SECRETARY OF STATE HAGEL SAYS SPECIAL OPS FORCES VALUABLE TO SECURITY

FROM:   U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 
Hagel Stresses Value of Special Operations Forces to Security
By Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Steven Fox
U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C., July 18, 2013 - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel highlighted the value of special operations forces during a visit with Marines at the Stone Bay facility here yesterday.

The secretary told Marines and sailors of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command that MARSOC's strength lies in its seasoned Marines who are capable of dealing with developing situations in a complex operational environment.

"Special operations are going to continue to be a critical, critical component of our national security," Hagel said. "I see a tremendous future. We can learn a lot from what special operations does. It's going to be a main piece of our national defense strategy."

Defense Department officials said the purpose of Hagel's visit was to candidly engage with Marines and sailors here on military budget cut impacts and to gain understanding of how MARSOC plans to posture an enabled Marine Special Operations Company for current and future operations.

In meeting with service members here, the secretary expressed his appreciation to them and their families for their continued sacrifice.

"I understand that I'm the first secretary of defense to visit MARSOC, and let me just say thank you," he said. "I try to come out to better understand my job so that I can better support you."

Hagel also stressed that current budget realities in a dangerous world require the Defense Department to learn to do more with less.

"The last 10 or 12 years, the defense budget has been unchallenged, and those days are over," he said. "We have to be more agile and flexible."

SON TAY RAID REMEMBERED WITH DISPLAY AT CANNON

Spectators gather near the Combat Talon I, Cherry One, during a ceremony officially welcoming the retired aircraft to its new home by the front gate of Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., June 28, 2013. The Talon flew point in the largest covert operation of the Vietnam War, the Son Tay Raid, to rescue Prisoners of War. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Jette Carr)

 FROM:  U.S. AIR FORCE
Son Tay Raid aircraft displayed at Cannon
By Senior Airman Jette Carr
27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs

7/2/2013 - CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- The 27th Special Operations Wing held a ceremony to celebrate the official new home of Combat Talon I, Cherry One, near the front entrance of Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., June 28, 2013.

If the retired aircraft could speak, it would undoubtedly have many hair-raising and death-defying exploits to share. Perhaps, though, the most intimidating story it could tell is that of the Son Tay Raid, the moment this particular Talon cemented its mark in time during a Prisoner of War rescue mission in the Vietnam War.

The notorious MC-130E was given a voice during the Cannon ceremony by way of several original crew members who flew the craft during the famous raid. Together, the veterans reminisced, chiming in with details and reminding each other of the moment they leapt into the history books.

Retired Lt. Col. Irl "Leon" Franklin, the Talon's pilot, recalled the day he was recruited to play a part in the Son Tay Raid.

"We got word from Headquarters [U.S. Air Force] to provide a crew for an unknown, classified mission," said Franklin. "They expressed my name specifically, and that of another fellow, a navigator, by the name of Tom Stiles. The rest of the crew was to be chosen from the 7th Special Operations Squadron."

It was a joint-service operation of the utmost secrecy -- formulated like a puzzle. Only those with a need-to-know were told how the pieces fit together, leaving most participants in the dark. Each group, from the flight crews to the army rangers, practiced specific combat maneuvers, all the while speculating what their mission would be.

According to the National Museum of the United States Air Force, an assortment of aircraft trained for the operation, including six helicopters, five small attack planes and two large support aircraft. All unknowingly prepared for a raid on a POW camp in North Vietnam, where intelligence analysts believed 55 prisoners were being held.

Eventually, the mission was briefed to all and they flew what was to become the largest covert operation of the Vietnam War on the night of Nov. 20, 1970.

Flying point under the call sign Cherry One was the faithful Talon 0523, prepared to lead a team of helicopters in close formation. However, as it would happen, all was not smooth sailing for the military bird as the mission started off with what the craft's copilot, retired Maj. William Guenon, called a "Murphy" moment.

"In any good, secret and dangerous mission deep behind enemy lines, there's usually a few surprise 'Murphy' moments to be dealt with along the way, and this will always be the case no matter how much development and training is done," Guenon said. "Our mission was no exception. After having flown Cherry One for more than four months with absolutely no serious issues, on the night of the raid, her number three engine would not start. We lost 21 minutes before we finally, using the double-starter-button-trick, got number three to start."

