Distinguished Service Cross Citation for Specialist Craig D. Warfle The following is the Distinguished Service Cross citation awarded to Specialist Craig D. Warfle. Warfle has subsuquently been promoted to Sergeant. The President of the United States Takes Pleasure in Presenting The Distinguished Service Cross To Craig D. Warfle Specialist, U.S. Army For Services as Set Forth in the Following Specialist Craig D. Warfle distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous achievement as a Ranger Squad Automatic Weapons Gunner on August 18, 2010 while deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Specialist Warfle was assigned to a task force, whose mission was to capture or kill Al Qaeda (AQ) and Taliban (TB) Senior Leadership. Specialist Warfle’s valorous actions under effective fire while executing an objective saved the lives of his teammates and were instrumental in the death of at least 16 Taliban fighters, the removal of two Taliban Provincial Commanders, and the recovery of a large cache of weapons intended for use against Coalition Forces. On August 18, 2010, the team received special intelligence indicating that a Taliban Commander and weapons facilitator, was meeting near a tree line with at least 17 other Taliban fighters. Information gathered indicated that the enemy was orchestrating an ambush on Coalition Forces in Logar Province, Afghanistan. The team observed the fighters in position for the attack to include multiple spotters and runners used to communicate between the various fighting locations. The Battle Owner was notified of the imminent threat and diverted all convoys. When the enemy fighters aborted their attack they were observed walking in a military formation back towards a meeting site along a tree line. Enroute to that location the enemy fighters were positively identified to be carrying weapons. The team initiated a kinetic strike on the fighter’s location from two AH-64s. The team stood ready and boarded two helicopters for insertion once the kinetic strike was complete. Immediately the kinetic strike, the team inserted a Ranger Element onto T i p o f t h e S p e a r 18
By Petty Officer 3rd Class James Ginther Naval Special Warfare Group TWO The National UDT-SEAL museum in Fort Pierce, Fla., hosted the 27th Annual Muster honoring former and current Underwater Demolition Teams and Navy SEAL operators, Nov. 11-12. More than 10,000 people attended the event which featured a capabilities demonstration by an East Coast-based SEAL Team and guest speakers including Adm. William H. McRaven, Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command; U.S. Representative Allen West; and retired Navy SEAL Medal of Honor recipients Michael Thornton and Thomas Norris. The capabilities demonstration included a SEAL Team performing a helicopter assault, simulated sniper shot and the use of a military working dog. The U.S. Navy SEAL Parachute team, the “Leap were also part of the demonstration and performed various aerial displays. Tommy Norris, a former Navy SEAL, described the difficulties that the original UDT and SEAL teams faced during the Vietnam conflict. “Through the efforts and the heroic courage of the members of those two units, legends were born within the teams,” said Norris. “Some of those legends are in the audience with you today…they won’t tell you who they are, but the team members know and I’m humbled to be in their presence.” The ashes of eight fallen SEALs were laid to rest during a dedication ceremony on the beach adjacent to the museum. Active duty SEALs swam the ashes out to sea. year. “Twenty-seven years have passed since this museum opened,” said McRaven. “Back then there was some angst and curiosity as to whether this relatively small facility could even survive.” He said that in the same way that the museum has grown and flourished, the Navy SEAL teams have expanded. He remarked that the performing the demonstration exemplified the qualities that warriors require. “The author Stanley Haskins once said ‘what lies before and behind us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us” said McRaven. The museum also hosted a 5k run/walk on the beach next to the museum, a skeet shoot and a live auction. McRaven said that the number of attendees had doubled the previous Active duty Navy SEALs carry the ashes of deceased Underwater Demolition and SEAL Team members during a ceremony hosted by the National UDT-SEAL Museum in Ft. Pierce, Fla., Nov. 11. Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class James Ginther. T i p o f t h e S p e a r 21 day
U.S. Air Force Special Operations Weather Teams participate in a training scenario on a CH-47 Chinook during Emerald Warrior, Hurlburt Field, Fla., March 7. Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Clay Lancaster. Past, present Special Operations Weather Teams shape elite career field By Senior Airman Melanie Holochwost Public Affairs The Special Operations Weather Team is one of the newest career fields in the Air Force, officially created just three years ago. However, this grey beret-wearing unit has been around since 1963, originally known as the Commando Combat Weather Team stationed at Hurlburt Field, Fla. To remember past and unique heritage, the Grey Beret Association was formed in May 2012 and recently named seven SOWT veterans to its hall of fame. Selected for outstanding service record were Keith Grimes, Joseph Conaty Jr., Cornelius Gray, Ronald Kellerman, Lloyd Mitchell Jr., Charles Irby, and Henry Kelley. These seven men laid the foundation for the SOWT career field as it is known today. According to Kelley, today’s SOWTs have gone through a drastically different process than he did as a member of the original team. “At first, there was no selection process whatsoever,” Kelley said. “One day a colonel came up to me and said, ‘you look like you're in pretty good shape ... take the rest of the week off, you’re going to jump school on Monday.’” As an airman second class, Col. (Ret) Wayne Golding said he made the team because he picked a piece of paper from a hat that read, “You are a T i p o f t h e S p e a r
Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Nicolas D. Checque Naval Special Warfare Command Army Warrant Officer 2 Michael S. Duskin 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) Officer 1st Class (SEAL) R. Ebbert SEAL Team 4 Army Capt. G. Hogan 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Petty Officer 2nd Class (SEAL) Matthew G. Kantor SEAL Team 4 Army Staff Sgt. Kashif M. Memon 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (Airborne) Editor ’s note: Honored are Special Operations Forces who lost lives since October ’s Tip of the Spear. Army Sgt. Clinton K. Ruiz 9th Military Information Support Battalion (Airborne)