Pineland Underground – Details, episodes & analysis

Did you know Civil Affairs Soldiers were on the beaches of Normandy and tasked with addressing the cattle killed from the combat operations so that disease outbreaks could be mitigated? Or that Civil Affairs prevented cholera outbreaks during the Korean War?

Combat is only one aspect of conflict and war.

We dive deep in this episode where we cover the history of Civil Affairs.

The Civil Affairs Branch predates the Psychological Operations and Special Forces branches, and even predates the Army Aviation and Military Intelligence branches. The history of Civil Affairs is important for Special Operations practitioners and leaders throughout the military to learn.

Join us as we host Dr. Troy J. Sacquety, the Army Special Operations Forces' Command Historian, and recently named Honorary Member of the Civil Affairs Regiment.

About the guest:

Dr. Sacquety earned an MA from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and a PhD in Military History from Texas A&M University. Prior to joining the USASOC History Office staff in August 2006, he worked several years for the Central Intelligence Agency. His research interests include Army and Office of Strategic Services special operations during World War II, and U.S. Army Civil Affairs.

About the hosts:

Maj. Ashley "Ash" Holzmann is an experienced Psychological Operations Officer who served within the re-established PSYWAR School at the United States Army JFK Special Warfare Center and School. He is now transitioning to attend grad school at Arizona State University with a follow-on assignment at West Point's Army Cyber Institute where he will research mis/disinformation.

Sgt. Maj. Derek Riley is one of the most experienced Civil Affairs Non-commissioned Officers in the Army Special Operations Regiment. He has incredible deployment experience and serves within the Civil Affairs Proponent at the United States Army JFK Special Warfare Center and School.

From the episode:

Brief biography of Col. Irwin L. Hunt, author of the Hunt Report:

https://arsof-history.org/icons/hunt.html

Derek mentioned the famous General, Gen. Lucius D. Clay:

https://www.army.mil/article/216006/gen_lucius_d_clay_a_brilliant_administrator

Information on the European Civil Affairs Division and Civil Affairs history:

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GOVPUB-D101-PURL-gpo128986/pdf/GOVPUB-D101-PURL-gpo128986.pdf

Col. Charles R. Munske, who began his career as Coast Artillery:

https://arsof-history.org/icons/munske.html 

Brigadier General Crawford F. Sams:

https://arsof-history.org/articles/v6n1_crawford_sams_page_1.html

CORDS:

https://www.archives.gov/research/military/vietnam-war/civil-operations.html

The Ring Road of Afghanistan:

https://www.vox.com/world/2018/1/11/16878056/afghanistan-us-fail-war-taliban

Recommended reading from the episode:

The Hunt Report:

https://www.civilaffairsassoc.org/post/2018/05/08/civil-affairs-centennial-ca100-the-hunt-report

American Military Government of Occupied Germany:

https://arsof-history.org/icons/pdf/american_military_government_of_occupied_germany_1918-1920.pdf

Dr. Sacquety is also the author of the book The OSS in Burma: Jungle War against the Japanese:

https://us.amazon.com/OSS-Burma-against-Japanese-Studies/dp/0700619097/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Army Special Operations Recruiting:

SOF Recruiting Page (soc.mil)

https://www.soc.mil/USASOCHQ/recruiting.html

GoArmySOF Site:

https://www.goarmysof.army.mil/

The Official Podcast of the United States Army Special Warfare Center and School!

USAJFKSWCS selects and trains all Army Special Forces, Civil Affairs, and Psychological Operations soldiers. 

Please visit our website at: https://www.swcs.mil

Be sure to check us out and follow us at:

• https://www.facebook.com/jfkcenterandschool
• https://www.instagram.com/u.s.armyswcs/
• https://www.youtube.com/c/USAJFKSWCS/videos

Please like, subscribe, and leave a review! If you enjoyed this, join the underground by sharing it with someone else. Word-of-mouth is how movements like this spread.

Preserving and capturing the lessons learned from the Global War on Terror; what is keeping the newest generation of Army Special Operations Forces (SOF) up at night; how can we continue to develop professional military writing in Army SOF; how to we modernize such efforts? We tackle all of that and more in this episode with two great Special Operations practitioners and recent graduates of the National Defense University.

Spread the word! We have two (the very first!) Harding Project Fellows who will now be leading the Special Warfare Magazine.

P.S. -- We have a new season! Fear not, Ash is in a better place and will still be featured in several episodes, as we recorded a ton of content prior to his departure. We will have a future transition episode to discuss the end of "Season 2".

