1.
Gary Gordon (bishop)
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Gary M. Gordon is a Canadian Roman Catholic bishop. Ordained to the priesthood in May 22,1982, Gordon was named bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Whitehorse, ordained to the priesthood on May 22,1982, for the Archdiocese of Vancouver, he was named Bishop of Whitehorse on January 5,2006. Prior to his appointment as Bishop in 2006, Gordon had served several parishes throughout British Columbia, including Vancouver, Chilliwack, since 2007, Gordon has been the CCCB Bishop ponens for Catholics involved in prison chaplaincy and pastoral services. He has been a member of the Anglican/Roman Catholic Bishops Dialogue since 2007, on Saturday, June 14,2014, Pope Francis named Gary Gordon as Bishop of Victoria. At the time of his appointment, he was Bishop of Whitehorse, Bishop Gordon succeeds Archbishop Richard Gagnon, who was appointed Archbishop of Winnipeg on October 28,2013. Gagnon served as Apostolic Administrator of Victoria until he was installed as Archbishop of Winnipeg on January 3,2014, since then John Laszczyk has been Diocesan Administrator of Victoria. Installation Mass for Bishop Gary Gordon was held on Thursday, August 28,2014 at St. Andrews Cathedral in downtown Victoria, over 50 priests and many bishops from across the country and especially Western Canada were present. Archbishop Michael Miller of Vancouver and Archbishop Luigi Bonazzi, the Apostolic Nuncio, also attended
2.
Lincoln, Maine
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Lincoln is a town in Penobscot County, Maine. The towns population was 5,085 at the 2010 United States Census, Lincoln is named after Maines sixth governor, Enoch Lincoln. Lincoln developed around a water powered sawmill on the east bank of the Penobscot River. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 74.65 square miles. Rollins Mountain is located in Lincoln, the town has 13 different ponds. As of the census of 2010, there were 5,085 people,2,045 households, the population density was 75.0 inhabitants per square mile. There were 2,866 housing units at a density of 42.3 per square mile. The ethnic makeup of the town was 97. 1% White,0. 3% African American,0. 6% Native American,0. 4% Asian,0. 1% from other races, hispanic or Latino of any race were 1. 0% of the population. 24. 4% of all households were made up of individuals, the average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.87. The median age in the town was 42.3 years. 23. 1% of residents were under the age of 18,7. 9% were between the ages of 18 and 24,22. 7% were from 25 to 44,29. 2% were from 45 to 64, and 17. 2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48. 9% male and 51. 1% female, as of the census of 2000, there were 5,221 people,2,108 households, and 1,475 families residing in the town. The population density was 76.9 people per square mile, there were 2,661 housing units at an average density of 39.2 per square mile. The ethnic makeup of the town was 98. 35% White,0. 10% Black or African American,0. 36% Native American,0. 40% Asian,0. 08% from other races, hispanic or Mexican of any race were 0. 36% of the population. 24. 2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12. 8% had someone living alfasone who was 65 years of age or older, the average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.87. In the town, the population was out with 24. 3% under the age of 18,7. 3% from 18 to 24,26. 3% from 25 to 44,24. 9% from 45 to 64. The median age was 40 years, for every 100 females there were 91.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males, the median income for a household in the town was $30,823, and the median income for a family was $35,295
3.
Mogadishu
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Mogadishu, known locally as Hamar, is the capital and most populous city of Somalia. Located in the coastal Banaadir region on the Indian Ocean, the city has served as an important port for millennia, tradition and old records assert that southern Somalia, including the Mogadishu area, was historically inhabited by hunter-gatherers. These were later joined by Cushitic-speaking agro-pastoralists, who would go on to establish local aristocracies, during its medieval Golden Age, Mogadishu was ruled by the Muzaffar dynasty, a vassal of the Ajuran Sultanate. It subsequently fell under the control of an assortment of local Sultanates and polities, the city later became the capital of Italian Somaliland in the colonial period. After the Somali Republic became independent in 1960, Mogadishu became known, the ICU thereafter splintered into more radical groups, notably al-Shabaab, which fought the Transitional Federal Government and its African Union Mission to Somalia allies. With a change in administration in late 2010, government troops, Mogadishu has subsequently experienced a period of intense reconstruction. As Somalias capital city, many important national institutions are based in Mogadishu and it is the seat of the Federal Government of Somalia established in August 2012, with the Somalia Federal Parliament serving as the governments legislative branch. Yusuf Hussein Jimaale has been the Mayor of Mogadishu since October 2015, villa Somalia is the official residential palace and principal workplace of the President of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. In May 2012, the First Somali Bank was established in the capital, the establishment of a local construction yard has also galvanized the citys real-estate sector. Arbaa Rukun Mosque is one of the oldest Islamic places of worship in the capital, the Mosque of Islamic Solidarity in Mogadishu is the largest masjid in the Horn region. Mogadishu Cathedral was built in 1928 by the authorities in Italian Somaliland in a Norman Gothic style. The National Museum of Somalia is based in Mogadishu and holds many important artefacts. The National Library of Somalia is undergoing a $1 million Somali federal government funded renovation, Mogadishu is home to a number of scholastic and media institutions. As part of the urban renewal program,100 schools across the capital are scheduled to be refurbished and reopened. The Somali National University was established in the 1950s, and professors from the university founded the non-governmental Mogadishu University. Benadir University was established in 2002 with the intention of training doctors, various national sporting bodies have their headquarters in Mogadishu, including the Somali Football Federation and the Somali Olympic Committee. Mogadishu Stadium was constructed in 1978 during the Siad Barre administration and it hosts football matches with teams from the Somali First Division and the Somalia Cup. Additionally, the Port of Mogadishu serves as a national seaport and is the largest harbour in Somalia
4.
Penobscot County, Maine
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Penobscot County is a county located in the U. S. state of Maine. As of the 2010 census, the population was 153,923, the county was established on 15 February 1816 from a portion of Hancock County when the area was still part of Massachusetts. Penobscot County comprises the Bangor, ME Metropolitan Statistical Area, according to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,557 square miles, of which 3,397 square miles is land and 160 square miles is water. The population density was 43 people per square mile, there were 66,847 housing units at an average density of 20 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 96. 60% White,0. 49% Black or African American,1. 00% Native American,0. 70% Asian,0. 03% Pacific Islander,0. 23% from other races, and 0. 96% from two or more races. 0. 61% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race,17. 8% were of English,17. 3% United States or American,14. 0% French,13. 0% Irish and 6. 7% French Canadian ancestry according to Census 2000. 95. 8% spoke English and 2. 3% French as their first language,26. 70% of all households were made up of individuals and 10. 00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the family size was 2.88. In the county, the population was out with 22. 80% under the age of 18,11. 30% from 18 to 24,29. 00% from 25 to 44,23. 80% from 45 to 64. The median age was 37 years, for every 100 females there were 95.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.30 males, the median income for a household in the county was $34,274, and the median income for a family was $42,206. Males had an income of $32,824 versus $23,346 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,801, about 9. 70% of families and 13. 70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15. 00% of those under age 18 and 11. 10% of those age 65 or over. As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 153,923 people,62,966 households, the population density was 45.3 inhabitants per square mile. There were 73,860 housing units at a density of 21.7 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 95. 4% white,1. 2% American Indian,0. 9% Asian,0. 8% black or African American,0. 2% from other races, and 1. 5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1. 1% of the population. In terms of ancestry,20. 9% were English,17. 2% were Irish,9. 4% were American,7. 1% were German,6. 0% were French Canadian, and 5. 9% were Scottish
5.
Maine
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Maine is the northernmost state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Maine is the 39th most extensive and the 41st most populous of the U. S. states and territories and it is bordered by New Hampshire to the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the north. Maine is the easternmost state in the contiguous United States, and it is known for its jagged, rocky coastline, low, rolling mountains, heavily forested interior, and picturesque waterways, and also its seafood cuisine, especially clams and lobster. There is a continental climate throughout the state, even in areas such as its most populous city of Portland. For thousands of years, indigenous peoples were the inhabitants of the territory that is now Maine. At the time of European arrival in what is now Maine, the first European settlement in the area was by the French in 1604 on Saint Croix Island, by Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons. The first English settlement was the short-lived Popham Colony, established by the Plymouth Company in 1607, as Maine entered the 18th century, only a half dozen European settlements had survived. Loyalist and Patriot forces contended for Maines territory during the American Revolution, Maine was part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts until 1820, when it voted to secede from Massachusetts to become an independent state. On March 15,1820, it was admitted to the Union as the 23rd state under the Missouri Compromise, there is no definitive explanation for the origin of the name Maine, but the most likely origin is the name given by early explorers after a province in France. Whatever the origin, the name was fixed for English settlers in 1665 when the English Kings Commissioners ordered that the Province of Maine be entered from then on in official records. The state legislature in 2001 adopted a resolution establishing Franco-American Day, other theories mention earlier places with similar names, or claim it is a nautical reference to the mainland. Attempts to uncover the history of the name of Maine began with James Sullivans 1795 History of the District of Maine. He made the allegation that the Province of Maine was a compliment to the queen of Charles I, Henrietta Maria. MAINE appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 in reference to the county of Dorset, the view generally held among British place name scholars is that Mayne in Dorset is Brythonic, corresponding to modern Welsh maen, plural main or meini. Some early spellings are, MAINE1086, MEINE1200, MEINES1204, mason had served with the Royal Navy in the Orkney Islands where the chief island is called Mainland, a possible name derivation for these English sailors. Initially, several tracts along the coast of New England were referred to as Main or Maine, Maine is the only state whose name has exactly one syllable. The original inhabitants of the territory that is now Maine were Algonquian-speaking Wabanaki peoples, including the Abenaki, Passamaquoddy, Maliseet and Penobscot, who had a loose confederacy. European contact with what is now called Maine started around 1200 CE when Norwegians interacted with the native Penobscot in present-day Hancock County, most likely through trade
6.
United States Army
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The United States Armed Forces are the federal armed forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, from the time of its inception, the military played a decisive role in the history of the United States. A sense of unity and identity was forged as a result of victory in the First Barbary War. Even so, the Founders were suspicious of a permanent military force and it played an important role in the American Civil War, where leading generals on both sides were picked from members of the United States military. Not until the outbreak of World War II did a standing army become officially established. The National Security Act of 1947, adopted following World War II and during the Cold Wars onset, the U. S. military is one of the largest militaries in terms of number of personnel. It draws its personnel from a pool of paid volunteers. As of 2016, the United States spends about $580.3 billion annually to fund its military forces, put together, the United States constitutes roughly 40 percent of the worlds military expenditures. For the period 2010–14, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute found that the United States was the worlds largest exporter of major arms, the United States was also the worlds eighth largest importer of major weapons for the same period. The history of the U. S. military dates to 1775 and these forces demobilized in 1784 after the Treaty of Paris ended the War for Independence. All three services trace their origins to the founding of the Continental Army, the Continental Navy, the United States President is the U. S. militarys commander-in-chief. Rising tensions at various times with Britain and France and the ensuing Quasi-War and War of 1812 quickened the development of the U. S. Navy, the reserve branches formed a military strategic reserve during the Cold War, to be called into service in case of war. Time magazines Mark Thompson has suggested that with the War on Terror, Command over the armed forces is established in the United States Constitution. The sole power of command is vested in the President by Article II as Commander-in-Chief, the Constitution also allows for the creation of executive Departments headed principal officers whose opinion the President can require. This allowance in the Constitution formed the basis for creation of the Department of Defense in 1947 by the National Security Act, the Defense Department is headed by the Secretary of Defense, who is a civilian and member of the Cabinet. The Defense Secretary is second in the chain of command, just below the President. Together, the President and the Secretary of Defense comprise the National Command Authority, to coordinate military strategy with political affairs, the President has a National Security Council headed by the National Security Advisor. The collective body has only power to the President
7.
