Soldier of fortune 459 january 2016 final

SOFMAG.C

OM

JANU

ARY

2016

0 71658 02061 0

0 1

$5.99US $6.99CAN

SHOWDOWN: U.S. vs. Putin

SOF Collectiblesfor Sale!

www.armsmounts.com

SOFMAG.COM JANUARY 2016 1

By Vann Spencer

“And whereas the U.S. presidentblamed the August 21 Sarin gas attackthat U.S. officials estimate killed 1,400people squarely on Syrian PresidentBashar al-Assad,” Putin wrote in re-sponse to the case being made that 1400had been killed in an Assad regimechemical weapons attack, “there isevery reason to believe it was used notby the Syrian army, but by oppositionforces to provoke intervention by theirpowerful foreign patrons, who would besiding with the fundamentalists,” CNNand other media reported.

“Syria is experiencing an internal con-flict, fueled by foreign weapons sup-plied to the opposition,” Putin said,cautioning against siding with an oppo-sition in Syria. He reminded the Westthat the “moderate rebels” included“more than enough (al) Qaeda fighters

and extremists of all stripes.” But he was too late, as the West had

earlier hatched a plan to support Syrian“moderate” rebels and was obsessedwith removing Assad. Putin warned ofthe killing of innocent people, of spread-ing violence around the entire MiddleEast and of muddying the waters withIran’s nuclear weapon crisis. Such an actof aggression, “could throw the entiresystem of international law and orderout of balance,” Putin said.

That same year, a UN investigation allbut confirmed that the Sarin gas wasused by the Syrian rebels. “Our investi-gators have been in neighboring coun-tries interviewing victims, doctors andfield hospitals, and there are strong,concrete suspicions, but not yet incon-trovertible proof, of the use of saringas,” said UN chief official Carla Del

Ponte in an interview with Swiss-Italiantelevision, the U.K. Daily Mail reported.“This was used on the part of the oppo-sition, the rebels, not by the governmentauthorities.”

In part because the Soviet Union andSyria had been staunch allies during theCold War and Russia had supplied Syriawith weapons, the West, in all of its ar-rogance, dismissed Putin’s warnings asrhetoric, convinced that he would not in-tervene in Syria.Two Interventions Based on Lieswith the Same Disastrous Outcomes At the time, the Obama administrationwas making the same argument for at-tacking Syria as his predecessor, Presi-dent Bush, who, with his Yeehaw

In 2013, when SOF was reporting on Iranian refugees that had beentargeted in their camp in Iraq by Iranians, Europe was abuzz withPutin’s strong stand against military intervention in Syria. The

Russian strongman made media and online efforts to preempt what hebelieved would be an enormous mistake, that of striking Syria.

Top: Syrian militants have reportedly come into possession of high-powered anti-tank weaponry supplied by US.Continued on page 12

COVER STORY

24 UNITED STATES SPECIAL WARFARE: U.S. NAVY SEALSNavy SEALs have carried out many danger-ous missions since their UDT forebearscleared beaches during World War II. Now,get a good look at the weapons they used.By Greg E. Mathieson Sr. and David Gatley

On the Cover: This SEAL is carrying the new SOF CombatAssault Rifle, or SCAR, which is a modular rifle made by FNHerstal for the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM).This variant is the 7.62-mm version, long barrel. Photo by Dave Gatley

JANUARY 2016VOLUME 41NUMBER 1

AMERICA AT WAR

1 SHOWDOWN: U.S.-LED COALITION VERSUS THESTRONGMAN OF RUSSIASyria is becoming a bone of contention as both the UnitedStates and Russia claim to be fighting the terrorist groupthat calls itself the Islamic State. Could bumbling and in-competence lead to war? By Vann Spencer

46 RIDE THE THUNDER: THE OTHER HALF OF THE STORYThere were two versions of the Vietnam War: What themedia and the Left want you to believe, and what actuallyhappened. Now, a movie tells the story of what actuallyhappened.By Steve Schreiner 1

2 SOLDIER OF FORTUNE SUPPORT OUR TROOPS

CO

NTE

NTS

243

ABOVE: The Special Operations Peculiar MODification (SOPMOD) accessory kit shows all the various attachment systems that the SEALs could use with the M-4 carbine. The attachments are made by various contrac-tors such as ITT Night Vision, Aimpoint, Tri-jicon, Colt, Surefire, and Knights Armament.(Graphic illustration by Phil Nguyen)

LEFT: This SEAL is carrying the new SOF Combat Assault Rifle, or SCAR, which is a modular rifle made by FN Herstal for the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM). This variant is the 7.62-mm version, long bar-rel. (Photo by Dave Gatley)

46

www.bushmaster.com

COLUMNS

6 COMMAND GUIDANCEMark K. Humpreville,Aiken, South CarolinaBy Robert K. Brown

8 BULLETIN BOARDAccuracy Internationalguns in Assad’s hands;Ranger School contro-versy erupts; Felony forcampus concealed carry?Afghanistan: Taliban re-serve, recapturing strate-gic regions, U.S. and U.Kspecial forces filteringback in to support the em-battled Afghan military;Saudi Arabia weaponsflow to Syrian anti-Assadrebels; Yemen ISIS sym-pathizers stage deadly at-tacks, killing dozens.U.K.’s tough anti-terrorlaws come under fire

10 FLAKWhat is There To De-bate?; Time for the SilentMajority To Rise Again;Historical Times

34 TERRORISM SITREPTeen computer geekhacked CIA director JohnBrennan’s personal emailand that of Homeland Se-curity Chief Jeh Johnson.Putin on the warpath inSyria

42 ADVENTURE QUARTERMASTERReact Torch Grip fromMission First Tactical;KEL-TEC SU-16C; UrbanGo Pack – Multicam; Kim-ber Amethyst Ultra™ II;Check Out Spec-OpsBrand’s All Purpose Bag;Lucid L5 6–24×50; LaRueSPOTR; Celox Rapid 5 Z-Fold; MGI Announces“Select Your Calibers”Program

FEATURES

18 MULTIPLE TARGETSWhen the time comes to defend yourself, you may notbe in a one-on-one situation. How do you deal with mul-tiple targets in that situation?By Chris Sajnog

30 HARD ROAD TO HELL, PART IISOF was trying to assist firefighters inSarajevo by smuggling AirPaks to them.However, a stupid news reporter hasblown their cover. Now, the road is harder– and with a lot of machine gun fire.By Robert K. Brown and Vann Spencer

CO

NTE

NTS


18

39 SOF COLLECTIBLES FOR SALEFor Sale: Check RKB’s red Corvetteand other cool items!Contact Robert K. Brown at [email protected]

www.specialopswatch.com

M A G A Z I N ELt. Col. Robert K. Brown USAR (Ret.)

EDITOR/[email protected]

CONSULTING SENIOR EDITORMaj. James F. Gebhardt, USA (Ret.)

CONSULTING SENIOR EDITORHarold Hutchison • [email protected]

CONTRIBUTING EDITORSAviation Dana Drenkowski Defensive Firearms

John Farnam Edged Weapons Bill Bagwell Explo-sives/Demolitions John Donovan Gun Rights Paul

Danish Latin America Hugo Hartenstein MilitaryHistory William Brooks/William H. Northacker Out-door Affairs Galen Geer Paramedic Operations Dr.John Peters Roving Contributing Editor John Weis-man Skydiving Kitty Baran, UDT/SEAL Larry Bailey

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR E-mail: [email protected]

ART DIRECTOR Gerry Mercieca

FOR EDITORIAL E-mail: [email protected]

SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES CALL: 1-800-377-2789

IN MEMORIAM Alexander McColl, Special Projects Director

Craig Nunn, Art Director John Coleman, Former Managing Editor

Col. Chuck Allen (Ret.), Contributing Editor Lance Motley, Foreign Correspondent

Barry Sadler, Contributing Editor Robert McKenzie, Contributing Editor

George Bacon, Foreign Correspondent Mike Echanis, Foreign Correspondent Robert Poos, Former Managing Editor

Brig. Gen, Heinie Aderholt, USAF (Ret.)_______________________________________________

LEGAL NOTICE: All technical data in the publication, especially forhand loading, arms and related products, reflect the limited experienceof the individual readers and consumers, using specific products, equip-ment, tools, products and components under specific conditions and cir-cumstances not necessarily reported in any article, FLAK, BulletinBoard or any printed text in this publication and over which Soldier ofFortune Magazine, Inc. (SOF) had no control. The data and products inthis publication have not been tested or verified by SOF. Mention of aproduct in advertisement or text does not mean that it has been testedor approved by SOF. SOF, its agents, officers and employees accept noresponsibility for the use of any products, equipment, editorial content,or for any results for use thereof obtained by persons using such dataand disclaim all liability for any consequential injuries or damages.

SOLDIER OF FORTUNE (USPS 525-810, ISSN 0145-6784, JANUARY 2016, Volume 41, Number 1, is published monthly by SOLDIER OF FORTUNE, Inc., 2135 11th Street, Boulder, Co. 80302. Periodicals Postage is paid at Boulder, CO and additiional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to SOLDIER OF FORTUNE MAGAZINE, P.O. Box 16835, North Hollywood, CA91615. Single Issue Price — U.S. $5.99 and Canada $6.99; United Kingdom: £2.60; PRINTED IN THE USA. CONTRIBUTORS: Editor, SOLDIER OF FORTUNE, 2135 11th Street, Boulder, Co.80302, and cannot be returned unless accompanied by sufficient postage. Any material accepted is subject to such revision as is necessary to meet the editorial requirements of SOF. All digital manu-scripts must be submitted in Microsoft Word. All photographs must be credited and be accurately identified. Payment will be made at rates current at time of publication. Copyright © 2013 by SOLDIEROF FORTUNE Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. SOLDIER OF FORTUNE MAGAZINE ©.

JOIN THE NRA! SAVE YOUR GUNS


Mark K. Humphreville, Aiken, South Carolina

Nominated by petition. NRAmember and small-bore-pronecompetitor at age 12. NRA

Benefactor, Distinguished high powerand small bore prone, President’s 100,US Dewar and Palma Teams (3), NRAPolice High Power Championships;avid hunter; 2nd Amendment activist;CWP Instructor; zealous supporter ofNRA’s “National Concealed Carry Rec-iprocity” plan. Certified Small Armsand Ammunition Test Director, Ab-erdeen Proving Ground, MD. Con-ducted testing for US Army TECOM,Army Material Systems Analysis Activ-ity and the USMC for M16A1E1

(M16A2). Army sniper rifle consultant.US Army Armament Research and De-velopment Command, assigned productengineering responsibility for rifles,shotguns and submachine guns. Mem-ber, Special Projects Group, DoverDevil caliber .50 machinegun. US Cus-toms officer; directed weapons testingat Federal Law Enforcement TrainingCenter; authored weapons test reportsfor US Border Patrol and served as theirtech rep to the firearms industry. EagleScout, Brotherhood OTA-Shriner-FF1-AC4HT. Aiken County, SC, GOP Exec-utive Committee and delegate to SCGOP conventions.

Endorsed by SOF for the NRA Board of Directors

www.tnvc.com


ACCURACY INTERNATIONAL GUNSIN ASSAD’S HANDS

The United Kingdom has some ofthe strictest gun-control laws inthe world, but that did not seem

to prevent British-made guns fromfalling into the hands of Bashir al-Assad. The Syrian government now ap-parently has gotten its hands on one ofthe world’s best sniper rifles – the Accu-racy International Arctic Warfare Mag-num.

According to a report by the SundayExpress, video shot near Damascusshows Syrian troops using the rifle,which was used in 2013 to set the recordfor the longest confirmed sniper kill.The discovery has prompted demands

for an investigation, as Syria and Russiaare both under sanctions stemming fromthe Syrian Civil War and Russia’s an-nexation of Crimea.

“We sell our rifles to more than 60markets, but we’ve never sold to Syria,and we haven’t sold any rifles directlyto Russia for at least 15 years,” TomIrwin of Accuracy International told theSunday Express. “We haven’t made thisparticular model since 2013, and wenoted that it is carrying plastic stocksides, which mean it’s no more than fiveyears old.”

“It is utterly humiliating to see thatforces supporting President Assad areusing sophisticated British sniper riflesto further their aim, particularly as ourown government remains intent onbringing the Assad regime down,”Richard Kemp, a retired British Armycolonel, who served in Afghanistan, told

the Sunday Express. “But it’s more thanhumiliating – it’s dangerous. How longbefore they are used against our ownSpecial Forces in Syria?”

The British government has claimedthat no licenses for any arms exportshave been given to Syria since 1999,and Accuracy International has claimedthat it hadn’t sold any sniper rifles toRussia since 2005.

RANGER SCHOOL CONTROVERSYERUPTS

The graduation of two womenfrom Ranger School has now be-come mired in controversy. Con-

gressman Steve Russell (R-OK), whograduated from Ranger School in 1987,requested records after receiving com-

Continued on page 22

www.kahr.com


AUTO-ORDNANCE 1911BKO

Own a piece of American History!www.auto-ordnance.com

Made with Pridein the U.S.A.

WHAT IS THERE TO DEBATE?

The subject of arming our UnitedStates service people really does-n’t need to be debated. Our law

enforcement officers are expected to bearmed at all times. The expectation bythe citizens they serve is that our armedservices people should also be armed atall times, especially now that the coun-try has been infiltrated by foreign com-batants. Any argument to the contraryhas no basis in logic or good, commonsense.

Mike Given

True, but finding common sense inWashington, DC, and the halls of thePentagon can sometimes be harder thanfinding a unicorn, particularly with theObama administration. – Ed.

TIME FOR THE SILENT MAJORITY TO RISE AGAIN

In 1972, I was in a communist prisoncamp and by listening to their radioyou would never know that Dick

Nixon and his B-52 bombers would tellCongress, Uncle Walter Cronkite andJane Fonda that he was going to blowthose five-foot-tall sons of Ho back toParis; he did just that.

