Tracking Afghanistan
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19 May 2009
American Special Operations Forces are eager to receive tracking training, but very few attain any tracking skills that extend much beyond common experience. This reality translates into a profound and unnecessary weakness. An experienced Green Beret who spent years as an Army Ranger recently told me, “Getting our guys to tracking school is almost an act of congress.”
Royal Marine Craig Tucker is a believer. On his first tour of Afghanistan, he got launched into the air by a bomb that mostly failed. Marine Tucker, above, recently attended the British tracking school on Borneo Island. Marine Tucker gives a “thousand yard stare” while I click some photos, then we burst into laughter before beginning another day of training.
Please read the following emails about the tracking course in Brunei. The British military welcomes American forces to the school, but few attend.
On Track
Tracking Update
Quick email from Borneo Island:
Quick email from Borneo Island II:
Veterans vs. Veterans
A Beautiful Track
The Swamp of Death
May Day
Mysterious Places
Days 14 & 15
Tracking School: Day 16
Bird's Nest
"Tuning In"
Making Tracks
Sad News from Borneo
Pitcher Plant
Gurkha
Gurkha II
Gates Petraeus McKiernan McChrystal and Rodriguez
Gurkha III
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Comments
Thanks for the fabulous quote from the Green Beret soldier regarding tracking and how it takes "An act of Congress" to get them to a tracking school. I have taken the initiative to email my 2 senators and my State representative, asking them to do what is takes to find out why it is so difficult to send our troops to this critical training. I've even directed them to your website for further details on the training, as I find it absolutely fascinating. I copied the following quote of years, please don't be offended. I did it in the best of interests. Here's the email:
Dear Rep. Herseth Sandlin, Senator's Thune and Senator's Johnson,
Please read the following excerpt from Michael Yon's Blog:
"19 May 2009
American Special Operations Forces are eager to receive tracking training, but very few attain any tracking skills that extend much beyond common experience. This reality translates into a profound and unnecessary weakness. An experienced Green Beret who spent years as an Army Ranger recently told me, ƒ??Getting our guys to tracking school is almost an act of congress.ƒ?
I believe if you spent some time at the following website http://www.michaelyon-online.com/
you would get an idea of how critical this training is for our men and women in the armed forces. Given the massive expenditure of time and money we are spending in Afghanistan this year, I can only imagine that this training would keep our soldiers alive, and would help them find those responsible for the daily chaos in that country.
Please take the initiative to inquire from the Armed Forces why it is so difficult to provide this critical training to our soldiers.
Thank you!
Keep up the great work, and stay chilly in Afghanistan when you get there!
I encourage all of your regular readers to do their part and CONTACT YOUR CONGRESS PEOPLE on this issue. Believe it or not, they do listen to their constituents from time to time....
Looks like:
(a) Michael was tracking a snail ... that ... burst out of the ground .... no
(b) someone threw a fishing lure down onto the beach and reeled it in
(c) Michael took a photo from a helicopter of some Jeep tracks taking fire and driving past a ..... giant log-shaped .... argh
Okay, I give up.
When this war is over I think National Geographic will want your services. Bloody good stuff!
Regards,
To attend a FREE 10 day tracking class at Fort Huachuca or to arrange a Free MTT at your unit contact Gloria Daniel at Fort Huachuca on
520-438-5338 or the Tactical Tracking Operations School on 520-452-9000. There is a waiting list but patience will prevail!
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