By How Miller.

“The Jedburghs” by Bill Irwin is an illuminating portrayal of the direct predecessors of the U.S. Army Special Forces. Each of us can picture ourselves in the roles depicted, and hope that we would have been as resourceful and lucky to have overcome the obstacles before us.

The Jedburghs were the core of what an A-Team is today. After rigorous recruitment, selection, and training, a select few were chosen to be parachuted in as part of a Jedburgh team, sometimes referred to as a “Jed.” Typically a Jed would be a three man team including a radio operator and two officers. At least one of the team was to be indigenous to the area of operation, and a minimum of one had to be either a Brit from SOE or an American from OSS. Most were also multi-lingual.

The book, both extensively researched over twenty years, and told from multiple perspectives, shows the process of assisting and guiding the many active and potential resisters of Nazi occupation in France and beyond. The uncountable number of acts of bravery by those Maquis were made more effective by the equally brave, tenacious, and wise British SOE and the American OSS working side by side with them, providing arms, training, and coordination with the Allied Armed Forces. All the high-ranking generals expressed their deep appreciation of how much the resistance accomplished, both in direct actions and in intelligence provided. For example, it is quite possible the Normandy invasion may have failed without their help.

The breadth of the story gives the reader both an overall understanding of the process and the importance to the Allied Victory, as well as a very relatable recounting of the ground actions of several Jedburgh teams. Some very familiar names are shown in their earlier days, such as “Wild” Bill Donovan, Aaron Bank, and William Colby, along with the first official naming of Special Force HQ.

I was struck by the many parallels described by COL(Ret) Mark Rosengard at SFACON 2022 with Task Force DAGGER and beyond, including gaining trust and coalition building to achieve the prime objective. “By, with and through” is alive and well within the regiment.

The book, first released in 2005, is available in Kindle, audiobook, hardcover, paperback, and audio CD. It contains charts of participants and much more.

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This book review of The Jedburghs by How Miller was first published by Sentinel, a periodical of Chapter 78, Special Forces Association on July 2023. Reprinted with permission of the editor of Sentinel. The book author, Will Irwin, is a Resident Senior Fellow at the Joint Special Operations University. He is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces officer with experience as a defense analyst, researcher, historian, instructor, and writer.

A recent book by James Stejskal, No Moon as Witness, describes the training and the missions of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during World War II. The book is a compact and concise history of the intelligence and special operations conducted by these two secret organizations.

The UK Special Operations Executive was the action arm of British intelligence and was established in the early days of World War II. It’s foundations were laid in earlier organizations established in 1938 and later when forward thinking British leaders began thinking about how to conduct unconventional warfare in light of German militaristic aggression in Europe. In July 1940 the Special Operations Executive was formed with the merger of Secret Intelligence Service’s Section ‘D’ (D was for Destruction), Military Intelligence (Research) or MI(R), and the Department of Propaganda in Enemy Countries (also known as ‘Department EH’ for Electra House).

The U.S. Office of Strategic Services was formed up in 1941. The OSS would serve as an intelligence as well as an ‘action’ organization. As World War II came onto the scene the United States had little capability for gathering intelligence or conducting unconventional warfare. In July 1941 President Roosevelt established the Coordinator of Information (COI). In June 1942 the COI became the Office of Strategic Services. Some of the OSS’s first deployments took place in early 1942 where operatives collected intelligence and prepared the way for Operation Torch – the landings in North Africa in the later part of 1942.

Like many books about special operations during World War II – this book starts out with the origins of the SOE and OSS. The author then describes the assessment, selection, and training of operatives. There is a short chapter on some of the techniques and weapons used by the SOE and OSS. The final part of the book describes some of the key operations conducted by the two organizations. The chapter on operations included those activities of the SOE and OSS from the beginning to the end of the war – in the many theaters that the organizations were present. Some of the operations that are detailed will be familiar to the reader while others are less well known.

There are a lot of books published about the SOE and OSS – many of them very thorough and excellent reads. No Moon as Witness follows the pattern of previous books on this topic – but a shorter version. However, the book is well organized and also an excellent read. It examines the close history of the SOE and OSS – and how they worked together . . . or not. In addition, the “Tools of the Trade” chapter includes images and sketches that often do not appear in other books. The timeline, glossary, and index are added features that enhance the book. Some books that I read end up going to the ‘annual used book fair’; this one is a keeper and has found a home on my reference book shelf.

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The author of No Moon as Witness, James Stejskal, is a former US Army Special Forces Chief Warrant Officer 4. After completing his service with Special Forces he served as a case officer for the Central Intelligence Agency in Africa, Europe, and the Far East. He is now a book author.

No Moon as Witness, published by Casemate Publishers (Philadelphia & Oxford) in 2021 is available at Amazon.com.
https://www.amazon.com/No-Moon-Witness-Missions-World/dp/1612009522

A recent film by the OSS Society tells the story of Allied special forces whose daring exploits changed the course of World War II. The film was released in May 2020 just prior to the 76th anniversary of D-Day – the invasion of Europe by Allied forces.

