Special Forces: A Guided Tour of U.S. Army Special Forces Read online

  RUBICON, INC., BY LAURA DENINNO

  The downside to all this: I had to be careful about what I said and did around the various SOF and Opposing Force (OpFor) personnel while they were in “play.” The upside: I’d have access to unique knowledge about scheduled training events, and be able to observe specific missions and events of my own choosing.

  After my meeting with Lieutenant Colonel Rozsypal, I was handed over to his capable executive officer, Major Bill Shaw, an experienced 10th SFG soldier, with extensive time in Europe (especially Bosnia-Herzegovina). Bill instructed me in more practical matters concerning the exercise.

  His first task was to pass over to me the small red-and-black notebook that was the JRTC bible. It contained information on every scheduled SOF mission and event for JRTC 99-1, and, he explained, it was exactly like the ones his SOTD O/Cs used during each JRTC rotation. I should therefore consider it “exercise classified” for the duration of the current rotation and was not to share it with anyone I did not personally recognize as an O/C.

  Meanwhile, he continued, I was expected to be properly dressed for field operations, which meant full battle dress uniform (BDU), soft field cap, and camouflage paint for my face (when ordered).

  Once he’d spelled out the rules and regulations, Major Shaw laid out the exercise scenario for JRTC 99-1:

  The overall scenario had the 2/7th SFG supporting movement of the 1/10th Mountain into what Army nomenclature calls “a slow-developing international crisis.” This was to take place on the imaginary island of Aragon—which was theoretically located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean some 2,000 miles/3,200 km east of Washington, D.C. (and which, for the sake of the exercise, was made up of parts of Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas, and Tennessee). Aragon was divided into three hypothetical countries—Cortina (the “good guys”), Atlantica (the “bad guys”), and Victoria (nonspecific neutrals, which is to say, they could be allies with the “good” guys or the “bad” guys, depending upon the scenario). In JRTC 99-1, the Victorians allowed the basing of U.S. units and aircraft on their soil, and were essentially pro-U.S./Cortina. Aragon is assumed to be divided among English-, Spanish-, and French-speaking peoples. They are multiethnic and religiously Christian.

  The JRTC 99-1 scenario assumed that the Atlantican Forces (called the People’s Revolutionary Army) was preparing to invade Cortina, where it would be assisted by insurgent forces in Cortina itself (the Cortinian Liberation Front). The U.S. was then assumed to have pre-emptively moved its military forces into the region to stop the Atlantican aggression, and would operate from bases both in Victoria and Cortina. The 1/10th was the largest of these forces, and would bear the brunt of the conventional fighting against the PRA and the CLF. The mission would be to stabilize the situation on Cortina, neutralize the CLF insurgents, and defeat the expected Atlantican invasion.

  Since my focus was on the SOF end of JRTC 99-1, Major Shaw rapidly filled in the details about this part of the rotation. Special Forces personnel, together with elements of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR—the Nightstalkers) would provide the 1/10th Mountain brigade commander (acting as the Joint Task Force—Cortina commander) with the necessary SOF muscle to accomplish his assigned missions. The SOF units would support the conventional forces, and conduct missions to interdict the combat potential of enemy forces. A number of USASOC SOF units had been to JRTC 99-1. These broke down this way:• Joint Special Operations Task Force Cortina (JSOTF [Cortina])—A JSOTF commander and headquarters are normally atop any theater-level SOF chain of command, but for JRTC rotations, this role is played by part of the Operations Group staff. These personnel script the SOF scenario and control events in real-time during operations. The JSOTF Cortina was actually located at a site near the port of Beaumont, Texas.

  • Special Operations Command and Control Element Cortina (SOCCE [Cortina]) —This is the most significant link between SOF and conventional units ... and a major reason why operational relations between the two have significantly improved. The SOCCE concept places a coordination element of about a dozen SOF personnel (usually commanded by a major) at a higher command—brigade or division—Tactical Operations Center. In JRTC 99-1, SOCCE (Cortina) would provide the 1/10th Mountain commander with the ability to send tasking data to 2/7th SFG, in addition to providing him with controls on missions in the field. For JRTC 99-1, the SOCCE (Cortina) personnel were drawn from 2/7th SFG, but would remain colocated with the TOC of the 1/10th Mountain. Initially, this was at the England Airpark marshalling area. They moved into the Fort Polk “box” when the 10th Mountain deployed there.

