Federal Budget: Cap Military Raises, Hike Retiree Health Fees

Trying once more to get military compensation costs "under control," the Obama administration has asked Congress to cap annual active duty and reserve component pay raises, and to phase in over four years a complex formula for raising TRICARE fees on retirees of all ages and their families.

The five-year budget plan unveiled Wednesday proposes that annual pay raises be held at one percent from 2014 through 2016 and be raised to 1.5 percent in 2017 and to 2.5 percent in 2018, said Robert Hale, the Department of Defense's under secretary and comptroller.

The first year's pay cap alone, which would trim just eight-tenths of a percentage point off a scheduled 1.8 percent increase to match of private sector wage growth, would save $540 million in 2014 and $3.5 billion through 2018, officials said.

As in years past, the administration seeks to cut health costs by having retirees and families pay more under all three options of TRICARE.

Here are details of these proposals:

TRICARE Prime – The current family enrollment fee of $539 for working-age retirees (under age 65) would increase next year to equal 2.95 percent of the individual's gross retired pay. But for 2014 the fee would be subject to an annual minimum, or floor, of $548 and a ceiling of $750 ($900 for flag officers). The fee would be raised to 3.3 percent of gross retired pay in 2015 with a floor of $558 and ceiling of $900 ($1200 for flag); 3.65 percent in 2016 with floor of $569 and ceiling of $1050 ($1500 for flag); and so on until reaching 4 percent of gross retired pay in 2018 with a floor of $594 and ceiling of $1226 ($1840 for flag).

Fees for single coverage would be half these amounts.

TRICARE Standard/Extra – For the first time, users of these options would face an annual enrollment fee, starting at $70 for single coverage or $140 for family, and rising each year until reaching $125 (individual) and $250 (family) in 2018. Also, the current annual deductible of $150 (individual) and $300 (family) would gradually increase, starting in 2014 and until it reached $290 (individual) and $580 (family) in 2018.

Adjustments – After 2018, all TRICARE enrollment fees, floors and ceilings, and deductibles for retirees would climb yearly by the same percentage increase of cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for military retired pay to keep pace with inflation.

TRICARE for Life – Beneficiaries 65 and older can use TRICARE for Life as a golden supplement to Medicare. Officials said a comparable individual policy in 2009 would cost $2100 in the private sector. So, they reason, military elderly should at least pay a small enrollment fee. But these changes would be grandfathered to impact only retirees who become TFL beneficiaries after enactment.

The fee would equal one half of one percentage point of gross retired pay in 2014; one percent in 2015; 1.5 percent in 2016, and two percent in 2017 and in 2018. But the fees would have ceilings: no more $150 a year in 2014; no more than $300 in 2015, $450 in 2016, $600 in 2017 and no more than $618 in 2018. Flag officers would face higher ceilings though not substantial. After 2017, these fees would be adjusted by the percentage of retiree COLAs.

Pharmacy Fees – The administration wants to follow last year's increases in pharmacy co-pays with additional increases phased in to encourage greater use of mail order and generic drugs.

Catastrophic Cap – The current cap on total out-of-pocket costs TRICARE costs of $3000 a year would be raised for retirees in two ways: by excluding any TRICARE enrollment fees from counting toward the cap; and by raising the cap annually by the percentage of retiree COLA.

Officials hope tying the size of fees to level of retired pay will soften resistance in Congress. Also, this year's plan would exempt from any fee increases the survivors of members who die on active duty and persons medically retired from service. And the department no longer is asking that TRICARE fees be adjusted annually based on medical inflation.

That concession to use retiree COLAs instead might be less than it appears. The Obama budget proposes, as part of a larger debt-reduction deal, that all federal COLAs, including for social security, veteran benefits and retirement plans, switch to a "chain" Consumer Price Index to measure inflation. This CPI would save the billions of dollars annually by shaving every COLA by a fraction of a percentage point.

Obama's support for it is conditional; Republicans must agree to close some corporate tax loopholes and to raise taxes on the wealthy. Still, Obama support of chain CPI has drawn fire from some Democrats and liberals in Congress. Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont who chairs the veterans affairs committee, added language to the Senate's non-binding budget resolution to oppose it. If the chain CPI is adopted, said Sanders, "veterans who started receiving VA disability benefits at age 30 would have their benefits reduced by $1,425 [a year by] age 45."

In unveiling the 2014 defense budget request, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the smaller pay raises and TRICARE changes would save $1.4 billion next year and $12.8 billion over just five years. The TRICARE changes, he said, would "bring the beneficiary's cost-share closer to the levels envisioned when the program was first implemented."

In 1996, officials said, retirees covered 27 percent of total TRICARE costs with enrollment fees, deductibles or co-payments. Today, their out-of-pocket costs cover only 11 percent.

Asked to recall how hard it was to vote for higher TRICARE fees when he was a senator, Hagel said times are different now. When he left Congress in 2009 the global financial crisis was just beginning. Today, the Department of Defense is struggling with $41 billion in automatic cuts this year from budget sequestration. It faces $500 billion in more cuts over the next decade if the administration and Congress can't partner on a solution.

The $527 billion defense budget for 2014 assumes that a large debt-reduction deal is reached and sequestration ends. The defense share of the deal would be $150 billion in cuts over the decade versus $500 billion under sequestration. If slowing compensation growth isn't as part of that $150 billion cut, Defense officials said, deeper force cuts are inevitable.

Merry Christmas - From Special Forces Association Chapter IX, the Isaac Camcho Chapter, El Paso, Texas

Chapter IX held it's annual Christmas Party this year on Saturday 21 December at VFW Post 812.  Every second year the Chapter seats the new officers.  This year the Chapter voted unanimously to keep the present board and in all their glory they are, from L to R above: Chaplain John Szilvasy, Vice-President Steve Franzoni, President Pete Peral, Secretary Bill Snider, Treasurer Jose Ibarra, and Chapter namesake Ike Camacho who gave the oath of office. 

Chapter hosted approximately 100 attendees to the catered party with live music provided by Chapter IX Honorary Member Tony Lara and his live band, the Villa Band.  Ike Camacho and Pete Peral (picture at right) led off the entertainment with a rendition of the Ballad of the Green Beret.  It is at times like this where the Chapter missing the voice (and personality) of Jerry Rainey, who was no doubt looking down upon the proceedings from the base camp in the sky.

 The Chapter also wanted to post this great picture (at left) of Ike Camacho and his lovely wife Gracie.

Merry Christmas and please members our service members who are not at home this Christmas as they risk their lives to defend our Freedoms in faraway places. 

      

Major Coventry, Rhodesian SAS - a Bucket of Balls and Backbone

From the article "A Bucket of Balls & Backbone like a Boss- Maj. Coventry, Rhodesian SAS", posted by Breech, Bang and Clear

This is Edgar Walter Dudley Coventry. At the time he was Officer Commanding (that's how they put it; we would say Commanding Officer), D Company Rhodesian Volunteer Battalion. He received his commission as a Lieutenant in 1938 and volunteered for duty in Finland, where he fought during the Talvisota or Winter War (if you don't know anything about it and you're interested in military history, read up on it - Frozen Hell is a great book).

Afterward he joined 5 Cdo (5 Commando) and the Allied Command "Special Raiding Forces Middle East" from 1944-45.   There were 17 Commandos - as in a type of unit - deployed by Great Britain during WWII, fighting across every theater; Raiding Forces ME was established in OCT '43 and was composed of Commandos, Special Boat Service, the Greek Sacred Squadron, the Long Range Desert Group, other specialized groups the Raiding Support Regiment.

"The Rhodesians waged a campaign of extreme military professionalism that will deserve a place in the world's Staff College courses for many years to come." - John Keegan

In 1946 he transferred to the Parachute Regiment and went on to serve in the Independent Parachute Squadron and ultimately C Squadron (Rhodesian) SAS. During the Malayan Emergency at the age of 41 he was awarded Mention in Dispatches (MID), 1956. The MID is a commendation for meritorious service or gallantry.

He went on to serve in the RLI (Rhodesian Light Infantry) and commanded C Squadron Rhodesian SAS in 1963 and went on to serve in the Rhodesian Central Intelligence Organization in 1970. He was wounded in action several times in Rhodesia and then again as a Lieutenant Colonel commanding the Zimbabwe SAS.

During one combat operation Maj. Dudley Coventry, then 72 years of age, jumped with the Zimbabwe Parachute Battalion in Mozambique armed with only a walking stick and a Browning semi-automatic pistol. Bucket of balls and backbone. Maj. Coventry was a warrior.

1st SF Group Airborne Operation Video

Great Video on 1st Special Forces Group making Static Line and HALO jumps into Japan.

Vietnam - Green Berets and Nungs

Great article mentioning SFA Chapter IX's own Joe "China Boy" Lopez written in an article by Major John F. Mullins, U.S. Army Special Forces (Ret.) and published on SOF Magazine on-line.

