Blog Posts tagged with "special operations"

Remember the 1992 movie Under Siege with Steven Seagal playing Casey Ryback, an ex-Navy SEAL turned cook who saves the day as terrorists attack a U.S. Navy battleship? Well, 1-10 SFG (A) has their own version of Casey Ryback in Sgt. Javier Rodriguez-Torres. Although there may not be any Hollywood movies currently in production about Rodriguez-Torres’ exploits, there very well could be one day.

Imagine what the movie might look like though…working with a Special Forces Operational Detachment –Alpha (a bunch of Green Berets) and local Afghans running counterinsurgency missions in the heart of Taliban country. Sgt. Rodriguez-Torres, playing himself of course, is the head cook, in charge of preparing three daily feasts for at least 50 hungry warriors at a time (using anything available; turning it into a gourmet meal). On a fairly regular basis, however, he must also deal with Taliban fighters outside the perimeter, attempting to overrun the base and claim it as their own. The enemy is well equipped, with AK-47s, PKM machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and 107mm rockets.

In the first scene, the men of Forward Operating Base Kutschbach are gathered for their pre-mission meal as the sun begins to set. All seems quiet, but the enemy has other plans for the evening. Rodriguez-Torres helps his three Afghan cooks with the finishing touches to the goat kebabs they’ve prepared, making sure they are properly seasoned. Then BOOM!! The whole building thunders because a rocket has exploded outside...then another one hits! Debris falls from the ceiling and the crackling of gunfire erupts. Dinner becomes an afterthought and staying alive is now the only game in town.

Some of the base workers jump under their tables, but the gathered Green Berets immediately jump to their feet and head outside to defend the base. They flow out of the wire with partnered Afghan National Army elements to meet the attack head on. Meanwhile, Rodriguez-Torres, after first making sure his Afghan counterparts are safe, bolts out the door and into the line of fire to man the mortar pit. On his way, he hears another inbound rocket and throws himself to the ground. It explodes just above his head; he feels the heat of the blast, but incredibly remains unscathed. He and his mortar team quickly figure out from where the rocket was launched and then begin crushing that area with counter-battery fire. The enemy, knowing that a Special Forces mortar pit is a key location to eliminate, directs their fire accordingly. For the mortar men, it’s not the most comfortable place to work, but there is no room for cowardice. They do their jobs quickly and efficiently.

Cut scene to the rocket launch site, where mortars are landing everywhere and the Taliban rocket launcher is running for his life. As he mounts his motorcycle, a mortar lands right on top of him, and he disappears forever. Good guys 1 – Taliban 0.

After thwarting the attack, it’s back to the kitchen grind, because the guys all still have to eat, and now as they come back inside the perimeter, they must also conduct final preparations for tonight’s mission. Nothing stops just because the enemy decided to vote.

Sgt. Javier Rodriguez-Torres: ready for anything. Photo by MSG Donald Sparks, SOCEUR Public Affairs

Thus is the life of a cook assigned to an Army Special Forces unit, and thus is the reason Rodriguez-Torres was awarded the Bronze Star Medal on Dec. 2, 2010. While assigned to ISAF Special Operations Task Force -10 as the Forward Operating Base Kutschbach primary food specialist, he displayed the intestinal fortitude and personal courage necessary to succeed under extreme fire on multiple occasions.  He did serve as an assistant mortar gunneryman during Taliban base attacks, and his actions most certainly contributed to the success of the overall mission.  Whether he was in the kitchen, operations center or the mortar pit, he always gave everything he had.  The life is certainly not for everyone, but it is exactly where those who believe like Rodriguez-Torres belong. It’s for those who believe that they are warriors first, and as warriors, they must be mentally prepared for any situation or circumstance...kind of like Casey Ryback...only for real.

MAJ Jim Gregory
SOCEUR PAO

I believe most people think that special operations forces never interact with the media.  That is, of course, until something bad happens, forcing someone to explain the situation in an ambiguous manner.

I have actually been that “someone” and can tell you that in fact; there is more to it than simply saying “NO” to the media or explaining the situation away in a stream of vagaries.  Sure, there are some aspects of special operations that cannot be publicly released, and responses that effectively explain why certain details cannot be released are important to convey.

