JULY 2017 VOL 70

President’s Message Chapter 16 Newsleer Organizaon and Responsibilies: Our formaon suffered the loss of two of our longstanding Brothers over Editor: Glen Craig these last weeks. Jim Lessler and Walt Hetzler were well respected Secons: members of our forma on and contributed immensely to Message from the President: Stephen Durfee and SFA Chapter 16 over the years. I am sure I speak for all of us when we Treasurers Report: Willi Linder say it was an honor and a privilege to have had the opportunity to know Sec. Rpt (Staff Meeng Minutes): Mike Barkstrom these fantasc men. We will always be here for their families and stand Sick Call/Obituary: Butch Hall ready to protect and support them wherever we can be of value. Special thanks to Chaplin Butch, the Cassidy team and CPT Ron for all the support Blast from the Past: Glen Craig as well as anyone I missed who stood this tough duty. Special Recognion: Mike Barkstrom We completed our recruitment drive on 22 June at the 1st SFG(A) Upcoming Events: Mike Barkstrom Organizaonal day and are awaing the tally of new members from SFA Calendar: Stephen Durfee Naonal. The CH 16 members provided beer and support to the event Human Interest Story: Chapter at large which was reported as the best Org Day in 20 years. We also conducted SFA Naonal HQ Update: Stephen Durfee the Coffee Stop, led by CSM (ret) Pennington, at the Marysville rest stop Aer Acon Report: Jim Lessler and generated close to $1000.00. We have our annual picnic coming up Membership Info: Roy Sayer out at the Paon Ranch on 12 Aug that culminates with our and gun Adversements: Glen Craig raffle! We wanted to thank the Paon’s and the Gates Team for all they do for CH 16 especially for the picnic.Oktoberfest will soon be upon us and Suspense: we are synchronizing with the 3rdBN and other underground st Newsleer published (Web): 1 of each brewers to make this a memorable event on 14 Oct. odd numbered month Lastly it would be impossible for our organizaon to have the degree of Input due to editor: 20th of each success we do without the Board members. Thank you, Eric, Willi, and even numbered month Mike, for keeping it all together and standing in when work prevents me. It is also important to point out John Becker who has fielded many ques ons Dra due to President: 27th of each and facilitated and led the recruitment drive. Thank you to the Chapter 16 even numbered month Brothers and Family for allowing me to serve this great organizaon. Final Dra due 29th of each Stephen P. Durfee SGM (Ret) USA even numbered month !st Special Forces Group 60th Anniversary

We celebrated the 60th anniversary of the 1st SFG (A) with the Group Command Team, Soldiers and special Guests CSM (Ret) Dewy Simpson and an original FSSF veteran Eugean Guerrez. Special thanks to CSM (ret) John Illiff who hosted the gathering at his compound in Yelm.

Page 1 1st Special Forces Group Organizaon Day 23 June 2017.