In the period May 1966 to March 1967 the men of Special Forces Detachment A- 302 were awarded one Medal of Honor, three Distinguished Service Crosses, twelve Silver Stars, eleven Bronze Stars for Valor, and seventeen Purple Hearts, making it quite possibly the most decorated small unit in U.S. Army history. This for a unit that seldom had more than nine men operational at any given time.

Eight of the Purple Hearts were posthumous awards. During this period the men of A-302 and their indigenous troopers, known as Nungs, took part in every major battle in III Corps Tactical Zone, and a lot of smaller ones that nobody has ever heard of. They fought Main Force Viet Cong, North Vietnamese regulars, and all too often, poor leadership and downright stupidity on the part of “Regular Army”. They were known as the Mobile Strike Force, most often shortened to “Mike Force”.

This is the story of only one of those battles.

The formation of the Mike Forces was the result of a stark truth that had been shoved into the faces of the Special Forces A Detachments that were scattered in some 80 fighting camps throughout Vietnam. If you got into trouble, nobody was going to help you. Most Viet Cong attacks took place at night, for obvious reasons. The South Vietnamese Army didn’t fight at night. By the time ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam) units got around to reinforcing you, the action was likely over. Places like Nam Dong and Dong Xoai had learned that lesson all too well; only the stubborn resistance of a handful of Special Forces troops saving the camps from utter annihilation – as witnessed by the fact that Captain Roger Donlon at the former and Lieutenant Charles Quincy Williams at the latter were awarded the first and second Medals of Honor of the Vietnam Conflict.

III Corps Tactical Zone Camps Besieged

By the summer of 1965, the camps in the III Corps Tactical Zone (III CTZ) had been particularly hard hit. III CTZ ran from the bottom of the Central Highlands to the top of the Mekong Delta, and from the Cambodian border to the South China Sea. It included the capital city of Saigon as well as a number of other heavily populated cities and villages. It was a priority target for the Viet Cong and, increasingly, the North Vietnamese Army (NVA). Many of the fighting camps in the III CTZ were located squarely athwart the major supply route from the Cambodian border to Saigon and thus became the primary targets for the summer offensive that the Viet Cong hoped would win them the war before the major part of the American troops now arriving in country could foil their plans.

The Special Forces had been looking toward the American troops too, but for different reasons. ARVN couldn’t be counted on to help when needed, but surely the much better equipped, trained and motivated fellow Americans could.

The Green Berets found out pretty quickly that wasn’t necessarily the case. The history of the war in Vietnam is replete with cases of American conventional forces refusing to come to the aid of the beleaguered fighting camps, at least in anything like a timely manner. Many ascribed it to the dislike shared by so many regular army officers for the men they regarded as elitist cowboys. Far more likely is that it was a result of the casualty- averse policy of the American Army. It sounded hardhearted, and it was, but the math was inescapable. If a camp got completely wiped out, at worst you would lose twelve American soldiers; whereas if you mounted a rescue and ran into a Viet Cong ambush, you were likely to lose dozens, perhaps scores more. In a war where propaganda victories counted for more than battlefield success, the enemy fully understood the effect of more and more coffins returning to the United

The Fierce Chinese Nung Mercenary Force

Special Forces needed their own dedicated reaction forces, but where would they get them? There weren’t enough Green Berets available to fully staff the fighting camps, far less provide the manpower necessary for an effective reaction force. Indigenous troops led by a Special Forces cadre were an obvious answer, but where would they get reliable, hardy troops who would actually fight? No one was impressed with the soldierly quality of the South Vietnamese – a constant question was how could the Viet Cong fight so well and their adversaries so poorly?

By 1965 Special Forces troops had been in Vietnam for nearly five years and had formed some pretty good ideas about whom they could depend on. One group that often came to mind was the Nungs. The Nungs were ethnic Chinese who had, at various times, fled that country and had settled in and around Cholon, a suburb of Saigon. Recruited by Special Forces advisors, paid far more than their ARVN counterparts, and properly led, they had established a reputation as dependable, fierce fighters who could more than hold their own against the Viet Cong.

Many of them were already in service, as camp guard forces, forming some of the Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG) companies in various “A” camps, or acting as bodyguards for important people. More could be recruited and trained. The nucleus was a company of Nung CIDG troops who had survived a fierce battle at Special Forces Camp Ben Cat, located adjacent to War Zones C and D, at the edge of the infamous “Iron Triangle.” Led by Captain (later Brigadier General) Joseph Stringham, the Nungs were given less than two weeks to recruit new troops, issue equipment, train, and be ready to fight.

Fight they did, in places like Bu Gia Map, Bu Dop, and Loc Ninh. Oftentimes the intelligence that the Mike Force had reinforced a camp was enough to convince the VC to shift their attention elsewhere. When it didn’t, the Mike Forces’ fighting spirit and leadership were enough to bloody the nose of units far larger than they, even though they were not only outnumbered but outgunned as well. The Mike Force was armed with American weapons left over from past wars. In the early days of Special Forces involvement, when the CIDG program was still under the authority of the CIA’s Combined Study Division, a bewildering plethora of German, Danish, Swedish, French, English, and even obsolete Soviet weapons had been purchased from arms dealers all over the world.

The author’s own experience at Loc Ninh Camp in 1963 found him having to train Cambodian troopers armed with Schmeisser MP-40s, Danish Madsens, Swedish Ks, KAR 98s, French MAT-49s, Thompsons, Grease Guns, 1919A6 machineguns, MG-42s, BARs, M1 Garands, and M1 and M2 .30 caliber carbines. Imagine, if you will, the logistics of having to supply all the different types of ammunition.

If You Came to This Country to Die, the Mike Force Is the Place to do It As time went on the exotic weapons went to village defense forces and the CIDG settled on obsolete American guns. The M1 Garand, an excellent weapon, was simply too much gun for the small-in-stature indigenous forces, so by the time the Mike Forces were formed almost every trooper was armed with an M1 or M2 carbine. Readers familiar with the weapon know that it was primarily intended for officers and senior enlisted personnel, and rear area troops. The .30 caliber carbine fired essentially a glorified pistol round. This against main force Viet Cong and North Vietnamese units armed with the SKS and the AK-47.

The successful actions of III Corps Mike Force proved the concept, and shortly thereafter 5th Special Forces Group Headquarters directed the other CTZs to form their own Mike Forces. Another Mike Force formed and stationed at the Nha Trang headquarters was kept in readiness to respond country-wide. With the fighting camp situation now somewhat stabilized (though there would be further fierce battles, particularly at the border camps), the emphasis now shifted from defensive to offensive operations. With that shift came the inevitable increase in body count. As Captain Tom Myerchin, commander of III Corps Mike Force during many of the most ferocious battles related, “When I got to Nha Trang I asked about the Mike Force. I was told that, if you came to this country to die, the Mike Force is a good place to do it.”

On 1 November 1966, the Mike Force had been patrolling around Loc Ninh Camp, close to the Cambodian border, in response to intelligence that the Viet Cong intended to overrun the camp just prior to the scheduled South Vietnamese elections. As so often happened, the threat didn’t materialize, whether from bad intelligence, the VC realizing they couldn’t do it, or another unknown reason. But new intelligence indicated a threat against Camp Soui Da, another frequent visiting spot for the China Boys. After some message confusion the three companies that made up the unit were assembled and air lifted to Soui Da.

In overall command of this battalion-size unit was Captain Tom Meyerchin. First Company—China Boy 1—was commanded by SFC Joe Lopez, who would forever be tagged in Special Forces circles as “China Boy Joe,” was assisted by SSG José Garza. SFC James Edgell, a Korean War vet, commanded second company—China Boy 2. Sergeant Paul Taylor, a medic, was his second in command (2IC).

Third company—China Boy 3—had SFC James N. Finn, with SFC George Heaps as his 2IC, and SSG James P. Monaghan, as Irish as you can get and later a legend in his own right, filling out the command structure. Heaps had been CB-3 commander, but was getting ready to rotate and was taking the number two slot while Finn was getting broken in.

“Find and Fix the Enemy”

All three companies were helicopter-inserted into clearings surrounded by second-growth jungle in the Soui Da area. Their insertion points were six to seven kilometers away from one another. This in itself was not unusual. Their mission was to “find and fix the enemy,” whereupon other assets—air, artillery, conventional army troops—would destroy them. More important, at least in the opinion of the Mike Force leaders, was that it cut down on the possibility of fratricide, which could happen when one unit stumbled upon another.

CB-1, despite being the second one inserted, made the first contact. It collided with a VC company marching in the same direction and a fierce, but short, firefight ensued. No casualties were taken by First Company and none, to anyone’s knowledge, were inflicted on the enemy. This, too, was not unusual. The enemy made every effort to disguise his losses, dragging off not only the dead but often the wounded, with hooks made for that purpose. CB-3 was by then having its own fight, and the outcome was different. Four Nungs were wounded, and Jimmy Monaghan was hit first in his right arm. Then a round hit his M-16, shattering the stock and driving pieces of plastic deep into his right hand, rendering both the weapon and his hand useless. Now the priority became getting the wounded out. When the call came out for a medevac and there weren’t any dedicated Dustoff ships in the area, helicopters on other missions would often divert to pick up the wounded. A bird on a “milk run” from Bien Hoa heard the call and was soon marking smoke and landing on the tiny LZ. Then came one of those circumstances that was completely unforeseen, unplanned, and immensely important.

