November 7(2008-11-07)– December 26, 2008(2008-12-26)
Shadow Force is a documentary television miniseries that aired on the History channel in 2008. It follows a team of real-life mercenaries doing contracts given to them by the countries of Liberia, Kenya, and the Congo. The team consists mostly of ex-Special Forces from various countries.
Glenn - The team's technical and tactical specialist. He's a former member of the U.S. Special Forces, as well as an Army Ranger. Appeared in episodes Deep Water, Ivory Tracker, Black Gold, Ghost Ship, Gorilla War, Last Chance and Dark Zone.
Stuart Yorkston - The team's newest recruit and trained by SCS.
Laura Engelbrecht - She is a former diplomat and Central African specialist. She is a former staff member of the U.S. State Department, where she specialized in operations intelligence and diplomacy. Appeared in episodes Deep Water, Black Gold, Ghost Ship, Dark Zone, Gorilla War and Last Chance.
Ralph - The team's tracking and electronics expert with over 30 years of experience in the military, Government and commercial security sectors. Appeared in the episode Ivory Tracker.
Rhidian Bridge - A former Royal Marines officer and maritime specialist who joins the team for specific missions.
Episodes
This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(September 2010)
New episodes aired every Friday at 10pm/9c on the History Channel. All episodes have now aired.
Deep Water
Aired on November 14, 2008
The team consisted of Cobus Claassens, Bob Parr, Laura Engelbrecht, Slim, and two fishing officials. The missions objective was to stop illegal fishing on the coast of Liberia. Before heading out to look for ships performing illegal activities, the team performs various boarding practices. While searching for ships illegally fishing, the team runs out of water so Cobus goes to a U.N. base asking for water. At first, the U.N. officials don't want to give him water. After a while, they agree to but the truck with the water broke down. Cobus is forced to get back on the hunt and use beer as a replacement for water. They find a vessel carrying out an illegal fishing operation late at night. Cobus, sLiM, and Bob board the ship without any weapons. Fortunately, the captain is cooperative and does as instructed.
Ivory Tracker
Aired on November 21, 2008
The team consisted of Bob Parr, Slim, and Ralph. The missions objective was to supply LEWAsecurity personnel with technology that will allow them to track illegal/poached elephanttusks and rhinoceroshorns. The team first meets with LEWA's Head of Security and some other people to research their current techniques and technologies. After a bit of talking, Bob calls in a friend of his that's an expert in tracking and electronics (Ralph). Afterwards, they do a test with the current technology used. They prove it to be highly dangerous. Ralph then introduces his equipment to Bob Parr and LEWA's Head of Security. They make a trap: Ralph places a movement-sensitive camera (starts recording whenever it senses movement) in a hidden location, and he places a fake Rhino horn with a tracker inside it. LEWA's H.o.S. then sends a trusted man of his to pick it up. Ralph, and the team, track the horn and prove to LEWA's H.o.S. that the technology works, is accurate and reliable. Late at night, they do a practice raid to retake the fake Rhino horn, which goes as planned.
Black Gold
Aired on November 28, 2008
The team consisted of Bob Parr, Slim, and Laura Engelbrecht. The missions objective was to aid ICCN Park Rangers in stopping rebel forces hiding in the jungle from cutting down trees to produce charcoal. Bob, sLiM, and Laura head out to ICCN Headquarters to meet the ICCN Director and the Park Rangers. They are told that it is extremely dangerous to enter the jungle, the rebel forces consist of an estimated 10,000 members and are responsible for over 800,000 deaths, the illegal cutting down of trees reduces the habitat for the endangered mountain gorilla, and the charcoal cut down from this forest produces $30,000,000 USD for the rebel forces yearly. They are also informed that the ICCN has two roadblocks. Bob and sLiM then head out to one of the road blocks to observe their current method. Bob and sLiM notice that the roadblock is way too close to a village and could endanger the lives of innocent bystanders if there is a shootout between the rebel forces and the ICCN Park Rangers. They also notice that there is virtually nothing, except the Park Rangers, stopping the trucks and cars from passing through. One of the Park Rangers is asked about the location and why it was chosen, he said because it was close to headquarters. At night, Bob observes the roadblock with an infrared camera since it is pitch-black. He sees several problems with the roadblock at night, the most dangerous one is that the ICCN Park Rangers have very little visibility at night. The next day, Bob and sLiM first go with ICCN Park Rangers to observe what they do once a kiln is found. Bob and Slim then ask the ICCN if they could go into the jungle. At first, the ICCN doesn't want to because it is extremely dangerous but after some time, they agree to with the condition that Bob, Slim, and Laura are at the end. A kiln is eventually found. In the process, Bob noticed that the rangers make too much noise which could alert the rebel forces and that the troops don't take as much precaution as they should.
