afghanistan

Recon Challenge 2019: Sweat, blood, and pain for a noble cause

On May 16, active-duty and veteran U.S. Marines from units stationed around the globe gathered in Camp Pendleton, California, to participate in the annual Recon Challenge.

The Recon Challenge is an endurance event that takes participants through numerous tests inspired by the Reconnaissance Marine training and operational history. There is, for example, a grueling 30-mile ruck made while carrying more than 50 pounds of gear, a one-mile swim, an obstacle course, and marksmanship tests.

Marines formed up and competed in two-man teams, with each team representing a fallen Marine by wearing his name on their rucksacks. Upon crossing the finishing line, the teams hung their fallen brother’s dog tag on a makeshift combat cross as a final testament of remembrance.

This year’s challenge, which was the 11^th, had 22 regular teams and one unique team comprised of 13 men.

The challenge was co-funded and co-organized by the Marine Reconnaissance Foundation (MRF). According to their website, the MRF aims “to provide both ad-hoc and long-term support for the Reconnaissance Marines and the U.S. Special Amphibious Corpsmen [SARC] deployed abroad, their spouses and their children.”

But aside from remembering fallen brothers-in-arms, the challenge also has another function: giving purpose to veterans. A former Recon Marine described this aspect of the challenge most eloquently in an inspiring post on the event’s Facebook page:

“This year was different for me from any other year, while on active duty I always wanted to get out front and prove that I could do what I was expecting my Marines to do. I thrived off the pain, misery, and suffering that this challenge forces you to endure whether you like it or not and I missed the since of comradery [sic] that I had become so accustomed to while on active duty. Running as a civilian this year reinforced the fact in my eyes that the Reconnaissance Man needs something in our lives that continually pushes us beyond what we think is possible to maintain some since of balance in our lives. I did not run to win this year, I ran to find some clarity and clear my mind of all the things we hold onto that distract us from our purpose in life. The pain I endured along the route reminded me that I’m alive and I need to take advantage of every opportunity to bond with friends and share my experiences with others in the hopes that I might help someone that is struggling to find that balance. The Recon Challenge is the only time we have the opportunity for our past, present, and future Reconnaissance Marines to come together at one location and reconnect with old friends make new ones and inspire the next generation of Reconnaissance men to strive to uphold the traditions we have earned with our blood, sweet, and tears.”

Semper fidelis.

Feature Image: CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – Gunnery Sgt. Zachary Holm, operations chief, Echo Company, 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, fires a M1911 pistol during the marksmanship portion of the 10th Annual Recon Challenge on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., May 17, 2018.

This article was written by Stavros Atlamazoglou at NEWSREP

Former Green Beret reviews Jack Murphy’s new memoir, ‘Murphy’s Law’

Editor’s note: This review was written by Steve Balestrieri, a former Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer that now serves as the Editor of SpecialOperations.com

I always balk at when someone I know writes something and I’m asked to give an opinion on it. As my circle of friends has grown smaller, I have erred on the side of caution, not wanting to hurt any of my friends’ feelings. Jack Murphy has never had that problem.

Jack has been on a mission, to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. And when you’re blunt, do your homework and research and then write what you believe is the right thing, the truth, you’ll invariably piss some people off. Jack has done that. In fact, in the Special Forces community of which he was a member, many men of the Regiment have a case of the red-ass against him.

Murphy was a member of the Ranger Regiment and deployed to Afghanistan with them. He then moved on to Special Forces, and was on an A-Team in the 5th Special Forces Group, “The Legion”. He deployed again to Iraq with SF. He then decided to leave the military and graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in Political Science. Murphy is near a perfect fit that the OSS in World War II was looking for.

OSS was the forerunner to both CIA and the U.S. Army Special Forces. General William “Wild Bill,” Donovan said they were looking for “PhDs who can win a bar fight.” Murphy is an Ivy League graduate who was a Ranger and Green Beret.