SSG William Balt Hunt was aboard the chopper. He’d just returned from R&R in Hong Kong and had hopped on board when he found out that the chopper was making an administrative run to his “A” Camp at Soui Da. Hunt was not a member of the Mike Force at all, but soon became one.

Monaghan says, “The pilot told us the chopper was overloaded. I started to get off. Hunt stopped me, said he’d take my place. I gave him my web gear. He was unarmed and my weapon was useless, but nonetheless he was determined to help. He grabbed one of the carbines from a Nung who was being evacuated with me. He asked me to take the Christmas presents he’d bought in Hong Kong and make sure they got to his wife and kids. I promised that I would. That was the last I saw of him.” Forty-four years later that decision still haunts Jimmy Monaghan.

Hunt had been on the author’s team back in the newly-formed 3rd Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg. He was a big guy, over six feet, heavily built. Not one to push himself on you, but when needed, he was always there. Now his presence seemed to energize the beaten-up company. The Nungs of CB-3 took to him immediately. With renewed sense of purpose they moved forth to battle the Cong.

Later that day CB-1 ran into the VC again, and a sharp firefight ensued. SSG Garza took a round to his buttocks, which doesn’t sound bad, unless you’ve been shot in the butt. Immediate swelling ensues and walking becomes well-nigh impossible. During this engagement seven Nungs were killed. Lopez called for a medevac, Garza and the dead were loaded out, and Lopez continued mission, now the only American. After that the night passed uneventfully. The next morning the company ran into a minefield and one Nung was killed and three others wounded. Yet another medevac was called. An hour later the chopper arrived overhead, only to be greeted with a volley of small arms fire. The ensuing crash killed one crewman and wounded three others. That pretty much put paid to First Company’s day, what with pushing out the perimeter and engaging in sporadic, but sharp, firefights with the VC while yet another medevac came in and took out the casualties.

At this point one should mention the work the Air Force was doing to keep the China Boys alive. Forward air controllers (FACs) were constantly overhead, bringing in what passed as the wrath of God on the VC. It was a delicate ballet, coordinating strikes from F-100 SuperSabres, C-47 Gunships (the ancestors of today’s AC-130 Spectre), Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF) Douglas A-1E Skyraiders, F-4 Phantoms, and Army heavy gunships, all with different flight characteristics, all with different ordnance. At times, and this would be one as well, the FACs had planes stacked from fifteen thousand feet to thirty thousand feet, making lazyeights, waiting their turn to drop ordnance. During the entire war there wasn’t a Special Forces detachment bar where FACs could buy their own drinks. The FACs were coordinating the strikes through the air liaison office at Bien Hoa. The pilot of one of the F-100s overhead was Captain Mark Berent. Berent had a special feel for the Mike Force, having decided once assigned to the job to find out exactly what the Mike Force did. Flouting custom, and possibly some Air Force regulations, he talked his way into a combat patrol with the unit. From then on he was the best friend they ever had.

Viet Cong Ambush

CB-3 (Finn, Heaps, and now Hunt) was having its own problems. Early afternoon they came upon an enemy base camp, the biggest and most sophisticated the Nungs had ever seen, even those who had fought the Viet Minh during the French Indochina War. Completely bunkered in, it had hospital facilities, a motor pool with trucks, generators, ammunition and supply dumps – clearly the enemy was here in force, and intended to stay. The complex was guarded by a platoon-size security force, which reacted with unaccustomed ferocity. The Viet Cong tended to fight first and then fade away. These guys weren’t fading anywhere.

The Nungs wisely retired and called in air strikes. As they waited they suffered under mortar fire from the complex, as well as machinegun fire from at least a couple of Viet Cong squads who had trailed after them. Four Nungs were wounded. Sergeant Finn moved forward to treat them, all the while under such heavy fire that one of the Nungs was wounded again as Finn worked on him. He directed CB-3 to increase the distance between them and the complex, remaining behind and coordinating the retreat until contact was finally broken. The FAC overhead was directing flights of F-100s out of Bien Hoa, striking on both sides of the column with 20mm cannon as they retreated. “Pour it on them!” CB-3 said. “I can hear them screaming.”

The air strike allowed the Nungs to back off more, making it to a small clearing where they hoped to be extracted. It was not to be. They would have to wait until morning. A lone chopper came in, took out casualties, and dropped off food and ammunition. They settled in for the night. They could hear digging just outside their perimeter. Finn and Heaps knew that meant that the enemy was not going to fade away, as so often happened in this war. They were preparing for the air strikes and indirect fire that would be coming their way when they got ready to assault. Finn was breaking out the ammunition and was in the process of distributing it when two companies of North Vietnamese attacked. Under withering automatic weapons fire Finn ran for a foxhole. He didn’t make it. He was hit in the head, dying immediately.

Command now went to George Heaps. Heaps was a Special Forces medic, one of that special breed of warrior/ healers. By the time an SF medic has completed a combat tour he has more time in the field than anyone else on the team. Every patrol that goes out wants a medic with them. There are two medics on the team. That means that the medic is going to be cycled through at least every other patrol, while the weapons, demo, operations and intelligence, and communications NCOs can, at least theoretically, go out on every fourth or fifth operation. David Ryder, another China Boy hand who later distinguished himself in Project DELTA and SOG, states that, “I learned more about tactics from George Heaps than [from] anyone else in my entire career.”

To their credit, there was no panic among the Nungs despite the heavy casualties they were taking. A line of at least fifteen enemy soldiers mounted the first assault. They were mowed down. Then came another forty, supported by well-sited heavy machineguns. Heaps got on the radio to Captain Myerchin and asked for help. Within thirty minutes tactical air was again striking the North Vietnamese with napalm, fragmentation bombs ranging from 1,000 to 250 pounds, cluster bomb units (CBUs), and rockets. Huey gunships from the 1st Infantry Division got into the act, trying to blast a way clear for the Nungs to get out of there.

December 7th, Anniversary of Pearl Harbor Attack

Posted on Facebook by Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas):

  "On this day 72 years ago, thousands of Americans lost their lives or were injured in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor -- an act of aggression that compelled the United States to defend itself and enter World War II. The greatest generation answered the call and responded heroically, as many have before and continue to do after. Today, we honor the sacrifice of those men and women who lost their lives on that date that continues to live in infamy, and all those who wear the uniform of the United States so that we may be free."

Picture above:  The aftermath of the Japanese sneak attack on December 7th, 1941.  
Photo below:  Memorial for the Battleship, the USS Arizona, as it lays in it's watery grave.

Chapter Meeting Notes 19 November 2013

18th Annual Ralph Dominguez/Jerry Montoya Food Drive: Chairman Naipo Robertson, Co-Chair Tom Melgares. Pablo Sanchez has a large truck and is on the committee. Other members are: Rod, Chuy, Leo, Steve and Sam. $1500 approved for approximately 75 boxes, hams (Chuy) and items that we don’t get donated. We will load boxes at 1730 hrs on 17 December and distribute them on the 18th. Jerry donated 80 boxes.

Christmas Party: Chairman Joe “China Boy” Lopez. 21 December at VFW 812. 1800 Social hour, 1845 short meeting, 1900 dinner. Holiday meal menu, members and spouses are at no charge, any other guests are $10 each. Chapter approved $1000 for entertainment. New incoming Chapter members can join the Chapter at the Christmas Party and the Dinner attendance for the new member and one guest are free, however you still need to RSVP China Boy Joe Lopez at .

Wreaths Across America – Civil Air Patrol: Debbie Torres (Rolando) Chairperson. Ceremony will begin at 09:45 on Saturday, 14 December, so arrive early at the FT Bliss Cemetery. Chapter will again sponsor all SF and Spouse wreaths this year. Wear your Blazers and Berets.

Chapter Elections: The same officers were elected for the next 2 years. Installation of Officers takes place at the Christmas Party.

Veterans Day Events: Chapter member Joe "China Boy" Lopez was the keynote speaker at the Veterans Day ceremony at the El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC). See picture above.

SF Room at VFW: This is project actually is foremost oriented towards building an SF Team House. Research continues on land ownership and viable options including quotes on construction. Project Chairman = Steve Franzoni; Teamhouse Committee = Gus, Brian, Chuck, Tom, Tony and Chuy.

Chapter IX Shirts, Coins, Mugs and Blazers: Shirts, mugs and coins are available. Coins are $10 each. Anyone needing a blazer needs to talk to Pete. We currently have a 36R and a 38R blazer on hand for purchase. We are also selling golf balls for $2.00 each, hats for $10.00, cups for $7.00 and the new Chapter 9 shirts for $25.00. Get your coins before Bill coins you.

