“THERE’S A FREAKIN’ FENCE OUT THERE. A CHAIN-LINK FENCE!” came the holler from our man in the doorway of the building we were in. That fence was blocking our route to a field just outside, to where our exfiltration help was already inbound. I already knew what was coming next as the assault team leader […]
specops
Former Delta Force operator: Why the 1911 is still my favorite sidearm
I’m a gunslinger by background, or at least I fancy myself the sort. I still wear my pistols low these days, just not quite as low as in the day. l live, nonetheless, today as I have always lived—by the sword. And you know what living by the sword means. That’s right, it means being […]
Delta Force’s James Nelson Sudderth – Conan the Barbarian
Prologue:There a two men who I credit, or blame, for bringing me to the Delta Force from my state of uncertainty and lack of self-confidence: James Nelson Sudderth and Matthew Loren Rierson. Both are departed. Both deliberately approached me and asked me to come to Delta Force. First it was Matt who asked me ‘when […]
The time my Special Forces team accidentally burned down a Korean forest (Pt.2)
Note: This is part of a series. Read part one here. Dawn cracks in the Republic of Korea (ROK) and 10,000 roosters crow. My auditory senses are awakened. I stare at the olive drab of the tent canvas above my cot. Visual acquisition and, wait for it…wait for it…ah, there it is—olfactory perforation by rotton […]
SERE School from the perspective of a Delta Operator: Surviving as prisoner of war
While taking part in a training course for a special mission, I understood that I would be attending SERE school at some point during the six-month course, though I didn’t really know when. Our SERE training was split into an administrative phase of classroom training, followed by a no-notice internment phase in a prisoner-of-war camp… […]
How two Delta Force jumpers collided at 24,000 feet in accelerated free fall and lived
“The sky, even more than the sea, is terribly unforgiving for even the slightest mistake.” (Author Unknown) Let’s get one thing straight: I hate jumping. Don’t get me wrong, the whole concept and execution is sexy enough, but I was simply cursed with a wicked bout of acrophobia. Two or three days prior to an […]
Check out this Former Delta Force operator’s loadout for taking down human traffickers
I work in counter human traffic (CHT), running street operations in “the Q,” Albuquerque, New Mexico. Here, the season on traffickers is open all year long, and there is no bag limit. Just don’t step up to the line dry (1). My current self-preservation posture is best described in my statement to my boss, words […]
TACO Pouches for Polish Mil, LE and Civ
Sometimes you can see various trends in gear. Once a concept is developed, it is just a matter of time before a few distinct things happen: 1. The US adopts it – Mil, LE and civs buy the original in vast amounts. 2. China – makes a poor copy and sells it worldwide with Airsofters […]