Along the way, he co-founded the website “SOFREP” which later became “NEWSREP” and developed a ton of aspiring writers who came from military backgrounds and had the itch to write. SOFREP developed a reputation as a hard-hitting journal of military and current affairs that spoke plainly and covered it all. The great successes and the failures with equal attention. It was far from a PR firm or just a cheerleader squad for the military. That was Murphy’s doing. Which brings us to his book.

“Murphy’s Law” is basically a two-part book, the first half deals with Murphy’s military career and the second part, which is the next chapter in his life takes you on the trail with an investigative journalist. But this is one who covers the military with the trained and sometimes jaundiced eye of someone who has “been there, done that”.

This book is an absolute page turner and as with everything that Murphy writes, he covers the “who, what, where and most especially, why” of his experiences. Murphy hardly paints himself as a hero, in fact, he delves into a particularly sensitive subject of a friendly fire incident in the Ranger Bn. That could’ve easily been glossed over, but again, that wouldn’t have been the “whole truth” and Murphy hardly paints himself in glowing light there. That’s part of what makes this so intriguing.

Murphy’s experiences during the Global War on Terror (GWOT), gives his perspective on what has been the United States’ longest war in its history. And like he always does, Murphy tells it like it is. His take on al-Qaeda and their fighters is an instant classic.

“The Iraqi insurgency consisted of hardcore criminals, jihadists, and a ton of foreign fighters looking to get their kill on. These dudes were murderers, members of a death cult called al-Queda. The Nazis, the Soviets, and all the North Vietnamese Army were at least fighting for some twisted vision of a better future. By comparison, al-Queda was, and is gutter trash”.

Awesome stuff there.

After graduating from Colombia, Murphy wasn’t a sit in the office type of journalist. He traveled to the Philippines where his interview with the commanders of the Light Reaction Regiment of the PI’s SOF, while they were actively engaged with Abu Sayyaf terrorist units. He snuck into Syria to report first-hand on the brutal fighting that tore the country apart there.

Murphy wrote about the religion of the Yazidi and Peshmerga peoples of Syria, as in the Middle East religion is everything. Something that I never knew about was that the Yazidis predated both Christianity and Islam. All stuff I’ve never seen anywhere.

I can’t recommend this book more, it is a great take on one man’s life with extraordinary events and people thrown together. Murphy has already written some military novels but this book was different. He was trying to put down the events of his life, thus far and was worried about appearing “douchey”.

As with anything, I have to put an anecdote in there. Our local Veterans Council consists of vets from the VFW, American Legion and unaffiliated veterans. Every year we visit all of the schools in the area at Memorial Day and Veterans’ Day.

We were finishing up a school visit last week when one of our vets named George who was a Major in Army Intelligence who is now a retired attorney asked me, “Have you ever heard of a guy named Jack Murphy?”

“My wife and I were walking thru Barnes and Noble and I saw his book and picked it up. And after scanning thru it for a moment, had to buy it. I brought it home last night and can’t put it down. It is a fantastic read. The guy was a Ranger, a Green Beret…now he’s a globe-trotting journalist. Have you read it?”

After I explained the workings of NEWSREP and SpecialOperations.com and the relationship I have with Murphy, George said, “I think he’d be a great guy to sit down and have a beer with to just be able to pick his brain.”

Yes indeed.

Being so young, Murphy and his wife, who is also an investigative journalist should have plenty of adventures left in their lives for another book sometime in the future. I’d put that one on the reading list, but for now, head to the nearest bookstore and read “Murphy’s Law” asap. You’ll be glad you did.

This article was written by Steve Balestrieri for SpecialOperations.com

Photo: Amazon, NEWSREP

Goodbye, Little Bird: Special Operations Command to replace legendary helicopter

According to the U.S. Special Operation Command’s (USSOCOM) acquisition executive, James Smith, the unit’s Little Bird helicopters might be experiencing their final years as America’s light special operations helicopters.

