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Originally Posted by M21Sniper
We can and do risk operators for a few terrorists.
The mogidishu raid was a case of exactly that. We risked approx 150 elite troops and about a dozen specops birds to a massed enemy force just to secure a handful of Aideeds top aides.
Spec Operators WANT those missions. It's the whole reason they do what they do. For the most part, they're action junkies.
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It was my understanding that we were trying to capture Aideed himself, but he wasn't there. I wasn't saying that we wouldn't ever use special operations forces for such missions, but unless it's a very high value target, like Aideed, we wouldn't waste high value resources on it.
Also, I was in part referring specifically to the Army Special Forces, which were not used in the Mogadishu Raid, at least not as such (I'm sure some of the Delta Force operators were Green Berets). Much of my information regarding special forces comes from Tom Clancy's book on SOCOM, so I can't vouch for its total accuracy, but it's my impression that the "action junkies" are kinda weeded out from the Special Forces themselves. Not that they don't like fighting, but the gung ho, use a LAW to break open a door, shoot 'em up kind of people stayed in the Rangers, while the Special Forces people, while they are experts at fighting, also are experts at intelligence gathering and are good with people too. Perhaps I'm overemphasizing the differences, though.