Twilight: 2000 RDF Campaign (RF and MB)

Personal History Brief for Clem Sodderstrom for T2K: RDF

Clem was born in Sayreville New Jersey, on May 2nd 1968. His parents, Jorge and Marie (Filipowitz) Sodderstrom met in New York in 1965, and married in 1967. They both had recently immigrated to the US from Norway and Poland respectively. Jorge was a machinist by trade, and Marie was a factory worker (textile).

Growing up in the 1970’s the son of two immigrants in Jersey wasn’t exactly a cakewalk. Clem did well in school, when he could motivate himself to do the work. Home life in his teens was often awkward. His mother pushed him to keep attending Mass at St. Lavinus church, as well as the CCT classes he was growing bored with, and at times disgusted with. Rejection of the church and theology started at age ten for Clem, when Father Lanotti was removed from Clem's parish and replaced after little Tommy Geretti’s parents found out his ass was bleeding after Sunday school one day.

Two books had a great impact on Clem towards the end of his high school days (senior year 1985), On War (Clausewitz) and Good and Evil (Nichtze). Clem saw warfare as a necessary good and evil, and at this point decided he wanted to enlist after high school and see the world. Several other influences on Clem at this time were the author Philip K. Dick, J.G. Ballard, and Anthony Burgess. Music was also a big part of Clem’s early life. Most of what he listened to was load and crass; The Germs, The Dead Kennedy’s, Fear, Gun Club, X, Bikini Kill, Black Flag etc. It was the height of the American post 70’s punk scene in America, and Clem heard every band and song he could get his hands on. He had shoeboxes of tapes and 7’/12’ records that filled a quarter of his tiny room in his parents house.

After graduation he enlisted in the US Army, and qualified for the Rangers program. Following his initial training and indoctrination, Clem became a war machine. He lived, ate, breathed, and slept with warfare. What followed was months of training and then a station at Fort Lewis, Washington (2nd Bn./75th Ranger Regt-Ft. Lewis, WA). All he had time for besides the constant training and occasional school was a little reading.

Around the time he was undergoing the SF assessment and selection program at Fort Bragg, Clem was involved with a young enlisted woman. Corporal Diane Jenkins was a medic for B Company / 2nd BN / 9th ID at Fort Lewis. They had met after Clem had finished his Pathfinder school training at Fort Benning, GA (1988). Diane was a West coast girl, from Oakland California. She had enlisted at age 18 (1986), and had seen some of the Midwest before changing her MOS to Field Medic and being re-stationed with the 9th Infantry Division. They were close most of the time, except when Clem was on maneuvers, or on a heightened state of readiness or deployed to a foreign land when something was heating up over seas (Iraq, and Somalia). In 92 they were planning to marry and settle down back in Jersey, as there was nothing in Washington for them or California for her anymore. Clem had wanted to not re-up in 93 when he was due, and

either goes back to school or work in the security industry (a rather bleak horizon at best). They were together until February 1993, when Diane was struck head on by a swerving pickup truck and killed instantly.

Following the accident Clem started to disassociate himself from anything that didn’t directly relate to his work. He stopped watching television, reading or even listening to music. He became bitter and cold, and all the things that make a good killing machine function correctly. Clem's time from 93 to 96 was all about new military training and schools. This period of time also consisted of Clem participating in many foreign military training classes. Military officers from Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Romania trained alongside and were instructed by 10th Special Forces Group’s Regional Security Assistance Training Programs. When hostilities broke out in Europe, Clem was already stationed at Stuttgart Germany with the 1st Bn./10th Special Forces Group. His operational history is summed up in the second part of the Combat History section below.

When he found out about the Going Home orders and Bremerhaven taskforce he decided to make a move towards the coast. Once in Bremerhaven Clem decided that he had nothing to go home to. He knew little about his parent’s situation, or whether they were still alive at all. He also didn’t really want to go back to America or anywhere else and be used in the same way he had been in Poland and Germany. This use consisted of Unconventional Civil Affairs operations (counterinsurgency and guerilla warfare) against civilian targets, and political figures. He was a lost soul basically. So CENTCOM seemed like the last bastion of civilization to him. The Middle East had standing US military force, operating in a region with some support of the local population and their resources. And most of all a real combatant force to contend with primarily, Red Ivan.

Military Training History Brief for Sergeant Major Clem Sodderstrom, for T2K: RDF

Born 2nd May 1967.

US Army Basic Training-Ft. Benning, GA. (8 weeks) Private E-1

Ranger Indoctrination Program-Ft. Benning, GA. (3 weeks) Basic Airborne School-Ft. Bragg, NC (3 weeks) Private E-2

Ranger Assessment Phase-Ft. Benning, GA. (1 week)

Ranger School- 12 months, 3 months in each phase-Phase 1: Camp Darby, GA. Phase 2: Dugway Proving Grounds, UT. Phase 3: Camp Merrill, GA. Phase 4: Eglin Air Force Base, FL.

Private First Class E-3

2nd Bn./75th Ranger Regt-Ft. Lewis, WA.

