Ideea de a deschide acest topic mi-a venit, dupa cum cred ca este lesne de ghicit, in timpul in care scriam ultimele replici avand ca subiect SAS din Marea Britanie. Am ales aces titlu pornind de la cateva impresii culese de-a lungul timpului scurs de la momentul in care am avut placerea de a deveni membru al forumului. Inainte de asta, as dori sa precizez ca nu intentionez sa polemizez cu nimeni cu privire la aspectul disciplinei; cred ca inteleg foarte bine ratiunile ei. Constat uneori, insa, ca alegerea unui anumit topic introduce opiniile noastre in liniile unui anumit camp de forte care le reteaza elanul. Este propriu gandirii sa ia mai curand forma unui fenomen organic decat a unuia construit cu rigoare geometrica. Ea are volute, bucle, reveniri, digresiuni, se structureaza asociativ si asa mai departe. Lucru care, totusi, nu ne apara impotriva depasirii limitelor topicului propus. Gandirea este rizomica, ramificata, pentru ca asa este structura ei. Asta nu inseamna ca propun abandonarea rigorii, caci fara ea totul ar cadea in haos, in amorf. Putem compensa, insa, macar partial, aceste neajunsuri, prin largirea temei de discutie. La inceput m-am gandit sa o numesc simplu: 1st SFOD-D. Apoi mi-am dat seama ca sunt inevitabile trimiterile la unitati, fie din US Army, fie din alte categorii de forte, cu care istoria acestui detasament a interactionat in cele peste trei decenii de existenta si a caror evocare devine inevitabila daca dorim ca demersul sa fie rotund. Vezi aici, ISA, DEVGRU, AFSOC, Green Berets, Rangers. In anumite contexte, discutia despre Delta devine indisociabila de activitatea unor unitati care nici macar nu apartin Pentagonului, cum este cazul SOG din SAD al CIA sau HRT din cadrul FBI. Si, pentru ca SUA si Canada sunt vecine si aliate, nu exclud introducerea in discutie si a unitatilor acesteia din urma: JTF2, CSOR si, in general, tot ce tine de CANSOFCOM. Mentionez, insa, ca tema centrala ramane Delta Force, si ca postarile noastre ar trebui sa o vizeze in special. Dar sunt binevenite toate referirile la unitati conexe. Stiu ca s-a mai vorbi aici despre 1st SFOD-D aka CAG aka Headquarters Company USASOC, dar nu a existat inca o tema consacrata special unitatii. Si cred ca loc mai este destul. Stiu ca politica externa a SUA este cel putin discutabila, macar sub anumite aspecte si ca armata, si mai ales Special Missions Units (SMU) cum mai sunt numite CAG, DEVGRU, ISA, 24th Special Tactics Squadron din cadrul USAF, au fost instrumentele acestor politici. Propun insa, sa ne limitam abordarea la aspectele militare ale chestiunii, pentru ca daca o 'politizam', teama mi-e ca alunecam spre alt gen de discutii. Eu unul nu ma simt capabil si nici suficient de informat ca sa le port.
The 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (1st SFOD-D) — commonly known as Delta, Delta Force or the Combat Applications Group (CAG) by the United States Department of Defense, is an elite Special Operations Force (SOF) and an integral element of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). It is the United States' primary counter-terrorist unit.
Delta Force's primary tasks are counter-terrorism, counter-insurgency and national intervention operations, although it is an extremely versatile group capable of assuming many covert missions, including, but not limited to, rescuing hostages and raids. [1]
History
The initial concept of Delta was a direct result of numerous, well-publicized terrorist incidents that occurred in the 1970s. As the threat of terrorism was on the increase and the United States being particularly targeted by enemies abroad, the administration felt it needed a counter-terrorist capability.
Key military and government figures had already received briefing on a model for the unit. Charles Beckwith, a member of the US Army Special Forces had served as an exchange officer with the British Special Air Service (22nd SAS Regiment) in the early 1960s. US Army Special Forces in that period focused on unconventional warfare, but Beckwith was impressed with the SAS direct action and counter-terrorism capabilities. He briefed military and government figures, who were also impressed with the SAS concept.