The next day, Laura, Bob, and Slim head to a nearby town to buy supplies for a new roadblock within the boundaries of the park that give the ICCN Park Rangers legal authority. They then head to the location and set up the equipment. In the process, the Congo Army shows and orders them to shut down. They do and briefly after Laura calls up their General and they are now back to work. After some time, a car speeds through their roadblock but doesn't make it far because the wire stopped it. The driver is questioned but says that he got scared when he saw men with guns. Although he was not a charcoal transporter, it proved that the roadblock worked perfectly.
Ghost Ship
Aired on December 5, 2008
The team consisted of Bob Parr, Slim, Cobus Claassens, and Laura Engelbrecht. The mission objective was to intercept and determine the nature and intentions of the Takamar 6, a mysterious fishing trawler that had been anchored just off shore of the U.S. Embassy in Liberia. The United States and Liberian governments were growing increasingly concerned about the Takamar's intentions due to the expected arrival of United States PresidentGeorge W. Bush in the coming weeks. Without a formal Navy or assets to do an official maritime intercept, the Liberian government called on Cobus, Slim, Laura and Bob off of their fishing vessel piracy missions to deal with the threatening nature of the Takamar 6. The team immediately mobilizes to begin surveillance of the Takamar 6 by utilizing a local contact to get them into position on the rooftop of an abandoned hotel that was reportedly guarded by Nigerian Army officials, due to abandoned hotels being hotspots for drug trafficking and other criminal activity. Upon arrival at the hotel, Slim uses the FLIR device to determine that there are several individuals around the hotel that do not look like Nigerian Army officials. But after Cobus confirms with his local contact that the spot is legitimate, the team manages to meet up with a Nigerian soldier who agrees to get them to the rooftop of the abandoned hotel so that they can get a good view of the Liberian coastline. Upon their rooftop arrival, Cobus confirms that the Takamar 6 is anchored offshore and the FLIR picks up the heat signature that proves that there is activity on board. The team formulates a plan to do a surveillance mission out in the waters near the Takamar 6, but once out to sea, they realize that the Takamar 6 has mysteriously and conveniently disappeared leading Cobus to believe that their mission may have been leaked by someone on the inside.
The next evening, the team heads south of Monrovia to a river mouth known for local fisherman to try to enlist the help of locals to spot the Takamar 6. After some contact with the locals and earning their trust, they inform Cobus that there has indeed been a strange vessel moving up and down the shorelines. Two days later Cobus receives a call that a local has spotted what appears to be the Takamar 6 near the port of Buchanan. The team immediately mobilizes in their rigid inflatable boat, intercepts and boards the Takamar 6 to find a very uncooperative Captain who does not follow Cobus's orders to return the ship to the port. Finally, after Cobus's firm conveyance that he was to steer the Takamar 6 to the port of Buchanan, the Captain followed orders and took the boat to the port, where Liberian authorities were waiting to arrest the Captain and crew.
Dark Zone
Aired on December 12, 2008
"The team helps combat tribal wars while in Kenya" (TV Rage).
