Operation Black Shark
Page 19
Caesar’s head moved quizzically to one side, as if to say, What’s that, Maddie?
‘Don’t use the Q-word, Maddie,’ Nan cautioned. ‘You know how Caesar frets once he knows.’
‘Er, you’re going on a nice holiday, Caesar,’ Maddie said soothingly. ‘Before you and Daddy go on more special hops.’
‘It’ll be a “holiday” facility here in Florida this time,’ said Ben. ‘Charlie says we wouldn’t get a warm welcome back in San Juan, for some reason.’
‘I hope Caesar’s holiday isn’t as dramatic as the one we just went on,’ Nan joked.
‘I’m sorry if your birthday was ruined, Mum,’ Ben said.
‘Ben, darling, this will be my most memorable birthday ever!’ Nan said with a laugh. ‘And how clever of you to find a way for Caesar to come on my birthday cruise as well! You two are full of surprises.’
Looking at Caesar, Ben grinned. And then his phone began to buzz …
* * *
LIST OF MILITARY TERMS
2IC
second-in-command
AK-47
Russian-made assault rifle
AKM
updated version of the AK-47
ammo
ammunition
bears
military intelligence personnel
Browning Hi Power
the Browning GP35, a 7.65mm semi-automatic pistol. Most militaries have moved to lighter handguns such as the Glock 17, but some elite Special Forces operatives have retained the reliable Hi Power for their ops, as Ben and Charlie have
C-4
plastic explosive frequently used by military
carbine
rifle with shorter barrel than an assault rifle
CIA
Central Intelligence Agency; America’s international spy agency
clicks
kilometres
comms
communications
con
nautical term for ‘control’
copy that
‘I have received’ or ‘I understand’
doggles
protective goggles for war dogs
DZ
drop zone; place where a parachute landing is made
EDD
explosive detection dog
EITS (Eye in the Sky)
specialised surveillance aircraft equipped with standard and infrared video cameras and sensors, capable of remaining over targets for extended periods
ETD
estimated time of departure
extraction
pickup of troops from hostile territory by air, land or sea
FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation, USA
flash-bang
military nickname for a stun grenade; creates a bright flash of light and loud bangs when it detonates
FOB
forward operational base
French Foreign Legion
French Army unit used for special operations; traditionally accepts foreigners without asking questions
Glock 17
Austrian 9mm semi-automatic pistol widely used by military and police around the world
Green Berets
unofficial name of the US Army Special Forces, because they all wear a green beret. Members of the Australian Army’s two commando regiments also wear the green beret
grenade
small, handheld military explosive device
gunny
nickname for a gunnery sergeant in the US Marine Corps
HALO
high altitude low opening; parachute jump from high altitude followed by freefall, with the parachute opening at low altitude
heelo
helicopter, also written as ‘helo’ but pronounced ‘heelo’
Hercules, C-130
four-engine, propeller-driven military transport aircraft; pronounced ‘Her-kew-leez’ and often referred to as a ‘Herc’
hostiles
enemy fighters
Humvee
American four-wheel-drive military vehicle
Hunter Corps
Special Forces unit of the Royal Danish Army
IED
improvised explosive device or homemade bomb
insertion
secret landing of troops behind enemy lines or on a specified target
intel
intelligence information
jarhead
nickname for a US marine
Kommando Speziälkrafte (KSK)
elite German military special operations force
leatherneck
nickname for men of the British and American marine corps, deriving from the stiff leather collar worn by marines in the 18th century
loadmaster
crew member in charge of cargo and passengers in military cargo aircraft
long weapon
a rifle, as opposed to a pistol (a ‘short’ weapon)
LZ
landing zone
M16
American-made 5.56mm assault rifle
M4
shortened carbine variant of M16 assault rifle
Makarov PM
Russian 9mm semi-automatic pistol
mess, the
a place where troops gather to eat in a military camp
MH-53E helicopter
see Sea Dragon
Minimi
Belgian 5.56mm light machinegun used by many militaries, including the Australian Army and US Army
MMP
multi-mission platform
MP5
Heckler & Koch 9mm German compact submachine gun, widely used by Special Forces and anti-terrorist units around the world
MP5SD
Heckler & Koch submachine gun fitted with a silencer
MRE
meal, ready to eat; a sealed military ration pack of precooked food
nautical mile
measurement used at sea, equivalent to 1.852 kilometres
NCO
non-commissioned officer; a rank in the Australian Army between private and warrant officer, including sergeant, lance corporal and corporal
op(s)
military operation(s)
point
the most forward position in a patrol