Once airborne, the crew modified their route to make up for lost time and caught up to the already in-flight formation. Upon reaching their destination, the Talon crew began to drop flares on the sleeping prison camp below, lighting up the area for other aircraft that destroyed Son Tay's defenses and landed inside the fortifications to begin the raid.

Cherry One then flew up the road away from camp and dropped fire crackers to simulate a ground fire-fight in an effort to deter North Vietnamese reinforcements. Finally, Cherry One was to drop a couple napalm bombs, which would burn bright and serve as a reference point for five A-1E Skyraiders and Cherry Two, another Combat Talon I. The first bomb went out on point, but it was the second that gave the crew of aircraft 0523 a bit of a problem.

"Another anxious moment that will always remain with the crew of Cherry One was when our second napalm bomb was armed, got hung up during airdrop and would not leave the aircraft," said Guenon. "You can believe we all had our individual visions of what nasty things could happen, and you can be sure none of these thoughts were very pretty. That derelict napalm was finally jettisoned by using negative G's and an old-fashion, and properly timed, heave-ho by our highly motivated ramp crew."

Though they were prepared for nearly every kind of hiccup in the mission, there was one moment that no one saw coming. During the raid a message came over the radio that simply stated, "No packages."

"When they said negative packages, I never knew what that meant," said Tom Eckhart, head navigator on Cherry One. "I said, 'What's that'; and they said, 'No prisoners.' That was quite a letdown because that was our purpose, but later on I found out it was worthwhile because I got to speak with several people who were prisoners in Vietnam and each one told me that I saved their lives. That made it all worthwhile."

"They were told over and over again, 'Nobody will come and get you; they don't care about you; they have forgotten about you, and you're here forever'," said Eckhart. "After the Son Tay Raid, they [the POWs] found out that we did come for them."

Because of the raid on Son Tay, North Vietnam gathered all POWs together in one location, fearful of a repeat attack. It gave men who had been in isolation for many years the ability to communicate with one another - they were no longer alone.

In Secret and Dangerous, a book by Guenon containing a first-hand account of the rescue operation, was a letter from a Vietnam POW, retired Brig. Gen. Jon Reynolds, who expressed the importance of the Son Tay Raid.

"While the rescue was not to be, the success of the mission and its importance for American prisoners in North Vietnam should never be understated," said Reynolds. "Its impact on us was positive and immediate...morale soared. The Vietnamese were visibly shaken. Even though not a man was rescued, the raid was still the best thing that ever happened to us."

After the mission was completed, the crew parted ways with their Talon, though they found they had become quite attached. At their craft's retirement, the Vietnam veterans were glad to see Cherry One, not in the bone-yard or buried in a museum, but prominently displayed at a special operations base.

"Our bird, Cherry One, aka 64-0523, is a larger than life C-130E(I) - one of the first, and has been operating in the shadows around the many hot spots of the world, she's always brought her aircrews safely home," said Guenon. "When not stemming the tide of communism, she, in the dark of night, quietly pursued those fanatics who still wanted to harm the U.S. Indeed, for a large-sized aircraft, this is certainly no small feat."

"By displaying a proven special operations legend at the Cannon Air Force Base front gate, aircrews can see and realize the true spirit and proud tradition of the Son Tay Raid from so long ago," Guenon continued. "Hopefully her example will influence others to succeed in spite of great odds."

THE FUTURE OF U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND

 

U.S. Special Operations Command works to ensure operators have the tools they need not only for today's missions, but also for those they will confront in the future. Here, a special operations forces member attached to Special Operations Task Force Southeast fires an AT-4 shoulder-fired rocket launcher on the heavy weapons firing range at a base in the Tarin Kowt district of Afghanistan's Uruzgan province, Aug. 22, 2012. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class James Ginther

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Socom Strives to Meet Current, Future Operator Requirements
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

TAMPA, Fla., May 29, 2013 - Navy Adm. William H. McRaven, the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, is quick to point out what he calls one of the special operations forces' most universal truths -- that "people are more important than hardware."

But as the military's most elite commandos take on some of the most challenging missions around the globe, McRaven said, he's committed to ensuring they have everything they need to succeed.

