Those men will definitely be remembered in my prayers today, along with all who serve to protect our country.
Posted on 07/03/2018 9:13:37 PM PDT by mrsmith
...deployments to places around the world under his dive belt, he also served as the chief instructor at CDQC prior to assuming his role as the team’s senior non-commissioned officer (NCO). A sergeant’s sergeant, he’s of the opinion that if you go SF, you need to “earn all three lightning bolts” — which represent air, land, and sea on their unit patches. “Damn near every other special operations unit requires their guys to both jump and dive, why shouldn’t we?”
Other members of the team include Jeremy, the team’s senior medic, who knows firsthand what it’s like to receive one of the gunshot wounds he’s trained to patch up. Stoner, the team’s senior “Bravo,” or 18B weapons sergeant, has been deploying to Afghanistan since the weeks following 9/11. Buck, a native Idahoan who seems to be somewhat of an introvert, is the youngest — and one of the hardest working on the team. Chuck, another Indiana native, serves as one of the team’s engineer sergeants. The team was augmented by Jaeger and Charlie, both hailing from different operational detachment alpha teams (ODAs). An Australian Special Forces soldier, Mark is a member of the team as well but is working on an exchange program that extends beyond their current deployment. Able, a Combat Controller on loan from the US Air Force, is most notable among the team’s attachments: he’s responsible for calling in fire missions day and night in order to keep bad guys off the ridgelines.
The team operates out of COP Blackfish, which is a nod to the team’s maritime roots. It’s not the large military installation you might assume would be in place after 17 years of war in the country. ....
The isolated outpost sits in the Mohmand Valley,
(Excerpt) Read more at blackriflecoffee.com ...
Story on forward deployed troops in Afghanistan. God bless them this 4th of July.
Mohamand Valley? Well I'll be darned! Who wudda thunk it! </sarc>
Maybe they can start a bluegrass band "The Mohamand Valley Boys".
“Who wudda thunk it!” Yeah, the Muzzied aren’t exactly imaginative.
Good report on our troops though,.
On Independence day we need to remember who we have to thank for that independence (whatever the merits of the srrategy they’re obeying_)
Kope to see a few threads on the guys (kids,, mostly) who are out there defending us this 4th of July.
Those men will definitely be remembered in my prayers today, along with all who serve to protect our country.
My dad was a Green Beret during the Vietnam era. He did three tours of duty there.
When I was about twelve, he described an exercise where they parachuted into the ocean at night, swam to shore, then made their way through the jungle to a rendezvous point, using only rudimentary tools, etc.
I think that qualified as air, land, and sea.
Navy Brat myself.
Never understrod my Dad’s choices until I had to face them myself.
It’s not just the military man but his whole family that pays the price for our freedoms.
Over the course of my childhood in the military, I attended sixteen different schools, and lived in almost as many houses. I didn't think to complain at the time, because it was the only life I knew, and it wasn't any different than every other kid I knew - we all being military dependents.
It's just the way it was.
We knew that we were members of a unique sub-culture of America, and I (at least) felt very privileged and extremely secure within its protective blanket.
At the time, it didn't dawn on me that I was sacrificing anything. Only in later years, after becoming a civilian, did I realize that military dependents do indeed sacrifice many things that civilians take for granted.
Overall, though, I'd say that my military upbringing marked me for life in many ways - mostly good. If given a choice, I'd do it all again without hesitation.
What's funny is, although I never served, myself, strangers quite often assume that I did. That always surprises me, but I guess it's just 'where I come from'.
You can take the boy out of the military, but you can't take the military out of the boy :-)
“What’s funny is, although I never served, myself, strangers quite often assume that I did.”
Well, in a way, you did.
I wouldn’t change my upbringing either. It has a pedigree going back to, at least, Homer.
.LOL! Still remember a “police call” my Dad had us kids do.
Heroes out there on the edge, keeping us in the center alive and free.
Somehow, “Thank you!” isn’t enough.
My Mennonite farther in-law an a first cousin of his were getting on my case. (If you didn’t know Mennonites are pacifist’s)
About having job that could involved hurting or killing people.
I told them both the only reason they could live the life style their religion demanded.
Was because there are people willing to stop the people willing to do them harm.
That ended the conversation about my career choice.
Here’s to the memory of my father, CMSgt USAF (Ret) Harry T. Weaver, 1931-2009; my brother, EM4 USN Brian K. Weaver, 1960-2017; my brother-in-law, MSG USA Joseph J. Andres III, “The Unit”, KIA 12/24/2005; and my best friend, CSM USA (Ret) Michael “Iron Mike” Jefferson, 1954-2009.
May they all rest in peace, knowing that their sacrifices were not in vain.
This is a long, detailed, and excellent overview of Special Forces activity in Afghanistan. There have been few like it. Thanks for the posting. On this day it is a propos.
There are Millenials...and then there are men.
Yeah, very well done I thought.
Surprised it was on a coffee web site.
One more bump. Good read.
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