puppy Peltors
protective earmuffs for war dogs
RAAF
Royal Australian Air Force
RCC
US Coast Guard’s Rescue Coordination Centre
reconnaissance
study of enemy territory by photographic means or in person, usually abbreviated to ‘recon’
roger
‘yes’ or ‘I acknowledge and will obey’
roger that
the same as ‘roger’
round
bullet
Royal Marine Commandos
commando unit of the British Navy’s Royal Marines
RPG
rocket-propelled grenade
Sea Dragon
Sikorsky MH-53E triple-engine heavy-lift helicopter
sea state
the international description of sea conditions, with Sea State 1 being ‘calm’, and Sea State 9 being ‘phenomenal’
Seahawk
Sikorsky S-70B-2 naval helicopter, the maritime version of the Black Hawk
SEALs (sea, air, land)
US Navy’s Special Forces unit
Seawolf-class submarines
three US Navy nuclear-powered fast attack submarines with special capabilities to operate in shallow waters. The USS Jimmy Carter is the largest of the three
seek on
a handler’s instruction to an EDD to find explosives
shrouds
lines connecting parachutist to deployed parachute
sidearm
a weapon holstered at one’s side, usually a pistol
Special Air Service Regiment (SASR)
elite Special Forces unit in the Australian Army
Special Boat Service (SBS)
&nb
sp; a special operations unit of Britain’s Royal Navy, specialising in small boat ops
Special Operations Command (SOCOM)
both the Australian and US militaries maintain Special Operations Commands to coordinate special ops by all services by land, sea and air
Special Operations Engineer Regiment (SOER)
Australian Special Forces unit that specialises in military engineering and that trains and operates EDDs
special ops
special operations or secret missions
stun grenade
a hand grenade used to stun; see flash-bang
submersible
small unarmed submarine
trooper
lowest rank in the SASR, the equivalent of a private in other army units
USAF
United States Air Force
USN
United States Navy
VC
Victoria Cross for Australia, the highest-ranking Australian military medal for gallantry. All other ranks, including generals, must salute a Victoria Cross winner
zero hour
the time set down by military for an operation to begin
* * *
* * *
GLOSSARY OF SPANISH TERMS
Americano
American
amigo
friend
buenos días
good day or hello
capitán
captain
compadre
compatriot
el tiburón negro
the black shark
gracias
thank you
mañana
tomorrow
perfecto
perfect
por favor
if you please
rapido
rapidly, quickly
señor
mister
señora
mrs
sí
yes
teléfono
phone
* * *
* * *
FACT FILE
Notes from the Author
A real war dog named Caesar served with Anzac troops during the First World War. That Caesar, a New Zealand bulldog, searched for wounded men and carried water to them. Another war dog named Caesar, a black labrador-kelpie cross, served with Australian forces during the Vietnam War. A labrador named Caesar also served with the US Marines on Bougainville in the South Pacific during the Second World War.
In times past, war dogs were left behind when armies pulled out, due to the quarantine restrictions of their home countries. This proved very distressing for the dogs’ handlers. In Vietnam, war dogs were given to locals when their masters departed. Today, war dogs are put into quarantine facilities following overseas service, allowing them to go home to their handlers. When today’s war dogs retire, they frequently live out the rest of their days with their handlers.
Here are a few more facts about the real dogs, people and military units that inspire these books.
SARBI
Sarbi, whose service number was EDD 436, is a black female labrador war dog who served with the Australian Army. She was preceded by a long line of sniffer dogs used by the Australian Army to detect landmines during the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The current explosives detection dog program was introduced by the Army’s Royal Australian Engineer Corps in 1981, whose base is adjacent to Holsworthy Army Barracks in New South Wales. In 2005, Australian EDDs were sent to Afghanistan for the first time. A number subsequently served there. Several have been killed or wounded in action.
Sarbi began the EDD training program in June 2005 and graduated from the nineteen-week training course with Corporal D, joining the Australian Army’s top-secret Incident Response Regiment (IRR) – now the Special Operations Engineer Regiment (SOER) – whose main job was to counter terrorist threats. In 2006, Sarbi and Corporal D were part of the security team at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, and in 2007, the pair was sent to Afghanistan for a seven-month deployment, returning to Afghanistan for their second tour of duty the following year.
