Rivers of Gold (22 page)

Following an unexpectedly early release, Subject did not go
home. Subject (promoted again) reported to USMC Camp
Lejeune, NC, where he remained throughout 2004 and into
2005, with several brief details to Washington for

During this period Subject literally learned to fly: Subject trained and was solo-certified for fixed-wing flight in
,
and
. Subject also temporarily detailed to
for cross-training with members of
and
in both reconnaissance and tactical deployment of UAVs.

With the official formation of MARSOC in 2006, Subject returned to Afghanistan. (NOTE: Subject should hereafter be considered a MARSOC operator.) Subject (now commanding a mixed SOF/AMF unit with unconventional equipment, such as SASR Parenties and RSOVs, as well as “Gator” and “Prowler” ATVs, even using retired “Chenowth” DPVs and M1030M1 motorcycles, all modified for communal JP8 fuel) resumed cross-border patrols throughout northern Pakistan, at least once traversing the entire country, crossing the LOC and infiltrating the Jammu-Kashmir region between Pakistan and India. Subject's unit achieved unprecedented engagement and enemy kill rates, while setting new standards in CAS efficacy.

However, allegations of repeated engagement with Pakistani forces eventually forced the recall of Subject's unit to base in late 2010; following surge of conventional forces in-country that year, Subject's unit was disbanded. Subject concluded his fourth Afghan tour in Kabul, studying languages and new airlift applications for combat vehicles. (NOTE: Studies of comparative combat weights of a surprising array of vehicles, such as IAVs, LAVs, Bradleys, and UK Warrior APCs, including classified rubber-track combat fitments, were found in copies of his personal computer files when he returned Stateside in 2010.)

Subject did not go home. He is presently assigned to
based at
. Subject currently holds the rank of
; he has been awarded the Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal, three Combat Action ribbons, two Purple Hearts, the Bronze Star and the Silver Star.

COMMENTS: Two themes recur throughout the Subject's career, namely, his continual striving for self-improvement, and his focus on optimizing CAS. Subject was clearly set on Force Recon from the beginning. His burgeoning interest in CAS, from the ground and eventually above it, should come as no surprise, given his long-term immersion into the SOF community, particularly among TACPs and LRRP groups. Likewise his early sniper training proved to be complementary to the FAC role, a blending of skill sets seen elsewhere among SOF TACPs/FACs deployed in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

Such a remarkable degree of achievement within the given time span warrants mention of the fact that the Subject lacks all semblance of a normal home life which can conflict with the demanding long-term mission requirements of SOF life. Subject's fitreps, while impeccable, indicate a solitary personality, though one not incapable of functioning within and supporting a larger unit. (NOTE: In basic training, Subject showed disdain for typical hazing measures taken against new recruits, e.g., tattoos, branding, etc. Several incidents of injuries of cadets within Subject's training platoon on record as arising from such alleged activities; no charges filed against Subject, nor did Subject report any complaints, or for medical treatment, for any injuries sustained.) This is not to imply that the Subject is incapable of unit solidarity or that the Subject was reckless with the men under his command; according to debriefings of those in his unit ambushed at
, firsthand accounts confirm Subject refused extraction until every man in his unit was accounted for and the remains of those KIA were recovered for burial. Such behavior is consistent with the highest aspirations
of the USMC for its recruits.