But more often than not, we within special operations must make it a point to engage with the media to be successful in today’s 21^st century battle of ideas.  In fact, we must do it often and long before crises emerge, not just occasionally or WHEN crises arise.  Doing so develops rapport with individual media members, and more importantly, with the public as a whole.

A Polish special operations officer explains the importance of detailed planning within the CJSOTF operations center to a group of Polish national media during Exercise Jackal Stone's Media Day, Sept. 20, 2010. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Eric J. Glassey)

It’s about putting money into what I call “the trust bank.”  By communicating often with others, special operations forces build trust amongst the public (making deposits into the “trust bank”) so that when something goes wrong – and something will inevitably always go wrong at some point – the public maintains their faith in the special operations community.  But if there are no assets in the “trust bank,” the public will turn on the community.  Of course, there will always be those who will support the military in general and special operations forces specifically, and there are those who will never support either, but both are minority populations.  It’s those in the middle that we must address.

This is all easier said than done though.  Special operations forces are often the best in their specific fields and are laser focused on accomplishing whatever mission they are assigned, many of which are highly classified. Additionally, the community is composed of men and women who do not seek the limelight; they actually avoid public credit.  So, the special operations culture is inherently averse to what may be misconstrued as boasting.

Additionally, some, because they have endured extremely difficult situations by mitigating all risk, also believe that there is no value to engaging with the media unless they can strictly control the outcome or unless there is direct and immediate benefit associated.  I believe both anti-engagement arguments are misguided, primarily for the reason described above (the “trust bank” reason).  That’s why, in part, during Exercise Jackal Stone, the annual multi-national special operations exercise coordinated by U.S. Special Operations Command Europe and hosted this year by Poland and Lithuania, media were invited to the exercise.

From left to right, U.S. Ambassador to Lithuania Anne E. Derse, Lithuanian Minister of National Defense Rasa Jukneviciene, Lithuanian president Dalia Grybauskaite, and Lithuanian Chief of Defense Maj. Gen. Arvydas Pocius visit the Dragunu Batalionas, where they are briefed on the Jackal Stone 2010 exercise in Klaipeda, Lithuania. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Christopher A. Calvert)

Sept. 20 in Poland and Sept. 21 in Lithuania served as the Jackal Stone 2010 Media Days.  In Poland, media were first given a tour of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force (CJSOTF – pronounced See-Jah-So-Tif) Operations Center so they could understand the importance of operational “enablers.”  They were then shown a Polish-led multi-national task unit in action, so they could better understand the tactical aspects of special operations.

In Lithuania, media were shown static displays of special operations equipment and afterward, in both countries, a press conference followed. Key political leaders (Polish Minister of Defense Bogdan Klich and Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė in their respective countries) attended the events and answered questions about the exercise and its importance to them, thereby placing “funds” into the SOF “trust bank” and creating a climate of engagement.

Of course, Jackal Stone’s Media Days were not the beginning nor were they the end of special operations media engagement.  Perhaps, it could be argued, they were not enough, but they did serve as another step in the right direction.

The days of 100% secrecy are long past.  We must embrace the new environment or lose credibility in the eyes of those we serve.  As long as the special operations community continues to open up, when possible, to tell the story about what we do and why it is important, the “trust bank’s” assets will grow, and special operations forces will be more effective in their ability to accomplish any mission.

MAJ Jim Gregory
SOCEUR PAO

I’m finally back home after nearly two weeks on the road and it has been more than a week now since I jumped into Iron Mike Drop Zone in Normandy, France to commemorate the 66^th Anniversary of D-Day.  I’ll never forget the experience –  not just because of the historic significance, but also because of those that jumped with me that day.  As you probably well know, British, Canadian and American forces jumped to secure the Allied flanks on D-Day, but personnel from Australia, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Poland also took part in the landings.  On D-Day 66, I hit the ground, collected my parachute, and then walked off the drop zone with British, French, Polish, Dutch, German and fellow Americans paratroopers surrounding me.  On my aircraft alone, we had Dutch, German and Polish paratroopers and I earned both the Dutch and Polish jump wings that day.  
  

