Jonathan Idema

Jonathan Keith "Jack" Idema (May 30, 1956 – January 21, 2012) was an American mercenary and former United States Army reserve non-commissioned officer, known for his vigilante activities during the War in Afghanistan.

Counterr Group Academy was operational for at least ten years, from the late 1970s to the late 1980s.

It was based at a small airstrip south of Route 199 in Red Hook, New York.

There were several permanent staff, as well as visiting staff, all under the direction of Keith Idema.

At least ten formal courses of training were offered.

These included basic firearm safety, offered to the general public, as well as pistol, rifle and shotgun programs in both assault and combat roles, offered only to active military servicemen and police.

Rappelling, both with and without a firearm component, was offered at the on-ground rappelling tower.

The facilities included both interior and exterior "Hogan's Alley" style environments, equipped with reactive targets.

Idema was raised in Poughkeepsie, New York, graduating from high school there in 1974.

His father, former Marine and World War II veteran H. John Idema, believed that his son was a "dedicated American".

Idema enlisted in the U.S. Army in February 1975.

He had received numerous negative remarks from superior officers, in addition to participating in three non-judicial punishment proceedings between April 29, 1976 and April 28, 1977.

Idema was cited for "failure to obey orders, being derelict in the performance of his duty, and being disrespectful to a superior commanding officer."

One superior officer, Captain John D. Carlson, stated that Idema was "without a doubt the most unmotivated, unprofessional, immature enlisted man I have ever known."

Two years after his enlistment, in 1977, he trained and qualified for the United States Army Special Forces.

The nature of Idema's military service in the Special Forces is contentious.

Tod Robberson of The Dallas Morning News noted that there was a discrepancy between what Idema claimed his military experience was and what is stated in his official military record.

Idema repeatedly stated that he acquired 12 years of Special Forces service, 22 years of combat training, and 18 years of covert operations experience.

However, per official records, Idema's military career was short and contained several reports of poor performance, with no recorded combat experience.

In a November 1, 1980 letter of reprimand, Major Paul R. Decker wrote that Idema "consistently displayed an attitude of noncooperation with persons outside his immediate working environment, disregard for authority and gross immaturity characterized by irrationality and a tendency toward violence."

Sometime in the early 1980s Idema founded Counterr Group (also known as US Counter-Terrorist Group), a business entity which, according to its website, specialized in expert training for counter-terrorism, assault tactics, and other security-related services.

In January 1981, Idema was relieved of his Army Reserve duties; his last position was the assistant sergeant of operations and intelligence.

Formerly a member of the U.S. Army Special Forces, Idema never saw combat and left the military in 1984 to form several companies centered around counterterrorism and internal security.

Idema made numerous unverified claims about his military service and supposed terrorist threats, and experienced several lawsuits over various feuds.

After leaving the Army Reserves, he became a member of the Individual Ready Reserve until he left the military completely in 1984.

Several years after he left the Army, Idema became involved in the paintball business, opening a paintball supply and equipment company in Fayetteville, North Carolina, named Idema Combat Systems.

He later segued that business into a paramilitary clothier and supply company operating under the same name.

According to his military record obtained in the course of his 1994 fraud trial, after serving one term in the Special Forces, Idema was not allowed to reenlist, likely due to poor performance.

had been incorporated in 1997 by William L. London, a lawyer who represented Idema in several lawsuits.

In September 2004, Idema was found guilty of running an unlawful and unsanctioned private prison in Afghanistan and torturing Afghan citizens.

At the time, Idema had been falsely portraying himself as a U.S. government-sponsored special forces operative on a mission to apprehend terrorists.

The U.S. government repeatedly denied most of his claims.

Idema served three years of a ten-year sentence.

Counterr Group's legal status and ownership was questionable; according to a Soldier of Fortune article published in 2004, Idema was mentioned as the owner.

The company website listed an address in North Carolina, but there was no record of the company's registration in that state.

However, a company called "Counter Group, Inc."

The status for this company was listed as "suspended" as of 2004.

He was released early by Afghanistan's then-president Hamid Karzai in April 2007, and left Afghanistan in early June for Mexico, where he died of AIDS in late January 2012.

H. John Idema died in November 2008.

Idema was given an honorable discharge and allowed to join the United States Army Reserve 11th Special Forces Group working to provide logistical support.