Billy Waugh’s book “Isaac Camacho, an American Hero” is still available. Website http://www.isaaccamachoamericanhero.com

Rest and Recreation Center Fort Bliss: PTSD Soldiers still meet with Chuy every Monday from 1100 hrs to 1600 hrs in Bldg. 48 at FT Bliss. Chapter donates $200 each month for arts and crafts.

Isaac Camacho Head Start School: 125 students in the school. Any school supplies that you wish to donate please bring them to the meetings. Chapter is donating up to $100 per month as needs arise.

Soldier Mentors Program: Mentor program is in progress with the El Paso Courts system for Soldiers who have no violent offenses for 8-12 months. See Tom Brady.

Veterans Summit: 62 organizations are involved.

82nd News: Benavidez-Patterson All Airborne Chapter. Chapter meets the 4th Saturday’s, lunch at 1300 and meeting at 1400. Chapter bar is open every Friday and Saturday from 1500 until whenever.   Chairman Joe “China Boy” Lopez.  Website: www.bpaac.org 

VFW Post 812 News: 812 Commander Ramon “Moose” Saiz. 1st Sunday of every month is a fish fry from 1100-1400. Bar is open every evening. Moose is selling WWII shirts for $15. Web site: www.vfwpost812.com

Chapter President's Message:

It’s December 2013 and I remember December 2009 when I first accepted the office of Chapter President like it was yesterday. This chapter has blossomed like a cherry jumper to a HALO sky-God and I wish I could take the credit for that but I can’t, it’s been you, the members. We all know the leader just keeps the insanity to a minimum but it’s the worker-bees that make $hit happen. From golf tournaments to scholarships to food drives, to Special Olympics prom dances, to troop parties to the SOG Expo to......you get the idea. Like a well-tuned machine with a maniac behind the wheel (me) when I push the pedal, you all mesh, plan, execute and complete the mission in the tradition of true Special Forces trained soldier. No task too great no mountain to high SFA Chapter 9 makes it happen.

We have our food drive packing at the VFW on 17 Dec. and you can pick up your boxes then, or on the 18th after 1700 but this is the last day. If you can’t make the pick-up DTG let me know and we’ll get someone to get your boxes to you. Our Christmas party will be on December 21st and I hope to see as many members as possible. This is the time of year that we reunite with members who have not been able to join in our other events. RSVP to Bill Snider if you are attending for the head count.

Lastly I would like to thank the 2011-2013 board of Officers for accepting another term. As you know it’s not always easy and sometimes even a big pain in the back side to run the Chapter but read above and remember all that you do makes what WE do worth it. Thank you.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
De Oppresso Liber!

Pete Peral

Chaplains Corner - November 2013

Suggested Christmas Prayer for You:

O God our Heavenly Father, it’s me…(your name)... I am getting older and things are getting worse here on earth. Gas prices are too high, no jobs, food and heating costs too high, and my health insurance costs are out of control. I know some have taken You out of our schools, government and even Christmas.

Lord, I'm asking You to come back and bless America again with Your Holy Spirit as You did with our Founding Fathers. Raise up strong and moral leaders to lead the US Government to do what they were elected to do: Serve the people of the United States. We really need You! There are more of us who want You than those who don't! We know that You are still with us, and we trust You and yield to Your leading us through these difficult times.

Most of all, Lord, I want to thank You in this Christmas season for sending Jesus, the promised Messiah (Christ), who through faith in Him is now my personal Savior and the Lord of my life. Help me to keep Jesus as the heart and the focus of this Christian Christmas Season. Thank You for the gift my salvation and the promise of eternal life. Thank You Lord for all of your blessings given to me as gifts from You. I love You and will always love You.. In the Holy Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen

Your Chapter Chaplain’s Christmas Prayer for you is:

May the Lord in this Christmas Season bless you with a full understanding and acceptance of the meaning of Christmas. May the Lord make His presence to shine upon you and fill you with His love. May the Lord bless you with His perfect peace that will enable you to love Him with all of your heart, mind, and soul until He calls you to your eternal home in Heaven. I ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, Amen.

Chapter IX Chaplain John A. Szilvasy

New Zealand Farewell to Fallen Mates

The 2nd and 1st Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment performed the moving tribute for Corporal Luke Tamatea, 31, Lance Corporal Jacinda Baker, 26, and Private Richard Harris, 21, at their funeral service at the Burnham Military Camp in Christchurch on Saturday.   The video below is of the passionate haka performed by the comrades of three fallen New Zealand soldiers and has gone viral, with tens of thousands of people around the world watching the clip.

The trio were killed instantly when a roadside bomb destroyed their Humvee in Afghanistan's northeast Bamiyan Province on August 18. A video of the haka put on YouTube by the New Zealand Defence Force has gone viral, with more than 122,000 views.

Army spokesman Major John Gordon told the Herald last week the haka represented their "outpouring of emotion". "Our military is a small organization and people tend to all know each other," he said. "Many soldiers don't tend to show their emotions. But today, you saw their collective grief. Their personal grieving will come  later."

Five Profound Choices Special Ops Face Next Year

An article on Breaking Defense by Linda Robinson entitled - "Five Profound Choices Special Ops Face Next Year"

U.S. Special Operations Forces face decisions of profound consequence in 2014 after having been empowered by a series of policy directives taken over the past year. One of these directives has been, contrary to the caricature of unilateral commando forces popularized by video games such as Call of Duty, an unequivocal message from their command and the U.S. president: go forth and partner.

If 2013 was the year of decisions, 2014 will be the year special operations forces implement their roadmap for the future. But where exactly does that road lead? The trajectory will be determined by several budgetary and policy choices that the U.S. military, policymakers and Congress will make in 2014.

Does size matter? Special operations forces recruit most of their members from the ranks of conventional forces, a universe of personnel that is expected to shrink. It would be far better to accept a lower force level of uniformed special operators than to lower standards and keep the number at 33,000. This would maintain the existing rigorous standards to ensure that experienced, professional troops populate the elite forces. One of the key lessons of the past decade that must be enshrined for posterity is that how forces are used matters far more than their numbers.

Special operations forces can easily be frittered away in tactical and episodic missions that have no enduring or strategic value. Thoughtful application of their capabilities generally means two things: persistent presence combined with either conventional and/or multinational partners. This can mean infantry squads helping small teams of Green Berets, SEALS, and Marine special operators or Estonian, Lithuanian, Romanian and Polish special operators — to name just a few of the two dozen countries who sent SOF to Afghanistan. This footprint does not have to be thousands or tens of thousands — most often a few hundred can have an enormous impact — if they are deployed in back-to-back rotations for five to 10 years. The key here is for policymakers and U.S. ambassadors, who are the gatekeepers for U.S. forces in non-war theaters, to embrace the value of these long-term advisory missions.

Fix the commands. This year, the four-star Special Operations Command led by Adm. William McRaven assumed control of the theater special operations commands which are responsible for region-wide special operations with the intent of making them more capable. This is a vitally important part of the legacy of changes wrought by Adm. McRaven, and for it to bear the intended fruit, the theater SOF commands must be manned by the appropriate personnel and receive adequate resources in order to become world-class elite commands like the counterterrorism command. Second, for this change to be successful, the special operators must make clear at every step that they are there to serve the geographic command and ambassadorial intent. Otherwise, a new source of bureaucratic tension and infighting will be the result.

Special operators’ rhetoric and intent must become consistent and convincing that they are not trying to take over the world or behave as rogue operators. The message should be that they are part of a global defense, interagency and multinational network and behave within those constraints. Some operators fret that joining the larger defense community, which perforce means that their skills, identities and missions become known to a wider circle, will deprive them of their prized mystique. But what they lose in both warranted and unwarranted sheen of glamor they will reap many times over in increased trust and confidence.

In particular, the special operations community’s vision is not entirely clear to other partners in government. Congress held up funding for regional coordination centers and an interagency hub in Washington this spring, in part because it doubted the need for additional expenditures on what it saw as redundant structures for missions that were being performed at least in part elsewhere. Understanding and a common plan are more important than speed in these endeavors, in contrast to the urgency that undergirds many special ops undertakings.

The final and most important decision regarding special ops’ future will be the linked issues of leadership succession and institutionalization. Admiral McRaven has set in motion many initiatives that will make special operations forces a more useful and effective partner for the future, but implementation of these measures will take years beyond his tenure, whether it ends next year or the following year. It is second nature that bureaucracies resist change, and the right leader will ensure that the forward momentum continues.

50th Anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's Assassination

50 years ago today, the 22nd of November 1963, then President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. While volumes have been written about John F Kennedy, from his World War II service as a PT boat commander in the Pacific Theatre, through his meteoric rise as a politician, to the failed Bay of Pigs- Invasion of Cuba which almost collapsed his administration, to the Missile crisis in Cuba with the Soviets trying wanting to put nuclear capable missiles just off our coastline which rejuvinated the Kennedy Presidency as he made the Soviets blink. 


But what some of us also remember about John F. Kennedy is the importance he played in authorizing the Green Beret for Army Special Forces. 

