The surprise on my grandson’s face when he unwrapped the book Masters of Chaos on Christmas was priceless!
My daughter asked earlier this year if I thought my grandson would be able to comprehend Linda Robinson’s book about Special Forces. While it could be challenging for his age, Linda Robinson did an amazing job in writing this book for those who have no military background. While my grandchildren know that their grandpa served in the US Army and was in Special Forces as a Green Beret, they really do not understand what that means. Now that they are getting older and learning to appreciate our military and veteran community at school, they are asking more questions about what their grandpa did in the Army. And this is where Linda Robinson’s book comes in.
Master of Chaos covers the history of Special Forces, the selection and training it takes to earn the Green Beret, and some of the historical accounts from Just Cause, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Iraq along with other locations. The book covers the time when I served on a Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) and deployed to locations contained in the book.
As a publication, Masters of Chaos was permitted by the Department of Defense and the United States Army Special Forces Command (USASFC) to capture our story. Many individuals contributed to the contents but releasing the names for the book would have to be an individual decision. It was explained that releasing our names would help connect the readers to the operators.
I still remember the conversation in the team room when the request to release our names was sent. It was a challenging conversation as Green Berets are known for being the Quiet Professionals. Additionally, releasing our names while actively deploying in support of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) was a security concern for the team and our families. But each operator had the choice to release their name and initially I was opposed to having my name in print.
Yet after a few conversations about the request, our Team Sergeant at the time changed my perspective. He shared that releasing my name for the book was not about me but for my family and future grandchildren. He was right! My family members enjoyed receiving a copy of the book as they were also interested in knowing more about Green Berets and some of the stories from our deployments. The book was and remains a perfect source for people to learn more about Special Forces. And now my grandson wants to know!
Seeing my grandson’s face as he unwrapped the book and read my note to him inside the book was absolutely priceless! I have shared copies of Linda Robinson’s book with others but now it is with my grandson. It was a special moment! He was so excited to have a copy of the book that his grandpa is named in and he already has plans to recreate the stories with his Army figures!
My grandson will not only read a few accounts of his grandfather by name, but also of the incredible teammates I served with and of the warriors from 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), The Legion, that I had the privilege and honor to serve among for ten years.
Now I look forward to the questions he may have or talk about the stories he will eventually read in Masters of Chaos.
De Oppresso Liber
Strength and Honor