Smith made the statement during the NDIA Special Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict Symposium, which took place last February. He indicated that the most likely replacement for the venerable Little Bird would be a variant of the U.S. Army’s Future Vertical Lift (FVL) Capability Set 1. The FVL program aims to upgrade the Army’s light, medium, and heavy-lift helicopters.

SOCOM will make its final decision in 2024. It will either be to further upgrade the Little Bird or to replace it with a variant from the FVL program. By that point, however, the Little Bird fleet will have been operating continuously for many years under extreme combat conditions. It seems more likely, then, that SOCOM will want to procure a new helicopter rather than upgrade an old one.

A few years ago, SOCOM’s Little Bird fleet underwent a modernization and upgrade program dubbed the Mission Enhanced Little Bird (MELB) program. The MELB upgraded the previous version (AH-6J and MH-6J) by adding an additional blade to the craft’s main rotor (bringing the total number of blades to six), improving the tail rotor drive system and tail boom, enlarging the aft doors of the cabin to allow for easier egress of operators, and enhancing its landing gear.

In December, SOCOM awarded Boeing two significant contracts to upgrade its helicopter fleet. The first contract, which is a seven-year program worth $1.1 billion, was for the maintenance of the current MH-47 Chinook and MH-60 Blackhawk fleet. The second contract, worth $48 million, was for the production of an unspecified number of MELB kits. Both contracts are expected to be fulfilled by December 2026.

The Boeing AH-6 is a light attack helicopter. Flown by the 160^th SOAR, the chopper specializes in armed reconnaissance, direct action, and close air support. It can be outfitted with a variety of weapons, to include the GAU-19 .50 caliber Gatling gun, M134 Minigun, and Hellfire or Stinger missiles.

The MH-6 is the unarmed version of the chopper. Its small size and extreme maneuverability make it an ideal aerial platform to surgically insert and extract SOF units from targets. It can even carry motorcycles or support ground troops by carrying snipers. Jack Murphy has had some experience in that role.

Both versions of the helicopter are equipped with a Rockwell Collins digital glass cockpit, which comes with two multifunction LCD screens/control display units on top of the glass and is night vision compatible. Pilots can see their aircraft’s critical displays without diverting their gaze from the front.

The Little Bird helicopter is being manufactured by McDonnell Douglas. The 160^th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) is currently operating approximately 51 AH-6M and MH-6M Little Birds.

This article was written by Stavros Atlamazoglou at NEWSREP

Feature photo by Spc. Tony Hawkins, USASOC PAO

Talos “Iron Man” Was Always A Pie in the Sky Option For SOCOM

Opinion: Coming back to reality was the first order of business for USSOCOM this winter. The command finally admitted that the Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit or TALOS project was not even close to being a reality, which we reported after attending the SOFIC Conference in Tampa two years ago.

The entire concept was flawed from the outset. The way it was configured, the suit would have weighed close to 600-700 pounds. An operator weighing that much would be in more danger falling thru 2nd story floors he may encounter in Syria, Afghanistan or Iraq than he would from enemy action.

Back in 2013, SOCOM first unleashed its idea for constructing a close-quarters combat suit that was based on the suit that Marvel Comics made famous in the “Iron Man” films with Robert Downey Jr. While obviously not nearly as technologically advanced as Tony Stark’s suit, it was supposed to be the next big thing. The Russians, always one to copy a bad idea if it means trying to one-up the United States, announced plans to build their own version of TALOS.

SOCOM Acquisition Executive James Smith put all that hoopla to rest recently when he told an audience at the 30th Annual SO/LIC Symposium & Exhibition that TALOS is out of reach of our current efforts.

“It’s not the Iron Man. I’ll be the first person to tell you that,” he said. It never really had a chance to succeed, but SOCOM continued to pump money into a dry well, as recently as January of last year looking for a new round of proposals from contractors for a workable potential TALOS design.

Thankfully, reality has set in and the money spent on pie in the sky money pits can be better spent elsewhere. “When we get the exoskeleton here in a few months, we will have the best exoskeleton in the Department of Defense,” Smith added. “It will not be something our operators will feel comfortable putting on a close environment today. So, moving, shooting, communicating in the face of enemy fire … not quite there yet.”

