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Old 05-17-2004, 07:35   #4
Jack Moroney (RIP)
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Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Vermont
Posts: 3,093
Quote:
Originally posted by Basenshukai
My experience with 10th Group folks is somewhat tainted as well.
I think you will find folks that can say the same thing about their experiences with folks from every other group and it has little to do with the groups and everything to do with the individuals.

I think groups do take on different characteristics based on areas of orientation and mission profiles. The 10th mission profile was basically that of pure UW for most of its existance while other groups had more mixed mission orientations. Even as mission profiles changed for SF in general the 10th stayed more focused on the core SF mission requirements and saw the other mission such as SR, DA and FID as subsets of UW and that is how we trained and organized basically because we did not see folks pulling off DA and SR missions in Central Europe and then being able to be exfiltrated so these missions had UW follow on, rightly or wrongly, missions. Their area of orientation also brought special requirements in urban skills and unique things that fit the Central European environment. I am sure I can provide a long list of things that were best about my experience in the 10th as well as some things that needed improvement but that would be my perspective, tainted if you wish, by my own background and vision of things.

Okay, having said this, let me provide you with one perspective that is mine. I had the priveldge of being able to command a SMU where I was given the latitude to screen records, interview, and select personnel for my unit. This unit had a unique mission profile with UW, DA, SR, and CT requirements, a language requirement, and a TS requirement. I found that for the missions requirements that there was no "better SF troop" based on previous group experience from any group and I selected folks with experience from every group. The bulk of my folks came from the 10th group because language and some area orientation skills that were difficult to obtain existed and there was no time to bring others up to the level of performance required as this was not something we had to prepare for sometime in the future but something that was on going-which is what can be said of other group mission requirements also.

Now, if I may, it is not surprising to me that you found that the officer folk provided you with your tainted view of the 10th because, IMHO, it is the UW mission that is the most misunderstood and most intensive to train for. I can cite any number of examples within the officer community who neither had the training, experience, or common sense to learn from their NCOs that still think today that the underground refers to a subway system and not one of the arms of an resistance organization. We still move officers around too much and they spend too little time on A Teams and B Teams before they are forced to go off to ticket punching requirements . The fallout from this is that many never really get grounded in basic doctrine and requirements. They are really pretty easy to spot because they will spout off crap like, language-I don't need no stinking language, I talk 5.56.

Jack Moroney
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