J.K. Wright Memorial Breakfast 5/6/2017

Chapter XVI North (Recon) 5/13/2017

SFC Christopher L. Shaw Memorial Breakfast 5/20/2017

Dinosaur Luncheon 5/26/2017

J. K. Wright Memorial Breakfast 6/3/2017

Page 2 SFA Chapter XVI General Meeng, June 10,2017 The meeng was called to order by President Steve Durfee at 1105, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, the singing of The Ballad of the Green and the invocaon by Chaplin Butch Hall. Members in aendance: Steve Durfee, Eric Heid, Willi Lindner, Mike Barkstrom, Carey Pennington ,Bill Gates, Mike Cassidy, Dennis Guiler, Gary Villanuena, Tom Dawson, Jim Beasley , Glen Craig, John Cuskeli, Nick Marvasis, bob Smith, Ed Booth, Ken Garcy. Wives present: Steph Gates, Joy Cassidy, Erma Booth. Visitors: Addy Heid, John Hnashin, Marc Bush, Col Will Beaurpere, CW5 Duc Duclos, CSM Tony Labrec. We were addressed by the Command team from 1st Group. Col Beaurpere spoke about the 60th anniversary of the 1st Group. Will start at 1200 at the Regimental Mess‐move to Chambers Lake for round robin compleon and the Colonel would like some of the SF Rered Vets to act as Point Seers and ask to the "tough quesons". round robin compeon starts at 1430 ‐1830 round robin compeon ends and move to CSM Iliff's house for the celebraon‐ends 2300. POC CRT Bailey Colwell ([email protected]) Stated the importance of bridging the gap between acve duty and no‐acve duty SF soldiers. We now have four generaons of soldiers to draw on for guidance and history and we cannot afford to lose that connecon. His stated goal is to fill the room with SF guys in the coming year. CW5 Duc Duclos stressed that we as a whole (acve duty) need to get back to our roots and be more acve in the mission of "Teach, Train and Advise". We can train anyone to be a shooter but it takes unique men to become true Special Forces Soldiers. We are the original force mulpliers and we need to return to that role, we need your history to help us aain that goal. CSM Tony Labrec stressed that his door is open and wants to see the mutual cooperaon between acve and rered members of the work together for the benefit of all. The CSM has spent his enre career with the 1ST Group and welcomes ideas and thought from veteran s from other groups as well. He is in the process of pung together a snapshot of all who have served in SF for those who are willing to take part. Something on the order of a baseball card‐picture too. Basically the wwwww and h but really you decide what you want to say. More to follow. Chaplin Butch gave his report: Thank you card from Bob 'Grumps" Smith. Chuck Hall not doing well neither is his grandson. Spoke of the fine work Dave is doing with the Burma Rangers. Chaplin Butch reported that two of our members have laid their rucksacks down for the final me. Jim Lesser passed away on 6‐19‐2017. Interment will be at Mt. Tahoma Naonal Cemetery June 19,2017 at 1100 hours. A celebraon of life will follow at Capt. Ron's. A memorial service will be held for CSM (Ret) Walter M. Hetzler will be conducted at the North Fort Chapel, JBLM, AT 1300 21 JUL 2017 with a recepon immediately following a at the 1st Group Regimental Mess. Please RSVP to [email protected] with your full name(s) date(s) of birth and state of residence, we are aempng to facilitate access to the base‐although if this does not work out all aendees may have to obtain a day long pass through the visitors center for access to both North Fort and Ft Lewis proper prior to the service. Valid photos IDs and registraon may also be necessary. CSM Labrec stated that CSM Hetzler was the senior CSM in the Group and that one of the new buildings under construcon for the 2nd Bn will be named in his honor. Willi gave a treasurer's report and stated that we have $11,443.17 in the checking account and $4670.01 that paid a interest amount of $0.13 for the month of May. Willi is looking into the interest rate. The chapter voted to offer $500 to the families of deceased life and acve members to help defray the cost for a celebraon of life service. Old Business As a reminder any member that has to go through security starng next month will have to have an Enhanced Driver's license or a valid passport, or a government issued ID card. Your VA medical will work according to the civilian at the security counter on 10 Jun. To be safe bring as many as you have. Eric reported that the gun sales are going well and wanted to know if he should save any ckets for the picnic and was advised to sell them all beforehand if possible. The long rifle will have a Vortex 900 long range opc and the M‐4s will have AR 500 opcs, also there is a Vortex 450 range finder to be awarded to the member who sells the most ckets. All of the opcs was donated by Vortex. Put SF Crest and maybe Chapter logo on the M‐4s. John Becker reported that the membership drive will conclude on 23 Jun 2017‐so hurry up and pay your money to get the savings. Steve Dupree: Visit the website for lots of info: HTTP://www.sfa.chapter‐16.org:monthly events, Carr's 1st Saturday of the month 0830 Bridgeport Way, Tacoma, Hawks Prairie Restaurant 4rd Saturday 0830, luncheon last Friday 1130 Main Buffet, DuPont. Eric Org Day 6‐23 needs 6‐8 volunteers. Meet at Shoreline Park, park and ride 0830 on 6‐23. Call Eric if you can help‐360‐458‐8914‐all the beer you can drink and fun too. Chapter 16 picnic is August 12 at Kevin Paon's ranch in Yelm. Distro to follow‐Bill Gates and Rich Wall heading up the fesvies. They need lots of help‐give Bill a call if available.253‐931‐8918. Carey Pennington reported that we need $907 on the coffee stop and we are slated to do another o Labor Day. We have lots of supplies all ready purchased so our net should be higher this next go round. Bruce Hasselgren donated 100 pounds of coffee and 2000 cups. Call Carey if you want to sign up for a shi 259‐879‐9429. Team house commiee sll pung together opons. Gary Villanunea and Glen Craig are working on the opons. Will report back when they have fleshed it out. Eric Heid reported that 24 SF Scholarships will be awarded in July. Recipients to be announced at a later date with monetary amounts. If you order from a Amazon and make a minor change to ordering from amazosmile you can designate a poron of your purchase price to go to the Green Beret Foundaon Scholarship. New Business Marc Bush has donated guided steelhead fishing trip on the Cowlitz River for either Aug 20 or Sept 16. To be auconed off at the Picnic‐$600 value. Winners will need to provide a their own fishing license and punch card and lunch. Everything else provided. Check out his web site at [email protected] 360‐894‐7636 or 253‐468‐0610 There will be an OASIS meeng in July (DID NOT GET THE DATE) in Regimental Mess. Morning open session aernoon by appointment‐can make in the morning session. email them for more info‐[email protected] Oktoberfest: There will be a beer off. Some members of the 1st Group have hidden talent as brew masters and will have compleon at the

Page 3 Oktoberfest‐ Distro to follow. Addy Heid addressed the Chapter in response to a leer she received and back up informaon from Brenda Day‐sister of SGM Bradly Connor, 1ST Group, KIA 6 May 2009, Al‐Hillah, . She is racing with the Ironman CDA 70.3 Warrior Tri Team. All proceeds go to the Special Operaons Warrior Foundaon. The chapter voted to $500 in support of Brenda Day to connue to honor her brother and further support the foundaon. Respecully submied, Mike Barkstrom

SFC Christopher L. Shaw Memorial Breakfast 6/17/2017

Pastor Butch’s Corner Something to think about; Policians vs God: The reason Policians try so hard to get re‐elected is that they would "hate" to have to make a living under the laws they have just passed. On the other hand God’s Laws apply to all equally and provide for us all to live in honor and dignity. Many people stand tall in the eyes of their fellow man and fall short in the eyes of their creator. Love and Prayers brings harmony in any group, Chaplain Butch

Jim Beisley’s Aer Acon Report: Rest Area Coffee Stop Guys, first of all I want to say "Rest In Peace" Jim Lessler. We're all going to die at some point in me and wouldn't it be great to be doing something you loved when it happened. Jim was doing that when he le us, serving others. What a fine tesmony. I finally was able to do something for/with the chapter this past weekend and I couldn't ask for a beer partner in Butch Hall. I believe we had a good me and the six‐hour shi flew by. Here are some observaons from a rookie: 1. God Bless SF and our propensity to be on me meaning a lile early unless it's an ambush or me fuse. We relieved the guys who were up all night a lile early and our relief arrived early as well. Hand‐offs both ways were efficient. 2. It is definitely a two man job unless in the case of an emergency. I could have been replaced with a MacGyver set up to support the hot pot while refilling but having two guys there offered relief for restroom breaks and company. 3. I would esmate we greeted close to 300 people/couples based on our take during our shi. The vast majority were appreciave. Only about five veterans recognized it was Memorial Day weekend and expressed respect to us and our service. The bond brothers have. A bit of a shame but what can be expected when only 1% serve right now. 4. I witnessed three couples who when they saw our banner showed total distain for Butch and me. (I don't think Butch noced them) Really a shame but if you don't mind me stereotyping, 65 year olds, gray hair, Birkenstocks. I would guess they were Evergreen State College staff. And they did not come over for coffee. 5. When a bus load of Chinese naonals arrived and many looked confused, Butch spoke to a couple of them in Chinese which they got a kick out of. 6. I greeted a young Russian gal and she replied a lile astonished with a few more words I didn't understand. A typical SF meet and greet. 7. I got a kick out of one middle aged women who asked me if I was an experienced hiker. I pointed up at our chapter banner and said I could handle myself in the woods. Not sure if she understood what I was saying but I thought that was funny. 8. The lemonade was a good addion. 9. We were gracious offering refreshments to people who looked like they wanted some but perhaps didn't have money to contribute. Young families with young kids mostly. That's all I've got.