Beckwith had estimated that it would take 24 months to set up the unit. As the threat of terrorism was increasing, the administration needed a counter-terrorist capability until Delta became fully operational. The 5th Special Forces Group created Blue Light as a small contingent of men that would train for this mandate. Blue Light existed into the early 1980s until Delta Force was fully operational.
November 4, 1979, shortly after Delta had been created, 53 Americans were taken captive and held in the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran. The unit was assigned to Operation Eagle Claw, with the goal to covertly insert into the country and recover the hostages from the embassy by force on the nights of April 24-25 and 25-26, 1980. The whole mission was a disaster. The review commission which examined the failure found 23 issues with the operation, among them unbriefed weather phenomena encountered by the aircraft, command and control problems between the multi-service component commanders, a collision between a helicopter and a ground-refueling tanker aircraft, and mechanical problems that reduced the number of available helicopters from the initial eight to only five (one fewer than minimum required) before the mission contingent could leave the transloading/refueling site to stage for the attack.[2]
After the failed operation, the US government reassessed its counter-terrorist capabilities and as a result created new units including the Navy's SEAL Team Six and the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), also known as the "Nightstalkers", particularly focused towards the type of mission like Operation Eagle Claw. The Joint Special Operations Command was also created to control and oversee joint training between the counter-terrorist assets of the various branches of the US military.
In 2006, Mark Bowden published, Guests of the Ayatollah: The First Battle in America's War with Militant Islam, which chronicles the events of the Iran hostage crisis. The book contains first-hand accounts of Delta Force's involvement in the failed rescue attempt. An accompanying piece on The Atlantic Monthly's web site contains pictures and interview videos from some of the participants. [edit] Organization and structure
With most information regarding the unit being highly sensitive, there is no official information regarding specific details. The unit is under the organization of the US Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) but is controlled by the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). A number of sources including the book Inside Delta Force by Command Sergeant Major Eric L. Haney (ret.), suggest the unit’s strength ranges from between 800 to 1000 personnel which includes the following operational elements: [edit] Detachment designations
* D - Command and Control (The Headquarters) * E - Communications, Intelligence and Administrative Support (includes finance, logistics, medical detachment, research and development, technology and electronics, etc.) * F - Operational Arm (The operators themselves) * Medical Detachment maintains special doctors at Fort Bragg and various other bases around the country secretly, to provide medical assistance as needed. * Operational Support Troop, or "The Funny Platoon", is the in-house intelligence arm of Delta. They grew out of a long-running dispute/rivalry with the Intelligence Support Activity. They will infiltrate a country ahead of a Delta intervention to gather intelligence. * Aviation Squadron, although Delta relies heavily on the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and US Air Force assets to transport them to and from operational deployments and training exercises, within the unit there is a small aviation squadron used for limited in-house air transportation. The aviation squadron consists of twelve AH-6 Attack and MH-6 Transport helicopters (although this figure may have increased). It is not known if pilots are recruited from the Air Force, 160th SOAR or if they are Delta operators trained as helicopter pilots. The benefit of having enlisted Delta operators flying aircraft is that they could act as “shooters if needed."[3] * Operational Research Section * Training wing