Leon Panetta, a former Secretary of Defense and head of the Central Intelligence Agency, provides the opening remarks. The film documents the activities of the Office of Strategic Services and the Special Operations Executive in the period prior to the Normandy beach invasion and during the landings.

The film provides photographs, maps, and a description of the OSS agents who parachuted or landed by boat into France. The film depicts the variety of missions that were conducted by these special forces agents to ensure the success of the Allied invasion of France.

This short film is informative and entertaining – especially if you have an interest in the history of World War II, special operations, or unconventional warfare.

Operation Overlord: OSS and the Battle for France, OSS Society, May 29, 2020, 16 minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HISut9jG5uc

A book published in 2017 makes for some interesting reading about the history of British special operations in World War II. In Churchill’s Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: The Mavericks Who Plotted Hitler’s Defeat the author Giles Milton provides an account of a secret commando unit of the United Kingdom. This unit formed up and evolved to provide Britain with the weapons and men needed to conduct sabotage, subversion, and guerrilla operations in Nazi-occupied Europe.

In 1939 a secret organization – Section D – was established in London that would aid in the fight against Hitler and the Germans through special operations and sabotage. The War Office’s MI(R) (a research office on guerrilla warfare), and the Foreign Office’s Department EH (a propaganda organization) had also been established with similar goals and objectives in mind – the defeat of Nazi Germany.

In 1940 Section D and the other organizations would merge together to form the Special Operations Executive (SOE). The Special Operations Executive was given the mission by Winston Churchill to “. . . set Europe ablaze”.

This book profiles the lives and activities of several men and women involved in the formation of these early special operations organizations, the training of the personnel sent to conduct operations in Nazi-held Europe, and the conduct of activities to support the brave men and women who parachuted into enemy territory.

The book begins as the Germans are starting their conquest of Europe. We learn about the recruitment of various individuals who provided the leadership for the newly formed organizations. It then provides a fascinating account of the various weapons developed for the special operations campaign and the training programs for the special commandos. Along the way the book recounts various operations that took place not only in France . . . but also in other countries of Europe, Africa, and Asia.

Not the Gentleman’s Way of War. The title of the book alludes to the debate that occurred during the war about what was appropriate as a strategy and tactic and what was not. Many members of the British defense establishment were not in favor of this new type of warfare – considering it not the way of gentlemen but of thugs and bandits. The chapter entitled “Thinking Dirty” explains the resistance the UK military had to unconventional warfare – the use of guerrillas, partisans, saboteurs, and assassins.

Red Tape and Bureaucracy. Milton also provides an understanding of the bureaucracy and red tape that these special operations warriors faced from the ‘established’ defense structures. The SOE also faced opposition from the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) who saw them as rivals and a threat to their operational security.

Winston Churchill was a staunch supporter of special operations during the war. He actively supported these activities with moral and financial support and beat back the opposition mounted by the military establishment and bureaucrats. The War Office would have liked to abolish the organization in its infancy but Churchill came to its rescue more than a few times.

Recruitment. The book is illustrative of the out-of-the-box thinkers and doers required of special operations organizations. Amateur scientists, eccentrics, and others combined their talents to provide the weapons and training needed for the many types of operations conducted in Europe and around the world by operatives during World War II.

The elite schools of Britain were fertile recruitment bases for the organization as well. Many of the recruits would also come from specialized military units of the UK. Some from as far away as India. The organization needed “. . . rule-breakers, mavericks, and eccentrics with a talent for lateral thinking and a fondness for making mischief.”

Special Weapons. Milton’s book pays attention to the development of special weapons and munitions developed by ad hoc laboratories and workshops for use by resistance groups and saboteurs. There were numerous roadblocks established by the Ministry of Supply and the Royal Ordnance Supply Factory. As as result the organization and associated entities embarked on their own weapons development and production program.

Some of these weapons developed for the commandos found their way into the conventional forces during WWII. One important development was the ‘limpet mine’ – a prototype magnetic mine that a combat swimmer would place on an enemy warship. Another was the ‘hedgehog’ used in anti-submarine warfare. Other special weapons included the ‘Sticky Bomb”, “Beehive”, “W-bomb”, “PIAT”, and “Time Pencil”. The author traces the development of explosives used for the demolition of bridges, railways, turbines, and other important targets.

Early Publications on Special Warfare. Milton’s book also informs us of the early writings that would be used as instructional manuals for special warfare. These include The Art of Guerrilla Warfare, The Partisan Leader’s Handbook, and How to Use High Explosives. Many of these tracts were provided to the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (OSS) to be used as training manuals at ‘Camp X’ and other training locations. The book on explosives by Millis Jefferis “. . . contained highly accurate advice for anyone who wanted to blow a bridge, building, railway or road.” This was the first manual in the history of the British Army to teach men how to destroy civilian targets with a small explosives kit.

Training Centers Established. Experts from within the UK’s military and from around the world were recruited to train up the new commandos, saboteurs, and ‘Jedburghs’. A training center was established in Scotland as well as other locations. The commandos were taught on the use of silent killing, explosives, communications, parachuting, weapons, and other skills necessary for the saboteur and guerrilla fighter.