Page 4 You served ! General Petraeus About Our Military Today I remember the day I found out I got into West Point. My mom actually showed up in the hallway of my high school and waited for me to get out of class. She was bawling her eyes out and apologizing that she had opened up my admission leer. She wasn't crying because it had been her dream for me to go there. She was crying because she knew how hard I'd worked to get in, how much I wanted to aend, and how much I wanted to be an infantry officer. I was going to get that opportunity. That same day two of my teachers took me aside and essenally told me the following: “David, you're a smart guy. You don't have to join the military. You should go to college, instead.” I could easily write a theme defending West Point and the military as I did that day, explaining that USMA is an elite instuon, that it is actually stascally much harder to enlist in the military than it is to get admied to college, that serving the naon is a challenge that all able‐bodied men should at least consider for a host of reasons, but I won't. What I will say is that when a 16 year‐old kid is being told that aending West Point is going to be bad for his future, then there is a dangerous disconnect in America, and enrely too many Americans have no idea what kind of burdens our military is bearing. In World War II, 11.2% of the naon served in four (4) years. During the Vietnam era, 4.3% served in twelve (12) years. Since 2001, only 0.45% of our populaon have served in the Global War on Terror. These are unbelievable stascs. Over me, fewer and fewer people have shouldered more and more of the burden, and it is only geng worse. Our troops were sent to war in Iraq by a Congress consisng of 10% veterans with only one person having a child in the military. Taxes did not increase to pay for the war. War bonds were not sold. Gas was not regulated. In fact, the average cizen was asked to sacrifice nothing, and has sacrificed nothing, unless they have chosen to out of the goodness of their hearts. The only people who have sacrificed are the veterans and their families. The volunteers. The people who swore an oath to defend this naon. You stand there, deployment aer deployment and fight on. You've lost relaonships, spent years of your lives in extreme condions, years apart from kids you'll never get back, and beaten your body in a way that even professional athletes don't understand. Then you come home to a naon that doesn't understand. They don't understand suffering. They don't understand sacrifice. They don't understand why we fight for them. They don't understand that bad people exist. They look at you like you're a machine ‐ like something is wrong with you. You are the misguided one ‐‐ not them. When you get out, you sit in the college classrooms with polical science teachers that discount your opinions on Iraq and because YOU WERE THERE and can't understand the macro issues they gathered from books, because of your bias. You watch TV shows where every vet has PTSD and the violent strain at that. Your congress is debang your benefits, your rerement, and your pay, while they ask you to do more. But the amazing thing about you is that you all know this. You know your country will never pay back what you've given up. You know that the populace at large will never truly understand and appreciate what you have done for them. Hell, you know that in some circles, you will be thought as less than normal for having worn the . But you do it anyway. You do what the greatest men and women of this country have done since 1775. YOU SERVED. Just that decision alone makes you part of an elite group. “Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few.” ‐‐Winston Churchill Thank you to the 11.2% and 4.3% who have served and thanks to the 0.45% who connue to serve our Naon. General David Petraeus West Point Class 1974

The Difference Between “Special Operaons” and “Special Forces” June 4, 2017 by Marty Skovlund, Jr. Possibly one of the most pervasive yet irritang missteps that the media and public in general makes about the military is the use of the terms ‘Special Operaons Forces’ (SOF) and Special Forces (SF) interchangeably. In a day and age where special operaons units have a growing presence in the media due to the increase of their importance in the asymmetric, non‐convenonal combat environment that our country has found ourselves in, the mistake has become all too common in headlines on news channels as well as newspapers and magazines. Consider this arcle a primer for anyone in the media that even remotely cares about their journalisc accuracy, as well as the curious cizen. Special Operaons, or somemes referred more accurately to as Special Operaons Forces (SOF), include any unit that falls under the United States Special Operaons Command (SOCOM). Naval Special Warfare, Air Force Special Operaons Command, Army Special Operaons Command, and Marine Special Operaons Command are all included under this umbrella. I won’t go further down the ladder and list every unit under those commands, but they cover everything from the 528th Sustainment Brigade and Civil Affairs to the SEAL Teams and Ranger Regiment. The shadowy Joint Special Operaons Command also falls under SOCOM as a sub‐unified command, but oen reports directly to higher authories due to their unique and oen sensive missions. Who is not covered by the term Special Operaons? Anyone who does not fall under the SOCOM umbrella. For example, although Force Recon companies in the Marine Corps are highly trained and undergo a selecon process similar to many SOF units, they are not considered Special Operaons as they belong to the Marine Corps, not SOCOM. Now, what about the term “Special Forces”? Special Forces is not a generic term in the U.S. military, and refers to a very specific unit. The 1st Special Forces Regiment falls under the command of the Army Special Operaons Command (menoned above) and includes the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th, 19th, and 20th Special Forces Groups. They are most oen referred to by their disncve , the Green Beret, or simply as “SF.” The Army’s Special Forces are capable of a wide variety of missions, but were designed to be the premiere experts on unconvenonal warfare and foreign internal defense. As an example of a classic unconvenonal warfare mission that happened in recent history, aer the terror aacks of 9/11 small elements of the 5th Special Forces Group embedded with indigenous fighters from Afghanistan’s Northern Alliance and lead them into bale. Within a maer of weeks, they had effecvely neutralized the Taliban threat – accomplished not with brigades and divisions of soldiers, but with only a couple dozen Special Forces soldiers. This is the capability that the 1st Special Forces Regiment brings to the table, and makes them very unique in the larger SOCOM picture. To summarize, Special Operaons Forces (SOF) is a generic term that you can use to refer to any and all special operaons units. Special Forces is the tle of a very specific unit, and is not a generic term for other units. If you don’t know what unit did something, refer to them as SOF or Special Operaons. If you know for a fact that it was a unit from one of the seven Special Forces Groups, then refer to them as Special Forces. Simple enough… Right?

