Thumper
05-17-2015, 09:49 AM
Not sure how to punctuate that title. ;)
I was buried with work yesterday as I've officially opened an eBay Store and have been extremely busy. That's a step up from just some amateur dufe in his underwear selling on eBay, I'm now a simi-professional dufe in his underwear selling on eBay! :D
But, that has nothing to do with this post ... I just wanted to explain I've been basically living under a rock recently and haven't heard or read any news in the past 36 hours or so. Heck, I even missed the All-Star race yesterday! I woke up early this morning and decided to catch up a bit before getting back to work and was floored by the news about "Delta Force" and their mission this weekend. What floored me? The fact we are reading all about it in the frigging newspapers and having it splashed all over the tv screens. Maybe I'm old ... or just old-school maybe ... but "back in the day" (and even still actually) ... these missions were secret ... and STAYED that way. Who releases this stuff? And why?
Ok, I'm a dinosaur, but back in my "olden days", this stuff just wasn't made public. I used to be all about gov't transparency, but after entering the intelligence community, my mind was changed almost immediately. I was personally involved in one "breach" in the 70's when some butthead with the N.Y. Times published a story compromising our units identity and mission. It put us in immediate danger and a BUNCH of lives were at risk. "SOMEBODY" obviously talked to this frigging bozo and he made a name for himself by publishing a story.
You all know I'm very close friends with an old SEAL buddy and we've spent many, many ... MANY hours together, even worked some of the same missions back in the day and still stay in touch almost daily as well as done a ton of traveling the world together. To this day, it's like pulling teeth to get him to talk about the old missions. He's a fascinating guy ... led a fascinating life as a SEAL and one day I made the mistake of telling him so, then mentioning he should write a book. BAM! His blood pressure went through the roof and his only response was (as the veins popped out on his neck), "Yeah, like every other fucking SEAL in the world these days??!!" The "old school" SEALs just simply DO NOT TALK about their missions. Today, it seems like books and movies are released shortly after any major operation. I suppose American Sniper was the latest.
That brings me to the so-called Delta Force (BTW, as far as I know, they don't call themselves that). I have a buddy who became an operator (as they are called) and to this day, I couldn't tell you if he's still in ... or out! I'm SURE he's out (due to his age) ... but I honestly don't know. We were in Intel together and as of 6 months from now, we'll have known each other for 45 years. We talk a minimum of once a week IF he's in the country (still travels a LOT) and just happens to be in California right now, but will only be there a couple of months, then he'll be gone again. We met up at the U.S. Embassy in Thailand about 10 years ago ... he flew in from Taiwan to hook up with us, we partied for 3 days and he was "gone again". We met up again (out of state) about 6-8 months ago and had a great time for about 5 days, then he was off again. The last I saw him was at the airport, he was headed west and I was headed east. I'm not really sure what he does. I have to assume he's a civilian ... surely he is as he's in his early 60's ... but I'm not positive. One note, since he entered SOD, I never again saw him in uniform. He's had long hair, short hair, beards, moustaches, been clean shaven ... he's just always looked like Joe Blow off the streets. I remember kind of joking with him at the Embassy and asked how I'd know one of his cohorts if I ever saw one. He looked me straight in the eye and told me for all I know, I'm the only non-operator in the room ... and he was as serious as a heart attack! I've heard that some who went for Delta training were washed out because they were "too military". That would be hard to prove, because from what I understand, when you wash out, they don't even tell you why.
I remember when we worked Intel together, he was Special Forces (Green Beret) ... remember, this was the 'Nam days, and he was a TOUGH little sob back then. The funny part is, you'd never know it in a bazillion years if you didn't REALLY know him. We were together "up north" and later went "down south" together, worked together and partied together. We even lived in bungalos next to each other in the village. We got out after the war in '75, but in a matter of months, he re-enlisted, went back into Special Forces and became a Ranger. A couple years later, he told me he was entering a "special program" that was just getting started and would "fall off the face of the earth for a while". This "special program" turned out to be the formation of 1st Spec-Ops Detachment. They were the "Delta Unit" and somewhere along the line (Hollywood maybe?) ... they were called "Delta Force" ... but to this day, I really don't think they call themselves that. That's about all I remember. After that, he became a "ghost". We had a long talk one day and this new unit had pretty much caused his divorce (he was never home and never talked about where he'd been or what he'd been doing). I knew his wife well, was there when they met, was there when they married and was there when they had a son and adopted a daughter (from his wife's previous marriage). He's been to my house, I've been to his house, I knew his parents ... I'm just saying, we're very close friends ... always have been, always will be ... but I know NOTHING of his military ops. (other than from working together during our old Intel days).
"Delta Force" members just do NOT talk. I really don't know who releases this stuff or why ... but I do know it really pisses off the REAL Spec. Ops. Delta guys as well as the REAL (read - old school) SEALs. These guys are the toughest sob's on the planet and they live by a code of silence. I guess many of us are becoming dinosaurs and it's a different world now ... but I still have all the respect in the world for the "old school" guys and their discipline. I've always wondered who's really the toughest ... SEALs or SFOD-D ... being ex-Army I might actually lean toward Delta ... you just don't hear about them as much ... kinda like it USED to be with the SEALs. What really sucks is, about the only thing the average person knows about "Delta Force" is the failed mission in Tehran and the movie Blackhawk Down ... or some of the stupid Chuck Norris movies. The truth is, they run hundreds ... no, probably thousands of missions you and I never hear about. Who picks and chooses which ones to make public?
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the heck out of hearing/reading the details of these operators' missions ... it gets my heart racing ... but sometimes I have to wonder which politicians have their heads up their collective asses when it comes to releasing details of these operations and what unit it was that pulled them off. That said ... I'll be reading all I can get my hands on and living vicariously for the next few days. Does that make me a hypocrite?
