I have said that a man in the Unit has free rein on the armament and combat kit that he carries. I must conclude that I don’t know if or how that applied to our secondary firearm, the Browning M-1911 .45 ACP (Colt) pistol. The fact is, NEVER in my 10-year tenure did I know of anyone or any situation in which a man decided he wanted to carry a different pistol than the venerable … [Read more...] about 1911: A Delta Force Workhorse
George E. Hand IV Articles
Ex-Delta Force Operator Continues His Colombian Drug Cartel Adventure
(You can read part one here) Correction from the first part: the Brigade commander, Colonel "Rodriguez," is rather named "Velasquez." I was able to dig up some documents on this subject that I had holed away that allowed me to make the correction. To further clarify, in-country, I went by the name Carlitos, and my squadron brother went by the name Ricardo. After weeks … [Read more...] about Ex-Delta Force Operator Continues His Colombian Drug Cartel Adventure
Former Delta Operator Recalls His Days in a Post-Escobar Colombia
Ding dong the wicked Pablo Escobar was dead, and with his departure went his infamous Medellin Cartel as well. But the air around that sudden void swirled and rushed to fill the vacuum. Somebody was certainly going to fill that tremendous gap in the South American drug trafficking industry. Oh yes, an industry it most certainly was, and still is today. So it's not like … [Read more...] about Former Delta Operator Recalls His Days in a Post-Escobar Colombia
Former Delta Force Operator’s Thoughts on Hand to Hand Combat Training
*Dedicated to my brother LPD256; love ya madly This essay we shall, for the sake of the political season, refer to as my ‘Concession Speech.’ I have received to date a common core battery of questions, the top subjects of which fall into either a ‘Weapons and Tactics’ container, or the other heavy hitter, ‘Combat Physical Fitness Training.’ To this point, I have conceded to … [Read more...] about Former Delta Force Operator’s Thoughts on Hand to Hand Combat Training
Delta Force Hostage Rescue: Saving the Final Five
(This is a three-part series. Read Part One and Part Two here.) Amidst re-fitting and re-arming our kit, we were promptly summoned to a session with the boss: “Guys, we are missing five passengers. All indications from the aircrew and other sources say that the five missing passengers were removed from the aircraft and taken to a location 45 miles from here. Its a tiny … [Read more...] about Delta Force Hostage Rescue: Saving the Final Five
Delta Force Tales: Repatriation of A Hijacked Airliner
Read Part One HERE And then it came: ‘CLIMB’ Absolute smooth movement was imperative in this event. Sloppy movement, believe it or not, could potentially rock or shake the aircraft, alerting the crows inside that something was going down. There was no hurry during this phase of the assault; however, the announcement of “COMPROMISE” would mean that stealth was off, and … [Read more...] about Delta Force Tales: Repatriation of A Hijacked Airliner
Delta Force Hostage Rescue
We brothers knelt in a circle around our winding up Black Hawk taxis. It was fairly early evening, but fully cloaked in darkness by this hour. We faced in toward the choppers, as the rotor wash pushed hard against our chests and faces. I chuckled as I busted the men to my right and left, as they flared their bodies and leaned into the stiff wind, enjoying a mock free-fall … [Read more...] about Delta Force Hostage Rescue
Former Delta Operator Geo Hand Takes Over The Cellblock
(You can read part one here) Life Behind Bars: Where Nothing is Yours When I returned to my cell, I found that all my prison issue had already gone ‘poof’ by the pilfering populous. But of course! I sat in my cell in the spot where my issue had been, and listened to my cellmate snore violently. I took some toilet paper from the roll attached to the … [Read more...] about Former Delta Operator Geo Hand Takes Over The Cellblock
Former Delta Operator Geo Hand Arrested in New Mexico
There is a saying for when circumstances of an event become so bizarre as to challenge the imagination, to the effect: “You just can’t make this shit up.” I am now testimony to the power of that phrase, and it all happened on my way to Houston recently, to participate in a countermeasure task force to battle human trafficking. An Unexpected Arrest: A Routine Trip Turns … [Read more...] about Former Delta Operator Geo Hand Arrested in New Mexico
Delta Force Operator Shares The Truth About Flash Bang Grenades
I fancy that I’m a cautious sort of fellow, that is to say I am wary for, and take pains to preserve my personal safety. I can say this now, after a ten-year departing bout from the military of being anything but timid and, well… pusillanimous. Thank you ring game ‘Minister’s Cat’ for gifting me with that choice word to replace the word ‘sissy’. The subject arises in light … [Read more...] about Delta Force Operator Shares The Truth About Flash Bang Grenades
Former Delta Force Operator Gives A Rare Look Inside Their Team Room
Commando team rooms are sanctuaries, refugee rallies, areas of amnesty… they are no-kidding full-caliber FORTS—no girls allowed! Girls would not be permitted to enter, as they would wreck our fort! That being said, commandos have no aversion to spending a great deal of time in their team room havens. In my own five-man Delta team room, we had one specific challenge; one … [Read more...] about Former Delta Force Operator Gives A Rare Look Inside Their Team Room
Delta Force’s Colin Rich: What Happens After You Are Shot in the Head
Part one is available here. Part two is available here. If you ask Chainsaw how many surgeries he has endured, and he tells you, it's because he wrote the number down on a piece of paper somewhere. That’s the only way he can remember. To say that he remembers all of them is false; there were just too many, too traumatic, too surreal. The most insidious of Chainsaw’s … [Read more...] about Delta Force’s Colin Rich: What Happens After You Are Shot in the Head