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SOF SIGINTERs Before It Was Cool!

Monday, September 15th, 2014

SEPTEMBER 1966 – THE FIGHTING 403RD ARRIVES IN SOUTH VIETNAM

The 403rd Special Operations Detachment (Abn) was the Army Security Agency’s Direct Support Unit for the 5th Special Forces Group. The unit arrived straight from Special Forces training at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, in September 1966 with fifty-one men as part of an effort to restructure the intelligence capabilities of the 5th SFG.

Although subordinate to the 509th Radio Research Group (ASA) in Saigon, the 403rd was headquartered with the 5th Special Forces Group in Nha Trang. At full strength, their personnel were ultimately deployed to some eighty-five remote and dangerous locations in support of 3,500 Special Forces troops across the length and breadth of South Vietnam.

The ASA Green Berets were trained in Morse and voice intercept, serving as highly-trained communications intelligence operators in the field, and also performed their required duties as full-fledged members of Special Forces based on operational needs. They were a rare hybrid, bred by the necessities of a brutal war, and one of ASA’s best-kept secrets.

Those men are the forebears to today’s SOT-As.

Based on Chapter 19, “Unlikely Warriors: The Army Security Agency’s Secret War in Vietnam 1961 to 1973” by Lonnie M. Long and Gary B. Blackburn, iUniverse, 2013

To learn more follow: www.facebook.com/UnlikelyWarriors

Photograph: The 403rd SOD courier run – Plei Ku to Kontum – 1968 (Photo: INSCOM)

Tags: ASA
Posted in History | 12 Comments »

This Day In History – Combat Diver Badge Authorized

Sunday, September 7th, 2014

On September 7th, 2004, the US Army authorized the Combat Diver badge to distinguish graduates of the Combat Diver Course. Prior to this, SOF divers wore the same SCUBA badge as SCUBA qualified Salvage and Construction Divers.

Posted in History, Maritime | 4 Comments »

National Airborne Day

Saturday, August 16th, 2014

August 16th commemorates the first official US military parachute jump in 1940. In 2001, it was officially recognized by proclamation of President George W Bush.

Those early paratroopers were crucial to our victory in WWII. One of our readers shared this video with us. “Project Vigil: D-Day 2014, The saluting boy on Omaha beach”, take a moment to watch it and know that not everyone has forgotten about the contributions and sacrifices of our Greatest Generation.

Thanks Doc Haight for the video!

Posted in History, Parachuting | 5 Comments »

Remember the Men of Extortion 17

Wednesday, August 6th, 2014

I can’t believe it’s been three years since I heard the news about the crash of Extortion 17, a US Army CH-47 carrying 38 souls: 17 US Navy SEALs, 5 NSW Fleet Techs, 2 USAF Pararescumen, 1 USAF Combat Controller, 5 US Army National Guard and Army Reserve Aviators, 7 Afghan Commandos, and 1 Afghan interpreter. Also on board was a single NSW Working Dog.

I live in Virginia’s Tidewater which was home port for many of those men. I’m not sure the town will ever really get over the tragedy. There are a lot of families, friends, and teammates who bear the loss every day. Only one day a year everyone else thinks about these men and their sacrifice. I think that’s selfish. I don’t expect you to think of them everyday unless they were yours, but don’t make their passing into something any more special than any other death. This obsession has trivialized their passing as much as it does every other death. Each and every loss has meaning and every loss is mourned. I challenge you to look past this one day a year and this group of men. By all means, remember the Men of Extortion 17 and then recognize the sacrifice of all of our fallen.

Tags: Extortion 17
Posted in History, Memorial, Morale | 11 Comments »

The Welbike – WWII Minibike for Paratroopers

Tuesday, July 15th, 2014

Developed at Station IX of the British Special Operations Executive, over 3600 Welbikes were produced during 1942 and 43. They were used operationally by the British 1st and 6th Airborne Divisions as well as Commando units.

During World War II, Station IX was known as the Inter Services Research Bureau was located at Welwyn. Interestingly enough, everything developed by this organization gained a “wel” prefix such as the Welrod integrally suppressed pistol. They were produced by the Excelsior Motor Company, weighing in at 71 lbs, equipped with a 98cc engine.

(Imperial War Museum Photo)

Due to British TTPs at the time, all equipment was dropped in containers and the Welbike was no exception. Naturally, this led to some problems. It became a bare bones affair with no lights and just a rear brake. Due to the restrictions on size some simple assembly was required to get it into action. In fact, it was designed to be removed from the container (marked “motorcycle”) and be off in 11 seconds. The issue was finding the darned things on the drop zone. Wandering around on a hot drop zone could hazardous to one’s health.

The fuel tank held less than a gallon and had to be hand pressurized due to its location in relation to the carburetor. But, you could get about 90 miles at 30 mph in a single tank.

Tags: Welbike
Posted in History, Mobility | 9 Comments »

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776

Friday, July 4th, 2014

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.–Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
(more…)

Posted in History | 9 Comments »

Now, THAT’S Some Expensive Camo

Monday, June 30th, 2014

Granted, ERDL camouflage is one of the most collectible out there, but no one expected this 22 yard remnant to go for a whopping $1613.88 on an eBay auction.

The Engineering Research and Development Laboratory pattern was developed in 1948 and adopted for operational use during the Viet Nam war. Several color variants were produced including the Green dominant version in this auction. It remained in use for many years and eventually used as the basis for the Woodland camouflage pattern (ERDL was blown up 60% and the colors altered) adopted in 1981.

Tags: ERDL
Posted in Camo, History | 20 Comments »

Ops-Core Visit – A Trip Down Memory Lane

Tuesday, June 24th, 2014

Yesterday, I had an opportunity to visit Ops-Core’s new factory in Boston for a personal tour by founder David Rogers. I saw a whole slew of cool things but first, I thought you’d enjoy a glimpse at some of the items in their library.

The shelves in the lobby contain a variety of head protection items from a variety of sources, but the developmental Artisent and Ops- Core artifacts in particular, are awesome. In addition to a couple of OFW/FFW models there are also technology demonstrators with early versions of features that are now standard in Ops-Core helmets.

Look for additional coverage later this week.

www.Ops-Core.com

Tags: Gentex, Ops-Core
Posted in Helmets, History, Industry | 2 Comments »