  • 2/7th SFG—For JRTC 99-1, 2/7th SFG brought along most of their command element (ODC), but only about a single company of SF teams and supporting units. These included:—Forward Operating Base 72 (FOB 72)/Operational Detachment Charlie— Led by the 2/7th SFG commander, Lieutenant Colonel Joe Smith, FOB 72 would be tasked with planning, preparing, and controlling the various missions being run for JSOTF (Cortina) and SOCCE (Cortina).

  —Operational Detachment Alphas (ODAs)— For JRTC 99-1, 2/7th SFG brought along five ODAs. These were drawn mainly from 2/7th SFG (including some coming off downrange missions that had returned only hours prior to the end of FY98).

  —Support Operations Team Bravo (SOT-B)—Along with the five ODAs, 2/7th SFG brought along some serious military intelligence (MI) collection capability in the form of an SOT-B element. The SOT-B team provided intelligence coordination for the staff of FOB 72 and command and control for the two SOT-A collection teams described below.

  —Support Operations Team Alpha (SOT-A)—2/7th SFG brought along a pair of SOT-A teams to provide downrange signals and electronic collection capability for the FOB. Usually composed of four specially trained communications sergeants, an SOT-A is equipped with lightweight interception gear suitable for field use. Normally, an SOT-A would be attached to an ODA during actual mission operations.Though Lieutenant Colonel Smith had only brought along a few hundred SF soldiers, they would simulate the operations of a full battalion. Along with planning and executing actual missions, they would lay out a number of others, which would never be run. This would provide the FOB staff with the experience of a wartime workload.

  • 478th Civil Affairs Battalion—Also assigned to FOB 72 was a small but important civil affairs (CA) detachment. Composed of just six Army Reserve personnel from the Miami-based 478th Civil Affairs Battalion, this detachment would be a critical resource in helping deal with CA challenges in the “box.”

  • 3rd Battalion/160th SOAR (the Nightstalkers)—At USASOC’s direction, the 160th SOAR sent four MH-60 Special Operations transport helicopters to provide long-range transportation for the various missions of 2/7th SFG. Assigned to the regiment’s 3rd Battalion at Hunter Army Airfield near Fort Stewart, Georgia, the MH-60s are earlier model helicopters and lack some of the latest avionics, though they are equipped for in-flight refueling. For the duration of JRTC 99-1, the 160th helicopters would form their own forward-deployment location at Barksdale AFB near Shreveport, Louisiana.

  • 4th Marine Air Wing (MAW)—To fulfill the aerial refueling needs of the 160th’s MH-60s, the USMC provided a KC-130T tanker aircraft from the 4th MAW. Based at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base (formerly Carswell AFB) in Fort Worth, Texas, the KC-130T was assigned to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 234 (VNGR-234). Unlike most USAF tanker aircraft, which are jet powered, turboprops power the KC-130s, which means they can fly at much slower speeds. Also, the KC-130s carry the NATO-standard “drogue and probe” refueling rig (used by the 160th’s MH-47s and MH-60s), rather than the USAF “flying boom” system. As an added bonus, the KC-130s can also be used as a conventional medium transport aircraft, and can carry airborne troops.

  • 16th Special Operations Wing—To provide additional aerial refueling, transport, and airdrop support for 2/7th SFG, a USAF MC-130 Combat Talon Special Operations aircraft was sent over from Air Force Special Op
erations Command. Assigned to the 16th Special Operations Wing at Hurlbert Field, Florida, the MC-130 can conduct covert penetrations of denied airspace, precision parachute drops of supplies and personnel, and refueling of Special Operations or Marine helicopters. Combat Talon can also be used as a bomber to deliver the huge 15,000-1b./6,800-kg. BLU-82. Officially known as Commando Vault, it is better known by the nicknames “Big Blue 82” or the ”Daisy Cutter.“75

  An MH-60L Blackhawk helicopter assigned to the 160th Special Operations Regiment. A pair of these helicopters were used to transport ODA 745 from Fort Polk, Louisiana, to Camp Shelby in Mississippi.