"It is my job to provide [geographic combatant commanders and chiefs of mission] the best special operations force in the world," he told Congress earlier this year.

The broad range of special operations missions -- from dramatic raids like the one that took down Osama bin Laden to lower-profile training missions designed to build partner nation capacity -- demands the best "enabling capabilities" possible, he said.

Special operators require many of the same enablers as their conventional-force brethren: mobility, lethality, situational awareness provided by intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and survivability, McRaven said. But due to the unique nature of their missions -- often highly sensitive and conducted with little notice -- they also have unique equipment and service requirements, he added.

Congress recognized that when establishing Socom in 1987, James Cluck, the command's acquisition executive, told American Forces Press Service. So as part of the initial legislation, Congress granted the new command special acquisition authorities that enable it to respond directly -- and more quickly -- to its operators' needs.

More than 25 years later, Socom remains the only U.S. combatant command with these authorities. The others, with forces from all four services, have to work through three different service acquisition systems to satisfy their requirements.

"Here, we have it all under one system, and we have one commander vetting and deciding what we are going to field and what the priority is going to be," Cluck said. "So the benefit is immense."

Cluck was quick to note broad misconceptions about Socom's acquisition function. "We have to follow the same rules and laws as everybody else does, and we are subject to the same policies as the rest of the department," he said.

What's different, Cluck said, is that Socom typically takes the larger, big-ticket systems the military services develop -- aircraft, vehicles, vessels and weapons systems, among them -- and adapts them for its operators' needs.

One example is the new CV-22 Osprey aircraft developed by the Navy and Air Force that Socom is modifying for its uses. Socom also has contracted to modify seven additional CH-60 helicopters into special-operations-capable MH-60 models during fiscal year 2013.

"Clearly the mission for a special operator is different than that of a conventional operator," Cluck said. Stealthy infiltrations, for example, require aircraft able to fly at lower altitudes and speeds, with the necessary terrain-following radars to support those missions.

"I am not building an airplane from the ground up, and going through all the oversights and testing aspects that go into that," Cluck said. "What I do is get that aircraft from the service and then modify it to our requirements."

This process, even with the associated developmental and operational testing, significantly reduces the time it takes to field the capability, he said.

And for requirements not already in the conventional forces' inventory, Socom has authority to buy them off the shelf, or it can contact industry to develop them, he said.

For the most part, the systems Socom develops itself are lower-cost than the major systems fielded by the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Despite strict oversight requirements that apply to all Defense Departments acquisitions, they aren't subject to the level of scrutiny associated with major DOD acquisition programs, thus avoiding resultant delays.

Socom currently is selecting the source for a new ground mobility vehicle that's lighter and easier to transport by helicopter than the Humvee. The command recently awarded two prototyping contracts for foreign shipyards to build a class of submersible combat vehicles, and expects delivery of the first craft by the end of fiscal 2014.

In addition, Socom recently awarded a contract to Remington to develop a new precision sniper rifle.

"What we are looking for is, 'What is the next technology to allow our folks to be able to operate even better?'" Cluck said.

But another big factor in streamlining Socom's acquisition process is access to all the key players. That includes the operators themselves, the special operations acquisition community that supports them and the decision-makers empowered to give a proposal a yea or nay.

"One of the big advantages for us is that we are all here in one place," said Cluck, who's assigned to Socom's headquarters staff and the Special Operations Research, Development, and Acquisition Center at MacDill Air Force Base here.

"You generally can't say that about the services," in which acquisition authorities and responsibilities commonly cross multiple senior-level organizations spread across multiple states, he said.

Being on one campus gives Cluck direct reach across the organization and promotes immediate responses and close interaction, he said. Everyone associated with a project -- from establishing requirements to contracting out projects and overseeing their progress -- works together under one roof.

"We can rapidly make a decision, because we have processes in the headquarters that if a [theater special operations command] or an operational component have an immediate combat or mission requirement, we can meet and make a decision on that need within days," Cluck said. "If the command validates a requirement, we are rapidly able to move through our contracting processes to satisfy that."

Members of the Acquisition Center are cautioned against "falling in love with a requirement" when it makes sense to field the "80-percent solution," Cluck said. They also understand when it's necessary to shift gears or to abandon a program altogether when priorities or requirements change.