Delta Force's structure is similar to the British 22nd Special Air Service Regiment, the unit which inspired Delta's creator, Charles Beckwith. In Not a Good Day to Die: The Untold Story of Operation Anaconda, Army Times staff writer Sean Naylor describes Delta as having nearly 1,000 operators.[3] Naylor wrote that approximately 250 of those are operators trained to conduct direct action and reconnaissance missions.[3] There are three main operational squadrons:
* A Squadron
* B Squadron
* C Squadron
These squadrons are based on the organization of the SAS "Sabre Squadron" and each contains 75 to 85 operators[4]. Each sabre squadron is broken down into three troops, one Recce/Sniper troop, and two Direct Action/Assault troops, that can either operate in teams or in groups as small as four to six men. [edit] Recruitment and training [edit] Recruitment
Most recruits come from the United States Army Special Forces and the 75th Ranger Regiment, but some operators have come from other units of the Army.[5] Since the 1990s, the Army has posted recruitment notices for the 1st SFOD-D[6] which many believe refers to Delta Force. The Army, however, has never released an official fact sheet for the force. The recruitment notices placed in Fort Bragg's newspaper, Paraglide, refer to Delta Force by name, and label it "...the U.S. Army’s special operations unit organized for the conduct of missions requiring rapid response with surgical application of a wide variety of unique special operations skills..."[7] The notice states that all applicants must be male, in the ranks of E-4 through E-8, have at least two and a half years of services, be 21 years or older and score high enough on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test to attend a briefing to be considered for admission. [edit] Historical selection process
At its inception the selection process was based on the UK SAS model.[8][9] Eric Haney's book Inside Delta Force described the selection course in its inception in detail. Haney writes the selection course began with standard tests including: push-ups, sit-ups, and a 3-mile (4.8 km) run. The selection candidates were then put through a series of land navigation courses to include an 18-mile (29 km), all-night land navigation course while carrying a 35-pound (16 kg) rucksack. The rucksack's weight and the distance of the courses are increased and the time standards to complete the task are shortened with every march. The physical testing ended with a 40-mile (64 km) march with a 45-pound (20 kg) rucksack over very rough terrain which had to be completed in an unknown amount of time. Haney wrote that only the highest-ranking members of the Pentagon are allowed to see the set time limits, but all assessment and selection tasks and conditions were set by Delta training cadre.[9][10] The mental portion of the testing began with numerous psychological exams. The men then went in front of a board of Delta instructors, unit psychologists and the Delta commander, who each ask the candidate a barrage of questions and then dissect every response and mannerism of the candidate with the purpose to mentally exhaust the candidate. The unit commander then approached the candidate and told him if he had been selected. If an individual was then selected for Delta, he underwent an intense 6 month Operator Training Course (OTC), where they learned counter-terrorism and counter-intelligence techniques. This included firearm accuracy and various other munition training.[10] The Central Intelligence Agency's highly secretive Special Activities Division (SAD) and more specifically its elite Special Operations Group (SOG) often recruits operators from the Delta Force.[11] [edit] Training
On occasion in the past, Delta Force will cross-train with similar units from allied countries such as the Australian Special Air Service Regiment, British Special Air Service and Special Boat Service, Canadian Joint Task Force 2, French GIGN, German GSG 9, and Israeli Sayeret Matkal,[12] as well as helping to train and currently training with other U.S. counter-terrorism units, such as the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team and the Navy's DEVGRU, formerly known as SEAL Team Six. [edit] Uniform Ambox outdated content.svg This article's factual accuracy may be compromised because of out-of-date information. Please help improve the article by updating it. There may be additional information on the talk page.
The Pentagon tightly controls information about Delta Force and publicly refuses to comment on the secretive unit and its activities.