German and Polish paratroopers sit amongst SOCEUR Soldiers on the aircraft prior to jumping onto Iron Mike DZ in Normandy, France, June 5, 2010.

Whoa!  Come again you say?  Tucked in that list was…German paratroopers?  Yep, they jumped with us!  It goes to show how far we’ve come that we can jump with those who 66 years ago would have been shooting at us as we descended from the sky.  Why were they there?  Well, one of their special operations officers explains it best here during an interview with LCDR Taylor Clark of the EUCOM Public Affairs Office.

Immediately upon my return from the D-Day anniversary, I headed straight to Krakow, Poland to prepare for the upcoming Jackal Stone 2010 exercise. Jackal Stone is a multi-nation partnership building exercise designed to build Special Operations Forces’ capacity.  While there, I really was able to appreciate the significance of the camaraderie built during events such as the D-Day anniversary jump as I met up with one of the Polish jumpers I had exchanged wings with in Normandy. 

British, French, Polish, Dutch, German and American paratroopers float to the ground during the 66th D-Day Anniversary jump onto Iron Mike DZ, June 5, 2010.

As we worked at Polish Special Operations Command Headquarters with special operations leaders from Poland, Croatia, Lithuania, Latvia, Romania, and the Ukraine, we talked about jump-day memories and the relationships we built in Normandy.  It transcended beyond just the U.S.-Polish bonds and was a precursor to the relationships we will strengthen when we all gather in Poland and Lithuania this upcoming September.

It all goes back to why we (U.S. forces) are here in Europe – so that we can cooperate better with our partners and allies.  I wrote about it previously here, but it is so cool to see it in action.  Common experiences bind us together like nothing else, and in times of crisis, it is these common experiences that will pay immeasurable dividends.  

MAJ Jim Gregory
SOCEUR PAO

While in port at Batumi, Georgia onboard the USS JOHN L HALL (FFG 32) I had a unique opportunity to meet with two Georgian Orthodox priests, Father Theodor and Father Nikos, who are both part of the growing/emerging professional chaplaincy program in Georgia.

After Russia’s invasion in 2008, the military, who have always included the blessings of the Church prior to going to battle, realized that a constant presence was far more valuable to individual members of the military. Father Theodor is assigned to the Georgian Special Operation Forces Unit and Father Nikos works with the Military Training Command.

Both Chaplains work in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi and made the trip to Batumi just to speak with me. Religoius Program Specialist 1st Class Justin Kirby, two other members of John L. Hall and myself spent several hours together, visiting local churches, and most importantly sharing ideas and work experiences. Using an interpreter, we found that we all had many things in common -- primarily providing spiritual guidance and the safety of confidentiality for any service member to speak about any and all stresses and crisis in their lives.

The following day, both Georgian Chaplains attended the reception held aboard the USS John L. Hall for public dignitaries and senior military members, touring the ship and cementing the new relationship between the two Corps. Despite language and some doctrinal interpretations, we were all three remarkably alike in our goals and understanding of our missions as Chaplains.

In the end, it’s about taking care of our troops and I hope that this is the beginning of future dialogue and perhaps even joint training on the Chaplain side of the house.

Navy Chaplain (Lt. Cmdr.) Philip Bagrow

1955.  What happened in 1955?  Well, some interesting things as a matter of fact.  Eddie Van Halen was born (Diver Down is still one of my favorite albums!)  To Hell and Back, the true WWII story of Audie Murphy (the most decorated soldier from WWII) who starred as himself in the film, debuted.  And, of course, the Warsaw Pact was formed when the U.S.S.R., Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Albania, East Germany, Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria pledged the mutual defense of any member who was attacked.  Obviously, many, many other interesting things occurred in 1955, but I want to highlight something else that happened in Paris, France – maybe tangentially related to the debut of To Hell and Back combined with the formation of the Warsaw Pact and maybe not (but likely not at all related to the birth of Eddie Van Halen…but maybe…)   

On January 22, 1955 – yes, 55 years ago today – EUCOM’s Commander-in-Chief established Support Operations Command Europe in Paris to provide peacetime planning and operational control of special operations forces conducting unconventional warfare in the European Command area of responsibility. Colonel Buford Nyquist, the first of only two Air Force officers to lead the command (the second being the current commander, Major General Frank Kisner,) initially oversaw a crew of six military and eight CIA personnel (today the command numbers somewhere around 250 military personnel).