Also in May two years ago, we reported about a much less sexy but eminently more workable solution that was already being tested by Lockheed-Martin. Their system works, doesn’t make an operator the size of a pickup truck and doesn’t need a battery bank that will light up Manhattan.

Lo and behold, the Army was testing this system called “Onyx” back in June with members of the 10th Mountain Division at the US Army Natick Labs to get a clear picture of how well this system will work. In our original piece, we noted that Lockheed-Martin had already tested this exoskeleton extensively with an American Special Operations unit and they put the unit thru the paces jumping up and down on walls, staircases and humping heavy loads around a simulated battlefield.

So, no, Lockheed-Martin didn’t build a suit that will protect an operator thru a nuclear blast, fly thru the air like Superman and shoot laser weapons that will knock down tall buildings…but one that will protect an operator’s knees and back by easing the amount of weight those joints bear in the day-to-day operation of conducting special operations.

Finally. SOCOM is ditching the sci-fi geek projects that will do nothing for the operators in the field for the next several generations for ones that will help our operators today…and tomorrow.

The current design has a much smaller profile than the TALOS and only is worn from the hips down. And it works…what a concept. Sensors on the exoskeleton report the soldier’s speed, direction, and angle of movement to an onboard computer that drives electro-mechanical actuators at the knees.

The exoskeleton delivers the right torque at the right time to assist knee flex and extension. The exoskeleton ultimately reduces the energy needed to cross terrain, squat or kneel. These benefits are most noticeable when ascending or descending stairs or navigating inclined surfaces.

This system boosts leg capacity for physically demanding tasks that require repetitive or continuous kneeling or squatting, or lifting, dragging, carrying, or climbing with heavy loads.

With the added news that our operators may soon be getting upgraded weapons systems that will increase the range and effectiveness of their weapons, 2019 is at least starting off on the right foot.

But sci-fi geeks can take solace that Smith didn’t rule out better armor for operators. “We’re not going to stop looking for better body armor, better situation awareness, better lethality,” he said. “We’re going to keep looking at all of those things.” Maybe a “Predator” helmet with an integrated laser cannon?

For now, I’ll take a workable exoskeleton that will ease the burden on our operator’s knees and backs….I wish we had that a generation ago.

Photos: Marvel/Lockheed-Martin

Originally published on Special Operations.com

Learn How To Prepare For Cold Weather Prior to Selection

Because most of our military bases are in the southern United States, one area that can be neglected, especially when preparing for Special Operations training is cold weather training. It is surprising how many young people who enter the military don’t know or understand the basics of cold weather preparation.

First some of the basics; despite most of the selection courses being conducted in the southern United States, it can still get cold and wet down there and everyone should always be prepared for the odd snowstorm, even down south. We had one SFAS class out at Camp Mackall that began with a storm that dropped about 5 inches of snow out there. And it wasn’t much fun for the candidates or the cadre until it melted away.

And in today’s never-ending war in Afghanistan, you will have to deal with very cold weather and snow in the mountains, as well as numerous other areas of the world that you’ll be working in.

Your body’s tolerance to the cold is much more difficult compared to the hot weather. Body heat is lost much faster from heat transfer from the skin, your body, especially your head. The human body has more difficulty maintaining its internal temperature in these conditions.

Generally, the more fit a person is, the easier it is to maintain body heat production in colder weather than unfit couch potatoes. But even in fit troops once heat loss from your body exceeds heat production, your core body temperature will begin to decline.

Once someone’s internal body temperature drops below 95°F, hypothermia can develop, which can result in shivering, confusion, fatigue, and slurred speech. Reductions in internal body temperature can result in abnormal cardiac rhythms and eventually death.

