SEAL

Know a SEAL from a Night Stalker: a breakdown of US Special Operations units

While it could be said that every unit which falls under the “special ops” umbrella is comprised of operators who can move, shoot, and communicate with lethal efficiency, different units developed to address specialized challenges.

As the years wore on, and particularly since the onset of the Global War on Terrorism, lines may have blurred a bit between specialties in many cases, allowing various units to conduct similar operations. But, the specific nature of each continues to inform the internal culture of divisions that fall under the command of U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), honoring their heritage as well as the prowess their service experience allots.

Many people who understand America’s special operations apparatus are usually most familiar with the elements of one of SOCOM’s subordinate commands, the Joint Special Operations Command, or JSOC. Officially, JSOC is tasked with studying special operations requirements and techniques in order to ensure the best methods of unit interoperability are employed, while fielding new equipment and conducting special operations exercises, training, and missions in the best interest of our nation. To be succinct, JSOC has the “best of the best.” It might help to think of them as America’s war-fighting All-Star team.

Units of JSOC include:

The Intelligence Support Activity, commonly called “The Activity”
The U.S. Air Force 24th Special Tactics Squadron
The U.S. Navy’s Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU) or the recently popularized SEAL Team Six
The U.S. Army’s 75^th Ranger Regiment: Regimental Reconnaissance Company
The U.S. Army’s 1^st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, commonly known as Delta Force

However, listing these names does little to clear up potential confusion, so allow me to elaborate briefly on three of these four units.

DEVGRU, SEAL Team 6, and whatever their current (and classified) operational title may be are all referring to the same group of elite Navy SEALs. Team 6 recruits from within, choosing only the best of the already elite Navy SEAL community. Delta is often compared to Seal Team 6 in terms of operational capabilities and grueling indoctrination and training, but differs from its sea-based brethren primarily in recruiting tactics: Delta operators may come from any branch, and are sometimes even former SEALs.

The Air Force’s 24^th Special Tactics Squadron (24^th STS) is perhaps the least recognized of the three, which may be because pararescuemen, combat controllers, and Tactical Air Control Parties deployed by the 24^th STS usually serve alongside DEVGRU or Delta teams, rather than fielding complete teams on their own. These airmen synchronize and control elements of air support or provide medical assistance to other special operators in the field.

Beyond the elite units housed within JSOC, SOCOM boasts a number of other special operations teams that may be best addressed by dividing them by their representative military branches.

United States Army Special Operations Command

Know a SEAL from a Night Stalker: a breakdown of US Special Ops units — (Photo: U.S. Department of Defense)

Special Forces (Green Berets)

The term “special forces” is often misattributed to any military personnel working within America’s special operations community. However, the phrase is actually specific to the Army’s elite group of soldiers who specialize in unconventional warfare, reconnaissance, internal foreign defense, anti-terror operations, and direct action combat. Green Berets are considered unique from other special operators for various reasons, most importantly being put to use in times of peace and conflict alike. Their motto, “De Oppresso Liber” translates to “Free the Oppressed.”

The 75^th Ranger Regiment

Like the Navy SEALs, a highly specialized company of Rangers falls under JSOC, but the rest of Ranger Battalion answers to the U.S. Army Special Operations Command. Rangers are specifically-selected soldiers who must first complete an eight-week long Ranger Assessment and Selection Program—which replaced the Ranger Indoctrination Program, or RIP, in 2010—before reaching their assignment within the regiment. Once there, they must complete the even more arduous Ranger School in order to earn their Ranger Tab.

The 160^th SOAR (Night Stalkers)

The U.S. Army’s Special Operations Regiment (SOAR) provides helicopter aviation support for special operations troops, often flying into extremely hostile territory to deliver and extract elite operators from combat zones. Aviators in the 160^th are among the most highly-trained pilots on the planet, and use the latest in new and modified military aircraft to complete missions often deemed too dangerous for many other aviation units. It was the 160^th that delivered JSOC operators to the compound in Pakistan on May 2^nd, 2011 to kill Osama Bin Laden.

Other units or personnel that fall under SOCOM include skilled civil affairs soldiers, military information support operators, sustainment soldiers, and the training cadre responsible for assessing, training, and educating the Army’s elite war-fighters.

