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Rangers v. Special Forces
The Chief of Staff of the Army asked his Ranger/SF qualified Command Sergeant Major, which organization he would recommend to form a new anti-terrorist unit. The CSM responded to the General's question with this parable:
If there were a hijacked Boeing 747 being held by
terrorists along with its passengers and crew and an anti-terrorist unit
formed either by the Rangers or the Special Forces was given a
Rescue/Recovery Mission, this is what you would expect to happen........
Ranger Option
Forces/Equipment Committed: The Rangers would send a full Ranger
company of 120 men with standard army issue equipment.
Mission Preparation: The Ranger Company First Sergeant would conduct a Hair
Cut and Boots Inspection, while the officers consulted SOPs and held sand
table exercises.
Infiltration Technique: They would insist on double timing, in company
formation, wearing their combat equipment, and singing cadence all the way to
the site of the hijacked aircraft.
Actions in the Objective Area: Once they arrived, the Ranger company would
establish their ORP, put out security elements, conduct a leaders recon,
reapply their camouflage, and conduct final preparations for Actions on the
OBJ.
Results of Operation: The Rescue/Recovery Operation would be completed within
one hour; all of the terrorists and most of the passengers would have been
killed, the Rangers would have sustained light casualties and the 747 would
be worthless to anyone except a scrap dealer.
Special Forces Option
Forces/Equipment Committed: If Special Forces went in, they would send only a
12 man team (all SF units are divisible by 12 for some arcane historical
reason) however, due to the exotic nature of their equipment the SF Team
would cost the same amount to deploy as the whole Ranger Company.
Mission Preparation: The SF Team Sergeant would require relaxed grooming
standards for the team. All members of the team would then spend a grueling
afternoon at a quality spa ensuring physical abilities would be honed.
Infiltration Technique: The team would insist on separate travel orders with
Max Per Diem, and each would get to the site of the hijacking by his own
means. At least one third of the team would jump in HALO.
Actions in the Objective Area: Once they arrived , the SF Team would cache
their military uniforms, establish a Team Room at the best hotel in the area,
use their illegal Team Fund to stock the unauthorized Team Room Bar, check
out the situation by talking to the locals, and have a Team Meeting to
discuss the merits of the terrorists' cause.
Results of Operation: The Rescue/Recovery Operation would take two weeks to
complete and by that time all of the terrorists would have been killed,
(leaving signed confessions); the passengers would be ruined psychologically for the remainder of their lives;
and all of the women passengers would be pregnant. The 747 would be essentially unharmed, the team
would have taken no casualties but would have used up, lost, or stolen all
the "high speed-low drag" equipment issued to them.
__________________
SkyDoc
"Homo sum: humani nihil a me alienum puto."
Last edited by skydoc60A5G; 05-01-2008 at 13:30.
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