Best military units of all time

[fins wake]

:58: I'm glad you said major unit, but even that is wrong! The US Army Rangers (a Major unit) made a combat night jump into Afghanistan at an airbase there, prior to the Marines combat operations.

When I talk major units, I'm not even talking batallion level, but division level ...

(That's only only technically correct in Afghanistan 2001, but hopefully gets me off the hook with the grunts on this board ... :eat_arrow )

Seriously, I have enormous respect for the Rangers, as well as for the others you mentioned, not forgetting the Danes, Norwegians and NZSAS which were on the ground (the Kiwis as usual completely unofficially in conjunction with the Aussie SASR).

The very first combat unit in Afghanistan was very probably not even a DoD unit at all, but the Agency's very own MSP (Military Special Projects) boys.

(This is a great way to attract a lot of keen interest from Fort Meade and Langley, by the way, ensuring that this board gets its fair share of bandwith monitoring, too ... sorry NetDoc! :anon: )

But as I've already mentioned them, my personal opinion is that MSP probably is the "best" U.S. unit of them all, bar none, for the type of keenie-meenie ops they run over there.

 

[seabat]

Virginia Military Institute's Corps of Cadets at the Battle of New Market.

 

[fins wake]

So when was Entebbe? 1976, 1979?

1976.

Poor sod, being called an officer. My apologies.

:rofl2:

Until a few years ago the German military was constitutionally bound to homeland defense only. No more 'Have gun, will travel' since WWII.

Eh, yeah. I guess the concensus was that probably was for the best for a while. Still, you have Michael Schumacher and Boris Becker, and that's quite enough supremacy, thank you very much! :biggrin2:

GSG9, being border patrol, has less .... travel restrictions. I wonder which one they would send today.

Abroad? Definitely KSK, I think. They've been jockeying for it for a long time now and have good contacts with the BND chaps in Wiesbaden. I'm not sure KSK is ready for primetime yet, though, but I could be wrong. Still, if it's not broke, why fix it? GSG9 are world-class ...

 

[Walter]

While I have a great deal of respect for the VMI cadets who fought with courage and to great effect just outside my native town, I don't think they can be considered one of the best military units of all time.

 

[caveseeker7]

You haf vays und means ...

LORL. I for one have have ways, but no means. Not right after x-mas, anyway.

... the BND chaps in Wiesbaden

Gotcha there. BND is in Berlin-Pullach, BKA is in Wiesbaden. I used to be.

 

[fins wake]

Gotcha there. BND is in Berlin-Pullach

I knew I should never have given back that Gehlen book I borrowed last year. My bad! Sorry! :leseratte

 

[6Gill]

Any operation these days is always proceeded by SpecOp troops to do recon work among other things. The Rangers that jumped into Afghanistan, were only on the ground for a few hours before they were airlifted back out to their base in GA. The Marines when they came in, they came to stay and plant the US flag. From the airfield they captured, only then did US forces start pouring in. So, while a detachment of Rangers were the company sized force US force on the ground, the Marines brought their entire BLT (battalion landing team) in, and they came with the purpose of staying.

Also, in that list of specops teams listed above, there is a missing element, Marine Force Recon. So Marines were on the ground right along side the SAS, Green Beanies, SEALs, and CIA.

Anywho, my 2 cents on the Afghanstan operations.

The Ranger force involved was larger then a "Company." Rangers are trained for among other things, to parachute into an airfield DZ and take it from the enemy, so that other forces can use it as an LZ, or for fixed wing operations to land further troops and/or support units.

As for Marine Force Recon, they know doubt did play a part in operations, in country, however; they were just recently were added to the Special Operations Command. Prior to their inclusion in the Special Operations Command, they operated strictly under the command of the Marine/Navy Command, at their insistance I might add. So, prior to the Marines commitment to boots on the ground, I doubt that they were in country.

The Marine Special Ops units were motivated to join the Special Operations command (Run by the US Army) by the funds being provided to that command. They (Force Recon) were not getting funded like they would have liked by the Navy and Marine Corps. I have the upmost respect for Force Recon (I've trained with them.) and the US Marines in general. :beret:

 

[DFC5343]

Any operation these days is always proceeded by SpecOp troops to do recon work among other things. The Rangers that jumped into Afghanistan, were only on the ground for a few hours before they were airlifted back out to their base in GA. The Marines when they came in, they came to stay and plant the US flag. From the airfield they captured, only then did US forces start pouring in. So, while a detachment of Rangers were the company sized force US force on the ground, the Marines brought their entire BLT (battalion landing team) in, and they came with the purpose of staying.

Also, in that list of specops teams listed above, there is a missing element, Marine Force Recon. So Marines were on the ground right along side the SAS, Green Beanies, SEALs, and CIA.

Anywho, my 2 cents on the Afghanstan operations.

Paul

You are wrong about Force Recon. Until recently, I mean less than 6 months, they were not part of SOCOM. They ONLY support the MEU...nothing else. No special warfare jobs for them at all until recently. They are still in the stand up phase and have yet to be deployed as a unit. They are some good mo's but still are waiting in line for their shot.

 

[wstein]

You are wrong about Force Recon. Until recently, I mean less than 6 months, they were not part of SOCOM. They ONLY support the MEU...nothing else. No special warfare jobs for them at all until recently. They are still in the stand up phase and have yet to be deployed as a unit. They are some good mo's but still are waiting in line for their shot.

Your are exactly right! They supported a MEU, guess what went ashore at Kandahar, a MEU! Two to be exact, 24th MEU and 15th MEU. So there was Force Recon guys on the ground before the first Marine from 15 or 24th MEU walked off the CH46's. I am guessing you are not aware of the TOC of a MEU. Each MEU has a Force Recon Det, Recon Platoon, and SEAL Det when they deploy. And the MEU commander can use them as he see's fit. He doesn't need SOCOM's permission to deploy them in support of the MEU's mission.

Paul
USMC

 

[DFC5343]

Thats kinda what I said. But the Company WAS in first. Now Force is SOCOM and will stand inline for missions like the rest.