Page 5 SOF's Evolving Role: Warfare 'By, With, and Through' Local Forces by Linda Robinson The role of U.S. special operaons forces (SOF) in the Middle East has expanded steadily since the incepon of the counter‐ISIS campaign in 2014. In part, this expansion is due to the metastasis of ISIS into Libya, Yemen, and other countries beyond its major land‐holding presence in Iraq and Syria. But the most notable feature of the expanded U.S. SOF role in the Middle East has been its work alongside indigenous forces in Iraq and Syria. Convenonal and coalion forces provide addional numbers of troops. What makes this campaign so unusual is that U.S. forces are not providing the muscle of the frontline combat troops. Instead, the campaign is conducted “by, with, and through” others, a Special Forces phrase that the CENTCOM commander, General Joseph Votel, has adopted to call aenon to this new way of warfighng. If the counter‐ISIS campaign succeeds in dislodging ISIS from Iraq and Syria, this approach is more likely to be considered for other, similar conflicts. During seven weeks vising Iraq, Syria, and neighboring countries this year, I observed three major changes in how the campaign accounts for its increasing momentum. First, the number of advisers and supporng forces has now reached a level that can provide meaningful support to the variety of indigenous forces fighng ISIS in Iraq and Syria. That number is hovering around 10,000, including forces deployed in‐country on temporary duty. Special operaons forces are advising a variety of partners, including the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service (CTS), tribal forces and Iraqi Kurds. In Syria, they are assisng Kurdish groups, parcularly the YPG (Popular Protecon Units), and a variety of Arab forces. As in Afghanistan, U.S. SOF count on major support from their closest SOF partners in Britain, Australia, and Canada, as well as the Danes, Norwegians, and French. While SOF are at the forefront of the taccal‐level advising, U.S. and coalion convenonal forces have been training forces at five main bases and advising at the headquarters level. The second major change has been in how these advisers are used. The special operaons forces have become progressively more dispersed and now accompany the indigenous forces to a secure locaon near the front lines. This means that they are no longer aempng to provide taccal advice from headquarters, where they must analyze balefield operaons through the soda‐straw perspecve of drone feeds. They do sll advise commanders of indigenous forces at the senior level, which is a crical funcon, but now they can also observe units in acon to beer advise their taccs. In East Mosul, movement of advisers to the 16th Iraq army division provided crical assistance to galvanize that unit. U.S. and coalion SOF have also played a significant role in helping to rebuild the CTS, Iraq's SOF, which has led every major bale in the counter‐ISIS campaign and has suffered heavy casuales as a result. The third major change has been the steady increase in fire support, a crical enabler in both Iraq and Syria. This change has occurred gradually over the past year. U.S. Apache helicopters were first used in combat last June in Qayyarah, which today is a major staging base for the assault on Mosul. In a visit to “Q‐West,” as U.S. troops call it, I saw a recently installed U.S. military medical unit and its ICU set up in tents on the base. High Mobility Arllery Rocket Systems (HIMARs) are posioned there to provide support to the Mosul offensive. Also in the outskirts of Mosul, at a base in Hamman al‐Alil, I saw U.S. Paladin howitzers dug into a berm along the Tigris River, firing in support of Iraqi CTS and Federal Police moving into West Mosul. This fire support is even more important to the Syrian Democrac Forces, a far more lightly armed irregular force which constutes the major ground force fighng ISIS in Syria. Marines from the 11th Marine Expedionary Unit have moved into Syria with their 155 mm howitzers in preparaon for the assault on Raqqa. I visited Kobane, which is a rusc but increasingly important hub for operaons in Syria. An airstrip has been carved from the limestone and now lengthened to accommodate C‐17 planes that fly in to deliver rocket pods for HIMARs, along with tons of other ammunion. U.S. SOF are thus being thrust into a new role of coordinang fire support, managing the convenonal troops that employ them in support of the SOF‐indigenous ground force, and overseeing the sprawling network of austere “lily pad” bases from which they work. If they succeed in ousng ISIS from Mosul and Raqqa in the coming months, this new way of combining forces and using SOF to direct a ground war could become a model for conducng low‐ to mid‐level combat. Convenonal forces would sll be relied upon heavily to conduct major wars, such as a North Korean, Chinese or Russian conngency. But this “by, with, and through” model could become a standard opon in the U.S. military playbook. The fight for Mosul is far from over, and the last part will be extremely difficult as troops try to fight among 400,000 civilians trapped in western Mosul without harming them. Similarly, Raqqa will pose a sff challenge for the an‐ISIS forces, as ISIS has dug trenches, bunkers, and tunnels, and laced the city with mines. One consequence of the heavy reliance on U.S. SOF is high deployment rates with lile downme. The demands in the rest of the world are significant: Special operators are also needed to conduct low‐visibility operaons in Europe in support of partners there, as a complement to convenonal deterrence against Russian aggression. In addion, the parlous situaon of Afghanistan may require more SOF, whose training and advice have made that country's forces into very effecve fighng units. In a turbulent world, hard decisions will be required about where SOF are most needed, and how other countries' SOF may be able to help.

