Special Ops. (Letters).

I AM WRITING THIS LETTER IN REFERENCE to your article titled, "A Call To Arms" (Newspoints, Facts & Figures, February 2002), which suggests that African Americans are underrepresented within U.S. Special Operations Forces.

As an African American who served in Special Ops with the U.S. Marine 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, I found the article suggested that perhaps people of color are somehow being discriminated against as candidates for Special Ops 1, which could not be further from the truth.

During my experiences, I can honestly state, without hesitation, that no one gets a free pass in any phase of Special Ops training. The purpose of the training is to eliminate individuals Who cannot endure mentally-and-physically-stressful situations during simulated combat conditions. For instance, how many people would jump out of a helicopter in the dead of night with a 50-pound pack into cold water and then swim seven miles to shore? Believe me, color has nothing to do with it!

I will admit there were only a couple of brothers in my unit at the time I served. But they, like myself, were highly motivated and willing to undergo the necessary training to become something special. In a small unit, one must depend on his or her counterparts to go above and beyond the call of duty every time to ensure the success of the mission, and the safety of the unit. The writer also fails to mention that to become Special Ops, one must volunteer to participate. Perhaps your writer should do an in-depth story and find the truth rather than suggest that racism may be a reason for the low numbers of persons of color in Special Ops.

Vern D. Oates
Wilmington, Delaware

Editor's note: Our article does not suggest that racism is a reason for the under representation of African Americans in the elite Special Operations Forces units. In fact, we report that the RAND study of minority representation in Special Ops, commissioned by the United States Special Operations Command, was unable to determine whether or not racism was a factor. However, the RAND study clearly documents minority underrepresentation in Special Ops. Determining what role, if any, is played by discrimination in the racial makeup of Special Ops will require further study.

I AM WRITING IN RESPONSE TO CLIFF HOCKer's article, "A Call To Arms." I was very perturbed when I read his article.

I am not disappointed that African Americans are underrepresented in Special Operations. If we are underrepresented, it is by choice because Special Operations soldiers can be the first to move into a war zone and also the first to die in it.

As the daughter of a man killed in Vietnam and the spouse of a career soldier, I do know of the many evils and hardships that accompany the decision to serve in the military. But I also don't want any more African American children to lose their parents, uncles, aunts, cousins, etc., to war.

Dianne Key
Fort Campbell, Kentucky
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