While the joint Russian-American mission was on patrol in Kosovo, they ran across some Swedish Rangers (Jaegers) one of which took this picture showing three ODA members (top left) and three Spetsnaz soldiers. The other soldiers are Swede.
Jack Murphy, Newsrep: US Special Forces and Russian Spetsnaz: Their first, and only, joint combat operation
Many books have been written and several movies made about America’s Green Berets, the Special Forces, but it is incredible how many stories about these warriors are obscure if not lost to history entirely. The history of Special Forces is in many ways a living history, and the only way to learn it, is to talk to the men directly involved. One such example comes in the form of what is believed to be the only joint US Special Forces-Russian Spetsnaz combat mission in history.
It happened in the winter and into the spring of 2001, months prior to the the events of September 11th, which of course changed the trajectory of US Special Operations Forces forever. This was a time in which the Green Berets were not as widely known by the public and not so often reported on by the press. Special Forces members deployed around the world training foreign militaries, and sometimes on more quiet, classified operations. However, combat was very rare for these troops. Technically, it was peacetime. But in the 1990’s, war had again visited Europe in the Balkans, and Special Forces were deployed to Bosnia and Kosovo.
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WNU Editor: A fascinating story. But is this the first and only joint combat mission? My gut tells me otherwise, especially after 9/11.
