Introduction

[Barry C Roper]

Greeting from Sunny South Africa.

My name is Barry Roper and I served in the SADF from 1971 to 1988 starting with National Service and then 17 years in the Commandos (Out version of your National Guard) I was commisioned as a 2nd Lt in 1975 and finished off in 1988 with the rank of Captain. In between I volunteered for a years border duty in 1976 and ended up with the then "Bravo Group" a Battalion of ex FNLA soldiers from Angola who were brought back to SWA after the initial Civil War in 1975. We trained these ex-Terrorists and then used them against our enemy SWAPO (South West African Peoples Organistion) and their old enemies the Russian/Cuban supported MPLA. I served at first as Transport Officer covering a front that extended over most of Southern Angola and Northern South West Africa. It was a logistical nightmare as we only had 10 old and battered Mercedes Unimogs.As time went on we beg borrowed and stole the rest of our vehicles from the normal SADF Units. In the begining the Unit was TOP SECRET and very few knew of our existance. In the second 6 months I was Ops Officer at one of our forward support bases called Omauni and from here I took out regular convoys to supply our platoons n the field.
The Units main success can be attributed to the fact that in the beginning all the officers were white and from the SADF and we enforced the Discipline of the SADF, this combined with the experience of a group of the Black members who had waged a long tough Guerilla war against the Portugese in Angola forged a very formiddable Counter Insurgency Unit. Later several of the Black members were the first to be commisioned as officers in the SADF . At the end of 1976 the name was changed from "Bravo Group" to 32 Battalion. I left in 1977 but still have very strong ties with the Units Veterans Association. The Unit was disbanded in 1993 after the present ANC goverment demanded that the National Party Goverment do so. Today several of the VETS can be found working in Iraq, Afganistan, Uganda and several other trouble spots. One of the Units OC's was actually an advisor to General Mc Crystal before he got fired.

[The Holmchicken]

I think a couple of your comrades live just down the HESCO's from me. Welcome.

[K.Ingraham]

Interesting resume. Welcome.