My apologies to the readers and lovers of The Company out there for the delay in getting this post out this month. I start working on these right after the last one posts and keep thinking — I’ll get it out early — and never do for one reason or another. Thanks for sticking around and aiming to be more organized with this worthwhile cause (with hopeful merch and fundraisers for charities) coming up in the 2023! I hope all of my US readers had a great Thanksgiving & looking forward to celebrating the many December holidays including Chanukah & Christmas. As always, stay preppy my friends! - AW
30 December 2009.
Camp Chapman. Near Khost, Afghanistan.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009, near the Afghan-Pakistani border, 7 CIA Officers & Security Personnel, 1 Jordanian intelligence service officer, and one Afghan working as Chief of External Security at the base were killed in a suicide blast by a Jordanian doctor Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, who was working as a triple agent for the CIA, Jordanian Intelligence, & Al-Qaeda. Al-Balawi had gotten to the base, named after 1st US Military casualty in Afghanistan, SFC Nathan Chapman, with the promise of information in locating AQ’s number two, Ayman al-Zawahiri. Al-Balawi had been able to gain the trust of Sharif Ali bin Zeid, of the General Intelligence Directorate (GID) of the Kingdom of Jordan, and through him, was connected with Darren LaBonte, who was al-Balawi’s CIA handler, by weaving a tale of his infiltration into al-Qaeda and access to the inner workings and circle. Due to his ‘position’ as a high-profile leader & informant, al-Balawi was not searched as normal custom before being allowed access into the camp, driven by Afghan Chief of External Security for FOB Chapman, Arghawan, into the inner part of the camp. Surrounded by 13 CIA officers & security personnel, al-Balawi stepped out of the car and proceeded to trigger the suicide vest he had hidden under his clothes, killing 9, including bin Zeid & Arghawan.
The Chapman Seven
The seven CIA officers & security contractors who were killed are:
Jennifer Lynne Matthews: Chief of FOB Chapman & one of the US top experts on AQ and Osama bin-Laden
Scott Michael Roberson: Chief of Security for FOB Chapman
Darren LaBonte: Case Officer & al-Balawi’s CIA handler
Elizabeth Hanson: Targeting officer out of Kabul Station
Harold Brown: Case Officer & former US Army Intelligence officer
Dane Clark Paresi: Security Contractor and former Green Beret
Jeremy Wise: Security Contractor and former US Navy SEAL
Jennifer Lynne Matthews, a married mother of 3 & 20-year CIA veteran, was 45 years old when she was killed in Afghanistan by a suicide bomber at Camp Chapman. Matthews, after having graduated from college and met her husband, Gary Anderson, and married shortly afterward. Inspired by her faith to make the world better, in 1987, Jennifer applied to Langley and started working for the agency as an analyst in 1989. Shortly after her career had begun, she joined the CIA task force on Osama bin Laden, Alec Station. There she took on the task of tracking bin Laden and the burgeoning terror group, Al-Qaeda, as it moved from Sudan to Afghanistan & Pakistan. After her time at Alec Station and eventually the CIA Counterterrorism taskforce, Jennifer was assigned to London as the Counterterrorism Chief working with the British SIS when an opening for the Chief of Station for FOB Chapman came open in September 2009. Jennifer jumped at the opportunity to be ‘boots on the ground’ and left that same month.
Scott Michael Roberson, 39, was chief of security for FOB Chapman. Served as a detective in the Atlanta Police Department, trained police officers as part of UN Mission to Kosovo, and provided security training to locals in Afghanistan & Iraq post-2001/2003 invasions. Scott joined the CIA and went to FOB Chapman to serve as Chief of Security.
Darren Labonte, a married father of one, was 35 years old and scheduled to leave Afghanistan to join his family back in Amman, Jordan, where he served as a case officer for the CIA. Darren graduated from Columbia College in Missouri with his BA and from Boston University with a Master’s in Criminal Justice. Darren had served as an Army Ranger, Ohio police officer, US Marshall, FBI Special Agent, and a CIA Paramilitary officer prior to his last position as a Case Officer in Jordan where he worked closely with Jordanian Intelligence. This is where he made a friend and ally in Ali bin Zeid, a Jordanian military intelligence officer and cousin of King Abdullah of Jordan, who jointly managed and worked al-Balawi as a source.
