Real quick thoughts on this one guys. Just a heads up...you'll probably disagree.
Via
DefenseNews.com
LONDON - Britain's elite SAS is facing a recruitment crisis because
the army is so overstretched that soldiers do not have time to prepare
for the grueling selection process, a senior officer warned April 25.
Brig.
Richard Dennis said that the high "operational tempo" of the armed
forces and the "unrelentingly demanding" operations in Afghanistan meant
that servicemen were being discouraged from joining the special forces
unit.
In a letter leaked to the Daily Telegraph newspaper,
Dennis, head of infantry, said the pressures affecting the forces were
combining to "mitigate against Special Forces recruitment."
The US Army is already facing this issue with its Ranger School. At one time I remember talking to a guy in the 82nd and he basically told me (before the wars) that in order to get promoted in the US Army Infantry, you had to have your tab (Ranger Tab that is) or else you'd better be a friend of the Battalion Commander.
Long story short, Special Operations has become so specialized (raids, raids and more raids) that conventional infantry is picking up the slack on missions that they once performed.
You have Marine Infantry training African troops in Partnership Missions. US Army and Marines serving as trainers and advisors to the Afghan National Army....
You have MEU's performing TRAP missions that are suppose to be pure-dee Special Ops...
The question I have for you is this. If we are using our Special Operations forces for almost nothing but raids now (nothing wrong with that but it is a limited mission set) then do we really need a separate command for them?
US Army Special Forces isn't training host or insurgent forces anymore...that belongs to the CIA or conventional forces...
Rangers are being used to back up the other Special Ops forces instead of performing their bread and butter raid missions solo...
Navy Seals are doing nothing but raids and deeeeeeep recon....but its the same mission set as Marine Special Operations....
USAF Special Operations has Para-Rescue but every Special Ops team has medical personnel that are trained to the standards of the teams that they accompany...as far as aircraft are concerned, with the exception of C-130's the US Army Night Stalkers are suppose to be as good ....
So say it out loud...is Special Operations so special now...or can they stand to be downsized too?
