If true, very concerning.
https://www.vermilionchina.com/p/the...tCnGetuSMLuxZc
If true, very concerning.
https://www.vermilionchina.com/p/the...tCnGetuSMLuxZc
Beyond that, I haven't seen anything that suggests it was anything more than basic open enrollment courses that are teaching things that you could pick up from the Magpul Dynamics DVDs, let alone the plethora of YouTube weapons manipulations videos. As best I can tell, guy's not rolling in to some closed enrollment CQB course with a bunch of guys he knows and has trained with extensively to learn the nuances of small unit CQB tactics that PLA SOF wouldn't already know.
Last edited by Default.mp3; 01-17-2024 at 12:56 PM.
I think this is explained a little deceptively. The guy was in the US for high school. I'm out of my lane but the idea that the PRC sent a "special forces" soldier to play "Hello, Fellow Kids" for 4 years as a cover to "steal" open enrollment tactical training sounds ridiculous.
It's unfortunate that an exchange student so into guns and tactics decided to leave the US and take it back to an adversary. But I don't think it's "almost certain" that this was some grand plan. Isn't it more likely that he leveraged his interest into a job opportunity? Especially considering he's posted literally everything on social media...Based on the speed at which Zhang transitioned from student in the US, to small team training, to training units himself, it is almost certain that Zhang was a PLA soldier prior to entering the United States.
Yeah, very good points.
To add to that, this article is pure trash. It basically assumes everything to make its end point that this is an instance of PLA SF, or that he is instructing people. The author literally just made that shit up out of nowhere because of some context-less pictures.
PLA SOF is composed of pubescent teenage boys that haven't even finished school yet. Got it. Thanks for the great intel tip, Vermillion.
My guess is he is a budding social media influencer or possibly an actor that was/is being used in some capacity for a PR campaign.
Unless it's Xi's grand plan of PLA SOF being run by teenage kids and telling everyone else in the PLA what's up.
Last edited by TGS; 01-17-2024 at 01:06 PM.
"Are you ready? Okay. Let's roll."- Last words of Todd Beamer
This is kind of stupid in a few ways IMO. Is training one dude that big of a deal? Not really. I've got tons of time in classes with current and former SOF, doesn't mean I'm a super soldier that's suddenly force multiplying the whole DOD. At the same time though, its equally stupid that this happened, obviously several times. I've only ever had citizenship verified buy one trainer if I remember right, and its not the worst idea for instructors to know who they're training. Either way, I don't think I've ever taken an oorah photo like some of those posted, so maybe that's a clue. It is another win for Ronin Tactics, so that's cool.
You can buy a guitar, but that doesn’t make you a musician.
Paraphrasing the late Jeff Cooper.
We may lose and we may win, but we will never be here again.......
This is the first thing I thought of. Maybe it's just 15+ years of compliance and ITAR training, but this seems like it would qualify as an export/transfer to a non-approved party. As there are people here who are much more well versed in such things, is there a way that ITAR/EAR rolls in as a factor to something like this? I've worked with companies that were foreign owned and worked with items on the USML and other controlled things. We were always mindful of compliance on that and I was always very conscientious about running things through our compliance officer/legal even through there was a TAA in place.
Does training like this constitute an export even though it's not technical data, but could be?
"If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur."
Disclaimer: I have previously worked in the firearms industry as an engineer. Thoughts and opinions expressed here are mine alone and not those of my prior employers.