Operations Conducted. Several historical vignettes are provided that give the reader an appreciation of the wide variety of operations conducted around the world by the SOE. Descriptions of several operations conducted by these specialists in guerrilla warfare provide for some very interesting reading.

The author’s account of the Jedburgh’s hindering the movement of the 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich from countering the Normandy beach landings following D-Day was especially informative. A movement by rail that should have taken 72 hours was stymied due to the use of carborundum inserted into the axles of tank rail car transports. The division then had to move by road – hindered by ambushes, blown bridges, lack of spare parts, and broken down tanks traveling beyond their range. A movement that took 17 days – arriving too late to stop the allied breakout from the beaches on the coast.

Many other examples of guerrilla warfare, espionage, sabotage, and secret operations are provided in the book. This historical account of special warfare by the United Kingdom during World War II is a good read for the special operations practitioner, WWII historian, and intelligence professional.

Available for purchase in hardcover or paperback.
Churchill’s Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
By Giles Milton, Picador, USA: 2017, 368 pages.

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Image: from book cover.

The Incredible Military Career of Lucien Stervinou

By Jeff Goodson

There’s a forested canyon above the town of Quimper in northwest France called les Gorge du Stangala.  Drained by the Odet river, it’s known locally for its wild beauty and tranquility.  In World War II, while training with the British Special Air Service in Scotland, the name was adopted as the nom de guerre of a French resistance fighter and special operations warrior named Lucien Stervinou. 

Over the course of six years, from 1940-1946, Stervinou fought behind enemy lines in Europe and Indochina.  He earned both the Croix de Guerre and France’s highest military award, the Legion d’Honneur.  His story is the story of western special operations at the dawn of the modern age of irregular warfare.      

Escaping the Nazis

Lucien Corentin Stervinou was born in Langalet, France (Brittany) in 1923.  He was barely 17 when he first set out to escape the Nazis.  As a German Panzer division moved toward the French port of Brest, he and his grandmother heard a radio appeal from Brigadier General Charles De Gaulle in London: “Frenchmen, we have lost a battle; we have not lost the war.  From wherever you are, come join me and continue the fight.”  It was June 18, 1940, just four days before Marshall Petain signed the Armistice with Germany.

Young Stervinou hopped on his bicycle, peddled the two miles to Chateauneuf du Faou, and met up with three of his soccer buddies.  The four of them drove south to the port of Concarneau, and talked the captain of a Norwegian fishing boat into taking them aboard along with a group of French troops that he was surreptitiously evacuating to England.  The seas became extremely rough, and half-way across the English Channel the captain turned about and returned to La Rochelle. 

A few hours before the Nazis arrived, Stervinou jumped a military train for Bordeaux.  He then went to Marseilles, Lyon and Vichy, before working his way to Quimper where he settled in with a resistance group that a young priest introduced him to. 

When the Quimper group was later discovered, Stervinou fled to Paris and hid out in the apartment of famous resistance fighter Yves Allain.  Allain, who was later murdered in Morocco, ran the Bourgogne escape route through which some 250 allied airmen escaped Nazi capture by crossing the Pyrenees into Spain.  In June 1942 Stervinou followed that route with Allain, two British pilots and a small group of civilians, crossing the Pyrenees near Pau at night with a Basque guide. 

After splitting up in Spain, Stervinou was captured by Spanish border guards and jailed in Jaca, Huesca and Saragossa.  A few weeks later, he was ransomed to the British Consul, who organized his travel through Madrid and Gibralter to a British air base near Swindon, England.  He arrived July 28, 1942, just over two years after his first attempt to escape the Nazis. 

Supporting the French Resistance

Stervinou’s first stop was “Patriotic School” near Wimbledon, where all foreigners entering England were held and interrogated at length.  He was then released to the Free French Forces, who he worked with for the rest of the war. 

After five months of basic training at Camp Rake Manor in Surrey, Stervinou was recruited by France’s Central Bureau of Intelligence and Operations (BCRA).  Similar to the OSS, but smaller, BCRA was the precursor of France’s External Documentation and Counter-Espionage Service (SDECE)—today known as the Directorate General for External Security (DGSE). 

Stervinou trained at the British Army Commando Training Center, the BCRA training Center, and the Parachute Center at Ringway.  While training with the British Special Air Service (SAS) near Iveranay, Scotland, he took the nom de guerre Stangala.  From then through the first half of 1944, he worked communications between London and various French resistance groups. 

D-Day and Return to Paris

In late May 1944, three “sticks” of ten men each were flown to an unnamed base in the south of England where they were separated from other units.  Just before D-Day, on June 4, 1944, Stervinou’s stick was parachuted into an area prepared by a local resistance group west of Vire in Normandy.  They brought arms and equipment, and trained the resistance fighters who met them in the use of heavy armaments, communications and fighting tactics.  Other sticks parachuted that night into Brittany to destroy railroads and bridges. 

