Anonymous Letter Discussion and General Kurt Sonntags rebuttal (MERGED)

Well, Bye!

Sonntag’s forced retirement comes after a series of exclusive reports by Breitbart News that detailed allegations from more than half a dozen current and recent Green Beret instructors.

They alleged Sonntag wrongfully retaliated against instructors who expressed concern over his lowering of standards for the Special Forces Qualification Course, punished instructors seen as too tough on students, and is a toxic leader who created a climate of fear at SWCS.

“He’s a horrible man. He’s an egotistical, horrible man,” said one Green Beret who wished to remain anonymous out of fear Sonntag would retaliate against him and his family.

Sonntag has commanded SWCS for almost two years, a typical assignment length. He had asked to stay for another year, but that request was denied and he was advised to retire, according to several sources. He was allegedly up for a third star, but that was also deep-sixed, according to a third source.

Those who feel they were wrongfully retaliated against want those punishments to be placed on hold until an investigation can determine what happened.

“Place all the punishments on hold. Do a true investigation and actually have an outcome,” one Green Beret said. “If they’re removing [Sonntag] just to remove him, that’s not good enough.”



Sources: Army General Who Retaliated Against Green Berets Forced to Retire
 
Good riddance.

A General taking his shirt off and challenging his men to a fight is one of the most absurd things I'd ever heard. I wouldn't follow a cunt like that out of curiosity, nevermind into battle.
 
Just looking at his profile, I wonder where he earned his CIB...I just see staff jobs after 2000. This is not a slam, more of a curiosity since the criteria for CIB has rank restrictions as opposed to the CAB.
 
Just looking at his profile, I wonder where he earned his CIB...I just see staff jobs after 2000. This is not a slam, more of a curiosity since the criteria for CIB has rank restrictions as opposed to the CAB.

According to the book "Horse Soldiers" (12 strong movie), he was part of the group of SF guys who counter attacked the prisoner uprising at the Qala I Jangi prison near Mazar I Sharif. I believe he was a staff officer and just happened to be in the city when the uprising took place.

Battle of Qala-i-Jangi - Wikipedia

I have some choice words about the whole situation, but don't really want to post them on the internet..
 
Just looking at his profile, I wonder where he earned his CIB...I just see staff jobs after 2000. This is not a slam, more of a curiosity since the criteria for CIB has rank restrictions as opposed to the CAB.

COL and below. I’m pretty sure he was a MAJ or LTC in 5th Group when I was a CPT there 2003-2005, so he would have been well within he window.
 
According to the book "Horse Soldiers" (12 strong movie), he was part of the group of SF guys who counter attacked the prisoner uprising at the Qala I Jangi prison near Mazar I Sharif. I believe he was a staff officer and just happened to be in the city when the uprising took place.

Battle of Qala-i-Jangi - Wikipedia

I have some choice words about the whole situation, but don't really want to post them on the internet..

I've heard from a guy who was once on the 5th Group staff (while Mitchell was an LTC and 5th Group XO that MAJ Mitchell's DSC was rather overblown, so I'm not surprised. He stated that working with Mitchell was not the best experience of his career, but declined to elaborate. I know that's RUMINT, but "where there's smoke there's fire" makes me think there's something to his comments.
 
As I think about what just occurred in SWC and in particular, SF standards. I was initially struck when asking what has been accomplished?
In the sprit of transparency, I have to admit as an enlisted man, my interactions with officers were never noteworthy except my interaction with the IG in my short Division stint. In SF the officers I dealt with were closer to the admonishment given in the "US Army Officers" guide of 1894 where it stated: Enlisted men are,,,, extremely cunning and sly and bear considerable watching." then the EMs I dealt with over the years, both as an EM and as an Officer.
I'll admit during my training in SF most of that knowledge base I acquired came from EMs which by design is the way that training is instilled in newbies. The officer corps lost an excellent opportunity to 'spit shine' their image. Additionally, later in my career as an officer, I did meet some officers that did have that SF spirit, where the mission took priority over their badges/career aspirations. I had great respect early on, for those Os that would jump in and teach a class with the EM instructors and to hell with ticket punching.
With all that said, what occurred is not just that a very senior officer, a bevy of junior officers and at least 2 combat-tested EMs from Mackall have lost a career (I'm not judging the individuals involved since I never met any of them) but that the standards for S & A have been put under the microscope where it should be to avoid "mission creep". Oh, these 2 EMs from Mackall, they embody the spirit my earlier post mentioned: 'the 18A that would sit in the GB club and drink a beer with the team. The ones with a touch of larceny in their collective hearts, the ones that prioritized mission over self. I wonder what would Bargewell, Beckwith and Rowe say if they weighed in on this debacle?
 
If you haven't read the breitbart article, it's probably best that you do if you want the total bru-ha-ha that's swirling the toilet. Again, allegedly those things in the article happened, but if in fact they did, what a sorry state of affairs. As once was said: power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. the breitbart url is: Exclusive: DOD Investigating General Retaliating Against Green Berets
 
I just have a few questions to some SF guys, or people who understand what is going on. How does removing language school from the Q course make it more linear? I know they are still supposed to go to LS after graduation but isn’t the ability to learn languages part of what makes a Special Forces soldier? So what happens if a newly minted Special Forces soldier goes on to language school and fails? Does he recycle or does he go to a team without language training? Also, with the optempo as it is for SF is there a danger that guys will end up having to push language school off to deploy? I have read an article by a Marine Raider that said they are supposed to go to language training after ITC, but that because of the optempo many of them aren’t able to. I’m just curious if the same thing might happen to SF.
 
Good riddance.

A General taking his shirt off and challenging his men to a fight is one of the most absurd things I'd ever heard. I wouldn't follow a cunt like that out of curiosity, nevermind into battle.

Patton challenged some of his men, though I suspect without taking his shirt off. But methinks Sonntag is no Patton.
 
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