Some of the more common winter or cold-weather injuries such as frostnip, frostbite, and immersion foot are an issue for troops. Frostnip and frostbite occur when skin temperatures fall below 32°F and are most common in exposed skin, but can also occur in clothed hands and feet. Immersion foot occurs when the feet are cold and wet and the troops can’t or haven’t changed into dry socks/boots.

So, what are some of the tricks of the trade for candidates to follow?

Rest and Eat Well Before Working Out:

One of the most basic of needs for the body is enough sleep. It is even more important when working in a cold weather environment because your body has to work extra hard just to maintain your core body temperature.

If you’re going to begin a long workout outside, eat a light meal with easily digestible protein and carbs before beginning. Also, keep some light snacks in your pockets to keep your energy and body’s fuel up during the day.

Dress in Layers:

Knowing how to dress for the cold and having the proper gear is of paramount importance. Next to your skin wear some tight-fitting compression material that will wick moisture away from your body. After that, your next layer of clothing should be looser fitting. Don’t forget your head and neck area where a lot of body heat is lost. One great piece of equipment is the neck gaiter that the military issues. Keep your head covered with a watch cap or similar type winter hat.

It is imperative that your socks, boots, and gloves always stay as dry as possible. Layer another set of clothing if the weather is severe and warranted. And wear a shell type windbreaker over your clothing to keep your body heat inside and dry.

Once you begin working out and body heats up, some of the layers can be removed to keep from over-heating which can lead to hypothermia if you get and stay wet. We always carried a parka on top of our rucksacks in case we stopped for an extended period of time. It can be put on and taken off quickly and really comes in handy.

Warm Up Well Before Starting:

One of the issues we all have to deal with in the cold is that your joints are cold and stiff. And a proper warm-up before beginning not only should involve getting all of your joints moving around but does what it is intended to do…warm up your body and getting your internal heat built up.

Getting the blood flowing to all your extremities is very important and static stretching in the cold isn’t recommended at all. Save that for after you get the blood flowing. Get all your muscle groups going with some full range of motion exercises.

Drink Plenty of Water:

This is one area that we harp on all the time in our daily PT Prep workouts and we’ll continue doing that here. Why? Because we’ve all been guilty of neglecting the one area that has to be maintained and that is proper hydration.

When working in the cold, you’ll notice that you won’t be as thirsty as in the hotter environments. But that’s just Mother Nature playing a trick on you. The need for water is just as great in the cold weather as it is in the heat.

Try to keep the water as lukewarm as possible during heavy work in the cold weather environments and continuously drink during the entire day.

And whenever working in the cold, or even in the hotter climates, don’t leave home without your Woobie, the venerable poncho-liner, arguably the greatest invention ever made for the U.S. military. That came in handy and has traveled with me, even today to over 40 countries around the world.

This is just a few basic tips and as you get more experience in the cold, you’ll learn more and more like anything else, it involves trial and error. You’ll learn what works and doesn’t for your own body.

Last week we posted about snowshoeing to keep up your workouts in the snow. Yesterday we had a huge melt as temps went to around 60 degrees. Tonight we’re expecting ice storms, so tomorrow’s workout will be fun…and interesting. So stay prepared for anything and nothing will stop you from attaining your goal.

Photo: DOD

Courtesy of Special Operations.com

Special Operations Selection: Changing your workouts to increase your speed

As you are preparing to get ready for Selection, we post our daily Physical Preparation workouts which should help you prepare for the get you as ready as you can be when you begin your journey into one of the US’ Special Operations units. We always push the distance running, rucking and building upper body strength because at least one of those three elements will be involved in just about every major training event you’ll experience.

But on occasion, it is a good idea to change up your workouts to vary things a bit. And we’ve also posted an occasional workout designed to increase your speed. And when I’ve posted those, I’ve gotten emails asking why am I pushing the importance of endurance events constantly and then wanting the candidates to increase their short-area speed? It is a good, legitimate question and I’ll give you the best answer that I know. Through experience, I’ve found that the sprints and speed work that we work into our PT prep really helps out with your distance running and the explosion that you’ll gain from these workouts will definitely help with those rucking muscles.