Why? Because Americans were tiredof being told they had to lose a war.

What makes all the predictions from themedia not relevant? Americans are tiredagain and looking, not for just a presi-dent but a champion willing to state thatwe do not have to be losers and that theinfiltration of virtual foreign enemiesinto our midst must be rewarded and ac-cepted.

Be careful, world, because there isonce again a great silent majority outthere; I and others plan on bringingthem out to the polls.

The theme once again is very simple:I want my country back and not thismonstrosity you claim we must accept.

Mark A. SmithMajor, USA, Retired

Returned prisoner of war


www.hi-pointarms.com


foreign policy, was going to go into Iraqto “kick Saddam’s ass”! This time it wasSyrian President Assad. The Obama ad-ministration maintained that Assad’sweapons of mass destruction were a na-tional security threat. Both administra-tions’ stated reasons for interventionwere based on lies.

The West’s attempt to mobilize for in-tervention in Syria was more difficultthan rallying for attacking Iraq andAfghanistan had been. Leaders had tocome up with a new buzzword to musterthe support of the citizenry for overt in-tervention, since the covert interventionwas dragging on. Using Al Qaeda as theboogieman had grown old after 13 years.

The West concocted a new threat, theIslamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS,ISIL, IL), who the U.S. and its alliesclaimed was an imminent threat. Again,mass hysteria kicked in as graphic andobscene videos of supposed ISISmasked butchers in Iraq and Syria cut-ting off innocent people’s heads wentviral during the summer of 2014.Unknown Rebels without aCauseIn September 2014, the U.S. coalitionbegan its air strikes against ISIS and sentweapons and equipment as well as con-tinuing its training of the “moderaterebels,” whether in Turkey, Jordan, Iraq,Syria or elsewhere. The airstrikes con-tinued for the next year.

As of 4:59 p.m. EDT Oct. 6, 2014, theU.S. and coalition had conducted a totalof 7,323 strikes (4,701 Iraq / 2,622Syria), DOD reported.• U.S. conducted 5,718 strikes in Iraq

and Syria (3,231 Iraq / 2,487 Syria)• Other coalition partners conducted

1,605 strikes in Iraq and Syria (1,470Iraq /135 Syria).As of this writing, the U.S.-led coali-

tion has admitted failure in its years oftraining the rebels, no longer denyingthat empowering the rebels was de-signed to foment a civil war to over-throw Assad. But the coalition would notback down on supplying the rebels withweapons, ammunition and equipment,some of which were to be air dropped.The U.S. continues to pound anti-Assadrebels, although the training has beenput on hold. Rebel groups fighting theSyrian Army, including Jaish al-Fatah(Army of Conquest), the Free SyrianArmy (FSA), and the SouthernFront, will receive an increase in mod-

SHOWDOWN Continued from page 1

!!!"#$%&'()%*+,%($-".+/

01123456789::::;<=20>=2;<118$?(:@ABCC:

><=:D&EF)$!:GF$'H$I:G/)(EF),,$I:5J:==K1=

!"##$%

&'()%*+

,#'-.%',-/#%0,#'-.%',-/#%01

!!!"#$%&'()%*+,%($-".+/

ern, high-powered weaponry, includingguided anti-tank weapons, the U.S. ad-ministration said. The British Connection The other major coalition player is theU.K. Prime Minister Cameron was on

the bandwagon, calling for interventionagainst ISIS in September 2014, insome speeches bordering on hysteria.He has been on the warpath since Britswere killed in Tunisia in July, orderingthe fight against ISIS (ISIL) to bebeefed up.

“Two new £6billion aircraft carriersare in the works in the next 10 years.Cameron has ordered the British RoyalMilitary to work closely with the UnitedStates military to assure that the aircraftare armed with weapons and are not justrestricted to traditional fast jet use,” theDaily Mail reported in July.

The Ministry of Defense has allo-cated an extra £1billion the per yearuntil 2020, with a further £1.5billion,which will be split between the armedforces and intelligence agencies, theTelegraph reported. “Money will bepoured into Special Forces units likethe SAS as well as the drones whichhave launched hundreds of attacks onISIL targets in Iraq.”

“Now that we know how much wewill spend, what matters next is howwe spend it. I have tasked the Defenseand Security Chiefs to look specificallyat how we do more to counter the threatposed by ISIL and Islamist extremism,”Cameron said. “This could includemore spy planes, drones and SpecialForces. In the last five years, I haveseen just how vital these assets are inkeeping us safe.”


The TOS-1 multiple rocket launcher during a military parade in Russia. It firstsaw action in Afghanistan in 1988. The chassis is a version of that used for theT-72 main battle tank.

His plan is still in the works. A springoffensive conducted by 20,000 Iraqi andKurdish troops was announced this Oc-tober. The U.K. has also been conduct-ing covert operations, along with theUS, under the Joint Special OperationsCommand based in the Iraqi capital,Baghdad. The announcement of the planfor a large offensive is theoretically de-signed to intimidate the ISIS groups thatthe U.S. coalition has targeted.The Strongman of Russia Takesa StandMeanwhile, Russia has been buildingup its military presence in Syria.Fighter jets, a submarine, fighter heli-copters and other war craft have beensent to Syria to bolster the arsenal ofRussian weapons already there. Troopswere also deployed, although the num-ber was unclear. The Russian Air Forcehas been based outside of Latakia,Syria, since the Russian offensivebegan in Syria against ISIS and anti-Assad rebels.

The Russian strikes began with avengeance. “Our aviation group overthe past day has destroyed two militantcommand centers, 29 field camps, 23fortified facilities and several troop po-

sitions with military hardware,” ministryspokesman Maj. Gen. IgorKonashenkov said on the first day of theoffensive, Saturday, 10 October.

“During the initial phase of the opera-tion, our warplanes have destroyed thebiggest and most important supply hubsof ISIL,” he said. This resulted in the“mobility and offensive capability” ofthe jihadists being reduced, he said inan RT News report. In just two days ofheavy shelling the following week,Russian air forces carried out 67 sorties,striking 60 separate targets in northernSyria, the Defense Ministry reported.Two senior Islamic State field com-manders with 300 militants were killedin the strikes.

“Among the targets are the communi-cation hubs (6), command posts, fuelstores and terrorist training bases (17)located in Raqqa, Latakia, Idlip, Aleppoand Hama,” deputy chief of staff Lieu-tenant General Igor Makushev said.

The U.S. accused Putin of making thecivil war worse. “Their actions aregoing to have the effect of inflaming thevery extremism that Russia claims towant to combat. By taking the side ofAssad, they inflame the civil war – andtherefore extremism – and prolong thewww.dillonprecision.com

Dillon Leatherby Mitch RosenDillon Leatherby Mitch Rosen

hhtthtt

rreehh rreehh


ISIS fighters operate a B-11 recoilless rifle. This 107mm anti-tank weapon has been around since 1954. As you can see, itis not going away any time soon.


suffering of the Syrian people. They aregoing to have the effect also of turningeveryone against Russia itself. This willboomerang in a very direct way on Rus-sia,” U.S. Secretary of Defense AshCarter said. SHOWDOWN: Common Interest inDestroying ISIS? The entire world has a common interest indestroying ISIL, Obama said. “But whatwas very clear, and regardless of what Mr.Putin said, was that he doesn’t distinguishbetween ISIL and a moderate Sunni oppo-sition that wants to see Mr. Assad go,” headded. “From [the Russian and Syrian]perspective, they’re all terrorists, andthat’s a recipe for disaster. And it’s onethat I reject,” Obama said.

“We’re very clear in sticking to our be-lief and our policy that the problem here isAssad and the brutality that he’s inflictedon the Syrian people, and that it has tostop,” the president said. “Putin had togo into Syria, not out of strength, but outof weakness, because Assad – the Russianclient – was crumbling,” Obama said.

“But we are not going to be able to getthose negotiations going if there’s not arecognition that there’s got to be a changein government,” the president continued.“We’re not going back to the status quoante.” The two sides were at a dead stale-mate.

The U.S.-led coalition has refused toshare intelligence with Russia on Syria inorder to fight ISIS upon Putin’s request. Hefeared that the warring parties might acci-dently take down a wrong target, triggeringa crisis between the U.S. coalition andRussia. Putin accused the Western allianceof refusing to join efforts against ISIS,since the group was a Western coalitioncreation.

The West’s lack of response to coordi-nate efforts confirmed in Putin’s mindwhat Lt. General Michael Flynn said inAugust, when asked whether the West hadturned a blind eye to the rise of ISIS sincethe winding down of the Iraq war. Lt. Gen-eral Michael Flynn, US ex-intelligencechief’s response was, “I don’t know thatthey turned a blind eye; I think it was a de-cision. I think it was a willful decision.”Mush for Brains? “Now, we often hear that our pilots arestriking the wrong targets, not IS,” Putinsaid in Moscow in response to U.S. accu-sations. He asked the U.S. administrationto share intelligence. Their response, ac-

cording to Putin was: “No, we are notready for this,” Putin said. “Then wethought again and asked another question:then tell us where we should not strike. Noanswer, too.” “How is it possible to worktogether?” the frustrated Putin asked.

“I think some of our partners simplyhave mush for brains; they do not have aclear understanding of what really hap-

pens in the country and what goals theyare seeking to achieve.”

So who is the winner in this mess?Saudi Arabia. It has been seeking a re-gional power position in the Middle Eastin competition with Iran and Israel. Its ob-jective was to create chaos in Iraq andSyria and pull in the Western coalition todo their dirty work. The Oily Kings


Su-25 “Frogfoot” attack aircraft take off. This plane is the Russian answer tothe A-10, although it bears more of a resemblance to the A-9, the Northrop de-sign that lost the AX competition.

smiled as President Bush and VP Cheneywent in to tear up Iraq, although 17 of the9-11 perpetrators were Saudis, and Osamabin Laden was a Saudi national originally.

With complete chaos and impotentleadership in Iraq, Saudi Arabia movedon to supporting intervention in Syria.For several years, the Saudis have beenarming, training and equipping the Syr-ian rebels in their effort to overthrowAssad. The United States and the West-ern coalition joined in the fight againstAssad as the Saudis planned. Believingthemselves to be immune because oftheir oil power and, having suckeredthose that rely on it since 1970 and evenbefore, the Saudis stepped up their ef-forts to supply Syria rebels after Putinwent on the offensive against ISIS andthe rebels in September 2015.Selling Souls and Lives for Oil With total disregard of the UnitedStates’ admission of failure in support-ing free Syrian rebels, the Saudi Ara-bia continued its weapons flow to therebels. A Saudi official intentionallyand anonymously publicized theweapons flow, which he said included

500 TOW antitank missiles, BBC re-ported. The CIA had been providingTOW missiles as well.

Saudi Arabia was listed number onebefore India last year as the largest im-porter of weapons, with the UnitedStates its top exporter. U.S. weapons toSaudi Arabia flowed onwd to supportanti-Assad rebels. The expected result ofthe Saudi Kingdom generosity: moredead rebels, more intervention and theSyria population either wiped out orstreaming out to Europe to survive thecivil war.

Saudi Arabia, ruthless in its extremistrule, is steadfastly refusing to takerefugees, whether hard-core Sunnis ornot. Christians have been persecuted,slaughtered and displaced.Innocent Muslims, as well as Christians,are flooding Europe with the flow ofdesperate migrants. Radicals filled withwrath and hatred of the West are flowingin with them. The Saudi goal of an un-bridled spread of fundamentalist Islaminto the West has been achieved.

Nearly half a million innocents havedied since the U.S. intervention in Syria.Millions have been left homeless and

the flow has increased since the Russianintervention. The Middle East is inchaos. Europe is on the brink of bordercollapse. Radical Islamists are infiltrat-ing throughout the continent and theU.K.

Putting aside the tragedy of thelargest humanitarian disaster sinceWWII, the U.S. and its coalition part-ners have created more terrorist opera-tives, not only in Syria and Iraq but alsoin Europe and the United States. Rus-sia’s intervention added to the death tolland refugee migration. Syria is strategicto all the parties involved, with its prox-imity to waterways, highways andpipelines connecting oil fields.

The bottom line is that Putin, admit-tedly a Syrian ally and patron and withself serving interests, would not havegone into Syria to conduct the air strikeshad the United States not intervened.The U.S. cannot say that Putin did notwarn them of the calamitous resultsearly in 2013. That the U.S. is refusingto acknowledge its deadly mistakes andcasting all the blame elsewhere vergeson the pathological.

Production Supervisor since 1986

Equally adept with our ammunition production equipment as he is with his finely tuned race cars. Actually, he may be a hair better with ours. After all, he’s had a fair bit of experience with these machines. Specifically? More than anyone else in the world.

www.black-hills.com | 605.348.5150



One of the first skills you’llneed to learn to move pastthe “basics” and to the nextlevel is how to quickly andaccurately engage two or

more threats. The techniques can be usedin competition to improve your score, inhunting to put more food on the table, orin a combat or self-defense shooting withmore than one threat.

Most instructors teach to continueshooting a threat all the way to the grounduntil it’s no longer a threat. This is greatadvice if you only have one threat, buthistory has taught us that rarely is there asingle threat. If you have one threat, ex-pect two; if you have two, expect three.The point is to always assume there areother threats out there in a dynamic shoot-ing environment, so let’s break the tunnelvision and keep our heads on a swivel.

Let’s assume you have two threats di-rectly in front of you. They are 10 yardsaway, one yard apart, and both pointingautomatic weapons at you. Your gun is

also up and pointed at them. There is nocover. Which one are you going to keepshooting all the way to the ground? Areyou going to put two rounds in the firstand then two in the second? It’s not aseasy as it looks on TV, but you need toknow these answers before test time!