  OFFICIAL U.S. ARMY PHOTO

  This was a considerable amount of SOF muscle, though Major Shaw made it clear that every bit of it would be busy during the upcoming rotation.

  Forward Operating Base 72 during JRTC 99-1. This was the headquarters for the 2nd Battalion of the 7th Special Forces Group during the rotation.

  JOHN D. GRESHAM

  After Major Shaw’s JRTC 99-1 SOF briefing, I headed over to the post motor lodge for the night. In the morning I would get a look inside FOB 72 and the missions they were planning for the coming rotation.

  Wednesday, October 7th—Fort Polk

  The morning dawned dark and overcast, promising storms. Up early in order to take in as many of the FOB 72 operations as I could, I met Major Bill Shaw at the SOTD headquarters at 0600. After handing me a security badge to clip to my pocket, he walked me across the street to the O/C entrance to the FOB 72 compound—mostly World War II-era barracks buildings that a strong wind might blow over. Given the rough-looking weather, that seemed a strong possibility!

  The ground was already sodden from several days of heavy rain, and sheets of plywood had been laid down to provide a stable walking surface between buildings.

  Our destination was the 2/7th mess hall, where we were joined by our USASOC project officer, Major Tom McCollum, the Special Forces PAO (he would act in the same role within the exercise). Tom would be “in play” during JRTC 99-1 as part of the Army’s “Media on the Battlefield” program, running a hypothetical public affairs effort for FOB 72. Like all the other participants (Allied, OpFor, neutral civilians, etc.), he would be wearing a Multiple Integrated Laser Exercise System (MILES) harness, which would “score” him as a casualty if he were “shot” or otherwise wounded during the exercise.76

  SF soldiers love a good, hot meal. The leadership of SFC, 7th SFG, and 2/7th SFG is aware of this, and was pulling out all stops to make sure that the soldiers at FOB 72 were well-fed and cared for. There was fresh fruit and/or a salad bar at the served meals (breakfast and dinner), and lots of down-home American food. Breakfast was a full country affair, with eggs-to-order, pancakes, biscuits and gravy, and an array of morning meats.

  After filling my plate, I headed to a table to meet my host for the next few days, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph M. Smith. Joe Smith is one of the new generation of SF leaders—long in downrange experience, yet savvy in the new technologies that are revolutionizing the trade. As a 7th SFG battalion commander, he is at the forefront in bringing new computer, communications, and other technologies into Special Forces units and missions.

  I would get my fill of such things shortly, but first came a more human, real-world issue.

  Major McCollum and Lieutenant Colonel Smith called over a young Hispanic SF soldier, who they introduced as Captain Carlos. Carlos had just returned from a mission downrange in Ecuador, where several ODAs had been conducting peacekeeping, humanitarian, and other duties. He and his team were assigned to work out in the mountainous countryside, mostly inhabited by various Indian tribes.

  Here he was introduced to a little boy I’ll call Juan, a lad of perhaps four years when Carlos and his ODA arrived in the mountain village where he lived. When Juan was perhaps two years old, he fell into a wood cooking fire (his village had no electricity, gas, sewers, or phones) and was horribly disfigured: From just below his chin down to midchest was a massive scar. Eating, talking, and even moving were all difficult. Clearly, fate had cast a very cold eye on this little boy.

  Despite his misfortune, Juan was a happy, delightful child, the darling of the villagers. He instantly won Captain Carlos’s heart as well. “What can be done for the little guy?” he asked himself.

  On a visit back to the American embassy in Quito, Carlos phoned his father in Miami. A little homework uncovered a Shriners’ program for children like Juan. This would not only pay for the boy’s plastic surgery, but contribute to his father’s living expenses during the recovery period.

  Captain Carlos personally took care of the paper work (including photos) for submission to the Shriners’ Foundation, and within weeks, word arrived that Juan could go to the U.S. for the operation.

  Arrangements were made with the Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston and everything looked ready to go ... Except for one small problem: Someone had to arrange for Juan and his dad to travel to the U.S.