Delta operators are granted an enormous amount of flexibility and autonomy. They will rarely wear any general uniform and civilian clothing is the norm on or off duty.[10] This is done to conceal the identities of these "secret soldiers".[10] When military uniforms are worn, they lack markings, surnames, or branch names.[10] Hair styles and facial hair are allowed to grow to civilian standards in order for the force to be able to blend in and not be immediately recognized as military personnel.[10] This special status, which sets the force apart from the "regular army," is mentioned in the book Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden (though less so in the film of the same name).[13]
[edit] Operational deployments
The majority of the operations assigned to Delta are highly classified and may never be known to the public. However, there are some operations in which the unit has been involved where certain details have been made public. There have been many occasions that Delta have been put on standby and operational plans developed but the unit was stood down for various reasons. These are the known operations the unit has been involved in: [edit] Achille Lauro Hijack
President Ronald Reagan deployed the Navy's SEAL Team Six and Delta during the Achille Lauro Hijack to Cyprus to stand-by and prepare for a possible rescue attempt to free the vessel from its hijackers. [edit] Central American operations
Delta has seen action extensively in Central America, fighting the Salvadoran revolutionary group Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front and assisting the Central Intelligence Agency-funded Contras in Nicaragua.[10] [edit] Operation Round Bottle
Delta had planned an operation to go into Beirut, Lebanon to rescue Westerners held by Hezbollah. [edit] Operation Urgent Fury
A second Delta mission launched in the early daylight hours of the first day of Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada was to assault Richmond Hill Prison and rescue the "political prisoners" being held there. Built on the remains of an old eighteenth-century fort, the prison cannot be approached by foot from three sides except through dense jungle growing on the steep mountainside; the fourth side is approachable by a narrow neck of road with high trees running along it. The prison offers no place for a helicopter assault force to land. Richmond Hill forms one side of a steep valley. Across and above the valley, on a higher peak, is another old fort, Fort Frederic, which housed a Grenadian garrison. From Fort Frederic, the garrison easily commanded the slopes and floor of the ravine below with small arms and machine gun fire. It was into this valley and under the guns of the Grenadian garrison that the helicopters of Delta Force flew at 6:30 that morning.
The helicopters of Task Force 160 flew into the valley and turned their noses toward the prison. Unable to land, the Delta raiders began to rappel down ropes dragging from the doors of the helicopters. Suddenly, as men swung wildly from the rappelling ropes, the helicopters were caught in a murderous cross-fire from the front as forces from the prison opened fire, and more devastatingly, from behind, as enemy forces in Fort Frederic rained heavy small arms and machine gun fire down from above. According to eyewitness accounts by Grenadian civilians who were in houses and in the mental hospital situated above the ravine, a number of helicopters that could, flew out of the valley. In at least one instance, a helicopter pilot turned back without orders and refused to fly into the assault. Charges of cowardice were filed against him by some members of the Delta Force but were later dropped. [edit] Operation Heavy Shadow
In his book Killing Pablo, Mark Bowden suggests that a Delta Force sniper may have eliminated Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. There is no hard evidence of this though and credit is generally attributed to Colombian security forces. [edit] Aeropostal Flight 252
On July 29, 1984 Aeropostal Flight 252 from Caracas to the island of Curaçao was hijacked. Two days later, the DC-9 was stormed by Venezuelan commandos, who killed the hijackers.[14] Delta Force provided advice during the ordeal.[15] [edit] Operation Just Cause
Before Operation Just Cause by US forces took place, there were key operations that were tasked to Special Operations Forces. Operation Acid Gambit was an operation tasked to Delta to rescue and recover Kurt Muse held captive in Carcel Modelo, a prison in Panama City. Another important operation that was assigned to Delta was Operation Nifty Package, the apprehension of General Manuel Antonio Noriega. [edit] Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm
Delta was deployed during Desert Storm to the region and tasked with a number of responsibilities. These include supporting regular Army units that were providing close protection detail for General Norman Schwarzkopf in Saudi Arabia. Army relations’ officers tried to play down Schwarzkopf’s growing number of bodyguards. Delta was also tasked with hunting for SCUD missiles alongside the British Special Air Service and other coalition Special Forces. [edit] Operation Gothic Serpent
On 3 October 1993, members of Delta Force were sent in with U.S. Army Rangers in the conflict in Mogadishu, Somalia codenamed Operation Gothic Serpent.