The first thing you’ll need to learn isshooting tempo or rhythm. This meansmaking your gun sound like music as youshoot and not discombobulated like SteveMartin in The Jerk. So if my plan was toshoot bad guy number one with tworounds and then move to bad guy numbertwo and shoot him with two rounds, itshould sound like four evenly spacedshots, not two shots, long delay, twoshots. This is critical because by forcingtempo upon ourselves, we force ourselvesto compress the time between targets(which is longer) and not the time be-tween shots on each target (which isshorter). It’s the same way I teach a teamroom entry. It’s more important thateveryone comes in together (compressing

the time between people) than it is foreach guy to come in fast (individualtime). Normally what people will focuson to shoot faster is the time it takes toshoot each target, but that’s not going tohelp you if both guys are shooting at you.

The key to mastering this skill is toforce yourself to start off slow with yourtargets close together. If you’re hittingeach target with two rounds each, it canreally be hard to slow down on each shot,but it will force you to drive the gun be-tween targets. As you get comfortablewith the tempo and your shots are wherethey need to be, you can speed up, or bet-ter yet, just let speed happen. You canalso start spreading your targets andchanging the number of rounds with eachengagement.

One thing I teach when shooting is toremember “eyes, muzzle, target,” andhere is a place you’ll need to use it to ef-fectively engage multiple threats. Whatyou want to do is always move your eyes,then move your muzzle to the target.

A former SEAL provides inside info on how to how to engage

By Chris Sajnog

Top: Navy SEALs deployed during the War on Terror.


While I’m following through on the lastshot of a target, I move my eyes to thenext target and pick out the smallest thingcenter mass I can see: Aim small, misssmall. Then, rather than settling my sightsback on the first target, I let the recoilhelp me move the sights to line up withmy eyes on the new target. By doing this,you will not only increase your speed, butyou’ll be far less likely to throw a roundon the second target by moving your gunand eyes together.

Another consideration when you’represented with multiple threats is decid-ing how many rounds you’re going to de-liver to the first threat before moving onto the next. In basic law enforcement, youtraditionally shoot two rounds and thenreassess the threat. This is known as the“standard response” and is starting to losefavor due to its shortfalls in effectiveness.More departments are learning a “non-standard response,” which is basicallyanything other than two rounds. This is agreat improvement on traditional trainingand with a single threat is the way to go,but again, if you’re shooting bad guynumber one all the way to the groundwhile number two is shooting you, whowins?

One technique to think about is whatI’ve heard called “boarding house rules,”which means everyone gets a serving be-fore anyone gets seconds. In theory, youshoot everyone once, knock them downlong enough to engage all your knownthreats, and then go back to see who isasking for a second helping. I’m not sug-gesting this is how you should deal withevery multi-threat encounter you have,but it is something you should practiceand might be the best option in certaincircumstances. As a general rule (if thereis such a thing in a gunfight) for howmany rounds to shoot before scanning:Shoot until you see a positive effect onyour target. This could be a positive bal-listic effect (head goes boom), a positivephysical effect (person drops weapon) ora positive psychological effect (personruns away). Every situation, even in train-ing, will be different, and your responseshould adjust accordingly. Just don’t getcaught in the rut of “shoot two roundsthen see if they are still shooting at you.”Almost anything is better than that. Themore you train, the more experiencepoints you have to draw from and thegreater your chance of success.

Now that you’ve got your timing andround count figured out, you can do a few

things with your body to shoot multipletargets that are spread apart quickly andeffectively. First, you must have a bend inyour knees. I’ll assume your knees are al-ready bent. You don’t want to rotate at thehips; you need to move your entire lowerbody so your upper body position staysthe same. If you rotate only at the hips,your upper body position will break itsform. By shifting your whole lower body,you’ll be able to maintain the same upperbody shooting position.

The final thing to consider has to dowith how high your ready position shouldbe in different circumstances. It’s helpfulfor timed evolutions on a range or ifyou’re covering multiple threats. As a ruleof thumb, the closer your threats, thehigher your muzzle needs to be if you

need to recognize a threat and engage.For instance, if I’m covering a hallwayand a threat could come from either direc-tion, my muzzle would be down all theway, so I could best react to a threat fromeither direction. On the other hand, if Iwas covering two threats that were closeto each other, my muzzle would be muchhigher. Just realize that rapid movementof your muzzle on a horizontal plane willcause delays in locking onto a target andshould be minimized as much as possible.The shorter the horizontal movement, theless momentum is created and the easier itwill be to stop and acquire the propersight alignment and sight picture.

This excerpt is from Navy SEAL Shoot-ing, the bestselling firearms instructionalbook by retired Navy SEAL sniper in-structor, Chris Sajnog. In his new book,

Chris teaches you the groundbreakingtraining method he developed — TheNew Rules of Marksmanship.

With easy-to-follow, step-by-step in-structions and 385 illustrations, his bookcovers everything you need to know tomake effective shots in any high-stresssituation. You will learn to plan yourtraining, improve your accuracy andspeed, shoot while moving, and clearmalfunctions. Plus discover every manip-ulation needed for any semi-automaticpistol or rifle.

Whether in combat, competition, or justsafely and confidently protecting yourselfor your family, this book will help youdominate any opponent. Navy SEAL Shooting is rated 5-stars

and is available on Amazon.com

Chris Sajnog is the bestselling authorof How to Shoot Like a Navy SEALand Navy SEAL Shooting, a retired USNavy SEAL Master Firearms Instructor,Neural-Pathway Training Expert,speaker and Service Disabled VeteranSmall Business Owner. He is one of themost experienced and respectedfirearms trainers in the world, beinghand-selected to develop the trainingfor the US Navy SEAL Sniper program.As a Navy SEAL he was the seniorsniper instructor, a certified MasterTraining Specialist, BUD/S andadvanced training marksmanshipinstructor. After retiring from the SEAL Teams in

2009 to spend time with his family,Chris began training civilians and lawenforcement officers. He is the founderof the New Rules of Marksmanship; arevolutionary approach to firearmstraining that has fundamentallychanged the way we learn to shoot.Chris has a passion for findinginnovative ways to teach elite-levelskills and now teaches thousands ofstudents via online remote coaching.He is a certified federal and state law

enforcement firearms and counter-terrorism instructor and has trainedDOD, DHS, FBI, CIA, law enforcement,and multiple foreign allies in all aspectsof combat weapons handling,marksmanship, and tactics. Chris lives in San Diego, CA, with his

wife Laura and two boys, Caden andOwen.Learn more about Chris or sign up

for his online training at http://chris-sajnog.com


MULTIPLE TARGETS Continued from page 18

F L A K Continued from page 10

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK

www.facebook.com/SOFMAG

plaints that female Ranger candidateswere given special treatment. PeopleMagazine later reported that womenwere given special exemptions frompolicy. The controversy grew wheneight female West Point graduates re-quested Congressman Russell’s trainingrecords from Ranger School.

Now, Russell has told People Maga-zine that the Army has told him the doc-uments he requested were shredded. In a7 October letter to Army Secretary JohnMcHugh, he said, “I stated in our meet-ing that I believed if this is the case,then it would certainly complicate theability to ascertain the information nec-essary to determine whether the militarymembers’ allegation were substantiated,or if we can lay this to rest.”

The Obama administration has pushedfor women in combat. Last month, con-troversy also erupted when Secretary ofthe Navy Ray Mabus disregarded a $36million study conducted by the MarineCorps that revealed that mixed-gendercombat units performed nearly 70 per-cent of the tasks less efficiently, and an-nounced he would open all groundcombat jobs to women.

It looks like the House and Senate

Armed Services Committees need tohold hearings on these allegations andput people under oath to get to the truthabout what happened.

A FELONY FOR CAMPUS CONCEALEDCARRY

Even though the folly of gun-freezones has been illustrated timeand time again – both by the

mass shootings that take place in thoselocations, and the ones prevented whenan armed good guy is on the scene –gun-grabbers cannot take the hint.

In Wisconsin, three such gun-grabbershave proposed legislation that wouldmake concealed carry on a college cam-pus a Class I felony in that state. Inother words, retaining the means to pro-tect yourself could get you up to threeand a half years in prison – if they gettheir way. But that is not the only placewhere gun-grabbers are going wild.

In Virginia, Governor Terry McAuliffe– one of Michael Bloomberg’s stooges –has signed an executive order banningguns from buildings where executiveagencies of the state have offices. Inother words, he gave the next loser whodecides he want to go out with majorheadlines a number of targets.

In California, Lieutenant GovernorGavin Newsom is planning to push areferendum calling for a ban on anymagazine holding more than 10 rounds.Yeah, it’s magazine confiscation, folks.

The Heller and McDonald cases didnot end the threat to our Second Amend-ment rights. Join the NRA, supportNRA-ILA and Political Victory Fund,because the gun-grabbers are still deter-mined to take your guns!


BULLETIN BOARD Continued from page 8

HISTORICAL TIMES

Ihave lived through wars hot andcold, where the reality was that thecold hand of the KGB and other for-

eign intelligence organs guided thosetrying to kill us all. We have sunk prettyfar into the leadership cesspool todaywhen a former KGB officer and nowleader of Russia polls higher among theAmerican people than our own “DearLeader.” They said Obama was special,but this is ridiculous!

Mark “Zippo” Smith

__________________

We want to hear from you. To respond toan article in SOF, or to just throw yourtwo cents in on something, send usFLAK at [email protected]. Pleasekeep your letters below 200 words. Allletters submitted become the property ofSOF and are subject to editing.


Top: SEAL's armed with H&K MP5's and shotguns execute a Visit, Board,Search and Seizure training exercise in the early l990's. Left: A member of theWARCOM Naval Special Development Group tests the SOCOM MK23 Heckler& Koch pistol on the range. The match grade pistol was developed as anoffensive handgun for USSOCOM SOF units. Photo: Greg E. Mathieson Sr. /NSW Publications, LLC.

WeaponsShoulder-Fired WeaponsAn entire chapter could be written on NSW weapons; indeed, entire books havebeen written on the subject. Here is a tip-of-the-iceberg approach that will high-light the primary weapons in use in the teams. USSOCOM development continueswith Army in the lead. A new combat assault rifle is under development—for ex-ample, Mk 13, Mk 16, and Mk 17 variants. Today, the M-4A1 carbine is standard;it is descended from the Vietnam-era CAR 15, which had a spotty reputation. Dur-ing operations in Vietnam, SEALs used the Stoner light machine gun, which fireda 5.56-mm round, same as the Mk 15. They then used the Mk 14, interim replace-ment for the M-1. It is still in service with the teams. SEALs also used cut-downM-60 machine guns in Vietnam. In the mid-1980s, a couple of things happened.The lightweight M-60 was developed and tested by the East Coast SEALs. Assoon as the weapon was approved for service use, the Marine Corps bought them.This M-60 version has a forward handgrip and a lighter weight.

Also during the 1980s, complaints came in from fleet SEALs that an entire newweapons suite was needed. A service-sponsored requirement and competitive con-tract was advertised to industry, and Germany’s Heckler & Koch won the compe-tition with its MP5 series, which is still in service.

By Greg E. Mathieson Sr. and David Gatley

www.springfieldarmory.com


241

TOP: One of a number of unique weapons manu-factured by China Lake for the U.S. Navy SEALs during the 1960s was this pump-action, 40-mm grenade launcher, serial #002, which operated like a conventional pump shotgun. Normally an M79 grenade launcher is loaded with one round, fired and reloaded. This specialized model works like a pump-action shotgun, holding numerous rounds of grenades in the tube below. (Photo: Greg E. Mathieson Sr. / NSW Publications, LLC)

CENTER: The Mk 1 Underwater Defense Gun, shown here closed and ready to fire, was first intro-duced in the 1970s—the forefather for today’s P11. The Mk 1, a double-action pepper-box weapon, contains a removable cylinder magazine that con-tains six Mark 59 Mod O projectiles, 4.25-inch-long tungsten darts. With a muzzle velocity of 740f/s, it has an effective underwater range of 30 feet. (Photo: Greg E. Mathieson Sr. / NSW Publications, LLC )

BOTTOM: The .50-caliber Springfield sniper rifle was developed in 1968 for the SEALs by China Lake for use in Vietnam. It was never adopted because its large size and weight made it an imprac-tical weapon to carry through jungles. (Photo: Greg E. Mathieson Sr. / NSW Publications, LLC)

We need not delve deeper into technological discussion except to indicate that magazine capacity varies as needed. The system is in use throughout the special operations community. Other ri�es are at hand: the sniper series and several mod-els of tactical shotguns, which will be addressed photographically.

Pistols

At one time SEAL pistol preferences depended on which coast an operator served: the East Coast liked the Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum, the West Coast liked the

241





Pistols


241





Pistols


U.S. NAVY SEALs Continued from page 24

We need not delve deeper into techno-logical discussion except to indicate thatmagazine capacity varies as needed. Thesystem is in use throughout the specialoperations community. Other rifles areat hand: the sniper series and severalmodels of tactical shotguns, which willbe addressed photographically.

PistolsAt one time SEAL pistol preferences de-pended on which coast an operatorserved: the East Coast liked the Smith &Wesson .357 Magnum, the West Coastliked the M-1911A1 .45-caliber pistol.With the coming of USSOCOM, theurge to standardize became paramount.It was difficult to explain to the USSO-COM commander why he needed to buyseparate pistol systems for each groupof SEAL teams based on geographical

location. Also in the mid-1980s, a pushwas under way within the DoD to stan-dardize all services on the Berretta 9-mm. At the time, some Army specialoperations organizations were deter-mined to stick with the Colt .45. Pistolsused one time or another by SEALswere made by Smith & Wesson, Heckler& Koch, Glock, Sig Sauer—all hadcompeting 9-mm handguns. Thenaround 1989, the Navy’s weapons centerat Crane, Indiana, had a requirement fora unique USSOCOM .45-caliber mar-itime pistol system, later termed the Mk23 Mod 0 after it was developed byHeckler & Koch. In 1996, it wasadopted as a service pistol under the Mk23 Mod 0 designation. The Mk 23 pro-vides match grade accuracy while ex-ceeding the most stringent operationalrequirements for a combat handgun.