President Kennedy visited Fort Bragg on October 12, 1961, and upon meeting Special Forces Commander Brigadier General William P. Yarborough, who wore his green beret to greet the President, the President asked General Yarborough commander-in-chief. The president remarked, "Those are nice. How do you like the green beret?" General Yarborough replied: "They're fine, sir. We've wanted them a long time."

Later, a message from President Kennedy to General Yarborough said, "My congratulations to you personally for your part in the presentation today ... The challenge of this old but new form of operations is a real one and I know that you and the members of your command will carry on for us and the free world in a manner which is both worthy and inspiring. I am sure that the green beret will be a mark of distinction in the trying times ahead."

What is hardly remembered about Kennedy's visit to Fort Bragg is that he had asked General Yarborough to ensure he and the Special Forces soldiers to wear their green berets for his visit.

President Kennedy felt that since Special Forces had a special mission, we should have a distinctive headgear that set us apart from the rest of the Army. Later, in April 1962 President Kennedy penned his famous phrase, "The Green Beret, a symbol of excellence, a badge of courage, a mark of distinction in the fight for freedom."

To honor his memory, Special Forces soldiers pay their respects to late President Kennedy by laying a wreath and green beret on his tomb every November twenty-second, the date of his assassination.

Rest In Peace Colonel Charlie Norton

Colonel Charlie Norton just passed away, leaving a giant hole in the living history of Special Forces. SGM (ret) Jakovenko say's it best in his message "I remember a Great Soldier":

When I got to 6th Special Forces Group at Ft. Bragg they had responsibility for Gabriel Demonstration Area, and I had to be part of the Demonstration A-Team since I spoke a few foreign languages. We always had question and answer period for the VIP's . I was asked by a high ranking British SAS Officer if all members of Special Forces were S qualified I said all our Line Units were, but I believe Our General's position could be assigned by virtue of Rank and did not have to be S qualified. I served under some of the best Colonels All S Qualified ever and only under 2 S qualified Generals. Not sure why that was."


"All I can say about Colonel Charlie Norton, You may of not made a STAR on Earth but You sure have a bright one in Heaven ! I'll see You on the other side of the mountain , Soldiers Never Say Goodbye ! Until That Time, When The Bugle Blows Again. As You Said One Time ! Maybe We Can Put It To The Russkies!" Vladimir Jakovenko, Sergeant Major (Ret), Special Forces.

Colonel Norton's Bio:

COL Charles W. Norton enlisted in the Army in 1944 and was assigned to the Persian Gulf Command (Iran) where he earned his commission. After the war, he returned to Maine, working with the National Guard, before volunteering for airborne and then a newly created organization - Special Forces.

He completed training as the honor graduate in the second class and was part of the nucleus of 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) (10th SFG(A)) which moved to Bad Toelz, Germany. Volunteering for service in Korea, he was one of approximately 50 SF personnel deployed to the 8240th Army Unit, the only unit active in unconventional warfare operations at the time. Norton was assigned to the UN Partisan Infantry Forces - Korea (UNPIFK), a guerilla force, consisting of displaced North Koreans responsible for conducting coastal raiding and intelligence gathering operations; sabotage of enemy lines of communication; recovering UN personnel; and hit-and run missions.

Norton’s post-Korea assignments included service with the 77th SFG(A); as a detachment commander in the 10th SFG(A) under Col. Aaron Bank; and as an instructor on intelligence gathering techniques at the UW Department, U.S. Army Special Warfare School. In 1962-63, CPT Norton, assigned to 1st SFG(A), was made the first full-tour commander of the resident SF Detachment in Korea. He was instrumental in assisting the Korean Army in developing its burgeoning special-operations capabilities and standing up a Special Forces type unit.

In 1965, following a tour with 1st Armored Division, Norton returned to Special Forces, deployed to the Republic of Vietnam, and was assigned to the Studies and Observation Group (SOG) as commander of Forward Operating Base (FOB) 2, replacing MAJ Larry Thorne who had been lost as part of a reconnaissance team (RT).

Norton expanded the program, establishing two FOBs at Khe Sanh and Dak To and further strengthening structure and support mechanisms required for successful cross-border reconnaissance programs. Often serving as both operations and launch officer as well as on scene commander for most insertions and recoveries, he directed the equipping, training, briefing, deployment and recovery of multiple RTs, flying daily with one or more Forward Air Controller (FAC) reconnaissance flights, maintaining radio contact with deployed RTs. He, upon seeing enemy activity unseen by RTs on the ground, frequently found himself directing RTs to exfiltration sites simultaneous to coordinating complex fire missions by RVNAF, US Army and USAF aircraft in order to cover the extractions.

During his last months as FOB commander, before assuming duties as XO for Command Control Central (CCC), he built up Kontom’s support facilities, including barracks, mess hall, and dispensary.

Norton returned stateside, attending the U.S. Army Command and General Staff School, with a follow-on assignment as the sole instructor in UW and airborne operations at the Armed Forces Staff College. During this time, he also attended Park College, graduating magna cum laude. In 1969, returning to Vietnam, he served first as the executive officer of the 5th SFG(A), and later as an infantry battalion commander to the 14th Infantry, 24th Infantry Division.

After his tour in Vietnam, Norton was made the UW Branch Chief, and, later the Special Operations Division chief to the Army’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, representing the Army staff on significant joint actions pertaining to special operations. After a course in the Finnish language, he was assigned as the Army attaché in Finland before returning to Fort Bragg as commander of the 7th SFG(A). He then assumed the position as deputy commander of the U.S. Army JFK Center for Military Assistance (now the U.S. Army Special Operations Command).

In that position, he ensured the maintenance of 7th SFG(A) as an active group. He also actively revived the historical connection with the First Special Service Force (FSSF), a joint U.S.-Canadian commando World War II unit which provides SF its lineage as well as their regimental insignia. FTX Maple Leaf, done in concert with the Canadian Army in 1979, evolved into Menton Day, an annual celebration held alternately each December in the United States and Petawawa, Canada. Retiring in 1981, Norton, in his short speech said, “Thirty-five years ... Was it worth it? . . . Hell, yes!”

He continued his association with Special Forces as a member, later president, and now as president emeritus of the Special Forces Association Chapter XI, in Washington, DC. He established procedures ensuring all interments of Special Forces (active-duty, retired, officer or enlisted) at Arlington National Cemetery are attended by chapter members. Additionally, he serves as liaison with the First Special Service Force Association, attending their annual reunions. During the late 80s and 90s, Norton assisted the Finnish government and the Joint Recovery Task Force to find MAJ Larry Thorne’s remains. Successful, the task force found bone fragments from the crash site in 1999 which analysis would prove to belong to Thorne. MAJ Larry Thorne’s remains were interred in Arlington National Cemetery in 2003.

Norton’s awards and decorations include the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, three Legions of Merit, two Bronze Star Medals, one Bronze Star Medal with valor device, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, seven Air Medals, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with gold and silver stars, the Army General Staff Identification Badge, the Excellence in Competition Badge (rifle), the Good Conduct Medal (three awards), the Order of the Knights of the Finnish White, the U.S. Army Parachutist Badge and 11 service medals.

Chapter Meeting Notes - 19 October 2013

8th Annual CSM(R) John McLaughlin Memorial Golf Tournament. Tournament was held on 7 September at the Fort Bliss Underwood course. Profit this year was over 25K. Chairman Greg Brown is retiring from the project and needs replaced. These will be big shoes to fill.

Rest and Recreation Center - Fort Bliss: PTSD Soldiers still meet with Chuy every Monday from 1100 hrs to 1600 hrs in Bldg. 48 at Fort Bliss. Chapter donates $200 each month for arts and crafts.

Chapter IX Shirts, Coins, Mugs and Blazers: Shirts, mugs and coins are available. Coins are $10 each. Anyone needing a blazer needs to talk to Pete. We are also selling golf balls for $2.00 each, hats for $10.00, cups for $7.00 and green Chapter 9 shirts for $35.00.

Isaac Camacho Head Start School: 125 students in the school. Any school supplies that you wish to donate please bring them to the meetings. Chapter is donating up to $100 per month as needs arise.

Soldier Mentors Program: Mentor program is in progress with the El Paso Courts system for Soldiers who have no violent offenses for 8-12 months. See Tom Brady.

Christmas Party: Scheduled for 21 December at VFW 812. Chairman Joe “China Boy” Lopez. He will get us quotes from the caterer. Chapter approved $1000 for front money.

18th Annual Ralph Dominguez/Jerry Montoya Food Drive: Chairman Naipo Robertson, Co-Chair Tom Melgares. Pablo Sanchez has a large truck and is on the committee. Other members are: Rod, Chuy, Leo, Steve and Sam. $1500 approved for approximately 75 boxes, hams and items that we don’t get donated. We will load boxes on 17 December and distribute them on the 18th. Pete has generated a solicitation letter for donations.

Wreaths Across America – Civil Air Patrol: Debbie Torres (Rolando) Chairperson. Ceremony will begin at 09:45 on Saturday, 14 December, so arrive at the Fort Bliss Cemetery early, to get a seat. Chapter will again sponsor all SF and Spouse wreaths this year. Donations must be received by 1 December. Debbie’s goal is 600 wreaths. This event is a Blazers and Berets event.