Delta Force
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It is used for hostage rescue and counterterrorism, as well as direct action and reconnaissance against high-value targets. Delta Force and DEVGRU perform many of the most highly complex and dangerous missions in the U. S. military and these units are also often referred to as special mission units by the U. S. government. The Central Intelligence Agencys highly secretive Special Activities Division and more specifically its elite Special Operations Group, often works with –, Delta Force was formed after numerous, well-publicized terrorist incidents in the 1970s. These incidents led the U. S. government to develop a full-time counter-terrorism unit, key military and government figures had already been briefed on a model for this type of unit in the early 1960s. Charlie Beckwith, a Special Forces officer and Vietnam veteran, had served as an officer with the British Armys Special Air Service during the Malayan Emergency. Upon his return, Beckwith presented a report highlighting the U. S. Armys vulnerability in not having an SAS-type unit. U. S. Army Special Forces in that period focused on unconventional warfare, but Beckwith recognized the need for not only teachers and he envisioned highly adaptable and completely autonomous small teams with a broad array of special skills for direct action and counter-terrorist missions. He briefed military and government figures, who were resistant to creating a new unit outside of Special Forces or changing existing methods, finally, in the mid-70s, as the threat of terrorism grew, the Pentagon high command appointed Beckwith to form the unit. Beckwith estimated that it would take 24 months to get his new unit mission-ready, beckwiths estimate resulted from a conversation he had earlier with Brigadier John Watts while updating his SAS experience in England in 1976. To justify why it would take two years to build Delta, Beckwith and his staff drafted what they dubbed the Robert Redford Paper, in it Delta outlined its necessities and historical precedents for a four-phase selection/assessment process. Delta Force was then established on 17 November 1977, by Beckwith, in the meantime, Colonel Bob Black Gloves Mountel of the 5th Special Forces Group was tasked with creating a unit to breach the short-term gap that existed until Delta was ready, dubbed Blue Light. On 4 November 1979,53 American diplomats and citizens were taken captive, the Delta Force was assigned to Operation Eagle Claw and ordered to enter the country covertly and recover the hostages from the embassy by force on the nights of 24 and 25 April in 1980. The operation was aborted due to Naval helicopter failures, after the failed operation, the U. S. government realized more changes needed to be made. The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, also known as the Night Stalkers, was created for operations requiring aviation support. The Navys SEAL Team Six, an incarnation of the current Naval Special Warfare Development Group, was created for maritime counter-terrorism operations. The Joint Special Operations Command was created for command and control of the various units of the U. S. military. The unit is under the organization of the US Army Special Operations Command but is controlled by the Joint Special Operations Command, Command of 1st SFOD-D is a Colonels billet. Virtually all information about the unit is highly classified and details about specific missions or operations generally are not available publicly, Delta Forces structure is similar to the British 22 Special Air Service, the unit that inspired Deltas formation
8.
United States invasion of Panama
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The United States Invasion of Panama, code named Operation Just Cause, was an invasion of Panama by the United States between mid-December 1989 and late January 1990. During the invasion, de facto Panamanian leader, general, and dictator Manuel Noriega was deposed, president-elect Guillermo Endara sworn into office, and the Panamanian Defense Force dissolved. Although the canal was destined for Panamanian administration, the bases remained. Noriega received upwards of $100,000 per year from the 1960s until the 1980s, in the mid-1980s, relations between Noriega and the United States began to deteriorate. Later negotiations involved dropping the drug-trafficking indictments, in March 1988, Noriegas forces resisted an attempted coup against the government of Panama. As relations continued to deteriorate, Noriega appeared to shift his Cold War allegiance towards the Soviet bloc, soliciting and receiving aid from Cuba, Nicaragua. American military planners began preparing plans to invade Panama. Their tally showed their candidate, Guillermo Endara, defeating Carlos Duque, candidate of a pro-Noriega coalition, Endara was beaten up by Noriega supporters the next day in his motorcade. Noriega declared the election null and maintained power by force, making him unpopular among Panamanians, Noriegas government insisted that it had won the presidential election and that irregularities had been on the part of U. S. -backed candidates from opposition parties. Bush called on Noriega to honor the will of the Panamanian people, the United States reinforced its Canal Zone garrison, and increased the tempo of training and other activities intended to put pressure on Noriega. In October 1989, Noriega foiled a coup attempt by members of the Panamanian Defense Forces. Pressure mounted on Bush as the media labeled him a wimp for failing to aid Panama, on 15 December, the Panamanian general assembly passed a resolution declaring that the actions of the United States had caused a state of war to exist between Panama and the United States. The next day, four U. S. military personnel were stopped at a roadblock around 9,00 PM outside PDF headquarters in the El Chorrillo neighborhood of Panama City, the PDF asserted later that the Americans were armed and on a reconnaissance mission. The PDF opened fire and Lieutenant Paz was fatally wounded by a round that entered the rear of the vehicle, captain Hadded, the driver of the vehicle, was also wounded in the foot. Paz was rushed to Gorgas Army Hospital but died of his wounds and he received the Purple Heart posthumously. According to U. S. military sources, a U. S. Naval officer, while in police custody, they were assaulted by the PDF. The U. S. Naval officer spent two weeks in hospital recovering from the beating, PDF soldiers sexually threatened his wife. The next day, President Bush ordered the execution of the Panama invasion plan, the military set H-Hour as 0100 on 20 December
9.
Gulf War
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The Iraqi Armys occupation of Kuwait that began 2 August 1990 was met with international condemnation, and brought immediate economic sanctions against Iraq by members of the UN Security Council. US President George H. W. Bush deployed US forces into Saudi Arabia, an array of nations joined the coalition, the largest military alliance since World War II. The great majority of the military forces were from the US, with Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom. Kuwait and Saudi Arabia paid around US$32 billion of the US$60 billion cost, the war was marked by the introduction of live news broadcasts from the front lines of the battle, principally by the US network CNN. The war has also earned the nickname Video Game War after the daily broadcast of images from cameras on board US bombers during Operation Desert Storm. The initial conflict to expel Iraqi troops from Kuwait began with an aerial and naval bombardment on 17 January 1991 and this was followed by a ground assault on 24 February. This was a victory for the coalition forces, who liberated Kuwait. The coalition ceased its advance, and declared a ceasefire 100 hours after the campaign started. Aerial and ground combat was confined to Iraq, Kuwait, Iraq launched Scud missiles against coalition military targets in Saudi Arabia and against Israel. The following names have been used to describe the conflict itself, Gulf War, a problem with these terms is that the usage is ambiguous, having now been applied to at least three conflicts, see Gulf War. The use of the term Persian Gulf is also disputed, see Persian Gulf naming dispute, with no consensus of naming, various publications have attempted to refine the name. Other language terms include French, la Guerre du Golfe and German, Golfkrieg, German, Zweiter Golfkrieg, French, most of the coalition states used various names for their operations and the wars operational phases. Operation Desert Storm was the US name of the conflict from 17 January 1991. Operation Desert Sabre was the US name for the offensive against the Iraqi Army in the Kuwaiti Theater of Operations from 24–28 February 1991, in itself. Operation Desert Farewell was the given to the return of US units and equipment to the US in 1991 after Kuwaits liberation. Operation Granby was the British name for British military activities during the operations, Opération Daguet was the French name for French military activities in the conflict. Operation Friction was the name of the Canadian operations Operazione Locusta was the Italian name for the operations, in addition, various phases of each operation may have a unique operational name. The US divided the conflict into three campaigns, Defense of Saudi Arabian country for the period 2 August 1990, through 16 January 1991
10.
Operation Gothic Serpent
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Operation Gothic Serpent was a military operation conducted by United States special operations forces with the primary mission of capturing faction leader Mohamed Farrah Aidid. The operation occurred in Somalia from August to October 1993 and was supervised by the Joint Special Operations Command, as part of the operation, the soldiers were deployed in a mission to arrest two of Aidids lieutenants. That missions result – executed under the command of Gothic Serpent – became known as the Battle of Mogadishu, the country was wracked by civil war and a severe famine as it was ruled by a number of faction leaders. Over the next months, the situation deteriorated. On 20 January 1993, Bushs successor, Bill Clinton, took office, in May 1993, all the parties involved in the civil war agreed to a disarmament conference proposed by the leading Somali faction leader, Mohamed Farrah Aidid. The Somali National Alliance had been formed in June 1992 and this alliance consisted of faction leaders across the country, operating under Aidids authority, Aidid having declared himself Somalias president. A great number of Somali civilians also resented the international forces, leading many, including women and children, to take up arms and actively resist U. S. forces during fighting in Mogadishu. On 5 June 1993, one of the deadliest attacks on U. N. forces in Somalia occurred when 24 Pakistani soldiers were ambushed and killed in an Aidid-controlled area of Mogadishu, any hope of a peaceful resolution of the conflict quickly vanished. The next day, the U. N. s Security Council issued Resolution 837, calling for the arrest, U. S. warplanes and U. N. troops began an attack on Aidids stronghold. Aidid remained defiant, and the violence between Somalis and U. N. forces escalated, on 8 August 1993, Aidids militia detonated a remote controlled bomb against a U. S. military vehicle, killing four Military Police soldiers. Two weeks later, another bomb injured seven more, in response, President Clinton approved the proposal to deploy a special task force, composed of 400 U. S. Army Rangers and Delta Force operators. This unit, named Task Force Ranger, consisted of 160 elite U. S. troops and they flew to Mogadishu and began a manhunt for Aidid. On 22 August, the force was deployed to Somalia under the command of Major General William F. Garrison, navy SEALs from the Naval Special Warfare Development Group Air Force Pararescuemen and Combat Controllers from the 24th Special Tactics Squadron. In Mogadishu, the force occupied an old hangar and construction trailers under primitive conditions. The force lacked on-site potable water and was subject to frequent mortar fire, during September, the force conducted several successful missions to arrest Aidids sympathizers and to confiscate arms caches. The aircraft also made frequent flights over the city to desensitize the public to the presence of aircraft and to familiarize themselves with the citys narrow streets. On 21 September, the force captured Aidids financier, Osman Ali Atto, at around 02,00 on 25 September, Aidids men shot down a Black Hawk with RPG and killed three crew members at New Port near Mogadishu. Although the helicopter was not part of a Task Force Ranger mission, during the mission, Private Todd Blackburn missed the rope while fast-roping from an MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter
11.
Battle of Mogadishu (1993)
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The Battle of Mogadishu or Day of the Rangers, was part of Operation Gothic Serpent. The battle is referred to as the First Battle of Mogadishu. Task Force Ranger was dispatched to seize two of Aidids high-echelon lieutenants during a meeting in the city, the goal of the operation was achieved, though conditions spiraled into the deadly Battle of Mogadishu. The initial operation of 3 October 1993, intended to last an hour, became an overnight standoff, Task Force Ranger was created in August 1993, and deployed to Somalia in September. It consisted of elite special operations units from Army, Air Force and Navy special services. As a multi-disciplinary joint special forces operation, Task Force Ranger reported to Joint Special Operations Command, the assault force consisted of nineteen aircraft, twelve vehicles, and 160 men. The operation was intended to last no longer than one hour, shortly after the assault began, Somali militia and armed civilian fighters shot down two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. The subsequent operation to secure and recover the crews of both helicopters extended the operation into an overnight standoff and daylight rescue operation on 4 October. The battle resulted in 18 deaths,73 wounded, and one pilot captured among the U. S. raid party. At least one Pakistani soldier and one Malaysian soldier were killed as part of the forces on day two of the battle. American sources estimate between 1,500 and 3,000 Somali casualties, including civilians, the Somali National Alliance claims 315 dead, during the operation, two U. S. Black Hawk helicopters were shot down by RPGs and three others were damaged. Some of the survivors were able to evacuate to the compound. An urban battle ensued and continued throughout the night, early the next morning, a combined task force was sent to rescue the trapped soldiers. It contained soldiers from the Pakistan Army, the Malaysian Army and they assembled over one hundred vehicles, including Pakistani tanks and Malaysian Condor armoured personnel carriers and were supported by U. S. MH-6 Little Bird and MH-60L Black Hawk helicopters. This task force reached the first crash site and rescued the survivors, the second crash site had been overrun by hostile Somalis during the night. Delta snipers Gary Gordon and Randy Shughart volunteered to hold them off until ground forces arrived, a Somali mob with thousands of combatants eventually overran the two men. That sites lone surviving American, pilot Michael Durant, had taken prisoner but was later released. The exact number of Somali casualties is unknown, but estimates range from several hundred to over a thousand militiamen and others killed, with injuries to another 3, 000–4,000
12.
