Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
4:57 | Scott Wealing recalls two notable characters who were legends in the elite world of long range reconnaissance and surveillance. Bill Butler and Pat Tadina were, in different ways, two of our greatest warriors.
Keywords : Scott Wealing 151st Infantry Detachment (LRS) Bill Butler glider Ranger Vietnam Silver Star Pat Tadina Hawaiian Viet Cong (VC) Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
A veteran of several elite units as well as the CIA and Blackwater, Scott Wealing listened to his wife's advice and built a gun range and training facility in Indiana. There's shooting, yes, but he feels the training in situational awareness is even more important.
Scott Wealing tells why he supports the Warrior Reunion Foundation, a non-profit organization that organizes and facilitates reunions for veterans and their families.
After a couple of years as a drill sergeant at Fort Benning, Scott Wealing became interested in a long range surveillance unit he'd heard about. He had to lose rank to join the elite unit. Not a problem. It was worth it, although he wasn't crazy about the jumps.
Scott Wealing was in an Air Force Pararescue unit when 9/11 changed everything. He had to switch to EOD when he was injured but then he was recruited by Blackwater and went to Iraq where he was part of the American ambassador's security team. His next stop was the CIA, where he was part of a global response team.
When he was at the CIA annex in Afghanistan, Scott Wealing found out his old unit was stationed right down the road. He took them some special treats and let them use the CIA shooting range for a little fun. He has other friends who were involved in the Blackwater bridge incident in Iraq which, in his mind, was totally preventable.
He was just not cut out to be a farmer. Scott Wealing did not take over the family farm in Indiana but instead enlisted in the Army and was immediately deployed to Desert Storm. The support unit may have been the worst outfit in the military but he was very impressed with General Schwarzkopf.
As a veteran of elite military units, as well as the CIA and Blackwater, Scott Wealing has a unique perspective on the global war on terror and some definite opinions on what went wrong.