Gorilla War
Aired on December 19, 2008
"The team heads to the Congo to assist the park rangers in a battle against gorilla poachers by using new technology which can track the gorilla population, and how call for help when a poacher is encountered." (TV Rage)
Last Chance
Aired on December 26, 2008
"While in the Congo, the team will assist a unit of the Congolese Army, to help keep a refugee camp safe from rebel attacks." (TV Rage)
The Irish Army, also known simply as the Army, is the land component of the Defence Forces of Ireland. The Irish Army has an active establishment of 7,520, and a reserve establishment of 3,869. Like other components of the Defence Forces, the Irish Army has struggled to maintain strength and as of April 2023 has only 6,322 active personnel, and 1,382 reserve personnel. The Irish Army is organised into two brigades.
Flag of convenience (FOC) is a business practice whereby a ship's owners register a merchant ship in a ship register of a country other than that of the ship's owners, and the ship flies the civil ensign of that country, called the flag state. The term is often used pejoratively, and although common, the practice is sometimes regarded as contentious.
The Army Ranger Wing (ARW) is the special operations force of the Irish Defence Forces, the military of Ireland. In late 2023, it was reported that the unit was to be renamed the Ireland Special Operations Force (IRL-SOF). It is a branch of the Irish Army, it also selects personnel from the Naval Service and Air Corps. It serves at the behest of the Defence Forces and Government of Ireland, operating internally and overseas, and reports directly to the Chief of Staff. The ARW was established in 1980 with the primary role of counter terrorism and evolved to both special operations and counter-terrorism roles from 2000 after the end of conflict in Northern Ireland. The unit is based in the Curragh Camp, County Kildare. The 2015 White Paper on Defence announced that the strength of the ARW would be considerably increased due to operational requirements at home and overseas.
Congo is a 1995 American science fiction action-adventure film based on the 1980 novel by Michael Crichton. It was directed by Frank Marshall and stars Laura Linney, Dylan Walsh, Ernie Hudson, Grant Heslov, Joe Don Baker and Tim Curry. The film was released on June 9, 1995, by Paramount Pictures. It received negative reviews, but performed better than expected at the box office.
Virunga National Park is a national park in the Albertine Rift Valley in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was created in 1925. In elevation, it ranges from 680 m (2,230 ft) in the Semliki River valley to 5,109 m (16,762 ft) in the Rwenzori Mountains. From north to south it extends approximately 300 km (190 mi), largely along the international borders with Uganda and Rwanda in the east. It covers an area of 8,090 km2 (3,120 sq mi).
Marinejegerkommandoen (MJK) is the maritime/naval special warfare unit of the Norwegian Armed Forces and was established in 1953.
Nivôse is a Floréal-class frigate of the French Navy. The frigate is the third ship of the class and the fourth French vessel named after the fourth month of the Republican Calendar. Nivôse was constructed by Chantiers de l'Atlantique at Saint-Nazaire, France, in 1991 and entered service in 1992. The frigate is stationed at Réunion in the Indian Ocean for patrol duties.
SLNS Vijayabahu (P627) is an Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessel of the Sri Lanka Navy. The ship is named after King Vijayabahu I, the warrior king of the medieval Sri Lanka who founded the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa.
The Tubbataha Natural Park, also known as the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, is a protected area of the Philippines located in the middle of the Sulu Sea. The marine and bird sanctuary consists of two huge atolls and the smaller Jessie Beazley Reef covering a total area of 97,030 hectares. It is located 150 kilometres (93 mi) southeast of Puerto Princesa, the capital of Palawan. The uninhabited islands and reefs are part of the island municipality of Cagayancillo, located roughly 130 kilometers (81 mi) to the northeast of the reef.
Maritime patrol or maritime reconnaissance is the task of monitoring areas of water. Generally conducted by military and law enforcement agencies, maritime patrol is usually aimed at identifying human activities.
