Staff Sgt. Alexander W. Conrad killed in Somalia
Business Insider reports that a special forces soldier was killed and four others were wounded during an engagement in Jubaland, Somalia;
One US service member reportedly received sufficient medical care at the scene and three others were transported out of the area to receive treatment.
A coalition comprised of around 800 US, Somalian, and Kenyan forces came under attack by mortar and small-arms fire at around 2:45 p.m. local time, AFRICOM said. One coalition service member was wounded.
The coalition forces were conducting a “multi-day operation” to clear al-Shabaab — an Islamist militant group — from villages and establish a “permanent combat outpost” around 217 miles southwest of Mogadishu.
The Department of Defense identified the soldier as Staff Sergeant Alexander W. Conrad;
Staff Sgt. Alexander W. Conrad, 26, of Chandler, Arizona, died June 8, in Somalia of injuries sustained from enemy indirect fire. The incident is under investigation.
Conrad was assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Category: Terror War
Rest well, SSG Conrad.
My thoughts to his family.
Sorry to read this. Many good men in combat around the world. See you on that far green shore.
RIP SSG.. places like that will never have stability… pull our troops out and ARC LIGHT the whole damn shithole…
Should have done that in ‘93.
ARCLIGHT the shit out of it, napalm the rubble, then nuke the ashes.
“Staff Sgt. Alexander W. Conrad, 26, of Chandler, Arizona, died June 8, in Somalia of injuries sustained from enemy indirect fire. The incident is under investigation.”
I have no idea what that second line means.
Hopefully it means, “We are working to determine the identities of every terrorist asshole involved in this incident, so that we can ascertain where they live, so that the Air Force can make some house calls.”
RIP
Rest in peace SSG Conrad. God comfort your family now.
Rest in Peace, SSG Conrad. May the road rise to meet you and the wind be always at your back.
What a terrible shit hole of a country to die in. May God bless and watch over all who are still fighting over there representing freedom and decency. IMHO, the pictures of one dead American being dragged through the streets of Mogadishu like a slaughtered cow will NEVER leave my mind as long as I live. That picture, for that matter should be remembered with the same importance of Pearl Harbor. Yes, this was only one life lost but the intentional desecration of a corpse by people who are no more than damned animals explains much about a certain culture world wide. The world would be a better place if Somalia were bombed off the face of this earth with nuclear weapons. May God be with you and accompany you to your spot in Heaven SSG Conrad. R I P, a genuine brother to all who post on T A H as well as those who serve today, and all veterans in the United States who risked their lives trying to make a human out of an animal.
Take a look at this, as offensive as it is. Then tell me you do not know the meaning of PRIMITIVE. Pay particular attention to the comment section at the bottom of the page. Nuclear is still the best solution.
https://iconicphotos.wordpress.com/2010/03/10/u-s-marine-dragged-through-mogadishu/
Fair winds and following seas, SSG Conrad.
I do.not understan if he was SF,why he is wearing a maroon airborne beret. Just askin’
You can be assigned to a support position in in a Special Forces unit that does not require you to be SF qualified operator.
Just like you can be assigned to a job in an aviation unit without having to be a pilot.
Yes but my understanding is that you still wear the Green Beret but not the tab. I think it is from an earlier picture but I will be corrected by those that know more.
This is a stark reminder that many of our men and women in uniform are in the forgotten places of the world outside the sandbox doing what needs to be done.
RIP, soldier.
Nope, support personnel wear a maroon beret because SF units are airborne, and their berets have the SF unit’s flash. Only personnel with a long tab wear the green beret.
When I was in 7th-1st group in the 70’s-80’s early on non-SF qualified wore a “candy stripe”, a green beret with the flash cut in half. When the tab was created we went to full flash, but of course no tab. That having been said, most of the MI guys militated for the maroon berets and full flash.
RIP brother!
First, my condolences to this hero and his family.
I have a question for you Army types. I have seen a few times where Army folks wear the SF insignia but don’t have either a long tab or Ranger tab and wear a maroon beret. Are there Airborne qualified personnel who are assigned to the SF units but who are not SF qualified and still wear the De Oppreso Libre insignia?
You can be SF qualified but decide to enter an Airborne unit and still wear the tab. Once earned it’s yours unless they have changed the rules?
The same as if you are Airborne but get assigned to a leg unit you still get to wear the wings. You can’t wear a Beret in a leg unit but the SF is obviously Airborne qualified so wears the Maroon of his unit.
“Negev Protocol”.
Prayers up for the fallen and their families.
Rest in Peace, Staff Sargent.
R I P Alex Conrad.
Just to be clear, he’s not Special Forces. He’s a paratrooper who provides a support role in a special forces unit. Members of an SF group who are support wear a maroon beret. Media always seem to be hazy on these details. It does not make his sacrifice any less, or change his importance in this fight.