This is a new feature called “Who Said It?” It is a monthly quote having to do with preparedness or self-defense and open for a response from you. Try to determine who said this quote and comment with your answers. Don’t use Google and give it your best response!
January Quote
“The two most important rules in a gunfight are: always cheat and always win."
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
Friday, January 31, 2020
Friday, January 17, 2020
Reposted Most Viewed Post of 2019- Legend of Special Forces Underground-Updated
This was the most viewed article of 2019 2/11/2019. Here it is reposted.
Legend of Special Forces Underground-Updated
Years ago I fell into some bad company. Special Operations cadre. Guys that participate in war all over the world. Some of them participate in missions before an invasion. Some of them do operations within countries the U.S. is not really friends with and some of them do things they can’t get caught doing. Their victories are secret and they blend in. Some work is overt and some is covert. They seem to do it all. I found myself in many different schools with these types and I had the distinct honor of fighting with some of them in distant lands. I am not one of them. But I got to know them pretty well and in certain situations, we became brothers for life.
After I served in the military I was given a copy of a newsletter called “The Resister”. This came to me by a friend of a friend in the Summer of 1994. It was a gray copy of The Resister and I was dubious about it being genuine. Later I received communication that confirmed The Resister was what it said it was, The Official Publication of the Special Forces Underground. Their Philosophy is this:
“The philosophy of The RESISTER is straightforward. Individual rights, strict constitutionalism, limited government, isolationism, laissez-faire capitalism, and republicanism; in short, the principles upon which this nation was founded.
We oppose: Statism, socialism, collectivism, racism, altruism, internationalism, tribalism, unlimited democracy, pull politics, and the "New World Order;" in short, the ideologies of all tyrannies.
Our philosophical framework is Objectivism* (the rational morality of self-interest--LIFE). Our political philosophy is grounded in the works of the Framers of the Constitution (government as servant, not master-- LIBERTY). Our economic philosophy is laissez-faire capitalism (the origin of true rights--PROPERTY).
We do not advocate the overthrow of the U.S. Government. We do advocate resistance to government tyranny. We do not advocate the initiation of force in doing so. We do advocate appropriate force-in-kind in retaliation. We advocate active resistance against the United Nations. Our goal is the restoration of the Constitutional Republic and to see the government chained to the walls of its constitutional prison.
*The editors of this publication accept Objectivism as their philosophical base; however, we are not spokesmen for Objectivism and we alone are responsible for the views expressed here.
From “The Resister” Volume I Number 3"
The Library at the United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare and School at Fort Bragg, North Carolina judge advocate confiscated the library’s resource copy of The Resister for reasons unknown. The library contains socialist, communist, and even Nazi works in it but only The Resister was taken. “Errand boys sent by grocery clerks” was what the Major was called who took the original grey copy. You knew you had an original copy of the newsletter if it was on grey paper. White paper copies were encouraged to be shared and distributed.
I wonder what the Army was afraid of? Insurrection in its ranks? Well, the military have never been very “free thinkers.” I admit that I didn’t agree with everything that was presented in the newsletters, but I think it was, and is, a necessary publication. Those that produced it were patriots. They were not white supremacists or skin heads. They were not looking to over throw the government. But if the government ever gets out of hand, they need to know that these type of patriots exist. And I can tell you that they do indeed exist. They have chosen (in writing) to stay away from affiliation with patriot or militia groups.
According to the Hoover Institution in August of 2015 the “true patriotism” of the underground group included views vehemently misogynistic, racist, and homophobic. At the end of 1995, the white supremacist views of The Resister came under scrutiny after three white army paratroopers were arrested for the murders of two African American citizens of Fayetteville, North Carolina: home of Fort Bragg, the primary training facility for Green Berets. The murders’ possible link to skinhead extremist groups within the Army gave rise to a branch-wide investigation; all available copies of The Resister were gathered and sent to the army’s staff judge advocate for review. The judge advocate ruled that the magazine did not violate army guidelines or regulations nor did it breach security.
Despite the Army’s ruling, the House National Security Committee called for a federal investigation of extremist activity in the military (in The Resister, Barry called it a “witch hunt”) and convened a hearing in June 1996. Although the findings were inconclusive, Barry was demoted and retired the following year. After his retirement, Barry continued editing and distributing The Resister. As the newsletters show following Barry’s demotion the magazine became increasingly extremist and racist; by 1998, The Resister featured full-page advertisements for the neo-Nazi National Alliance. To date, the military still lacks substantial demographics for the “Special Forces Underground.”