NAVSEA sponsors a mobile weaponsrepair van that visits each group locationto perform maintenance checks withteam armories. Local SEAL team ar-morers are outstanding in their knowl-edge and expertise at maintaining andrefurbishing small arms.

With the exception of the occasionalAK-47, SEAL weapons inventorieshave been streamlined. Suffice it to saythat operators train with the arms theywill deploy with. Accuracy and com-plete familiarity with a reasonable suiteof arms is the philosophy today, espe-cially in the GWOT.

Top: One of a number of uniqueweapons manufactured by China Lakefor the U.S. Navy SEALs during the1960s was this pump-action, 40-mmgrenade launcher, serial #002, whichoperated like a conventional pumpshotgun. Normally an M79 grenadelauncher is loaded with one round,fired and reloaded. This specializedmodel works like a pump-action shot-gun, holding numerous rounds ofgrenades in the tube below.

Center: The Mk 1 Underwater DefenseGun, shown here closed and ready tofire, was first introducedin the 1970s—the forefather fortoday’s P11. The Mk 1, a double-actionpepper-box weapon, contains a re-movable cylinder magazine that con-tains six Mark 59 Mod O projectiles,4.25-inch-long tungsten darts. With amuzzle velocity of 740f/s, it has an ef-fective underwater range of 30 feet.

Bottom: The .50-caliber Springfieldsniper rifle was developed in 1968 forthe SEALs by China Lake for use inVietnam. It was never adopted be-cause its large size and weight madeit an impractical weapon to carrythrough jungles. Photos: Greg E.Mathieson Sr. / NSW Publications,LLC

243

ABOVE: The Special Operations Peculiar MODification (SOPMOD) accessory kit shows all the various attachment systems that the SEALs could use with the M-4 carbine. The attachments are made by various contrac-tors such as ITT Night Vision, Aimpoint, Tri-jicon, Colt, Surefire, and Knights Armament.(Graphic illustration by Phil Nguyen)

LEFT: This SEAL is carrying the new SOF Combat Assault Rifle, or SCAR, which is a modular rifle made by FN Herstal for the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM). This variant is the 7.62-mm version, long bar-rel. (Photo by Dave Gatley)

The Special Operations Peculiar MODification (SOPMOD) accessory kit shows all the various attachment systems that theSEALs could use with the M-4 carbine. The attachments are made by various contractors such as ITT Night Vision, Aim-point, Trijicon, Colt, Surefire, and Knights Armament. Graphic illustration by Phil Nguyen

Left: One of the first Smith & Wesson 9-mm model 39s, known to the Navy as the Mk Mod 0, 22 Hush Puppy, a silencedpistol designed for the SEAL teams during Vietnam. The name came about in that it was used primarily to silence enemywatchdogs that might give away an operation. Center: The Sig Sauer P226-9-NAVY is produced to the exact specifica-tions supplied by Navy SEALs, including special corrosion-resistant finish on internal parts and contrast sights. Theslides are engraved with an anchor to designate them as Naval Special Warfare pistols. Right: Walther PPK pistol: In1978, Ranger Manufacturing of Gadsden, Alabama, was licensed to manufacture the PPK and PPK/S; this version wasdistributed by Interarms of Alexandria, Virginia. This license was eventually canceled. Starting in 2002, Smith & Wessonbegan manufacturing the PPK and PPK/S under license. Photos: Greg E. Mathieson Sr. / NSW Publications, LLC

242

M-1911A1 .45-caliber pistol. With the coming of USSOCOM, the urge to standard-ize became paramount. It was dif�cult to explain to the USSOCOM commander why he needed to buy separate pistol systems for each group of SEAL teams based on geographical location. Also in the mid-1980s, a push was under way within the DoD to standardize all services on the Berretta 9-mm. At the time, some Army spe-cial operations organizations were determined to stick with the Colt .45. Pistols used one time or another by SEALs were made by Smith & Wesson, Heckler & Koch, Glock, Sig Sauer—all had competing 9-mm handguns. Then around 1989, the Navy’s weapons center at Crane, Indiana, had a requirement for a unique USSO-COM .45-caliber maritime pistol system, later termed the Mk 23 Mod 0 after it was developed by Heckler & Koch. In 1996, it was adopted as a service pistol under the Mk 23 Mod 0 designation. The Mk 23 provides match grade accuracy while exceed-ing the most stringent operational requirements for a combat handgun. NAVSEA sponsors a mobile weapons repair van that visits each group location to perform maintenance checks with team armories. Local SEAL team armorers are outstand-ing in their knowledge and expertise at maintaining and refurbishing small arms.

With the exception of the occasional AK-47, SEAL weapons inventories have been streamlined. Suf�ce it to say that operators train with the arms they will deploy with. Accuracy and complete familiarity with a reasonable suite of arms is the philosophy today, especially in the GWOT.

Demolitions

“Demo” has always been the hallmark of Navy frogmen—from the original combat demolition units, to UDTs, to present-day SEAL teams. Demolition training sets the SEAL teams apart from other SOF organizations. Every team, every operator, is demolitions quali�ed, unlike, for example, Army Special Forces. From the days of World War II, the NCDUs used hand-emplaced explosives to demolish beachfront obstacles, natural and arti�cial. Demolitions were used in Vietnam by UDT elements to �atten sand bars and create canals in the delta. Explosive breaching techniques matured with the coming of terrorism and hostage taking; �ash bang grenades—essentially, stun shockers—are used in hostage situations. Other explosive con�gura-tions are used to take down secured doors prior to a room clearance operation—an integral part of which is exceptional accuracy in discriminatory shooting. (SEALs rank

TOP, LEFT: The prototype of the SOCOM MK23 Heckler and Koch pistol .45-caliber silenced pistol X23 Mod 034B. The match grade pistol was developed as an offensive handgun for USSOCOM SOF units. It was the first to incorporate a .45-caliber pistol with a suppressor, laser aiming module (LAM), and light. (Photo: Greg E. Mathieson Sr. / NSW Publications, LLC)

TOP, RIGHT: One of the workhorse weapons of the SEAL teams in Vietnam was the Stoner machine gun, designed by Eugene Stoner in the early 1960s. Coming out at the time of the M-16, the Stoner was a 5.56-caliber weapon known also as the M63A1. This one is serial #00320. In the 1980s the Stoner was phased out and replaced by newer M249 SAW. (Photo: Greg E. Mathieson Sr. / NSW Publications, LLC)

BOTTOM, LEFT: One of the first Smith and Wesson 9-mm model 39s, known to the Navy as the Mk Mod 0, 22 Hush Puppy, a silenced pistol designed for the SEAL teams during Viet-nam. The name came about in that it was used primarily to silence enemy watchdogs that might give away an operation. (Photo: Greg E. Mathie-son Sr. / NSW Publications, LLC)

BOTTOM, CENTER: The Sig Sauer P226-9-NAVY is produced to the exact specifications supplied by Navy SEALs, including special corro-sion-resistant finish on internal parts and contrast sights. The slides are engraved with an anchor to designate them as Naval Special Warfare pistols. (Photo: Greg E. Mathieson Sr. / NSW Publica-tions, LLC)

BOTTOM, RIGHT: Walther PPK pistol: In 1978, Ranger Manufacturing of Gadsden, Ala-bama, was licensed to manufacture the PPK and PPK/S; this version was distributed by Interarms of Alexandria, Virginia. This license was eventu-ally canceled. Starting in 2002, Smith & Wesson began manufacturing the PPK and PPK/S under license. (Photo: Greg E. Mathieson Sr. / NSW Publications, LLC)

242

M-1911A1 .45-caliber pistol. With the coming of USSOCOM, the urge to standard-ize became paramount. It was dif�cult to explain to the USSOCOM commander why he needed to buy separate pistol systems for each group of SEAL teams based on geographical location. Also in the mid-1980s, a push was under way within the DoD to standardize all services on the Berretta 9-mm. At the time, some Army spe-cial operations organizations were determined to stick with the Colt .45. Pistols used one time or another by SEALs were made by Smith & Wesson, Heckler & Koch, Glock, Sig Sauer—all had competing 9-mm handguns. Then around 1989, the Navy’s weapons center at Crane, Indiana, had a requirement for a unique USSO-COM .45-caliber maritime pistol system, later termed the Mk 23 Mod 0 after it was developed by Heckler & Koch. In 1996, it was adopted as a service pistol under the Mk 23 Mod 0 designation. The Mk 23 provides match grade accuracy while exceed-ing the most stringent operational requirements for a combat handgun. NAVSEA sponsors a mobile weapons repair van that visits each group location to perform maintenance checks with team armories. Local SEAL team armorers are outstand-ing in their knowledge and expertise at maintaining and refurbishing small arms.

With the exception of the occasional AK-47, SEAL weapons inventories have been streamlined. Suf�ce it to say that operators train with the arms they will deploy with. Accuracy and complete familiarity with a reasonable suite of arms is the philosophy today, especially in the GWOT.

Demolitions

“Demo” has always been the hallmark of Navy frogmen—from the original combat demolition units, to UDTs, to present-day SEAL teams. Demolition training sets the SEAL teams apart from other SOF organizations. Every team, every operator, is demolitions quali�ed, unlike, for example, Army Special Forces. From the days of World War II, the NCDUs used hand-emplaced explosives to demolish beachfront obstacles, natural and arti�cial. Demolitions were used in Vietnam by UDT elements to �atten sand bars and create canals in the delta. Explosive breaching techniques matured with the coming of terrorism and hostage taking; �ash bang grenades—essentially, stun shockers—are used in hostage situations. Other explosive con�gura-tions are used to take down secured doors prior to a room clearance operation—an integral part of which is exceptional accuracy in discriminatory shooting. (SEALs rank

TOP, LEFT: The prototype of the SOCOM MK23 Heckler and Koch pistol .45-caliber silenced pistol X23 Mod 034B. The match grade pistol was developed as an offensive handgun for USSOCOM SOF units. It was the first to incorporate a .45-caliber pistol with a suppressor, laser aiming module (LAM), and light. (Photo: Greg E. Mathieson Sr. / NSW Publications, LLC)

TOP, RIGHT: One of the workhorse weapons of the SEAL teams in Vietnam was the Stoner machine gun, designed by Eugene Stoner in the early 1960s. Coming out at the time of the M-16, the Stoner was a 5.56-caliber weapon known also as the M63A1. This one is serial #00320. In the 1980s the Stoner was phased out and replaced by newer M249 SAW. (Photo: Greg E. Mathieson Sr. / NSW Publications, LLC)

BOTTOM, LEFT: One of the first Smith and Wesson 9-mm model 39s, known to the Navy as the Mk Mod 0, 22 Hush Puppy, a silenced pistol designed for the SEAL teams during Viet-nam. The name came about in that it was used primarily to silence enemy watchdogs that might give away an operation. (Photo: Greg E. Mathie-son Sr. / NSW Publications, LLC)

BOTTOM, CENTER: The Sig Sauer P226-9-NAVY is produced to the exact specifications supplied by Navy SEALs, including special corro-sion-resistant finish on internal parts and contrast sights. The slides are engraved with an anchor to designate them as Naval Special Warfare pistols. (Photo: Greg E. Mathieson Sr. / NSW Publica-tions, LLC)

BOTTOM, RIGHT: Walther PPK pistol: In 1978, Ranger Manufacturing of Gadsden, Ala-bama, was licensed to manufacture the PPK and PPK/S; this version was distributed by Interarms of Alexandria, Virginia. This license was eventu-ally canceled. Starting in 2002, Smith & Wesson began manufacturing the PPK and PPK/S under license. (Photo: Greg E. Mathieson Sr. / NSW Publications, LLC)

Left: The prototype of the SOCOM MK23 Heckler & Koch .45-caliber silenced pistol X23 Mod 034B. The match grade pis-tol was developed as an offensive handgun for USSOCOM SOF units. It was the first to incorporate a .45-caliber pistolwith a suppressor, laser aiming module (LAM), and light. Right: One of the workhorse weapons of the SEAL teams inVietnam was the Stoner machine gun, designed by Eugene Stoner in the early 1960s. Coming out at the time of the M-16,the Stoner was a 5.56-caliber weapon known also as the M63A1. This one is serial #00320. In the 1980s the Stoner wasphased out and replaced by newer M249 SAW. Photos: Greg E. Mathieson Sr. / NSW Publications, LLC


U.S. NAVY SEALs Continued from page 27

MBA-3

MBA-4

CAR

CAR

The New Fully Adjustable Carbine Modular Buttstock Assembly• Fits .223 & .308 AR Platform• Easy to Replace & Quick Install• Strong Fiberglass-Filled Nylon

• Features Picatinny Rail• New 3-Axis Adjustable Buttplate• Adjusts to 15.75” Length-of-Pull

• Revolutionary Anti-Rattle Set Screw• Available in Black, FDE, and Pink

$159.95

$69.95

NEW! *Sling swivels not included

*Weighs only 18 oz

*Weighs only 11 oz

*Weighs only 11.2 oz

MBA-2Skullton$49.95

MBA-1

$139.95*Weighs only 19.2 oz


St. Martin’s Castle Point is proudto publish a one of a kind, com-prehensive inside look at thehistory of the Navy SEALs.Boasting imposing presentation

and style – large, leather-bound, and em-bellished with the Navy SEAL tridentmedallion – this extraordinary work byGreg E. Mathieson will serve as both theultimate collector’s item, as well as an in-formation source for all readers hoping toget the perfect insiders look at the trainingand operation of these elite warriors. Thebook, United States Naval Warfare: U.S.Navy SEALs is replete with nearly 1,000color and black-and-white photos as wellas text covering every aspect of theSEALs.