"We need to listen to what the operational demands are and respond to the priorities the command establishes in a budgeting sense to meet those demands," Cluck said.

"The entire Acquisition Center has a focus on the operator and the requirement, ... recognizing that whatever they need us to do is what we are going to put our talents against," he said.

U.S. SPECIAL OPS AND THE FUTURE

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Special Ops Components Adapt for Future Challenges

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service


TAMPA, Fla., May 21, 2013 - Look for big changes in special operations forces as they shape for what's ahead after a dozen years of intensive, high-operational-tempo missions focused predominantly on Afghanistan and Iraq.

Commanders of the special operations components laid out their plans for the future to members of the special operations community and the defense industry last week during the 2013 Special Operations Forces Industry Conference here.

The Navy SEALs will undergo "an amphibious evolution in reverse," returning to their maritime roots, Navy Rear Adm. Sean A. Pybus, commander of Naval Special Warfare Command, told the assembly.

Army Special Forces will concentrate on rebuilding their regional expertise and relationships in parts of the world, Army Lt. Gen. Charles T. Cleveland, commander of U.S. Army Special Operations Command, reported.

Air Force Special Operations Command will strive to to rebalance its portfolio to provide broader support to geographic and theater special operations commanders, said Air Force Lt. Gen. Eric E. Fiel, the AFSOC commander.

And Marine Corps Special Forces Command, the newest of special operations components, will work to institute a cultural shift that maximizes the myriad technologies developed during the past decade-plus of conflict, Marine Corps Col. Mike Sweeney, the deputy MARSOC commander, told the group.

Navy Adm. William H. McRaven, U.S. Special Operations Command commander, opened the conference telling participants to think of a future that extends beyond the high-profile missions heralded in best-sellers and across the big screen.

"The fact of the matter is that [counterterrorism] piece that we do better than anybody in the world ... is a small part of our portfolio," he said. "The broader part of our portfolio is about how we build partner capacity [and] how we link with our allies and partners overseas so that we can help them take care of their problems so that we don't end up having to do [counterterrorism]."

U.S. special operators "will continue to take care of the bad guys and rescue the good guys better than anybody in the world," McRaven emphasized. But by helping partner nations build their own capacity, he said, "they can take care of their own security problems ...[and] do the things that we now don't have to put U.S. forces against.

"That is the value of U.S. special operations forces as we go forth in the future," he added.

That concept, encapsulated in McRaven's "Special Operations Forces 2020" vision, requires transition across the special operations service components.

Those changes are well underway in the SEALs, which Pybus said are expected to reduce the number of theater platoons in Afghanistan by at least half by the year's end.

"Our SEALs have been fighting two land wars for the last decade, and there is plenty of work back in the maritime environment," he said. "That is playing out before our eyes."

The drawdown in Afghanistan will free up forces to better support the U.S. strategic pivot toward Asia or demands in other parts of the world, he said, citing examples of the Mediterranean Sea, the Gulf of Guinea or the Persian Gulf. "There are plenty of things to do in support of our theater [special operations commanders] and all their requirements," he said.

The timing is right for most of the SEALs' return to the water, Pybus said, noting that by the end of the decade, 90 percent of the world's population will live in megacities on or near the coast. "So it is the right time for one of the two maritime components of U.S. Socom to make sure that we are covering down on our obligation as a maritime special operations force."

For the Green Berets, Cleveland emphasized the importance of shoring up gaps in regional expertise due to the command's heavy focus on combat operations in the Middle East. "We have these regionally expert forces, but we surged to Iraq and Afghanistan, and by necessity, we sacrificed over the past 12 years a knowledge and expertise that we need of the rest of the world," he said.

"That's not to say we don't have it," Cleveland added. "But we don't have it in the density that we need. And that is the gap we are going to work to fix."

Meanwhile, Army Special Operations Command, like its sister special operations component commands, is striving to preserve strides made in Iraq and Afghanistan. "We cannot lose what we have developed over the last 12 years," Cleveland said. "I think we are taking steps to not do that."

Sustained combat operations served as a "forcing function" for special operators to work in synchronization with not only conventional forces, but also interagency and non-governmental organization partners, he said.