I’ve looked into what some of the college and NFL teams use to help their players build up their speed. And it will come in handy. Much of the plays that you see on the field mimic what you’ll experience at times. A very fast dash of a short duration, wearing a lot of kit. If you’re ever in a serious situation, you’ll probably have to move short distances with all of your gear on to move from Point A to Point B very quickly. And there may come a time when you’ll have to sprint into a dangerous situation to grab a wounded buddy and his gear and get him out of harm’s way.

Speed Doesn’t Just Happen: When training for speed an important thing to remember is that speed and agility just don’t happen. Very few people are natural speed merchants. I was more akin to the tortoise. So, for the vast majority of troops or in their case, players, it is something that has to be developed and done correctly to get marked improvements in your times. I never really understood the correct way of training for it until coming across it somewhat by accident.

It wasn’t until I had been in the military for several years when I came across some football players preparing themselves for the fall season, working out on their own with a strength and conditioning coach. Not wanting to interrupt their training workout, I spoke with the coach after they were done, who explained that the benefits of what he was teaching the football players would also be quite beneficial to us in Special Operations.

The keys, he said for developing speed was just two main things to focus on. Stride Rate and Stride Length. Stride Rate is simply the speed that you put your arms and legs through a sprint sequence. Stride Length is the amount of ground you cover between each stride. Combined, once these keys are mastered is the increase in speed.

Here is a sample workout to try, do this occasionally, and you’ll probably notice an increase in your short area speed, but also it should benefit your long-distance running and with the rucking.

High Knees:
Sets: 2
Duration: 20 sec. At the start of the exercise run as fast as you can in place by bringing your knees the same height as your hips, while keeping them pointing straight ahead. Don’t let your heels do not touch the ground and your hands should stay close by your sides when moving down. This exercise builds your core and leg muscles and will develop your strength and endurance.

Squats:
Sets: 2
Duration: 20 reps: Stand with your feet facing forward and shoulder width apart. Squat down by keeping your head up, pushing your butt back and lowering your hips. Correct form is when your butt is as low as your knees, the shoulders are slightly forward and you can maintain a slow, controlled motion going down and an explode into coming up.

Starts:
Duration: 20 yards
Sets: 2
With one foot forward and one back, work on getting a burst out of this stance, driving through the hips, then sprinting to the 20-yard mark.

Weighted Sled Pushes:

Distance: 20 yards up and back

If you don’t have access to a sled, carry your partner for 20 yards using the Fireman’s Carry.

Stair Sprints and Strength:

Set 1: Run up the stairs of a set of bleachers, run back down the stairs, do 10 pushups.
Rest: 20-30 sec.

Set 2: Run up the stairs, run back down the stairs, do 10 pushups.
Rest: 20-30 sec.

Set 3: Run up the stairs, run back down the stairs, do 8 squats.
Rest: 20-30 sec.

Set 4: Run up the stairs, come back down the stairs, do 8 squats.
Rest: 20-30 sec.

Set 5: Run up the stairs, come back down the stairs, do 10 burpees.
Rest: 20-30 sec.

Set 6: Run up the stairs, come back down the stairs, do 10 burpees.
Rest: 20-30 sec.

The key for running sprints is high intensity, low volume. Until you get your body used to running sprints, it is probably not smart to go out there and try to do a bucket of them at once with minimal rest.

Try doing a series of wind sprints at about 75-80 percent of your maximum effort to 30 yards. Then gradually increase to 40, 50 and so on until you get to 80 yards. Sprint to the yard marker and then walk back to the start line, taking your time to catch your wind. The key is to build up your endurance for these, and it will be a bit different than the regular distance running that we’re all used to in the military.

At the end of the sprints, you should feel energized, not exhausted. It will help in your overall fitness plan to prepare for Selection and will most definitely help in your distance running and rucking. “No Days Off!” DOL

Photo US Army

Originally published on Special Operations.com