SOF in T2K

[Raellus]

Originally Posted by weswood

I was going to bring up Battalions having thier own incountry recondo schools but Rae beat me to it. I know for a fact 101st AB did this, my father was one of the LRRPs for a while, and I've read a couple books about it.

I've read a couple of memoirs by 101st ABN LRRPs. I wonder if your dad was mentioned.

[weswood]

Originally Posted by Raellus

I've read a couple of memoirs by 101st ABN LRRPs. I wonder if your dad was mentioned.

None of the ones I've read. Although I have pictures of Tim Garner and this big black dude whose name I've forgotten who was mentioned in one book.

[jester]

I can see this happening in various units, especialy those who who have established their own catonments. However, it is true that alot of units at the company level will keep their best men back so they can look good to the comand. As for "volunteers" well there is volunteer and "volunteer" or "volunteered" which is often a way for units to get rid of problem children and make them someone else's headache. Sure the trooper may be good, but, if they are a non traditional type this often IRKS the standard leaders so they are happy to see them go. On the other hand someone who is non traditional is perfect for the unconventional forces since they tend not to be "yes" men and act independantly, tell an officer to piss off if they are messed up and do it not the book way but do things how it will actualy work.

However, I can see alot of units certainly at the division level and probably at the Regimental Level opening their own if not schools at least training programs to bring support personel up to speed, the Air Force and Navy personel and the untrained replacements from the States up tp speed.. As well as bringing the personel new and existing versed in enemy equipment or tactics or new developements, as well as regular training like a leadership program for new NCOs, an OCS program converting seasoned NCOs into much needed officers, maybe even transfering MOSes turning out engineers, medics and reconassance specialists from clerks, regular infantrymen and even men from mechanized units who no longer have a job.

One thing to consider, is alot of forces and nations still rely on the Regimental System, the US Army was focused on the Divisional system although they are going to the modular thing which is focused on the Brigade system which really is nothing more than a reinforced brigade, but the mindset is still being created and has yet to exist.

[Adm.Lee]

I agree with those who say that most formations will form their own informal recon schools, to keep their scout units full-strength (or as near as anyone can). I think a lot of these may be the first to convert to horse cavalry. Long-range patrols may look like Vietnam War LRRPs and Rogers' Rangers of the Seven Years War, mounted or not. This is what I see in most adventures written in modules or magazines.

'Striker' style units, aka commandos who blow up stuff in the night, will be much more rare, as the intelligence and rapid-insertion capabilities of even WW2 disappear. Instead, raids may be much more short-ranged, and resemble WW1-style trench raids, and assembled on the fly. The need for direct-action SOF will fade away, and be replaced by infantry or cavalry forces, perhaps volunteers or handpicked or just assigned.

In summary: SOF? not so much anymore, except for scout-rangers.

[Webstral]

The ability of a given force or cantonment to support specialized training will vary wildly from setting to setting. At one extreme we might find Colorado, with its large and fairly stable population, food, and plenty of men with rifles. Colorado might be able to train something along the lines of the pre-war Special Forces or just Special Operations. At the other end will be innumerable tiny cantonments incapable of providing more than rudimentary training to their scouts. Once again, the larger and more stable cantonments will have certain advantages over the smaller and more tenuous ones over the long haul.

To some degree, marauders might be able to tap into inherited skills. Some of their number might be hunters, former military, or otherwise talented in recon, intelligence gathering, or what have you. In most cases, these people aren't going to be able to pass much on. The marauder's life seems rather sketchy.

Warlords, on the other hand, might have some success in training their own LRS. Whether a warlord in 2001 would see any advantage in having SF-type troops is an open question. I could certainly see a warlord wanting informants in place in the surrounding communities. I don't know if that means moving ahead to more specialized troops.

The Soviets in Alaska might be in a good position to assemble Special Operations teams. They are marooned in Anchorage with a lot of troops and (presumably) little in the way of supply. SO types might be the best way for them to make the most of their abundant manpower and limited supply. They might also be the best way to take the war to the Americans.

Webstral

[jester]

Long Range Raids would be used. I can see two versions used.

The short instant raids on enemy supply depots and other vital areas in the immediate area.

Long Range raids like the plot from the John Wayne classic "Horse Soldiers" based on Griersons raid, or even Shermans march. You are sneaking into enemy territory, and striking deep into the heart of the enemy doing more than a specific mission in support of a specific operation. But the long range mission would disrupt the enemy on multiple levels, supply, transit, local populations and reducing their numbers available to fight as they would need more troops in the rear to guard against further raids.



SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES:

We can develope troops with special skills for special operations. That would be pretty easy since the forces would simply train for the specialty that the area they are in provides.

Colorado <as was mentioned> would be the place you could train some kickass mountain troops, with plenty of oportunities for winter training like skiing, winter survival and fighting, mountain training, rock climbing, rapelling, and lots of forced marches for conditioning.

As well as recon and scouting as they apply for that terrain and climate.

Coastal areas, would involve lots of swimming and water operations, infiltrtion and scaling rocky beach cliffs.

Iowa or Kansas or similiar plains areas would require scouting both on foot and via horseback as well as camping out under wide open skys, but also how to operate in a open savanah or grassland infiltration and similiar skills as well as long range shooting would be good skills that would be natural ones for those regions as well as well needed.

Some things would be almost universal, trench, urban would be easy to set up almost anywhere, as would alot of the basics.

[pmulcahy11b]

I can't remember who said it, but the saying "Make the enemy fear his own home," comes to mind. This would be a good use for such troops, though these would be troops who would have to slowly infiltrate enemy territory instead of a quick insertion. They would also have a good use for enemy equipment, especially weapons and uniforms.