The term “Special Forces” is often misunderstood in civilian circles. SEAL Teams, Army Rangers, Marine Force Recon units, and so on are not really Special Forces; they are “Special Operations.” The term “Special Forces” specifically refers to what most civilians identify as “Green Berets.” The Special Forces existed prior to the authorization of the iconic head-gear, but they came to be what we know today when President John F. Kennedy authorized the unusual headgear over the Department of Defense’s objections (DOD thought the berets were too feminine).
The legend of the Special Forces Underground reaches back to the same time period. The story is that President Kennedy, kind-of a left leaning, outspoken critic of the military-industrial complex, pulled selected Special Forces officers aside when he visited Fort Bragg in October of 1961. In a very informal conversation he asked these officers to promise that if the US military was ever used against the people of the United States the men of the Special Forces would use their very unique training to assist the people. According to the legend, this promise has been passed down through the decades to some of the soldiers wearing the Green Beret today. These men make up what the media and DOD investigations have referred to as “The Special Forces Underground.” Is there any truth to this legend? President Kennedy did meet with Special Forces officers in October of 1961 at Fort Bragg. That much is public record. The relationship between the Special Forces and President Kennedy is unique to say the very least. Any request the unit had during his administration was granted, and the number of Green Berets more than doubled during his short Presidency. Within hours of President Kennedy’s assassination, 46 Special Forces soldiers were en route to Washington, DC at the request of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Some were selected to participate in the President’s Honor Guard. Available records don’t indicate what the others did. Kennedy is the only President to have ever had a detachment of Special Forces soldiers serve in this capacity. They stayed with his casket and guarded over it until after the President’s family left. After the family left, Command Sergeant Major Francis Ruddy removed his Green Beret and left it on the grave. By some accounts, all of the other Green Berets left their symbolic headgear behind as well. CSM Ruddy’s beret can be seen today at the JFK Presidential Library where it is on permanent display in honor of the US Army Special Forces. It is the only permanent military display in the museum, even though Kennedy himself served in the Navy.
The center where Green Berets are trained today is located where the reported promises were given at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and is called the US Army JFK Warfare Center and School. Every year, Green Berets travel to Arlington National Cemetery and place a wreath on Kennedy’s grave in a brief ceremony. No other President receives this attention from the Green Berets. President Kennedy authorized the creation of the Navy SEALs as well but there is no similar tribute from the Navy.
The legend continues.
And so we come to the Special Forces underground. This is actually is term coined by Steven Barry and not anyone in Special Forces. The racist views of Barry led to a Department of Defense investigation. It was determined that the group was not racist in nature. In 1995, Lt. Colonel Kenneth McGraw told the New York Times that several checks of the group by the DOD demonstrated that it did not violate any regulations. This was the first and only real admission by military personnel that the group exists.
Barry has since faded into obscurity. The name “Special Forces Underground” stuck, much to the dismay of the Special Forces community who would rather not be associated with the racist nature of the man who came up with the term. Interestingly enough about this brotherhood within the Special Forces is that even though both the DOD and the FBI acknowledged that it exists during the investigation into the racist element of the 1990s, most Green Berets will say it does not. They don’t deny it either. What we do know is that the Department of Defense and FBI believes it exists.
Talk to Green Beret both current and retired. They will deny that they are involved but can tell you how soldiers are selected and approached to be in the group. Operations security is obvious. I have asked many Green Beret about this affiliation and they speak of it in abstract. I do know many in the Special Operations community and it seems that other branches of Spec Ops are also included in this brotherhood. I have said many times that I have had the opportunity to have been on the periphery of these great organizations. I call many of these good men my brothers.
I believe that this organization exists and am grateful for them. If they ever need a brother, I would have their back.
“The Resister” put a spotlight where none was needed or wanted. But I am glad in a way to know that these brothers are there and willing to step in if ever needed.
PS I asked several SOP members including Green Beret if I should write this article, and was given their blessing. All of this information can be found on the internet except my personal experiences.
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
PPS Update 2/20/2019
I was contacted by 2 operators and ex-operators who confirm this brotherhood. They say they do not mind anyone being aware of the Underground's existence, as long as "official" agencies keep their distance, which they have since the original investigation in 1996.
Judge as you will the veracity of all of this.
Burn
Legend of Special Forces Underground-Updated
Years ago I fell into some bad company. Special Operations cadre. Guys that participate in war all over the world. Some of them participate in missions before an invasion. Some of them do operations within countries the U.S. is not really friends with and some of them do things they can’t get caught doing. Their victories are secret and they blend in. Some work is overt and some is covert. They seem to do it all. I found myself in many different schools with these types and I had the distinct honor of fighting with some of them in distant lands. I am not one of them. But I got to know them pretty well and in certain situations, we became brothers for life.