For two months after D-Day, while operating behind enemy lines, Stervinou’s stick avoided German soldiers and the French milice who fought with them.  Finally, in August they were ordered to Paris to regroup and help maintain security in the center of the city.  On August 26, 1944, while providing protection from a rooftop, he watched General Charles De Gaulle march in triumph down the Champs Elysee.  It was the end of Stervinou’s military service in the European theater.

Indochina and Force 136

With dissolution of the French resistance groups, focus shifted to the Pacific theater where the objective was establishing a French military presence and returning Indochina to the colonial field.  Stervinou left Paris in January 1945 for Cairo.  He then took a “flying boat” to Karachi, Bombay and Calcutta, where he again was trained by the British.  This time it was Force 136, at their commando training center for the South Pacific Theater, where he trained for six months in parachuting, radio communications and jungle warfare.    

Today, few Americans have heard of Force 136.  The British Special Operations Executive (SOE) was established in 1940 at the same time that the British Commandos were formed at the request of Winston Churchill.  The SOE carried out sabotage and subversive operations in Europe, and its success led to a knockoff called “The Oriental Mission” in Burma.  Codenamed Force 136, branches were soon established in Burma, Siam, Malaya and Indochina where they supported resistance movements in enemy-occupied territory and conducted sabotage operations.  Rolled up in 1946, Force 136 was one of the first modern organizations to systematically operationalize what today we call unconventional warfare.    

At the end of training, Stervinou’s group was reviewed by Lord Mountbatten, Viceroy of India, after which he took a DC-3 “over the hump” from Bajshahi Airbase to Kunming, China.  Others were dropped in Laos, where they ultimately met severe losses and had only limited success.

“The Kunming commando groups were deployed on the Sino-Indochinese frontier in preparation for the Chinese invasion of Indochina in 1945.  I parachuted into Pakhoi, a Chinese port in Kuang-tong Province.  I was an intelligence officer with the French Navy, patrolling the Along Bay in northern Vietnam.”

The Weichow Raid

Stervinou’s unit operated closely with elements of the OSS, and he was part of a joint OSS/French commando attack on July 22, 1945 that knocked out an advance Japanese airbase on the island of Ouai-Tchao (Weichow).

“A joint Franco/American commando unit landed on the island at 2 AM, and the air base defense was quickly overpowered.  Using the newly acquired TNT explosive, the tower and the landing lanes were rendered unusable.  Now my earlier explosive training made sense.”

The mission was important, and both Kunming and General Chenault, Commander of the 14^th Air Force, were notified of its success. 

The Japanese Surrender of Vietnam

After the Weichow raid, Stervinou’s PT boat Crayssac returned to operating among the islands of Along Bay.   

“Our nomadic life continued, stopping, controlling and often seizing equipment and foodstuff destined to the Japanese army by commercial junks.  We created additional bases on the islands of Gow-To, Table and Singe. 

A few short weeks later, the U.S. dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima (August 6^th) and Nagasaki (August 9^th).  The bombing had the desired effect, and Hirohito announced the Japanese surrender on August 15^th. 

The next day, the five men of the Crayssac were ordered to Haiphong Bay to receive the surrender of the 60,000 Japanese soldiers then in Vietnam.  They arrived at 4 PM. 

“The Japanese authorities seemed astounded by our arrival.  On the 16^th, Japanese Colonel Kamya arrived during the night to inform us that General Tsushihashi, Japanese commander of north Indochina, had not received the order to surrender from Tokyo and for us to remain on board ship.  He received his order the following morning.” 

For several days after surrendering, the Japanese supplied the Crayssac crew with food and water.  They then provided them an escort to Hanoi, where they arrived August 23^rd and joined a handful of French administrators under Major Jean Sainteny and a small group of OSS personnel. 

Eleven Men

Years later, Stervinou wrote that:

‘The political scene was chaotic…On August 23^rd, we found ourselves, eleven men, in the former Governor General’s palace with responsibility for overseeing the security of 30,000 French civilians.  It could only be done by negotiations with the new government of the Viet-Minh, the Japanese army responsible for maintaining security, and later the Chinese army.  We had responsibilities beyond our ranks and experience.

‘Twice, I accompanied my commanding officer to meet Ho Chi Minh.  I also met, and for a time worked in liaison with another Vietnamese leader on security matters, Vo Nguyen Giap.  At the time, the French did not know whether these two men were nationalist leaders or communist ideologues.  Later, Giap was the mastermind of the final and decisive battle that ended France’s colonial domination of Viet-Nam, Dien Bien Phu.     

‘It wasn’t obvious to us then, but we had in front of us the beginning of the crumbling colonial era.’ 

Kidnapped, the Last Firefight and Demobilization

Months later, while investigating the conditions of French ex-POWs in the area, Stervinou was kidnapped in Vinh and spirited away for purposes unknown.  He was only released when an American Air Ground Air Service major threated local authorities with a U.S. paratrooper attack. 

