Special Force for a Special Branch

The American Enterprise Online ^ | February 27, 2006 | Alan Dowd

[firewalk]

.

[SJSAMPLE]

Special Forces is a title conferred upon "The Silent Professionals".

I wish these guys would get it right.
Special Operations Forces is the generic term that comprises soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines of the US Special Operations Command (SOCOM). Special Forces refers to those SOF troops of The United States Army.

[writer33]

Thank you, SJSAMPLE for clearing that up. Too many generic terms used. Let's get it right, folks.

[Eagle Eye]

And then there are those who don't understand the difference between Conventional and Unconventional forces.

[PeteB570]

The US Military is like a big tool box. Many, many special tools for special tasks. Some tools have more than one use, others can only be used for one thing.

Is the box end wrench better than the screw driver? Depends on what you need done.

[SJSAMPLE]

Yep.
Like General Officers who think their rank and file, ash and trash, mechanics and admin personel are ALL "Special Forces".

[XtreMarine]

Marines, which I am proud to call myself special as the article indicates. What it does not say is we have Marines who train at the same schools as SEALS and SF Soldiers. Since we are so small and are tactical in nature, no one took our specially trained warriors serious until now. I disagree with the rotating thing because it takes years to master the craft and be effective. I also disagree with letting other services use our small resource that we will need during deployments. I do think we can hold our own against any other unit. Yes I am proud of my service but I have been around long enough to value and appreciate what our SEALS and SF soldiers bring to the battle. Bottom line, we need all forces to battle the enemy, regardless of how they are configured.

[Donald Meaker]

When Lt. O'Bannon took his seven enlisted men, and several hundred desert tribesmen to Tripoli, He was an Army Officer. The Marines were not permanently assigned to the Department of the Navy until 1834, July 11th.

July 11th was celebrated as the Marine Corps birthday until after WWI.

[Donald Meaker]

Silent Professionals. I like that.

The problem is, when funding is allocated, Silent Professionals lose out to Loudmouthed Braggarts.

[SJSAMPLE]

You must be referring to fighter pilots ;)

SOCOM really doesn't see funding shortages.
Lately, it's been the big ticket items (Army Crusader and Comanche, for example) that have taken it in the shorts.

Then again, SOCOM has a habit of spending millions on anything that is even remotely useful in any anticipated mission.

[2111USMC]

As General Dennis Hejlik, MARSOC’s first commander, told Proceedings magazine, “All Marines are special.”

Says it all.

No further comment required.

:)

[taxcontrol]

I once saw a cost per kill analysis on the different weapon systems in the Army. The clear winner.... the sniper.

[JavaTheHutt]

“All Marines are special.”

yes, they all road the short bus to school.

[Bender2]

Back in the day when the cry was "Send in the Marines!" and "Civilize Them With a Krag!" the United States Marines were both the tip of the spear and our first and only Special Forces...

Attention!

Forward... March!

Double Time!

Ready! Aim!

Fire!

You are my prisoner, sir!

Good Night, Chesty!

Marines Forever!

[stylin19a]

I was wondering about rotating these Marines back into line units. Seems to me they would have a tough time dialing it back.

I wonder becomes of Force Recon ?

Semper Fi.

[EricT.]

I once saw a cost per kill analysis on the different weapon systems in the Army. The clear winner.... the sniper.

To be fair, the military's job is to both kill people and break things. Snipers make great people killers but are not very effective on armor, bunkers, aircraft, and ships.

[Amerigomag]

The Corps.

Still the ultimate tool in our arsenal of diplomacy regardless the advance of technology.

Thank God for them.

[JavaTheHutt]

I once saw a cost per kill analysis on the different weapon systems in the Army. The clear winner.... the sniper.

Yep. My first convoy escort mission through Baghdad got ambushed. An IED was detonated and approximately 30 insurgents opened fire on the convoy with AK47s. The turret gunners on the humvees were melting the barrels on their SAWs and .50s while we sped through the kill zone of the ambush. I fired 6 rounds and got 5 kills, that was shooting on the move while the vehicle I was in had jumped the curb and was driving over chunks of concrete and other rubble that was on the ground.

[JavaTheHutt]

Snipers make great people killers but are not very effective on armor, bunkers, aircraft, and ships.

They are when they're armed with a Barret.