Special Forces - SPIE

Green Berets with ODA 7224, 7th Special Forces Group (7th SFG) are extracted by a Special Purpose Insertion Extraction (SPIE) system operated by a Chinook helicopter.

The SPIE method is sued to extract personnel from terrain unsuitable for a conventional helicopter landing such as dense jungle.

The Special Forces soldiers are wearing special harnesses that allow them to hook on to the SPIE rope that is lowered from the helicopter.

The stack of attached soldiers is then airlifted to a secure landing zone (LZ).

At the LZ, the helicopter lowers until the attached personnel can safely unhook on the ground.

ODA 7224 are an Operational Detachment-Alpha within Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group.

They are a HALO team, ie a team that specializes in military free-fall (parachuting) operations.

The 7th SFG is based at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, where the above photo was taken during a training mission.