#special-forces

#special-forces

Artem Rakitin sits everyone down on the rubber mat for one last pep talk. He has known most of the young men for several years, working with them here twice a week and in effect acting as a mentor. It is a kind of physical and mental training, he explains: self-discipline; resisting vices; preparing oneself, if the moment comes, to defend his country. One of the main targets is for them not to become alcoholics, drug addicts or anything like that, he says. It's to put their energy in the right places, and to support the right team.

The Green Berets have built a reputation as masters of unconventional warfare since their inception in the early 1950s. This reputation comes from not only their training and strategy but also from the small arms they carry into the field. Every carbine, pistol, or rifle they carry is carefully selected for versatility and maximum combat effectiveness. These small arms have ultimately become part of the overarching identity of the Green Berets.

I was motivated by ethnicity, history, philosophy, and a deep intuition of where all signs in my life were pointing.