Chapter Elections: Tom nominated the current slate of officers for another term. Final nominations and voting will be in November and Installation of Officers, for the next 2 year term, takes place at the Christmas Party. Ballots will be emailed and sent snail mail to the dinosaurs without a computer.

SFA 9 Roster: Bill is finalizing the roster, please get him any changes you have ASAP, before we print.

Task Force Dagger Foundation: Created in McKinley, TX for wounded Vets. 95% of donations go to direct support. Brad made a motion to give them $500, second, passed.

82nd News: Benavidez-Patterson All Airborne Chapter.  Chairman Joe “China Boy” Lopez. Chapter meets the 4th Saturday’s, lunch at 1300 and meeting at 1400. Chapter bar is open every Friday and Saturday from 1500 until whenever.

VFW Post 812 News:  VFW Post 812 Commander Ramon “Moose” Saiz. 1st Sunday of every month is a fish fry from 1100-1400. Bar is open every evening.

Message from the Chapter President:

We are getting ready for the food basket drive and the Chapter Christmas party. Naipo Robertson is the chairman with Tom as his second. At the November meeting, they will have solicitation letters and they will be asking each chapter member to bring a case of can food. Naipo will have a list of what we need. China boy is handling the chow for the Chapter Christmas party and Trini has the entertainment part. We have the Lara band for sure and more to come.

Vice-Prez Steve Franzoni has the point on the Team Room and he needs help. We need figure out exactly how much property VFW Post 812 owns and then what/where can we build in that footprint. If you have experience dealing with the city on either issues please work with Steve.

I’ll be out of the net for two weeks in November so contact Steve Franzoni for any chapter business. Looking forward to our Christmas party and hopefully seeing some old friends.

Pete Peral

Chaplains Corner - October 2013

God loves the sinner. How do I know this and believe it with all of my heart, mind, and soul? Here are the biblical truths that proved it to be true for me.

In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans, He wrote about the universal sinfulness of men, “for all have sinned (rejected God) and fall short of the glory of God (1:18-3-23). The penalty for our sin is spiritual death (5:12). We face God’s wrath (1:18; 2:5; 5:9). We become God’s enemies (5:10). Yet despite our rebellion and sin, God demonstrated His great love (Grace) for us by giving His Son Jesus “to be the propitiation (appeasing sacrifice to God) for our sins” (I John 4:9-10), “that while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8), “Christ died for the ungodly (v.6). Christ’s blood justified (made us right with God) and saves us from God’s anger and condemnation (v.9).

When we publicly confess by faith that we believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead (v.10), and recognize our need and accept God’s offer of forgiveness and reconciliation with Him, we shall be saved, and receive the gift of a new life now and the promise of eternal life with God in heaven. Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow!!!

Chaplain John Szilvasy

Task Force Dagger honored with memorial dedication

Story by Drew Brooks, from the Fayetteville Observer.

The first U.S. forces on the ground in Afghanistan were honored Thursday with the dedication of a memorial stone outside the Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg. 

The picture at right is of the SF Horse Soldier statute near Ground Zero in New York City. 

Task Force Dagger, composed of the 5th Special Forces Group, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and special tactics airmen from Air Forces Special Operations Command, entered Afghanistan in October 2001, weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Working with the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan, the troops, never numbering more than 300 men, were able to "bring down a regime in less than a few months' work," Lt. Gen. John F. Mulholland Jr. said.

Mulholland, the deputy commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, was the keynote speaker at the dedication.  In 2001, Mulholland was commander of the 5th Special Forces Group and led Task Force Dagger.  He called Thursday's ceremony a "very important moment."  "It's a really big deal for us who had the honor and privilege to serve in this task force," he said.

Mulholland laid a wreath at USASOC's memorial wall before a moment of silence was held for fallen operators.  He related how, on Sept. 11, 2001, he was finishing his daily physical training when he heard about the attacks.  "We all knew we were going to war and we were going to war in Afghanistan," he said.

Mulholland spoke of the initial confusion and how members of "another government agency" flew to Fort Campbell, Ky., to provide intelligence and information on Afghanistan.

He credited the leader of the Air Force units paired with Mulholland's soldiers, recently retired Lt. Gen. Frank Kisner, for helping make a harmonious force.

He also spoke of the initial buildup for war.

Mulholland said his Green Berets were "not in good shape" before Afghanistan.  Special Forces was not high on the resource chart for the Army or special operations, he said.  The soldiers had old or poor equipment. "It was not a pretty picture," Mulholland said. "Decades of neglect became apparent.

"What we did have was extraordinary men," he said. "Those A-Teams were what made Task Force Dagger successful."

Brig. Gen. David Fox, who earlier in the day took command of the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, was one of the battalion commanders who led troops in that initial push into Afghanistan.

Fox said Thursday's recognition was "a long time coming."

"We went into Afghanistan not completely unprepared, but unknowing," Fox said. "It was the beginning of things that we didn't really realize."

Fox was one of five people who helped unveil the stone. Each participated in some part of Task Force Dagger, Mulholland said.

Fox represented the Green Berets. Retired Col. John Buss was an Army aviator. Retired Air Force Col. Patrick Pihana was a combat controller. Retired Col. Frank Hudson was Mulholland's deputy commanding officer and led the remaining elements of the 5th Special Forces Group at Fort Campbell. And Mulholland's wife, Miriam, represented the spouses left behind who had to manage conflict and crisis.

The memorial stone, located in the Meadows Field Memorial Plaza, is decorated with the dates of Task Force Dagger, October 2001 to April 2002, a map of Afghanistan and the name of the task force.

Three of the aircraft used in support of the task force are to the right - Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters and an AC-130 gun ship.

To the left of Afghanistan is the silhouette of the Twin Towers and an image of one of the iconic "Horse Soldiers," who were among the first into Afghanistan.

America's First Frogman - The original Combat Swimmer Passes Away

 'America's first frogman' dies in Bend, Oregon at 95 This article is from a local Bend Oregon television station's on-line article about John Spence, a very unique individual.


John Spence, known in World War II history as “America’s first frogman,” has died at the age of 95, a friend and fellow veteran has confirmed. Jake’s Diner owner Lyle Hicks, who hosts the local Band of Brothers meetings, said he went to visit Spence at an assisted living facility on Tuesday and learned he had died during the night.

Nearly a year ago, NewsChannel 21 talked with Spence, who served his country as a combat swimmer sought out for their advanced swimming, diving and boat handling skills -- a precursor to today's Navy SEALs.

Spence was one of 70 frogmen who served in World War II and the Korean War. The current Special Forces are still using those water skills in their operations. “We were counteracting a situation where our allies, which we were trying to help, that were taking a beating," Spence said. "So we were transferred to counteract what they were doing."

In recent years, Hicks and Band of Brothers President J.W. Terry and California filmmaker-historian Erick Simmel worked with Spence to develop a biography of his Navy service. Hicks shared that with us Wednesday, and it’s presented in full here:

John Spence Biography:

I was born in 1918 in Centerville, Tennessee. My dad was the local sheriff so I tell everyone that I was in jail for my first six years. I lost my dad when I was 9. He was ambushed by a bunch of moonshiners.

I joined the Navy in 1936. After boot camp in Norfolk, Virginia, I was sent to Diver school where I was taught as a Hard Hat Deep sea diver. I was assigned to the USS Idaho. All of the large ships in those days had a deep sea diver group. Along with my duties as a gunner when the need arose, I would be called upon to deep sea dive. It made my monthly paycheck $10 fatter. I mustered out of the Navy after 4 years and went to work for Lockheed Aircraft till the Japs attacked Pearl Harbor.

I then went to the Navy Department in Washington and volunteer for the Armed Guard. They were the gunners who were protecting the merchant ships. I was told ‘You must be crazy. The Armed Guard are losing 85% of their gun crews. But, I can see by your record that you have been a deep sea diver and we have a request for one. Are you interested?’. I told them, yes, and they sent me to the Navy Yard in Washington where I stayed for 3 weeks and could not find out anything from anyone.

I then received a letter from my mother who was worried that I was in some sort of trouble as men were in my hometown asking former teachers and classmates all sort of questions about me. I was then sent to a secret base known as ‘Area D’ somewhere on the Potomac River south of Quantico. It was there that I found out that I had been recruited into the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), an espionage organization who were direct frontrunners to the modern day C.I.A.

Few realize that the OSS was it’s own branch of the armed forces having a commander serving on the joint chiefs of staff. Ours was Major General William Donovan, WW1 Medal of Honor recipient and national hero. The thing that separated us from the others was also the thing that seemed to cause the most conflict. We were the guys that were ‘Out of the Box’.

I was trained in Area D for special skills and in what is now Camp David in the fine art of sabotage. I was placed under the command of a British Commander Woolley and a Navy Lieutenant Jack Taylor. Lt Taylor was recruited to teach me small boat handling and navigation. It was learned that Italian swimmers were sinking British ships so we decided to start a group of underwater warfare swimmers. They named us Frogmen…..I was the first.