Later in 1955, the command was redesignated as Support Operations Task Force Europe and in 1967, based on France’s withdrawal from NATO, the command relocated from Paris to Panzer Kaserne near Stuttgart, Germany to better facilitate interaction with European Command.  One year later, the command relocated five miles down the road to its current location on Patch Barracks.  Then, on November 1^st, 1983, the command assumed its current designation as Special Operations Command Europe.

SOCEUR’s operational focus during the 70s and 80s was greatly influenced by operations in Vietnam, the post-war defense budget drawdown, and Cold-War engagement.  With the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1990 and the disestablishment of the Warsaw Pact in 1991, the command redirected its focus.

SOCEUR and its components have since planned and executed special operations during Operations DESERT STORM, PROVIDE COMFORT and PROVIDE COMFORT II.  In addition, the command has executed many operations not as publicly well known such as SILVER ANVIL in Sierra Leone, ATLAS RESPONSE in Mozambique, ASSURED RESPONSE and SHADOW EXPRESS in Liberia, and FIRM RESPONSE in the Congo.  In the Balkans, SOCEUR forces participated in JOINT ENDEAVOR, JOINT GUARD and JOINT FORGE as well as both JOINT GUARDIAN and ALLIED FORCE in Kosovo.  Currently, SOCEUR forces contribute to both OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM and OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM in Afghanistan.

Looking back, SOCEUR has been involved with so much that has shaped Europe and Africa.  Although the command’s area of responsibility no longer includes Africa (newly formed SOCAFRICA now oversees special operations on the African continent), as we move further into the 21^st century, SOCEUR will continue to provide the “point of the spear” for operations throughout the European theater.   As SOCEUR continues to engage with Allies and partners to prevent conflict, thwart terrorism, stem the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and respond to crises, we can look with awe at the past 55 years, and work diligently to ensure the next 55 are as successful!

MAJ Jim Gregory
SOCEUR PAO

As the Special Operations Command Europe Public Affairs Officer, I often consider the value of communicating about what we do within the world of special operations. Sure, many of the missions assigned to SOF are secret. In fact, even the mention of specific personnel or units assigned within the community can be considered sensitive. Still, I believe it is important to communicate our value to the public. Doing so informs those who pay our bills (our taxpayers) and those who make key decisions (our government leadership) about where that money goes.

The rationales are generally the same whether we’re talking about SOF or conventional forces. Beyond the U.S borders, where I currently reside, it’s important to convey how and why we are building international military partnerships and working with our many allies to build and maintain global stability and security. Effective communication also informs our enemies that we are prepared to defeat them in any environment. Within my community, evidence of a lack of communication exists in the form of two recent blogs: Does the United States Still Need USSOCOM?, which appeared in the blogsite Small Wars Journal just this week and another post on a separate site that was influenced by the SWJ post, entitled Abolish SOCOM. Although I don't agree with the authors' assessments, I am confident that some senior decision makers read those two posts…and were influenced by them.

I recently had the opportunity to learn more about the benefits of engaging in a still emerging realm: social media. Experts Brian Solis, author of Putting the Public Back in Public Relations and Price Floyd, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, came to Stuttgart to speak about social networking platforms and how they can help us earn relevance to engage the world around us. Key conversations are going on around us every day, and we must determine whether we should be involved in them or not. Just because we choose to ignore does not mean the conversations will stop; it simply means that we will have no input, which may not impact tactical or operational events, but surely has potential to influence the strategic environment.

To many, the social media realm may seem to be nothing more than an arena fraught with unnecessary risk. On Dec. 13, the New York Times highlighted embarrassing viruses that can plague social networking sites. We know that spear phishing, social engineering and unwitting installation of Spyware are real threats that must be considered and addressed. Additionally, many people have posted themselves (or others) doing incredibly stupid things on social media sites. In an effort to remind us what is appropriate (and what is not) for military members who utilize SM sites to post, the Pentagon Channel has developed an interesting (and somewhat entertaining) video of the Top Ten list of stupid things done in social media. It is important to realize that just as with everything we do in life, especially in the military, engaging in social media involves some degree of risk and the requirement to be responsible does not disappear.