Elizabeth “Liz” Hanson, 30, was the youngest member of the team killed in the bombing. Elizabeth graduated from Colby College in 2002 and went to work for the CIA in 2005. There she began her career serving as an analyst and targeting officer. A targeting officer is responsible for vetting and analyzing information on potential high-value intelligence targets to go after for recruitment and/or information. Liz had risen within the ranks of the CIA quickly as a targeting officer and volunteered to go to Afghanistan in 2009 to work at the Embassy in Kabul and in the field. There she worked on a team of talented targeting officers looking for AQ leadership, including Osama Bin Laden.
Harold Brown, 37, was a US Army veteran who served as a MI officer and CIA Case Officer stationed in Afghanistan. Brown, a graduate of George Washington University with a degree in Political Science, was a married father of 3 children, who were 12, 10, and 2 at the time of his death. He had previously served in Bosnia with the State Department where he worked in providing funds and clothing to local schools and often distributed clothes and food to the poor in Afghanistan. He was a man who was known for his Catholic faith and his love for his family.
Dane Clark Paresi, 46, was a former MSGT t in the US Army Special Forces and served as a CIA Security Contractor at FOB Chapman. Dane had joined the Army right after graduation from HS in 1982. He served in the Army as a member of the Army Special Forces aka Green Berets. While serving in the Army, Dane met and married his wife Lou and had three children. Dane served overseas in 6 stints including Kenya, Bosnia, Iraq, and the Philippines where had earned a Bronze Star and Meritorious Service Medal.
Jeremy Jason Wise, 35, was a recently retired Navy Seal and was serving as a CIA-contracted security officer. Jeremy, married to his wife Dana, was the oldest of three brothers, who all served in the United States military, and had one sister. Jeremy’s brother Ben, an Army Special Forces sniper, was killed in Afghanistan 3 years after Jeremy’s death. Jeremy was known for his deep faith, intense patriotism, and strong love of family. His brother, Beau, has written a book about Jeremy, Ben, and his lifes and his brothers sacrifices called ‘Three Wise Brothers.’
December Challenge - Service over Self
Physical Challenge
Complete The CIA Seven Workout of the Day (WOD)
As our bonus challenge last month, let’s take on the CIA Seven WOD and honor the CIA Seven lost at Camp Chapman on 30 DEC 2010. Extra gold star if completed on 30 DEC 2022.
The CIA Seven WOD
7 Rounds For Time
7 Push-Ups
7 Thrusters (135/95 lb) or 7 additional burpess (if no access to weights)
7 Knees-to-Elbows
7 Deadlifts (245/165 lb) or 7 squats (if no access to weights)
7 Burpees
7 Kettlebell Swings
7 Pull-Ups
With a running clock, complete 7 rounds of the prescribed work in the order written, as fast as possible. Each round is made up of 49 repetitions: 7 Push-Ups, 7 Thrusters or burpees, 7 Knees-to-Elbows, 7 Deadlifts or squats, 7 burpees, 7 Kettlebell Swings, and 7 Pull-Ups.
Score is the time on the clock when the last round of Pull-Ups is completed.
Post your participation with #CIA7WOD #TheCompanyWOD and tag @preppystatesman
Mental Challenge
Write a letter to someone you haven’t talked to or have an estranged relationship with and mail it
Here in the Western world, we have lost the common way of communication for decades & centuries - the handwritten letter. From the Revolutionary War to the Civil War through the Global War on Terror, soldiers have written letters of both sorrow and love and longing to those they love from family, friends, brothers, mothers, and lovers. Our challenge this month is to regain a lost art & take a bold step of courage, in honor of the letters that these 7 didn’t get to write to their families, and write someone we haven’t heard or spoken to in a long time or even someone we may be estranged from in some way or form. If you are truly brave, and if it’s safe, let’s us the actual ‘snail mail’ and send it to them.
Optional Challenge for December:
Let’s keep up our momentum with our rucking and running and go for a bit of distance weekly with a pickup in pace. For the ruckers, add about 30-40lbs of weight to your ruck and average around 16:00/mile (4 mph) for 5 miles min. weekly. For the runners, aim for a 10:00/mile pace (6 mph) for 5 miles min. weekly.
Make sure to tag if you are participating and use social media with
#TheCompany & #RemembertheCIASeven