There is an interesting tale of how that name came forward. Since I am a part of that tale, I will share it. The Dunlop Company of England created a thin rubber waterproof suit. They called them dry suits today but back then they were anything but. They were green and had a full hood attached. Mine sort of fit me. As senior Navy diver, I was chosen to try it out. It worked much better than the wool long johns we had used to cheat the cold. Someone saw me surfacing one day and yelled out, “Hey, Frogman!”. The name stuck for all of us….but once again, I was the first.

I was sent to the Shoreham Hotel in Washington DC escorted by two armed Marines. Arriving, I found the hotel secured by more Marines and was escorted to a secured swimming pool there. Standing near the pool was a tall young man with blonde hair flanked by even more Marines. He had a contraption of some sort on a table next to him.

The man was a medical student by the name of Chris Lambertsen, who had invented a contained diving unit that recirculated air and sent no bubbles to the surface. The Lambertsen Amphibious Respiratory Unit or the LARU was like nothing before or since. I was introduced to him as John and he to me as Chris. But, I could see he was a doctor in the making so I respectfully called him Doctor while he continued to call me, John.

The LARU was cobbled together in Lambertsen’s garage. The face mask was a converted WW1 gas mask. It’s performance and ingenious design of its upgrades changed and brought about a whole new dynamic to secret warfare. It was the foundation and predecessor to what the Seals use today.

Lambertsen was sworn to such secrecy that he was not able to tell his medical school dean why he had to take time off from school to visit Washington. At the end of tests, he was sequestered into the OSS as a Army 2nd Lieutenant.

To the untrained eye, the Doctor and I might seem to be quite a mismatch but to anyone witnessing, you could see the excitement in both of us as my mind raced over the simple marvel of his invention. He created it and I was his test student. I was soon swimming underwater in that pool without the normal underwater gear and breathing with no bubbles. It was silent. The only sound was my own breathing. It made me feel kind of like Buck Rogers. It’s classification was at the highest level and on par with the Atomic program.

I was joined by 2 others and we began training at Annapolis in explosives, spy school, close combat, and much more. We were then sent to Silver Springs, FL to make a presentation movie of what we were being trained to do.

After the film, we were sent to Ft. Pierce, Florida where we were asked to teach Army and Navy amphibious commandos. I was tasked with demonstrating the LRU to the man who was to lead the new Navy Underwater Demolition Team or the UDT. His name was Draper Kaufman. I remember showing him the fins and face plate. This father of the Navy Seals looked me square in the eye and said, “Swimming is not one of my favorite things!”. So, you can imagine what I thought when former President Bush wrote a book naming him America’s First Frogman. Maybe it should have read ‘First Frogman to dislike swimming’. I have always got a kick out of that.

We were sent to England for further training, where I was set as the leader of L-group 1. It was Christmas time and I was led to a home of a Jewish family who brought me in to their home to share Christmas with them. They prepared a magnificent meal which made an even greater impact when I found out later that the meal had cost them a year’s worth of saving and supply in food. They being not Christians and yet knowing I was far from his family welcomed me as if they were mine. Though I have long forgotten their names, I will never forget how special they made that Christmas.

We practiced in the Thames River which was extremely cold. Our wet suits would crack and let moisture in. We tried a variety of things to help that including using dishwasher gloves with pocket warmer type chemicals in them that would heat up with moisture. We also tried using Swedish ski undergarments that were like a heavy fishing net. That would allow the water that got in to warm up by your body heat…but it just ended up moving the cold spots to other places.

I went behind enemy lines in France with the famous British Major Hasler. Hasler was the later the leader of the famous Operation Frankton. Major Hasler could speak quite a few languages and was very crafty. Armed with commando cloaks, OSS daggers, suppressed weapons, cameras, and L Pills in case of capture, we linked up with the French underground and were able to get a couple of downed pilots out. We used American money that the French farmers used to negotiate trade with the Germans.

We were being trained for a mission that was called Operation Betty. Four operatives of which I was one were to be dropped off in the Bay of Biscayne in Southern France. Our bombing raids could not dent the giant concrete reinforced pens that protected the German submarines there. We were to be dropped off by crash boats closed to shore. Using motorized surfboards of sorts called ‘Water Lilies’ and submersible motorized canoes called ‘Sleeping Beauties’. We would navigate in under the German’s radar. We would then swim in underwater using the LRU. Two swimmers would place mines on the locks while the other two would place them on the side of the German Subs. The mines would detonate blocking the gates and sinking the subs. We would swim to a safe house and link up with advancing forces at Normandy.

Armed with a water proof Boy Scout compass, magnetic explosives, dry suits, and LARU rebreathers, we practiced in water that was often colder than 50 degrees. Our training was at night and very intense. We were on the eve of the attack when our part was scuttled. Presumably because the magnets on the explosives messed with the compasses. I still think we could have saved quite a few lives with that operation.

On June 22, 1944, the L unit was disbanded and I was sent to the Bahamas to be the chief LARU instructor. But, I was still itching to get into the fight with the Germans or the Japs!. So, somewhat distraught with being denied combat after all of the blood, sweat, and cold shivering hands and combat swimming mishaps….and my own service being so different than what was now being taught, I opted back into the fleet. I was sent to the USS Wadsworth DD 516 where I became the chief gunners mate.

The Wadsworth fought in the battle for Palau, Iwo Jima, and then on to Okinawa. During the first day at Iwo Jima, I was in the forward turret providing cover fire for the newly formed UDT simmers who did a marvelous job under fire to clear beach heads Using those same fins and faceplates. I had a little inward chuckle wondering how that Kaufman fellow had finally been convinced of using them with his ‘demolitioneers’.

In Okinawa, we were charged with shooting down 21 kamikazes and were given the Presidential citation. I was also given a commendation for that battle. During one day of that duty, on 28 April 1945, Wadsworth repelled six determined attacks by 12 enemy aircraft. The raids—which came from all points of the compass—commenced at sunset and continued for over three hours. We successfully evaded a torpedo plane who after missing us with it’s torpedo decided to attempt to crash into our ship. It took out our front 40 millimeter gun and clipped our whale boat before crashing into the sea.

It was the second of two close calls. The first was six days prior when a kamikaze narrowly missed us to port. The crash of the plane sent a huge wave across our ship’s deck. The wave was so huge that one sailor thought he had been swept overboard and began attempting frantically to swim back to the ship. When the wave subsided, we laughed as he swam the crawl …on the deck of the ship.

After VJ day, we remained in the area until September, when we assisted two LST who were bound for Nagasaki. We helped take on Allied prisoners of war from the atomic bombed devastated port.

I remained in the Navy until 1961 when I retired as a Master Chief Gunners mate. After the war, I kept in contact with Taylor and Lambertsen as life-long friends until they passed on.

My training and service during WW2 remained Top Secret until 1987 and it was not until 1988 that a Sergeant in the Army Special forces began looking into what we had done and contacted me. If it had not been for the curiosity of this young Army Sergeant, all of this would never have come to light. He also said that he wanted the world to know. So, in March of 1998, I and the others from the OSS Maritime Operational Swimmers were inducted as lifetime members of the Army Special Forces giving us all Green Berets. Soon after, the Navy Seals realized us to be the forerunners of their organization and awarded us the Seal Trident.

Of the original five, I am the only one left. I am Master Chief John Spence, Office of Strategic Services - United States Navy and proud to be America’s First Frogman. God Speed Master Chief Spence.

Texas Constitutional Amendments on November 5th Ballot

A couple of these affects Veterans.  Do your civic duty and vote tomorrow! 

When Texans cast ballots for the Nov. 5 election, they will consider nine proposed constitutional amendments. And after a lottery was conducted Monday, the order in which the amendments will appear on those ballots is now in place. Each of the amendments on the November ballot have been approved by two-thirds of the House and Senate and will require majority approval from voters to take effect.

First on the ballot will be HJR 62, by state Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie, which would authorize the Legislature to provide a property tax exemption for the spouses of veterans. This amendment specifically authorizes a tax exemption for all or part of the market value of the residences of spouses of military members who are killed in action.

Second will be HJR 79, by state Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, which would eliminate a requirement for a State Medical Education Board and a State Medical Education Fund. Neither is in operation, with the State Medical Education Board having been defunct for more than a quarter-century.

HJR 133, by state Rep. Linda Harper-Brown, R-Irving, will appear third on the ballot. The amendment would extend the tax exemption period on storing aircraft parts in the state and would provide more tax relief to aerospace manufacturers, which often hold such parts in inventory for an extended period of time.

HJR 24, by state Rep. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, will follow and authorize the Legislature to give a partial property tax exemption on charity-donated residences to disabled veterans or their surviving spouses. The amendment would strike the current requirement that qualifying residents be "100 percent" disabled.

SJR 18, by state Sen. John Carona, R-Dallas, will appear fifth on the ballot and would allow homeowners age 62 or older to use reverse mortgages to purchase residences. The current law only expressly allows traditional mortgages, which lets such homeowners borrow against the equity of their homes. The amendment would allow the prospective borrower to use a Federal Housing Administration- insured home equity conversion mortgage to help buy a new home.