The risks, however, do not mean that we should avoid engagement. Just as in combat, where we take actions to protect ourselves, in the social media world, we must also take protective actions. We can familiarize ourselves with phishing techniques, learn about social media security settings and install anti-spyware software to our computers. We must also be responsible and have a strategy.

Within a communication strategy that enables increased public dialogue, we can begin to increase relevance and develop an advocacy forum that can carry our objectives forward. Although all social media outlets are not optimal for every command, there are many to choose from and having a strategy of engagement is important.

So where can we begin? For key leaders, Bloggers Roundtable is a DoD initiative that enables them to address important issues with prominent bloggers who then publish their own blogposts armed with information that mainstream media may not have gathered. These issues can be later re-communicated by mainstream media (most of whom follow prominent blogsites). Guest blogging and commenting on others blogs is another way for the rest of us to interact in a positive manner. It can spur debate and correct misconceptions. Twitter, YouTube and Facebook (among many others) are also platforms that can be incorporated into a communication strategy.

Admiral Stavridis has arguably set the foundations for increased engagement within European Command, and other senior leaders are engaging as well. I firmly believe, however, that in today’s information dominated world, if we (including those within special operations) leave communication to only our senior leaders, we will not succeed in the information war that encompasses so much of the conflicts in which we are currently involved.

Thoughts?

MAJ Jim Gregory
SOCEUR PAO

The other day, I was talking to a friend of mine and he mentioned that he was stopped in a Stuttgart-area convenience store by a local who recognized him as a U.S. service member.  Surprisingly, the local said to him, “We don’t need you here anymore!”  Stunned by the apparent hostility, my friend didn’t know how to respond immediately. 

The incident got me thinking that it is important for us all to consider why we are here in Germany – and to have the response on the tip of our tongues!  I’ve previously discussed why I believe EUCOM is still relevant, but I focused more on the fact that although current conflicts are occurring outside of the European theater, our partner engagement in the theater greatly contributes to global security. 

As for why we are still physically here, it’s important to consider how our mission has changed since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Cold War.  No longer is our presence connected to that period, where troops were stationed overseas as part of a strategy known as "forward deployment."  The thought used to be that if the Soviet Union invaded, EUCOM forces would already be located near the battlefield and would not need to be flown or shipped anywhere; but the Soviet invasion never came.  Therefore, it’s easy to see how some may feel that there is no benefit to still having U.S. forces stationed in Germany. 

Times have changed though, and the mission has changed as well.  The Atlantic Ocean is a huge barrier, and one reason why it’s important to maintain a strong presence in Europe is because from the other side of the pond (the U.S.), it is exceedingly difficult to maintain proper contact with our NATO and other partners.  Face-to-face is indeed the best method.  ADM Stavridis mentions NATO support in his most recent blog post, The Course for Afghanistan.  The bottom line is that it’s important to be in proximity to our many allies.  Within Special Operations Command Europe, frequent training with our partner forces is one of our key objectives, and we have become much more interoperable with them as a result of our forward presence.  From bilateral and multilateral training events to large scale SOF exercises like Jackal Stone, we have made great strides in the development of coalition special operations, which greatly contributes to the positive resolution to current global conflicts from Afghanistan to anti-piracy efforts to violent extremist threats world-wide.   

So, why are EUCOM forces still forward deployed?  Although the most complete answer is more complex, the short answer is that we, U.S. military forces, are in Europe so that we can cooperate better with our partners and allies.  Cooperation is essential during combined operations and in today’s world, it is critical for our forces to maintain close (read: face-to-face) ties to the many European forces with whom we will tackle our common global security challenges.

MAJ Jim Gregory
SOCEUR PAO

The cold days of winter are fast approaching here in Germany.  Heck…they’re already here!  Man it's cold already!  For a lot of folks, it's good news because it also means that ski season has arrived as well.  One of the great perks about living in Southern Germany is that world class slopes are only a few hours away!  And this year, with Veterans Day falling smack in the middle of the work week, many families are taking advantage of an opportunity to get a 10-day vacation while missing only two school days.  You see, here in Stuttgart, kids were off school last Friday, Nov. 6 and they are off Nov 11-13 as well.  Count it up! 