About the guests:

Sgt. 1st Class Ben. Ben is originally from Apex, North Carolina and enlisted in 2012. He completed the Special Force Qualification Course in 2013 as a Special Forces Medical Sergeant. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and a Master of Arts in International Strategic Security Studies from the National Defense University.

Maj. Emily Lopez. Emily enlisted in the Army Reserves in 2008 and was commissioned from Oklahoma State University as an Ordnance officer in 2013. In 2019, Lopez graduated from the Civil Affairs Qualification Course. Lopez holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Education and Promotion from Oklahoma State University and a Master of Arts in Strategic Security Studies from the National Defense University.

About the hosts:

Lt. Col. Bobby Tuttle is a Green Beret and co-founder of the Pineland Underground. A proven leader who is currently serving as the Special Warfare Center & School's Strategic Communicator. He is a graduate of both Texas A&M and the Naval Postgraduate School.

Sgt. Maj. Derek Riley is one of the most experienced Civil Affairs Non-commissioned Officers in the Army Special Operations Regiment. He has incredible deployment experience and serves within the Civil Affairs Proponent at the United States Army JFK Special Warfare Center and School.

From the episode:

What is the Harding Project:

https://www.hardingproject.com/p/welcome-to-the-harding-project

The Harding Project Fellowship Program:

https://www.army.mil/article/278222/first_harding_fellows_strengthen_the_armys_professional_journals

How to submit an article to the Special Warfare Magazine:

https://www.swcs.mil/Special-Warfare/Article-Submissions/

How to write a book review from Military Review:

https://www.armyupress.army.mil/journals/military-review/online-exclusive/2024-ole/how-to-write-a-book-review/

Recommended reading from the episode:

The Special Warfare Magazine Archive:

https://www.swcs.mil/Special-Warfare/Special-Warfare-Archive/

More information about SWCS's involvement in the Harding Project:

https://www.swcs.mil/Special-Warfare/Harding-Project/

And keep an eye out for Line of Depature!

Army Special Operations Recruiting:

SOF Recruiting Page (soc.mil)

https://www.soc.mil/USASOCHQ/recruiting.html

GoArmySOF Site:

https://www.goarmysof.army.mil/

The Official Podcast of the United States Army Special Warfare Center and School!

USAJFKSWCS selects and trains all Army Special Forces, Civil Affairs, and Psychological Operations soldiers. 

Please visit our website at: https://www.swcs.mil

Be sure to check us out and follow us at:

• https://www.facebook.com/jfkcenterandschool
• https://www.instagram.com/u.s.armyswcs/
• https://www.youtube.com/c/USAJFKSWCS/videos

Please like, subscribe, and leave a review! If you enjoyed this, join the underground by sharing it with someone else. Word-of-mouth is how movements like this spread.

The Harding Project is an effort led by Zachary Griffiths and Leyton Summerlin as they strive to revitalize the professional military journals across the Army. This episode discusses "writing about writing," but also the efforts of The Harding Project and how Zach and Leyton are striving to both modernize and catalog the Army's professional military journals. Bonus guest Ms. Elvia Kelley also joins us to discuss the Special Warfare Magazine and the role of Public Affairs Officers.

About the hosts:

Maj. Ashley "Ash" Holzmann is a Psychological Operations Officer with operational experience in South / Central America, the Indo-Pacific, and throughout the Middle East. He serves in the 1st Special Warfare Training Group at the United States Army Special Warfare Center and School. 

Sgt. Maj. Derek Riley is one of the most experienced Civil Affairs Noncommissioned Officers in the Army Special Operations Regiment. He has incredible deployment experience and serves in the Civil Affairs Proponent at the United States Army Special Warfare Center and School.

If you want to submit an article to Special Warfare Magazine, go here: https://www.swcs.mil/Special-Warfare/Article-Submissions/

If you are interested in pursuing professional writing make sure you contact your unit's Public Affairs Office, as well as your Intel Officer and section if you want to write about operational content.