United States Navy Special Warfare Command

SEALs

Navy SEALs are probably the most famous special operations unit in the world. Countless movies have depicted the heroism of SEALs, and even more books recount stories told by individuals who earned the coveted Trident. Unbeknownst to some, SEAL is an acronym that stands for Sea, Air, and Land—acknowledging the heart of the Navy SEALs’ role as a multi-purpose combat force. SEALs conduct operations in any situation or location, from clandestine reconnaissance to direct action missions.

Special Warfare Combatant-craft (SWCC) Crewmen and Enablers

SWCC Crewmen belong to Special Boat Teams often tasked with operating small surface craft for coastal operations and to support special operations missions. Primarily focused on aiding in the infiltration and exfiltration of SEAL teams, these Crewmen work where larger vessels cannot operate, providing close fire support and medical care to special operators on mission. Enablers, like the SWCC Crewmen, offer technical assistance to special operations personnel, including everything from cryptologic support to explosive ordnance disposal.

United States Air Force Special Operations Command

Special Tactics Airmen

Special Tactics Airmen offer a wide variety of operational capabilities derived through diverse areas of training and expertise. Combat controllers are certified air traffic controllers that infiltrate combat zones undetected to simultaneously conduct air traffic control and coordinate air support while also participating in direct action missions. Pararescuemen, or PJs, specialize in both conventional and unconventional recovery operations. The Special Operations Surgical Team offers a rapid deploying and lightweight medical element for trauma life support.

Special Operations Aviators

The men and women assigned to the Air Force’s Special Operations Aviators are considered some of the most exceptional pilots in the military. Flying in specialized aircraft, they conduct operations primarily under cover of darkness, and offer varying levels of support to special operations missions, including reconnaissance, infiltration and exfiltration, and command and control operations.

Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command

Critical Skills Operators/Special Operations Officers

Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) recently reflagged with the historically-consistent moniker of Marine Raiders. They’re the latest addition to the SOCOM organizational structure. For much of the Marine Corps’ history, it operated without any formal association to SOCOM, instead establishing independent Force Recon units in a similar fashion while retaining organizational control. Since MARSOC entered the SOCOM fold, its operators conduct foreign internal defense operations, special reconnaissance, and direct action combat missions.

While this list offers a glimpse into the various facets of special operations units, it’s important to acknowledge that the nuanced differences in culture and conduct exhibited by operators within each can be difficult to quantify.

Each special operations group had to shed aspects of its parent branch in order to better integrate unique skill sets and capabilities with those offered by groups hailing from other branches. However, traditions and culture found within groups such as the SEALs or Marine Raiders remain intrinsically tied to their service birthplaces. There’s always been a fair amount of friendly competition between branches, but once a Soldier, Sailor, Marine, or Airman answers to SOCOM, they must work their way into the new combined culture of the service. SOCOM, in many ways, is an extraordinary beast all its own.

SOCOM operators come from all walks of life, and represent a variety of military occupational specialties established in each of the four branches of American service. Ultimately, these special operators are more than war-fighters: they’re diplomats, problem solvers, and instruments of foreign policy. Only by combining the best and brightest from America’s exceptional military infrastructure can they possibly accomplish so much.

Stories from Delta Force: The time I worked submarine operations with US Navy SEALs

How does a man who is not a Navy SEAL manage to tag along with a SEAL team for a week of submarine operations? Mostly dumb luck, is my sterling response. I was a combat diver assigned to a Green Beret A-Team when my boss caught me in his crosshairs with an invitation from West Coast SEAL Team Five to join them for a week of submarine underway operations.

At that point my Green Beret team had only ever done extensive dry dock-side trunk operations—that is, we practiced submarine escape trunk operations but only on boats moored in port. None of us had ever been truly underway at sea. This, as I look back on my career, was the opportunity of a lifetime, and when opportunity knocked I always opened the door. “Never turn anything down but your shirt collar” was a personal policy of mine.

I reported to the SEAL team at NAB Coronado, California. I was there a day early and elected to hang out with them for a full day of their typical shore duty, to include their morning physical training session. I would have to invent a new language to describe how brutal that workout was, for I can’t find words in English to suit it. (Although the German words unglaublich schrecklichkeit fit nicely.)