I make the point because it is easy to forget the importance of recognizing Veterans Day when long vacations are a part of the equation.   The Department of Veterans Affairs conveys a pretty decent (although a bit dry) history of how Veterans Day came into being.  The bottom line is that it, like Memorial Day, was established to honor service members (the main difference being that Memorial Day is designated as a day to recognize those who died in battle whereas Veterans Day is intended to recognize and thank living Veterans for their service.)  It is important to remember that men and women are still serving their country in hostile areas and that their contributions to our national security are 100% appreciated. 

In honor of the Veterans serving within SOCEUR, I offer a couple of great stories from this past year.  The first, RAF Mildenhall air assets aid in rescue operation, is about how one of the 352^nd Special Operations Group’s Combat Shadows, among other U.S. and British Air Force aircraft, aided a multinational mission to rescue a man complaining of abdominal pains from a ship in the Atlantic Ocean this past summer.  According to one of the Air Force captains on the mission, "The helos couldn't have done it (rescued the man) without the SOG refueler, the SOG refueler couldn't have done it without our gas, and I'm not sure any of us would have been able to find the ship out there without the help of the British Nimrod.” (A Royal Air Force Nimrod is an anti-sub, anti-surface-warfare and search-and-rescue aircraft.)

The second story, Two days of hell, nine men of valor, describes two harrowing situations the men of a 1st Battalion, 10^th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Operational Detachment Alpha endured during their deployment to Afghanistan last spring that resulted in nine of them being recognized for valor.

Of course, these are just two of many stories that could be highlighted.  Others have been told, especially during the after-hours of many a social gathering, but unfortunately, most will never be printed.  Such is the reality in the world of special operations.   Nevertheless, through the 29 Joint Combined Exchange Training events, eight Bilateral Training activities, nine Military-to-Military engagements, and six Counter-Narco Terrorism missions conducted in 18 countries this past year, you can be sure that SOCEUR personnel contributed extensively to our country’s national security efforts.   

D-Day Veterans reminisce during the 65th Anniversary of the landings this past June. Photo by Master Sgt. Donald Sparks.

So… on Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, please remember our Veterans, active duty, national guard, reserves, or long retired, regardless of where they serve or served, because you can bet that they either put their life on the line or are willing to do so for you!

Happy Veterans Day!

MAJ Jim Gregory

SOCEUR PAO

How do you make a team stronger?  When the word team is mentioned, baseball may come to your mind (or at least it does mine seeing as how it is World Series time) and then you may think that it takes hours and hours of tough training on the playing field to become a champion.  Blood, sweat and tears…right?  But did the Yankees and Phillies practice harder than all of the other teams this past year so that they would be the last two standing right now?   Do their players have more hours of training than players from other teams? 

I would submit that at the Major League level, pretty much all of the players have comparable amounts of training, so absurdly large amounts of it is not the key.  But then what is?

In my opinion, many factors contribute to making high-level teams great, but they have much more to do with team chemistry than tough training.  This is because every individual on a high-level team has already put in the countless, grueling hours to rise to the top.  Everyone in Major League Baseball is already an individual superstar, but not every team is the greatest.  So…back to my question: How do you make a team, particularly a high-level one, stronger? 

At Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR), we tackled that challenge this past week when we gathered all of the component commanders (1st Battalion-10th Special Forces Group, Naval Special Warfare Unit 2, 352nd Special Operations Group and the SOCEUR Signal Detachment) and senior staff together at the Edelweiss Resort in Garmisch, Germany.  Maj. Gen. Frank Kisner, the SOCEUR Commander, directed that the conference be conducted in civilian clothing and ensured that there were multiple opportunities to bring everyone together socially. Why civilian clothing you ask?  Well, it seems that when the uniforms are put away and people gather wearing ‘civvies’, traditional service barriers are put away as well.  Put the uniforms on and the Air Force folks tend to hang out with other Air Force folks, Navy with Navy, Army with Army and so on.  When everyone looks like the State Department guys that were in attendance, they are more likely to go interact with them and thus learn something about how to make the larger (read: National) team stronger.  There’s got to be some sort of sociological study that can explain this phenomenon, but I saw it work in real life, which is the ultimate laboratory.