The Naonal Special Forces Green Beret Memorial Mission The Naonal Special Forces Green Beret Memorial the legendary elite Special Forces “Green ” Soldiers of every era and the legacy of the Special Forces Regiment with a historic and magnificent world class memorial. Background and Team In 2011, the Naonal Special Forces Associaon (SFA) officially endorsed and directed Fine Arst Rebecca A. Clark to create The Naonal Special Forces Green Beret Memorial. In addion to working in partnership with the Naonal Special Forces Associaon, Rebecca A. Clark also worked with the 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) at , as technical advisors, and several Special Forces Groups at their locaons across America to develop a concept to memorialize Special Forces Green Beret Soldiers through a series of monumental bronze sculptures. Since 2011, this private memorial project and effort have evolved into a comprehensive program, that includes working with the Task Force Dagger Foundaon a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, and advised by a team of rered and disnguished Officers and Non‐Commissioned Officers, dedicated to raising funds to develop, complete and maintain The Special Forces Green Beret Memorial. The disnguished Advisory Board project team includes rered 3 Star and 2 Star former U.S. Army Special Forces Commanding Generals, a former U.S. Army Infantry Commanding General, Special Forces Officers, Non‐Commissioned Officers, Disnguished Members of the Special Forces Regiment, Special Forces Medal of Honor recipients, and other extraordinary Advisors.

Page 6 Rebecca A. Clark is the official and exclusively commissioned Arst, working with the Task Force Dagger Foundaon to create The Naonal Special Forces Green Beret Memorial. The U.S. Special Forces “Green Berets” The U.S. Military’s premier unconvenonal warriors, the U.S. Army Special Forces “Green Berets”, also known as the “Quiet Professionals”, are the “Tip of theSpear”. The Special Forces “Green Berets” are a rare breed of specially selected, highly trained and experienced elite Soldiers who cannot be reproduced overnight. The Green Berets are America’s primary weapons for waging unconvenonal warfare in an age where convenonal conflicts have become I ncreasingly rare. Deployed on every connent, operang in remote areas under Spartan condions with a tenuous radio link their only connecon to higher headquarters, small detachments of U.S. Army Special Forces “Green Berets” are training their allies to defend themselves against dangerous insurgents, making tough decisions under unheard of situaons. The Special Forces “Green Berets” deploy and execute one or more of 9 doctrinal missions: Unconvenonal Warfare, Foreign Internal Defense, Direct Acon, Counter‐Insurgency, Special Reconnaissance, Counter‐Terrorism, Informaon Operaons, Counter‐Proliferaon of WMDs and Security Force Assistance. There are 5 acve component Special Forces Groups and 2 U.S. Army Naonal Guard Groups. Each SFG is regionally oriented to support one of the War‐Fighng Geographic Combatant Commanders. The cornerstone of the Special Forces Group’s capability is the Operaonal Detachment‐Alpha (ODA), a highly trained elite team of 12 Special Forces “Green Beret” Soldiers, cross trained in weapons, communicaon, intelligence, medicine and engineering. The ODA Green Beret Soldier also possesses specialized language and cultural training. Successes of the U.S. Army Special Forces “Green Beret” Soldiers have resulted in increasing demand for Special Forces around the globe. In the future, as in the past, Special Forces “Green Beret” are deployed around the world every day and are called upon to conduct crical missions in the face of overwhelming odds. It is a task they look forward to with confidence because the tradion of the Army Special Forces is one of excellence. It is because of this standard of courage, honor, integrity and excellence that the modern‐day Special Forces “Green Beret” remain devoted and live up to their Lan moo‐De Oppresso Liber‐to free the oppressed.

A Double‐Edged Sword – Staff Sgt. Barry Sadler & “The Ballad Of The Green Berets” Adapted from the new book, Ballad of the Green Beret: The Life and Wars of Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler BY MARC LEEPSON · MAY 4, 2017

Almost every member of the generaon—and anyone who’s ever served in the Special Forces—knows the name Barry Sadler: The acve duty Green Beret Staff Sergeant just back from fighng in Vietnam who wrote and recorded “The Ballad of the Green Berets,” the No. 1 song of the Vietnam War year of 1966—when the Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who, the Mamas and Papas, and Simon & Garfunkel (among oth‐ ers) were riding high. Sadler became a media sensaon in February when his old‐fashioned, pro‐military song became the best‐selling record in the country. The single would go on to sell some nine million copies; the song’s album sold more than two million. The records earned Sadler fame—and about a half million dollars in royales in 1966 alone. A Tragic Ending Unhappily, that was the highpoint of his life. The naonwide fame was fleeng and the Barry Sadler story has a tragic ending. Sadler survived a rocky childhood and adolescence, dropping out of high school to join the Air Force in 1962, serving for four years, and then joining the Army, volunteering for Airborne and Special Forces. He chose to be a medic, and served with a SF A Team in the Central Highlands from early 1965 ll late May when he was medevaced aer a punji sck wound became infected. He was staoned at Fort Bragg when the song hit. The Army promptly took Sadler off regular dues and sent him around the country as a hu‐ man recruing poster. He looked the part—a young, handsome Green Beret war veteran with the biggest song in the country. But Sadler, a man of acon, hated being paraded out in front of fickle crowds. So he got out of the Army as soon as his term of his enlistment ended, in May of 1967. He moved to Tucson with his wife and two young sons. The plan: to make a living as a musician and an actor. But Barry Sadler never had another hit song. His acng career went nowhere. He opened a bar that leaked money. He tried running a baery store. That venture fizzled. Within five years he had spent all the royalty money and was broke. The family moved to Nashville in 1973 where Sadler tried to jump start his musical career. He couldn’t. The Second Act Barry Sadler’s second act as the author of a slew of pulp ficon novels began in 1978. The books—including twenty‐two in the Casca: The Eternal Mercenary series—sold well, but Sadler was living on the edge. He shot and killed a washed‐up country music singer/songwriter named Lee Bellamy in Nashville that year. Sadler claimed it was self‐defense, was arrested for second‐degree murder, and lawyered up. In a plea deal, got off with a 30‐day sentence in the county workhouse. But his drinking and running around connued. In January 1984, Barry Sadler went into a kind of exile, moving to Guatemala and seling into a small ranch outside Guatemala City. Rumors flew that he was running a mercenary operaon, training an‐communist Nicaraguan guerrilla fighters (the Contras), and conducng internaonal arms deals. But he was mainly churning out books, and drinking and carousing in his four‐bedroom country villa and in the bars of Guatemala City. On September 7, 1988, Barry Sadler took a bullet to the head in a taxi cab in Guatemala City aer a day and night of drinking. Details of the shoong are murky. The authories said he shot himself in a drunken accident. Others claimed it was a robbery or an aempted assassinaon by communist guerrillas or personal enemies. He was brought back to the United States, and spent the next sixteen months as a brain‐damaged paraplegic in three VA hospitals. Barry Sadler died on November 5, 1989, four days aer his 49th birthday.