  Undaunted, Captain Carlos again swung into action, and personally asked the American Ambassador in Ecuador if he could arrange something. It turned out he could, and Juan and his father were given seats on a business jet owned by the Drug Enforcement Agency for the flight to Miami. (Though the flight was going up empty anyway, carrying civilian foreign nationals was officially not permitted. The ambassador waived the technicality.)

  Within weeks, Juan and his father were at the Miami airport. They were met by Captain Carlos’s dad, who got them headed for Houston. (Though not before Juan’s father had discovered the airport’s automatic flush toilets. He was enchanted by them.)

  Lieutenant Colonel Joe Smith, USA. Smith was the commander of the 2nd Battalion of the 7th Special Forces Group during JRTC 99-1.

  JOHN D. GRESHAM

  Juan’s surgeries went well, and he was headed home a few weeks later—a little boy whose life was forever changed for the better by an SF soldier who saw he could help. (It’s easy to imagine also the reaction of Juan’s fellow villagers. No rebel movement will get a toehold there!)

  His story finished, the young captain headed back to his team room to plan his ODA’s assigned mission.

  After breakfast, I followed Lieutenant Colonel Smith and Major McCollum across the compound to the FOB 72 operations center.

  As we walked across the soggy courtyard between barracks, Lieutenant Colonel Smith pointed out the force protection measures his unit had put into effect. The compound—almost a city block long and a hundred yards wide—was ringed with antipersonnel wire and obstacles; guard towers had been built and floodlights rigged; motion/infrared sensors had been installed; and roving patrols were running continuously.

  These precautions were far from idle: The previous evening, a sniper had shot an SF soldier in the compound, sending him to the JRTC casualty evacuation collection point, where he was assessed as “dead”—the first 2/7th casualty.77

  FOB 72 personnel avenged this attack when they caught another CLF team trying to enter the compound through an apparent blind spot in the wire. The CLF insurgents “died” in a hail of SF automatic weapons fire. Though other vicious little firefights were fought over the next two weeks, the security of the FOB held up.

  The command center was located in a two-story barracks building, itself protected by another layer of barbed wire and security fencing. The staff and command elements had each established a desk or work area on the first floor, arranged much like a mission control center in Houston and manned around the clock. They were equipped with an array of desktop and laptop computers, printers, phones, SABER radios, and laminated maps. The computers, like all of those around the FOB, were linked into a large local area network (LAN), which would allow users to access everything from e-mail off the Internet to secure data from classified databases on a large file server in another barracks building.

  Upstairs was a briefing room, equipped with a large-screen projection system for electronic briefing slides. This was my current destination, as Lieutenant Co
lonel Smith had invited me to the morning shift change briefing at 0700. The FOB staff is split into two sections. Twice a day, the entire staff meets to brief each other and hand off the duty for another twelve hours. It is during these briefings that you can typically get the best feeling for how SF operations are being organized and run.

  Following briefings by intelligence, weather, logistics, and public affairs personnel, the operations officer (S-3) began to lay out the missions that FOB 72 would run during JRTC 99-1. As tasked by JSOTF (Cortina), a total of six SF missions were planned for actual execution—three SRs, two DAs, and a single CA. The missions laid out like this:• CA001—CA001 was designed to assess the morale and political leanings of civilians (contract roleplayers in this case) in the Carnis Village area (an artificial training town located in the Northwest comer of the exercise area). Carnis, known as Joint Special Operations Area (JSOA) “Acorn,” was important to the 1/10th Mountain/JTF (Cortina) commander, because it stood astride his planned entry route into the “box.” The CA001 personnel included a small CA detachment (two members of the 478th CA Battalion) and an ODA to provide security. These had been infiltrated into the Fort Polk “box” by a pair of 160th SOAR MH-60L helicopters. Though CA001 was originally scheduled for completion the previous day, it had been extended (and was still going on) due to the high quality and quantity of information it had developed.

  • SR001—To better assess the logistical capabilities of the CLF to sustain operations in the field, an ODA and an SOT-A were to be inserted into an area in the southwest part of the “box,” where they would gather information and transmit it back to the FOB. The combined ODA/SOT-A team would be parachuted in, and eventually extracted, following a link-up with the 1/10th Mountain after their scheduled entry into the area on October 9th.