[ConservativeDude]

You freepers are always so knowledgable and delightfully opinionated about these sorts of things, so, I must know: which of the special forces are the baddest? Please explain your opinion. Also, is there a Marine equivalent to special ops? Or is it right to say that all Marines are special ops?

[exnavy]

bump for later read.

[Blood of Tyrants]

IMO, the SEALS have the toughest, most intensive training, and in such a variety of fields, that they are undoubtedly the best of the best.

[ClearCase_guy]

Well, "Rangers lead the way!" But on the other hand, during the Black Hawk Down trouble in Somalia, the main force consisted of Army Rangers who (understandably) were frozen with fear and unable to decide how to complete their mission. Then the Delta Force guys would come up, slap the Rangers on the shoulder and say, "Follow me!"

Delta Force guys were scary -- even to the Rangers.

[b fair]

The Marine spec ops would be either Force Recon or their Sniper/Recon teams.

My personal favorite is the Air Force Air Commandos.
Who else can you get to fly an MC-130 a zero altitude on a dark rainy night to the middle of a battle field?

[yarddog]

Well based on personal experience, I can whip 10 Seals, a dozen Marines and 10 Rangers. Not all at once tho.

Getting back to reality, I once saw an interview on TV of French Foreign Legion veteran who had been in a few fights. It always stuck in my mind that he said there wasn't a lot of difference between the various "elite" troops.

The Navy Seals certainly have the worlds best publicity people tho.

[Renfield]

If the criterion used is, who has caused the most destruction while sustaining the least casualties, I'd have to vote for Janet Reno's Justice Department.

[Lee Heggy]

I'd say Seals due to their training but in combat there are always suprises and our fighting men are pound for pound the most lethal in the history of the world. Any one of them regardless of their branch could rise to the occassion.

[CholeraJoe]

It really depend on what needs to be done. Rangers and Marines destroy things and capture territory. Seals infiltrate from the sea. Army Special Forces (Green Beret) organize indigenous forces for resistance. AF Special Ops insert, extract and support other Special operators and control the air-ground interface.

[MassExodus]

I dunno which branch of the military has the toughest operators, but I think Terry Tate is pretty rugged!

[LibWhacker]

The ones we haven't heard of.

[cynicom]

The baddest is the man that will fight you to the death in a foxhole. Training or military group does not transcend the fight for survival.

[The Duke]

With all else being equal I would have to give it to the Seals - due simply to the nature of their mission - which is one of "unconventional warfare".

[dts32041]

My mother when PO'ed.

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

I would say, after a long study of history, the toughest guy in the world is a well informed, free man who's life is interrupted by some ass from another country. The most decorated man in the US Military during WWII was a little guy from west Texas with no special training. He came through not once or twice but time after time.

[Benrand]

I believe the British Royal Marines go through the toughest training. Some scary stuff. But I guess tough would mean being inserted in the sh*t frequently, it would have to be Delta or of course, the IDF special forces.

[SJSAMPLE]

It has been said, by the founder and editor of "Soldier of Fortune" that "such things are better debated by cooks and mechanics." The fact that we have such men is enough for me.

[PISANO]

All PATRIOTS, ALL BAD, ALL OURS. However, I am slightly partial...........SEALS!

[p. henry]

Indian Princesses. I once retained them to attack the campsite of a friend at Joshua Tree National Monument, and they did an awesome job.

[amused]

The USA Network settled this argument last spring with "Combat Wars". Suprisingly, a member of the Miami SWAT won.

I hope they do that show again and I was heartened to see on of the participants(a SEAL) race against a chimpanzee in Fox's latest cultural offering "Man vs. Beast".

[JeeperFreeper]

It's a bit of comparing apples to oranges. The small recon teams, Seal, Force Recon, etc, most of the time, consist of six man teams inserting for reconnaisance, prisoner snatches, marking targets etc. Six men, mind you. They are to go in and leave without being found.
The Marines and ( and I presume the Rangers) on the other hand, go in mass, stay and hammer the enemy with everything in the arsenal.