They were tasked with securing several of Mohammed Farah Aidid's top lieutenants, as well as a few other targets of high value. The mission was compromised after two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters were shot down by RPGs. This resulted in an ongoing battle and led to the death of five Delta operators (a sixth was killed by mortar fire some days later), six Rangers, five Army aviation crew, and two 10th Mountain Division soldiers. Estimates of Somali deaths range from 133 by an Aidid sector commander[16] to an estimate of 1500 to 2000 by the US Ambassador to Somalia.[17] In 1999, writer Mark Bowden published the book Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War, which chronicles the events that surrounded the October 3, 1993 Battle of Mogadishu.[13] The book, in a short brief, relates Delta Force's involvement in the operations that occurred before the events leading to the battle.[13] The book was turned into a film by director Ridley Scott in 2001. [edit] Seattle WTO
Members of Delta Force were also involved in preparing security for the 1999 Seattle WTO Conference, specifically against a chemical weapon attack.[18] [edit] Counter-terrorist training
In January 1997, a small Delta advance team and six members of the British SAS were sent to Lima, Peru immediately following the takeover of the Japanese Ambassador's residence.[19] [edit] Operation Enduring Freedom
Delta Force was also involved in the offensive against the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001.[20] Delta Force has formed the core of the special strike unit which has been hunting High Value Target (HVT) individuals like Osama Bin Laden and other key al-Qaeda and Taliban leadership since October 2001, the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom. One such operation was an airborne assault supported by the 75th Ranger Regiment on Mullah Mohammed Omar's headquarters at a Kandahar airstrip. Although Delta Force's mission was a failure in capturing Mohammed Omar, the Rangers had captured a vital strategic airstrip. [21]. The strike force has been variously designated Task Force 11, Task Force 20, Task Force 121, Task Force 145 and Task Force 6-26. The Delta Force have also increased operations in eastern Afghanistan in 2009. SFOD-D along with DEVGRU have achieved many victories against the Haqqani newtork, which is a strong faction of the Taliban, moving across the Pakistani border if needed. [22]
Operation Iraqi Freedom
One of several operations in which Delta Force operators are thought to have played important roles was the 2003 invasion of Iraq.[23] They allegedly entered Baghdad in advance and undercover. Their tasks included guiding air strikes, and building networks of informants while eavesdropping on and sabotaging Iraqi communication lines. They were also instrumental in Operation Phantom Fury in April 2004 when they were attached to USMC companies, usually as snipers.[24]
Delta were also present in the siege in Mosul where Uday and Qusay Hussein were killed, and were also involved in the hunt and eventual capture of Saddam Hussein. It has also been reported that Delta was on the ground north of Baquba on June 7, 2006 surveilling a compound where Al-Zarqawi had been staying. After a long manhunt, Delta had Zarqawi in their sights and had called in an airstrike [25]
sursa:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta_Force
Delta Force
This super-secretive US Army outfit goes by several names
* Delta Force * 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (1st SFOD-D) * Combat Applications Group (CAG) * Delta
Delta operators themselves simply refer to their organization as 'the Unit'. Delta Force - Role
Delta's main mission is counter-terrorism (CT). This includes:
* hostage rescue * the capture / elimination of terrorist forces * intelligence gathering on terrorist threats
Other roles include:
* close protection (guarding VIPs) * unconventional warfare
Since their inception, Delta have become masters at the dark arts of counter terrorism. The unit's operators are highly skilled in sniping and close quarters combat (CQB), dynamic and covert entry, explosives and hand-to-hand combat. Over the years, Delta have developed a working knowledge of systems on aircraft, trains, ships and vehicles that enables them to intervene and take control of any scenario in any environment. Regular exercises with US and foreign CT units keeps their skill-set and knowledge-base up-to-date. A Delta Force team is reportedly on immediate standby to respond to a terrorist threat. Delta's CT role overlaps to some degree with the Navy unit, DEVGRU Delta Force - Organization
Delta Force's structure is similar to the British 22nd Special Air Service Regiment, the unit which inspired Delta's creator, Charles Beckworth. The unit is based a Fort Bragg, NC.
Delta Force is reportedly organized into 3 Squadrons :
* A Squadron * B Squadron * C Squadron
Each squadron is made up of 3 Troops
* 1 x Recce / Sniper Troop * 2 x Direct Action / Assault troops
Delta is under the command of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) and is considered a 'Tier One' Special Mission Unit (SMU). Delta Force - Selection
Soldiers wishing to join Delta Force must undergo a tough selection process. more info : Delta Force selection Aviation Platoon
It is believed that Delta Force is supported by an Aviation Platoon which operates a small fleet of AH-6 and MH-6 helicopters, some painted in civilian colors. The Aviation Platoon is not to be confused with the 160th SOAR, who also provide helicopter support to Delta Force. The aviation platoon is understood to also fly missions for the CIA. Support elements
Delta are supported by dedicated signalers (radio communications), logistics, medical and intelligence personnel.