Page 7 A Double‐Edged Sword The startling but short‐lived success Barry Sadler had in 1966 turned out to be a very sharp double‐edged sword. Aer overcoming a difficult childhood, serving honorably in the Air Force and Army he was on the road to an honorable, if under‐the‐radar, military career. But “The Ballad of the Green Berets” uprooted him from the military life that he had envisioned. Soon he was broke, unhappy, and stumbling along life’s path. He ran with a rough crowd. He also read voraciously and wrote 29 pulp ficon books. His dry wit charmed many a man—and many women. “Nobody could tell a joke like Barry did, oen in dialect,” a friend from the 1980s said. “He was the best story teller I ever knew, and one of the funniest.” Barry’s marriage, though, was dysfunconal at best. He killed Lee Bellamy and all but got away with it. He fled the country to live a wild life in Central America. He wound up with a bullet in his head in the middle of the night and died aer more than a year confined to hospital beds barely able to speak and unable to feed himself. The man who in 1966 was the Audie Murphy of the Vietnam War—a handsome, famous, charismac war hero made into a show biz celebrity— had been undone being unable to handle the fame that his creaon unleashed. The Song of the Century “The Ballad of the Green Berets” is very much alive today, more than fiy years aer its sensaonal birth. “It became the song of the century as far as Special Forces is concerned,” said Steve Bruno, who went through Green Beret medic training with Barry. “The Ballad” is the theme song for the U.S. Army Special Forces, is played for SF trainees at Fort Bragg, and is heard at every Special Forces reunion and at more than one Green Beret’s funeral. “The “Ballad” also was the only notable and popular pro‐military song to come out of the enre Vietnam War. And Barry Sadler became arguably the most famous American who served in that controversial war. And yet “The Ballad of the Green Berets” all but destroyed the man who created it. “In many ways the success of that song was the worst thing that ever happened to him,” said Jim Morris, a writer and a former Green Beret who edited Barry’s last two books. “Without that, I have the feeling that he would have stayed in the Army. He would have been happier.” Sadler “looked at that song as a curse in a lot of ways,” a Nashville buddy said. “He said all he ever wanted to do was be a soldier.” “I wish,” Sadler told the journalist Robert M. Powers in 1971, “that I’d never, ever wrien that stupid song.

Inside the World’s First All‐Female Special Forces Unit: Norway’s Jegertroppen BY CARLO ANGERER

ELVERUM, Norway — An explosion just a few feet away rocks the unmarked staon wagon as it travels along a dirt road in the Norwegian woodland. Immediately, two soldiers jump from their front seats and run for cover behind the carcass of an old, rusty tank. Firing their weapons at targets along the snow‐covered hillside, they call for support from the rest of their unit. This firefight is just a drill, but the soldiers taking part are baling to break down one of the final barriers to women serving in the armed forces. They are training to become part of Norway's Jegertroppen or "Hunter Troops" — the world's first all‐female military special forces unit. More than a year aer the U.S. Department of Defense repealed a longme ban on women serving in ground combat assignments, relavely few have been trained or assigned to these jobs in the U.S. military. Norway has moved a lot faster to break down military gender barriers. Its parliament introduced legislaon in the 1980s that opened up all military roles to women. Last year, Norway became the first NATO country to introduce female conscripon. But the introducon of the all‐female special forces unit in 2014 raised the profile of women in the Norwegian military the most. The unit was started aer Norway's Armed Forces' Special Command saw an increased need for female special operaons soldiers — parcularly in places like Afghanistan where male troops were forbidden from communicang with women. The exclusion of half the populaon was having a detrimental impact on intelligence gathering and building community relaons. Norway changed its rules on female soldiers in 1980. Carolina Reid / NBC News "When [Norway] deployed to Afghanistan we saw that we needed female soldiers. Both as female advisers for the Afghan special police unit that we mentored, but also when we did an arrest," said Col. Frode Kristofferson, the commander of Norway's special forces. "We needed female soldiers to take care of the women and children in the buildings that we searched." So they created the all‐female unit specifically designed to train them. "One of the advantages that we see with an all‐female unit is that we can have a tailored program and a tailored selecon for the female operators," Kristofferson said, adding that at the end of the one‐year program the female soldiers are just as capable as their male counterparts.

Colonel Frode Kristofferson Carolina Reid / NBC News One of the unit's members, 22‐year‐old Tonje, said the unit is proof that women can do the same job as men, even in the male‐dominated world of the military. "We're carrying the same weight in the backpack as the boys," said Tonje, who did not provide her full name due to the unit's rules. "We do the same tasks." Those tasks at Terningmoen Camp, about 100 miles north of Oslo, include parachung out of military aircra, skiing in the Arcc tundra, navigang the wilderness and fighng in urban terrain. She added that the weapon, backpack and other gear she carries on long marches, weighs over 100 pounds. "I'm the smallest, so I carry as much weight as I myself weigh," she said.