Sign up for The Harding Project's Substack: https://www.hardingproject.com/ 

Ash mentioned the Defense Office of Prepublication and Security Review, which will review your articles for operational content that the DoD would not want to release and will review your articles for release. Contact them for more details: https://www.defense.gov/Contact/Help-Center/Article/Article/2762947/publication-security-review/

Pro tip of using military photos for free (it's a .net and not a .com; Ash has been punished for his mistake), visit the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) website: https://www.dvidshub.net/

For more information on the U.S. Army Special Warfare Center & School's upcoming Heritage Week, please visit the SWCS website: https://www.swcs.mil/

You can also read a bit more about The Harding Project here: https://mwi.westpoint.edu/introducing-the-harding-project-renewing-professional-military-writing/

Join us in today's episode as we have Jim Arp and Steve Mannino from the Human Performance organization within the United States Army Special Operations Center and School to discuss human performance in Army Special Operations. From physical therapists to registered dieticians. Interpersonal performance coaches, strength coaches, and athletic trainers.

About the hosts:

Maj. Ashley "Ash" Holzmann is a Psychological Operations Officer with operational experience in South / Central America, the Indo-Pacific, and the Middle East. He serves in the 1st Special Warfare Training Group at the United States Army Special Warfare Center and School. 

Sgt. Maj. Derek Riley is one of the most experienced Civil Affairs Noncommissioned Officers in the Army Special Operations Regiment. He has incredible deployment experience and serves in the Civil Affairs Proponent at the United States Army Special Warfare Center and School.

Article mentioned: Optimizing the Human Weapon System.
Link: https://smartabase.com/success-stories/devcom-solider-center-mrdc/

To learn more about the Preservation of the Force and Families (POTFF), check out this article.
Link: https://issuu.com/faircountmedia/docs/special_operations_outlook_2022/s/15998692

Want to read more about the Human Platform Force Generation (FORGE) facility mentioned in the episode? The U.S. Army JFK Special Warfare Center & School has almost completed the most recent addition to our facilities.
Link: https://www.clarknexsen.com/project/human-performance-forge-facility/

POTFF official website.
Link: https://www.socom.mil/POTFF/Pages/About-POTFF.aspx

__________

The Official Podcast of the United States Army Special Warfare Center and School!
USAJFKSWCS selects and trains all Army Special Forces, Civil Affairs, and Psychological Operations soldiers. 

Please visit our website at: https://www.swcs.mil.

Be sure to check us out and follow us at:

* https://www.facebook.com/jfkcenterandschool

* https://www.instagram.com/u.s.armyswcs/

* https://www.youtube.com/c/USAJFKSWCS/videos

Please like, subscribe, and leave a review! And if you enjoyed this, become a member of the underground by sharing with at least one other person. Word-of-mouth is how movements spread.

__________

If you want to learn more about opportunities in Special Operations, contact a SORB recruiter today!
Link to SORB recruiters: https://www.goarmysof.army.mil/Get-Started/Contact-a-Recruiter/

Spc. Christian Sutton was at a punk rock concert when a random series of events propelled him to decide to change the entire Army. Chris is proof that a single Service Member can truly change the world. Join us and some of the members of his team (John, Brent, and Alex) as we discuss their grassroots efforts to save lives across the country.

About the hosts:

Maj. Ashley "Ash" Holzmann is a Psychological Operations Officer with operational experience in South / Central America, the Indo-Pacific, and the Middle East. He serves in the 1st Special Warfare Training Group at the United States Army Special Warfare Center and School. 

Sgt. Maj. Derek Riley is one of the most experienced Civil Affairs Noncommissioned Officers in the Army Special Operations Regiment. He has incredible deployment experience and serves the Proponency at the United States Army Special Warfare Center and School.

If you are currently serving, please consider signing up to get on the list for bone marrow donations:

https://www.salutetolife.org/

Follow Chris and his efforts on their Instagram page:

https://www.instagram.com/operationringthebell/

If you want to read more inspiring coverage of what Chris and his teammates have achieved go here:

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/fort-bliss-bone-marrow-guy/

The Official Podcast of the United States Army Special Warfare Center and School!

USAJFKSWCS selects and trains all Army Special Forces, Civil Affairs, and Psychological Operations soldiers. 

Please visit our website at: https://www.swcs.mil.

Be sure to check us out and follow us at:

* https://www.facebook.com/jfkcenterandschool

* https://www.instagram.com/u.s.armyswcs/

* https://www.youtube.com/c/USAJFKSWCS/videos

Please like, subscribe, and leave a review! And if you enjoyed this, become a member of the underground by sharing with at least one other person. Word-of-mouth is how movements spread.

This episode covers U.S. Army Special Operations recruiting. Join Lt. Col. Steven Crowe and Maj. Jim Maicke for an excellent conversation covering in-service recruiting for Special Forces, Civil Affairs, the Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Explosive Ordinance Disposal, and even Warrant Officers across the entire Army.

