Why Special Operations.Com?

This question has been asked innumerable times, so in an effort to answer this question, the following is offered:

First off, as a personal note, I am a civilian and was never a member of any special operations unit. I did spend a very short time in the US Army in 1993 after graduating from college. I decided soon after my enlistment (Infantry, enlisted) that a military career was not for me. The military, as any veteran will tell you, is not for everyone, which is why all young men and women (especially SOF "wannabes") should think long and hard before joining any branch of the service. It is a wonderful opportunity and an honor to serve our country, but it is a big decision, and the advice of former servicemen and women (not just the recruiter) should be sought before signing on the dotted line. While in the military at Ft. Benning, GA, I discovered first hand (and through a friend, CPT Henry Hastings, SF) that there were Special Operations Units with totally dedicated young men willing to endure the exceptional difficulties of serving in these units. Needless to say, I was very impressed and this impression made a permanent mark on me.

After my brief service, my love of the military and passion for Special Operations continued, and I have devoted myself to the study of such issues as you have seen on Special Operations.Com. Since that time, I have written to promote these Special Operation Forces and their mission (on a freelance basis) for such publications as Jane's Intelligence Review on topics such as counterterrorism, counterproliferation, counternarcotics, guerrilla warfare and terrorism. If you're curious, click here for a list of publications. Starting in January 2000, I began study at Old Dominion University's PhD program in International Studies, with an emphasis in Conflict and Cooperation.

This site was created and is designed to promote to the general public the immeasurable dedication and sacrifice made every day, as a routine matter, by the members of U.S. special operations forces (SOF). While the majority of what SOF does in terms of real-world missions will never be made public, it is important to demonstrate these warriors are not the grunting, knuckle-dragging, snake-eating loners made popular in Hollywood. They are highly-intelligent and physically fit, the best of the best. The site serves as a resource for SOF families who seeks to get a better idea of what their dad, brother, or uncle did for a living, while recognizing their many accomplishments.

On a personal note, it is my opinion that in a time that seems devoid of real heroes, those willing to endure the unendurable, suffer the insufferable, and to continue to lay down their lives without a whimper for their loved ones and country, one need look no further than US SOF. So, this site is for the members of SOF.

It's for the fathers and brothers who were UDT swimmer reconnoitering the beaches of the South Pacific with nothing but a knife and a pair of swim trunks, the Rangers climbing Pointe du Hoc in the face of enemy snipers, the resistance men and women with OSS, the men of SOG units fighting "over the fence" behind enemy lines, the SEALs waiting in ambush in the Rung Sat Special Zone, the air crews providing gunship support, the combat search and rescue pilots and crew penetrating heavy jungle canopies to reach downed air crews in Vietnam, and all others from World War Two to Vietnam.

It's for those now serving as Rangers jumping at 500 feet over Point Salinas, the SEALs under fire at Patilla, the rescuers of Kurt Muse in Panama during Operation Just Cause, the members of Task Force Ranger in Somalia, the Special Forces soldiers in areas throughout the world, Special Boat Units attached to counter-drug operations throughout Latin America and the Carribean, and all others from Desert One to Somalia.

It's for those who will continue to serve as Task Force 160 helicopter mechanics working in the heat and humidity of a hangar in Kentucky, the Navy SEALs prepping for another long night swim at Roosevelt Roads, the Recon and Force Recon Marines making their way through the surf zones, the Delta and Dev Group operators moving in the darkness of the early morning, the Ranger instructors at Camp Rudder and elsewhere, the Spectre gunship crews prepping their aircraft for a flight in the freezing rain of England, as well as those in supply, administration, and all other areas that continue to keep US SOF moving.

In short, this special place is for the special warriors of our nation who have served - in the past, present, and future - in silence, as our unsung heroes.

Tom Hunter