From their CIA forefathers, to the OSSMaritime Units, through to the Raidersand Underwater Demolition Units, andinto the development and birth of themodern SEALs and present day SWCCunits, the book offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the SEALs in training aswell as underwater vehicles, operations inIraq and Afghanistan, right up to uniqueweapons and future of Naval Special War-fare. The unparalleled access given the au-

thors and photographers allows UnitedStates Naval Warfare: U.S. Navy SEALs tostand above all other books on the SEALsand naval warfare to date and reveals forthe first time the now declassified docu-ments detailing the establishment of theSEALs.

The book features nearly 1,000 color andblack-and-white unique — and in manycases exclusive photographs — takenaround the world by Mathieson and Gatley.From the morning attack on the Pentagonon September 11, 2001, to freezing moun-tain training in Alaska, to the basementWhite House Situation Room, to the oceandepths, these two photographers were givenan extraordinary and never-before-heard-ofunfettered access for over five full and in-credible years to go past the restricted “nocamera signs” and probe deep into warzones to see it all.

There have been many great books aboutthe amazing Navy SEALs. United StatesNaval Warfare: U.S. Navy SEALswill nowbe the pinnacle against which all otherswill be measured. It will become the ulti-mate collector/companion volume forevery reader interested in these unique andbrave men.

ABOUT THE AUTHORGreg E. Mathieson, Sr., served 11 yearsin the U.S. Army before founding the MAIPhoto News Agency in 1981. During hiscareer as a photojournalist, he hasserved clients such as the U.S. SecretService, FEMA, the U.S. Justice Depart-ment and the military. His photographshave appeared in Life, Time, Newsweek,US News and World Report, The NewYork Times, Paris Match, and myriadother acclaimed publications in over 64countries. Mathieson was selected byNBC News to serve as a videographer inan exclusive covert team covering the2003 war in Iraq, and his work from thisexpedition has been featured on bothNBC and ABC news networks. His exten-sive experience working behind the frontlines of international conflicts has earnedMathieson the trust and respect of worldleaders in the White House and abroad,allowing him unprecedented access toprotected information and images.United States Naval Warfare: U.S. NavySEALs, by Greg E. Mathieson and DavidGatley St. Martin’s Castle Point, 409 pageswith hundreds of color photos throughout.978-1-250-08614-3 / $60.00 US

Every Serb in the world knew of ourtrip into Sarajevo, because the previousday an interview that had been filmedthe week before with me doing astandup had been prematurely aired byFox News network in Los Angeles andother markets. Perhaps the largest Serb

community outside of Belgrade lived inLos Angeles, and probably an L.A.Serb had been on the phone asking hisrelatives if the American firemen hadyet smuggled the Air-Paks into Sara-jevo. I had laid out the plan for FoxNews on the understanding that they

wouldn’t use it until the job was overand everyone had returned to theUnited States. Breaking their word notto broadcast until it was all over hadseriously jeopardized our mission. Wedid not know this at the time and didn’tbecome aware of it until much later.

By Robert K. Brown with Vann Spencer

PART II


UN: THE ENEMY? “We’ve neutralized a lot of Serb snipers since then and theywould definitely like to have our ass. And you know what the U.N. did for usfor saving their guy when they couldn’t? They screamed like hell and said wehad no right to defend ourselves while we are fighting their fires and savingtheir people, and they sent armed U.N. troops over to take back the equipmentthey lent us. If I told someone in a bar back home about that, they wouldn’t be-lieve it. They would say nothing could be that screwed up. But the U.N. is re-ally that screwed up!” Jordan said.

However, we figuredsomething was up.

What we did know wasthat if the Serbs werewaiting for us at thekilling zone on our wayout, they probably wouldbe better prepared. Ifthere were 13 of us tightlypacked in the bed of thesoft-skinned truck, theprobability was high thatsomeone would be perfo-rated. The worst part wasthat the randomness ofbullets flying through theair guaranteed that all ofus had a pretty evenchance of catching thebad news.

There were only threeways out of Sarajevo:drive out the way wecame in across the killingzone on the airport tar-mac; leave the truck be-hind and try to getpermission from the Bosn-ian government to gothrough the crowded tunnel under thetarmac; or try walking out at nightthrough the sniper firing lanes andbooby traps that lay among the gravemarkers at the Jewish cemetery on thehillside.

We had to get out, now. Jordan hadgotten word through the Bosnian gov-ernment that the impending Croatianoffensive would kick off in the next 48to 72 hours; it would be likely that theSerbs would respond by laying plentyof artillery on Sarajevo to keep theBosnians occupied. If things heated upjust a little bit more, we could be stuckin Sarajevo for quite some time andthat would be ugly.

As Jordan and I began working onthe route and method of our exfil, DocGonzales went out to distribute themedicines we’d smuggled in to Sara-jevo’s hospitals and clinics. The neigh-borhood clinics that first receivedtrauma cases were largely without themedicines and implements they neededto treat gunshot wounds. When hechecked the logs of the incoming cases,Gonzales found the single greatestthreat to public health in Sarajevo wasSerb snipers. Cases that would havemade the news nationally if they hadhappened in Seattle or Richmond

seemed pretty ordinary in Sarajevo.A seven-year-old girl was shot down

while playing in her backyard, as wasan old woman who was too slow cross-ing a street. Others, clearly not malemilitary types, were shot down in coldblood. Snipers on the Serb side of Sara-jevo were not necessarily Serbs. Ac-cording to the Bosnian military, therewere also a few Russians, a few Ameri-cans and even a Japanese national whocarried journalist’s credentials. Theyused Yugoslav-made SVD knockoffsand 98 Mausers, but the most commonsniper weapon was a belt-fed RPD in7.62x39mm, mounting a 4X scope. Thecommon technique was to locate a tar-get at any range and fire bursts, adjust-ing fire up or down as it went.

“On balance,” said Gonzales, “shoot-ing little girls in their own backyard isa pretty chicken shit way to operate.Somebody would be doing planet Eartha favor if they took out some of thoseguys.”

Unfortunately, the counter-snipingwas limited on the Bosnian governmentside. According to Jordan, the expert-ise, let alone equipment, just wasn’tthere. In fairness to the Bosnian Army,even the highly touted counter-sniperradar deployed more than a year previ-

ously by French U.N. forces had donelittle to check the sniper problem.

Shortly before curfew, I decided thatwe would go to the Holiday Inn for abeer, so all 13 of us, including half theoff-duty firemen, loaded into a VWbus, a truck and several cars. Mackleyand I were unlucky enough to get intothe lead VW driven by Jordan. Mack-ley asked one of the GOFRS firemen,sitting in the middle, holding both Jor-dan’s Springfield M1A and an AR-15,if he wanted to sit on the outside. “Nah,we aren’t going to stop to shoot it out.If we take any fire it will be near theHoliday Inn.”

The streets of the government-heldsections of Sarajevo were not lit, andclouds blocked the sky, making it blackon the bleak streets. Jordan had hisnose to the windshield and the acceler-ator to the floor, running 60 miles anhour with no lights. With little gasolinein the city, there wasn’t much traffic,but several times we swerved to nar-rowly avoid head-on collisions withother speeding and lightless vehicles.The nearest miss, however, was with adumpster Jordan didn’t see in the dark-ened street. Every so often Jordanturned on the lights just to adjust hiscourse. Navigating the darkened streets


By Robert K. Brown with Vann Spencer

SOF Publisher Bob Brown, right, and Paul Fanshaw discuss various poor options for gettingback out of Sarajevo in one piece. They made it.

of Sarajevo gave a new meaning to theterm “dead reckoning.” A BLACK AND WHITE HITCHCOCKMOVIE Stepping from the dark of a blacked-out city into the lobby of the HolidayInn was like stepping onto the set of ablack-and-white Hitchcock movie. Oneof the first things people noticed wasthat the place looked pretty run down.There weren’t many lights, and thedimly lit marble floors and high ceil-ings felt like Egyptian tombs. Most of the occupants of the Holiday

Inn were on expense accounts paid bytelevision networks, humanitarian or-ganizations and the United Nations.For enough money, the best to be hadin Sarajevo was found in the basement-level bar and dining room. TV crews,plus a few U.N. types and a jungle-camouflaged British Army captain,having gourmet meals by candlelight,occupied the booths along the wall.The same piano player who for threeyears had been playing balkanized ver-sions of “New York, New York” and“Sunday Kind of Love,” was hard at

work, his black suit only slightly fray-ing at the cuffs.Everyone appeared remarkably well

fed, compared to folks outside who suf-fered visibly from malnutrition. Therewas an abundance of black-marketfood in Sarajevo, but the prices were inGerman marks and too high for ordi-nary people. We watched a fat ItalianTV reporter cut into a steak that likelycost $100. “What a remarkable sight,”Doc Gonzales noted, “considering thatthe meat ration in Sarajevo had beenone can per person per month.”After about 30 Bosnian and Ameri-

can firemen sat down, I said to thewaiter, “Please give us several roundsof beer and soft drinks for everyone.”At that moment, I did not care that thecost was $5 each. Fortunately, a wire-service reporter on an expense accountended up paying the $485 tab.

SOF photographer Mark, Mackleyand I went up to the sixth floor to havea look at the war. We guessed thatsome people would no doubt livethrough the night because of the badweather. Then suddenly, an armoredLand Rover of the type favored byjournalists from the television networksstarted out of the front driveway andwas immediately engaged. Trying itonce again, the Land Rover fell in be-hind a French light armored car andventured out. The result was the same,but the firing seemed more intense, asif it were coming from both the Serband the Bosnian sides.The U.N.’s prestige had sunk to a

new low when it gave the Serbs backthe artillery surrounding Sarajevo inJune and then abandoned to the Serbsthe safe areas of Zepa and Srebrenicain July. It was the Srebrenica examplethat worried Sarajevans the most. Ac-cording to the survivors’ accounts andinformation collected by intelligenceservices, there were mass murders andrapes after the fall of Srebrenica. Anumber of refugees were coaxed out ofthe woods and murdered by Serbswearing U.N. helmets.Early on Sunday we pondered the in-

formation crucial to our exfil. “Thetunnel is absolutely out,” I said. “Al-though the Bosnians certainly appreci-ated the Scott Air-Paks and all of thegreat work done by Jordan and his fire-men, they could not allow us to clogthe tunnel. They were just being practi-cal about preserving their only lifeline

into the city to build up supplies, whichcould now be moved down MountIgman, but might be cut off if fightingintensified due to Serb anger over anunrelated Croatian offensive.“The only viable possibility was

driving across the tarmac of Sarajevo’sButmir Airport and back up MountIgman, and that route was also over-loaded with what-ifs. The first waswhat if the French simply refused to letus pass? We all knew that the Frenchwere only allowed by the Serbs to con-trol the airport if they cooperated. Infact, there was a French military liaisonofficer sitting in Lukavica barrackswho reported nearly everything heheard on the radio to his French-speak-ing Serbian counterpart. All that had tohappen would be the Serbs telling theFrench to hold up that truck longenough to call in coordinates and dumpa few four-deuce mortar rounds on it,”Mackley said.Mackley had been one of the con-

spirators when some official and unof-ficial Americans tried to smuggledonated telephone equipment intoSarajevo to connect its lines to theworld. The French repeatedly stoppedthem by informing the Serbs. Theequipment eventually got through,mainly due to the direct involvement ofU.S. Ambassador Vic Jackovic. TheFrench simply could not be trusted be-cause they had their own agenda,which didn’t have much to do withdoing the right thing.“Assuming the French did let us

through their checkpoint, they mightkeep us long enough for that sniperwith the SVD to get set up, or maybethe guy was already sitting out therewaiting for us,” I mused. On Saturday afternoon, television in-

terviews regarding the operation weregiven to both CNN and BBC reporters,and they were likely to run the inter-views on Sunday evening, which meantwe had better be across the tarmac be-fore that. We had smuggled a helluvalot of difficult-to-smuggle items, in-cluding the 20 Scott Air-Paks, $10,000worth of medicines and a red fire truckinto Sarajevo right in front of theSerbs’ noses. Jordan and I on televi-sion, rubbing said noses in it wouldmake for bad public relations with theSerbs, who might well dedicate someresources to try to kill us for it.“We have no choice but to use thewww.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com

and traitors

FOREIGNENEMIES

MATTHEW BRACKEN

and traitors

FOREIGNENEMIES

and traitors

FOREIGNENEMIES

Author of Enemies Foreign And Domestic,Domestic Enemies: The Reconquista,

THEW BRACKENTMA

Enemies Foreign And Domestic,

Domestic Enemies: The Reconquista,

THEW BRACKEN

.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.comwwwAmazon and on Kindleailable at vvailable at A

The Bracken Anthology and Castigo CayBleeding-edge dystopian thrillers---

guaranteed 100% politically incorrect.

.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com.Amazon and on Kindle

Castigo CayBleeding-edge dystopian thrillers---

guaranteed 100% politically incorrect.

HARD ROAD to HELL Continued from page 31


same route back. Even if we make itacross the tarmac and onto the otherside, four semi-trucks were destroyedby Serb artillery at the Hrasnica bridgea couple hours after we passed through.We had made it through, but that wasthen. Beyond, there was Mount Igmanand high exposure to the Serb 20mmaimed along Breakdown Ridge,” Irecorded Mackley and Jordan’s con-cerns.

“There is no way in hell that anyoneis that damned lucky,” interjected DocGonzales, who immediately went towork sorting out the implements andsupplies he would need to clamp offbleeders and start IVs into those of uswho would need it. The benefits ofdriving the white truck were clearlyoutweighed by the disadvantages.Being mistaken for the United Nationsmight give us some official advantagewith French privates, but it might alsocause us some grief with the Bosnians,and being shot by your friends kills youjust as dead. Also, the high-visibilitywhite was no deterrent to the Serbs. CORNERED “When we go through, somebody isgoing to take a shot at us,” said Jordanas we interlocked sandbags along thefront and sides of the truck bed. “Theysee a dozen guys in blue uniforms hun-kered down in the bed of this truck and

they will shoot. The question is howaccurate and how sustained that firewill be. As we move along, we will belooking for places to hide if the engineis shot out.”

