Category Archives: Veteran Stories

Ronnie Raikes- ODA 574

Special Forces, Veteran Stories

SSG Ronnie Raikes. ODA 574, 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group.

Other ODA (Operational Detachment Alpha) teams from the 5th Special Forces Group were being inserted into North Afghanistan, meeting with Northern Alliance fighters. On other hand, ODA 574 had critical mission in South Afghanistan. The United States faced the greater challenge in south due to the majority of population was of Pashtun ethnic group; Taliban’s root ethnicity. The exiled Afghan politician, Hamid Karzai was United States’ key to winning Pashtun tribes’ hearts and minds and have them join the cause against the Talibans and Al Qaeda.

Karzai supported and funded Afghan mujahideen during the Soviet Union’s occupation of Afghanistan. After Taliban came to power, he outspoke against Talibans, and refused to accept the position within Afghanistan’s Taliban government, then he was forced to exile. Karzai continued to work against Talibans in exile. He is well-respected and recognized by Afghan people. The United States recognized Karzai’s qualities and invited him to assist the United States’ efforts in war on terror.

On November 14, 2001, The ODA 574 escorted Karzai and infiltrated into South Afghanistan. They successfully infiltrated, engaged with local tribes, formed new allies and Karzai built a militia consisted of Pashtun fighters to revolt against Taliban regime. Then tragedy struck: JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) bomb dropped on the ODA team and Karazi’s fighters by mistake. It was costly one: Three ODA team members and twenty of Karzai’s fighters were killed. Ronnie Raikes and rest of the team were wounded, including Karazi. Right after the incident, Karzai was selected to be chairman of Afghanistan interim government committees. He eventually would become a president of Afghanistan.

The three KIAs were Master Sgt. Jefferson Donald “JD” Davis, Staff Sgt. Brian Cody Prosser, and SFC Daniel H. Petithory.

Ronnie Raikes was back in United States recovering from his injuries he sustained from the JDAM incident. Raikes and two other ODA 574 team members were invited to President Bush’s State of Union speech, where Karzai personally thanked them. Raikes sat with the First Lady Laura Bush and Hamid Karzai during the speech.

Ronnie Raikes and ODA 574’s story was told in book The Only Thing Worth Dying by Eric Blehm.

Raikes with First Lady and Karzai during State of Union speech. (Gettyimages)
ODA 574 and Karzai.
(Image from open source online)

JTAC- Peter Davey

USAF Battlefield Airmen, Veteran Stories
Peter Davey’s BDU.
Peter Davey’s BDU.
Peter Davey in Afghanistan. Image courtesy of AF.mil
“U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Peter Davey (left) and Tech. Sgt. James Godlew, both from the 8th Air Support Operations Squadron tactical air control party out of Aviano Air Base, Italy, provide grid coordinates during an air strike exercise in support of Allied Strike II at the Grafenberg firing range in Germany on Nov. 7, 2008. Allied Strike II is a combined U.S. and coalition forces exercise that trains joint terminal attack control members in preparation for deployments in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.” Image and quote source: defense.gov

Peter Davey was a JTAC with US. Air Force 8th Air Support Operations Squadron based in Avaino AFB in Italy. He was attached to US. Army 173rd Airborne Brigade when he deployed to Afghanistan in 2010.

JTAC (Joint Terminal Attack Controller) is a qualified airman who directs combat aircrafts for Close Air support (CAS) and airstrikes from ground. Typically being attached to units in from other branches in combat zones.

For his actions in 2010 deployment in Afghanistan, Peter Davey was awarded Department of Defense’s African American History Month Recognition Award.

Below is a link to the USAF article about Davey and his recognition.

https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/114038/aviano-jtac-receives-recognition-award/

Sgt. Jeff Barillaro “Soldier Hard”

Veteran Stories

Sgt. Jeff Barillaro was an NCO and gunner for M1A2 Abrams tank. He enlisted in the Army  upon graduation from High School. After four years, he left Army.

Following the September 11 attacks,  Operation Enduring Freedom began, followed by Operation Iraqi Freedom. At the height of the Global War on Terror, a sense of duty returned to Barillaro. He re-enlisted. In no time he was deployed to Iraq with his original MOS as an Armor crewman. He led convoys and Barillaro saw his share of ambushes and gun battles. 
Later, with 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Barillaro deployed to Kosovo for a NATO led peacekeeping mission with Kosovo Force (KFOR). Before he was discharged honorably.
As a result of his deployments, Barillaro was diagnosed with PTSD. 
During his service, Barillaro discovered something that helped him cope with his PTSD was music and he was began writing, mostly hip hop and rap songs. After he completed his time in the Army, he founded Redcon-1 Music Group with main objective of using music to spread the awareness of PTSD and to help veterans struggling with PTSD. 
Here is the ACU uniform set belonging to Barillaro. He had worn it in Iraq and then Kosovo. On it is a unofficial/unauthorized Kosovo deployment patch from his unit. It has the Combat Action Badge and Combat patch he earned in Iraq. There are also a few of his desert patches fixed on velcro for his modified Desert Combat Uniforms also worn in Iraq just before the transition to the new ACU. Note the helmet cat eye elastic band that he has taken off from his issued ACH.