The ground calisthenics were a real punishment, but the run in the sand of Coronado’s beaches was a great thrill in spite of the constant, ear-splitting sonic booms rendered by the speed of the pace. Much to my personal pride, I managed to remain firmly in the center of the pack—by no means up front where the gazelles lock horns.

After breakfast, lockers filled with Heckler and Koch MP5 submachine guns and SIG Sauer P-226 semi-auto pistols were brought out for cleaning. They had all been exposed to seawater and sand the night before. I was horrified that the weapons had been left for so many hours exposed to salt water, but I was in Rome, so I shut my big fat Roman pie hole and began cleaning.

Heckler and Koch MP-5 9 x 19mm submachine gun (Wikipedia Commons)

“Dude, you like, totally don’t have to do this, dude,” one of the SEALs offered in a dude sandwich.

“Dude, I’m like, totally fine with it, dude,” I returned as I broke down a gat. The salty brethren of ST-5 seemed to take a liking to me for helping with weapons cleaning, a detested task in special operations once you have done it 5,000 times.

They even chatted with me. Granted, most of it I didn’t understand, though I did nod often with enthusiasm, throwing in my own occasional “dude.” We cleaned and duded the rest of the afternoon, the scurvy bilge rats “cleaning” on average two to three weapons for every one I cleaned. I was wearing my non-Roman on my sleeve.

We chugged for a day and a night to get to our rendezvous with our boat, the venerable Sturgeon-class Fast-Attack USS Hawkbill (SSN-666). The number 666 was ominous enough, coupled with the fact that the night before we left I had watched “Das Boot,” a movie about the perils of a Nazi U-Boat during WWII. Yep, I could kick myself in the balls with the best of them.

Onboard the Hawkbill we schlepped metric tons of gear to the torpedo room where we slept and operated for the next week. It was crowded…my God, it was so crowded. It was so crowded in there you had to step outside of the torpedo room just to say, “It’s crowded in there!” And nudity—I have never seen such nudity in my life. The two pasty-faced torpedo room hands from the boat didn’t help, either, sharing their torpedo room humor as I passed by:

“Wow, Chucky…these SEAL fellows got some nice asses,” one of them began with a wry grin.

“I’m not a SEAL; I’m an Army Green Beret!” I protested, “But…thanks…man….”

USS Sturgeon-class Fast-Attack Hawkbill (USN-666) (Wikipedia Commons)

The climb up to the escape trunk was nuts. We had to stepladder our way up three levels of bunk beds with sailors sleeping in them to get to the escape hatch. There are only enough bunks for roughly half of the crew on a submarine, so half of the crew works while the other half sleeps, a practice called hot-bunking. We pipe-hitters slept on torpedoes under the pining gaze of the pasty-faced torpedo hands.

The trunk was crowded…my God, it was so crowded. At least I thought ahead enough to say, “It’s crowded” before I got in there. Thankfully, everyone was fully-clothed, which was of personal comfort to me. I mean, I appreciate a nice physique as much as the next person, just not from less than two millimeters away.

Looking up into the escape trunk from the lower hatch (Getty Images)

The trunk was flooded with seawater to just below the level of our noses. One by one we took deep breaths, submerged to pass through the escape hatch, and ascended to the sea surface. At the surface was a small inflatable boat tethered to the submarine. We floated in the water, clinging to the inflatable. I reveled in the glory of the view of the massive boat some 50 feet below us. It was majestic and imposing; I couldn’t seem to take my eyes off of it.

Suddenly an object came into view. One of the divers’ weight belts had come loose and it sank toward the boat. It was a wide nylon strap with a quick-release buckle and lead weights attached. “Bummer,” I thought for the man; it would be difficult for him to sink back to the escape hatch.

I shook my head at the glaring fact that the diver’s dive knife and emergency smoke/flare was attached to the belt. That was a safety violation, as nothing is allowed to be attached to the weight belt: It is the first piece of gear that is to be jettisoned in the event of an emergency. Now the diver had lost his most important emergency equipment to boot—his dive knife and signaling device.