After I served in the military I was given a copy of a newsletter called “The Resister”. This came to me by a friend of a friend in the Summer of 1994. It was a gray copy of The Resister and I was dubious about it being genuine. Later I received communication that confirmed The Resister was what it said it was, The Official Publication of the Special Forces Underground. Their Philosophy is this:
“The philosophy of The RESISTER is straightforward. Individual rights, strict constitutionalism, limited government, isolationism, laissez-faire capitalism, and republicanism; in short, the principles upon which this nation was founded.
We oppose: Statism, socialism, collectivism, racism, altruism, internationalism, tribalism, unlimited democracy, pull politics, and the "New World Order;" in short, the ideologies of all tyrannies.
Our philosophical framework is Objectivism* (the rational morality of self-interest--LIFE). Our political philosophy is grounded in the works of the Framers of the Constitution (government as servant, not master-- LIBERTY). Our economic philosophy is laissez-faire capitalism (the origin of true rights--PROPERTY).
We do not advocate the overthrow of the U.S. Government. We do advocate resistance to government tyranny. We do not advocate the initiation of force in doing so. We do advocate appropriate force-in-kind in retaliation. We advocate active resistance against the United Nations. Our goal is the restoration of the Constitutional Republic and to see the government chained to the walls of its constitutional prison.
*The editors of this publication accept Objectivism as their philosophical base; however, we are not spokesmen for Objectivism and we alone are responsible for the views expressed here.
From “The Resister” Volume I Number 3"
The Library at the United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare and School at Fort Bragg, North Carolina judge advocate confiscated the library’s resource copy of The Resister for reasons unknown. The library contains socialist, communist, and even Nazi works in it but only The Resister was taken. “Errand boys sent by grocery clerks” was what the Major was called who took the original grey copy. You knew you had an original copy of the newsletter if it was on grey paper. White paper copies were encouraged to be shared and distributed.
I wonder what the Army was afraid of? Insurrection in its ranks? Well, the military have never been very “free thinkers.” I admit that I didn’t agree with everything that was presented in the newsletters, but I think it was, and is, a necessary publication. Those that produced it were patriots. They were not white supremacists or skin heads. They were not looking to over throw the government. But if the government ever gets out of hand, they need to know that these type of patriots exist. And I can tell you that they do indeed exist. They have chosen (in writing) to stay away from affiliation with patriot or militia groups.
According to the Hoover Institution in August of 2015 the “true patriotism” of the underground group included views vehemently misogynistic, racist, and homophobic. At the end of 1995, the white supremacist views of The Resister came under scrutiny after three white army paratroopers were arrested for the murders of two African American citizens of Fayetteville, North Carolina: home of Fort Bragg, the primary training facility for Green Berets. The murders’ possible link to skinhead extremist groups within the Army gave rise to a branch-wide investigation; all available copies of The Resister were gathered and sent to the army’s staff judge advocate for review. The judge advocate ruled that the magazine did not violate army guidelines or regulations nor did it breach security.
Despite the Army’s ruling, the House National Security Committee called for a federal investigation of extremist activity in the military (in The Resister, Barry called it a “witch hunt”) and convened a hearing in June 1996. Although the findings were inconclusive, Barry was demoted and retired the following year. After his retirement, Barry continued editing and distributing The Resister. As the newsletters show following Barry’s demotion the magazine became increasingly extremist and racist; by 1998, The Resister featured full-page advertisements for the neo-Nazi National Alliance. To date, the military still lacks substantial demographics for the “Special Forces Underground.”
The term “Special Forces” is often misunderstood in civilian circles. SEAL Teams, Army Rangers, Marine Force Recon units, and so on are not really Special Forces; they are “Special Operations.” The term “Special Forces” specifically refers to what most civilians identify as “Green Berets.” The Special Forces existed prior to the authorization of the iconic head-gear, but they came to be what we know today when President John F. Kennedy authorized the unusual headgear over the Department of Defense’s objections (DOD thought the berets were too feminine).
