Commando Operations

Commando Operations

Forward
This paper has been developed from unclassified sources including Time magazine, June23, 2003. It is meant to provide general information regarding commando operations for those persons contemplating entry into this sort of military job classification. The sources of this information are various books written by former commandos, interviews with a former Special Operations Group (SOG) operative, and issues of Time Magazine. The current label for commandos is Special Operations Forces (SOF). In this document, they will be referred to as "commandos." The opinions herein are those of the author.

What is a Commando?
A commando is an individual who usually operates within a small team of other intelligent, highly trained persons who are tasked to achieve a specific, short term objective. These objectives are usually military, but not limited to that scope. Commandos operate at the direction of their government within specific guidelines. They do not operate in a large force, and therefore, cannot hold ground against a much larger enemy force. Commandos are based at the U.S. Special Operations Command in Tampa, Florida.

Commando Objectives
Commando objectives are specified by the government for whom they operate. Although most commando missions are established during wartime, a commando team can be tasked at any time. A few examples of commando missions follow.

Late in the Vietnam War, U.S. Seal commandos, a branch of the U.S. Navy, captured several civilian officials who were working with the enemy, as part of Operation Phoenix. ("Seal" is an acronym for "Sea, Air, and Land" that describes their methods of arriving at a target.)

The man who provided engineering consultation for a long-range cannon being built in Iraq, was terminated, ostensibly by an Israeli commando unit.

In 1991, during Gulf War I, coalition commando units operated in the Iraqi desert to look for scud missile launchers. Approximately 3,000 commandos saw action in that war.

Also during the first Gulf War, Seals created a diversion of large explosions on the beaches of Kuwait to fool the Iraqi army into thinking that an invasion was coming from the sea. The explosions appeared to be shelling from ships to soften up enemy forces on the beaches. The actual thrust was tanks running an end-around to the west.

Months before Gulf War II began, commandos were dropped into northern Iraq.

In 2003, during Gulf War II, a commando unit rescued a severely wounded U.S. soldier, private Jessica Lynch, from an Iraqi hospital where she was being held captive. Had she not been rescued, she would have died from her wounds. Approximately 10,000 commandos operated in Gulf War II.

Classified Operations
Most commando operations are classified to protect the methods employed and the individual commandos. The methods have been developed over a period of time, and they improve the chances of a successful operation. Questions such as how the commandos arrived at an objective, how they got out, how they were directed, the communication methods, and the sources of their intel are often kept secret.

During the Vietnam War, to try to slow the movement of enemy war materials down the Ho Chi Min Trail in neutral Laos, U.S. commandos, consisting of special operations group (SOG) members, were placed in that country to damage the enemy supply lines. It has been reported that because the U.S. had to maintain deniability for the presence of these commandos, they were left there for months at a time. Supply drops could not be made, so the commandos had to befriend locals to get food. Periodically, they had to change the location of their sparse encampment to maintain security.

Protecting the identity of the commandos has two purposes. As in the Laos situation, the U.S. needed to deny that we had military personnel in that neutral country. Commando members did not wear any identification tags, rank insignia, or U.S. military uniforms. If any of them came under enemy control, the U.S. could maintain deniability.

The other reason for maintaining commando member anonymity is to prevent the enemy from offering a reward for the member's capture. During the Vietnam War, due to security leaks, commandos were identified to the enemy and rewards for the capture or killing of named commandos were advertised by the enemy government.

Commandos prefer to operate quietly and unseen, usually under cover of darkness, operational methods which may have been the inspiration for the popular song, "Peacekeeper," by Fleetwood Mac. Commandos normally operate in small groups with around 6 individuals.

Commando Training
Commando training was rigorous (see "The O'Connor Story" at www.barthworks.com/military).

Commando Motivation
Motivation for a commando to do a professional job is his loyalty to his teammates. Loyalty to his country and government come second. Teammate loyalty is important for the group to work as an effective, cohesive unit.

Commando Team Configuration
Traditional commando teams consist of six members. Through a combination of classes and on-the-job training, each member knows the other's duties. When moving through an environment, the members move in single file, each person staying several yards from the person in front of him.

One or more members of the team are trained in basic medical assistance procedures. They carry a sophisticated first aid kit designed to stabilize an injury until the injured person can be taken to a hospital.

Military commando teams normally consist of enlisted personnel, but one or more officers may be permanent or temporary members. If the team leader is enlisted, while on patrol, he has command authority over and responsibility for every other team member, regardless of their rank.

Point Position
The person at the front is the "point" man. The point position can be rotated to other team members from time to time because it requires the most attention and is the most tiring. The safety of the team depends upon the point man's ability to navigate safely through the environment. The point man tries to spot the enemy before it sees the team. Except when the objective is to link up with friendlies, the team attempts to avoid being seen by both friend and foe, alike. Critical issues for the point man include mines, trip wires, "tiger" pits, traps, and maintaining concealment for the team as much as the environment and route will allow.

Team Leader Position
The team leader follows the point man and controls the route of the team and makes team decisions, as necessary. The team leader's decisions are final.

Radio Position
In the Vietnam War, the radioman carried the radios for the team. Those radios were heavy and cumbersome. In addition, the radioman was responsible for communication, setting up antennas when necessary, carrying extra batteries, and making field repairs on the radio equipment.

Today, radios are small and lightweight, and each member carries his own radio. The team leader normally does all communication beyond the team, to higher authority, to air power units, or to search and rescue (SAR) units. Each member can communicate with every other team member using a lightweight microphone and headset.