A ranger is typically either a caretaker that aids in the management of natural resources like public parks/forests or someone that works in a law enforcement or military/paramilitary role specializing in patrolling a given territory, called "ranging" or "scouting". The term most often refers to:
The Amazing Race: A Corrida Milionária was a Brazilian reality competition show based on the American series The Amazing Race. Following the premise of other versions in the Amazing Race franchise, the show follows eleven teams of two as they race across Brazil and Chile. The show was split into legs, with teams tasked to deduce clues, navigate themselves in foreign areas, interact with locals, perform physical and mental challenges, and travel by air, boat, car, taxi, and other modes of transport. Teams are progressively eliminated at the end of most legs for being the last to arrive at designated Pit Stops. The first team to arrive at the Finish Line wins a grand prize of R$500,000.
Mission Africa is a 12-part prime time television series produced by Diverse Bristol for BBC One and BBC Worldwide which follows fifteen trainees from the building trade, selected from hundreds of applicants across the UK, as they undertake various building and conservation projects. The 12 part series ran beginning of January 2007.
A long-range penetration patrol, group, or force is a special operations unit capable of operating long distances behind enemy lines far away from direct contact with friendly forces as opposed to a Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol, a small group primarily engaged in scouting missions.
Africa Partnership Station is an international initiative developed by United States Naval Forces Europe-Africa, which works cooperatively with U.S. and international partners to improve maritime safety and security in Africa as part of US Africa Command's Security Cooperation program.
FV Alaska Ranger was a fishing factory ship owned and operated by the Fishing Company of Alaska of Seattle, Washington. The ship was constructed in 1973 for use as an oil field service vessel. The ship sank 23 March 2008, after reporting progressive flooding only hours earlier. Of the 47 on board, 42 were rescued. Of the five fatalities, four were recovered dead, and one was never found. The Coast Guard was initially misinformed about the number of persons on board the vessel, and secured the search with one crew member still unaccounted for. After realizing there was still one person missing, the Coast Guard reinstated the search, but did not find the crew member.
Captain Peter James Bethune is a New Zealand ship's captain with 500 ton master licence, published author, producer of The Operatives TV show, and public speaker. He is the founder of Earthrace Conservation. He works assisting countries in Asia, Central America and Africa with fisheries enforcement and anti-poaching. He is the holder of the world record for circumnavigating the globe in his powerboat Earthrace, a wavepiercing trimaran powered with biofuels.
The Amazing Race 26 is the twenty-sixth season of the American reality competition show The Amazing Race. Hosted by Phil Keoghan, it featured eleven teams of dating couples competing in a race around the world in order to win US$1,000,000. This season visited five continents and nine countries and traveled over 35,000 miles (56,000 km). Starting in Castaic, California, racers traveled through Japan, Thailand, Germany, France, Monaco, Namibia, the Netherlands, and Peru before finishing in Dallas. The season premiered on CBS with a special 90-minute episode on February 25, 2015, and the season finale aired on May 15, 2015.
The United States Special Operations Command is the unified combatant command charged with overseeing the various special operations component commands of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force of the United States Armed Forces. The command is part of the Department of Defense and is the only unified combatant command created by an Act of Congress. USSOCOM is headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida.
Robert "Bob" Parr, also known as Mr. Incredible, is a fictional superhero who appears in Pixar's computer-animated superhero film The Incredibles (2004) and its sequel Incredibles 2 (2018). He is a superhero who possesses superhuman strength, durability, and stamina. He is married to Helen Parr, also known as Elastigirl, and has three children named Dash, Violet, and Jack-Jack. He is voiced by Craig T. Nelson in the films, while in Mr. Incredible and Pals and the video games, he is voiced by Pete Docter, Richard McGonagle and Jeff Bergman. He was created by writer/director, Brad Bird, and is partly based on Bird's father, with Bird stating, "He’s a little bit like my dad, because my dad was a great guy, really funny and smart, and I love him dearly".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