The author’s photo of his own USN dive tool and Mark 13 signal smoke/flare

CRACK

The ensemble struck the hull of the boat. Oh, the captain of the ship was not happy about that and might scrub our dive operations for the day. Ship captains already hated this sort of lock-in/lock-out maneuver because a procedural error could, no shit, sink a boat. The belt scraped along as it slowly slipped down the curved contour of the sub until it fell away to Davy Jone’s Locker.

I knew the poor brother would get a double helping of grief because he had committed a grand blunder and because he had done it in front of an Army puke. I took it with a grain because, even though the team was driven by seasoned leadership, it was jammed with fresh recruits from the most recent graduation of the Navy SEAL’s BUD/S class—junior operators. That element would manifest itself again in mere moments.

All the men were taken back down to the escape trunk one at a time by a safety diver with a twin breathing hose (regulator) attached to SCUBA tanks. He could breathe from one and his passenger could breathe from the other. Our procedure called for each man entering the trunk to hold a regulator outside of the trunk for the next diver to transition to before he crowded into the trunk.

The safety diver passed me the regulator, which I clenched in my teeth. I saw that a hook had come undone on my life vest and struggled to redo it. Without giving a signal to submerge, the safety diver dove down toward the trunk. As both my hands were busy hooking my vest, I was dragged to the trunk by the regulator clasped in my teeth, my ears threatening to explode from the inability to equalize sinus pressure.

Again, without a signal, the diver pulled the regulator from my mouth and left. I was beginning to drift a little south of pleased by now, and furthermore, the last diver had failed to hold out a regulator of the ship’s air for me to breathe. I peered into the hatch to see a forest of thrashing legs. I couldn’t hold my breath any longer and bulldozed my way into the trunk.

When I broke into the air bubble there was loud panicked screaming from the men. The water line had risen too high and the trunk operator’s attempt to blow the water level back down revealed that the air blow pipe was submerged and creating a hurricane of wind, noise, and water spray in the small air space that remained.

Schematic of a nuclear submarine escape trunk (Wikipedia Commons)

Quickly, though, the water line blew down to the normal depth and the trunk operator, a well-seasoned senior SEAL, immediately grabbed control of the junior men. He got them to calm down and regain composure. I was just a spectator in awe. I cast zero judgments on these men. It was my first time too, but I had by that time been through enough insane situations that very little nudged me over the edge.

With the trunk drained and equalized in pressure with the boat, the inner hatch was thrown open and the men filed out. I was the last out before the trunk operator, who always remained behind to close out operations with the con over 31MC. In silence, I reached out my hand to George, the trunk operator. He smiled definitively and shook his head slowly as he rendered a spirited handshake.

Day one of high-risk operations with America’s elite was not at all a waste. I was pleased with how it all worked out, with all I did and did not do. After a stint in the restroom, I learned that the valve sequence instructions for flushing waste down the boat’s head was an even more cheek-clenching (no pun intended) experience than the escape trunk had been that day. And, speaking of cheek clenching, it was back to the torpedo room for more ass worship from the pasty-face deckhands.

United States Navy SEALs: when it absolutely, positively has to have its ass kicked overnight!

By almighty God and with honor,
Geo sends

Learn how to prepare for a bad situation from retired Navy SEAL Clint Emerson

Longtime readers at the Loadout Room will recognize Clint Emerson as the author of the 100 Deadly Skills series of books, which are an invaluable tool for anyone that prizes self reliance and being prepared. For those who may not have run across Emerson’s work in the past, he is one of a few professional war fighters on the planet that has managed to succesfully make the leap from operating to providing realistic, pragmatic instruction and guidance on how to live a safer life in a world that seems hell bent on violence.

Being prepared, aware, and vigilante is more than half the battle, and in this video Emerson did for Wired, you can learn how to be better at each.

Feature image captured from included YouTube video

Environmentally Friendly Ammo | The Green Bullet?

I guess all of the depleted uranium and lead we’ve been firing overseas in recent conflicts has got our government concerned. According to Washington, the The Army is switching from lead bullets in many small-caliber arms to “environmentally friendly” rounds. The new green bullets will slowly start to replace the M855 (5.56 mm) and the 7.62 mm. The M855, which was designed in the 70’s, will be replaced by the environmentally friendly M855A1 (green bullet) which is 100% lead free.