Medal of Honor
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The medal is normally awarded by the President of the United States in the name of the U. S. Congress. There are three versions of the medal, one for the Army, one for the Navy, personnel of the Marine Corps and Coast Guard receive the Navy version. U. S. awards including the Medal of Honor do not have titles and while there is no official abbreviation. The Medal of Honor is the oldest continuously issued combat decoration of the United States armed forces, because the medal is presented in the name of Congress, it is often referred to as the Congressional Medal of Honor. However, the name is Medal of Honor, which began with the U. S. Armys version. Within United States Code the medal is referred to as the Medal of Honor, in 1990, Congress designated March 25 annually as National Medal of Honor Day. The capture saved the fort of West Point from the British Army, although the Badge of Military Merit fell into disuse after the American Revolutionary War, the concept of a military award for individual gallantry by members of the U. S. 539 Certificates were approved for this period and this medal was later replaced by the Army Distinguished Service Medal which was established on January 2,1918. Those Army members who held the Distinguished Service Medal in place of the Certificate of Merit could apply for the Army Distinguished Service Cross effective March 5,1934. There were no awards or medals at the beginning of the Civil War except for the Certificate of Merit which was awarded for the Mexican-American War. Scott however, was strictly against medals being awarded which was the European tradition, after Scott retired in October 1861, the Secretary of the Navy, Gideon Welles, adopted the idea of a decoration to recognize and honor distinguished naval service. Senator James W. Secretary Wells directed the Philadelphia Mint to design the new military decoration, on May 15,1862, the United States Navy Department ordered 175 medals with the words Personal Valor on the back from the U. S. Mint in Philadelphia. Senator Henry Wilson, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Military Affairs, the resolution was approved by Congress and signed into law on July 12,1862. During the war, Townsend would have some medals delivered to recipients with a letter requesting acknowledgement of the Medal of Honor. By mid-November the War Department contracted with Philadelphia silversmith William Wilson and Son, the Army version had The Congress to written on the back of the medal. Both versions were made of copper and coated with bronze, which gave them a reddish tint,1863, Congress made the Medal of Honor a permanent decoration. On March 3, Medals of Honor were authorized for officers of the Army, the Secretary of War first presented the Medal of Honor to six Union Army volunteers on March 25,1863 in his office. 1890, On April 23, the Medal of Honor Legion is established in Washington,1896, The ribbon of the Army version Medal of Honor was redesigned with all stripes being vertical
13.
Non-commissioned officer
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A non-commissioned officer or noncommissioned officer is a military officer who has not earned a commission. Such is also called sub-officer in some countries, Non-commissioned officers, in the English-speaking world, usually obtain their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. In contrast, commissioned officers hold higher ranks than NCOs, have more legal responsibilities, are paid more, commissioned officers usually earn their commissions without having risen through the enlisted ranks. Mustang is a term in the United States Armed Forces used to refer to a commissioned officer who began his or her career as an enlisted service member. The NCO corps usually includes all grades of corporal and sergeant, in some countries, the naval equivalent includes some or all grades of petty officer, although not all navies class their petty officers as NCOs. There are different classes of non-commissioned officer, including junior non-commissioned officers, the non-commissioned officer corps is often referred to as the backbone of the armed services, as they are the primary and most visible leaders for most military personnel. Additionally, they are the leaders responsible for executing a military organizations mission. NCO training and education typically includes leadership and management as well as service-specific, senior NCOs are considered the primary link between enlisted personnel and the commissioned officers in a military organization. Their advice and guidance is important for junior officers, who begin their careers in a position of authority. In the Australian Army, Lance corporals and corporals are classified as junior NCOs, while sergeants, in the New South Wales Police Force, NCOs perform supervisory and coordination roles. The ranks of probationary constable through to leading senior constable are referred to as constables, all NCOs within the NSW Police are given a warrant of appointment under the Commissioners hand and seal. All officers within the Australian Defence Force Cadets are non-commissioned, ADFC officers are appointed by the Director-General of their respective branch. In the Canadian Forces, the Queens Regulations and Orders formally defined a non-commissioned officer as A Canadian Forces member holding the rank of Sergeant or Corporal. In the 1990s, the term non-commissioned member was introduced to all ranks in the Canadian Forces from recruit to chief warrant officer. In the Royal Canadian Navy, however, the definition of NCO reflects the international use of the term. Junior Non-commissioned officers mess and billet with privates and seamen, their mess is usually referred to as the junior ranks mess, as a group, NCOs rank above privates and below warrant officers. The term non-commissioned members includes these ranks, in the Finnish Defence Force, NCOs includes all ranks from corporal to sergeant major. Ranks of lance corporal and leading seaman are considered not to be NCO ranks and this ruling applies to all branches of service and also to the troops of the Border Guard
14.
Randy Shughart
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Randall David Randy Shughart was a United States Army soldier of the elite special operations unit, 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, also known as Delta Force. Shughart was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in Battle of Mogadishu on October 1993, Shughart was born on August 13,1958, in Lincoln, Nebraska, into a U. S. Air Force family. After his father, Herbert Shughart, left the Air Force, Shughart joined the Army while attending Big Spring High School in Newville, entering upon graduation in 1976. After completing basic training, he successfully completed AIT, Airborne School, several months later he completed a pre-ranger course, was granted a slot to attend Ranger School, graduated, and earned the Ranger Tab. Shughart left active duty and went into the Army Reserve in June 1980, in December 1983, Shughart returned to active duty and the following year attended Special Forces training. Shughart was assigned to Delta Force and was transferred to Fort Bragg, as a Delta Force operator, he advanced to Assistant Team Sergeant. Shughart was deployed to Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1993 as part of Task Force Ranger, a Combat Search and Rescue team came to secure it. Then, a second Black Hawk helicopter, call sign Super Six-Four, was shot down, Shughart, Gary Gordon, and Sergeant First Class Brad Hallings had been providing sniper cover from the air from Black Hawk Super Six-Two. Gordon wanted to be inserted to secure the site as hostile Somalis were converging on the area. Mission commanders denied Gordons request twice, saying that the situation was too dangerous for the Delta snipers to protect the crew from the ground, commands position was that the snipers could be of more assistance by providing air cover. Gordon, however, repeated his request until he got permission, Hallings stayed behind to man a machine gun as one of the helicopters gunners had been wounded. Shughart and Gordon were inserted approximately 100m from the site, armed with their sniper rifles and sidearms. Chief Warrant Officer Mike Durant was already defending the aircraft with an MP5 but was unable to move from his chair due to a vertebra in his back. When they reached Super Six-Four, they extracted Durant and the members from the crash. It is believed that Gordon was first to be shot by the mob, Shughart retrieved Gordons CAR-15 rifle and gave it to Durant to use. Shortly after, Shughart was killed, the site was overrun, according to Michael Durants book In the Company of Heroes, the Somalis counted 25 of their militia dead after the firefight. There was some confusion in the aftermath of the action as to who had been killed first, furthermore, Howe said that Gordon would not have given his weapon to someone while he could still fight. Durant later admitted that he initially misidentified which man was killed first, Shugharts body was eventually recovered and is buried in Westminster Cemetery, Carlisle, Pennsylvania
15.
Combat engineer
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A combat engineer is a soldier who performs a variety of construction and demolition tasks under combat conditions. The combat engineers goals involve facilitating movement and support of forces while impeding those of the enemy. Combat engineers build, repair and maintain buildings, roads and power supplies and they employ explosives for construction and demolition projects, and clear minefields using specialized vehicles. Typically, an engineer is also trained as an infantryman. A general combat engineer is often called a pioneer or sapper, terms derived respectively from the French, while the officers of a combat engineering unit may be professionally certified civil or mechanical engineers, the non-commissioned members are generally not. Sapper, In the U. S. British, Indian, Canadian, Australian, in the Israeli Defence Forces, Sapper 06 is a military profession code denoting a combat engineer who has graduated from basic general engineering training. In the Canadian Army, is a term for soldiers that have completed the basic Combat Engineer training, in the Portuguese Army, a sapador de engenharia is a soldier of the engineering branch that has specialized combat engineer training. A sapador de infantaria is a soldier of the branch that has a similar training. The Italian Army uses the term Guastatori for their engineers and other specialized units. Pioneer, In the Finnish army, pioneeri is the equivalent rank in the army for a soldier who has completed the basic combat engineering training. Naval engineers retain the rank matruusi but bear the insignia on their sleeves. The German Bundeswehr uses the term Pionier for their engineers and other specialized units. Also the combat engineers in the Austro-Hungarien k. u. k, until recently, assault pioneers were responsible for the operation of flamethrowers. Field engineer, is a used in many Commonwealth armies. In modern usage, it is synonymous with combat engineer. However, the originally identified those military engineers who supported an army operating in the field as opposed to garrison engineers who built. In its original usage, field engineering would have been inclusive of, miner Pontonier Combat engineers are force multipliers and enhance the survival of other troops through the use and practice of camouflage, reconnaissance, communications and other services. These include the construction of roads, bridges, field fortifications, obstacles, in these roles, combat engineers use a wide variety of hand and power tools
16.
10th Special Forces Group (United States)
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The 10th Special Forces Group is an active duty United States Army Special Forces Group. The 10th Group is responsible for operations within the EUCOM area of responsibility, as part of the Special Operations Command, 10th Group has also been involved in parts of Africa and the Middle East. In 2009, as part of a new SOCOM directive, the group is now responsible for operations within the AFRICOM area of responsibility. 10th SFG was formed on 19 June 1952, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the group was split in 1953, with one half being sent to Germany, while the other half remained at Fort Bragg to form the core of the 77th Special Forces Group. In 1968, the majority of the transferred to Fort Devens, Massachusetts, with the exception of 1st Battalion. Between 1994 and 1995, 10th SFG moved to Fort Carson, Colorado, 10th Group began training with unconventional warfare groups from friendly countries in the 1960s, beginning with NATO allies. The group has trained various components of the militaries of several Middle Eastern countries, including Lebanon, Jordan, Yemen, Iran. Units of the 10th SFG have participated in missions to the Congo, Somalia. 10th SFG was deployed to Saudi Arabia in 1991 during the First Persian Gulf War, the 10th SFG has been heavily involved in the War on Terrorism, deploying to Georgia, North Africa, Afghanistan, and consistently to Iraq. In 1950, the Lodge Act was passed, which provided for the recruiting of foreign nationals into the United States military and it was originally planned that half of the members of the Special Forces would be native Europeans. Many of the members of the 10th SFG were Lodge Act recruits. Among the more notable of men was MAJ. Larry Thorne, a former Finnish Army soldier who was awarded the Mannerheim Cross during World War II, by the end of June 1952, the group had 122 officers and men assigned. Many had been OSS, Ranger, and Airborne troopers during World War II, the groups mission was to conduct partisan warfare behind Soviet lines in the event of a Soviet invasion of Europe. On 10 November 1953, the 10th SFG was split in half, with one half deployed to Bad Tölz and Lenggries in West Germany, and the other remaining in Fort Bragg to become the 77th Special Forces Group. The green beret was authorized for wear by Col. William E. Ekman, the commander, in 1954. By 1955, every soldier in the unit wore a beret as part of the uniform. However, the Department of the Army did not recognize the beret as headgear, the DA banned the wear of the beret, but it was later restored by President Kennedy, a major champion of the Special Forces
17.
