dave angel

i, unlike avenger, rather would like to get into a spot of fisticuffs with the fabulous miss v.

it would - sadly - be my only chance to grapple with a lady of such distinction.

i'd tell the wife that i'd been mugged by half-a-dozen big lads with bits of scaffolding, but i'd go to my grave with a smile on my face.

(i know the famous jumper has been discussed elsewhere, but when i first saw it i thought it was one of those huge scarves - did you get dressed in the dark?)

on the substantive issue, special forces - as with all forces - can only be truly effective when they are deployed to operational areas as regularly as possible and a number of differing roles. in this way i believe that the israeli and british special forces are the 'best' in the world. american special forces - until recently - have been deployed too irregularly and for too short a time for any real effect of their experience on their performance to show. that will change as afgan and iraqi experience trickles through the army as a whole.

Crazyeyes

The green berets were deployed quite often in the 80;s and 90's. 3rd group in latin america and 5th and 10th group in the balkans, africa, and the middle east

Anon

"Its not the fist you worry about. Its the hollow, extendable, metal rod that you worry about."

I see we have an ASP fan among us.

Veni Vidi Vici

You have no Idea. I keep one in both my cars and in my purse(when I carry a purse which is rare ).

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"Our citizenship in the United States is our national character. Our citizenship in any particular state is only our local distinction. By the latter we are known at home, by the former to the world. Our great title is AMERICANS…" -- Thomas Paine

RepublicanGuard

Where is the Republican Guard on this list?

Avenger

I like to make that boast--he said it, I can boast it. But I'm really not that good--just a first dan in Tae Kwon Do (WTA--the old fashioned stuff). Nevertheless, I wouldn't want to get in a fight with me either (if you know what I mean), as I am pretty strong. and basically without fear (and pretty smart tactically). If I have to mix it up with some big street tough again, it'd be all out, and the poor sod might die. That's how we're trained, to really put them away. And I do have a mean front kick.

But mostly I'm just a mild-mannered scholar turned small businessman--well, before too long medium businessman.

Terran empire

I trust that is an attempt at humor?

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"Finger never touches Trigger unless some one is going too need a grave digger" (Me)[

The Chap

Quite.

Don't make me fly out, get a spade and show the evidence of genuine "15mins" WMD to Blix. UN ****.

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Where's the bloody gin? An army marches on its liver, not its ruddy stomach.

lemontree

I'm an instructor, but I'm far from perfect.

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Cheers!...on the rocks!!

The Chap

I'm not at all hard. After a few hours on the pop I have been known to be contentious. If that counts. Probably not. I'll go now.

AutopilotOFF

DEVGRU (seal team six), SFOD-D and the SAS are all quite cool. As a canadian, I feel I must pimp our "JTF 2" as well. They are a military unit that does CT and other special tasks.

I would also like to point out that some very elite units don't even belong to a military.

For instance, The german GSG 9(border guard special unit) are very highly skilled, as are the french GIGN and many other units of the type.

Dima

have you guys heard of the excercise, i think it was in Alaska, where Spestnaz, SEALs, and sAS were involved in excercises and the Spetsnaz soldiers beat them in everything except weight-lifting i think it was weight-lifting, i can't find the article though, has anyone else heard of this?

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for MOTHER MOLDOVA

dave angel

the effectiveness of SF is not how much they can bench press or how fast they run the 200 metres.

its whether two blokes can sit - undetected - in a hole in the ground for three weeks watching a house and then use serious violence at half a seconds notice. its whether a twelve man gang can sort out an immediate action hostage rescue plan within 5 minutes of arriving at the scene. its whether a bloke can walk into an 'enemy held' district in jeans and a t shirt, mooch about while watching for players, keep in radio contact and not get pinged or topped.

its also about whether 20-odd blokes can arrive at a destitute village that supports - or is bullied into supporting - the enemy, securing the village and permamently winning hearts and minds by providing medical care and clean water and by explaining and demonstrating the benefits of changing sides. its whether the team can do this by living in the village with the people they seek to persaude without taking advantage of the poverty and lack of education they find.

if you want steriod enhanched buff boys go to WWF. SF is serious, long term work where brain is more important than brawn.

Officer of Engineers

It's also pissing the regforce guys off when they stir the hornet's nest and the locals come looking at us for payback.

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Chimo

lemontree

The Spetz beat the SAS??...possible.