Old 11-18-2015, 09:09   #1
hurly
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5th Flash

I received this email this am. Any reason for this that anyone would know of?


"Subject: 5th SFGA Flash

Gentlemen, Pass the word, at 1400 23 March 2016, the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) will be returning the RVN Flash to its beret. This is official. Ceremony will be at Gabriel Field, Ft Campbell, KY.

jack

Jack Tobin"
"Croich Honorah"
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Old 11-18-2015, 09:50   #2
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LOL, the only reason I can think of is that hollywood has made that flash famous.
People that have no idea who the green berets are or what Special Forces is recognize that flash.

And it's probably the same reason that US Army Special Forces Command will now "fight" (legally) with anyone that wants to use "green beret" in any private business enterprise.

Funny but there is no "green beret" unit but SF Command claims the name "green beret" as it's own.
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Old 11-18-2015, 09:55   #3
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5th flash

Sort of what I figured. Politics!!
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Old 11-18-2015, 10:05   #4
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Sort of what I figured. Politics!!
I'm not sure about politics, I'd be betting money is the issue.

Some SOF units have a blank check for a budget and many have a huge budget, ten times that of Special Forces.

I'm thinking Special Forces is attempting more "fame" for more money.

Next time you go to the store, any store ask the clerk if they have heard of the Navy SEALS? Then ask if they have heard of "Special Forces". The answers will amuse you.
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Old 11-18-2015, 14:12   #5
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Almost 31 years by my calculation. I was present for the change in early '85.

Last edited by mojaveman; 11-25-2015 at 11:16.
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Old 11-18-2015, 14:49   #6
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I asked the boss this morning. Apparently it's a go. If that's what 5th SFG(A)'s leadership thinks is important, that's their business. Personally, I think it's indefensible (translated as "stupid beyond belief") but then what do I know. After all, I left 5th for 7th in 1983 and never looked back.
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Old 11-25-2015, 10:23   #7
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Yup this has been confirmed at the highest levels.

I've heard that its because of "history".

I thought that's what museums were for?

So in 50 more years do we place the flag of Afghanistan on 5th Groups flash?

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Old 11-25-2015, 11:54   #8
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Quote:
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Almost 31 years by my calculation. I was present for the change in early '85.
ODA 575 was the last holdout. We didn't change over to the "New Flash" until late summer.
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Old 11-25-2015, 13:03   #9
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History is awesome.
Maybe Vietnam history overshadows GWOT history.

After all, there is no pride in spending a decade being mean to peaceful Muslims.
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Old 11-25-2015, 13:27   #10
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I'm not sure about politics, I'd be betting money is the issue.

Some SOF units have a blank check for a budget and many have a huge budget, ten times that of Special Forces.

I'm thinking Special Forces is attempting more "fame" for more money.

Next time you go to the store, any store ask the clerk if they have heard of the Navy SEALS? Then ask if they have heard of "Special Forces". The answers will amuse you.
From an outsider's standpoint, it must be a tough one.

SF has a hard and well earned reputation for shaping/influencing/armed diplomat stuff(amongst many other things).

I'm sure there's plenty of efforts that go on behind the scenes to influence and shape those who hold the chequebooks.

But it seems like SF are a bit hamstrung by the necessary "Quiet Professional" institutional/cultural DNA when it comes to influencing the influencers(public perceptions) of the influential(those with the funding chequebooks).

I guess you can't always have your cake and eat it to.

By influencing the influencers of the influential could result in damage to that quiet professional culture and operations thru excessive media/public interest.

I guess for the same reasons why you will not see CIA operations and paramilitary slices trying to shape public perceptions for further funding, the juice would not be worth the squeeze.

It must be incredibly frustrating.

An organisation that is custom built as well as flexible/customisable to best deal with the current "long game".

But largely overshadowed in public, therefor elected, mindshare by other units that provide more visual, "short game" sound and video bytes.

Fighting against the tide of human nature and necessary cultural/operational limitations on publically selling capability.

-----

I did post somewhere here before, wondering if your community will start to take a stronger stance on protecting your brand and intellectual property.

There's a lot of value there yet untapped.

As an aspiring applicant to a Stanford executive education program(and their well regarded alumni community efforts) I'm noticing the potential the SF alumni community has(and I'm sure some or much of it is already being leveraged beyond the SFA chapters) for operating in a parallel space in the civvie world, especially since there seems to be a long(if broken at times, I'm thinking that American U research office back in the day?) history of association between SF and some well regarded schools and programs.
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Old 11-25-2015, 18:18   #11
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Makes no sense to me. You'd think the current leadership of the group would have much more pressing matters to tend to.
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Old 11-26-2015, 09:16   #12
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You would think that Black Flashes Matter
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Old 11-26-2015, 09:20   #13
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20 yrs from now they will have to bring back the black flash for all of the GWOT vets.
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Old 11-26-2015, 16:59   #14
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I think that HQDA should enter into a partnership with UA or Nike.. that way everyone should change flashes and even entire uniforms a few times a year, like football teams do.
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Old 11-26-2015, 18:35   #15
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I think that HQDA should enter into a partnership with UA or Nike.. that way everyone should change flashes and even entire uniforms a few times a year, like football teams do.
You see, that's out of the box thinking!

A-Team sponsorships, contracts, Pepsi advertising on the sides of tanks and aircraft..... I like the way you think.
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