Violence of action : the untold stories of the 75th Ranger Regiment in the War on Terror

499 Pages·2014·3.72 MB·English

by  Marty Skovlund Jr.

This book is as factual as personal experience, extensive research, and interviews with
participants will allow. Any errors are unintended, and neither the author or publisher is liable for
any omissions or discrepancies.
Photographs in the photo section are used with permission by the person(s) or organization who
provided them. The author makes no claim to copyright for any pictures not personally provided.
Although Blackside Concepts retains the copyright to the complete book, each contributing
author retains rights to their individual stories.
Copyright © 2014 by Blackside Concepts All rights reserved. Published by Blackside Concepts.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any
means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without
the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in
critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission
requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address
below or by e-mail at [email protected]
Blackside Concepts
PO Box 63925
Colorado Springs, CO 80962
www.blacksideconcepts.com
ISBN 978-0-9912865-2-2 (print)
Cover and Page Design, Ebook Conversion – Lorie DeWorken, MINDtheMARGINS, LLC
First Edition
Dedication
To the Rangers who made the ultimate sacrifice.
To the wives who will now walk alone.
To the children who will grow up fatherless.
To the parents who will never see their son grow old.
To the families that have an empty seat at the dinner table.
To the nation that lost one of her best.
To the men who must court demons every time they close their eyes.
To the Regiment - past, present and future.
One for the Airborne Ranger in the Sky
“Violence of Action is the book about the 75th Ranger Regiment that we’ve
been waiting decades for. While Rangers hit targets night after night
throughout the War on Terror, they did it largely in silence and behind
the veil of strict Operational Security. While many have written about
Special Forces, SEALs, Delta Force, and others, almost nothing is out
there about the Regiment’s unmatched contribution to the fight in
Afghanistan and Iraq, until now. Violence of Action pulls back the curtain
and allows the reader to finally catch a glimpse of the Rangers in bloody
combat.”
—Jack Murphy,
New York Times Best Seller and Author of the Deckard Series
“As I alternated between chuckling at the humor of the Rangers and
gripping the pages with anxiety as I placed myself in their shoes while
they fought door to door and leapt rooftop to rooftop, I was blown away
by the raw honesty of the book. Violence of Action isn’t a work about
individual accomplishment or chest bumping. Instead, whether in
training, in the calm moments before the storm, or in the heat of battle
itself, Violence shows us that the driving force behind the excellence of
the Regiment is every Ranger’s biggest fear - to fail the man next to him.”
—Nick Palmisciano,
President, Ranger Up
“As a former Delta Force Operator, I always looked forward to conducting
joint operations with the Rangers. They were the men that had our backs,
and they were the men that would pull us out if we went too deep into
the hornet’s nest. There is no finer Special Ops infantry in the world, and
I would go to hell and back with the U.S. Army Rangers. Violence of Action
is a must-read for anyone that wants to know what our Rangers are all
about and the unsung heroes they really are.”
—Dr. Dale Comstock,
Author of American Badass
“Violence of Action is truly a book like no other ever written. It is a
compilation of incredibly impactful stories from individual accounts
among some of America’s best and brightest—US Army Rangers. While
saturated with gripping stories of brave men fighting America’s battles
abroad, this book is about love, passion, grief, sorrow, and most of all, a
brotherhood.”
—Kerry Patton,
Author of Contracted: America’s Secret Warriors
“I salute Ranger Marty Skovlund, Jr. for having produced a book that
vividly portrays for us the poignant details and ethos of America’s finest
Warriors combating the global war on terror. This book is a must read for
any young man who thinks he may have the desire and ability to become
an elite Ranger. It is even more so for any non-commissioned or
commissioned officer who aspires to lead Rangers. The matter-of–fact
presentations by the Rangers in this book of actual combat leadership
situations are lessons that cannot be taught in any school. These stories
underscore their incredible heroism, their uncanny super-human feats
under fire borne of intense and continuous training and their ultimate
dedication to their Ranger Brotherhood to the degree that they offer their
lives willingly to protect their Ranger buddies. This magnificent book
accurately captures significant historical data and contributes to the
developing legend of the elite 75th Ranger Regiment.”
—Gary Dolan,
2011 Ranger Hall of Fame Inductee,
and author of Of Their Own Accord
Table of Contents
Dedication
Foreword
Preface
Introduction
Chapter One—2001
Chapter Two—2002
Chapter Three—2003
Chapter Four—2004
Chapter Five—2005
Chapter Six—2006
Chapter Seven—2007
Chapter Eight—2008
Chapter Nine—2009
Chapter Ten—2010
Chapter Eleven—2011
Epilogue
A Word On Transition
Acknowledgements
Acronyms
The Ranger Creed
Coming Soon from Other Ranger Authors
About the Author

Foreword
T
he Global War on Terrorism forever changed the way the world
views Special Operations Forces (SOF). The 75th Ranger Regiment is
a small but essential part of the elite fraternity of quiet
professionals in the Special Operations community who have selflessly
dedicated their lives to protecting the freedoms of others through service
in the profession of arms.
Throughout their history, the Rangers have demonstrated time and
again that they have earned their reputation as one of the most elite light
infantry units the world has ever seen. After 9/11 and during the
subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Ranger Regiment stepped
out of the shadow of more high-profile SOF units and took on the roll as
the leader in direct action raids, killing or capturing more high value
targets than any other unit. With deliberate and meticulous planning,
small numbers, and a great mission set, members of the 75th Ranger
Regiment have proven that whether the enemy must be killed from land,
sea, or air that they can and will do it, and do it better than anyone else in
the world.
When I was approached about writing the foreword for this book
about the Ranger Regiment, I was immensely honored that I would even
be considered to have a voice in such an amazing piece of history, as the
stories in this book are my stories as well. During my time in the military,
I was fortunate to serve in the 2nd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment
over the course of five combat deployments, working in every position
from riflemen to fire team leader and master breacher. I cannot say
enough about the men that I served with and the reverence that I have
for those still serving in the unit.
Although the accomplishments of the 75th Ranger Regiment have only