Mackley had insisted on the sand-bags, but they were very heavy and toomany would slow down the old Ley-land, so we had to put them on the sidewhere we were most likely to get hit,which for most of the route would bethe driver’s side. We interlocked thesandbags as best we could along thefront corner of the truck bed and alongthe side to the rear. If the Serb sittingon that 20mm so much as twitched hisfinger, those 20mm rounds would sailthrough the tailgate, the sandbags,everyone in the back and into the cabbefore they broke the engine and exitedout the radiator.

We barreled down Sniper alley,where there was nothing but shot-outbuildings and burned-out shells ofbuildings, no other traffic on the street.We lay low and could not tell whetheranyone was out walking or not. It was1649 hours and we were stopped at acheckpoint. We didn’t know whether itwas Bosnian or French.

“It is French. A couple of young menjust leaned over the truck bed andasked for our passports, which givesthe Serbs . . . how did you put it Mack-ley?” I asked him.

“It gives them time to know exactlywhere to shoot,” Mackley said. I spokeinto my tape recorder again as the twoFrench privates went away with ourpassports. 1700 hours and we were cut-ting it close because in another hour,CNN would come into every Serb tele-vision set in Sarajevo.

We had been sitting at the Frenchcheckpoint for 20 minutes—plenty oftime for the French to notify the Serbsat Lukavica barracks—when Jordancame back and stuck his head over theside to let us know what was going on.

20 Acres in WESTERN MONTANA, famous trout fishingstreams, backpacking, camping, reknown Hunting privileges(elk, deer, moose, bear). ONLY $500 down payment with1-YR. FULL MONEY BACK GUARANTEE! Call tollFREE for colored brochure or visit us on the WEBat www.treasurestateranchesmt.com.Monthly Payments made to fit your budget!

Call Toll Free 1-800-592-5990www.treasurestateranchesmt.com

TREASURE STATE RANCHES210 Milwaukee St., - Dept. S

Deer Lodge, Montana 59722 - (406) 846-1000

TREASURE STATE:Layout 1 4/16/10 7:43 AM Pa


Transporting goods in an open truck across Sarajevo gives new meaning to theterm “mean streets.” Former Brit Army Leyland, still in U.N. white, provided lit-tle more than psychological cover for SOF ’s team of intrepid smugglers


www.interamer.com

www.treasurestatranchesmt.com


TERRORISM SITREP By Vann Spencer

UNITED STATESTEEN COMPUTER GEEKHACKED CIA Director JohnBrennan’s personal email andthat of Homeland Security ChiefJeh Johnson, CNN reported.HILLARY, OBAMA PRO-MOTE GUN CONFISCATION– cite Australian “buyback” as

1

model for United States, but fail to mention that it wasdue to a gun ban. GROSS NEGLIGENCE? FBIprobes Hillary over possible Espionage Act violationsdue to private e-mail server.

SAUDI ARABIA WEAPONSFLOW to anti-Assad rebels. STAMPEDE DEATHTOLL CLIMBS to 1,621, with hundreds still missing.

8

PAKISTAN CRACKDOWN ONBLASPHEMY leads to record arrests.

7

FINLAND FINNISH JOUR-NALIST CALLED TERRORIST in Turkeyafter asking Erdogan if he is a dictator.

KURDISTAN TURKEYTHREATENS ATTACKS on Kurdishforces fighting ISIS.

5

6

CUBA TROOPS IN SYRIA? Is Castroregime helping to prop up Assad?

TURKEY DRONE SHOT DOWNafter Erdogan delivers tough talk.

INDIA NEW VIKRANT WILL BE ONTIME! India to add second carrier to INS Vikramid-itya, formerly the Admiral Gorshkov.

2

3

4

23

26

MEXICO EL CHAPO STILL ONTHE LOOSE since July escape, but may havebeen wounded by Mexican law enforcement duringthe manhunt.

SUDAN “CLOCK BOY” MEETSDICTATOR! Audience with genocidal thug Has-san al-Bashir came after visit to Saudi Arabia.

IRAQ ZERO HOUR IN MOSUL?Iraqi, Kurdish forces planning attack on ISIS.

IRAN NEW MISSILE TESTdraws calls for action from United States.

AFGHANISTAN DRAW-DOWN ON HOLD in wake of fighting in Kunduz.U.S. airstrikes bomb Doctors Without Borders hos-pital, killing 22 and resulting in international out-rage. Defense Minister says Taliban hid in thehospital.

9

10

11

12

13

1

9

16

Afghanistan defense minister Mohammed Masoom Stanekzai


21

2213

27

25

29

14

10

24

47

19

SYRIA PUTIN ON THE OFFEN-SIVE. Russian Air Force and SAA annihilate ISIL-FSA position in Hama Province. Defense ministerclaims the strikes destroyed two militant commandcenters, 29 field camps, 23 fortified facilities and sev-eral troop positions with military hardware in firstdays. Al-Qaida-linked Al Nusra has U.S. weaponsconfiscated or given to the radicals by U.S.-supportedrebels. FRENCH RAFALES join the strikes againstISIS in Syria.

14

YEMEN ISIS SYMPA-THIZERS claimed responsibility forseries of deadly attacks on govern-ment headquarters and positions ofSaudi-led coalition in Yemeni port cityof Aden. 15 Yemeni troops killed.WEDDING MASSACRE as 130die in Saudi-led airstrike on weddingparty.

15

VIETNAM MIA SCAM BUSTED! 70sets of remains stolen and passed off as casualties.

16

GREECE REFUGEE FLOODOVERWHELMING GREECE, UNCHR reports.

NIGERIA BOKO HARAM STRIKESAGAIN! As many as 60 killed in attack by three fe-male murder–suicide bombers.

CAMEROON AMERICANTROOPS ARRIVE to help in fight against BokoHaram.

CHINA VIETNAMESE FISHINGSHIPS SUNK in disputed South China Sea near siteof 1974 battle between ChiComs and South Vietnam.

18

19

20

21

HUNGARY BORDER WITHCROATIA CLOSED as Hungary tries to stemflood of refugees.

17

5

2

17

11

8

15

1218 3

Russian Sukhoi-24

6

20

LIBYA TWO MORE SUSPECTS inLockerbie bombing identified.

MYANMAR PEACE DEAL signedwith some rebel groups, but is it real or is it a trap?

SOMALIA JOIN THE ISLAMICSTATE, Boko Haram urges al-Shabab.

TUNISIA NATIONAL DIALOGUEQUARTET wins Nobel Peace Prize.

AUSTRALIA TWO CHARGED interrorism death of police accountant. Jihadi in ques-tion was 15 years old.

22

23

24

25

26

SLOVENIA ARMY CALLED UP toaddress flood of migrants.

GERMANY MAYORAL CANDI-DATE stabbed in Cologne.

UNITED KINGDOM TOUGHANTI-TERROR LAWS are the only way to preventscores of attacks as ISIS infiltrates, PM Cameronsays. Shutting down mosques and suspending pass-ports are part of the unrealistic strategy, unfortunatelygoing nowhere.

27

28

29

28

“Do you think the Frogs would shootan American,” asked Jordan, “for lift-ing the gate? Yeah, maybe so. I asked ifthey would let us into the bunker if theshit started coming in, and they said‘yes.’ Yeah, damn right they would.”

“There are only two of them,” Mack-ley noted. “The first mortar roundcomes in, we’ll just run over their assesand go on in their bunker.”

“By the way,” said Jordan, “theseguys say they are familiar with thesniper who shot up the trucks yester-day. They say he is here all the timeand that he is at 100 meters out.”

The minutes dragged on and it beganto drizzle. A large-caliber machine gunopened up in the distance. Just thenJordan reappeared. “We got anotherproblem. The Frogs were about to letus through and this Land Rover pulledup. Don’t stick your heads up to look,we don’t want them to know how manyof us are here, it might make the situa-tion worse.”

Jordan continued to give a play-by-play to those of us lying flat in thetruck bed. “OK, in the Land Rover wehave a Bosnian brigadier and his wifeand kid, a Bosnian colonel and a

British major or captain. They are argu-ing now. The brigadier is telling theFrog that this is his country and he cango wherever he wants and they have noright to stop him. Guys, we may haveto ram the gate and get the hell out ofhere. If the Serbs know this guy is here,they are liable to send some bad guysin after him.”

Mackley interrupted, “Jordan, whereare the passports? Get the damn pass-ports right now and we’ll crash thegate.”

“Oh shit,” Jordan said. “Thebrigadier is reaching for his holster.Shit. They may shoot it out right here.”

“Get the passports!” I yelled to Jor-dan as he dropped off the side of thetruck. We had been sitting for nearly anhour by then and that was almostenough time to get 20 snipers in posi-tion. Sarajevo was starting to look likenot such a bad place to be stuck afterall. Then the pipe gate was lifted andBarrett drove forward. Everyone wassuddenly silent and the tension washeavy in anticipation when the truckengine was suddenly turned off. Jor-dan’s head popped over the side of thetruck again.

“We’re through the gate now, so tohell with ‘em, but we don’t have thepassports back yet and I’m getting sickof this shit. They let the Bosnian gothrough, but they are holding us backbecause they say one of their armoredpersonnel carriers got in an accident orsomething up ahead. They still haveour passports.”

For the first time, Jordan’s voicesounded a little concerned, whichdidn’t do much for the confidence ofthe rest of us. “I’m trying to be nicewith these guys. I’m not being an ass-hole, but I gotta get out of here. Mymortgage company doesn’t give a shitthat French troops won’t let me out ofSarajevo. We delivered humanitarianaid and it is time to leave. By now theSerbs have had a chance to rag theirFrench friends about yesterday and,who knows, maybe they have gottenthe word to start some shit.

Maybe that is what they are waitingfor. Whatever happens they have noright to hold me hostage in Sarajevo.They can hold the truck but they can’thold me and I will start walking acrossthis tarmac very soon and take mychances with the Serbs.”

HARD ROAD to HELL Continued from page 33


ONLY$29.95Plus $9.95

S&H

Send $29.95 plus $9.95 S&H to:SOLDIER OF FORTUNE

2135 11th StreetBoulder, CO 80302

ORDER ONLINE AT www.sofmag.comor [email protected]

ALSO AVAILABLE ON

AUDIO BOOKFrom amazo

n.com • audible.com

mailto: [email protected]

Hoofing it across the tarmac was notgood—there were too many of us andwe would be strung out in a nice pat-tern for machine gunners or mortarcrews. We would be better off eithertaking our passports away from thisguy or forgetting about them and driv-ing on ahead. Another long minute ortwo passed, and Mackley and I had justabout decided to take our passports offthis French private’s dead body whenhe handed them to Jordan, who threwhimself into the back of the truck andsuddenly we were speeding off acrossthe tarmac and into harm’s way.

Doc Gonzales, who was wearing aflak vest, lay across Mackley’s body togive him a little protection, since myvest was protecting the driver. We ex-pected to hear the report of a sniper’srifle and his rounds cracking into thetruck, but the only noises were fromthe truck’s engine and gears. It was stilldaylight when we arrived at the lastBosnian checkpoint before the MountIgman road. The guards refused to letus pass and several other trucks werepulled off to the side of the road. IT’S A SETUP Barrett told us, “What the Bosnians aretelling us is that we were being set upfor the Serbs back at the French check-point. A French VAB had fallen off theroad and tumbled down the mountain.Three French troops had been killedand they were holding up traffic whilethe French tried to do a recovery.”

“Get the hell out of here,” the Bosn-ian trooper at the guard post yelledwhen we pulled the big white truck tothe side. “The convoy won’t get under-way over Igman until around 2300. Youare going to draw fire. You are a primetarget that jeopardizes all of us, so getlost.”

As we started down the road, an AK-47 opened up on us from close range.We all went down as the rounds buzzedover us. Barrett put the pedal to themetal.

“It’s the Bosnians shooting at us thistime,” Jordan yelled. “It’s just a warn-ing. They don’t want us parked neartheir houses drawing Serb mortar fire.

We went back to the Hrasnica fire-house and waited for nightfall. As wewaited, Mark Milstein wandered off ina cammo poncho. He was standing infront of the grocery store, his arms fullof chocolate and sodas. A lot of starv-

ing people were watching from the sur-rounding apartment buildings whensomeone shot at him. The round landedbetween his feet, and the chocolate andsoda went flying. Milstein’s foot hadjust begun working well again after thelast time he was wounded. He was in abad humor when he came back to thefire house, but Mackley had a greatlong laugh and told him he damn welldeserved it. (Mackley and Milstein al-most got into a knife fight in the hoteldining room in Pristina, Kosovo, a fewyears later. I had to intervene to pre-clude soiling the ratty carpet withblood and one of them ending up in arat-infested KLA prison.)

About 2200 we returned to thecheckpoint at the base of the Igmanroad. It was raining and black and wewere grateful. After a few hours, mostof us settled down and snoozed fitfullyas the skyline periodically lit up withexplosions.

It was about 0400 the next morningwhen Barrett started the engine and webegan moving up the mountain. Wewere about the seventh truck back aswe wound around to the start of theroad and put our big white tail towardthe Serb with the 20mm gun. I gotbored and started to doze off. Mackleyrudely woke me up after a few minutesand pointed down the mountain. It wasalmost daylight and we could see. Theweather had held for us; it was stillraining and the cloud cover was low.The Serb gunners couldn’t see us any-more. We were home free.

Farther down the road we were heldup in Mostar while a motorcade wentby. It was the Bosnian president beingfollowed by the Iranian ambassador.The Iranians were supplying him armsand all we had brought were $45,000worth of Scott Air-Paks and $10,000worth of medicine. About the only realhelp that Sarajevo was getting from theAmericans thus far was coming fromSOF, Doc Gonzales, John Jordan andthe volunteer firemen. Eight years later,Mackley visited the Sarajevo Firehouse and found the Scott Air-Pacs.They were all the worse from repeateduse and the firemen still rememberedJohn Jordan, that giant of a man withbrass balls whom we could never for-get.

