Navy SEALs Led Covert War Against Al-Qaida

Ventura County (CA) Star | September 22, 2002 | Seth Hettena

[Squantos]

I used a Randall 14 throughout my service career in EOD and I just purchased one for my Little Brother who is a pararescueman (PJ)in the USAF.

I broke way too many K-Bars and Navy Mk-2's going about the business of daily duties . If ya love yer troop give em a Randall which IMHO and experience will be the best thing one can do for their loved one going into harms way.

Stay Safe !!

[where's_the_Outrage?]

Commodore

His Navy rank is Captain, but was called Commodore to denote his status as the commander of Task Force (TF) K-Bar.

At the same time K-Bar was around, they also had TF Bowie and TF Dagger. The military likes to start operations and use related names for TF's, areas, operations, etc.

[Ditto]

Thanks. Is that common practice?

[where's_the_Outrage?]

As it was explained to me, the Navy does this now. However, you have to ask a squid in the know about the reality, I'm just a grunt.

[Travis McGee]

Commodore is a title or position, not a rank. A commodore leads a squadron, usually of a similar type of ship, as in a destroyer squadron. The commodore in those cases may have the rank of Commander or Captain.

[Travis McGee]

bttt

[Travis McGee]

SEALs issued and used the K-bar knife in a hard gray plastic sheath at least through the 1980s.

The "trusty rusty K-bar" has a very deep association with UDT/SEALs going way back.

[Travis McGee]

In my day we used the K-bar, but with a hard gray-green plastic sheath similar to a bayonet sheath.

A Mk-13 Day-Night flare was always taped to it with green riggers tape. A SEAL or UDT at his most elemental is a naked warrior in khaki UDT trunks with a web belt and K-bar knife with Mk-13 flare.

[Dr. Frank fan]

Too bad that for anything that he DID try to do, he was accused of doing it in order to divert attention from the Monica Lewinski affair..

(sigh) The point is that he didn't really "try to do" anything. Half-assed bombing raids of aspirin factories don't count as a "try" just because some things blowed up.

Maybe if he'd done something substantial then those accusations of "Wag the Dog" would have quieted down. But that would have required an expenditure of political capital - he would have risked seeing his poll numbers drop if he, say, sent troops in. Can't have that; his Presidency and popularity was much more important than the country and its citizens' safety. Easier just to put your finger on a map and drop a few bombs there for show.

Hence the criticism. Too bad indeed - too bad the guy was such a self-serving scumbag.

[Travis McGee]

Part of the point of the K-bar was to teach proper gear maint. under adverse conditions. In BUD/s, the plain steel Kbar is kept polished mirror bright and razor sharp. It and other items are inspected before every training evolution. A speck of rust on this knife, which goes in and out of salt water, and the tadpole is doing very painful things for a long time.

[Hazzardgate]

"Based on the findings of the report, my conclusion was that this idea was not a practical deterrent for reasons which at this moment must be all too obvious"

[gunner03]

Recon also carried the same set-up. After retiring, mine was given to my son, whoi is a Marine sniper. Semper Fi

[Travis McGee]

God Bless Recon and USMC Snipers!

And I hope he gets ample opportunity to ply his trade for our nation!

[Squantos]

Agree on the lesson I just didn't need to learn such during pucker factor fiascos when I needed the knife to do things most knives are not intended to do. I love the K-Bar and Mk-2's and still use em now and then. I just liked the Randall 14's for their ability to do more as required of such a tool in my profession. Dig, cut , pry, hammer, scrape and still shave were just the initial requirements the Randall met for my EOD team and I.

Great Tools deserve great care and proper usage that they were hopefully designed for. But when yer up to your hips in grenade pins ect ect war story, BS, BS, yada yada yada ..... ya try and plan ahead and make sure history doesn't repeat itself and leave ya with out a "tool"......:o)

Stay Safe !!

[harpseal]

We had exactly the same type sheath for our K-Bars. In the jungle sometimes some people carried the pilots survival knife as it was a little bit shorter and if one were to use it on an opponent and go thrust it with a little too much effort one was less likely to overpenetrate and injure one's own body. Personally I liked the K-BAR at the time. The Mk-13 Day night flare was not always with the knife in the jungle but in any op where we were likely to be swimming it was there.

Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown

[harpseal]

I made the mistake of having my K-Bar get a spot of rust on it during my BUD/s class. I learnbed my lesson very very well.

Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown

[Travis McGee]

Personally, a K-bar is about #20 on my list of most desireable knives. Of course, a K-bar in hand beats a Randall at home every time!

Most people don't even know that an old plain steel K-bar can be wire-wheeled and polished to a bright silver mirror finish. Of course, if you breath on it, it develops surface rust in 5 minutes. Great training for gear maintenance.