We did gather to talk about where the command is headed and some of the major challenges facing each of the components, but the primary goal was to strengthen the team, and the times when that occurred most readily was after the PowerPoint-heavy (yet informative) ‘conference’ portion finished each day. 

Traditional German dancers entertain the SOCEUR crowd at the Restaurant Frauendorfer. Photo by Lorie Warchol

Our visit to the Restaurant Frauendorfer in the Partenkirchen area of the city really seemed to highlight this.  Amidst the awesome German food, beer, music and folk dancing (although there were some potentially capable folk dancers in our crowd, the restaurant provided the entertainers) emerged great stories about where people had traveled, what crazy things their kids were up to, what personal ambitions they had…all on a personal level that had nothing to do with anything but getting to know each other better.   Learning about each other on a personal level built chemistry.  We learned that despite our service differences, we were all pretty much the same. 

The point is, as we get to know and become more familiar with each other, we are more willing to go the extra mile and ‘dig deep’ for each other when times are tough.  Most everyone accepts that, as ADM Stavridis has pointed out, we are stronger together, but it is when we know each other beyond the professional level that we are truly willing to sacrifice for one another.  That is what makes teams stronger and contributes to true teamwork.  Whether you are a baseball fan or not, you can bet that both the Yankees and Phillies have developed strong personal bonds among themselves, and that, not their level of training (or even funding) is why one of them and not any of the other 28 Major League Baseball teams will be the World Series Champion next week.

MAJ Jim Gregory, SOCEUR PAO

The Jackal Stone Special Operations Training Exercise is now officially finished with the successful completion of the closing ceremony Saturday afternoon, Sept. 26.  And as with all military operations (especially special operations in my experience), flexibility remained key.  You see, we set up for the ceremony on a concrete “parade field” area on Zemunik Air Base near Zadar, Croatia (beautiful area by the way).  Of course, we had already briefed the boss, we’d conducted a rehearsal, and we had set up all of the props – chairs, podium, speakers, etc.  Those scheduled to be given awards were seated and awaiting the beginning of the ceremony.   The plan was in place.

Flags representing the ten nations that participated in Jackal Stone 2009. (Photo by Army Master Sgt. Donald Sparks)

It was a typical late September cloudless day in central Croatia – sunny and about 85 degrees, which is great for the beach, but not so exciting if you have to sit on a concrete slab for a 30 minute ceremony.  I gathered that the assembling masses did not particularly care to hang out in the hot sun as I observed them wander up and stop short of the parade field, electing to wait in the cooler shade of the surrounding trees until the last possible moment.  Just as I announced that the ceremony would begin in five minutes, Maj Gen Kisner appeared out of nowhere (amazing how senior officers can appear out of thin air like that) and offered a “suggestion” to me.  He recommended that we move everything into the shade so that people would not have to bake in the sunlight.  In my experience, when a general officer makes a “suggestion” like that, I do my best to accommodate – it tends to make things go better. 

So, I made the announcement to flip everything 180 degrees into the shaded area.  Mind you, this is all occurring five minutes before “go” time.  Immediately, people charged out of the woodline, grabbed chairs, and placed them neatly into the shaded area opposite of the parade field.  The PA system and podium were uprooted and moved to their new location and all of the senior country representatives’ chairs were relocated to the shade.  This operation took exactly three minutes and we were ready to go on time as scheduled.  It was the right decision and I was truly impressed how the team members who had been working together in the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force (CJSOTF) for the past two weeks sprang into action to make the general’s “suggestion” a reality.  Even though I was impressed, I wasn’t surprised.  They had all been working day and night together, developing bonds of friendship over the past two weeks planning and then reacting to complex exercise scenarios.  They were used to the unexpected, and this twist was nothing for them. 