I swore I would never go back to thatGodforsaken land. Until Clintonbombed it in 1999, that is.


www.onestopknifeshop.com


JANUARY 2016

SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS

ADVERTISING IN SOLDIER OF FORTUNE

GETS RESULTS! [email protected]

A.R.M.S.www.armsmounts.com ..................cvr 2Aimpointwww.aimpoint.com ..............................5Auto-Ordnancewww.auto-ordnance.com ..................10Black Hills Ammowww.black-hills.com..........................16Bravo Company USAwww.bravocompanyusa.com ........cvr 3Condor Outdoor Productswww.condoroutdoor.com ....................7DeSantis Gunhidewww.desantisholster.com..................12Dillonwww.dillonprecision.com ............14, 48Fallknivenwww.fallkniven.com ..........................13Hi-Point Firearmswww.hi-pointfirearms.com ..................8Inter-American Security Productswww.interamer.com ..........................33

Kifaru Internationalwww.kifaru.net ..................................19Killing Sharkswww.amazon.com ............................45Kimberwww.kimberamerica.com ..............cvr 4LaRue Tacticalwww.larue.com....................................9LUCIDwww.mylucidgear.com ......................15Luth-ARwww.luth-ar.com................................28Maxpeditionwww.maxpedition.com ......................21Maxsell Armorywww.maxarmory.com..................23, 29MTM Special Ops Watchwww.specialopswatch.com................11One Stop Knife Shopwww.onestopknifeshop.com ............37Ride the Thunderwww.ridethethundermovie.com ........47

RKB Memoirswww.sofmag.com..............................36Safety Harbor Firearmswww.safetyharborfirearms.com ........22SOF Logowearwww.sofmag.com..............................38Spec-Ops Brandwww.specopsbrand.com ..................41Springfield Armorywww.springfield-armory.comwww.springfieldpromo.com ..............25Steelcutter Publishingwww.enemiesforeignanddomestic.com....32Tactical Assault Gearwww.tacticalassaultgear.com ............17Treasure State Rancheswww.treasurestateranchesmt.com....33Voodoo Tacticalwww.voodootactical.com ....................3

www.sofmag.com

SOFMAG.COM DECEMBER 2015 39

From the Vaults of SOF !

RKB's arrest-me-red, ‘92 Vetconvertible. He says, “I've gottorn miniscus in both knees...no more 6-speed hanky-pank.Kelly Blue book...good...32kmiles.” Best offer over10k...till 1 Feb 2016

From Where?From the deadly mountains ofPeru, RKB picked up this pris-tine set of Peruvian Commandocammies when he led a team ofparamedics to assist in recoveryefforts after the l970 Peruvianearthquake. Best Offer Over$500...till 1 Feb 2016

SOF 's In-Your-Face Jeep Cherokee Needs bodywork...workhorse of many, many hunting trips. 42k miles.Bumper stickers (only ones in Boulder!) included. Best OfferOver 5K...till 1 Feb 2016

From the Vaults of SOF Continued from page 39


One Of A Kind! Iraqi Camo Uniform. "I worethis at several SOF conventions in Vegas. This is, tothe best of my knowledge one of a kind pattern. Sam-ple that was manufactured by former SOG operative,Tom Cook, who passed before he could fulfill the con-tract three decades ago. More photos available. Iwore this shirt when I appeared on PBS in August."Best Offer Over $500...till 1 Feb 2016

Can't Match This! RKB's custom "Inever made a free-fall in it," sky divingcoveralls. Created by SOF 's sky divingeditor, Kitty Baran. Best Offer Over$750...till 1 Feb 2016

A Piece of Vietnam! “No blood onmy tiger stripe I wore while CO of A-Team334, Tong Le Chon, Vietnam, l969. But itsaw a lot of sweat. SOF patchs as I woreit at various SOF functions over theyears. Cloth jump wings with star is notappropriate as I never earned a star...justto lazy to replace it. Shirt only.” BestOffer Over $500...till 1 Feb 2016

From the Rhodesian Bush WarA set of Rhodesian cammies, outlawedby the sadistic dictator, Robert Mugabe.Thank you Jimmy Carter. Best Offer Over$200...till 1 Feb 2016

No More Hanging In The Closet "Another ofmy SOF convention/3 gun match cammie uniformswhich has been gathering dust in my closet. BestOffer Over $400...till 1 Feb 2016

For More Information, Contact: Lt. Col. Robert K. Brown, USAR (Ret.)[email protected]

Spec-Ops® Brand GearAvailable Through:

The ultimate in convenience, safe carry and modular use for your Smartphone!

The first phone holster designed for rigorous field use / EVERY DAY CARRY that is fully field serviceable.

rigorous field

The first phone holster designed for

VER E use / use / Erigorous fieldrigorous field use /


Y CARRYY DAVER


Y CARRY

that is fully field ser

belts quickly and easilybelts & pockets. Mounts onto pockets and spring-steel clip prevents abrasion wear to EASY WEAR: “HD W

used on hard-core Military gearCordura® Nylon fabric – The same stuff constructed with double layered 1000D

T TO LASTBUILBUILT TO LAST

viceab

belts quickly and easilybelts & pockets. Mounts onto pockets and spring-steel clip prevents abrasion wear to

” covered ebbingEASY WEAR: “HD W

.used on hard-core Military gearCordura® Nylon fabric – The same stuff constructed with double layered 1000D

The holster body is :T TO LASTT TO LAST:

that is fully field ser

le.

belts & pockets. Mounts onto pockets and spring-steel clip prevents abrasion wear to

Cordura® Nylon fabric – The same stuff constructed with double layered 1000D

viceab

cause impact damage to your screen. LESS BREAKAGE:

handed access. roughest of conditions while still allowing easy one-Loop closure keeps the phone in the holster in the SECURE & LONG LASTING:

sizes and whatever you can clip / strap it to.modular load carrying systems, duty belts of all SUPER-MODULAR:

belts quickly and easily

cause impact damage to your screen. No hard fasteners (buckles, snaps) to LESS BREAKAGE:

handed access. roughest of conditions while still allowing easy one-Loop closure keeps the phone in the holster in the

High strength Hook & SECURE & LONG LASTING:

sizes and whatever you can clip / strap it to.modular load carrying systems, duty belts of all

Securely attaches to ALL SUPER-MODULAR:

. belts quickly and easily

cause impact damage to your screen. No hard fasteners (buckles, snaps) to

roughest of conditions while still allowing easy one-Loop closure keeps the phone in the holster in the

High strength Hook &

sizes and whatever you can clip / strap it to.modular load carrying systems, duty belts of all

Securely attaches to ALL

points are barQUALITY

as the popular Samsung Galaxy Note® (with outer protective case).(with outer protective cases) and X-Large for large devices such 2 SIZES:

secure-strap.ALL IN ONE:

replacement by customeron closure provides long-term use and easy service / FIELD SERVICEABLE:

-tacked for maximum strength and durabilitypoints are bar All seams are double needle stitched and bound – Stress :QUALITYQUALITY:

as the popular Samsung Galaxy Note® (with outer protective case).(with outer protective cases) and X-Large for large devices such

vailable in 2 sizes; Regular to fit iPhone sized platforms A2 SIZES:

secure-strap. Comes complete with extra Hook-Loop panels and ALL IN ONE:

.replacement by customeron closure provides long-term use and easy service /

Unique replaceable loop panel FIELD SERVICEABLE:

-tacked for maximum strength and durability All seams are double needle stitched and bound – Stress

as the popular Samsung Galaxy Note® (with outer protective case).(with outer protective cases) and X-Large for large devices such

vailable in 2 sizes; Regular to fit iPhone sized platforms

Comes complete with extra Hook-Loop panels and

on closure provides long-term use and easy service / Unique replaceable loop panel

MADE IN THE U.S.A. GUARANTEED FOR LIFE!!!

points are bar

MADE IN THE U.S.A. GUARANTEED FOR LIFE!!!MADE IN THE U.S.A. GUARANTEED FOR LIFE!!!

for your Smarsafe carrThe ultimate in convenience,

-tacked for maximum strength and durabilitypoints are bar

MADE IN THE U.S.A. GUARANTEED FOR LIFE!!!

tphone!for your Smarular use mody andy and modsafe carr

The ultimate in convenience,

.-tacked for maximum strength and durability

vailable Through:ASpec-Ops® Brand Gear

ular useThe ultimate in convenience,

Spec-Ops® Brand Gear

www

.specopsbrand.comwww

.specopsbrand.com


REACT TORCH GRIP FROM MISSION FIRST TACTICAL

The React Torch Grip (RTG) is a combination,compact, textured vertical grip and illuminationmount. It is designed to minimize material and

dimension and utilize a .75, .825, or 1″ diameterflashlight/laser. The RTG provides a positive grip sur-face with wet or gloved hands, and allows the sup-port hand to apply rearward pressure, keeping theweapon shouldered and yielding better muzzle con-trol and accuracy. This is the grip you want if yourobjective is a vertical grip that will mount a large vari-ety of flashlights/lasers.

For more on this grip, go to http://missionfirsttactical.com/Products/Light-Laser-Mounts/REACT-Torch-and-Vertical-Grip.

For more on Mission First Tactical, go to http://missionfirsttactical.com/.

The “Charlie” model re-tains most features of theoriginal SU-16, such as

integrated bipod, Picatinny railand AR15/M16 magazine com-patibility. The front sight is inte-grated into the gas block anduses an AR15/M16-style frontsight post for elevation adjust-ments. The SU-16C has a truefolding stock and can be firedwith the stock folded. A recipro-cating dust cover and a case-deflecting operating handle arealso integrated into the rifle.The medium weight barrel is16″ long and is threaded 1/2×28 TPI at the muzzle. A chrome-lined bore and chamber are now standard. The“Charlie” is only available in Parkerized finish with black polymer components.

The SU-16C is not a replacement for the original SU-16, but rather a complement for customers who put a pre-mium on ruggedness and adaptability. The “Charlie”-type stock can be purchased as a retrofit for SU-16 ownerspreferring the foldable stock.For more on this rifle, go to http://www.keltecweapons.com/our-guns/su-16c/rifle/.

For more on Kel-Tec, go to http://www.keltecweapons.com/.

KEL-TEC SU-16C


The All Purpose Bag is a three-pocket multi-duty bag. Of the threepockets, two of them are full-length side pockets with double acces-sory gear loops. This is great as a medical bag. Other features in-

clude double accessory gear loops with bar-tack reinforcements;“Silencer” zipper pulls – ultra quiet, ultra functional (fast and easy to

use with gloves and when wet); Nylon web carry handles, an-chored with double bar-tacks; no exposed stitching on bottom(eliminates premature wear), double-stitched zippers and seam-tape; and rounded edges for easier in/out of large packs.

For more on this bag, go tohttp://www.specopsbrand.com/pouches-and-organizer/

all-purpose-bag.html.

For more on Spec-Ops Brand, go to http://www.specopsbrand.com/.

The Condor Urban Go Pack is designed with practicality in mind, withenough smaller pockets to fit everything without having to dig througha massive main compartment, but not so many that they are too small

to carry necessary gear. This everyday assault pack is for anyone, from stu-dents to military professionals.For more on this pack, go tohttp://www.condoroutdoor.com/147_urban_go_pack_Multicam.aspx.

For more on Condor Outdoor Products, go tohttp://www.condoroutdoor.com/.

KIMBER AMETHYST ULTRA™ II

Size matters in concealed carry. Ultra Carry pistols blendreduced dimensions and light weight without sacrificingmagazine capacity and power. The Amethyst Ultra II fea-

tures a highly polished stainless steel slide and purple physicalvapor deposition (PVD) coating.For more on this pistol, go tohttp://www.kimberamerica.com/amethyst-ultra-ii.

For more on Kimber, go to http://www.kimberamerica.com/

URBAN GO PACK – MULTICAM

NOW IN KRYPTEK TYPHON AND HIGHLANDER CAMO!CHECK OUT SPEC-OPS BRAND’S ALL PURPOSE BAG,

LUCID L5 6–24×50

As shooters themselves, LUCID expects some very specific things from gear. Also, they know how they useour gear, so the LUCID L5 rifle scope was intentionally over built and designed to offer features and perform-ance that is simply not found anywhere else at this price point.

LUCID approached this product development seeking candid and detailed feedback from real shooters (law en-forcement and military professionals), as well as com-petitive and recreational shooters alike. They took all ofthe requests and balanced them out in a long list of de-velopment priorities. The result is an optic purpose-builtin a stout 30mm, one-piece aluminum frame with all of

the durability and quality that LUCID has become known for. It also has a level of operator benefits and creaturecomforts that simply are not found anywhere else.For more on this scope, go to http://mylucidgear.com/riflescopes.php.

“Lucid products are the best value for the money available. I liked my first Lucid L5 6-24x50 so much I purchasedanother one. Used it on my .308 Ruger Precision Rifle to hit target at one mile. With BLACK HILLS .308 Win Match175 Gr. Boat-Tail Hollow Point"

LARUE SPOTR

The LT-SPOTR provides a lightweight platform that facilitates thecombination of a spotting scope with standard military-issueclip-on night-vision, thermal and IR illumination accessories.

The forward “Z” rail is stepped-up for the alignment of LeupoldMk4 12–40x60mm Tactical Spotting Scope with a variety of military-issue NV devices, such as CNVD-Ts, PVS-22s, PVS-24s, and so on.No need to modify the existing interfaces on the devices, providingthey are designed to interface with MIL-STD-1913 rails. Adapters areprovided to interface the SPOTR with a variety of current issue de-vices.For more on this platform, go to http://www.larue.com/larue-tactical-spotr.