For those of us who have used the standard M855 ammunition on live targets, most of us would agree that it lacks the “punch” to put a target down as fast as we would like, often taking more than 3 rounds to incapacitate a threat. The new “green bullet” is currently being tested at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. The new round claims to be deadlier and faster than the Army standard issue 5.56 mm.

If the new projectile packs a deadlier punch than what we are being issued in combat, I have no issue with the new “green bullet”. I just hope that it holds up to its claims, I don’t think we could use anything with “knock down” than the M855. The Army predicts “the use of green 5.56 mm and 7.62 mm ammunition could eliminate the purchase of 3,683 metric tons of lead between 2013 and 2018.”

The M40A5 Sniper Rifle!

For those of you who are interested in long-range precision/sniping and are thinking about purchasing a sniper rifle, I would like to introduce to you one of my favorite rifles, the M40A5.

There’s a plethora of rifles on the market that we can choose from, but for the most of us, they can be out of our price range, especially if you’re just getting into the long-range precision hobby. The M40A5 or any M40 variant can not only fit most of our price ranges, but it is also has excellent accuracy. For those of you that don’t know, I am a huge fan of the M40 and M24 .308. This was the first sniper rifle that I was issued in Ranger Battalion, deployed with, attended multiple schools with, and also used this weapon system in the International Sniper Competition where my spotter and I placed top 5. In order to get a good grasp on ballistics, wind, etc., I feel that you should start off with the .308 (168 – 175 gr HPBT). There’s nothing like consistently engaging a target (IPSC) at 1000 yards with the .308, you have fully applied all the correct fundamentals and you truly understood the wind and the ballistics of that round, especially when considering the fact that the .308 was designed to be an 800 meter round, after that your encountering transonic issues depending on the environmentals.

What I also love about the M40A5, is the stock. The shape of the stock and where the firing hand lies on the rifle feels natural, allowing the shooter to “become one” with the rifle, or almost making it feel like an extension of your body.

The accuracy of the rifle is also something that you cannot ignore, and I feel, can compete with some of the “top of the line” rifles on the market to date. During my time at the International Sniper Competition, which is held at Ft. Benning GA, where the top snipers from around the world come to compete, I held true to what I believed in the M40. Going up against competitors such as Delta Force snipers, SAS, Israeli snipers, etc., who used the .338, .50, and .300 Win Mag, you would think that my basic M40 sniper rifle would be surpassed by far. Not the case. On my best days, I could hold around or less than a half-inch group at 100 yards (5 rounds), and on any given day a 1 inch group. The M40A5 stood its ground with the best, even at extended ranges (980 – 1050 yards). There is a reason why Law Enforcement and top tier Special Operations units still have this weapon in their armory and utilize on the battle field. This weapon is a fighting precision rifle. You can bang it up, drop it, lug it around the mountains of Afghanistan or the streets of Iraq, and when it comes time to perform and place a single round where it needs to be, it will do so.

Specs (Basic):

Caliber: 308 Win / 7.62 NATO

Action: Remington 700 Short Action

Barrel Type: USMC Countour, 1-12 Twist, 6 Groove Stainless, .925″ at muzzle

Barrel Length: 25″ (24″ from recoil lug)

Stock: Adjustable McMillan A4, Spacer Sys.

MOA: 1/4, 1/2, 1.0

MV: 2,550 – 2650 fps

MSRP: $2,800 (Basic) – $4,000

You can also check out http://www.gaprecision.net/mil-spec-rifles/m40a5.html for an awesome rifle!

Blue Force Gear RackMINUS | Not Just For Shooters

Blue Force Gear has been garnering a lot of attention in the last couple of years (rightfully), mainly for their significant advancements in the design of load bearing equipment. Their use of proprietary materials in their ULTRAcomp fabric, as well as their Helium Whisper attachment system and MOLLEminus designs, have generated a new standard for lightweight, durable gear.