About the hosts:

Maj. Ashley "Ash" Holzmann is a Psychological Operations Officer with operational experience in South / Central America, the Into-Pacific, and the Middle East. He serves in the 1st Special Warfare Training Group at the United States Army Special Warfare Center and School. 

Sgt. Maj. Derek Riley is one of the most experienced Civil Affairs Noncommissioned Officers in the Army Special Operations Regiment. He has incredible deployment experience and serves the Proponency at the United States Army Special Warfare Center and School.

If you want to learn more about opportunities in Special Operations, contact a SORB recruiter today!

Link to SORB recruiters: https://www.goarmysof.army.mil/Get-Started/Contact-a-Recruiter/

If you're already in SOF and want to contact SORB, their number is: 877-874-5544 (they'll be able to redirect you from there)

The SORB recruiting email is (they'll be able to redirect you): [email protected]

Want to learn more about the branches discussed? Go here!

Link: https://www.goarmysof.army.mil/

The Official Podcast of the United States Army Special Warfare Center and School!

USAJFKSWCS selects and trains all Army Special Forces, Civil Affairs, and Psychological Operations soldiers. 

Please visit our website at: https://www.swcs.mil.

Be sure to check us out and follow us at:

* https://www.facebook.com/jfkcenterandschool

* https://www.instagram.com/u.s.armyswcs/

* https://www.youtube.com/c/USAJFKSWCS/videos

Please like, subscribe, and leave a review! And if you enjoyed this, become a member of the underground by sharing with at least one other person. Word-of-mouth is how movements spread.

This episode covers modern drones as they are integrated into Special Operations training at the U.S. Army JFK Special Warfare Center & School. Maj. Steve Schuerman is the Charlie Company commander within the 6th Battalion, 2nd Special Warfare Training Group. His company is responsible for implementing 18F (the Special Forces Intelligence Sergeant Course), all three Joint Exploitation training courses, and the Robotics Unmanned Systems Integrator Course (RUSIC).

About the hosts:

Maj. Ashley "Ash" Holzmann is a Psychological Operations Officer with operational experience in South / Central America, the Into-Pacific, and the Middle East. He serves in the 1st Special Warfare Training Group at the United States Army Special Warfare Center and School. 

Sgt. Maj. Derek Riley is one of the most experienced Civil Affairs Noncommissioned Officers in the Army Special Operations Regiment. He has incredible deployment experience and serves the Proponency at the United States Army Special Warfare Center and School.

The Official Podcast of the United States Army Special Warfare Center and School!

USAJFKSWCS selects and trains all Army Special Forces, Civil Affairs, and Psychological Operations soldiers. 

** If you want to learn more about RUSIC, the Special Warfare Magazine included an article on RUSIC in the latest issue: https://www.swcs.mil/Special-Warfare/Special-Warfare-Archive/

Please visit our website at: https://www.swcs.mil.

Be sure to check us out and follow us at:

* https://www.facebook.com/jfkcenterandschool

* https://www.instagram.com/u.s.armyswcs/

* https://www.youtube.com/c/USAJFKSWCS/videos

Please like, subscribe, and leave a review! And if you enjoyed this, become a member of the underground by sharing with at least one other person. Word-of-mouth is how movements like this spread.

"O.C.," an expert on the U.S. Army Psychological Operations Assessment and Selection (POAS), joins us in a conversation about how to best prepare for the mental and physical journey. O.C. answers the multitude of questions from Derek and Ash, including: 

• What is POAS? 
• Is it physically demanding? 
• How is it different from Special Forces Assessment and Selection? 
• What are we looking for in candidates? 
• What are the best ways to prepare?

About the hosts:

MAJ Ashley "Ash" Holzmann is an experienced Psychological Operations Officer serving in the 1st Special Warfare Training Group at the United States Army Special Warfare Center and School. 

SGM Derek Riley is one of the most experienced Civil Affairs Noncommissioned Officers in the Army Special Operations Regiment. He has incredible deployment experience and serves the Proponency at the United States Army Special Warfare Center and School.

Would you like to know more?

