SOF in T2K

[bobcat]

during vietnam eery major deployable unit had their own organisational long rang recon units. this has been carried on into present though the name for such unit types has changed(its currently RSTA).

having been in a reconnaissance surveillance and target acquisition squadron myself it would not be unlikely that such units would continue to exist in the later stages of the twilight war. though im certain they would still be ignored as is characteristic of most brass.

[Eddie]

Originally Posted by bobcat

during vietnam eery major deployable unit had their own organisational long rang recon units. this has been carried on into present though the name for such unit types has changed(its currently RSTA).

RSTAs are Cavalry Squadrons, though, not Infantry. While things are similar, the modern evolution of LRRPs are the LRSCs. The most major difference from the Vietnam-era LRRPs is that these units are no longer under the direct control of the Infantry and Armor units they support, they now fall under the command of the Battlefield Surveillance Brigades. That's not to say there isn't overlap between a RSTA's role and what LRS does, but they have two completely different mindsets and MOS backgrounds as well as role. The RSTA supports the Brigade that it falls under, the LRSC/D supports higher level, deeper reconnaissance. In a Twilight setting, they'd still be a part of each major Division though existing as a separate entity.

Additionally, the OPFOR at the National Training Center have lost a lot of their conventional role and now play Militant Islamic insurgents almost exclusively. I went to the Captain's Career Course with a guy who was a platoon leader there and he said he had never done any of the Soviet-style stuff in his three years there. I'm sure it's still in the organizational memory somewhere, but the current Joes there haven't done much with it. Although that might change with all of the saber-rattling coming from Kimmy and Seoul...

[Abbott Shaull]

Originally Posted by bobcat

during vietnam eery major deployable unit had their own organisational long rang recon units. this has been carried on into present though the name for such unit types has changed(its currently RSTA).

having been in a reconnaissance surveillance and target acquisition squadron myself it would not be unlikely that such units would continue to exist in the later stages of the twilight war. though im certain they would still be ignored as is characteristic of most brass.

At least at one time all US Division had on the book in theory of National Guard unit that would take long range recon unit. Most of the so call "Light" had National Guard or Reserve Battalion that was to provide most of the Anti-Tank assets too.

With that said, I know in the most of the Regular Army "Light" Division there would be enough ex-Paratroop, ex-Air Assault, tabbed Rangers, and so on that by 1998-1999 that each would re-start the pre-ranger classes they had before the war and expand them to make a small company size unit that was able to act as the LRRP units had with each Division in Vietnam.

I can see some of these troop being 'borrowed' by Corps and other Division to set up similar units at those levels too. As well as setting up Infantry training school at both Corps and Division level to help retrain the excess support units personnel and personnel transferred in from other service to get them ready for their new job.

If one was to believe the troop levels that were expressed in the game, it wouldn't be far fetch to have Platoon/Squad with wide variety of skills sets, even in the Regular Army units. Another thing I have seen posted time again is the fact the misconception that National Guard that had been raised in one State or Region would still have a heavy influence from there. Yes, there would still be several troops left over from those areas, but if they had been in the fighting at any time until after late-1997 the odds are with the replacement for wounded dead would water it down quite a bit. This is due to the fact that the US Army would be responsible to provide replacement, not the National Guard of whatever state they came from. As support I would like to point out during the build up to WWII the 28th Division which was PA NG unit prior to Federalization had been tapped several time to provide cadre to other units that were being raised and Federalized. It was so out of hand at one time a certain Major General Bradley had sent word back up the chain of command that, yes the Division could provide another cadre, but he would need one sent to the Division to help train the replacements that they were still trying to train and bring up to speed.