Special forces
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Special forces and special operations forces are military or police units trained to conduct special operations. The term special forces in the United States refers to the U. S. Armys forces, in Russian-speaking countries special forces are typically called spetsnaz, an acronym for special purpose. Likewise, Russian speakers refer to special forces of nations as spetsnaz, for example. Special Forces would be referred to as amerikanski spetsnaz in Russian, other significant roles lay in reconnaissance, providing essential intelligence from near or among the enemy and increasingly in combating irregular forces, their infrastructure and activities. Hamilcar Barca in Sicily had specialized troops trained to launch several offensives per day, in the late Roman or early Byzantine period, Roman fleets used small, fast, camouflaged ships crewed by selected men for scouting and commando missions. In Japan, ninjas were used for reconnaissance, espionage and as assassins, bodyguards or fortress guards, during the Napoleonic wars, rifle and sapper units were formed that held specialised roles in reconnaissance and skirmishing and were not committed to the formal battle lines. The British Indian Army deployed two special forces during their wars, the Corps of Guides formed in 1846 and the Gurkha Scouts. During the Second Boer War the British Army felt the need for specialised units became most apparent. This unit was formed in 1900 by Lord Lovat and early on reported to an American, Major Frederick Russell Burnham, after the war, Lovats Scouts went on to formally become the British Armys first sniper unit. Additionally, the Bushveldt Carbineers, formed in 1901, can be seen as an unconventional warfare unit. Modern special forces emerged during the Second World War, in 1940, the British Commandos were formed following Winston Churchills call for specially trained troops of the hunter class, who can develop a reign of terror down the enemy coast. A staff officer, Lieutenant Colonel Dudley Clarke, had already submitted such a proposal to General Sir John Dill, Dill, aware of Churchills intentions, approved Clarkes proposal and on 23 June 1940, the first Commando raid took place. The Special Service Brigade was quickly expanded to 12 units which became known as Commandos, each Commando had a lieutenant colonel as the commanding officer and numbered around 450 men. In December 1940 a Middle East Commando depot was formed with the responsibility of training and supplying reinforcements for the Commando units in that theatre, in February 1942 the Commando training depot at Achnacarry in the Scottish Highlands was established by Brigadier Charles Haydon. Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Charles Vaughan, the Commando depot was responsible for training complete units, the training regime was for the time innovative and physically demanding, and far in advance of normal British Army training. The depot staff were all hand picked, with the ability to any of the volunteers. Training and assessment started immediately on arrival, with the volunteers having to complete an 8-mile march with all their equipment from the Spean Bridge railway station to the commando depot, exercises were conducted using live ammunition and explosives to make training as realistic as possible. Physical fitness was a prerequisite, with cross country runs and boxing matches to improve fitness, speed and endurance marches were conducted up and down the nearby mountain ranges and over assault courses that included a zip-line over Loch Arkaig, all while carrying arms and full equipment
18.
Assault
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In criminal and civil law, assault is an attempt to initiate harmful or offensive contact with a person, or a threat to do so. It is distinct from battery, which refers to the achievement of such contact. An assault is carried out by a threat of bodily harm coupled with an apparent, present ability to cause the harm and it is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in either criminal and/or civil liability. Generally, the common law definition is the same in criminal, there is, however, an additional criminal law category of assault consisting of an attempted but unsuccessful battery. The term is confused with battery, which involves physical contact. Assault usually accompanies battery if the assailant both threatens to make unwanted contact and then carries through with this threat. Thus throwing a rock at someone for the purpose of hitting him is a if the rock in fact strikes the person. Aggravated assault is, in some jurisdictions, a form of assault. Aggravated assault can also be charged in cases of attempted harm against police officers or other public servants, Assault can also be considered in cases involving the spitting on, or unwanted exposure of bodily fluids to others. Consent may be a complete or partial defense to assault, in some jurisdictions, most notably England, it is not a defense where the degree of injury is severe, as long as there is no legally recognized good reason for the assault. This can have important consequences when dealing with such as consensual sadomasochistic sexual activity. Legally recognized good reasons for consent include surgery, activities within the rules of a game, bodily adornment, however, any activity outside the rules of the game is not legally recognized as a defense of consent. In Scottish Law, consent is not a defense for assault, Police officers and court officials have a general power to use force for the purpose of performing an arrest or generally carrying out their official duties. Thus, an officer taking possession of goods under a court order may use force if reasonably necessary. In some jurisdictions such as Singapore, judicial corporal punishment is part of the legal system, the officers who administer the punishment have immunity from prosecution for assault. What constitutes reasonable varies in both law and case law. Unreasonable physical punishment may be charged as assault or under a statute for child abuse. Many countries, including some US states, also permit the use of punishment for children in school
19.
Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk
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The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a four-bladed, twin-engine, medium-lift utility helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. Sikorsky submitted the S-70 design for the United States Armys Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System competition in 1972, the Army designated the prototype as the YUH-60A and selected the Black Hawk as the winner of the program in 1976, after a fly-off competition with the Boeing Vertol YUH-61. Named after the Native American war leader Black Hawk, the UH-60A entered service with the U. S. Army in 1979 and this was followed by the fielding of electronic warfare and special operations variants of the Black Hawk. Improved UH-60L and UH-60M utility variants have also been developed, Modified versions have also been developed for the U. S. Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard. In addition to U. S. Army use, the UH-60 family has been exported to several nations, Black Hawks have served in combat during conflicts in Grenada, Panama, Iraq, Somalia, the Balkans, Afghanistan, and other areas in the Middle East. In the late 1960s, the United States Army began forming requirements for a helicopter to replace the UH-1 Iroquois, the Army also initiated the development of a new, common turbine engine for its helicopters that would become the General Electric T700. Based on experience in Vietnam, the Army required significant performance, the Army released its UTTAS request for proposals in January 1972. The RFP also included air transport requirements, Transport aboard the C-130 limited the UTTAS cabin height and length. Four prototypes were constructed, with the first YUH-60A flying on 17 October 1974, prior to delivery of the prototypes to the US Army, a preliminary evaluation was conducted in November 1975 to ensure the aircraft could be operated safely during all testing. Three of the prototypes were delivered to the Army in March 1976, for evaluation against the rival Boeing-Vertol design, the YUH-61A, the Army selected the UH-60 for production in December 1976. Deliveries of the UH-60A to the Army began in October 1978, after entering service, the helicopter was modified for new missions and roles, including mine laying and medical evacuation. An EH-60 variant was developed to conduct electronic warfare and special operations aviation developed the MH-60 variant to support its missions, due to weight increases from the addition of mission equipment and other changes, the Army ordered the improved UH-60L in 1987. The new model incorporated all of the made to the UH-60A fleet as standard design features. The UH-60L also featured more power and lifting capability with upgraded T700-GE-701C engines and its external lift capacity increased by 1,000 lb up to 9,000 lb. The UH-60L also incorporated the automatic control system from the SH-60 for better flight control due to handling issues with the more powerful engines. Production of the L-model began in 1989, Development of the next improved variant, the UH-60M, was approved in 2001, to extend the service life of the UH-60 design into the 2020s. The UH-60M incorporates upgraded T700-GE-701D engines, improved rotor blades, and state of the art electronic instrumentation, flight controls and aircraft navigation control. After the U. S. DoD approved low-rate initial production of the new variant, manufacturing began in 2006, after an initial operational evaluation, the Army approved full-rate production and a five-year contract for 1,227 helicopters in December 2007
20.
Combat search and rescue
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Combat search and rescue are search and rescue operations that are carried out during war that are within or near combat zones. A CSAR mission may be carried out by a force of helicopters, ground-attack aircraft, aerial refueling tankers. The USAF HC-130, which was introduced in 1965, has served in the two roles. The First World War was the background for the development of combat search and rescue doctrine, especially in the more fluid theaters of war in the Balkans. When trench warfare made this impossible the cars were transferred to other theatres, in 1915, during the First World War, Squadron Commander Richard Bell-Davies of the British Royal Naval Air Service performed the first combat search and rescue by aircraft in history. He used his single-seat aeroplane to rescue his wingman who had shot down in Bulgaria. Like the search and rescue efforts of the future, Davies action sprang from the fervent desire to keep a compatriot from capture or death at the hands of the enemy. It was during the Mesopotamian campaign that British and Commonwealth forces began to use similar tactics on a larger scale, shot down aviators in hostile Bedouin territory were often located by search parties in the air and rescued. During World War II, the Luftwaffe operated armed camouflaged air-sea rescue aircraft, during the Vietnam War the costly rescue of Bat 21 led the US military to find a new approach to high-threat search and rescue. As a result of the Vietnam CSAR experience, the US military also improved the capability of helicopters. During the Vietnam War, U. S. SAR forces saved 3,883 lives at the cost of 71 rescuers and 45 aircraft, on 21 April 1917, Captain Richard Williams of the Australian Flying Corps landed behind enemy lines to rescue a downed comrade. He eluded capture by North Vietnamese forces until his rescue 11½ days later, during the rescue operation, five US military aircraft supporting the CSAR effort were shot down, eleven US servicemen were killed and two men were captured. The rescue operation was the largest, longest, and most complex search-and-rescue operation during the entire Vietnam War and it has been the subject of two books and the largely fictionalized film Bat*21. The United States Air Force 24th Special Tactics Squadron was involved in the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, timothy Wilkinson, a Pararescueman, was awarded the Air Force Cross for his heroic actions during the battle. During the opening moments of Operation Desert Storm, an MH-53 Pave Low crew from the 20th Special Operations Squadron recovered an F-14 Tomcat pilot who was shot down over Iraq. On June 2,1995, a USAF F-16C was shot down by a Bosnian Serb Army SA-6 surface-to-air missile near Mrkonjić Grad, Bosnia, the American pilot, Scott OGrady, ejected safely and was rescued six days later. The operation became known as the Mrkonjić Grad incident, in 1999, members of the United States Air Force Pararescue unit successfully rescued the pilot of an F-117 stealth attack aircraft who was shot down over Yugoslavia while on a NATO-led mission. The pilot was retrieved 6 hours after the incident, joint Personnel Recovery Agency Non-combatant evacuation operation United States Air Force Pararescue Leave No Man Behind, The Saga of Combat Search and Rescue
21.
Militia
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For instance, the members of some U. S. Army National Guard units are considered professional soldiers, as they are trained to maintain the same standards as their full-time counterparts. Militias thus can be military or paramilitary, depending on the instance, some of the contexts in which the term militia is used include, Forces engaged in defense activity or service, to protect a community, its territory, property, and laws. The entire able-bodied population of a community, town, county, or state, a subset of these who may be legally penalized for failing to respond to a call-up. A subset of these who actually respond to a call-up, regardless of legal obligation, a private, non-government force, not necessarily directly supported or sanctioned by its government. An irregular armed force enabling its leader to exercise military, economic, an official reserve army, composed of citizen soldiers. Called by various names in different countries, such as the Army Reserve, National Guard, the national police forces in several former communist states such as the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact countries, but also in the non-aligned SFR Yugoslavia. The term was inherited in Russia and other former CIS countries, in France the equivalent term Milice has become tainted due to its use by notorious collaborators with Nazi Germany. A select militia is composed of a small, non-representative portion of the population, as regular military forces were insufficient to counter the British attackers, Santiago de Liniers drafted all males in the city capable of bearing arms into the military. These recruits included the peoples, who ranked low down in the social hierarchy. With these reinforcements, the British armies were twice defeated, the militias became a strong factor in the politics of the city afterwards, as a springboard from which the criollos could manifest their political ambitions. They were a key element in the success of the May Revolution, a decree by Mariano Moreno derogated the system of promotions involving criollos, allowing instead their promotion on military merit. The Argentine Civil War was waged by militias again, as both federalists and unitarians drafted common people into their ranks as part of ongoing conflicts and these irregular armies were organized at a provincial level, and assembled as leagues depending on political pacts. This system had declined by the 1870s, mainly due to the establishment of the modern Argentine Army, provincial militias were outlawed and decimated by the new army throughout the presidential terms of Mitre, Sarmiento, Avellaneda and Roca. Armenian militia also played a role in the Georgia-Abkhazia War of 1992–1993, in the Colony of New South Wales Governor Lachlan Macquarie proposed a colonial militia but the idea was rejected. Governor Ralph Darling felt a mounted force was more efficient than a militia. A military volunteer movement attracted wide interest during the Crimean War, following Federation, the various military reserve forces of the Commonwealth of Australia became the Citizen Military Force. In the beginning, members didnt have uniforms and often paraded in business attire and they were given instruction on guerrilla warfare, and later the private organization was taken over by the Australian Government and became part of the Australian Military Forces. After World War I, multiple militias formed as soldiers returned home to their villages, only to many of them occupied by Slovene
22.
Sergeant first class
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Sergeant First Class is a military rank in some militaries and other uniformed organizations around the world, typically that of a senior non-commissioned officer. In a combat role, a sergeant first class is typically in charge of from 18 soldiers. A sergeant first class primary responsibilities are tactical logistics, tactical casualty evacuations, Sergeant first class replaced the rank of technical sergeant in 1948. If a sergeant first class is appointed to fill the role of first sergeant, Sergeant first class is the first enlisted rank in the U. S. Army to be selected by the centralized promotion system. As such, it is more difficult to achieve than the previous ranks. For example, a sergeant first class cannot be demoted by standard non-judicial punishment, to demote a senior non-commissioned officer requires a court martial, or congressional approval, and normally only for offenses that carry heavy punishments. The Army restored the rank of SFC in 1948 when it replaced technical sergeant, rav samal or rasal, sergeant first class, is the lowest non-commissioned officer rank in the Israel Defense Forces, above samal rishon, סמל ראשון, staff sergeant. Because the IDF is a force, it has a unique rank structure. IDF ranks are the same in all services, the ranks are derived from those of the paramilitary Haganah developed to protect the Yishuv during the British Mandate of Palestine. This origin is reflected in the slightly-compacted IDF rank structure
23.