View the Ghosts in the Machine PSYOP Recruiting Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA4e0NqyYMw

Check out this official Go ARMY SOF video about some of the experiences of becoming PSYOP (featuring co-host, Ash).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aJgotD2mfI

ARSOF CORE ATTRIBUTES

• Integrity. Being trustworthy and honest, acting honorably, and adhering to ethical standards.
• Courage. Acting on own convictions despite consequences; is willing to sacrifice for a more significant cause; not paralyzed by fear of failure.
• Perseverance. Working toward an end; has commitment; physical or mental resolve; motivated; gives effort to the cause; does not quit.
• Personal Responsibility. Being self-motivated and an autonomous self-starter, he anticipates tasks and acts accordingly, taking accountability for his actions.
• Professionalism. Behaving as a standard-bearer for the regiment, he has a professional image including a level of maturity and judgment mixed with confidence and humility; he forms sound opinions and makes their own decisions, stands behind his sensible choices based on his experiences.
• Adaptability. Possessing the ability to maintain composure while responding to or adjusting one's thinking and actions to fit a changing environment; the ability to think and solve problems in unconventional ways; the ability to recognize, understand, and navigate within multiple social networks; the ability to proactively shape the environment or circumstances in anticipation of desired outcomes.
• Team Player. Possesses the ability to work on a team for a greater purpose than himself; dependable and loyal; works selflessly with a sense of duty; respects others and recognizes diversity.
• Capability. Maintaining physical fitness, including strength and agility; has operational knowledge; can plan and communicate effectively.

Army Special Operations Recruiting:

SOF Recruiting Page (soc.mil)

https://www.soc.mil/USASOCHQ/recruiting.html

GoArmySOF PSYOP Site:

GO PSYOP

https://www.goarmysof.army.mil/PO/

The Official Podcast of the United States Army Special Warfare Center and School!

USAJFKSWCS selects and trains all Army Special Forces, Civil Affairs, and Psychological Operations soldiers. 

Please visit our website at: https://www.swcs.mil

Be sure to check us out and follow us at:

• https://www.facebook.com/jfkcenterandschool
• https://www.instagram.com/u.s.armyswcs/
• https://www.youtube.com/c/USAJFKSWCS/videos

Please like, subscribe, and leave a review! And if you enjoyed this, become a member of the underground by sharing with at least one other person. Word-of-mouth is how movements like this spread.

The leadership in charge of Army Special Forces Assessment and Selection takes us through what it is and how to best prepare for the best chances of being successful. They answer the question, "What is selection? How does someone prepare for physically and mentally? What are we looking for in candidates? Why try out for a life as a Green Beret?"

MAJ Ash Holzmann is an experienced Psychological Warfare Officer serving in the 1st Special Warfare Training Group at the United States Army Special Warfare Center and School. 

SGM Derek Riley is one of the most experienced Civil Affairs Noncommissioned Officers in the Army Special Operations Regiment. He has an incredible amount of deployment experience and currently serves the Proponency at the United States Army Special Warfare Center and School.

Army Special Operations Recruiting

SOF Recruiting Page (soc.mil)

https://www.soc.mil/USASOCHQ/recruiting.html

GoArmySOF Special Forces Site (Training handbook can be found here)

Special Forces (army.mil)

https://www.goarmysof.army.mil/SF/

The Official Podcast of the United States Army Special Warfare Center and School!

USAJFKSWCS selects and trains all Army Special Forces, Civil Affairs, and Psychological Operations soldiers. 

Please visit our website at: https://www.swcs.mil

Be sure to check us out and follow at:

• https://www.facebook.com/jfkcenterandschool
• https://www.instagram.com/u.s.armyswcs/
• https://www.youtube.com/c/USAJFKSWCS/videos

Please like, subscribe, and leave a review!

The Pineland team has the opportunity to sit down with Clyde Seepersad, the General Manager of the Linux Foundation. We dive deep into cooperative innovation and leadership and discuss how the principles for success transcend business and warfighting. Clyde Seepersad has decades of experience running successful companies and startups and shares his vast knowledge and lessons learned.  

MAJ Ash Holzmann is an experienced Psychological Warfare Officer serving in the 1st Special Warfare Training Group at the United States Army Special Warfare Center and School. 

SGM Derek Riley is one of the most experienced Civil Affairs Noncommissioned Officers in the Army Special Operations Regiment. He has an incredible amount of deployment experience and currently serves the Proponency at the United States Army Special Warfare Center and School

The Official Podcast of the United States Army Special Warfare Center and School!

USAJFKSWCS selects and trains all Army Special Forces, Civil Affairs, and Psychological Operations soldiers. 

Please visit our website at: https://www.swcs.mil

Be sure to check us out and follow at:

• https://www.facebook.com/jfkcenterandschool
• https://www.instagram.com/u.s.armyswcs/
• https://www.youtube.com/c/USAJFKSWCS/videos

Please like, subscribe, and leave a review!

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