Back in Hanoi, Stervinou contracted amoebic dysentery and was evacuated to Saigon.  After five weeks recovering in the hospital, he was sent back to Along Bay on a destroyer to again serve as intelligence officer.  His final kinetic engagement was on March 6, 1946, in a sustained firefight with Chinese forces in the port of Haiphong. 

Shortly after, Stervinou fell to a recurring attack of dysentery and was evacuated to Saigon.  After three more weeks in the hospital, he returned to France on a transport ship where he was demobilized and, on September 17, 1946, finally discharged.  For him, the wars were over.

Croix de Guerre

Eight months after Stervinou mustered out of service, he was awarded the Croix de Guerre des Theatres d’Operations Exterieures with Silver Star, citation at the Ordre de la Division, for his engagements at Along Bay, his participation in the Weichow raid, and his role in accepting the Japanese surrender in Vietnam.  He was individually cited for his “energy, courage and sang froid.”

After the War

The next year, Stervinou came to the United States.  He earned a degree from the University of Houston, became a U.S. citizen in 1953, and for years directed Berlitz language institutes in the U.S. and Europe. 

Widowed in 1978, Stervinou was re-married in 1981 to a U.S. Foreign Service Officer with USAID—Theodora (Teddy) Wood—who he met in Annandale, Virginia.  The two spent years stationed in west Africa, working at USAID’s Regional Office in Abidjan where he promoted private sector development in central and west Africa at the height of the cold war. 

After retiring in 1992, Stervinou continued working with French veterans organizations.  In 2006, he was awarded France’ highest order of merit for military and civilian service, the Legion d’Honneur, at the level of Chevalier.  In addition to the Legion d’Honneur and Croix de Guerre, over his military career he received the Croix de Combattant Volontaire, Medaille des Evades, Medaille de la Reconnaissance de la Nation, and Medaille d’Outre-Mere.

In December 2017, in perfect health, Stervinou was walking one of the large Bouvier dogs that he and his wife Teddy were famous for.  He slipped on an icy sidewalk in Washington, D.C., struck his head, and died of complications six months later at the age of 95.  It was June 16, 2018—78 years, almost to the day—since he had heard de Gaulle exhort his countrymen to join the fight as Nazi Panzers rolled into Brest.    

Epilogue

The military history of Lucien Corentin Stervinou is the history of special operations at the dawn of the modern age of irregular warfare.  From 1940-1946, he was operationally engaged with every major American, British and French special operations force, from the U.S. Office of Strategic Services, precursor of today’s CIA; to the British Special Air Service, Special Operations Executive and Force 136; to France’s Central Bureau of Intelligence and Operations.  

Stervinou’s extraordinary military career stands as a historical benchmark by which every special operations warrior who has followed can justly measure their own. 

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The biographical material in this tribute is drawn mostly from Lucien Stervinou’s surviving writings and lecture notes, provided courtesy of Theodora Wood-Stervinou to whom special thanks are due.  Without her assistance, the military history of this extraordinary special forces combatant could not have been written.  

Jeff Goodson is a retired U.S. Foreign Service Officer.  From 1983-2012, he worked on the ground in 49 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.  He served 31 months in Afghanistan, including as USAID Chief of Staff (2006-2006) and Director of Development at ISAF HQ under General David Petraeus and General John Allen (2010-2012).  Goodson worked with Lucien Stervinou at USAID’s Regional Office in Abidjan in the mid-1980s.

SOF News Update 20180323 – Russia’s SOF training in Gulf of Finland, Dunford enthusiastic about 1st SFAB, 1966 door gunner training video, OSS receives Congressional Gold Medal, LE CT training facility opens in Jordan, Poland’s more modern military, joining the SFABs, Erik Prince in the news again, AFSOC Cdr’s addresses Airmen, CT in Afghanistan, SOCOM’s WMD mission, DARPA’s ‘COMPASS’ program and the ‘Gray Zone’, and more.

Russia’s SOF Training in Gulf of Finland. SOF units based in Russia’s Western Military District have been conducting exercises with special operations forces on islands in the Gulf of Finland. (EER.ee, Mar 21, 2018).

A Day of Death in Iraq. Derek Gannon writes about one day in Iraq in 2008 while assigned to the 5th SFGA CIF company. Read “Mortus Discrimiatus: The day I almost died in Iraq”, Fusion Cell, March 21, 2018.

DARPA’s ‘COMPASS’ Program and the ‘Gray Zone’. The Gray Zone is conflict that exists in a nebulous area between peace and traditional warfare tactics. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is rolling out a new program called COMPASS or . . . Collection and Monitoring via Planning for Active Situational Scenarios. (American Security Today, Mar 20, 2018).

Dunford Enthusiastic About 1st SFAB. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff – General Joe Dunford – spent a little time visiting Afghanistan. While there he met with some of the ‘combat advisors’ of the 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade (SFAB). He seemed impressed with an ongoing combined operation involving the 201st ANA Corps, police units, and the National Directorate of Security. (Defense Media Activity, Mar 21, 2018).