Warrant officer (United States)
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This application differs from the Commonwealth of Nations and other militaries, where warrant officers are the most senior of the other ranks, equivalent to the US Armed Forces grades of E‑8 and E‑9. For appointment to warrant officer one, a warrant is approved by the secretary of the respective service, for chief warrant officer ranks, warrant officers are commissioned by the President of the United States and take the same oath as regular commissioned officers. Warrant officers can and do command detachments, units, activities, vessels, aircraft, and armored vehicles, as well as lead, coach, train, and counsel subordinates. However, the warrant officers primary task as a leader is to serve as an expert, providing valuable skills, guidance. The Army warrant officer traces lineage to 1896 with the War Departments creation of civilian Headquarters Clerks, in 1916, an Army Judge Advocate General review determined that field clerks should be members of the military. Legislation in 1916 authorized those positions as military rather than civilian and created the ranks of Army Field Clerk, in July,1917, all Field Clerks were considered enlisted and were assigned an enlisted uniform. Their branch insignia was two crossed quill pens, in December 19,1917, Special Regulation 41 stated that the Army Field Clerk and Quarter Master Corps Field Clerk ranks were authorized the same uniform as an officer. Their rank insignia was now a pin of crossed quill pens on either side of the freework U. S. pins worn on the standing collar of the M1909 tunic. They were not permitted the brown mohair cuff braid band of an Army officer, but were authorized a silver-and-black braid hatcord for wear with the M1911 Campaign Hat, eagle on the M1902 peaked cap. On 9 July 1918, Congress established the rank and grade of warrant officer concurrent with establishing the Army Mine Planter Service within the Coast Artillery Corps, since that time, the position of warrant officer in the Army has been refined. On August 21,1941, under Pub. L, 77–230, Congress authorized two grades, warrant officer and chief warrant officer. In 1942, temporary appointments in about 40 occupational areas were made, the insignia for warrant officer was a gold bar 3⁄8 inch wide and 1 inch long, rounded at the ends with brown enamel on top and a latitudinal center of gold 1/8 inch wide. The insignia for warrant officer was a gold bar 3⁄8 inch in width and 1 inch in length with rounded ends. The brown enamel backing of the warrant officer insignia was based on the color of the insignia of rank for ships officers of the AMPS. 77–658, the Flight Officer Act, was enacted, creating the rank of officer, equivalent to warrant officer. Insignia was the same as for a warrant officer, except the backing was in blue rather than brown. Most flight officers were graduates of various USAAF flight-training programs, including power and glider pilots, graduates were appointed to the rating of flight officer, but some of each graduating class were commissioned as second lieutenants. Once reaching operational units and after gaining flying experience, flight officers were later offered direct commissions as lieutenants, Flight sergeants, who were assigned as transport and glider pilots, were appointed as flight officers when the new rank was created
24.
Michael Durant
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Michael J. Mike Durant is an American pilot and author. He was a member of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment as a Chief Warrant Officer 3, Durant is a native of Berlin, New Hampshire, the son of Leon and Louise Durant. He entered the U. S. Army in August 1979, following basic training, he attended the Defense Language Institute, and was then assigned to the 470th Military Intelligence Group at Fort Clayton in Panama as a Spanish voice intercept operator. He then completed flight training at Fort Rucker, Alabama. During flight school, he flew the TH-55 trainer and UH-1 helicopters, upon appointment to Warrant Officer 1 in November 1983, he completed the UH-60 Blackhawk Aviators Qualification Course and was assigned to the 377th Medical Evacuation Company in Seoul, South Korea. By the time he was 24, he had flown over 150 medevac missions in the UH-1, after 18 months, he transitioned to the 101st Aviation Battalion at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. As a Chief Warrant Officer 2, he attended the instructor pilot course, Durant joined the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment on August 1,1988. Assigned to D Company, he performed duties as Flight Lead and he participated in combat operations Prime Chance, Just Cause, and Operation Desert Storm, where he was the first U. S. helicopter pilot to engage with a SCUD missile launcher. During Operation Gothic Serpent in Somalia, Durant was the pilot of helicopter Super Six Four and it was the second MH-60L of two Black Hawk helicopters to crash during the Battle of Mogadishu on October 3,1993. His helicopter was hit on the tail by a rocket-propelled grenade and that led to its crash about a mile southwest of the operations target. Durant and his crew of three, Bill Cleveland, Ray Frank, and Tommy Field, survived the crash, though they were all badly injured, Durant suffered a broken femur and a badly injured back. Two Delta Force snipers, MSG Gary Gordon and SFC Randy Shughart, had been providing suppressive fire from the air at hostile Somalis who were converging on the crash site. Both volunteered for insertion onto the ground to protect the crew, the pair killed an estimated 25 Somalis, before they ran out of ammunition. They were soon overwhelmed and killed, after Cleveland, Frank, both Gordon and Shughart received the Medal of Honor posthumously for their heroism in this action. The hostile Somalis captured sole American survivor Durant and held him captive for eleven days, general Aidid then released Durant and a Nigerian soldier who had been captured previously, into the custody of the International Committee of the Red Cross. After being freed, and recovering at Landstuhl Air Base in Germany and he retired from the Army in 2001 with more than 3,700 flight hours, over 1,400 of which were flown under night vision goggles. He now offers seminars to military personnel about helicopter maneuvering and Combat Search, Durant offers talks about the Somalia raid and the experiences he had while in captivity. He spoke extensively with actor Ron Eldard, who portrayed him in the movie Black Hawk Down, in 2003, Durant published a book, In the Company of Heroes, in which he chronicled his military career and his captivity
25.
CAR-15
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The Colt Automatic Rifle-15 Military Weapons System or CAR-15 was a family of the AR-15 and M16 rifle–based firearms marketed by Colt in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Due to their size, the short-barreled Colt Commando and XM177 versions of this family continued to be issued to the U. S. military after the Vietnam War. The CAR-15 name was an attempt to re-associate the AR-15 name with Colt, since the AR initially stood for ArmaLite Rifle, the original manufacturer of the Armalite AR-15. Colt later abandoned the CAR-15 concept, but continued to make variations, using the M16 brand for military-oriented models, however, in present usage, CAR-15 is used as a generic name for carbine-length M16 and AR-15 variants from before the M4. Specifically, Colt Commando currently refers to the ultrashort 10.5 barrel of the model 609 and 11. 5-inch barrel assault rifle of the Model 733 series. By comparison, the M4 carbine has a 14. 5-inch barrel, following a long series of tests by the U. S. Army and U. S. Air force, resulted in an order for 8,500 AR-15 rifles for the Air Force in 1962. About the same time, the Advanced Research Projects Agency of the Department of Defense became interested, each variation had a Colt model number, meant for internal identification usage. The members of the CAR-15 family, with the exception of the Rifle and Commando, only existed as toolroom prototypes, as a result, wide variation due to experimentation exists within each model. The U. S. military only made significant purchases of the Rifle and Commando versions, the CAR-15 Rifle was already identified by most users as M16s or AR-15s, and the CAR-15 name was similarly associated with the short-barreled Submachine Gun and Commando models. Because of that, the term CAR-15 has been used to describe any M16-based carbine, however, the United States military had already committed to purchases before Colt created the concept of the CAR-15 weapons system. The principal difference between the Model 603 and Model 604 is that the former has a forward assist, allowing a user to close a stuck bolt. The Model 605A CAR-15 Carbine was a version for situations where longer weapons could be unwieldy. The only significant change from the M16 rifle was that the barrel was shortened to 15 inches in length, because of the shorter barrel, no bayonet mounting lugs were provided. One prototype used a shorter handguard and a 16-inch long barrel, the Model 605B had no forward assist, but had a four-position selector switch so that a user could select safe, semi-automatic, three-round burst, or full automatic modes of fire. Unlike the standard group, the four-position group went from safe, fully automatic, semi-automatic. The selector itself had 360 degrees of motion, and could be moved either clockwise or counterclockwise, instead of three-round burst, the burst cam could be modified to two-round or six-round burst. Both versions used the rifle-length buttstock, as early as 1962, United States Navy SEALs were using the CAR-15 Carbine. The Model 606 CAR-15 Heavy Assault Rifles used heavy barrels for sustained automatic fire, like the Browning Automatic Rifle, the CAR-15 HBARs did not have a quick-change barrel
26.
Black Hawk Down (book)
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Black Hawk Down, A Story of Modern War is a 1999 book by journalist Mark Bowden. It documents efforts by the Unified Task Force to capture Somali faction leader Mohamed Farrah Aidid in 1993, and the resulting battle in Mogadishu between United States forces and Aidids militia. One of the key events is the downing of two United States UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, from which the book derives its title, and the attempt to rescue their crews. United States forces included Army Rangers, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, Delta Force and Navy SEALs, the raid became the most intense close combat in U. S. military history since the Vietnam War. Although the particular mission to apprehend Aidid was officially codenamed Gothic Serpent, Black Hawk Down, A Story of Modern War is based on a series of 29 articles written by journalist Mark Bowden for The Philadelphia Inquirer. He did extensive research in US Army records, interviewed participants from both sides of the conflict, reviewed footage recorded by aircraft, and recordings of radio traffic. Before the book was published, Bowdens series had begun to attract attention within the media. It consisted of a CD-ROM, a video, and an audiovisual series on The Inquirers Web site. In January 1991, militias overthrew the ruling Siad Barre regime, the United Nations later arranged a US-led intervention, with a mandate to engage in state building and encourage the militias to share power and begin to form a new government. Uninterested in sharing power, Mohamed Farrah Aidid began to regard the UN mission as hostile, the UN commander, U. S. Admiral Jonathan Howe, declared Aidid an outlaw, and the faction leaders forces and supporters subsequently began targeting the officer. The hunt for Aidid resulted in faulty raids, high civilian casualties, after the battle, the hunt for Aidid was called off. The U. S. subsequently pulled out, with the UN following suit a few months later, in 1996, Aidid died from wounds sustained during a battle against a rival militia. A new interim administration, the Transitional National Government, was eventually formed in 2000. Bowdens narrative was generally praised, particularly his efforts at contextualizing the local and international politics and it added that Bowden rapidly shifts viewpoints after US ground forces enter the city, trying to extract a couple of Aidid leaders and then, when things go wrong, rescue US forces. The book was a finalist for the 1999 National Book Award for Nonfiction, the book was adapted into a 2001 film by the same name, directed by Ridley Scott and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. Battle of Mogadishu In the Company of Heroes Black Hawk Down Bowden, Black Hawk Down, A Story of Modern War. ISBN 0-87113-738-0 Black Hawk Down, A Story of Modern War
27.
M14 rifle
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The M14 rifle, officially the United States Rifle,7.62 mm, M14, is an American selective fire automatic rifle that fires 7. 62×51mm NATO ammunition. It gradually replaced the M1 Garand rifle in U. S. Army service by 1961 and in U. S. Marine Corps service by 1965. It was the standard infantry rifle for U. S. military personnel in the contiguous United States, Europe. The M14 was used for U. S. Army, Navy and Marine Corps basic, the M14 was the last American battle rifle issued in quantity to U. S. military personnel. The M14 is the basis for the M21 and M25 sniper rifles which were replaced by the M24 Sniper Weapon System. A new version of the M14, the M14 Enhanced Battle Rifle has been in service since 2002, the M14 was developed from a long line of experimental weapons based upon the M1 rifle. Although the M1 was among the most advanced infantry rifles of the late 1930s, modifications were already beginning to be made to the basic M1 rifles design during the last months of World War II. Changes included adding fully automatic firing capability and replacing the eight-round en bloc clips with a box magazine holding 20 rounds. Winchester, Remington, and Springfield Armorys own John Garand offered different conversions, garands design, the T20, was the most popular, and T20 prototypes served as the basis for a number of Springfield test rifles from 1945 through the early 1950s. The two men were transferred to Springfield Armory in late 1945, where work on the T25 continued. The T25 was designed to use the T65 service cartridge, a Frankford Arsenal design based upon. 30-06 cartridge case used in the M1 service rifle, after experimenting with several bullet designs, the T65 was finalized for adoption as the 7. 62×51mm NATO cartridge. Olin Industries later introduced the cartridge on the market as the.308 Winchester. After a series of revisions by Earle Harvey and other members of the.30 light rifle design group following the 1950 Fort Benning tests, the T25 was renamed the T47. Lloyd Corbett, an engineer in Harveys rifle design group, added various refinements to the T44 design, including an operating rod. The T47, which did not have a roller and performed worse in dust. A Newsweek article in July 1953 hinted that the T48/FAL might be selected over the T44, during the winter of 1953–54, both rifles competed in the winter rifle trials at U. S. Army facilities in the Arctic. FN engineers opened the gas ports in an attempt to improve functioning, as a result, the T44 was ranked superior in cold weather operation to the T48. In June 1954, funding was made available to manufacture newly fabricated T44 receivers specially designed for the shorter T65 cartridge
28.
