 I was extremely close to my grandfather growing up, we spent a lot of time together, which I am eternally grateful for. He was part of what has been colloquially called the “greatest generation,” a proud American, my grandfather dropped out of high school and enlisted in the Marine Corps at 17. He always took great pride in being a Marine in WWII, which included combat in the Pacific on the islands of Tinian and Saipan where he “acquired” a samurai sword from a Japanese solider when he and other Marines were attacked in the early morning of August 2nd, 1944. The formative years of his life were spent in the Marines where he learned and embraced the Marine Corps tenants, such as Semper Fidelis (Always Faithful), honor, courage, and commitment. He always had a strong belief in taking personal responsibility for his safety and instilled this into me. With these thoughts in mind, I've been wanting to enhance my family's awareness and preparation around personal safety. My daughter is now driving and will soon be heading off to college, and my oldest son will be driving before long. My children are now out and about, getting gas, shopping, etc., which is now happening without their dad’s watchful eye. So, the timing for getting the best professional training was important, and I wanted the training to cover various aspects of personal safety. Fortuitously, I recently heard Robert “Ninja Bob” Porras on a recent episode of The Shawn Ryan Show podcast, and his background and demeanor were exactly what I was looking for. Link here ninjabobsolutions.com/about/ Bob served in the United States army for 20 years in a variety of capacities, most of which were in elite Special Forces units within the Army. While most have heard of the Army Rangers, the Green Beret and Navy SEAL’s, which are Special Forces themselves, there is an even more elite unit in the Army, called Delta Force, officially known as the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (1st SFOD-D), it is the U.S. Military’s most elite and secretive special operations unit. It was established in 1977 in response to the increasing need for a highly specialized force capable of counterterrorism, hostage rescue, and other high-risk direct-action missions. Colonel Charles Beckwith was the driving force behind the creation of Delta Force, he himself a highly experienced Green Beret who had served with the British Special Air Service (SAS) on an exchange program in the 1960s. During his time with the SAS, Beckwith was impressed by their counterterrorism capabilities and saw the need for a similar unit within the U.S. military. Delta Force quickly became known for its rigorous selection process and intense training regimen. The unit recruits from all branches of the U.S. military, though most candidates come from the Army Special Forces and Rangers. The selection process is grueling (to say the least), with a focus on physical endurance, mental toughness, and the ability to operate independently under extreme stress. It is known that a very small percentage of candidates successfully complete the training and are admitted into “the Unit.” Some numbers floating around suggest a failure rate of 90+%, in fact, there have been selection classes where no one met the standard, and therefore zero new candidates progressed, confirming that the standard at Delta is never compromised. Former Delta Force operators have said, “It’s the hardest job to get, and the easiest to lose.” And “You never really make it; selection is an ongoing process.” Over the years, Delta Force has become a key contributor in the United States counterterrorism efforts, conducting missions around the world, including hostage rescues, direct action operations, and high-value target captures. The unit operates typically under a veil of secrecy, and its missions are rarely publicized. However, from time to time, news gets out about the work Delta has been doing. Some of these include operations in Somalia, most famously during the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993, which inspired the book and movie “Black Hawk Down.” Delta was also involved in the capture of Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega and the capture of Saddam Hussein. Following the 9/11 attacks, Delta operators were among the first U.S. forces on the ground in Afghanistan, hunting Taliban and al-Qaeda leaders. They were also involved in the successful 2006 mission that resulted in the death of al-Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in Iraq. More recently, Delta Force operators were part of the 2019 mission that led to the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in Syria. Delta’s contributions to our national security have made it one of the most respected and feared special operations forces in the world. They develop their operators into real-world John Wicks. This was the world Bob Porras operated in for years, and after a full career in Delta, he spent an additional 16 years working for the CIA. So, to say Bob was qualified to teach what I was looking for is a gross understatement. When I reached out to Bob to set up training, he was gracious enough to travel out with his wife to provide 3 full days of instruction for my family, which included:
The training more than met my expectations, and we all learned a tremendous amount. We learned so many valuable life skills that we will take with us wherever we go, and with all that is going on, personal safety is more important than ever. The added benefit of our training is that my children now want to go shooting at the range as they feel very comfortable safely handling a handgun, and their dad now gets more quality with them. A win/win. Thank you Bob (and Laura), and thank you for your service to our country. -Paul R. Rossi, CFA
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