with dirt from the The ancient Roman approach to commemorating victory was site of your first mission in Afghanistan. You have You can look but you can’t take. Valuable gold plated guns once owned by Sadamm less immediate and more self-serving. Rather than laying tribute your sunglasses; check. Your digital camera, a Hussain were recovered in Iraq in 2004. Kalashnikov assault rifle from that intense enemy to the gods on the hallowed grounds of a victorious battle, the WAR engagement a few months ago, a very worn and charged and convicted of Article 92. Civilians serving with, employed by or Romans commissioned their artists and laborers to construct endeared copy of Sun Tzu’s “Art of War,”the accompanying military members in the AOR who are found in violation of special columns and arches within the city for all to see. The thoughtful homemade birthday card your five-year the order may face criminal prosecution or adverse administrative actions. crumbling remains of some of these huge stone memorials still “WINNER TAKES ALL” old daughter made -- all here and ready to go. A Contingency contractors may also face punitive action. pepper the outskirts of Rome. mentality no longer few more comfort items to pack and you are ready The winner takes all mentality of war is not an endorsed approach. Genghis Khan’s ruthless 13th century conquests yielded for that long trip home, too. Or are you? Anyone who engages in the age-old illegal pastimes of looting and pillaging enough riches for him to be considered the most powerful and acceptable practice is guilty of Article 103 of the UCMJ, which makes it a crime if somebody fails richest ruler of his time. He is famously quoted as saying, “The to report or turn over captured or abandoned property. greatest happiness was to vanquish, devastate and rob one’s “Property is more than just weapons,” Troyan said. “It’s basically anything enemies.” In two decades, his Mongolian army conquered and that a captured or killed person has on them or in their home, even if we’ve pillaged Persia, Asia Minor, Korea, South East India, Indonesia Actually, a few of these items can land you in hot water or even and China. While Khan collected jeweled weapons from China, prison if you tried to carry or mail them home. That seemingly harmless The Rules got them dead to rights on being a bad guy. Obviously, when we conduct gold from Samark, the hub of central Asia’s Islamic scholars, bottle of dirt is a show stopper. Think about the customs forms you fill out “We’ve all heard about the German Luger or Japanese Katana that sensitive site exploitation (SSE), we’re acting with authority and Article 103 priceless religious artifacts from Russian Orthodox churches when returning to the U.S. from an international trip; plants, animals, soil Grandpa brought back from World War II,” said Troyan. “But the often-cited isn’t a factor.” and the crowns of nearly 80 rulers he subjugated, his army’s from foreign countries should not be brought into ours. legal precedence of Finders v. Keepers doesn’t apply in the CENTCOM Illicitly gathering war trophies or souvenirs is not only disobeying a pay was subsidized by war booty. Needless to say, after the “What many people don’t realize is that there are important reasons AOR. These days, service members can’t keep any enemy weapons lawful order, but contradicts the principles of liberation, cooperation and Mongolian army rolled through a town or country, there wasn’t for our customs laws. Dirt and sand often contain microscopic organisms captured or found on the battlefield. Individual war souvenirs can only be reconstruction we are trying to impart to the people in Afghanistan and Iraq. much life or currency remaining. or pathogens that we don’t want getting into the United States,” said Lt. authorized through official channels.” Rather than acting as brokers of regional security, stability and prosperity; During the Napoleonic Wars of the 1800s, Napoleon Cmdr. Brent Troyan, Naval Special Warfare Command’s deputy force judge While shipping one of Saddam Hussein’s gold-plated AK-47 assault Americans who disrespect the dead or the property rights of civilians Bonaparte and the French army looted conquered areas in advocate. rifles or a jeweled toilet seat from his palace back to the U.S. would’ve be undermine the credibility of every other U.S. service member and make our Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Austria and Spain, robbing The assault rifle, although an admirable keepsake trophy of your war a cool war trophy, it wasn’t allowed. The same goes for a Taliban fighter’s stability operations more difficult. them of enormous amounts of artwork, scientific objects, books experience – not to mention an outstanding conversation piece, is the type black-turban or an abandoned rocket propelled grenade