Florida173
SOF Support
SF Soldiers KIA in Niger
- Thread starter Gunz
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Rest Easy Brothers.
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This story seems to get stranger and stranger every time I see an update.
US troops in Niger were ambushed by 50 terrorists | Daily Mail Online
The four American special forces killed fighting in Niger were ambushed by 50 ISIS terrorists after they were stalled by a village elder, a survivor of the attack has revealed.
The group of 12 American forces had accompanied 30 Nigerien forces to an area about 85 kilometers north of the capital Niamey on a routine reconnaissance mission on October 3, when a dramatic new order came through to kill or capture a top ISIS target, officials told ABC News.
US troops in Niger were ambushed by 50 terrorists | Daily Mail Online
The four American special forces killed fighting in Niger were ambushed by 50 ISIS terrorists after they were stalled by a village elder, a survivor of the attack has revealed.
The group of 12 American forces had accompanied 30 Nigerien forces to an area about 85 kilometers north of the capital Niamey on a routine reconnaissance mission on October 3, when a dramatic new order came through to kill or capture a top ISIS target, officials told ABC News.
Sounds like a setup to me.
If true, then the elder needs to be suicided.
Kev in Phx
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I have a much less serious question. I was in 5th Group from 90-92, so I've been out for over 25 yrs now, but I was wondering why one of the men, Sgt. Johnson I believe, is wearing a maroon beret with a 3rd Group flash in his photo?
TLDR20
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Because he is a support guy. He was not 18 series.
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@Kev in Phx -
Per site rules, your first post should be an intro post. Please make that your next post.
Thank you.
Kev in Phx
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That's kinda what I thought. Waaaayyy back when I was in, everyone assigned to a Group wore a green beret. Rangers had black berets, and mostly 82nd wore maroon. Then I saw that they changed the Rangers from black to tan and gave everyone else black berets. That was really weird for me, it looked to me as is everyone was all a of a sudden in a Ranger Batt.! Now, was his beret maroon because he was abn., and would it have been black if he wasn't abn quailified?
Kev in Phx
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opps! sorry about the etiquette breach!
I thought this was a solid write-up on SGT Johnson. It's always easy to focus on the high-profile SOF guys, but support plays a critical role. This SGT seems to have been a great representative of the support community. A mechanic who came from nothing, trying to be a good Soldier and father. I think he's representative of a good portion of the force who aren't as represented in the branding around veterans in media - and I include veteran media in that. RIP.
A Sergeant’s Last Mission: Soldiering, Barbering and Missing His Family at Home
A Sergeant’s Last Mission: Soldiering, Barbering and Missing His Family at Home
TLDR20
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He is assigned to an airborne unit. I don’t know if there are any leg guys in group. Def not in his role.
I thought the army did away with black berets...
Unless something has changed recently, regardless of jump qualification status all of the enablers in Group are authorized to wear the maroon beret. It's organizational wear, the only qualification is assignment to the unit. Just like the SF Regimental Distinctive Unit Insignia.
AFAIK that's the same in airborne units as well, unless the command has a more-restrictive policy. My detachment sergeant in 5th Group's MI Det was non-Airborne-qualified, and I had several privates/PFCs join the unit before they went off to Airborne School. All were authorized, and wore, the maroon beret.
In all the official photos I've seen of SGT Johnson and the three Green Berets, all are wearing jump wings with flash - meaning they're in a unit on jump status.
The Army still has the black beret - but CDR's have wide discretion on when to wear it. I believe most units only wear it with class Bs or Blues.
The Army still has the black beret - but CDR's have wide discretion on when to wear it. I believe most units only wear it with class Bs or Blues.
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- UPDATE -
Questions about four U.S. deaths mount in Congress.
U.S. soldiers were separated from their unit in Niger ambush
Questions about four U.S. deaths mount in Congress.
U.S. soldiers were separated from their unit in Niger ambush
policemedic
Verified SWAT
Honestly, I always thought that a bit strange. The uniform is the uniform, however it is defined.
Beret is not great headgear for daily wear - zero sun protection, comfort, utility, etc. However, I think it looks better in dress uniform than those weird brimmed hats that make you look like kazoo from the Flintstones (at least with Greens).
policemedic
Verified SWAT
That sounds vaguely xenophobic, sir.
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