Page 8 To qualify for the Jegertroppen, applicants have to run about four miles carrying 60 pounds of military gear in under 52 minutes. That's just three minutes less than their male counterparts who have to do the same thing in under 49 minutes. Tonje, who grew up in a town of about 30,000, said she has been interested military service since she was a child. "And I knew that I wanted to do the toughest thing I could do in the military," she said. "When the Jegertroppen came up as an opon, it felt like it was made for me." Three years into the all‐female program, the Norwegian military is already counng it as a success. "We have them available when we need the female soldiers in operaons abroad," Kristofferson said. During a break from the training drills, while the unit relaxed around a campfire, 20‐year‐old Mari explained that she joined the military to follow in her grandfather's and father's footsteps.

"If I'm needed, I think that it would be a great opportunity to both serve my country and also to be able to contribute posively in a very masculine environment," she said. "With the skills that we get this year, I think that we definitely can connue to build on them and become very good soldiers, maybe just as good as the boys." Commanders say the all‐female unit is already on its way. At a recent exercise, one of the female soldiers shot beer than some of the men in the elite platoon, Capt. Ole Vidar, the officer leading the training program, said. He added that the female unit has also shown a stronger sense of solidarity among its members. "The boys see that the girls help each other, so the boys are doing beer on that as well," said Vidar. He added that despite some skepcism at first, the program has been an instant success with over 300 applicants in the first year alone. And the entry requirements have already been raised. "Girls come beer prepared than before," said Vidar.

Vietnam‐Era Sniper Has Some Incredible Exploits

BY JOHN FALKENBERG ON MAY 25, 2017 AT 4:31PM

America’s history is full of heroic men and women who risked and sacrificed their lives for their family, their friends and their country. As Memorial Day approaches, it’s worth spending some me remembering at least one of those heroes — Carlos Hathcock — one of the greatest marksmen in history. Hathcock served two tours in Vietnam and is one of the most famous snipers in American military history. So famous, in fact, a rifle was named aer him — the Springfield Armory M25 White Feather. War History Online reported that Hathcock was known for always having a white feather in his . Over the course of his career, Hathcock had 93 confirmed kills, with an actual esmated kill count somewhere between 300 and 400, according to War History Online. Hathcock is known not only for is incredible capability to deliver kills in classic sniper fashion but also by some of the incredible stories he brought back from the Vietnam War. One of his most famous is the killing of a North Vietnamese general. As Military.com reported, Hathcock spent four days and three nights crawling more than 1,500 yards, without food, water or sleep. “Over a me period like that you could forget the strategy, forget the rules and end up dead,” he said according to Military.com. “I didn’t want anyone dead, so I took the mission myself, figuring I was beer than the rest of them, because I was training them.” He eventually made the kill at an extremely impressive 700 yards, and then managed to get away undetected. But for Hathcock, it was never about the killing. It was about saving American lives. “I really didn’t like the killing,” he reportedly once said. “You’d have to be crazy to enjoy running around the woods, killing people. But if I didn’t get the enemy, they were going to kill the kids over there.” Aer Transgender Sensivity Training Becomes Mandatory in the Army, Delta Force Operator Issues Reality Check

BY JUSTEN CHARTERS DALE COMSTOCK All soldiers in the U.S. Army are now required to take a 50‐minute training course on transgender sensivity. Independent Journal Review wanted to know what veterans who have trained thousands of soldiers to fight in combat think about the news. We spoke with U.S. Army Master Sergeant (Ret.) and Delta Force Operator Dale Comstock. Comstock has seen more war than the average American can wrap their head around. In fact, he's served in every major campaign from Grenada in 1983 to present‐day conflicts.

Page 9 Comstock said: "This whole polical‐social experiment is not helping. The reality is, it's in the Army, it's in the Navy, it's in the military. And unless Mas and Trump rescind all these policies and stop this madness, it's here to stay. It affects morale and combat readiness on many levels. At the end of the day, war fighng is about one thing: Killing people. It's about bringing home our guys alive. It's not about being sensive to a transgender. This isn't corporate America, this is the military. You can't just put some policy in place because you want people to feel equal. Most guys who join the military, especially special operaons forces, were the boys who had dirt clod fights on the playground, wrestled and fist fought, stole each other's girlfriends, and pledged allegiance to the flag. And that same spirit and predator mindset goes with us into the military." Comstock explained how policies to be more sensive to others are affecng our guys overseas. “I was in Afghanistan working for a government agency. And this one guy was there with us in the middle of a war zone, but he hadn't gone through his Equal Opportunity training. So they flew a bird out to get him in the midst of a war zone. That type of thing can immediately give away our posion to the enemy.” He shared a story with IJR about a female soldier who got shot in Afghanistan and another team member who went back to get her instead of winning the firefight. “They were out on patrol. And this female soldier caught a bullet under her body armor. It's standard in the military that if you have a casualty, the best way to help that casualty is to win the firefight. But this guy instead decided to help the female soldier. He wanted to make sure she was okay. And guess what? He caught a bullet to the brain and dropped dead right there.” Comstock emphasized how war brings on a storm of different feelings and emoons, but you can't let those things control your capability, effecveness, and readiness. “Look we are all about helping one another and being there for our brothers. We bleed in the trenches together. We sck our fingers in each other's bullet holes to stop the bleeding. We know each other in some respects beer than we know our own families.” “We are a close‐knit group. But now you throw this transgender thing into the mix. And soldiers are going to worry about offending others instead of just doing their jobs.” Comstock provided another example of how the transgender issue is affecng the military. He talked about another guy, who is training for Special Forces, but how two guys in the training recently got the aenon of the teacher in the class for posng pictures of them kissing and bragging about how they'll become Green Berets: "The enre class got smoked because two guys were transgenders on Instagram taking pictures of them kissing and doing other stuff, and all that. And they were talking about how they're going to be Green Berets and all that on Instagram. The head of the class was livid. He told the enre class to go home and get some rest and be ready for a long smoke session. A smoke session is like collecve punishment. The takeaway from the smoke session was that these two a**holes were tarnishing the reputaon of their unit." Comstock finished saying, “You're pung good young men in peril just because you want everyone in America to feel good. Being in the military isn't about being equal or feeling good, it's about being the best warfighter or helper to other warfighters, possible. Throwing more social experiments in the foray of it all will only cost more lives when these guys could and should be spending 50 minutes mastering the art of warfare instead.”

