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Special Forces in Larandia: ODA 753 and the CERTE

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Special Forces in Larandia: ODA 753 and the CERTE Special Forces in Larandia: ODA 753 and the CERTE by Robert W. Jones Jr. *Pseudonyms have been used for all military personnel with a rank lower than lieutenant colonel. One of the tasks given to A Company, 7th Special craft into the small airstrip. It is about a three-hour flight Forces Group (ODB 740) for its deployment to Colombia (CASA-212) from Bogotá. Because of the FARC activity in was to support the Colombian Centro de Re-entrenamiento the area, Larandia is a closed base for the Special Forces Táctico Del Ejército (CERTE—Army Tactical Retraining soldiers. As one of the soldiers observed, “It’s a good Center). The CERTE is the organization responsible way to save money, you work all day with the Colombi- for sustainment training of the Colombian Army. The ans, do some PT, plan the next day’s activi- Colombian typical battle rhythm has ties, and then get some sleep.”4 units in the field for ninety days conduct- At Fort Bragg, ODA 753 prepared for the ing security operations, followed by about deployment. A detailed mission analysis thirty days of sustainment training before identified the need for training and assis- returning to the field and combat opera- tance teams at three different sites working tions. The CERTE instructors travel to concurrently. At the end of a month-long bases throughout the Colombian Army to training cycle the teams would move to retrain soldiers after field time and leave. another site with the Colombian cadre and The A Company Commander, Major John begin a new training cycle with the next H. Norman* assigned the mission to oper- unit. To prepare for the mission each of the ational detachment alpha (ODA) 753.1 soldiers reviewed their primary specialty 7th Special ODA 753’s deployment into Colombia skills and cross-trained in other specialties Forces Group would center on assisting in the CERTE to better assist the Colombian instructors. beret flash sustainment training. Special Forces ODAs They were validating the “train the trainer” frequently train for “split team” opera- concept. The three- and four-man teams The Colombian tions; dividing the ODA in half. However, spread out throughout Colombia, some Centro de Re- ODA 753 would take that normal division going to army bases that had never had a entrenamiento Táctico Del to another level.2 In a two month period U.S. Special Forces presence before.5 Ejército ODA 753 would assist and advise the With the U.S. Special Forces serving as (CERTE—Army CERTE at six different sites, three concur- assistant instructors to the Colombians, lan- Tactical rently. Each team task organized according guage skills were very important. The sol- Retraining to the mission requirements. This article diers had completed the basic four-month Center) is describes the overall mission and experi- Spanish language course at the U.S. Army responsible for ence of one Special Forces training team in John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and sustainment ODA 753 unof- Larandia.3 School, which provided the fundamentals training of the ficial emblem The Larandia base is located near Flor- of the language. The Americans practiced Colombian Army. encia, the capital of the Caquetá depart- their language skills during training and ment, about 250 miles south of Bogotá. The base is located while maintaining contact with the Colom- less than two hours drive south from the Fuerzas Arma- bian instructors and soldiers. At the end of the deploy- das Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) demilitarized ment the soldiers’ knowledge of Spanish had improved zone in the center of the country, sometimes referred to dramatically.6 “FARClandia” by the Special Forces soldiers. The primary The team sergeant for Team 3 (and the ODA 753 oper- means of transportation into the base is fixed wing air- ations sergeant) Master Sergeant Mitchell Little* was Vol. 2 No. 4 85 Training in Entrance to one of the CERTE training sites. This training would compare to Common Task Training in the U.S. Army. The sign describes the task, condi- tion, and standard for the training at that site. Communications station prepared for training with After running from a previous station, these soldiers the PRC‑710 radio. This training site would compare conduct calisthenics. Then they must accurately to many in the U.S. Army. transmit a radio message in a specified time. CERTE Instructors oversee a zero range at Larandia. Colombian soldiers listen to a CERTE instructor prior to conducting IED detection training. This CERTE instructor has over ten years of combat engineer experience against the FARC. 86 Veritas Training in Larandia IED detection training at Larandia Here the soldiers use the mine detector to find IEDs. Once something suspicious has been found a soldier An alternate method is to use an explosive dog to may use a probe to find the explosives. find