For as obviously suited as this gear is to warfighters, hunters and competitive shooters, I’ve taken some time to arrange an alternative setup for guides, pilots, hikers or anyone else who might find themselves needing an incredibly light, spacious and durable method of carrying some gear.

Being a rated commercial helicopter pilot and instructor (CFII), I often considered my EDC and how I would need to use it in the event of a crash in a remote area. Although I stopped flying a few years back, I still mull over options for pilots to have a weight conscious bundle of life-saving gear handy. Below I’m going to cover the RACKminus setup I’m using and what kind of equipment I’ve got in there. First, let’s define our terms.

ULTRAcomp:

As per Blue Force Gear’s website, “Blue Force Gear’s proprietary high-performance laminate, ULTRAcomp®, far exceeds the military standard air textured nylon in tear and abrasion resistance. Its hydrophobic features allow products to stay dry and light, whereas air textured nylon retains water and gets even heavier when wet.”

In layman’s terms, this is an awesome, lightweight and heavy-duty fabric that won’t get soggy.

Helium Whisper:

An alternative method of attaching modular pouches to a Molle system, the Helium Whisper attachment methods feature fewer parts, simpler construction and up to a 60% weight savings without sacrificing strength.

MOLLEminus:

Instead of rows of fabric being sewn onto the backing material as used in traditional Molle webbing, MOLLEminus uses laser cut voids and slots to create the same effect while reducing weight considerably. All this while remaining 100% Molle compatible.

So the setup I’ve got here is the RACKminus, with a water bottle pouch, a single pistol mag pouch, a medium vertical utility pouch and a medium horizontal utility pouch. With just three full-sized pouches and a single pistol mag pouch, what can I fit inside to help a theoretical downed pilot or lost hiker extend their survivability?

Much of the below is being taken from the Solkoa S3 Survival kit. Rather than stuff the whole thing into the RACKminus, I picked and chose what I felt were the most important pieces.

Water:

1 quart canteen
2 quart water bag
Aquarmira water purification tabs
Frontier Pro water filter

Lights:

Nebo AA battery LED light
Petzl micro headlamp

Food:

Can of Jerky chew
boullion cubes
glucose powder
2 course MRE from Meal Kit Supply

Fire:

Magnesium striker
Soaked cotton accelerant
Rubber accelerant tabs
Storm matches

Navigation:

Paper map
small wrist compass (for general orientation)
Suunto compass
Protractor and pencil
Ranger beads (for pace count)

Signaling:

Signal mirror
Emergency storm whistle

Utility:

Kershaw Westin (a nice, light pocket folder)
10 feet of 550 cord
USGI trip wire roll

First Aid:

Small first aid kit with OTC medicine, gauze and bandages.

Shelter:

SOL Emergency Bivvy

So you can see there is a general theme of redundancy here. Two water carriers, two methods of purification and two ways to light the two different types of firestarters. Not everything gets the doubled up treatment, in part because I wanted to keep weight down and in part, because I need to plus up on some supplies (first aid, I’m looking at you).

What would you think the weight of all this would come out to? Chest rig, pouches, canteens, MRE and gear….7lbs? Nope. Try 4.5lbs! That is, without water. I’ll add some quikclot, spare battery for the light and still be well under 5 lbs.

The lightweight of the Blue Force Gear kit is astonishing. The comfort level is achieved not only by the reduced weight but also by virtue of their excellent designs. With the RACKminus having 3 rows by 12 columns, there is plenty of space to hang some kit. The shoulder straps are wide enough, soft enough and have enough give to them to keep the load comfortably slung. The entire setup is nice and breathable, which is a plus when undergoing heavy exertion.

As someone who had the pleasure of going from ALICE belts and K-pots to RACK’s and MICH helmets, I can say this is gear that’s another couple of generations ahead of what I carried all over the sandbox. “Necessity is the mother of invention,” said Plato, and this long war we’ve been in has seen massive improvements in the gear available to American warfighters, patriots and sportsmen. Blue Force Gear is certainly at the cutting edge of those improvements. The RACKminus with pouches as pictured runs around $271. There are cheaper options on the market, but I don’t know that there are many options that push the boundary of how we should expect our gear to perform quite like Blue Force Gear’s ULTRAcomp as shown in the RACKminus.