5 leadership lessons from the Special Forces raid of Son Tay

Fifty years ago, in November 1970, one of the most tactically successful raids in American history was conducted by a joint group of US Army Special Forces, US Air Force, and US Navy. Their mission was to rescue 50 American POW's. They rescued none. So how can I call it "successful?" Read on for that answer as well as for lessons business leaders can learn from this amazing story.

It was called Operation Ivory Coast. The goal was to raid Son Tay compound in Vietnam near Hanoi, where American POWs were being kept. Military intelligence from over the summer indicated that 50 or more service men were being kept there in deplorable conditions, with upwards of 12,000 enemy troops stationed within 5 miles. Taking weather and other logistics into consideration, it was determined that an October or November date would be the best window. 

They knew it would require the utmost in speed and precision, and that it would be exceptionally hazardous. The Army Special Forces (aka, the Green Berets) would be needed. And so the operation commenced.

Selection

When asking for volunteers, 500 Green Berets raised their hands. They weren't told what the mission was, but they volunteered anyway. This is what being a Green Beret was all about, after all. They were already part of the Army's elite force. They were a team first and individuals second. Out of the 500, about 100 were chosen to begin training. In addition, the mission needed Airmen, to get the soldiers in and out of the compound; carefully chosen were pilots who knew the Southeast Asia geography well.   

Leadership Lesson 1 - Getting the team right is one of the core elements of a successful project. It's critical to get the right people into the right places at the right time. This improves performance, productivity, and engagement. Since this decision is critical to all the others that follow, spend time thinking about the profile of the talent you need and identifying them based on necessary skills and behavior. When you get the team right, virtually everything else will fall into place.

Training and Preparation

Air Force and Green Berets trained over and over through September and October, in the heat and humidity of Florida. They needed to replicate as best as possible the conditions they would encounter in Vietnam. A replica of the compound was created in full scale. 

The selected Green Berets trained six times a day - three of those at night, going through every scenario. They even changed some of their tactics as a result and added tools like bolt cutters based on what they encountered during training.

Air Force pilots trained too. They flew over 1,000 practice hours for this one mission, getting their formations down perfectly. They'd be entrusted with getting in and out of Vietnam without being detected; it would take precision.

A total of 170 full scale rehearsals were completed until the mission and maneuvers were second nature and the teams were completely seamless together. They also developed contingency plans. They had one chance to get this mission right; it needed to be flawless.

Leadership Lesson 2 - Training, when done well, is key to success, improving consistency and growth. Beyond the typical classroom training, use intentionally designed experiential elements such as practice, mock sessions, and action learning (using real case studies) to optimize growth and performance. And, always debrief the training to uncover learning and ah-ha's around teamwork, resources needed, and contingencies.

Equipping and Inspiring

Then it was time. The team headed first to Thailand, their staging area. Here they learned for the first time the complete details of their mission. It is said that the Green Berets stood up and cheered when they learned that they would be sent to Son Tay - they were ready to put their lives on the line to save others. 

There in Thailand, of the 100 Green Berets trained, 56 were selected for the actual night-time mission, divided into three groups, each with a specific role. The 44 not selected were surely disappointed to be left behind but supported their teammates. 

Just before they were to go, Colonel Simons is said to have given a "pep talk," setting the vision with these words: "You are to let nothing, nothing interfere with the operation. We’re here to rescue prisoners not take prisoners. And if we walk into a trap,… don’t dream about walking out of Vietnam unless you’ve got wings on your feet. … I want to keep this force together."

Leadership Lesson 3 - Never underestimate the importance of appropriate staging, equipping, and inspiration. In particular, inspiration - an often overlooked trait - is the difference between good leaders and great leaders. When you inspire your team with a shared vision, you instill confidence, commitment, and trust to perform bigger and better than you ever thought possible. Inspiration is what creates followership. 

Go Time

This was it - time to go for 92 Airmen and 56 Green Berets. The Air Force flew the Green Berets into Vietnam completely undetected, an amazing feat considering they flew 29 aircraft. The Navy helped too - they created diversionary missions, with planes taking off from aircraft carriers in the opposite direction, to distract from what was taking place near Hanoi. Great partnership at its best!

They landed (or more correctly, purposefully crash landed) at Son Tay and stormed the compound. In a matter of only 17 minutes, 56 Green Berets took out 200 enemy soldiers with no fatalities on the American side. But, no prisoners were to be found. The Green Berets were extracted, after leaving a souvenir green beret behind as a sign of who had been there, and returned to Thailand.

Leadership Lesson 4 - When implementing action, be sure to involve the right partners. You don't always need the biggest team or the most resources; often you can do more with less provided you have intentionally selected, trained, and inspired with a focus on talent. When you merge partners, you bring more talent, more expertise, more resources to bear.

Assessment

So, what happened? Apparently, back in the summer months, the POWs had been moved. Intell had failed.

Even though no POWs were rescued, the mission is still considered a tactical success. In incredibly short time (17 minutes), a relatively small number (56) of Green Berets overwhelmed and defeated a much larger enemy force (killing 200), and did so with no American fatalities and only two minor injuries. Selection, partnership, preparation, and training had paid off. 

Two other outcomes occurred. First, apparently the POWs who had been moved knew about the raid and it buoyed their morale - people remembered them! Second, the raid also succeeded in all American POWs receiving better treatment, as it was now apparent that we were coming after our own and they had better be discovered in relatively good condition so as to avoid claims of war crimes. 

Leadership Lesson 5 - There is always something to be learned even if your project doesn't succeed as planned. Think of this as "failing forward" and include a debrief to identify these lessons and catalog them for next time. This will show your team that failure, provided you learn from it and don't repeat it, is okay and will develop trust for the long run.

In full disclosure, my dad was a Green Beret in Vietnam (not one of the Son Tay raiders), so I am a bit biased in considering how amazing this elite force is. I hope you are inspired by this amazing true story - if so, give it a "like!" And, I'd love to hear how it inspired you in the comments!

#leadership #lessonsinleadership #talentlifecycledesigns #usarmy #usairforce #usnavy #greenberets

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Angela Heyroth’s 20-year career has spanned several Fortune 500 firms, in leadership roles across the full lifecycle of talent management and employee experience, delivering results and guiding teams in talent attraction, acquisition, retention, development, performance, planning, and engagement. This breadth of experience has resulted in a unique understanding of how to build and deliver lasting legacy through a focus on talent. As a systems thinker, change agent, and ardent learner, she has various musings about the employee experience (and random other topics), and enjoys sharing her insights, opinions, observations, and ideas.