Rerees and Vets Allowed to Salute Flag Tradionally, members of the naon's veterans service organizaons have rendered the hand‐salute during the naonal anthem and at events involving the naonal flag only while wearing their organizaon's official head‐gear. The Naonal Defense Authorizaon Act of 2008 contained an amendment to allow un‐uniformed service‐members, military rerees, and veterans to render a hand salute during the hoisng, lowering, or passing of the U.S. flag. A later amendment further authorized hand‐salutes during the naonal anthem by veterans. Sec. 594. Conduct By Members Of The Armed Forces And Veterans Out Of Uniform During Hoisng, Lowering, Or Passing Of United States Flag. Secon 9 of Title 4, United States Code, is amended by striking "all persons present" and all that follows through the end of the secon and inserng the following: "all persons present in uniform should render the military salute. Members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are present but not in uniform may render the military salute. All other persons present should face the flag and stand at aenon with their right hand over the heart, or if applicable, remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the le shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Cizens of other countries present should stand at aenon. All such conduct toward the flag in a moving column should be rendered at the moment the flag passes." Veterans and acve‐duty service‐members not in uniform can now render the hand salute during the playing of our naonal anthem, thanks to changes in federal law that took effect this month. The legislave change was sponsored by Sen. Jim Inhofe, R‐OK, an Army veteran, and included in the Defense Authorizaon Act of 2009. The new provision improves upon a lile‐known change in federal law last year (2008) that authorized veterans to render the hand salute during the raising, lowering or passing of the flag. However, it did not address salutes during the naonal anthem. Last year's provision also applied to members of the armed forces while not in uniform. The American Legion has opposed the salung of the U.S. Flag when it is being raised, lowered or is in passing by those who are not in uniform. At its Naonal Convenon in Phoenix last August, the Legion passed a resoluon against the pracce, saying that it "causes confusion leading to breaches of flag equee with regard to proper conduct during the recitaon of the Pledge of Allegiance." Furthermore, the Legion is concerned that salutes from veterans and service‐members out of uniform will be imitated by the general public as the proper way to honor the U.S. Flag and/or naonal anthem. In responding to numerous phone calls and e‐mails on the issue, the Legion's Americanism Commission offers this advice: "The law does allow veterans to render the right hand salute, but does not mandate it. If you feel uncomfortable in any situaon where the flag is being raised, lowered or is passing in review, the tradional right hand over the heart ‐ with the removed ‐ is sll a viable and very respecul alternave to the new law." Tradionally, members of veterans service organizaons have rendered hand‐salutes during the naonal anthem, and at events involving the flag, while wearing their organizaon's official headgear. Secon 9 of tle 4, United States Code, is amended by striking "all persons present" and all that follows through the end of the secon and inserng the following: "all persons present in uniform should render the military salute. Members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are present but not in uniform may render the military salute. All other persons present should face the flag and stand at aenon with their right hand over the heart, or if applicable, remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the le shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Cizens of other countries present should stand at aenon. All such conduct toward the flag in a moving column should be rendered at the moment the flag passes." The president signed the Amendment to Secon 9 of Title 4 of the U.S. Code| which was aached with the H.R. 4986 Bill under the Naonal Defense Authorizaon Act of 2008.

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Chapter XVI Special Forces Associaon Quartermasters Store

The Quartermasters Store has Special Forces Crest Uniform and Blazer Buons for Sale. They can replace the Army Dress Uniform or the SF Associaon Blazer Buons. They really look sharp. The Buons are $5.00 a piece. A set of 4 Large and 6 small are $50.00. If you would like them mailed there is a shipping and handling cost of $4.50. We also have a number of other Items of SF interest. We also have SF T‐Shirts, , jackets, SFA Flashes, SF Door Knockers, Belt Buckles, Money clips and numerous other Items of Special Forces interest.

1st SFG(A) Arfacts

The current 1st SFG(A) Commander is solicing support from former 1st SFG(A) unit members for donaon of arfacts that could be displayed in the units Regimental Mess area at Fort Lewis. He has his PAO officer working on the project and he is asking for items that could be secured in display cabinets for viewing by guests who use the facility for ceremonies, rerements and other acvies. Hank Cramer is planning to donate some uniform items that his dad wore in Vietnam and others from SFA Chapter and First In Asia Associaon are pung out feelers to our community. If interested, please contact Major Jason Waggoner at [email protected]

Looking For Historical 10th SFG(A) Items ‐ Assistance Requested ‐ for Group Foyer POCs: SSG Ryan Sabin OR Andy Tyler Public Affairs NCOIC [email protected] 10th SFG (A) 719‐524‐4528 [email protected] We are looking for any historical items and photos that will cover the following areas. I aached the history outline that we will be following. These items will be used in the HHC foyer and we are trying to tell the 10th SFG(A) story. ‐ 1952‐ Acvaon of 10th SFG (A) ‐ 1953‐ Bad Tolz ‐ 1954‐1955 Authorizaon of the wear of the Green Beret ‐ 1962‐ CPT Roger Pezzelle Trojan Horse Unit Insignia ‐ SF Soldiers operang in; western and eastern Europe, clandesne organizaons in England, France, Norway, Germany, Greece, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Pakistan, Iran, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. ‐ Fort Devens ‐ JOINT ENDEAVOR and PROVIDE COMFORT ‐ Operaon Desert Storm ‐ Panzer Kaserne ‐ Task Force Viking

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I am delighted to invite you to join me in I am looking forward to seeing you all enjoy celebrang the recent publicaon of my and share my work. book. Titled “To Order” Captain Ron Books will be sold for $66.00 + $20.00 Flying Life’s Longitudes and Latitudes Shipping. The book Explores the fascinang life and Call (253) 670‐2760 Or mes of Ron Rismon. E‐mail: [email protected] Page 13