FAQ

Actually, quite a lot. The Japanese looting of the countries it conquered during WWII, including the Philippines, is a historical fact. General Yamashita's lost treasure, in which gold and other valuables were buried throughout the Jungles of the Philippines, is also based on historical records. Further, the U.S. has assisted the Philippines fight the Muslim extremists in the southern Philippine islands since the late 1960s/early 1970s. Currently, the U.S. has established the Joint Special Operations Task Force - Philippines ("JSOTF-P") at Camp Navarro in Zamboanga City in Mindanao. JSOTF-P is comprised of special operations professionals from the Army's Delta Group, Navy SEALs, Marine Special Operations Command ("MARSOC"), Air Force Special Operations Command, the CIA's Special Operations Group ("SOG"), and other supporting personnel. U.S. forces are currently prohibited from taking direct action missions against the extremists. Instead, they are based in the Philippines to train Filipino special forces in counter-insurgency techniques and, in turn, to perfect their own jungle operations and tactics. The Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao ("ARMM") was established to allow the local Muslim population to have a degree of self-government. However, separatist insurgents, such as the Abu Sayaff, MNLF, MILF, and Jemaah Islamiyah continue to be active in the area and seek to undermine the ARMM in favor of fighting for complete independence from the Philippines. On the other hand: The storyline regarding the MARSOC operators battling over a stash of Yamashita's lost gold in Mindanao is fictitious.

As a short-film, Special Operations Group: Salvation's limited budget and anticipated distribution discouraged the direct support from the military's various media and public affairs departments. However, a substantial number of the film's cast and crew were comprised of former members of the military and special operations communities. These included a former Marine Corps Force Recon Instructor (Jamison Rowen), and 3 former weapons, CQB, and small unit tactics instructors. The cast and crew also included an active-duty Pave Hawk crew chief / door gunner and an elite former Coast Guard rescue swimmer among several others. As a result, the film was able to maintain a high standard of authenticity across characters, dialogue, wardrobe, weapons, tactics, movements, and communications.