launcher; they “Unauthorized collection of war trophies and souvenirs is illegal and manuscripts. These trophy possessions were proudly and of contraband item that would lead to swift punishment. have the potential to be awesome souvenirs of a deployment, but these and for a reason,” Troyan said. “It hurts the strategic war effort, and in pompously put on display at the Louvre and France’s Museum The collection of war trophies has been a warrior’s rite as long as wars other war keepsakes are banned. Unlike the old days of collecting weapons counterinsurgencies, nothing is more important than our local relationships.” Of Natural History for all of France to enjoy. Shortly after the and battles have been fought. However, before any of our honorable from a fallen enemy, today’s soldier is left to collect spent shell casings or The bottom line – be careful what you carry or mail home from the front French defeat at Waterloo in 1815, these national treasures were operators return home from a deployment, they must be aware of and follow purchasing something from a marketplace if he wants a war memento. lines of battle. While a tangible memory piece of your wartime experience repatriated to their countries of origin. specific guidelines regarding souvenirs of war. While you can reference OPNAVINST 3460.7A, the Navy’s regulation would be nice to have, you must be sure it is legal before you stuff it in your Fast-forward to the 20th century, where it was not uncommon Although collecting war trophies became a fringe benefit of being on “Control and Registration of War Trophies and War Trophy Firearms,” sea bag or footlocker. The best approach is to follow guidelines regarding for American warriors to return home with souvenirs and successful on the battle pitch, in more recent times, American military this instruction was penned in 1969 and does not reflect more stringent war souvenirs. If you don’t know what they are, find out. And if they are mementos of their victories abroad, including enemy weapons members serving overseas have more rules regarding war souvenirs placed restrictions placed by local commanders. vague or confusing, enlist the advice of your unit’s judge advocate or military and flags. In fact, after World Wars I and II, the Treaty of upon them. For example, Army Gen. John Abizaid, former commander of U.S. customs personnel. Versailles and Potsdam Agreement, respectively, authorized Central Command (USCENTCOM), signed General Order No. 1B into MCCS Michael Raney the removal of large amounts of property from Germany as effect in 2006. This order addresses a dozen prohibited activities of U.S. reparations for being responsible for both wars and all of the Department of Defense personnel in the CENTCOM area of responsibility associated loss. The U.S. government brought home an arms Specifically, the order forbids military members, civilians and contractors “Unauthorized collection of inventory numbering in the millions of war trophy items from, “Taking or retaining of public or private property of an enemy or war trophies and souvenirs is ranging from entire fleets to rank insignia badges, which were former enemy.” It also states that USCENTCOM is the only source that can distributed to military leaders for research and to state governors authorize individual war souvenirs and without said authorization, items illegal for a reason. It hurts for Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and American Legion use. such as weapons, munitions or military articles can’t be taken for personal the strategic war effort, While the Vietnam War divided our country and was very

U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Wolfe Sgt. Jeffrey Air Force photo/Tech. U.S. use or shipped out of the AOR for personal retention. and in counterinsurgencies, unpopular, even for the American service members fighting it, Ignoring these regulations or orders issued by local commanders can nothing is more important war souvenirs were brought home from the battlefield. For some result in being charged with violation of a lawful general order under Article than our local relationships.” soldiers, the trophies were a way to show that they were there, 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). According to Troyan, Lt. Cmdr. Brent Troyan, they experienced battle and most importantly, they survived the ignorance of the order isn’t an excuse for breaking the law, so even if A Different Time. Stan Angleton, a World War II veteran and prisoner of war, holds NSW deputy force judge advocate harrowing experience. an SS knife he traded for in Europe after WWII ended. While trades were common someone claims that he hasn’t heard of the prohibition, he can still be then, rules have changed now.

2832 ETHOSETHOS ETHOSETHOS 3329 Photo Illustration by MC2 Shauntae Hinkle-Lymas