The challenge, once combat operations are over, is to maintain those bonds for the future, Cleveland said. He shared an observation by a State Department official who suggested forming a "league of extraordinary operators" who maintain a connection, rather than forming one when a crisis erupts.

"We ought not wait until we have to descend on a problem to create this connection, and are starting to work on that," Cleveland said.

Regardless of where on the globe Army Special Forces operate, Cleveland said, "two exquisite capabilities" will remain paramount: surgical strike and special warfare. "The country needs both of these capabilities," he said, emphasizing the need to continually evolve for complex challenges that will test the mettle of the future force.

Fiel, commander of Air Force Special Operations Command, said he expects little letup in the years ahead for the command's highest-demand capabilities: mobility, strike and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

Tasked by McRaven "to generate and sustain as much combat power as possible," Fiel said, he is working to rebalance the command's portfolio to better serve all theater special operations commanders.

Despite flying tactical missions every day in support of every geographic combatant commander and theater special operations commander, all want "more, more, more" capability, Fiel said.

New hardware entering the inventory is a step in the right direction, he said. Another big advance is the new Air Force Special Operations Warfare Center, stood up in February. Its mission includes executing special operations test, evaluation and lessons learned programs and developing doctrine, tactics, techniques, and procedures for AFSOC.

Fiel shared Cleveland's assessment of progress made in building more cohesive and interconnected teams across the special operations force community.

"Socom and [special operations forces] is a team sport. It really is the only joint force in the Department of Defense. Sometimes you are on offensive, sometimes you are on defense, and sometimes you are on special teams," he said. "But we are the only force in the DOD that grows up together."

Since its activation in 2006, Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command has hit the ground running with no pause in the pace of its operational missions. But looking ahead to a post-Afghanistan future, the command is preparing to transition from landlocked operations to future maritime missions around the world, Sweeney told the audience.

In another change to come, Marsoc plans to make its battalions regionally focused to better support theater requirements.

In posturing for that future, Sweeney said, the Marines hope to find better ways to integrate the kinds of technologies integrated into the battlefield in Afghanistan. If anything, Marine special operators are "too heavy on technology," he said.

"When I see our teams and our Marines out there, and they have to have five or six sets of equipment to access five or six networks, that is problematic," he explained. "We are now increasing the burden on the force from a load perspective."

Ideally, Sweeney said, he would like to see one multitiered network that integrates these capabilities.

Another challenge, he said, is to change the culture to take full advantage of what technologies deliver. Sweeney likened the process of compiling multiple data streams to form one operational picture to the broadcast of a "Monday Night Football" game.

"I, as a consumer, see one picture, and that is the picture I want to see," he said. He recognized, however, that someone behind the scenes has made decisions, selecting views from 40 or more screens to deliver what the viewer sees.

"That type of talent is extremely difficult to build in the military," he said, emphasizing that it's not a job that should be relegated to a junior officer or a mid-level noncommissioned officer.

"That is somebody who is well-educated, understands the warfighting functions, can quickly assimilate information, turn it into knowledge and present it to the commander," he said. "It is very, very challenging to do."

The problem, Sweeney said, is that the military – or at least the Marines – don't put emphasis into developing those capabilities or rewarding those who have them.

"From the Marine Corps perspective, if you are an innovator, if you are a visionary, if you are a science-and-technology guy, you are probably not going to do well at the promotion board," he said. "I think what we owe you [in industry] and we owe ourselves is a culture and a mindset shift about how we go after capitalizing on the technology you provide and using that to our advantage to bring power to bear where it counts most."

SPECIAL TACTICS OFFICER SAVES WOMAN IN AUTO ACCIDENT

Maj. Francis Damon Friedman, the director of operations at the 21st Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Field, N.C., saved the life of a woman Jan. 29, 2013 when her Toyota Tundra veered off the road into a tree-lined ditch. Friedman was the first responder on scene, applying First Aid and remaining in the truck with the victim until medics could extricate her from the vehicle. (U.S. Air Force photo/Maj. Lisa Ray)

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
by Rachel Arroyo
Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs

2/1/2013 - HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- In the midst of smoke and blood, the special tactics officer's training kicked in, and he set to work.

