New horsepower for war zones: Special Forces saddle up
 

http://www.stripes.com/news/us/new-h...le-up-1.290187

BMT

Bridgeport Ca. Is a great training center for SFODAs. I think this place should be like HAVE ACE as a yearly training event. The can set up training based off their training cycle and your training requirments. Well worth to submit a training concept to go out here.

Pack animals
Cold Weather training
Sniper training with high angle and cross winds firing
Mountain Warfare planning, operations and training

Just to name a few

There has never been a horse born that I trust. Mules, on the other hand, are a damn fine animal. Only problem is that they can be too smart. But a mule won't jump you off a cliff.

History of the 10th Mountain Division 1940s
 

For anyone interested, the history of the 10th Mountain Division offers up some interesting aspects of both Horses and Mules. They did the last Calvary charge in an Italian orchard back in 1944...did not work very well against the German MG type machine guns :(

The Muleskinners at Camp Hale recruited the best chefs they could in addition to the seasoned ranch hands, their rations were often not the standard fare ;)

The logistics and support of maintaining animal feed, specialty equipment, and transporting horses and mules was viewed as a challenge for the Big Army and was one of the reasons the 10th did not deploy to combat sooner than they did.

"Soldiers on Skis" is a good primer for anyone interested in that rich history.

That being said in the right venue, very efficient mobilization.

The Caribou is not to be overlooked in areas where they range and as said if it comes down to it...steaks.
Edit: Another form of animal transport...

I hear ya! I rode horses before I learned how to ride a bicycle. Being the lightest weight boy out of 17 grandchildren instantly designated me as the one who saddle broke most of my grandfathers horses. By the time I was 12 I could fall-break better than a Judo master. My worst experience was when my cousin's horse spooked at the sight of a rattlesnake and that caused my mare to pin her ears back and take off at a full sprint down the side of a mountain trail. I must've hit every branch and rock on the way down that hill.

Through it all, some of my best childhood memories were found on that farm. My grandfather could've asked me to ride tigers or grizzlies and I would've done it in a heartbeat so long as he was around. Good times. Miss the old man like crazy...but not the horses. :)

"Bridgeport Ca. Is a great training center for SFODAs" Mtn Goat

And some really good trout fishing, too....

Love the Sierras. Mammoth Lakes, June Lake, Lake Crowley, Owens River, etc. All nice.

What a stupid idea!
 

I remember working as a wrangler/guide for a successful and well-respected outfitter in the mid-late 90's and him asking why 5/19 didn't run mule packing training for mountain operations. Every time I submitted a CONOP to HQ/5/19 for running packing operations out here in the Colorado I got shut down. The S3 said it was a "stupid idea" and probably thought I was an idiot to think SF would ever consider deploying with livestock overseas, let alone to combat, .

Then we see the lads galloping in the scenic countryside of that magical land a couple years later. Hmmm.

It wasn't until 2005 that I was able to get the approval for a week long seminar up in the Medicine Bow across the WY border. It was pretty cool to finally see guys from the battalion using a pack train to move the camp and crew-served weapons around the mountains. Unfortunately, the battalion only repeated the training once and that was a disaster on the part of the concessionaire they hired. Since then, I haven' t heard of anyone trying to run that type of training again. Too bad.

Shhh you got to get them there for the training. :D

Awesome story and shows why we need the training.

When we went to Bliss we found a guy that did a week long basic Horsemanship day and night training. No pack animals, just horse management, riding, weapon platform firing and NVG Movement. Some of the best training I've received in a week. Up in the mountains of New Mexico, sleeping under the stars was awesome. Same thing with Bridgeport; awesome views and training.

Mules carrying our kit? Beats the hell out of humping that effing generator...

and mules can be a tad bit smarter then the traditional generator carrier too.