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Dangerous Mission: A Special Tactics Story
Situation: Some very bad people are living and working in a small compound in a desert filled country.
Mission: Locate and neutralize this group.
Execution: Insert via helicopter 4 miles from a dry lakebed, move there by foot. Set up a landing zone and land two MC-130's filled with a joint force assault team. Move to the target, hit it, and return home with everyone plus prisoners.
Admin & Logistics: We have what we can carry...
Command & Control: We are self-contained...
It's very dark and late at night when the helicopter hits the ground and our four-man team, loaded to the gills, runs out into the Middle Eastern desert. It's 02:00hrs and it's still hot as hell. Our packs are heavier than normal because we have to carry extra equipment to set up an improvised landing zone. And we're late... The helicopters were broken and we took off late, again. Isn't that always the way? The one thing we have going for us is the darkness as we complete our gear checks and set off toward the dry lakebed. We're moving quickly but quietly. We don't want to alert anyone to our presence. But we're not making good enough time. Those airplanes are going to arrive and expect a landing zone. They don't want to stick around! Christ, that means we have to hang our butts out and violate good tactical procedure...
Mission: Locate and neutralize this group.
Execution: Insert via helicopter 4 miles from a dry lakebed, move there by foot. Set up a landing zone and land two MC-130's filled with a joint force assault team. Move to the target, hit it, and return home with everyone plus prisoners.
Admin & Logistics: We have what we can carry...
Command & Control: We are self-contained...
It's very dark and late at night when the helicopter hits the ground and our four-man team, loaded to the gills, runs out into the Middle Eastern desert. It's 02:00hrs and it's still hot as hell. Our packs are heavier than normal because we have to carry extra equipment to set up an improvised landing zone. And we're late... The helicopters were broken and we took off late, again. Isn't that always the way? The one thing we have going for us is the darkness as we complete our gear checks and set off toward the dry lakebed. We're moving quickly but quietly. We don't want to alert anyone to our presence. But we're not making good enough time. Those airplanes are going to arrive and expect a landing zone. They don't want to stick around! Christ, that means we have to hang our butts out and violate good tactical procedure...
The captain calls a huddle. "Guys, we have to run." We grumble and tell him we should tell the airplanes to slip the timeline. He over rules us. Damn it! He looks at me and says, "We'll put the slowest man up front. MN, you're on point." That friggin idiot. He's been after me this whole deployment because he doesn't see me running all the time. He doesn't understand that I train like a soldier, not Jim Fixx. What a prick... He says to just run and keep my eyes open. They will be right behind me he says. We assemble; I give the signal and take off at a comfortable jog. The stars give plenty of light through my night vision goggles and it's like bright green daylight. The running is easy. The desert is as hard as concrete here.
A few minutes pass when my radio comes to life. I hear the gasping voice of the captain. He can barely get two words at a time out. "MN, hold up!!" I turn around and am stunned to see they are 300 meters behind me! I hadn't gotten going yet! They finally arrive gasping and heaving. They complain that I am going to fast. So much for being the slow guy! I am carrying more weight than they are... The captain won't swallow his pride and put someone else on point. We leap frog. I jog ahead and then wait for them over and over again.
A road blocks our path and we loose precious time waiting for a gap in the traffic to cross. Roads are cooler at night and smuggling is alive and well. We cross and finally arrive at the site. We have only precious minutes left. The aircraft are already calling us. One man sets the far end marker, but we can see it is in the wrong position. Damn! I take off in a 6,000ft sprint to the end and correct the marker. As I do the first MC-130 is landing. I am engulfed in the dust cloud as I jog back to the control point. The assaulters are downloading already. Whew! We're just now arriving at the same place and now it is time for the real work to be done! This night has only just begun. We've run over four miles with 100lbs of gear, set up a landing zone, dodged smuggling traffic, we've been awake for over 12 hours already and we are in a very dangerous place if we are discovered... Another day and night for USAF Special Tactics...
The preceding story is true. It is an accurate look at the work of special operations and how and why fitness training plays such a big role in an operator's life. At that time I was on a new path to higher levels of physical fitness and building quite a reputation. These days I have finally found the answers to the questions that plagued us back then. Don't put the cart before the horse. Train for your sport or activity by doing it. Then supplement with targeted weight training to address your weak areas. It really is that easy and it was something I proved on that mission. These days we continue to develop military training protocols that are measured against real world missions. We hope our experiences will help and motivate you in your pursuits.
MN
About The Author
Nathanael Morrison was a USAF Special Tactics and Pararescue team leader for 15 years before transferring to the US Army. He has written the most complete book on military specific training ever published, Military Fitness: A Manual of Special Physical Training. Visit his web site at www.alpin-gruppe.com
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