LE CT Training Facility in Jordan. Funded by the United States, a law enforcement counterterrorism training facility has now opened in Jordan. (AP, Mar 22, 2018).

SOCOM’s WMD Mission. The United States Special Operations Command is the lead U.S. agency for countering weapons of mass destruction. With the advances in technology the use of chemical, biological, and radiologic weapons by terrorist groups becomes more likely. The new National Defense Strategy is making it easier for SOCOM to get the intelligence capabilities and tactical gear it needs to tackle the WMD problem set. Read an article on this topic by Patrick Tucker in “For Special Operations Forces, Fighting WMD Means Getting Deeper Into Enemies Leadership and Decision-Making”, Defense One, March 22, 2018.

CT in Afghanistan. Nicholas Glavin writes that the U.S. strategy of R4+S – regionalize, realign, reinforce, and reconciliation, plus sustain – provides the best way ahead for SECDEF Mattis vision of winning.

AFSOC Cdr Addresses Airmen. On March 13th the Air Force Special Operations Command boss – Lt. Gen. Bard Webb addressed his staff to explain his thoughts on the new National Defense Strategy guidance. (AFSOC DVIDS, Mar 19, 2018). Read “Sustaining U.S. Counterterrorism Pressure in Afghanistan”, The National Interest, March 20, 2018.

Analyzing ‘Marauders’. Chris Flaherty, a Senior Research Associate of the Terrorism Research Center, provides us a modern-day definition of ‘marauder’ – arguing that the marauder is an example of asymmetric operations. Read “The Marauder as an asymmetric operational concept”, Small Wars Journal, March 22, 2018.

Erik Prince in the News Again. One of America’s more famous former SEALs – and the founder of Blackwater – finds himself in the news. Read “American Mercenary Was in Talks with Azerbaijan over Weaponized Crop Duster”, Eurasianet, March 21, 2018.

Joining the SFABs. BG Mennes, director of force management (G-3/5/7), provides info on the assessment, selection, and training of soldiers filling the ranks of the Army’s Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs). See “Soldiers in SFABs high-end achievers, says BG Mennes”, Army News Service, March 19, 2018.

Poland’s More Modern Military. Russia’s increasing aggressiveness over the past decade has the Poles worried. The terrain of Poland – mostly flat ground easily traversed by tanks and motorized infantry – puts the country at a military disadvantage. Poland has been hard at work in increasing its military capability. Read more in “Preparing for the Worst: Poland’s Military Modernization”, Geopoliticus: The FPRI Blog, March 22, 2018.

1966 Door Gunner Training Video. This 3-min long video provides some insight into the training of U.S. Army helicopter door gunners. (Task & Purpose, Mar 12, 2018).

OSS Receives Congressional Gold Medal. The Office of Strategic Services was recognized by the U.S. Congress on Wednesday (Mar 21st) for its contribution to the war effort during World War II. (The Washington Times, Mar 21, 2018). See also a press release from Speaker Paul Ryan’s press office entitled “Congress Presents Gold Medal to the Office of Strategic Services”, March 21, 2108.

Tip of the Spear February 2018 – The latest United States Special Operations Command publication known as Tip of the Spear has been posted online. The 40-page periodical has a host of stories about U.S. special operations from around the world. Some of the articles include:

SOCEUR Special Forces Conduct Close Quarters Battle Training
First to Go: Green Berets Reminisce About Earliest Mission in Afghanistan
1st Special Forces Group Trains With Indian SOF in Joint Exercise
A Centennial of Subterfuge: The History of Army PSYOPS
U.S. Bobsledders Use Olympic Experience
Gold Star Wife, Military Spouse is 2018 Army Spouse of the Year
Return to the Sea (301st Rescue Squadron)
Combat Aviation Aviators Don Newly Minted Brown Beret
Combat Controller Awarded Silver Star
Recon Marines, Special Tactics Groom Joint Ground Leaders
Prepping fora CV-22 Night Mission
SPIE Landing on the X
Honoring 3 African American SOF Who Earned Medal of Honor
Air Commandos Rise from Clandestine World War II Mission
Virginia Hall: The Limping Lady
Deployment Cell Builds Bare Bases

USSOCOM’s Tip of the Spear February 2018
www.dvidshub.net/publication/issues/39649

SOF News Update 20180305 -PSYOP and Consumption Theory, SFABs, OSS Gold Medal, CT strategy, Confederate SF, OSS X-2, spies in Boston, Niger SF mission, and more.

PSYOP, TAs, and Theories. A member of the 5th PSYOP Battalion at Fort Bragg, NC discusses the role of brand loyalty with target audiences (TA) by analyzing the relationship between Consumption Theory and TA behavior. (Small Wars Journal, March 3, 2018).

SFABs and SF. The 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade is now deployed to Afghanistan. It will field about 36 combat advisor teams to brigade and kandak level for the “Train, Advise, Assist, Accompany, and Enable” (TA3E) mission. Read more on the relationship between the SFABs and Special Forces in “On the Security Force Assistance Brigade”, Partisan Source, March 2, 2018.