For more on Larue Tactical, go to http://www.larue.com/.

Celox Rapid saves nearly two minutes in compression and wound pack-ing compared to the other leading-brand hemostatic agents. CeloxRapid Z-fold gauze contains Chito-R granules that stick to wet tissue in

the wound, forming a gel that seals the wound and stops bleeding. Compact,lightweight and easy to use, Celox Rapid 5 Z-Fold is ideal for severe high pres-sure bleeding, arterial and venous bleeding and bullet, blast, knife and shrap-nel wounds. Illustrated instructions are on on the back.For more on this gauze pad, go to http://www.voodootacticalwholesale.com/product/celox-rapid-5-z-fold/.

For more on Voodoo Tactical, go to http://www.voodootacticalwholesale.com/.

CELOX RAPID 5 Z-FOLD


SOFMAG.COM DECEMBER 2015 45

MGIndustries, manufacturer of themodular MARCK-15 AR

“Hydra” platform, announces the “SelectYour Calibers” program.

MGI is giving customers the opportu-nity to pick and choose the calibers theywould like to have in one kit. Anythingfrom the .22LR up to a .50 Beowulf. Cus-tomers can choose from a two caliber kitup to a five caliber kit from the caliberslisted below. The 36” hard sided, lock-able, tactical case comes with a customcut foam insert allowing customers tochoose up to five calbers.

Prices starting at $1788.00 for two cal-ibers.

MGI Hydra Available Calibers:.22LR ...................................... 5.56×45.300 Blackout .......................... 7.62×396.5 Grendel .............................. 6.8 SPC9mm ................................. .50 Beowulf

The MGI® MARCK-15 HYDRA isthe most advanced Modular AR-15 onthe planet! This Weapon System canadapt to multiple calibers without the useof any tools in just under two minutes percaliber. That’s right! One Weapon…Mul-tiple Calibers!!! The idea of quickly

changing calibers on one weapon’s plat-form almost doesn’t sound possible. AtMGI, the possibilities are endless andwith so many calibers at your fingertipsto choose from! The MGI® ConversionPackages will give you the option to pickand choose your favorite calibers foryour Hydra.

For more information, visit www.mgi-military.com or your local retailer. Retail-ers, contact MGI [email protected] to find out moreabout carrying the most modular rifle sys-tem in the world.

MGI Announces “Select Your Calibers”

Program

From the remote villages ofAfghanistan to the depths ofthe ocean, Lieutenant

Commander Grant Chisolm is on amission to thwart jihadists. Hislatest assignment as liaison officerto Guantanamo brings him face toface with the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, and their hatred of theUnited States, once more. Diveinto the explosive world ofterrorism and those fearlessenough to fight it in Killing Sharks.In the best tradition of the worksof Frederick Forsyth and DanBrown, Killing Sharks: DeProfundis is a thriller that takesthe reader from the desolatemountains of the FATA on theAfghan-Pakistani border to thewarm waters of the Caribbean andthe base prison at Guantanamo, Cuba. Navy SEAL, LieutenantCommander Grant Chisolm, races against the timing of suicidebombers and through the murky world of the modern war onterrorism and the backwaters of the Cold War. Wentzs work isauthentic. Its the product of a navy officer who has seen Guantanamoand the world-wide war on terror firsthand. Dr. Ralph L. DeFalco III,Senior Strategist, Joint and Coalition Warfighter Support, UnderSecretary of Defense for Intelligence, Captain, USNR.

“This book will do for our understanding ofthe Global War on Terror what Clancyʼsbooks did for our understanding of theCold War.”

Simon Barrett, USA Today

“The author is a man of a powerfullyperceptive worldview of East and West.His laser targeting of the Caucasus, theMiddle East, and the fractionalized worldof Lebanon, specifically, speaks offirsthand knowledge of these torturedregions. His insight put forth in beautifulprose climbs into the realm of the poeticand will stir even a casual reader…Throughout it all, a rich tapestry is its ownreward, seducing and pointing to a humanlandscape both beautiful and bawdy yetbreathtakingly informative.”

Elias Abu-AynFormer United States Special Envoy tothe Saudi Royal FamilyAuthor of Operation: Snow Leopard

455 Killing Shark ad_Layout 1 6/24/15 2:17 PM Page 1

This movie is an extension ofthe book Ride the Thunder,written by Richard Botkin andpublished by WorldNetDailyin 2009. It is presented as a

docudrama that tells the truth about whatreally happened after 1973, when the U.S.Congress cut off the promised aid andcontinued military support of the regimegoverning South Vietnam. The movie isprivately produced, without the influenceand negative slant of the Hollywood Left,by Richard Botkin, his film partner FredKoster and other associates. The film isvery well done and acted. In between seg-ments, actual statistics and film clips ofthe time are presented, compiled from of-ficial sources, which are as accurate ascould be expected against those profferedby the propaganda machine of the Demo-cratic Republic of Vietnam (North Viet-nam) and its allies in the American Left.

The main characters in the movie areSouth Vietnam’s Marine Corps (Tuy QuanLuc Chien [TQLC]) Major (Thieu Ta) LeBa Binh and his American advisor, Cap-tain John Ripley, USMC. These two arethe main characters in the various seg-ments of the movie, but many others, bothVietnamese and American, play majorroles in the movie and on the ground orig-

inally. The film is done in major segmentsof the story line in a series of extendedflashbacks, particularly for Le Ba Binh,who is portrayed during his 11 years as aprisoner in North Vietnamese prisoncamps, which approximated his time spentas a South Vietnamese Marine Corps offi-cer.

The communists exacted their re-venge/punishment on the former South

Vietnamese officer corps and non-com-missioned ranks as well, subjecting themto hard labor in “re-education” camps. Theeducated elite and bureaucracy of the for-mer regime were not left out and laboredalongside them, enduring much privationand starvation. The primary scenes withLe Ba Binh take place in a “re-education”camp, with many flashbacks to combatand to his wife Cam.

Ride the Thunder : The Other Half of the Story

By Steve SchreinerSOF endorses the author, an airborne/ranger, Vietnam Silver Star recipient, for the NRA Board of Directors.

He is the Executive Director of the Firearms Coalition of Colorado. He deserves your vote!


Capt. John Ripley ad-vises Thieu Ta Le Ba Binh,followed by scenes of men-tal resistance to the commu-nist hogwash force-fed tothem nightly after a longday’s grueling make-workof hard labor in only mar-ginally productive fields.These are alternated withscenes of post-war speechesto American audiencesgiven by John Ripley aboutthe war in Vietnam worthbeing worth the effort, allwhile our former allieswere being subjected tostarvation-level existenceand torture in North Viet-namese prison camps.

At times, the film’s producer, RichardBotkin, inserts ugly facts and side showsto emphasize the true reality of what wasgoing on back then in Southeast Asia andin the United States. Examples includescenes like anti-war actress/activist andso-called “traitor” Jane Fonda lying (asattested to by former POW Red Mc-Daniel) on television about the treatment

of Vietnamese post-war prisoners, just asshe lied about the treatment of U.S. pris-oners of war; scenes with her sitting on aSoviet-supplied North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun carriage and doing anti-U.S.sing-a-longs with another anti-war ac-tivist, actor Donald Sutherland. All this isinterspersed with depictions of atrocitiescommitted in the North Vietnameseprison camps against our former allies.There are shots of U.S. President RonaldReagan accusing North Vietnam of per-fidy and violations all the way back tothe 1954 Paris Accords and of closing theborder to refugees who were then fleeingfrom North to South Vietnam in order toavoid living under the communistregime.

The film shows multiple scenes of testi-mony before Congress, with our currentSecretary of State, John Kerry, lying aboutatrocities that were never committed byU.S. troops. Kerry’s statements werebeing rebutted at the time, also in front ofCongress, by former U.S. officers from hissame command, who had much more timein country and who never saw any suchatrocities committed by Americans. At thesame time, Ripley is shown getting intowhat amounts to an ideological bar fightover Vietnam, suggesting what is transpir-ing in American society during that era.

There follow statistics showing that atleast 1,000,000 Vietnamese were held asprisoners during this same time, at least185,000 of whom perished. Le Ba Binhwas in those camps for 11 years before hisrelease. His wife and daughter were al-lowed a 20-minute visit once per year dur-ing the latter part of his tortuousconfinement. While a prisoner, he did

learn about possible emigration to the U.S.on a contraband radio, and determined thatwas the only thing for him to do. After hisrelease and some years living in post-warVietnamese society, he, his wife and childwere allowed to emigrate to the U.S.,where he and Ripley again made contactin 2003.

During a joint, official USMC–TQLCreunion and military ceremony, Le BaBinh was awarded the Silver Star, thehighest U.S. award for valor bestowed onforeign nationals. John Ripley wasawarded the Distinguished Service Crossfor rigging the Dong Ha bridge over theCam Lo river, by himself, with enoughhigh explosives to blow it up, thus pre-venting North Vietnamese armored vehi-cles and 20,000 enemy soldiers fromcrossing in an Easter Sunday 1972 inva-sion. Too bad there wasn’t an ancient, ail-ing bridge somewhere to re-enact thatscene. I think that it would balance thefilm out a bit between these two heroiccharacters.

I strongly recommend Botkin’s bookRide the Thunder as well as the movie. Iwas a U.S. Army military advisor on Mo-bile Advisory Team III-12, AdvisoryTeam 49, to Regional and Popular Forcesin Long Khanh Province in 1968–69 andsaw major action with them on severaloccasions. Thus, I have some feelingsand empathy for the characters in thisstory. The whole objective of this film isto make former U.S. military, their fami-lies, descendants and the 2,000,000 Viet-namese immigrants to freedom, as wellas the general public, aware of the realfacts as to what occurred in post-warVietnam. www.dillonprecision.com

htiwgnola,sserPPreulluBehTThctamrof-enizagam,yy,lhtnomdorPnoisicerPnolliDmorf”smraeriFcissalC“s’llahsraMalipmocasillahsraMnhoJybmpooplloeveDsmrrmaeriirFFifosrrsaeYYeehtthotniinyarraoFFolaccaigooglonorhCChA

emos,golata

’stcudselcitrafonoita

tnemneddelldoGe

noisicerpnollid.ww.ww

$,03179-29K#dehpargotuA.92$,33104-29K#kcotS22dnaroloclluf,dnuobesacsi

CISSALCCL101,yy,rarbilecnerefertnenugynaotnoitiddaytilauq

ASUehtnidnuobdnadetnirpbupsawSMRAEEARIFFICISSSSALCCL101.raeppaotteyselcitra

g,

moc.n

59.43$59.

.segap42SMRAEEARIFFI

s’tsaisuht-hgihA.

,dehsilb


Ride the Thunder Continued from page 46

www.enemiesforeignanddomestic.com

• Vltor Basic IMODStock $94.95

• Vltor CarbineEMOD Stock$119.65

• Geissele Super Modular KeyMod 13 Inch Rail MK4 $350

• GeisseleSSA Trigger$210

• B5 SystemsSOPMOD BravoStock $58.00

• Midwest Industries SSK-KeyMod12 Inch Free Float Handguard

• BattleComp 1.0$149.99

• SureFire X300 UltraLEDWeaponLight

• Midwest IndustriesFolding Front Sight $79.95

• IWC KeyModQD RL SlingMount $17.00

• Midwest IndustriesSPLP Rear Sight $119.95

• EOTech XPS2-0HWS $499.00 • EOTech G33 STS Magnifier $549.00

• BCMGUNFIGHTER™Grip Mod 0 $29.95



• TangoDownBattleGrip $35.75

• BCMGUNFIGHTER™VPG-KeyMod QDVertical Grip $44.95

• BCMGUNFIGHTER™Buttstock

• BCM® EnhancedTrigger Guard

• TangoDown ARCMK2 Magazine$14.95

• TangoDownPR-4 RearSling Mount$73.65

• BCM® KMR-13 KeyModRail 13 Inch $269.95

• BCM® KMR-10 KeyModRail 10 Inch $254.95

• BCM® A2X FlashSuppressor $34.95

• ALGDefenseACTTrigger$65.00

• BCMGUNFIGHTER™Compensator Mod 1$94.95

• BCMGUNFIGHTER™Vertical Grip $49.95

• BCMGUNFIGHTER™Compensator Mod 0$89.95

• PWS FSC556 TacticalCompensator $98.95

• PWS KeyModBipod Adapter $23.95 • Wilson Combat

Tactical TriggerUnit $269.95

• BCM® Low ProfileGas Block $44.95

• CTT SolutionsMag Cap

• ADM AD-B2 Base $65.95

• ADM T1 SOCOM Spacer $19.95

• Centurion Arms C4 Rail 12 Inch $314.00

• Aimpoint PROPatrol Rifle Optic $416.00

• Daniel Defense AR15Lite 7.0 Rail $219.00

• AimpointMicro H-1$617.00

• Trijicon TA31RCO-M4$1,422.05

• GDI R-COM B-ModelMount $205.00

• BCM®

DiamondheadFolding FrontSight $99.00

• BCM®

DiamondheadFolding RearSight $119.00

• TangoDown SCARPanel 6 Inch $13.70 • Thorntail

Offset AdaptiveLight Mount$50.00

• Inforce HSP WML $119.00

• Blue Force GearVCAS Sling $45.00

• TangoDown ShortQD Vertical Grip$89.73• ALG

DefenseQMSTrigger$45.00

Your m4 superstore with one of the largest stocking inventoriesof the latest AR15, M4 and M16 Parts, Accessories and Tactical Gear!

Hartland, WI U.S.A. / Toll Free: 1-877-BRAVO CO (1-877-272-8626) / Fax: 262-367-0989 / BravoCompanyMFG.comAll pricing is subject to change without notice. Please see our website for current pricing.

��

www.bravocompanyusa.com

www.kimberamerica.com

Documents

Soldier of fortune 459 january 2016 final