Slack Position
Next in line is the slack position, or "slack." The person in this position has less to do than any other team member, and the position is often reserved for new personnel to learn patrol techniques, for someone who is on patrol as an observer, and for persons who are wounded, but ambulatory.

Assistant Team Lead Position
Next in line is the assistant team lead (ATL) position. The assistant team leader may be in training to take a lead position on another team or acting as an observer. The ATL is usually a well-qualified and experienced commando.

Tail Position
The last position in line is "tail-end Charlie." This position is very important to prevent the enemy from sneaking up on the team from the rear.

Team Communications
Communications within the team members as well as the command center are extremely important. Communications have evolved from hand signals to a combination of hand and radio communications techniques.

Click-click radio technology
Click-click radio technology reduces the possibility of the team being compromised through radio intercept by compressing a message into a digital pulse that is transmitted and then uncompressed by a receiver that has the proper code. If the message is intercepted by an unauthorized receiver, it is heard as a click.

PCD(Personal Communication Device)
A PCD is a communication device is a light-weight radio worn by personnel so that they can communicate without using their hands. In tactical situations, PCD communications are Line-of-Sight (LOS). A PCD can communicate to team members in close proximity or it can communicate long distances or worldwide by using a communications satellite. In either case, for direct or satellite communications, the transmission is Line-of-Sight, so the member must not be over a significant hill or a satellite must not be over the horizon. The PCD uses a Multi-Band Inter/Intra Team Radio (MBITR) system.

Hand Signals
Hand signals have been used since the first commandos went on patrol. Hand signals are used to maintain silence. Even though modern commandos use high-tech radios, hand signals are still used in case of radio failure or to eliminate electronic emissions.

Team Movement
The team moves in single file with each member several yards apart to lessen the chance of multiple personnel being injured by a single mine, rocket, or bomb. The team moves very slowly to blend into the background and lessen the chances of their being seen. Slow movement also allows each team member to carefully choose each step to keep from snapping twigs or making other noises.

Camouflage
Each member of the team wears clothing that is appropriate to the mission. In the Vietnam War, some teams wore tiger-striped fatigues, while other teams actually wore the black pajamas and sandals that the Viet Cong wore.

Immediate Action Drill
An immediate action drill is designed to stun an enemy force that is in close proximity, that has suddenly appeared or has spotted the team, so that the team can break contact.

The immediate action drill is an activity that directs a great amount of firepower against an enemy force that has suddenly threatened the commando team. The team member who is nearest to the enemy drops down and fires a magazine of ammunition on full automatic while two other team members move up behind and on each side of him and fire their weapons until the magazines are empty. When a member's magazine is empty, he crouches down and moves between members on either side, to the back of the team while reloading a fresh magazine. Members in behind those who are firing begin shooting as the members in front move to the rear. The rotation continues until the team leader gives the command to break off.

When the enemy has been shocked to the extent that the team can begin its escape, the team leader leads them as quickly as possible to a safe location where they can call for exfil (exfiltration) at a nearby landing zone (LZ). Whether a team escapes the enemy and is rescued depends on the environment, the size and coordination of the enemy force, the reaction time of the team's rescue forces, the availability of ready ground forces and air power, the decisions made by the team leader, and luck.

The aftermath of an immediate action drill against the enemy in the Vietnam War varied. Some teams were able to escape, but others weren't so fortunate. In one case a commando team was surrounded by enemy forces that began to move closer as darkness fell. An Air Force gunship heard the team's call for assistance and moved in over the area. The pilot radioed the team that he had 40,000 rounds of high-explosive ammunition on board and asked where the team wanted it laid down. The team leader held up a strobe and told the pilot to shoot all around his light for a hundred yards out. After the shooting stopped, the area was quiet and the team was exfilled the following morning by chopper.

Team Armament
Each team member carries his choice of weapons, although the team leader may make suggestions to new members preparing for their first patrol. The team members carry the weapons they feel most comfortable operating, and they make sure that the types of firepower are balanced so that all members aren't carrying the same weapon, such as a shotgun.

At least one shotgun is carried with double-ought buck (00 buckshot) loads and extra ammunition. The shotgun is used for close combat. The shotgun is usually sawed off to widen the pattern to create the greatest kill zone.

Usually, the heaviest weapon that was carried on a Vietnam patrol was the M60, a belt-fed machine gun. Although the gun and its ammo belts were heavy, it was a substantial weapon and very desirable when things got hot.

A grenade launcher is usually carried. In Vietnam, the trick was to shoot the grenade such that it didn't hit a tree branch and bounce back. One technique is to shoot it in a trajectory that causes it to explode before it reaches the ground to provide maximum anti-personnel shrapnel.

Sniper Operations
Each member of a commando team is trained in accurate fire. However, a bolt-action sniper rifle is not usually carried because of the need for fast-firing weapons.

Silenced Weapons
In the Vietnam War, silenced weapons were designed and used, in particular, by the Seal Teams. There was a silenced shotgun, that when fired, the only sound was the swish of the buckshot passing through the air. Since shotguns fire buckshot at subsonic speeds (less than Mach 1, 750 mph at sea level), the characteristic crack of a rifle shooting a supersonic bullet is absent.

U.S. Commando Derivations
In Vietnam, before a combined commando unit was established, U.S. commando teams were derived from various military and quasi-military institutions including the Air Force, Army, Navy (Seals), Marines, and CIA. The command and control structure had to keep these teams from running into each other and causing "blue-on-blue" or "friendly fire" incidents where friendly teams believed they were in contact with an enemy unit.