Re "Ragtag to professional right away."
Gen PATTON wanted to re-arm and re-train the defeated Wermacht at the end of WW-II and sic them on the Russians - at least drive them out of Germany & Poland back into Russia.
Needless to say the idea was not a big hit with Eisenhower or Truman - but in retrospect it might have had it's merit.
I'd say the SpecOps have done us proud in their own special, generally silent and un-noticed way.