In the Company of Heroes
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In the Company of Heroes is a book by Michael Durant and Steven Hartov about Durants experiences in the Battle of Mogadishu, Korea, the Persian Gulf, Thailand, Panama, and Iraq. Durant became a prisoner of Somali warlord Mohamed Farah Aidid for 11 days, the introduction is written by Mark Bowden, author of the book Black Hawk Down, A Story of Modern War. Durant was portrayed by Ron Eldard in the film Black Hawk Down, the book was a New York Times bestseller. Black Hawk Down, A Story of Modern War
29.
Afghanistan
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Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located within South Asia and Central Asia. It has a population of approximately 32 million, making it the 42nd most populous country in the world. It is bordered by Pakistan in the south and east, Iran in the west, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan in the north and its territory covers 652,000 km2, making it the 41st largest country in the world. The land also served as the source from which the Kushans, Hephthalites, Samanids, Saffarids, Ghaznavids, Ghorids, Khiljis, Mughals, Hotaks, Durranis, the political history of the modern state of Afghanistan began with the Hotak and Durrani dynasties in the 18th century. In the late 19th century, Afghanistan became a state in the Great Game between British India and the Russian Empire. Following the Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919, King Amanullah unsuccessfully attempted to modernize the country and it remained peaceful during Zahir Shahs forty years of monarchy. A series of coups in the 1970s was followed by a series of wars that devastated much of Afghanistan. The name Afghānistān is believed to be as old as the ethnonym Afghan, the root name Afghan was used historically in reference to a member of the ethnic Pashtuns, and the suffix -stan means place of in Persian. Therefore, Afghanistan translates to land of the Afghans or, more specifically in a historical sense, however, the modern Constitution of Afghanistan states that he word Afghan shall apply to every citizen of Afghanistan. An important site of historical activities, many believe that Afghanistan compares to Egypt in terms of the historical value of its archaeological sites. The country sits at a unique nexus point where numerous civilizations have interacted and it has been home to various peoples through the ages, among them the ancient Iranian peoples who established the dominant role of Indo-Iranian languages in the region. At multiple points, the land has been incorporated within large regional empires, among them the Achaemenid Empire, the Macedonian Empire, the Indian Maurya Empire, and the Islamic Empire. Archaeological exploration done in the 20th century suggests that the area of Afghanistan has been closely connected by culture and trade with its neighbors to the east, west. Artifacts typical of the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze, urban civilization is believed to have begun as early as 3000 BCE, and the early city of Mundigak may have been a colony of the nearby Indus Valley Civilization. More recent findings established that the Indus Valley Civilisation stretched up towards modern-day Afghanistan, making the ancient civilisation today part of Pakistan, Afghanistan, in more detail, it extended from what today is northwest Pakistan to northwest India and northeast Afghanistan. An Indus Valley site has found on the Oxus River at Shortugai in northern Afghanistan. There are several smaller IVC colonies to be found in Afghanistan as well, after 2000 BCE, successive waves of semi-nomadic people from Central Asia began moving south into Afghanistan, among them were many Indo-European-speaking Indo-Iranians. These tribes later migrated further into South Asia, Western Asia, the region at the time was referred to as Ariana
30.
Northern Alliance
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The United Front was assembled by key leaders of the Islamic State of Afghanistan, particularly president Burhanuddin Rabbani and former Defense Minister Ahmad Shah Massoud. Initially it included mostly Tajiks but by 2000, leaders of ethnic groups had joined the Northern Alliance. This included Abdul Rashid Dostum, Mohammad Mohaqiq, Abdul Qadir, Asif Mohseni, the Northern Alliance fought a defensive war against the Taliban government. They received support from Iran, Russia, Turkey, India, Tajikistan and others, while the Taliban were backed by al-Qaeda, the Northern Alliance was mostly made up of ethnic Tajiks, but later included Uzbeks and Hazaras. The Taliban government was dominated by Pashtuns with other groups being the minority, the US invaded Afghanistan providing support to Northern Alliance troops on the ground in a two-month war against the Taliban, which they won in December 2001. With the establishment of the Karzai administration, the Northern Alliance broke apart, the United Front was formed in late 1996 against the Taliban government by opposition factions. Massoud decided on the political line and the general military strategy of the alliance. The accords created the Islamic State of Afghanistan and appointed a government for a transitional period to be followed by general elections. With the exception of Gulbuddin Hekmatyars Hezb-e Islami, all of the parties were unified under this government in April 1992. Hekmatyars Hezb-e Islami, for its part, refused to recognize the government for most of the period discussed in this report and launched attacks against government forces, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar received operational, financial and military support from Pakistan. Afghanistan expert Amin Saikal concludes in Modern Afghanistan, A History of Struggle and Survival, islamabad could not possibly expect the new Islamic government leaders to subordinate their own nationalist objectives in order to help Pakistan realize its regional ambitions. Had it not been for the ISIs logistic support and supply of a number of rockets, Hekmatyars forces would not have been able to target. In addition, Saudi Arabia and Iran as competitors for regional hegemony – supported Afghan militias hostile towards each other, according to Human Rights Watch, Iran was backing the Shia Hazara Hezb-i Wahdat forces of Abdul Ali Mazari in order to maximize Wahdats military power and influence. Saudi Arabia supported the Wahhabite Abdul Rasul Sayyaf and his Ittihad-i Islami faction, a publication by the George Washington University describes, utside forces saw instability in Afghanistan as an opportunity to press their own security and political agendas. Conflict between the two militias soon escalated into a full-scale war, because of the chaos, some leaders increasingly had only nominal control over their commanders. Meanwhile, southern Afghanistan was under the control of local leaders not affiliated with the government in Kabul. In 1994, the Taliban - a movement originating from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-run religious schools for Afghan refugees in Pakistan - also developed in Afghanistan as a politico-religious force. In late 1994, most of the factions which had been fighting in the battle for control of Kabul were defeated militarily by forces of the Islamic States Minister of Defense Ahmad Shah Massoud
31.
Taliban
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Until his death in 2013, Mullah Mohammed Omar was the supreme commander and spiritual leader of the Taliban. Mullah Akhtar Mansour was elected as his replacement in 2015, and following Mansours killing in a May 2016 U. S. drone strike, Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada became the groups leader. The Taliban emerged in 1994 as one of the prominent factions in the Afghan Civil War, under the leadership of Mohammed Omar, the movement spread throughout most of Afghanistan, sequestering power from the Mujahideen warlords, whose corruption and despotism Afghans had tired of. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan was established in 1996 and the Afghan capital transferred to Kandahar and it held control of most of the country until being overthrown by the American-led invasion of Afghanistan in December 2001 following the September 11 attacks. At its peak, formal recognition of the Talibans government was acknowledged by only three nations, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The group later regrouped as a movement to fight the American-backed Karzai administration. The Taliban have been condemned internationally for the enforcement of their interpretation of Islamic Sharia law. In its post-9/11 insurgency, the group has accused of using terrorism as a specific tactic to further their ideological and political goals. According to the United Nations, the Taliban and their allies were responsible for 76% of Afghan civilian casualties in 2010, 80% in 2011, Pakistan states that it dropped all support for the group after the September 11 attacks. Al-Qaeda also supported the Taliban with fighters from Arab countries and Central Asia, hundreds of thousands of people were forced to flee to United Front-controlled territory, Pakistan, and Iran. The word Taliban is Pashto, طالبان ṭālibān, meaning students and this is a loanword from Arabic طالب ṭālib, using the Persian plural ending -ān ان. In Arabic طالبان ṭālibān means not students but two students, as it is a form, the Arabic plural being طلاب ṭullāb—occasionally causing some confusion to Arabic speakers. Since becoming a loanword in English, Taliban, besides a plural noun referring to the group, has also used as a singular noun referring to an individual. For example, John Walker Lindh has been referred to as an American Taliban, in the English language newspapers of Pakistan, the word Talibans is often used when referring to more than one Taliban. The spelling Taliban has come to be predominant over Taleban in English, in the meantime, the United States and Saudi Arabia joined the struggle against the Soviet Union by providing all the funds. Zia-ul-Haq aligned himself with Pakistans Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam and later picked General Akhtar Abdur Rahman to lead the insurgency against the Soviet Union inside Afghanistan, about 90,000 Afghans, including Mohammed Omar, were trained by Pakistans ISI during the 1980s. After the fall of the Soviet-backed regime of Mohammad Najibullah in 1992, several Afghan political parties agreed on a peace and power-sharing agreement, the accord created the Islamic State of Afghanistan and appointed an interim government for a transitional period. With the exception of Gulbuddin Hekmatyars Hezb-e Islami, all of the parties, were ostensibly unified under this government in April 1992
32.
Al-Qaeda
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It operates as a network made up of Islamic extremist, Salafist jihadists. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military targets in various countries, including the 1998 U. S. embassy bombings, the September 11 attacks, the U. S. government responded to the September 11 attacks by launching the War on Terror. Characteristic techniques employed by al-Qaeda include suicide attacks and the bombing of different targets. Al-Qaeda ideologues envision a complete break from all foreign influences in Muslim countries, among the beliefs ascribed to al-Qaeda members is the conviction that a Christian–Jewish alliance is conspiring to destroy Islam. Al-Qaeda also opposes what it regards as man-made laws, and wants to replace them with a form of sharia law. Al-Qaeda has carried out attacks on targets it considers kafir. Al-Qaeda is also responsible for instigating violence among Muslims. Al-Qaeda leaders regard liberal Muslims, Shias, Sufis and other sects as heretics and have attacked their mosques, examples of sectarian attacks include the Yazidi community bombings, the Sadr City bombings, the Ashoura massacre and the April 2007 Baghdad bombings. Since the death of bin Laden in 2011, the group has been led by the Egyptian Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaedas management philosophy has been described as centralization of decision and decentralization of execution. Many terrorism experts do not believe that the global jihadist movement is driven at every level by al-Qaedas leadership, marc Sageman, a psychiatrist and former Central Intelligence Agency officer, said that al-Qaeda is now just a loose label for a movement that seems to target the west. We like to create an entity called in our minds. This view mirrors the account given by Osama bin Laden in his October 2001 interview with Tayseer Allouni and this matter isnt about any specific person and. is not about the al-Qaidah Organization. We are the children of an Islamic Nation, with Prophet Muhammad as its leader, and all the true believers are brothers. So the situation isnt like the West portrays it, that there is an organization with a specific name and that particular name is very old. It was born without any intention from us, created a military base to train the young men to fight against the vicious, arrogant, brutal, terrorizing Soviet empire. So this place was called The Base, as in a base, so this name grew. We arent separated from this nation, and so we discuss the conscience of this nation. Bruce Hoffman, however, sees al-Qaeda as a network that is strongly led from the Pakistani tribal areas
33.
