Marty Skovlund Jr. - Violence of action : the untold stories of the 75th Ranger Regiment in the War on Terror

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

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 75 th Ranger Regiment that weve 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 Regiments 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 isnt 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 Rangers 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 hornets 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 Americas best and brightestUS Army Rangers. While saturated with gripping stories of brave men fighting Americas battles abroad, this book is about love, passion, grief, sorrow, and most of all, a brotherhood.

Kerry Patton,
Author of Contracted: Americas Secret Warriors

I salute Ranger Marty Skovlund, Jr. for having produced a book that vividly portrays for us the poignant details and ethos of Americas 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-offact 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 75 th Ranger Regiment.

Gary Dolan,
2011 Ranger Hall of Fame Inductee,
and author of Of Their Own Accord

Table of Contents

Foreword

T he Global War on Terrorism forever changed the way the world views Special Operations Forces (SOF). The 75 th 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 75 th 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 2 nd Ranger Battalion, 75 th 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 75 th Ranger Regiment have only been recognized in a few media productions, the bravery that emanates from these men on a daily basis more than deserves to be projected to the general public in this manner. I want to thank the humble men that have contributed to this book for sharing their personal stories. Moreover, it humbles me to know that these men are sharing their stories not for social or professional recognition, but rather showing reverence for their fellow Ranger brothers, and enlightening the world to the many sacrifices that occur daily, unknown to so many.