IEDs. This “toe popper” IED uses a syringe to conduct the Here a trigger device is hidden inside a discarded electric circuit. potato chip bag, waiting for someone to step on it. Vol. 2 No. 4 87 Caribbean Sea Riohacha Golfo de Venezuela Santa Marta Barranquilla Cartagena Valledupar El Cenizo Lago de ODA 753 Task Organization Maracaibo for the CERTE mission Panama Sincelejo Monteria Venezuela Golfo Aguachica De Panama Cucuta HQ (Tolemaida) Bucaramanga Arauca CPT 18A Det Cdr SFC 18D Medic Medellin Puerto Carreno Quibdo Tunja Cupiagua Team 1 (Aguachica & El Cenizo) Manizales Pacific Yopal Ocean Pereira Bogotá SFC 18D Medic Armenia Ibaque Villavicencio SFC 18B Weapons La Australia Puerto Fusagasugá SSG 18E Commo Inirida Cali Colombia SFC 18F Intelligence Neiva Zarsal Popayan San Vicente del Caguan San Jose del Team 2 (La Australia & Cupiagua) Guaviare Florencia Calamar SFC 18E Commo Pasto Mocoa Mitu Larandia SSG 18B Weapons Tres Esquinas Solano SSG 18C Engineer Ecuador La Tagua SSG 18B Weapons Puerto Leguizamo Puerto Team 3 (Larandia & Zarsal) Santander Brazil MSG 18Z Team SGT Colombia El Encanto SSG 18D Medic International Boundary N National Capital SSG 18E Commo Road P e r u 0 200 Miles 0 200 KM Leticia The reinforced ODA 753 would accomplish its mis- sion at the six different sites shown above. familiar with this training scenario. An experienced 7th finished infantry training at Fort Benning. He was able SFG veteran, he had already been deployed to Colombia, to switch his assignment choice to Special Forces and as well as other Latin American countries, and Afghani- joined the second 18X class in 2002. Wilson had already stan. But, this was his first deployment after three years deployed to Colombia in 2005 for six months to support as an instructor in the Robin Sage training exercise of the the Infrastructure Security Strategy (ISS) mission in the Special Forces Qualification Course. In addition to assist- Arauca department. As a medic, he maintained medical ing the CERTE instructors, Little and his team spent a readiness of the U.S. soldiers and the Colombians. Wil- large part of the time coordinating logistics support for son also assisted in medic and first aid training. Most of the Colombians.7 his time was spent at the Colombian training sites and In order to complete the split mission, ODA 753 need- ranges. “Medics everywhere have a special bond. Their ed more personnel. While not ideal, one ODA from A job is to share knowledge and training to complete the Company provided the manpower to fulfill company same task, taking care of people.”10 missions. Most of the “fills” came from ODA 744. That The CERTE followed a four-week training program. team had been assigned a support role: augmenting the The first week, Phase 1, (unilateral training) consisting of Company headquarters in Bogotá and teams in Tolemai- human rights (three days with training scenarios), Psy- da and Larandia. Both of the soldiers on MSG Little’s team chological Operations, and then specialty training, com- were temporarily assigned for the CERTE mission.8 munications, medical, and demolitions. Phase 2 (week The second team member was the communicator, 2) consisted of individual soldier skills, from weapons Staff Sergeant Thomas Lawless*. From Washington state, marksmanship to basic soldiering. Training transitioned Lawless had enlisted in the Army in 2004 under the Spe- into squad, platoon and company collective training cial Forces Initial Accessions Program, better known as during Phase 3. The program of instruction ended with the 18X program. On his first deployment with Special a field training exercise emphasizing mission planning Forces, Lawless balanced daily communications require- and actions on the objective. The final Field Training ments while acting as an assistant instructor to the Exercise incorporated the skills and tactics reviewed Colombian cadre, primarily during marksmanship and and practiced during the previous three weeks.11 communications training.9 The CERTE instructors led by Major Santa Mariá The third team member was the medic, Staff Sergeant and Captain Álvarez in Larandia were all combat expe- Clint Wilson*. Medical care is always critical on a deploy- rienced veterans of the ongoing guerrilla war. These ment, especially in remote areas, like Larandia. After instructors improved a well-developed four-week pro- enlisting in the Army in 2001 under a Ranger contract gram of instruction (POI) based on their experience. One then Private Wilson discovered the 18X program as he instructor took the standard POI for mines and booby 88 Veritas Therefore, the unit would conduct local combat operations. These units are filled with conscripts doing their two years of mandatory national service. The counter- 13 Colombia guerrilla battalions are different. Usually commanded by a Major, a Bogotá Colombian Army Batallón Contra Gue- rilla (BCG—counter-guerrilla battalion) is organized and trained to deploy rapidly to contested areas, specifically to fight DMZ guerrillas.
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