Colorado First Light Infantry

Colorado First Light Infantry

The Colorado First Light Infantry was an anti-militia group in the U.S. that only consisted of three members. Although this homegrown terrorist group was small and short-lived, it served as a precursor to another larger organization that would be formed. The Colorado First Light Infantry was founded by Ronald David Cole after the events of the Waco siege in Texas in 1993. Cole was at the time a member of the Branch Davidians and ended up writing a pro-Branch Davidians book Sinister Twilight, where he declared that his task was to complete the mission David Koresh failed to fulfill. In 1994, he met with the notorious domestic terrorist Timothy McVeigh prior to the Oklahoma City bombing (Brennan 1995). In 1997 at McVeigh's trial, Cole handed out leaflets demanding fair treatment for McVeigh, as well as news releases for the North American Liberation Army, which he had also founded. He also spoke to the media about alleged harassment of paramilitary group members by law enforcement.

Also in 1994, Cole was involved in a violent incident at the site of the destroyed Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. A standoff occurred between self-proclaimed leaders of the remnants of the sect over who had control of the property. Cole and a former Davidian Wally Kennett were accompanying Andrew Hood, a man who some Davidians had sought out for leadership. Their party became embroiled in an argument with Amo Bishop Roden, the wife of former Davidian leader George Roden; she then fired a warning shot into the air. Roden was charged with felony deadly conduct, and Kennett and Cole were charged with weapons violations (Verhovek 1994).

On May 2, 1997, Kevin Terry, Ronald David Cole, and Wallace Stanley Kennett--members of the Colorado First Light Infantry militia--were arrested by federal agents and local officers in response to criminal warrant alleging they possessed a pipe bomb in their rental house in Aurora, Colorado. A subsequent search of their shared residence revealed mortars, pipe bombs, ammunition, automatic weapons, grenades, and various explosive devices, as well as general plans for the disruption of the federal government through bombings and other violent acts. The actual weapons were a 9mm Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine gun, a .308 caliber Heckler & Koch Model 91, a .223-caliber Olympic Arms PCF CAR-15-type assault rifle and a 9mm Action Arms Uzi machine pistol (Outpost of Freedom 1997). In response Cole said "They're trying to make me look like a terrorist because I criticize them publicly." Ronald Cole, the group's self declared commander, entered into a plea agreement and on March 26, 1998, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison on four counts of illegal machine gun possession. Several days earlier, Kevin Terry had also accepted a plea bargain and was sentenced to one year and one day in prison on a single machine gun violation. Terry was released two days later, after being given credit for time served in custody and good behavior. He was also ordered to serve three years' supervised release. On February 10, Wallace Stanley Kennett pled guilty to a single count of illegal possession of a machine gun. In exchange for the guilty plea, prosecutors dropped eight other counts in the indictment against Kennett. On May 1, Kennett was sentenced to serve 18 months in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Daniel Sparr, who presided over the three trials, also ordered Kennett to serve three years' supervised release and perform 100 hours of community service once freed. The three men were believed to be the only members of the Colorado First Light Infantry.

There is not a lot of available information on this paramilitary group, but it seems likely it was formed as a sort of response to the actions taken against Timothy McVeigh. All three men trained themselves on weapon use and explosives. The warrant that led to their arrest was actually obtained greatly in part to the testimony of an ex-Marine Daniel McNasby. McNasby had casually been invited to go shooting with the three when