Operation Anaconda
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Operation Anaconda took place in early March 2002. CIA Paramilitary Officers, working with their allies, attempted to destroy al-Qaeda, the operation took place in the Shahi-Kot Valley and Arma Mountains southeast of Zormat. This operation was the first large-scale battle in the United States War in Afghanistan since the Battle of Tora Bora in December 2001 and this was the first operation in the Afghanistan theater to involve a large number of U. S. conventional forces participating in direct combat activities. Between March 2 and March 16,20021,700 airlifted U. S. troops and 1,000 pro-government Afghan militia battled between 300 and 1,000 al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters to obtain control of the valley. The Taliban and al-Qaeda forces fired mortars and heavy guns from entrenched positions in the caves and ridges of the mountainous terrain at U. S. forces attempting to secure the area. Afghan Taliban commander Maulavi Saifur Rehman Mansoor later led Taliban reinforcements to join the battle. U. S. forces had estimated the strength of the rebels in the Shahi-Kot Valley at 150 to 200, the Shahi-Kot stretches 9km in length and 5km across at its widest point. It is composed of two areas, the Lower and Upper the Shahi-Kot which run roughly parallel to each other. During the Soviet–Afghan War, Mujahideen leader Malawi Nasrullah Mansoor was in charge of the valley, Mansoor fortified the valley, digging trench systems, building bunkers and firing postions into the ridgelines, many of which would be put to effect during the operation. The Lower Shahikot bordered the Pakistani tribal lands where many fighters were believed to have escaped to from Tora Bora. Others within AFO and the CIA were making the same connection, the signal intelligence also raised the possibility that high-value targets were present in the valley among which were Jalaluddin Haqqani and Saif Rahman. In late January and February plans were drawn up to assault the Shahi-Kot Valley using Afghan military forces advised and assisted by U. S. special operators, Major General Franklin L. Hagenbeck, Commander, Combined Joint Task Force Mountain, was put in command of the operation. The plan called for an attack on the valley, along with units positioned in the mountains to the east to prevent escape into Pakistan. The expectation was that fighters, as in the case of Tora Bora several months earlier, would flee in the face of an assault and it was decided to use U. S. conventional infantry. In keeping with established strategy in Afghanistan, fire support was to be provided by United States Air Force units, further air support was provided by U. S. Navy units and French Air Force Mirage 2000Ds. The amount of conventional assets allowed in Afghanistan was limited by United States Central Command, the final plan foresaw two major forces, TF Hammer and TF Anvil. TF Anvil consisted of TF Rakkasan and the 1-87 to set up blocking positions, Special operations teams from the AFO detachment led by Lieutenant Colonel Pete Blaber were to provide on-location reconnaissance in the Shahi-Kot Valley for the operation. The Afghans had successfully defeated the Soviet Army twice in this valley, the operation was composed of elements, Task Force Dagger, ODAs from the 5th SFG, B company, 2nd Battalion, 160th SOAR and Combat Tactical Air Controllers
34.
Purple Heart
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The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after April 5,1917, with the U. S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, the Badge of Military Merit was only awarded to three Revolutionary War soldiers by Gen. George Washington himself. General Washington authorized his subordinate officers to issue Badges of Merit as appropriate, from then on, as its legend grew, so did its appearance. Although never abolished, the award of the badge was not proposed again officially until after World War I, on October 10,1927, Army Chief of Staff General Charles Pelot Summerall directed that a draft bill be sent to Congress to revive the Badge of Military Merit. The bill was withdrawn and action on the case ceased January 3,1928, a number of private interests sought to have the medal re-instituted in the Army, this included the board of directors of the Fort Ticonderoga Museum in Ticonderoga, New York. On January 7,1931, Summerall’s successor, General Douglas MacArthur, confidentially reopened work on a new design, involving the Washington Commission of Fine Arts. Elizabeth Will, an Army heraldic specialist in the Office of the Quartermaster General, was named to redesign the newly revived medal, using general specifications provided to her, Will created the design sketch for the present medal of the Purple Heart. The new design, which exhibits a bust and profile of George Washington, was issued on the bicentennial of Washingtons birth, wills obituary, in the edition of February 8,1975 of The Washington Post newspaper, reflects her many contributions to military heraldry. The Commission of Fine Arts solicited plaster models from three leading sculptors for the medal, selecting that of John R. Sinnock of the Philadelphia Mint in May 1931, the first Purple Heart was awarded to MacArthur. During the early period of American involvement in World War II, with the establishment of the Legion of Merit, by an Act of Congress, the practice of awarding the Purple Heart for meritorious service was discontinued. By Executive Order 9277, dated December 3,1942, the decoration was applied to all services and this executive order also authorized the award only for wounds received. Subject to approval of the Secretary of Defense, Executive Order 10409, dated February 12,1952, dated April 25,1962, Executive Order 11016, included provisions for posthumous award of the Purple Heart. Dated February 23,1984, Executive Order 12464, authorized award of the Purple Heart as a result of terrorist attacks, or while serving as part of a peacekeeping force, public Law 99-145 authorized the award for wounds received as a result of friendly fire. Public Law 104-106 expanded the eligibility date, authorizing award of the Purple Heart to a prisoner of war who was wounded after April 25,1962. This change was effective May 18,1998, during World War II, nearly 500,000 Purple Heart medals were manufactured in anticipation of the estimated casualties resulting from the planned Allied invasion of Japan. To the present date, total combined American military casualties of the seventy years following the end of World War II—including the Korean, in 2003, there remained 120,000 Purple Heart medals in stock. The existing surplus allowed combat units in Iraq and Afghanistan to keep Purple Hearts on-hand for immediate award to soldiers wounded in the field, the History section of the November 2009 edition of National Geographic estimated the number of Purple Hearts given. Above the estimates, the reads, Any tally of Purple Hearts is an estimate
35.
Meritorious Service Medal (United States)
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Normally, the acts or services rendered must be comparable to that required for the Legion of Merit but in a duty of lesser, though considerable, responsibility. Within the U. S. Army, according to AR 600-8-22, Paragraph 3-16, in the Army, an MSM recommendation that is downgraded will be approved as an Army Commendation Medal. In the U. S. Army and U. S, the U. S. Navy, U. S. Marine Corps and U. S. In the Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard, the authority for the MSM must be either a Flag Officer or General Officer holding the pay grade of O-7 or above. It is most common for Navy and Coast Guard Master Chief Petty Officers, to receive this medal the individual must exhibit exceptionally meritorious service at that level of responsibility. The Meritorious Service Medal is a medal,1. The reverse has the encircled inscriptions UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and MERITORIOUS SERVICE. The suspension ribbon is 1 3/8 inches wide and consists of the stripes, 1/8 inch Crimson 67112, 1/4 inch White 67101, center 5/8 inch Crimson, 1/4 inch White. Additional awards of the Meritorious Service Medal are denoted by oak leaf clusters in the U. S. Army and U. S. Air Force. And gold 5/16 inch stars in the U. S. Navy, U. S. Marine Corps and these devices are also authorized for wear on the suspension and service ribbon of the medal. In certain instances, the U. S. Coast Guard also authorizes an Operational Distinguishing Device for the medal, an ad hoc committee was formed by the Secretary of Defense to select a name. On November 8,1968, the unanimously approved the name Meritorious Service Medal. President Lyndon B. Johnson established the Meritorious Service Medal per Executive Order 11448, the Executive Order was amended by President Ronald Reagan per Executive Order 12312, dated July 2,1981, to authorize award to members of the armed forces of friendly foreign nations. The medal was designed by Mr. Jay Morris of the Institute of Heraldry, the ribbon design purposely follows the colors used for the Legion of Merit to reflect the parallel between the two medals. The eagle, symbol of the United States, stands on laurel branches denoting achievement, the star is used to represent the military service and the rays emanating therefrom denote the constant efforts of individuals to achieve through excellent and meritorious service. Meritorious Civilian Service Award – a comparable award given to employees of the United States Departments of Defense. US Army Institute of Heraldry, Meritorious Service Medal
36.
Commendation Medal
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The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration which is presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. The Commendation Medal was originally only a ribbon and was first awarded by the U. S. Navy. An Army Commendation Ribbon followed in 1945, and in 1949, the Navy, Coast Guard, by 1960, the Commendation Ribbons had been authorized as full medals and were subsequently referred to as Commendation Medals. Additional awards of the Army and Air Force Commendation Medals are denoted by bronze, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and Coast Guard Commendation Medal are authorized gold and silver 5/16 inch stars to denote additional awards. The Operational Distinguishing Device is authorized for wear on the Coast Guard Commendation Medal upon approval of the awarding authority, order of Precedence is following the Bronze Star Medal but before the Prisoner of War Medal and all campaign medals. Each of the services also awards separate Achievement Medals which are below the Commendation Medals in precedence. This award is intended for service on a joint military staff and is senior in precedence to service-specific Commendation Medals. As such, it is worn above the service Commendation Medals on a military uniform. S, Army after December 6,1941, distinguished themselves by heroism, meritorious achievement or meritorious service. Approval of the award must be made by an officer in the grade of Colonel or higher, the medallion of the Army Commendation Medal is a bronze hexagon, 1 3⁄8 inches wide. On the medallion is an American bald eagle with wings spread horizontally, on its breast is a shield paly of thirteen pieces and a chief. The reverse bears a panel for naming between the words FOR MILITARY above and MERIT below, all placed above a laurel sprig, the ribbon is 1 3⁄8 inches wide primarily of myrtle green. It is edged in white and in the center are five thin white stripes spaced equally apart, devices Oak leaf cluster and V Device The U. S. Air Force began issuing its own Air Force Commendation Medal in 1958 with additional awards denoted by oak leaf clusters. Prior to this time, USAF recipients received the Army Commendation Medal and it was not until 1996 that the V device was authorized on the Air Force Commendation Medal, prior to 1996, there was not a valor distinction in effect for the Air Force Commendation Medal. For USAF enlisted personnel, the Air Force Commendation Medal is worth three points under the Air Force enlisted promotion system, approval of the award must be made by an officer in the grade of Colonel or higher. The Air Force Commendation Medal is a bronze hexagonal medallion, on the medallion is a shield surmounted by an eagle superimposed over clouds. On the shield bears a pair of wings and a vertical baton with an eagles claw at either end, behind the shield are eight lightning bolts. The design on the shield is derived from the Seal of the Department of the Air Force, the ribbon of the Air Force Commendation Medal is golden yellow with blue edges. In the center are three bands of blue, the stripes are thin with the center stripe being wider
37.
Achievement Medal
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The Achievement Medal is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. Each military service issues its own version of the Achievement Medal, the Achievement Medal is awarded for outstanding achievement or meritorious service not of a nature that would otherwise warrant awarding the Commendation Medal. Award authority rests with local commanders, granting a broad discretion of when, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps version of the Achievement Medal. This title was shortened in 1967 to simply, the Navy Achievement Medal, the award is referred to in shorthand speech as a NAM. Awards for crewmembers had to be submitted to the Commodore or Air Wing Commander or the first appropriate O-6 in the chain of command for approval, since 2002 the commanding officers of aviation squadrons and ships have had the authority to award NAMs without submission to higher authority. For the Army, battalion commanders is the authority for the Army Achievement Medal. Effective 11 September 2001, the Army Achievement Medal may be awarded in a combat area, since this change over sixty thousand Army Achievement Medals have been awarded in theaters of operations such as Iraq and Afghanistan. The Joint Service Achievement Medal was created in 1983 and this award was considered a Department of Defense decoration senior to the service department Achievement Medals
38.
Good Conduct Medal (United States)
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The Good Conduct Medal is one of the oldest military awards of the United States Armed Forces. The criteria for a Good Conduct Medal are defined by Executive Orders 8809,9323, the medal is awarded to any active-duty enlisted member of the United States military who completes three consecutive years of honorable and faithful service. Such service implies that a standard enlistment was completed without any punishment, disciplinary infractions. During times of war, the Good Conduct Medal may be awarded for one year of faithful service, the Good Conduct Medal may also be awarded posthumously, to any service member killed in the line of duty. Service for the Good Conduct Medal must be performed on active duty, the exception is the Navy Reserve which discontinued the award as of 1 January 2014. The Navy Good Conduct Medal is the oldest Good Conduct Medal, there have been a total of four versions of the Navy Good Conduct Medal, the first version of which was issued from 1870 to 1884. The original Navy Good Conduct Medal was also not worn on a uniform, a sailor in the Navy received a new Good Conduct Medal for each honorable enlistment completed. The second version of the Navy Good Conduct Medal was issued between 1880 and 1884, the medal was considered a transitional decoration and was the first of the Good Conduct Medals to be worn on a uniform. The medal was phased out by 1885 and a new medal issued between 1885 and 1961, the new medal was a Good Conduct medallion suspended from an all red ribbon. Enlistment bars, denoting each honorable enlistment completed, were pinned on the ribbon as attachments, there was slight oddity during the Spanish–American War when the Navy created the Specially Meritorious Service Medal which also had an all red suspension and service ribbon. This is one of the times in the history of U. S. military awards that two awards had identical ribbons. Additional awards of the Navy Good Conduct Medal are denoted by bronze and silver 3/16 inch stars, the reverse side of the medal has three words, FIDELITY ZEAL OBEDIENCE superimposed in a semicircle. It is extremely rare in todays Navy, but provisions do allow for Petty Officer Third Class to wear gold rate insignia, the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal was established on 20 July 1896. The medal was originally a ribbon and medal suspended from a clasp bearing the words U. S. Marine Corps, the clasp was eliminated after 1935 and the medal has remained unchanged in appearance since that time. Prior to 10 December 1945, four years of honorable creditable enlisted service was required in the Marine Corps for award of the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, after 10 December 1945, the required period of service was reduced to three years. Since that latter date, members of the Marine Corps must have three years of honorable and faithful service in order to be eligible for the medal. In 1953, the Marine Corps adopted bronze and silver 3/16-inch service stars to denote additional awards of the Good Conduct Medal, replacing enlistment bars showing each honorable period of service. The Coast Guard Good Conduct Medal was designed in 1923 and originally used enlistment bars as attachments, in the manner as the Marine Corps
39.
