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CSB
02-09-2004, 12:30
After so many years, I feel it is safe to publish the photo of my graduating SFOC A-Team. This was graduation to "full flash" December 17, 1975.

http://members.aol.com/cbjpegs/SFOCedit.jpg

The TAC officer at upper left is MAJ Budge Williams. Yes, THAT Budge Williams.

I have smeared the faces of the three allied officers in the photo,
I have been informed one is a high ranking member of his country's special operations command; and another may be in deep hiding following the fall of the Shah of Iran (if he was not killed during the revolution).

Our two allied officers from Zaire are not in the photograph. They had to depart immediately after the graduation, literally walk off the stage and get in a bus to the airport. I don't know if that was just bad timing or had more political significance.

Three questions for the Reaper and others at Bragg:

1 - Are allied officers/soldiers still attending the SFOC/Q Courses? We had 18 officers from Canada/Malaysia/Indonesia/Australia/Afghanistan
Iran/Signapore/Zaire/Malasia, of a total class of 50.

2 - [Trivia] Where the photo was taken?

3 - [More trivia] Who is that handsome young lieutenant front row, far right?

NousDefionsDoc
02-09-2004, 12:36
I believe I know the NCO back right. Name escapes me.

CSB
02-09-2004, 12:49
That NCO is our Class TAC NCO. He was a Master Sergeant, and I not only have forgotten his name, I cannot find him listed on anything in my records. (He may the the original gray man).
He was a nice enough guy, but very quiet, he handled the logistics and administrative side of the course and was not very involved in the actual SF training.

The Reaper
02-09-2004, 13:42
Originally posted by CSB
After so many years, I feel it is safe to publish the photo of my graduating SFOC A-Team. This was graduation to "full flash" December 17, 1975.

http://members.aol.com/cbjpegs/SFOCedit.jpg

Three questions for the Reaper and others at Bragg:

1 - Are allied officers/soldiers still attending the SFOC/Q Courses? We had 18 officers from Canada/Malaysia/Indonesia/Australia/Afghanistan
Iran/Signapore/Zaire/Malasia, of a total class of 50.

2 - [Trivia] Where the photo was taken?

3 - [More trivia] Who is that handsome young lieutenant front row, far right?

1. Yes.

2. Outside the JFK HQs building (in the Atrium?), beside the "Ask not...." quote plaque.

3. Not finding a handsome young LT, just that Bloodworth guy.

HTH.

TR

CSB
02-09-2004, 13:51
Correct answers to Trivia Questions.

I assume the plaque is still on the wall in the courtyard.

The Reaper
02-09-2004, 15:53
Originally posted by CSB
Correct answers to Trivia Questions.

I assume the plaque is still on the wall in the courtyard.

Checked it less than an hour ago.

It was still there then, started to take a pic in the same place for you, but decided the guards were busy enough.

TR

desafiamos
02-14-2004, 08:58
I had two foreign officers in my SFQC ( Early 80's). One was a Major in Jordans SF and the other was a Captain from Turkish SF. Both guys were quiet, very respectfull and pretty squared away. The Jordanian Major was a devout Muslim and as I had previously spent a considerable amount of time in the ME I knew Muslim religious protocol and that he couldn't eat pork and had to make sala five times a day. I used to intercept the MRE distribution and make sure he got all the non- pork stuff and I quietly squared away a portion of our team shack so he could do face east and make his morning and evening prayers. I never thought he noticed it but some time after he returned to Jordan and became head of Jordans SF training I received a nice letter and a photo from him with his thanks.

rubberneck
02-14-2004, 10:15
The gentleman that is second from the right, front row appears to be a medical officer is it common place for Doctors to go through the Q-course or is it a rare event? If this isn't an appropriate question please delete it. Thanks.

Pete

CSB
02-14-2004, 11:25
I'll defer to a modern resident of JFK Center to say if the support branches go through SFOC today.

This class was in the "old days" before Special Forces was a separate branch. Yes, that is a Medical Corps doctor. He was en route to become the 5th Group surgeon. And the Captain standing behind him is Signal Corps. Pre-tab, you kept your branch but wore the beret. If you were assigned to a non-SF assignment, the beret came off and there was no way to identify a Special Forces qualified soldier who was not actually in a Special Forces assignment.

For the uniform sharpshooters on the forum, two notes:

1 - The Infantry officers are NOT wearing the blue infantry cord, it may have had to do with SF not being considered an "Infantry" assignment, or it may be as my Detachment Commander said: 'We just don't do that."

2 - Two of the men on the front row (me included) have the left front blouse pocket unbuttoned. What did we have in that pocket that we wore for the first time moments after stepping out into the courtyard? (And in our haste, forgot to rebutton the pocket flap).

CRad
02-14-2004, 12:29
When the other half went to the Warrant course he was required to go through part of the Q-course again. There were foreign officers in his class. That was 1989.