This time he was not operating in the deserts of Afghanistan. He was administering lifesaving care in Fayetteville, N.C.

Maj. Francis Damon Friedman, director of operations at the 21st Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Field, N.C., was on his way to work the morning of Jan. 29 when he saw a Toyota Tundra veer off the road, hit an electrical pole at about 65 mph, and launch into a tree-lined ditch.

Friedman immediately rushed to the accident site where he found one woman, the driver of the vehicle, trapped in the truck.

He said his first thought was "I need to gather a team to see if we can get to the victim."

Friedman said he felt a sense of urgency to help the woman because the engine block was smoking heavily and looked like it was on fire.

He corralled three onlookers to assist him in tearing tree limbs away from the entrance door only to find he could not pry it open. So, he smashed the truck bed cab window and climbed inside.

He administered First Aid care to the victim, who was slipping in and out of consciousness and was in a state of shock, Friedman said.

When responders from the Spring Lake Fire Department arrived, they found Friedman talking to the woman and supporting her neck and spine.

Capt. Steven Barker of the Spring Lake Fire Department credited Friedman for applying the C-spine hold on the woman, which he said is critical to preventing paralysis in the case of an accident of this magnitude.

"The gentleman was asked if he wanted to come out [of the truck] which he denied," Barker said. "By doing this it spared us an extra person to assist in the extrication process."

The paramedics were not able to fit in the truck with Friedman and the victim, so Friedman reported vitals, gave the medics his initial assessment of her condition, assisted with the IV and applied her neck brace.

He stayed with the woman holding her up for approximately an hour until the Jaws of Life were used to cut open the door, giving the medics access to her.

Lt. Col. Spencer Cocanour, commander of the 21st Special Tactics Squadron, called Friedman an outstanding representative of the special tactics community.

"Maj. Friedman was in the exact right place at the right time," Cocanour said. "I am glad to see he was able to take his warfighting training and apply it during peacetime."

Friedman said he was humbled by the attention garnered by his heroic act.

"I was doing exactly for that lady what any of my operators would do for me," Friedman said. "Any one of my guys would do that, and that's just our breed in special tactics. I am just honored it was my time to help."

U.S. MILITARY: WOMEN TO HAVE MORE ROLES IN SPEACIAL OPERATIONS

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Officials to Study More Roles for Women in Special Ops
By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 29, 2013 - With women already providing direct support in special operations, officials are studying how to open more positions that currently are open only to men, the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command said here today.

Navy Adm. William H. McRaven touched on the future of women in special operations during remarks at the National Defense Industrial Association's 24th Annual Special Operations and Low-intensity Conflict Symposium.

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, announced last week that the 1994 policy that excluded women from serving in direct ground combat positions is rescinded.

"We have had women supporting direct special operations for quite some time," McRaven noted today. "So I am fully supportive of Secretary Panetta and the chairman's decision to do this -- and frankly, so were all the service chiefs and combatant commanders."

Special operations forces include a number of women with specialized language, cultural and special skills training, but McRaven acknowledged that Army Rangers, Navy SEALs and other "door-kicking" special operations units have never included women. Socom leaders have an opportunity over the next few years to assess how to open the command's ranks to women, McRaven said.

"I'm required to report back to the secretary, by the first quarter of [fiscal 2016], a plan on how to integrate them," he added.

The new guidance requires that standards be gender-neutral, the admiral noted. "We never had gender standards, ... because we had no female population. ... We had an all-male population that was going to become Rangers, or SEALs, or infantrymen," he said. "So that was the standard."

McRaven said he and his staff are looking forward to figuring out ways to integrate women into direct special operations roles.

"I guarantee you, there will be females out there that will come to [basic underwater demolition/SEAL] training or be Rangers ... and will do a phenomenal job," he said.

2012 WARRIOR GAMES ARE UNDERWAY

FROM:  U.S. NAVY
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 2, 2012) Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Sonny Lemerande, right, races down the court during the wheelchair basketball competition between the Special Operations and the Navy/Coast Guard at the 2012 Warrior Games. More than 200 wounded, ill or injured service members from the U.S. and British armed forces are scheduled to compete in the Paralympics-style competition, May 1-5. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class David Danals/Released)