Advanced Airborne School (Jumpmaster)-Ft. Bragg, NC. (2 weeks)

Pathfinder School-Ft. Benning, GA. (3 weeks) Corporal E-4

Long Range Surveillance Leader Course-Ft. Benning, GA. (5 weeks)

Primary Leadership Development Course-Ft. Lewis, WA. (4 weeks)

Basic Non-Commissioned Officers Course-Ft. Lewis, WA. (7 weeks) Sergeant E-5 Special Forces Assessment and Selection-Ft. Bragg, NC (3 weeks)

Phase 2: Special Forces Weapons Sergeant (24 weeks) Special Forces Assistant Operations and Intelligence Sergeant (10 weeks) Russian Special Operations Forces Basic Military Language (24 weeks) Persian-Farsi Special Operations Forces Military Language (24 weeks) Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape Training (4 weeks) Military Free-Fall Parachutist School (5 weeks)

Phase 13: Advanced Special Forces Weapons Sergeant (18 weeks) Special Operations Target Interdiction (6 weeks) Psychological Operations (6 weeks) Civil Affairs (2 weeks) Regional Studies-Europe (16 weeks) “Robin Sage” Combat Effectiveness Course (2 weeks)

2nd Bn./10th Special Forces Group-Ft. Devens, MA.Staff Sergeant E-6

Advanced Military Free-Fall Parachutist School-Ft. Bragg, NC. (10 weeks)

Advanced Psychological Operations-Ft. Devens, MA. (6 weeks)

1st Bn./10th Special Forces Group-Bad Toelz, GER.

Civil Affairs Operations-Bad Toelz, GER. (2 weeks)

Joint Psychological Operations Staff Planning-Bad Toelz, GER. (2 weeks) Sergeant First Class E-7

Assigned to 3rd Bn./10th Special Forces Group-Ft. Carson, CO.

Military Free-Fall Jumpmaster-Ft. Bragg, NC. (3 weeks)

Psychological Operations Specialist-Ft. Carson, CO. (11 weeks)

Instructor Training-Ft. Carson, CO. (2 weeks)

Special Operations Forces Pre-Command-Ft. Carson, CO. (1 week)Master Sergeant E-8

1st Bn./10th Special Forces Group-Stuttgart, GER.

US Army Sergeants Major Course-Ft. Bliss, TX. (40 weeks)

US Army Sergeants Major Course (Phase 2)-Ft. Bliss, TX. (3 weeks) Sergeant Major E-9

1st Bn./10th Special Forces Group-Stuttgart, GER.

Combat History before the Bombs (pre 1996)

Combat History after the Bombs (post 1996)

Decorations, Awards and Medals

Decorations-

Silver Star-For gallantry in action against an opposing force.

Soldier’s Medal-For heroism by those serving with the US Army in any capacity that involves the voluntary risk of life under conditions of those involving conflict with an opposing armed force.

Bronze Star with “v” for valor and bronze oak leaf cluster (denoting second award)-For heroic or meritorious achievement of service, not involving aerial flight, in connection with operations against an opposing armed force.

Purple Heart with 2 bronze oak leaf clusters-For wounds obtained while engaged against an opposing armed force.

Meritorious Service Medal-Outstanding non-combat meritorious achievement or service to the United States.

Army Commendation Medal with “v” for valor and bronze oak leaf cluster (denoting second award)-For heroism, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service.

Army Achievement Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters (denoting second and third award)-Meritorious achievement in a non-combat area.

Unit Awards-

Valorous Unit Award-Same criteria as Silver Star, but for an entire unit.

Meritorious Unit Commendation-For a unit that has performed exceptionally meritorious conduct and outstanding service.

Service Medals-

Good Conduct Medal with silver clasp and 3 knots (denoting 8th award)-For enlisted personnel who have honorably completed 3 years of service, and for every year of sustained combat.

National Service Defense Medal with bronze service star (denoting second award)-Awarded for honorable active service for any length, during a national emergency.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with bronze service star and arrowhead (denoting second award and arrowhead for participation of one or more assaults)-For service in operations as an expeditionary force.

Service and Training Ribbons-

NCO Professional Development Ribbon with bronze Arabic numeral “4” (denoting fourth award and “senior” level)-Awarded for completion of designated NCO professional development courses.

Army Service Ribbon-Award for successfully completing initial entry training.

Overseas Service Ribbon with bronze Arabic numeral “3” (denoting third award)-Awarded for overseas tour completed in peacetime or combat.

Badges and Tabs-

Combat Infantryman Badge, Third Award-Denotes proficiency in performance and skill, of a hazardous nature during combat (30 days or more for each award).

Combat Medical Badge, First Award-Awarded for outstanding ability and proven skill in the field, during combat.

Air Assault Badge-Mastery of airmobile warfare and rappelling from helicopters.

Pathfinder Badge-Mastery of establishing drop and landing zones for airborne and air mobile warfare.

Master Parachutist Badge-Awarded for 15 or more jumps from an aircraft (military free-fall is included).

Expert Marksmanship Badge with clasps for M-203, Bayonet, M-16, Machinegun, Auto-Rifle, Carbine, Tank Weapons, Rifle, Grenade, and M-60.

Airborne, Rangers, and Special Forces Tabs