Book on Confederate SF. A new book available on March 5th highlights a Confederate Special Forces unit that operated behind lines (in Union Army-held areas) during the Civil War. Author D. Michael Thomas has penned Wade Hampton’s Iron Scouts. (Fairfax County Times, Mar 2, 2018).

Trump’s CT Strategy. A former senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council (2015-2017) – Joshua Geltzer – examines the President’s counterterrorism strategy. “Whatever Happened to Trump’s Counterterrorism Strategy?”, The Atlantic, March 1, 2018.

OSS X-2. On March 1, 1943 the director of the Office of Strategic Services created the Counterintelligence Division. Read the history of this secretive organization in “OSS Creates First CI Division”, Central Intelligence Agency, March 1, 2018.

North Korea’s Infiltration Subs. An interesting story about two submarines dispatched by North Korea to land commandos on South Korea territory. Both missions ended in tragedy. See “Iron Coffin: Inside North Korea’s infiltration submarine”, Asia Times, March 4, 2018.

Testimony on Niger SF Mission. A U.S. general who led the investigation into the ISIS-linked ambush of four Special Forces Soldiers in Niger will be testifying before the U.S. House on Tuesday, March 6th. See “General faces questions over Niger ambush that killed four US soldiers”, Washington Examiner, March 3, 2018.

FBNC Combatives Tournament Invitational. Fort Bragg held a combatives championship for Army members from across the United States. Several of the fight categories were won by SF Soldiers. Ft Campbell did well. Some of the events were held in the 3rd Special Forces Group Close Quarter Combatives Facility. Read “Fort Campbell prevails in Fort Bragg Combatives Tournament Invitational”, The Fayetteville Observer, March 3, 2018.

SF Soldier Remembered. A Special Forces soldier who died more than 20 years ago in a training accident is remembered by his daughter. “Fallen Fort Bragg soldier’s legacy lives on”, The Fayetteville Observer.

Spies in the Boston AO. A Professor of International Relations at Boston University and retired intelligence officer has written an article entitled “A Spy’s Guide to BU”. Some interesting history of noteworthy people in the Boston area with an intriguing intelligence background. (BU.edu, Mar 1, 2018).

Gold Medal for OSS. On Wednesday, March 21, 2018, leaders of the U.S. House and Senate will present a Congressional Gold Medal in honor of the members of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) for their historic contributions during World War II. (Speaker Paul Ryan Press Office, Mar 1, 2018).

Rev. Billy Graham’s Funeral. Donald Trump was greeted at Billy Graham’s funeral by the grandson of the religious leader – who is currently a major in the U.S. Army. (The Daily Caller, Mar 2, 2018).

Intel Update 20171027 – Interview of NCIX Director, 525th MIB returns from Afghanistan, broken intelligence cycle, Vickers receives OSS award, CIA receives wrongful termination letter from dog in training, NCSC awareness materials, film on death of former OSS agent, Hitler’s man in Hollywood, U.S. Intel officer returns to Vietnam, Intelligence Matters, and more.

Director of NCIX Interviewed. The National Counterintelligence Executive is headed by Bill Evanina and he has a busy job. His position in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence sees him working in both the security and counterintelligence worlds. In addition, he has to pay attention to the current efforts of Russia in their use of propaganda. Mackenzie Weinger, a national security reporter, recently interviewed Evanina. See “We Are Decades Behind in Countering Russian Propaganda”, The Cipher Brief, August 2, 2017.

Broken Intelligence Cycle. Dr. Nicolas Krohley, a Non-Resident Fellow with the Modern War Institute at West Point, and the founder of FrontLine Advisory, has penned a paper about how technology and data has distorted ‘ground truth’ and “. . . corrupted our ability to root strategic thinking in the realities of the battlefield.” He lists several contributing factors to this problem:

• The ascendance of technology and primacy of targeting
• The fetishization of data
• The cult of the operator

Krohley calls for a restructuring of the intelligence cycle so as to integrate technology and data into Intel updates without losing sight of what is happening on the ground. Read The Intelligence Cycle is Broken. Here’s How o Fix It, Modern War Institute, October 24, 2017.

German Diplomat Passed Intel to Army MI in WWII. Ross Gyssling, a German diplomat, was hated by Hollywood because he tried to influence film-makers to soften the image of Nazi Germany. Gyssling was serving as Hitler’s official representative to the Jewish -dominated motion picture industry. What people didn’t know is he was passing information to Army Intelligence. Read “The Hollywood Nazi who spied for America”, The Washington Post, October 25, 2017.

Dog Dropped From Training by CIA Protests. Lulu, a dog that was dropped from a dog bomb-sniffing selection and training course, has filed a letter of protest with the Central Intelligence Agency. Read “Wrongful Termination Letter Filed by Lulu, The CIA Dog Who Was Fired”, FunnyOrDie.com, October 23, 2017.

