View Full Version : Move, Shoot and COMMUNICATE.
For a Special Forces Team to be sucessful it must be able to move shoot and communicate. If any single element is missing they will fail. We see many threads on PT and "Rucking" and that is important but just as important is the ability to perform a mission once you arrive -- "Shoot". And equally important is the ability to communicate. In Vietnam it was said that the most potent hand-held weapon in the Army was the PRC-25/77. For Special Forces, communications is the means of receiving intel updates, resupply, CAS, medevac, extraction,etc.
In a UW environment, a good commo man is respected and well protected. When I was in Germany in the 60's I was protected, escorted and respected because I could communicate. I was the lifeline and the team recognized that fact. It was,sometimes discouraging because I never got to do the "fun stuff" like raids and ambushes. That changed in Vietnam when I was in SOG and volunteered for recon. I didn't want to be a spectator. Many commo men of the time apparently felt the same as a large percentage of recon men in C&C were 05Bs.
When I volunteered for Special Forces I wanted to be an engineer and blow things up. I was disappointed when they said I was going to commo school. Today I am glad I became an 05B.
Those of you who are chosen for communications rather than one of the "glamor" MOSs take heart. The day will come when you can look others right in the eye and say: "I can do your job but you can't do mine'!
I'm an old FOG, not too remote from Marconi and Morse but feel free to ask questions. I'm sure there are others on the board who can help.
It has changed a little bit from back then. Now everyone is expected to be a shooter first, and then their MOS second. Even then, you may be a good shooter, but heaven forbid, if you can't do your job when the time comes. You need to be technically and tactically proficient, not only at you MOS, but at all aspects of being a special forces soldier.
What has changed? The fact that I didn't have a "Tab" or Special Forces career field? Not only was I expected to be proficient in my MOS but also in that of all personnel on the team. When asked what I did in the Army I answer that I was in Special Forces -- period. Not that I was an intermediate speed radio operator or later, a radio operator supervisor. Some missions have changed, but so have the times.. Special Forces are flexible and adapt to new missions. It could be said that I was an infantry, recon squad leader in Vietnam -- not my MOS.
QUOTE]Originally posted by Max_Tab
It has changed a little bit from back then. Now everyone is expected to be a shooter first, and then their MOS second. Even then, you may be a good shooter, but heaven forbid, if you can't do your job when the time comes. You need to be technically and tactically proficient, not only at you MOS, but at all aspects of being a special forces soldier. [/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Originally posted by QRQ 30
[B]What has changed? The fact that I didn't have a "Tab" or Special Forces career field? Not only was I expected to be proficient in my MOS but also in that of all personnel on the team. When asked what I did in the Army I answer that I was in Special Forces -- period. Not that I was an intermediate speed radio operator or later, a radio operator supervisor. Some missions have changed, but so have the times.. Special Forces are flexible and adapt to new missions. It could be said that I was an infantry, recon squad leader in Vietnam -- not my MOS.
Hold on, You completely misunderstood me. This quote is what I was talking about...
In a UW environment, a good commo man is respected and well protected. When I was in Germany in the 60's I was protected, escorted and respected because I could communicate. I was the lifeline and the team recognized that fact. It was,sometimes discouraging because I never got to do the "fun stuff" like raids and ambushes...
now we aren't "protected" we are expected to be right up there ball's deep in the "fun stuff"
I'm sorry if you misunderstood me, and thought I was talking shit about you, that wasn't it at all. I have complete and utter respect for everything, that all you, SF vet's have done. You paved the way for all of us who are doing it now, and showed us how to do it right.
I'm not really disagreeing. The situation I described was in a UW environment which was the primary mission of the day. We worked with G's. Our mission was to "train, equip, and advise." In Vietnam, depending upin the particular site everyone could become a Special Forces "infantry man". As a RT Team Leader I was not a commo man any longer - except for MOS. We were expected to perform in such a mission and there was no manning chart by MOS.
Don't forget that for every "fun stuff" mission you hear about there are ten "UW Training Missions" being conducted elsewhere. Unfortunately OPSEC would preclude members of the 7th and 6th from elaborating. I think.
Perhaps my initial statements still holds. I do a w4eapons man's job but perhaps he can't do mine. I'm not talking of the technical knowledge which each MOS holds. I am saying that I can carry, and employ weapone, tactically.
However it's time to return to commo.
We were/are Special Forces first and Commo in addition. The same goes for all MOS's. There are/were some fine team Sergeants who were Commo and Nedics. One is even named Team Sergeant.:D