* signals squadron * support squadron
Delta Force - Notable Operations
Since their inception, Delta Force have been involved in a series of operations.
more info : Delta Force Operations Delta Force - Weapons
Aside from standard US military weapons, Delta have used a number of specialized firearms.
Opportunities Officer Assignment Opportunities in Delta Force
(From: US Army PERSCOM Online)
The U.S. Army's 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (1stSFOD-D) plans and conducts a broad range of special operations across the operationalcontinuum. Delta is organized for the conduct of missions requiring rapid response with surgical applications of a wide variety of unique skills,whilemaintaining the lowest possible profile of U.S. involvement.
Assignment to 1st SFOD-D involves an extensive prescreening process,successful completion of a 3 to 4 week mentally and physically demandingAssessment and Selection Course, and a 6 month operator Training Course.Upon successful completion of these courses officers are assigned to anoperational position within the unit.
As an officer in 1st SFOD-D, you will have added opportunities to command at the CPT, MAJ, and LTC levels. You may also serve as an Operations Officer.Afterservice with 1st SFOD-D there are a wide variety of staff positions availableto you at DOD, JCS, DA, USASOC, USSOCOM, and other joint headquarters becauseof your training and experience. In addition, there are interagency positionsavailable to you as well.
The prerequisites for an officer are: # Male # Volunteer # U.S. Citizen # Pass a modified Class II Flight Physical # Airborne qualified or volunteer for airborne training # Pass a background security investigation and have at leasta secret clearance. # Pass the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT), FM 21-20,75points each event in the 22-26 age group, (55 pushups in two minutes,62situps in two minutes, and a 2 mile run in 15:06 or less), wearing yourunit PT uniform. # Minimum of two years active service remaining upon selectionto the unit. # Captain or Major (Branch Immaterial). # Advance Course graduate. # College graduate (BA or BS). # Minimum of 12 months successful command (as a Captain). 1st SFOD-D conducts worldwide recruiting twice a year to process potential candidates for the Assessment and Selection Course. Processing for the March Course is from October through January. Processing for the September Course takes place April through July. Assignments with 1st SFOD-D provide realistic training and experiences that are both personally and professionally rewarding.
Mai intai, imagini surprinse in timpul operatiunii 'Eagle Claw`
Tipul inalt si solid cu fes negru si camasa de culoare deschisa este fondatorul si primul comandant al 1st SFOD-D, colonelul Charlie 'Chargin' Beckwith. Langa el, mai mic si mai subtirel, cu camasa de culolare inchisa, generalul-maior James B. Vaught, comandantul intregii operatiuni si fost ofiter din cadrul Rangers. In poza a 3-a de sus, in dreapta, tipul inalt si cu barba (care apare si in poza a 5-a de sus, dar unde nu se distinge prea bine) este actualul general-locotenent in retragere William 'Jerry' Boykin, care a comandat 1st SFOD-D intre 1992-1994 (a fost ranit la Mogadishu, in Somalia, in 1993) si care a particpat, ca maior, la operatiunea Eagle Claw.
Tinuta pe care au avut-o operatorii Delta in aceasta misiune: blue jeans, jacheta militara vopsita in negru, fes negru din USNavy si bocanci cu suprafata mata.
Cele doua fotografii deloc placute sunt facute dupa operatiunea de la Mosul din iulie 2003, parca, in care au fost ucisi cei doi fii ai lui Saddam Hussein. Ultima fotografie a fost realizata in timpul acelei operatiuni. Operatorii Delta Force se vad mai in fata, au veste tactice mai inchise la culoare si casti de tip MICH2002, tot de culoare inchisa, si sunt incaltati cu ghete de sport.