Next will be SJR 1, also known as the Rainy Day Fund Amendment. The amendment would create two funds to help finance key projects in the state water plan by pulling about $2 billion from the Texas Economic Stabilization Fund. Authored by state Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, the amendment has been opposed by conservatives who have argued that pulling money from the Rainy Day Fund would endanger Texas' economic health.

HJR 87, by state Rep. Sergio Munoz, Jr., D-Palmview, will appear seventh on the ballot. It would authorize home-rule municipalities to choose how to fill city council vacancies if the positions have less than 12 months remaining in a three- or four-year term. The amendment would remove the requirement to hold a mandatory special election for those positions.

HJR 147, by state Rep. Bobby Guerra, D-Mission, will come next on the ballot. It would repeal a constitutional provision authorizing the creation of a hospital district in Hidalgo County.

Last on the ballot will be SJR 42, by state Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston. It would authorize the State Commission on Judicial Conduct to use additional disciplinary actions — including public admonition, warning, reprimand, or required additional training or education — against judges or justices after a hearing. The current law allows the SCJC to issue a public censure or recommend a judge's removal or retirement.

O'Rourke's VA Bill Passes the House

Yesterday the House of Representatives passed the Faster Filing Act, legislation that Beto O'Rourke (D-TX) introduced to help reduce the wait-times that veterans currently face when filing a claim with the VA. This bipartisan and cost-neutral legislation was included in a larger package of ten bills (H.R. 2189) that cleared the House yesterday. It is now awaiting action in the Senate.

After hearing from so many of you about your frustration with the VA claims process and often waiting over a year to get an answer, O'Rourke introduced the Faster Filing Act (H.R. 1809). This bill would require the VA to publically post and inform veterans about the wait times for filing claims in various forms, from the fastest method: filing a fully developed claim online; to the slowest way: filing an underdeveloped claim in paper form.

The difference between filing a fully developed claim, where an individual works with a VSO to gather their medical evidence, and submitting a paper claim without documentation is stark. The VA can turn-around a fully developed on-line claim in as little as 100 days. Compare that to the current average wait for El Paso veterans of over 400 days. If veterans are fully aware of the advantage of filing a fully developed claim, they will be more likely to do so and that is good for both the veteran and the VA. In addition, for the next two years, veterans who file an on-line fully developed claim are eligible for one year of additional retroactive benefits.

In addition to the Faster Filing Act, H.R. 2189 also included an important provision called the “Pay As You Rate” Act, which requires the VA to pay out a claim as soon as a decision is made on one of the veteran’s medical conditions. This will be helpful for veterans with complicated diagnoses or multiple ailments by allowing payment once one condition is confirmed by the VA while they process the other conditions.

Congressman O'Rourke promises to use El Paso’s position on the Veterans Affairs Committee to do all possible to fix the claims backlog and uphold our commitment to those who put their lives on the line in service to our nation.

Admiral McRaven at the 2013 Annual OSS Dinner

This is an excerpt from Admiral McRaven's (Commander of US Special Operations Command) speech at the annual Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Society dinner and gives us a sense (or once again confirms) what he thinks the OSS legacy is (as related to US Army Special Forces)......thanks to SF Brother Brent Patron for bringing this to our attention via the source - Washingtonian.com

Picture above is Col. Sully H. de Fontaine, USA (ret), one of the founders of the OSS and the OSS Society.

Excerpt begins

McRaven was the last act after at least nine toasts, as many speeches, and several videos (including one of soldiers singing a spoof of At The Hop), a jazz performance, and repeated standing ovations. It probably helped that waiting for each guest at his or her place, was a gin martini with onions, to be raised in a toast to Ernest Hemingway, who famously liberated the Paris Ritz at the same time as the allies liberated Paris. It’s a ritual of the dinner.

McRaven did not equivocate. “I often hear disillusioned officers and noncommissioned officers ask, ‘Why aren’t we more like the OSS?’ Well, ladies and gentlemen, I am here tonight to tell you that the OSS is back,” he said, emphatically. “Not since World War II has there been such a lethal combination of intelligence officers and special operations warriors. Not since the fight against Hitler have we had such a talented group of government civilians, intellectuals, businessmen, writers, philosophers, engineers, tinkers, tailors, soldiers, and spies.” He took a pause before declaring, “but, still, there will be some who doubt this resurgence. So let me put those doubts to rest.”

McRaven noted that over the past dozen years he has worked side by side “with my intelligence counterparts” all over the world, “in every war zone, declared and undeclared.” He described the modern Navy SEAL arsenal, a kind of fantasy list for spy geeks. That includes craft that move “on the water and under the water. We have big planes and little planes and littler planes. We have submarines and mini-subs. We have scuba rigs and jet boots that propel us under water. We have jet skis and kayaks, we have motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles. We have high-definition sensors that look like rocks. We Tweet and Google and Bing. We are building an Ironman suit that will test the limits of technology and entrepreneurship.”

Lest anyone think SEAL life is all about gadgets, he went on to describe the modern intelligence and special operations recruit. “They come from all walks of life. They are New Yorkers and Texans. Big city and small towns. They are Ivy League and community college. They are bikers, lawyers, poets and musicians, geeks and old school, officers and enlisted, uniformed and suits; they speak Farsi, Pashtu, Somali, Chinese, Arabic, and Hangul.”

His stemwinder built to a rousing finish. “Today we are fighting extremism of another type, a medieval mindset that doesn’t recognize any civility, and it is international and it is a threat to our global humanity.” He said the intelligence and defense communities “stand as vanguards of our security, fighting this barbarism as far away from our shores as we can engage them.” He closed with a presidential, “God bless you and God bless America.” He received the longest and loudest standing ovation of the night.

excerpt ends

Note: McRaven is the Commander of ALL U.S. Special Operations. Why he insists of talking about the SEALS instead of all Special Operations is not understood. Suffice it to say that Army Special Forces remains the "Quiet Professionals".

TAPS - Colonel Robert B. Rheault

Col. Robert Bradley “Bob” Rheault, age 87, died peacefully at home in Owl’s Head, Maine on 16 October 2013. He was born in Boston, October 31st, 1925, the second of three sons of Charles Auguste and Rosamond (Bradley) Rheault of Westwood, Massachusetts. His father had been a member of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police, while his mother worked in Labrador, for Dr. Wilfred Grenfell, of the Grenfell Mission.

During the summer, for three years, from age fourteen, Bob worked as a cowboy on ranches in Wyoming: moving cattle, mending fences, stacking hay. After graduating from Phillips Exeter Academy and the United States Military Academy at West Point, Bob served for 26 years in the US Army, retiring in 1969 as Commander of Special Forces in Vietnam.

Rheault was awarded the Silver Star for his actions in combat in the Korean War, attaining the rank of captain. After Korea, Rheault taught at the U.S. Military Academy for several years in the mid-1950s, before attending the Special Forces Qualification course in 1961. Upon completion he was assigned to the 10th Special Forces Group in Germany. Rheault later commanded the 1st Special Forces Group on Okinawa before taking command of the 5th Special Forces Group in Vietnam in 1969.

COL Rheault, a widely respected Special Forces officer was implicated and largely thought to be a scapegoat for the June 1969 execution of South Vietnam double agent, Thai Khac Chuyen, who compromised intelligence agents involved in Project GAMMA operating in Vietnam and Cambodia.

A subsequent investigation and court-martial, was held by the U.S. Army in Vietnam, with the charges later being dropped.  COL Rheault retired after 26 years of service. 

After retirement he worked for the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School for 32 years, from Assistant Watch Officer to President of the School. During the last 19 of those years, he started and ran the Outward Bound Program for Vietnam Vets suffering from PTSD.

COL Rheault was actively involved in his community, giving generously of his time and skills while serving on the boards of The Apprenticeshop, Sterling College, Kents Hill School and the Georges River land Trust, where he was a founding member. He, with his wife Susan St. John, was an active member of the First Universalist Church in Rockland.

Ever mindful of a leader’s need to be prepared, when back from the field Bob made sure that his inbox was empty, and so it was when he died. Bob’s bills were paid and he had communicated with his loved ones. Bob was predeceased by his brother, Andre Eugene Rheault; and by his first wife, Nan (Young) Rheault. He is survived by his brother, Charles Auguste Rheault, Jr.; his wife of 36 years, Susan St. John; his five children: Susanne Rheault, Meesh Rheault Miller, Robert Rheault, Jr., Nicholas St. John-Rheault and Alexis St. John-Rheault; as well as a beloved passel of in-laws, nieces and nephews, grandchildren and his one goddaughter. A memorial service will be held on the 2nd of November, 2013, at 2 pm, at the Camden Opera House, 29 Elm Street, Camden, Maine.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Hurricane Island Outward Bound School, 39 Mechanic Street, Suite 310, Camden, Maine 04843 or to the Georges River Land Trust, 8 North Main Street, Suite 200, Rockland, Maine 04841