The legend of the Special Forces Underground reaches back to the same time period. The story is that President Kennedy, kind-of a left leaning, outspoken critic of the military-industrial complex, pulled selected Special Forces officers aside when he visited Fort Bragg in October of 1961. In a very informal conversation he asked these officers to promise that if the US military was ever used against the people of the United States the men of the Special Forces would use their very unique training to assist the people. According to the legend, this promise has been passed down through the decades to some of the soldiers wearing the Green Beret today. These men make up what the media and DOD investigations have referred to as “The Special Forces Underground.” Is there any truth to this legend? President Kennedy did meet with Special Forces officers in October of 1961 at Fort Bragg. That much is public record. The relationship between the Special Forces and President Kennedy is unique to say the very least. Any request the unit had during his administration was granted, and the number of Green Berets more than doubled during his short Presidency. Within hours of President Kennedy’s assassination, 46 Special Forces soldiers were en route to Washington, DC at the request of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Some were selected to participate in the President’s Honor Guard. Available records don’t indicate what the others did. Kennedy is the only President to have ever had a detachment of Special Forces soldiers serve in this capacity. They stayed with his casket and guarded over it until after the President’s family left. After the family left, Command Sergeant Major Francis Ruddy removed his Green Beret and left it on the grave. By some accounts, all of the other Green Berets left their symbolic headgear behind as well. CSM Ruddy’s beret can be seen today at the JFK Presidential Library where it is on permanent display in honor of the US Army Special Forces. It is the only permanent military display in the museum, even though Kennedy himself served in the Navy.
The center where Green Berets are trained today is located where the reported promises were given at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and is called the US Army JFK Warfare Center and School. Every year, Green Berets travel to Arlington National Cemetery and place a wreath on Kennedy’s grave in a brief ceremony. No other President receives this attention from the Green Berets. President Kennedy authorized the creation of the Navy SEALs as well but there is no similar tribute from the Navy.
The legend continues.
And so we come to the Special Forces underground. This is actually is term coined by Steven Barry and not anyone in Special Forces. The racist views of Barry led to a Department of Defense investigation. It was determined that the group was not racist in nature. In 1995, Lt. Colonel Kenneth McGraw told the New York Times that several checks of the group by the DOD demonstrated that it did not violate any regulations. This was the first and only real admission by military personnel that the group exists.
Barry has since faded into obscurity. The name “Special Forces Underground” stuck, much to the dismay of the Special Forces community who would rather not be associated with the racist nature of the man who came up with the term. Interestingly enough about this brotherhood within the Special Forces is that even though both the DOD and the FBI acknowledged that it exists during the investigation into the racist element of the 1990s, most Green Berets will say it does not. They don’t deny it either. What we do know is that the Department of Defense and FBI believes it exists.
Talk to Green Beret both current and retired. They will deny that they are involved but can tell you how soldiers are selected and approached to be in the group. Operations security is obvious. I have asked many Green Beret about this affiliation and they speak of it in abstract. I do know many in the Special Operations community and it seems that other branches of Spec Ops are also included in this brotherhood. I have said many times that I have had the opportunity to have been on the periphery of these great organizations. I call many of these good men my brothers.
I believe that this organization exists and am grateful for them. If they ever need a brother, I would have their back.
“The Resister” put a spotlight where none was needed or wanted. But I am glad in a way to know that these brothers are there and willing to step in if ever needed.
PS I asked several SOP members including Green Beret if I should write this article, and was given their blessing. All of this information can be found on the internet except my personal experiences.
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
PPS Update 2/20/2019
I was contacted by 2 operators and ex-operators who confirm this brotherhood. They say they do not mind anyone being aware of the Underground's existence, as long as "official" agencies keep their distance, which they have since the original investigation in 1996.
Judge as you will the veracity of all of this.
Burn
Auto-loaders Over Revolvers
I want to talk about revolvers. First, I don’t have nearly as many revolvers as I do auto loaders and I don’t shoot them as often. But years ago in the military I used to teach military members, mostly pilots, how to shoot, clean, and maintain the Smith and Wesson K-38 Combat Masterpiece, Revolver Model 15. It is honestly the only revolver I am real familiar with. Even more so than the two revolvers I own! Many people have heard that revolvers are very reliable. That is true. But some say they do not malfunction. This not true. They malfunction often enough to be close to autoloaders in my opinion. They have different problems than auto loaders. Those who say revolvers don’t have malfunctions have never really shot a lot of revolvers. These are some of those problems:
Light primer strikes.
A frozen cylinder from debris under the extractor star or from out of spec primers.
Broken cylinder release latch.
An extractor rod backing itself out preventing the cylinder from opening.
Triggers spontaneously dragging or freezing up for undetermined reasons.
Various user-induced problems like short stroking the trigger or all the different ways you can fumble a reload.
The only easy fix is the light primer strike.
Reliability aside, the capacity of ammo is a big con. Revolvers have 5 or 6 shots, where compact auto loaders can carry 13 to 18 rounds. Reloading in a revolver is a real challenge. It’s easy to mess it up.
