Warrior Class
Why Special Forces Are America's Tool Of Choice In Colombia And Around The Globe
Gen. James Hill, the head of the U.S. Southern Command, understands his soldiers' views. "I'd be unhappy if they didn't feel that way," he says, "because, professionally, that's the way they should feel, because they could do a more thorough job, if they could get out there and see them. The trick is, does that extra benefit outweigh the risks? And the answer, in my view, is no--at this time."
Buildup. The risks include losing American lives in a conflict that does not have the same popular support as the hunt for al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. Still, America's mission in Colombia is expanding. To reinforce his team in Arauca, General Hill is sending casualty-evacuation helicopters and a 12-man forward surgical team. Other A-Teams are training a Colombian commando battalion to capture leaders of the rebel groups. Still others are training a new beefed-up police force, called carabineros, to go into areas and hold them once the military has retaken them. And U.S. advisers are being assigned to Colombian brigades around the country to help in the all-important tasks of intelligence and aviation support.
Washington has a big stake in Colombia, senior Bush administration officials say. It is not only South America's oldest democracy but also the source of most of the illegal drugs Americans consume. U.S. assistance, like the training provided to Colombia's 18th Brigade, will help the nation end its 39-year-old conflict and reclaim its now lawless tracts of jungle, Bush and his advisers hope. They believe that what the Americans teach the Colombians will make the most difference, since it is their war to win or lose.
In Saravena, Sean is working closely with the 18th Brigade's mortar team to improve its crude aiming techniques. Looking back on his career, Sean counts the hundreds of soldiers he has trained, Americans and others in armies around the globe. Raw and unskilled, they became professional soldiers under his stewardship. In Colombia, Sean has spent weeks mentoring a promising young lieutenant. The soldier soaked up everything the veteran Green Beret had to offer. As they prepared to part, Sean gave the man the machete he had used to survive so long before in the Malaysian jungle. "My only request," Sean told the man, handing him the machete, "is that I see it strapped to your side the day you get your general's star."
"You've got to find the guys who are attacking the pipeline . . . before [an attack] takes place. And you don't do it at the pipeline, you do it out in the countryside."
GEN. JAMES HILL, commander, U.S. Southern Command
"This is our backyard, and we haven't done enough. Colombia affects our country and we have to pay attention."
MAJ. MIGUEL CORREA, U.S. Special Forces
They're everywhere
Special Forces, the weapon of choice in the war on terrorism, are carrying out missions in at least 35 countries, including Afghanistan and Iraq. In Colombia, three armed opposition groups control much of the province of Arauca, where they killed three Americans in 1999 and kidnapped two more last month. U.S. Green Berets are advising the Colombian military as it fights to defeat the so-called narcoterrorists--who run guns and drugs--and reclaim the territory.
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