How US special operators are training Ukrainians—and what they’re learning in return
The Ukrainian troops bring battlefield experience that is helping to reshape the U.S. Army’s own special operations.
SAM SKOVE | APRIL 29, 2024 08:24 PM ET
UKRAINE TRAINING & SIMULATION ARMY
U.S. Army Col. Lucas VanAntwerp was sitting with Ukrainian special-forces soldiers one night when bad news arrived: troops they knew back in Ukraine had died in a helicopter crash.
It wasn’t the day’s first news of casualties. Earlier, they had learned that a tank had ambushed and wiped out a special forces vehicle. Russian forces controlled the area, preventing even the recovery of the bodies.
“They kind of took their moments to mourn that loss,” said VanAntwerp, who leads the 10th Special Forces Group. “And then they were like, ‘All right, let's go out to eat’.”
VanAntwerp recalled being amazed by their composure. Such a loss would have colored his next few months, played out in personal recollections and speaking with the dead soldiers’ loved ones.
https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2024/04/how-us-special-operators-are-training-ukraniansand-what-theyre-learning-return/396187/?oref=d1-homepage-top-story