I was buried with work yesterday as I've officially opened an eBay Store and have been extremely busy. That's a step up from just some amateur dufe in his underwear selling on eBay, I'm now a simi-professional dufe in his underwear selling on eBay! :D
But, that has nothing to do with this post ... I just wanted to explain I've been basically living under a rock recently and haven't heard or read any news in the past 36 hours or so. Heck, I even missed the All-Star race yesterday! I woke up early this morning and decided to catch up a bit before getting back to work and was floored by the news about "Delta Force" and their mission this weekend. What floored me? The fact we are reading all about it in the frigging newspapers and having it splashed all over the tv screens. Maybe I'm old ... or just old-school maybe ... but "back in the day" (and even still actually) ... these missions were secret ... and STAYED that way. Who releases this stuff? And why?
Ok, I'm a dinosaur, but back in my "olden days", this stuff just wasn't made public. I used to be all about gov't transparency, but after entering the intelligence community, my mind was changed almost immediately. I was personally involved in one "breach" in the 70's when some butthead with the N.Y. Times published a story compromising our units identity and mission. It put us in immediate danger and a BUNCH of lives were at risk. "SOMEBODY" obviously talked to this frigging bozo and he made a name for himself by publishing a story.
You all know I'm very close friends with an old SEAL buddy and we've spent many, many ... MANY hours together, even worked some of the same missions back in the day and still stay in touch almost daily as well as done a ton of traveling the world together. To this day, it's like pulling teeth to get him to talk about the old missions. He's a fascinating guy ... led a fascinating life as a SEAL and one day I made the mistake of telling him so, then mentioning he should write a book. BAM! His blood pressure went through the roof and his only response was (as the veins popped out on his neck), "Yeah, like every other fucking SEAL in the world these days??!!" The "old school" SEALs just simply DO NOT TALK about their missions. Today, it seems like books and movies are released shortly after any major operation. I suppose American Sniper was the latest.
That brings me to the so-called Delta Force (BTW, as far as I know, they don't call themselves that). I have a buddy who became an operator (as they are called) and to this day, I couldn't tell you if he's still in ... or out! I'm SURE he's out (due to his age) ... but I honestly don't know. We were in Intel together and as of 6 months from now, we'll have known each other for 45 years. We talk a minimum of once a week IF he's in the country (still travels a LOT) and just happens to be in California right now, but will only be there a couple of months, then he'll be gone again. We met up at the U.S. Embassy in Thailand about 10 years ago ... he flew in from Taiwan to hook up with us, we partied for 3 days and he was "gone again". We met up again (out of state) about 6-8 months ago and had a great time for about 5 days, then he was off again. The last I saw him was at the airport, he was headed west and I was headed east. I'm not really sure what he does. I have to assume he's a civilian ... surely he is as he's in his early 60's ... but I'm not positive. One note, since he entered SOD, I never again saw him in uniform. He's had long hair, short hair, beards, moustaches, been clean shaven ... he's just always looked like Joe Blow off the streets. I remember kind of joking with him at the Embassy and asked how I'd know one of his cohorts if I ever saw one. He looked me straight in the eye and told me for all I know, I'm the only non-operator in the room ... and he was as serious as a heart attack! I've heard that some who went for Delta training were washed out because they were "too military". That would be hard to prove, because from what I understand, when you wash out, they don't even tell you why.
I remember when we worked Intel together, he was Special Forces (Green Beret) ... remember, this was the 'Nam days, and he was a TOUGH little sob back then. The funny part is, you'd never know it in a bazillion years if you didn't REALLY know him. We were together "up north" and later went "down south" together, worked together and partied together. We even lived in bungalos next to each other in the village. We got out after the war in '75, but in a matter of months, he re-enlisted, went back into Special Forces and became a Ranger. A couple years later, he told me he was entering a "special program" that was just getting started and would "fall off the face of the earth for a while". This "special program" turned out to be the formation of 1st Spec-Ops Detachment. They were the "Delta Unit" and somewhere along the line (Hollywood maybe?) ... they were called "Delta Force" ... but to this day, I really don't think they call themselves that. That's about all I remember. After that, he became a "ghost". We had a long talk one day and this new unit had pretty much caused his divorce (he was never home and never talked about where he'd been or what he'd been doing). I knew his wife well, was there when they met, was there when they married and was there when they had a son and adopted a daughter (from his wife's previous marriage). He's been to my house, I've been to his house, I knew his parents ... I'm just saying, we're very close friends ... always have been, always will be ... but I know NOTHING of his military ops. (other than from working together during our old Intel days).
"Delta Force" members just do NOT talk. I really don't know who releases this stuff or why ... but I do know it really pisses off the REAL Spec. Ops. Delta guys as well as the REAL (read - old school) SEALs. These guys are the toughest sob's on the planet and they live by a code of silence. I guess many of us are becoming dinosaurs and it's a different world now ... but I still have all the respect in the world for the "old school" guys and their discipline. I've always wondered who's really the toughest ... SEALs or SFOD-D ... being ex-Army I might actually lean toward Delta ... you just don't hear about them as much ... kinda like it USED to be with the SEALs. What really sucks is, about the only thing the average person knows about "Delta Force" is the failed mission in Tehran and the movie Blackhawk Down ... or some of the stupid Chuck Norris movies. The truth is, they run hundreds ... no, probably thousands of missions you and I never hear about. Who picks and chooses which ones to make public?
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the heck out of hearing/reading the details of these operators' missions ... it gets my heart racing ... but sometimes I have to wonder which politicians have their heads up their collective asses when it comes to releasing details of these operations and what unit it was that pulled them off. That said ... I'll be reading all I can get my hands on and living vicariously for the next few days. Does that make me a hypocrite?