They received “glowing reports of their multi-purpose usefulness,” and “ne man reported killing four Cong in hand-to-hand combat with it after his rifle had been snatched away - another chops pole-sized trees with it for quick clearing of helicopter landing fields - another chops his way through walls of huts with booby-trapped doors.” It’s difficult to discern how much truth is behind these individual claims however, the legend of the hatchet continued to grow. According to the Mountaineer Herald of Ebensburg, Pennsylvania, they specifically sought its effectiveness in “close-quarter combat.” Reports of its success in combat appear to be numerous.Īnother article was written about the “chopper” - a tomahawk that was reportedly used by U.S. Special Forces (SF) had been negotiating with Peter LaGana, the founder of the American Tomahawk Company, in order to produce tomahawks for them. Some ST6 operators have reportedly used tomahawks made by the same creator of the on-set tomahawks used in “The Last of the Mohicans.” Like Capacillo, many members of the 75th Ranger Regiment have also been known to carry hatchets into combat, including models made by SOG, American Tomahawk Company, Smith & Wesson, Gerber, and other manufacturers. Dom Raso specifically mentioned to the New York Times its use in hand-to-hand combat, in addition to breaching necessities. Navy SEAL Team 6 has gained attention for carrying the hatchet into missions.

Winkler also created the tomahawks used in the 1992 film “The Last of the Mohicans.” Pictured here are the WK Ranger Breaching Axe and WK Ranger Axe. SEAL Team 6 reportedly uses tomahawks created by renowned North Carolina knife maker Daniel Winkler. What timeline of events has brought the hatchet, of all things, back onto the battlefield? There are a host of weapons out there, so why a small axe? Most operators are already carrying knives - some very hefty ones at that - and as Green pointed out, other prying tools are available to service members. Still, the hatchet may seem like an odd choice. I used it more than I thought - mainly breaking into gates, doors, and locks.” “I lined a hydration pack with 100-mile-an-hour tape (duct tape) so it wouldn’t snag coming out, and I lined the sides of the opening with tape so I could slide it back in. “I carried a Benchmade hatchet on my back for my last two deployments,” Sergeant Wayne Capacillo said. In contrast, Coffee or Die spoke to another Army Ranger from 3rd Ranger Battalion who had also served on four deployments to Afghanistan in the same time periods.

In today’s world, I honestly don’t know why I would carry a hatchet.” For urban warfare, hoolie tools and bolt cutters are much more useful. “For jungle or dense vegetation, machetes are much more practical. Army Ranger who deployed four times with 3rd Ranger Battalion. “While I appreciate the history of the hatchet, I wouldn’t carry one for any practical purpose,” said Alex Green, a former U.S. Some argue that hatchets aren’t practical, while others defend their usage - and, of course, the image associated with it. Briggs is assigned to the Ranger Training Brigade, him and his partner, Sgt. Briggs throws a Tomahawk during the Day Stakes evants of the Best Ranger Competition, Apat Fort Benning, Georgia.

Modern battle axe