In aceasta fotografie, realizata in decembrie 2001, apar operatori Delta imbarcati intr-un camion care ii transporta spre Tora Bora. Din sursa foarte sigura.
Charles Alvin Beckwith From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Charles Alvin Beckwith January 22, 1929(1929-01-22) – June 13, 1994 (aged 65) Charles Beckwith.jpg Nickname "Chargin' Charlie" Place of birth Atlanta, Georgia Place of death Austin, Texas Allegiance United States of America Service/branch United States Army Years of service 1952—1981 Rank Colonel Commands held Support Company, 504th Airborne Infantry Regiment Special Forces Detachment B-52 (Project DELTA) 2nd Battalion/327th Parachute Infantry Regiment 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta Battles/wars Korean War Vietnam War Operation Eagle Claw Awards Distinguished Service Cross ribbon.svg Distinguished Service Cross SilverStar ribbon.jpg Silver Star with Oak Leaf Cluster Legion of Merit ribbon.jpg Legion of Merit BronzeStar ribbon.jpg Bronze Star Purple Heart BAR.svg Purple Heart Other work Security consultant
Colonel Charles Alvin Beckwith (January 22, 1929 – June 13, 1994), known as "Chargin' Charlie", was a career United States Army soldier and Vietnam veteran, credited with the creation of Delta Force, a branch of the U.S. Army. Although he is held in high regard by various members of the military Special Operations Forces, the general public know him best due to the ill-fated Operation Eagle Claw in Iran, 1980. Early life
Beckwith was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1929, and was an all-state football player for his high school team. He later enrolled in the University of Georgia where he played football for the Bulldogs and was a member of the Delta Chapter of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. He joined the university's Army ROTC program and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1952. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 1952 as well but turned it down to stay in the army.[1] [edit] Military career
In 1955, Beckwith joined the 82nd Airborne Division as commander of Support Company, 504th Infantry Regiment. Two years later Beckwith transferred to the Army Special Forces and in 1960 was deployed to South Vietnam and Laos as a military advisor.
Beckwith served as an exchange officer with the British Special Air Service (22 SAS Regiment) in the early 1960s. US Army Special Forces in that period focused on unconventional warfare, but Beckwith was impressed with the SAS direct-action and counter-terrorism capabilities.
Beckwith commanded a Special Forces unit code-named Project Delta in Vietnam. He was critically wounded in early 1966 (he took a .50 caliber bullet through his abdomen), so badly that medical personnel initially triaged him as beyond help.[2] After recovery, he took over the Florida Phase of the US Army's Ranger School, transforming it from a scripted exercise based upon the Army's World War II experience, into a Vietnam-oriented training regimen.
In the late 1960s, Beckwith returned to Vietnam, where he commanded a battalion. In the 1970s he was stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina where he commanded training operations. [edit] Delta Force
Delta Force was founded in November 1977 as an overseas counter-terrorist unit whose main mission is in hostage rescue, barricade operations and specialized reconnaissance. Its first mission (the aforementioned Operation Eagle Claw) ended in abject failure. After the "debacle in the desert" the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment was formed specifically to provide transport for Delta Force, and eventually other Special Operations Forces, worldwide. [edit] Later life
Following his disappointment at the failure of the Iranian operation, Beckwith retired from the army. He started a consulting firm and wrote a book about Delta Force. He died at his home of natural causes.
Charles Beckwith was married to Katherine Beckwith, and they had three daughters.
Charles Beckwith's remains are interred in the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, San Antonio, Texas. [edit] Quotes
"My men and I have decided that our boss, the President of the United States, is as tough as woodpecker lips."[citation needed]
"I was not about to be party to half-assed loading on a bunch of aircraft and going up and murdering a bunch of the finest soldiers in the world."[citation needed]
"I learned that Murphy is alive and well. He's in every drawer, under every rock and on top of every hill."[citation needed]
"I'd rather go down the river with seven studs than 100 shitheads"
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