NGA Tech Showcase. The US Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) Tech Showcase East takes place on the NGA Campus East in Springfield, Virginia on November 15th.
http://usgif.org/events/NGAEast

US Intel Officer Returns to Vietnam. A military intelligence officer who served in Vietnam paid a visit to a key intelligence operative for North Vietnam to exchange stories. (Newsweek, October 27, 2017).

Intelligence Matters – New Podcast. Michael Morell, a former deputy and acting director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) serves as the host of a weekly podcast presented by The Cipher Brief“Why Intelligence Matters”. Learn more in , Atlantic Council, October 25, 2017.

Film on Mysterious Death of Former OSS Agent. Jim Thompson was an agent for the Office of Strategic Services in the Pacific area of operations in World War II. He later settled and became a successful businessman in Thailand. In March of 1967 he went for a walk in the Malaysian jungle and never returned. Some say he died on a final mission for U.S. intelligence. Read “New film claims to have solved Jim Thompson mystery”, The Washington Post, October 21, 2017.

OSS Society Award to Michael Vickers. A former Green Beret and CIA operative was awarded the OSS Society 2017 William J. Donovan Award. The event took place during a celebration of the 75th anniversary of the the World War II’s Office of Strategic Services. Vickers played a key role in the equipping of the Mujahideen during their fight against the Soviets in Afghanistan while with the CIA. He later served in several high-level positions within the Department of Defense. Other awards presented by the OSS Society include one to CW4 Shane Gandy, a Special Forces Warrant Officer from 1st Special Forces Group. Read more in “Spy Prom: OSS Society Gives Michael G. Vickers 2017 William J. Donovan Award”, Big League Politics, October 23, 2017.

525th MIB Members Returns to FBNC. Soldiers from the 525th Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade returned from a nine-month long deployment to Afghanistan. For the past nine months the Soldiers led intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations in Afghanistan supporting Coalition and Afghan forces. The 525th, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina supports the FBNC based 18th Airborne Corps and other units. It became an expeditionary brigade in 2014. Read “Soldiers return to Fort Bragg after 9-month deployment in Afghanistan”, Stars and Stripes, October 24, 2017.

NCSC Awareness Materials. The National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) provides to the public videos and print materials on how foreign intelligence entities are actively targeting information, assets, and technologies. The products will enable personnel to understand the threats and learn how to protect sensitive information.

Read past intelligence updates from SOF News.

SOF News Update 20171025 – New uniform for Canada’s elite, US obesity affects recruiting, SOF’s MC-12S aircraft, French CT mission in Africa, Exercise Lightning Forge 2017, 12 Strong, SEAL Foundation relocates, OSS Award to BU professor, local businesses help out 7th SFGA, and more.

CANSOF’s New Duds. Canada’s special forces are getting new uniforms with an old look. The new duds are called the Distinctive Environmental Uniform or DEU. The uniform will provide CANSOF with a unique dress and (hmmmm) improve morale. The uniforms will be issued to ‘operators’ that have completed special forces training. The new design resembles those worn by the joint U.S.-Canadian First Special Service Force. “New special forces uniform a throwback to Second World War Devil’s Brigade”, National Post, October 15, 2017.

Local Businesses Help Out 7th SFGA. Special Forces Association Chapter 7 has been linking up 7th SFGA Soldiers with local businesses to assist the well-being of their families. (DVIDS, Oct 18, 2017).

French CT Mission in Africa. A temporary mission in Mali in response to an Islamic insurgency in 2012 has grown to a robust counter-terrorism mission by the French in several African countries. The mission is entitled Operation Barkhane and involves over 4,000 French military members based i Mali, Chad, Niger, Ivory Coast, and Burkina Faso. Read more in “Operation Barkhane: France’s Counter-Terrorism Forces in Africa”, The Atlantic, October 24, 2017.

SEAL Foundation Relocates. The nonprofit organization serving the Naval Special Warfare (NSW) community and its families is opening a new permanent office space in Coronado, California. (PRWeb, Oct 24, 2017).

Too Fat to Fight. A Colorado nonprofit says the US military effort to recruit quality Soldiers is threatened by childhood obesity. (The Gazette, Oct 17, 2017).

BU Professor Recieves OSS Award. Joseph Wippl, Professor of International Relations at Boston University recently received an award from the Office of Strategic Services Society. Wippl is a former CIA operations officer with 30 years service. Read Wippl Receives OSS Hugh Montgomery Award, Pardee School of Global Studies (BU), October 23, 2017.

SOF’s Intel Gathering Aircraft. US SOF has a variety of aircraft for ISR purposes – most of them based on the MC12S; a Beechcraf 350-series King Air. These aircraft have a multitude of capabilities depending on how configured – to include SIGINT, video, laser imaging, and more. Read “The Army’s Latest Spy Planes Are Flying Hundreds of Hours Overseas”, The Warzone, October 19, 2017.

Lightning Forge. Elements of the 1st Special Forces will participate in an exercise to take place on Hawaii. (Hawaii Army Weekly, Oct 10, 2017).

12 Strong. A movie based on Doug Stantons book “Horse Soldiers” is coming out in January. (Army Times, Oct 24, 2017).