I am not dumping on revolvers. It’s not that I don’t like them, but for my purposes, I don’t get a lot of use out them.
Don’t get me wrong, auto-loaders have their fair share of problems. But I feel that most of their problems can be fixed with a tap and rack drill. Revolvers don’t usually have that easy of a fix.
There are some positive aspects to revolvers. Concealed at close distances revolvers may have less problem with clothing or others things stopping its use. With a slide moving around sometimes it’s more difficult to keep the gun ready to shoot. A revolver doesn’t have that problem.
Another advantage a revolver has over a semi-auto is that a revolver has no slide that a shooter must rack before firing. That’s significant for older folks, or folks with weak hands. No one wants to hide in a corner while a marauder roams through his house, trying feverishly to chamber a round in his gun but unable to do so because the slide is too hard to rack. Better to have six shots that will go bang than 17 that won’t.
Reliability is another issue. Put an autoloader in a box, holster, or drawer for a year and then try and use it, you run a risk. With a revolver you don’t have the same issue.
Take an auto-loader to a range and shoot 500 to 800 rounds and you may not have an issue. But with a revolver that is not the case. Auto-loaders also are more tolerant of neglect. I’m not saying you should ever neglect a gun. You should be shooting, handling, and maintaining said gun.
The downsides to a revolver are simple: significantly less firepower and a thicker profile. The first means that you have fewer bullets to shoot at bad guys, and it takes longer to reload. The second means that they can be harder to conceal. That’s pretty much it.
The downsides to semi-auto handguns can be summed up in just a few sentences: They can be harder to operate (racking the slide). If you possess the grey hair and wisdom of years gone by, you might be better served by a revolver but not necessarily.
I know I didn’t help your decision much. I like auto-loaders better because of my experience with them and ammo capacity. But there are some who really prefer a revolver. I say any gun is better than no gun. But you must be proficient with whatever you decide will be your gun. As an instructor I shot expert with a revolver for several years. I still prefer auto-loaders…
You must get your own experience and decide for yourself.
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
Light primer strikes.
A frozen cylinder from debris under the extractor star or from out of spec primers.
Broken cylinder release latch.
An extractor rod backing itself out preventing the cylinder from opening.
Triggers spontaneously dragging or freezing up for undetermined reasons.
Various user-induced problems like short stroking the trigger or all the different ways you can fumble a reload.
The only easy fix is the light primer strike.
Reliability aside, the capacity of ammo is a big con. Revolvers have 5 or 6 shots, where compact auto loaders can carry 13 to 18 rounds. Reloading in a revolver is a real challenge. It’s easy to mess it up.
I am not dumping on revolvers. It’s not that I don’t like them, but for my purposes, I don’t get a lot of use out them.
Don’t get me wrong, auto-loaders have their fair share of problems. But I feel that most of their problems can be fixed with a tap and rack drill. Revolvers don’t usually have that easy of a fix.
There are some positive aspects to revolvers. Concealed at close distances revolvers may have less problem with clothing or others things stopping its use. With a slide moving around sometimes it’s more difficult to keep the gun ready to shoot. A revolver doesn’t have that problem.
Another advantage a revolver has over a semi-auto is that a revolver has no slide that a shooter must rack before firing. That’s significant for older folks, or folks with weak hands. No one wants to hide in a corner while a marauder roams through his house, trying feverishly to chamber a round in his gun but unable to do so because the slide is too hard to rack. Better to have six shots that will go bang than 17 that won’t.
Reliability is another issue. Put an autoloader in a box, holster, or drawer for a year and then try and use it, you run a risk. With a revolver you don’t have the same issue.
Take an auto-loader to a range and shoot 500 to 800 rounds and you may not have an issue. But with a revolver that is not the case. Auto-loaders also are more tolerant of neglect. I’m not saying you should ever neglect a gun. You should be shooting, handling, and maintaining said gun.
The downsides to a revolver are simple: significantly less firepower and a thicker profile. The first means that you have fewer bullets to shoot at bad guys, and it takes longer to reload. The second means that they can be harder to conceal. That’s pretty much it.
The downsides to semi-auto handguns can be summed up in just a few sentences: They can be harder to operate (racking the slide). If you possess the grey hair and wisdom of years gone by, you might be better served by a revolver but not necessarily.
I know I didn’t help your decision much. I like auto-loaders better because of my experience with them and ammo capacity. But there are some who really prefer a revolver. I say any gun is better than no gun. But you must be proficient with whatever you decide will be your gun. As an instructor I shot expert with a revolver for several years. I still prefer auto-loaders…
You must get your own experience and decide for yourself.
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
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