The United States Military Salvage Teams (USMST)

[Matt W]

I think Major is a little high for a small Salvage Team CO. He or she should be in the Quartermaster Corps (MOS 92A) and in command of a Company of troops carrying out these duties.

Captain might be a more appropriate rank.

And check out this website referring to a WW2 salvage unit (scroll down to "GI Salvage")

http://www.qmmuseum.lee.army.mil/WWII/luzon.htm

[HorseSoldier]

For an MTOE unit, I'd agree. I could see a USAF Major or USN Lt Commander that no one can find any other job for getting handed the salvage mission, though, in T2K extremis.

[raketenjagdpanzer]

I could see attaching DIA agents to such an operation and giving them a pretty big "checkbook" to use to try and barter or bribe to get equipment back (vis-a-vis the "town using dug in M1 as a pillbox" scenario).

[HorseSoldier]

I can't see a national level intelligence agency being that interested in such things. The CIA didn't even embed folks with all the ODAs doing SSE on suspected WMD sites in Iraq.