Soldiers who participated in Jackal Stone 2009 attend the closing ceremony. (Photo by Army Master Sgt. Donald Sparks)

The ceremony proceeded quickly and flawlessly.  Maj Gen Kisner remarked that the exercise had been a true success and that it had attained the goal of increasing our interoperability.  The CJSOTF had conducted a total of 17 combat operations throughout the country during the two weeks on the ground, to include four special reconnaissance, six direct action, three hostage rescue, two maritime interdiction and two personnel recovery operations – almost all of them during periods of darkness.  We had incredible support from the 160^th Special Operations Aviation Regiment’s two MH-47s as well as Croatia’s two Mi-171 helicopters and the 352^nd Special Operations Group’s MC-130P Combat Shadows.  In addition, the USS Higgins as well as U.S. and coalition rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIBs) were assisting with all of our maritime training conducted near Split, Croatia. 

It will be tough to replicate an experience like this, but we will start planning this upcoming month for Jackal Stone 10.  With the relationships and professional interoperability gained during this exercise, we’ll all be ready for the unexpected whenever or wherever it occurs.  That’s just what we do in SOCEUR.

MAJ Jim Gregory
SOCEUR PAO

Two weeks ago, I jumped on a flight headed for Croatia to participate in special operations forces (SOF) Exercise Jackal Stone 2009. Although the name sounds strange (you’ve got to love how the military often throws two completely unrelated words together to name training exercises), the purpose of the exercise is quite ambitious: to promote cooperation and interoperability between the 11 participating nations.  Significant is the fact that the Croatian government is hosting its first major military exercise since accession as a NATO member nation earlier this year, and that they chose to host a special operations exercise.  To me, it shows the importance that the Croatians place on special operations and the value they place on increasing international military partnerships.    

A Ukranian assault team uses charges to gain entrance into a structure containing a terrorist as part of a demonstration during Jackal Stone 2009 (Photo by Tech. Sgt. Gillian M. Albro)

It’s also significant that we have participation by so many nations – both NATO and non-NATO (Albania, Austria (observing), Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Ukraine and the United States).  In today’s world, it is imperative that international special operations forces work closely together.  The battlefields we find ourselves on today require that we fight as a coalition, and the experiences gained by both the operators as well as the planners will enable us to work together more efficiently and, as the exercise motto states, rise to challenges together. 

One of the great things about the exercise is that Croatia really offers optimal locations to conduct special operations land, sea and air training.  Leading up to the demonstration exercise (aka Distinguished Visitors’ Day) conducted on Sept. 15 at the Josip Jovic’ Barracks in Udbina, Croatia, where the Croatian Special Forces Battalion is building a new training area, we were able to conduct multiple military freefall and fastrope insertions to prepare for the exercise.  The freedom of maneuver on the base also provided a great setting for the hostage rescue scenario of the demonstration exercise.  Both military special forces and civilian special police worked together to rescue “hostages” and deliver them to safety.  We even landed an MC-130P Combat Shadow from RAF Mildenhall (352^nd SOG) right next to the viewing area to carry our “rescued diplomats” to safety.   I loved watching everyone jump as the landing aircraft roared up from behind the seating area.  It was really a fun demonstration to put together, and judging from the reports of those watching, we managed to make it fun to watch as well.  FLTCM Maddocks, European Command’s Senior Enlisted Advisor, was on hand and mentioned that the exercise “went off like clockwork!”  He added, “The exercise was a measure of how far we’ve come in development of our relationships and common processes and that only through these processes can we truly become stronger together.”  For me, it was an awesome compliment directed specifically at all of the men that participated in the exercise – and by extension, to each of the participating nations.

A Croatian Special Forces soldier stands with his partner Kolja following the Jackal Stone Demonstration Exercise rehearsal Sept. 13, 2009. ( Photo by Master Sgt. Donald Sparks)

The great training isn’t limited to just the land and air in Croatia.  The Adriatic Sea offers incredible training opportunities for our Navy SEAL and international maritime SOF assets.  In fact, the SEALs have made several trips to Croatia for training opportunities over the past couple of years. Relationships have been built and will continue to be strengthened. 

Fond memories will resonate for years to come, and that is why multinational exercises such as Jackal Stone pay such dividends for all involved.  While the training is incredibly important, the camaraderie developed between the men and women serving in this special operations exercise is what makes long-lasting difference.  In the hard times as well as the good times, the interpersonal relationships, not the specific tactics and processes developed, will be what make us all stronger together.

MAJ Jim Gregory, SOCEUR PAO

SOCEUR YouTube videos