Combat Infantryman Badge
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The Combat Infantryman Badge is a United States Army military award. The CIB and its contemporary, the Expert Infantryman Badge were both created in November 1943 during World War II to enhance the morale and prestige of service in the infantry. He infantry, a portion of the total Armed Forces, was suffering the most casualties while receiving the least public recognition. As a means of attaining the high standards desired and to foster esprit de corps in infantry units, the Expert Infantryman, congress approved an extra ten dollars in monthly pay to every infantryman awarded the CIB—excepting commissioned officers. The WWII regulations did not formally prescribe a specific combat service period establishing the infantryman’s eligibility for being awarded a Combat Infantryman Badge, thus, in 1947, both awards required a commander’s recommendation and a citation in the pertinent orders. War Department Circular 105, dated 13 March 1944 amended WD Circular 269, BADGE – Section 1, Circular No.269 War Department,1943, is amended by adding paragraph 8 as follows,8. The Expert Infantryman badge may be awarded under paragraph 2a, only to those infantryman who have established eligibility and been recommended for such award on or after 27 October 1943. From the beginning, Army leaders have taken care to retain the badge for the purpose for which it was established. The review noted that any change in policy would detract from the prestige of the badge, a Soldier must meet the following three requirements to be awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge, Be an infantryman satisfactorily performing infantry duties. Be assigned to a unit during such time as the unit is engaged in active ground combat. Actively engage the enemy in ground combat, campaign or battle credit alone is not sufficient for award of the CIB. Eligibility for Special Forces personnel in Military Occupational Specialties 18B, 18C, 18E, 18F, retroactive awards of the CIB to Special Forces personnel are not authorized prior to 20 December 1989. A recipient must be present and under hostile fire while serving in an assigned infantry or Special Forces primary duty. The unit in question can be of any smaller than brigade. These Soldiers must have been present and engaged in active ground combat, to close with. Retroactive awards under these criteria are not authorized for service prior to 18 September 2001 and those Soldiers possessing MOS of 18D who qualify for award of the CMB from 18 September 2001 to 3 June 2005 will remain qualified for the badge. The Republic of Vietnam Conflict Era, the design inspiration of the U. S. The composite device is superimposed to an elliptic oak-leaf wreath, symbolizing steadfast character, strength, later, a matte-black subdued metal badge was created for wearing on the fatigues in the field
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Parachutist Badge (United States)
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The DoD military services are all awarded the same Basic Parachutist Badge. The Army and Air Force issue the same Senior and Master Parachutist Badges while the Navy and Marine Corps issue the Navy, the majority of the services earn their Basic Parachutist Badge through the U. S. Army Airborne School. The Armys Basic Parachutist Badge is awarded to all personnel of any service who complete the US Army Basic Airborne Course at Fort Benning. It signifies that the soldier is a military parachutist, and is qualified to participate in airborne operations. The badge and its equivalent may be worn on the Army Combat Uniform. The original Army Parachutist Badge was designed in 1941 by Captain William P. Yarborough, the Parachutist Badge replaced the Parachutist Patch which had previously been worn as a large patch on the side of a paratroopers garrison cap. LTG Yarborough also designed the Senior and Master Parachutist Badges and the addition of stars to portray the number of combat jumps, the flash that is worn behind the badge is also a contribution of William P. Yarborough. To graduate, a student must complete the three-phase course consisting of a phase, a tower phase. By the end of the course, a student will have completed five jumps in varying jump configurations, in cases of simulated combat the equipment will include water, rations, ammunition, and other essential items necessary to sustain an individual in combat. Two night jumps must also be made during the hours of one of which will be as jumpmaster of a stick. The soldier must fill a position commensurate with his or her rank or grade during the problem, have served on jump status with an airborne unit or other organizations authorized parachutists for a total of at least 24 months. In cases of simulated combat the equipment will include water rations, ammunition, four night jumps must also be made during the hours of darkness, one as jumpmaster of a stick. The individual must fill a position commensurate with their rank or grade during the problem. S, Army Alaska Jumpmaster Course, or served as jumpmaster on one or more combat jumps or as jumpmaster on 33 noncombat jumps. Have served on jump status with a unit or other organization authorized parachutists for a total of 36 months. The 25 combat equipment jumps necessary to qualify for the Master Parachutist Badge must be from a static line. The master parachutist badge is 38mm in width at the widest part of the wings, soldiers assigned to Army units on airborne status wear a cloth oval background trimming underneath their Parachutist Badge, which shares the basic design of the units beret flash. The original background trimming was also a contribution of William P. Yarborough, if a soldier completes an airborne jump into a combat zone, they are authorized to wear a Combat Jump Device on their Parachutist Badge. The device consists of a star or arrangements of stars, indicating the number of combat jumps, the use of stars as Combat Jump Devices did not gain official approval until after the 1983 invasion of Grenada
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Military Freefall Parachutist Badge
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It is also called HALO Wings. The Military Freefall Course is taught by B Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Warfare Training Group, the four week course is conducted at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, where students conduct airborne operations. Stars representing participation in combat jumps, known as Combat Jump Devices, can be awarded either the basic. A star and a wreath, centered above the badge, is authorized for soldiers. Unlike the other badges in the army and air force, there is no qualification for this badge. The dagger is a Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife, used by the Office of Strategic Services during World War II, the arched tab represents tabs worn by special operations forces. The parachute is a seven-celled MT1-X, the first ram-air parachute to be adopted by the U. S, Military as the standard freefall canopy. The wings represent flight and airborne capabilities, the Military Freefall Badge original design was submitted in March 1983 by Sergeant First Class Gregory A. Dailey of SFODA-552, Company B, 2nd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group. Updates on the design, adding a master military freefall parachutist badge were submitted by General Wayne A. Downing of USSOCOM, the badge was approved for wear by soldiers assigned to Army Special Operations Command on 1 October 1994. Unrestricted wear was approved on 7 July 1997 by General Dennis Reimer, Parachutist Badge Parachutist Badge Air Assault Badge Glider Badge Pathfinder Badge Blood wings
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Ranger tab
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A smaller metal version of the tab is worn on the Army Service Uniform. Wearing the tab is permitted for the remainder of a military career. It is currently one of four permanent individual tabs authorized for wear by the U. S. Army. In order of seniority, they are the Presidents Hundred Tab, the Special Forces Tab, the Ranger Tab, only three may be worn at one time. Marines presented with the Ranger Tab are not authorized to wear it on their uniforms, airmen presented with the Ranger Tab are authorized to wear it on their uniforms pursuant to AFI 36-2903. The tab must be worn in a properly presented way on the upper crest of the left sleeve, as of 2014, about 300 airmen have successfully completed the Army Ranger School and have been awarded the Ranger Tab. In the Canadian Army, personnel who have attainted the Ranger Tab are permitted to wear it on their green tunics, the Commandant of the United States Army Infantry School may award the Ranger Tab to any person who successfully completed a Ranger Course conducted by that school. Tabs of the United States Army United States Army Rangers
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Special Forces Tab
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Soldiers who are awarded the Special Forces Tab are authorized to wear it for the remainder of their military careers, even when not serving in a Special Forces command. Because it is longer than the other tabs, it is called the Long Tab. Personnel who have earned it are nicknamed Long Tabbers, the Special Forces Tab was created in 1983 and is an embroidered quadrant patch worn on the upper left sleeve of a military uniform. The cloth tab is 3 1⁄4 inches wide and is blue with yellow embroidered letters. A metal Special Forces Badge is authorized for wear on the mess/dress uniforms, the metal badge is teal blue with a gold edge and gold letters. At the time of its creation, the Special Forces Tab was retroactively awarded to any Army soldiers previously Special Forces-qualified, in addition, as set forth in Army regulations, veterans of certain categories of former wartime service are also eligible for retroactive awards of the tab. U. S. Army Warrant Officers are excluded, does not apply to U. S. Army Warrant Officers. Before creation of the Special Forces Tab, Special Forces status was indicated by wearing a full-size unit flash on the green beret, a support soldier assigned to a Special Forces unit wore a 1/4 high bar below the Special Forces Crest on their green beret. The bar matched the colors of the units flash and this was not, however, the norm during the Vietnam war, when all soldiers assigned to 5th Special Forces wore identical unit flashes. After the creation of the tab in 1983 and until January 1993, all personnel in a Special Forces unit wore the same beret, today, only Special Forces-qualified soldiers may wear the green beret, making obsolete the unit bar under the flash. It is currently one of four permanent individual tabs authorized for wear by the U. S. Army. In order of precedence, they are the Special Forces Tab, the Ranger Tab, only three may be worn at one time. Tabs of the United States Army Military badges of the United States 578.99 Special Forces Tab
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Roll-on/roll-off
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This is in contrast to lift-on/lift-off vessels, which use a crane to load and unload cargo. RORO vessels have either built-in or shore-based ramps that allow the cargo to be rolled on. While smaller ferries that operate across rivers and other short distances often have built-in ramps, the ramps and doors may be located in stern, bow or sides, or any combination thereof. At first, wheeled vehicles carried as cargo on oceangoing ships were treated like any other cargo, automobiles had their fuel tanks emptied and their batteries disconnected before being hoisted into the ship’s hold, where they were chocked and secured. This process was tedious and difficult, and vehicles were subject to damage, an early roll-on/roll-off service was a train ferry, started in 1833 by the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway, which operated a wagon ferry on the Forth and Clyde Canal in Scotland. The first modern train ferry was Leviathan, built in 1849, the Edinburgh, Leith and Newhaven Railway was formed in 1842 and the company wished to extend the East Coast Main Line further north to Dundee and Aberdeen. The company hired the civil engineer Thomas Bouch who argued for a train ferry with an efficient roll-on/roll-off mechanism to maximise the efficiency of the system. Custom-built ferries were to be built, with lines and matching harbour facilities at both ends to allow the rolling stock to easily drive on and off the boat. To compensate for the tides, adjustable ramps were positioned at the harbours. The wagons were loaded on and off with the use of steam engines. ”The company was persuaded to install this train ferry service for the transportation of goods wagons across the Firth of Forth from Burntisland in Fife to Granton. The ferry itself was built by Thomas Grainger, a partner of the firm Grainger and Miller, the service commenced on 3 February 1850. Train-ferry services were used extensively during World War I and this involved three train-ferries to be built, each with four sets of railway line on the main deck to allow for up to 54 railway wagons to be shunted directly on and off the ferry. These train-ferries could also be used to transport vehicles along with railway rolling stock. Later that month a second train-ferry was established from the Port of Southampton on the South East Coast, in the first month of operations at Richborough,5,000 tons were transported across the Channel, by the end of 1918 it was nearly 261,000 tons. There were many advantages of the use of train-ferries over conventional shipping in World War I and it was much easier to move the large, heavy artillery and tanks that this kind of modern warfare required using train-ferries as opposed to repeated loading and unloading of cargo. The increase of traffic because of the war effort meant that economies. After the signing of the Armistice on 11 November 1918, train ferries were used extensively for the return of material from the Front, indeed, according to war office statistics, a greater tonnage of material was transported by train ferry from Richborough in 1919 than in 1918. As the train ferries had space for motor transport as well as rolling stock, thousands of lorries, motor cars
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This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.
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