On 2 September 2008, Sarbi and Corporal D were members of a joint Australian–American Special Forces operation one hundred kilometres northeast of Tarin Kowt. The operation went terribly wrong when five Humvees carrying Australian, American and Afghan troops were ambushed by a much larger Taliban force. In the ensuing battle, Corporal D was seriously wounded and became separated from Sarbi, who was also injured. Nine of the twelve Australians were wounded, as was their Afghan interpreter. Several American soldiers were also wounded. So began Sarbi’s time lost in Taliban territory, a saga imagined in the first Caesar the War Dog book.
After being ‘missing in action’ for thirteen months, Sarbi was wrangled back into friendly hands by a US Special Forces soldier. A month later, Sarbi and Corporal D were reunited at Tarin Kowt, in front of the Australian Prime Minister and the commanding US general in Afghanistan. Sarbi is the most decorated dog in the history of the Australian military, receiving the same medals that Caesar was awarded in Caesar the War Dog. Sarbi was retired and living with Corporal D and his family when she passed away on 27 March 2015 at twelve years of age.
ENDAL
Endal was a sandy-coloured male labrador trained as a care dog for Allen Parton, a former chief petty officer with Britain’s Royal Navy. Parton had sustained serious injuries during the Gulf War and was thereafter confined to a wheelchair. Initially, he couldn’t speak, so he taught Endal more than one hundred commands using hand signals, just like the commands that Charlie Grover taught Caesar in Caesar the War Dog.
In 2009, Endal suffered a stroke – just as Ben Fulton’s former dog, Dodger, did – and had to be put down. During his lifetime, Endal became famous in Britain, receiving much media coverage and many awards for his dedicated and loyal service to his master. A young labrador named EJ (Endal Junior) took Endal’s place as Allen Parton’s care dog.
CAIRO
Cairo was a long-nosed Belgian Malinois shepherd with the United States Navy SEALs (Sea, Air and Land teams), a unit within the US Special Operations Command. He was trained for insertion by helicopter and by parachute, making jumps strapped to his handler, just as Caesar does in this book. In 2011, Cairo was part of SEAL Team 6, which landed by helicopter in a compound in Pakistan to deal with Al Qaeda terrorist chief, Osama bin Laden.
SPECIAL AIR SERVICES REGIMENT (SASR)
The original Special Air Service was created by the British Army during the Second World War for special operations behind enemy lines, with the motto of ‘Who Dares Wins’. In 1957, the Australian Army created its own Special Air Service Regiment, commonly referred to as the Australian SAS, two years after the New Zealand Army founded its Special Air Service.
Australia’s SAS is considered by many to be the finest Special Forces unit in the world. Its members help train Special Forces of other countries, including those of the United States of America.
The top-secret regiment is based at Campbell Barracks at Swanbourne, in Perth, Western Australia. Because its men are often involved in covert anti-terrorist work, their names and faces cannot be revealed. The only exceptions are SAS members who receive the Victoria Cross. The unit is divided into three squadrons, with one squadron always on anti-terrorist duty and the others deployed on military missions.
During the war in Afghanistan, Australian EDDs and their handlers have frequently worked with Australian SAS and commando units on special operations.
THE USS WASP AND THE USS JIMMY CARTER
The USS Wasp (LHD-1) is a genuine US Navy vessel. Likewise, the USS Jimmy Carter is a real US Navy nuclear attack submarine (SSN-23). As described in this book, the Jimmy Carter is specially modified with a multi-mission platform (MMP) to launch and recover submersibles used in special operations and to deliver Navy SEALs to their missions. While these vessels are real, the officers and men described in this book are fictitious.
THE KAISER LINE
&nb
sp; The Kaiser Line is fictitious. So are its ships, although they are based on modern ocean liners. Captain Gustarv, also the author’s invention, was inspired by a number of genuine cruise-ship captains.
ZOOMERS
Charlie Grover’s Zoomers are based on the carbon-fibre prosthetic ‘blades’ used by athletes.
THE UNITED NATIONS (UN)
The United Nations was founded in 1945 and its headquarters is situated in New York City, USA. To date, it has 193 member states, including Australia, which fund its worldwide humanitarian and peacekeeping operations. The Secretary-General, who is elected by its members, is the organisation’s most senior officer.
Member states provide the UN’s peacekeeping forces. UN humanitarian agencies include the United Nations Educational, Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Food Programme (WFP), the International Court of Justice (ICJ or World Court) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).