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Is it the people, the training, the equipment, the budget, how they see themselves, how they carry themselves, how they are viewed by others?
Special Operations
Special Operations (SO)
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 23
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You've covered the highlights, but what I believe makes these units elite is the personnel that are attracted to this lifestyle/mission. It's not for everyone, it takes a special mindset.
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What makes a unit elite? A difficult selection process to weed out those who don't meet the minimal standards, a rigorous training and indoctrination program, a degree of autonomy not normally permitted for a conventional unit, and the ability to fire or remove someone from the unit with little effort if they fail to maintain the standards.
The single most important factor has already been brought up...money...and lots of it.
The single most important factor has already been brought up...money...and lots of it.
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LTC (Join to see)
All true and applicable until your last statement. Funding to provide for the equipment to enable the successful accomplishment of any mission assigned is required of any unit, "elite" or otherwise. But it is NOT the single most important factor, it wouldn't even rate near the top of the factors that are applicable.
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PFC (Join to see)
LTC (Join to see) - I disagree sir, your average 12 man SFOD-A consumes more training resources per man to achieve and then maintain their level of proficiency than units several times their size. If you took those resources away you wouldn't have a unit as capable as they are now. There are many foreign countries than have very comparable SOF programs to ours in terms of selection and training at the base operator level but they lack the funding and equipment and are only capable of limited operations.
So yes, the man is always better than the equipment...but if you remove the money you end up with a conventional unit with slightly enhanced capabilities, not a true SOF unit capable of global projection that can accomplish any operation within the full spectrum of special warfare. ARSOF 2022 priority #1 is Invest in Human Capital....in order to ensure SF remains the best educated, trained, and equipped special operations formation in the world.
So yes, the man is always better than the equipment...but if you remove the money you end up with a conventional unit with slightly enhanced capabilities, not a true SOF unit capable of global projection that can accomplish any operation within the full spectrum of special warfare. ARSOF 2022 priority #1 is Invest in Human Capital....in order to ensure SF remains the best educated, trained, and equipped special operations formation in the world.
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All of the above.
If you observe and pay close attention to somebody from SOF you will see specific traits. That's the key. Everything else helps or enables the people in those units.
If you observe and pay close attention to somebody from SOF you will see specific traits. That's the key. Everything else helps or enables the people in those units.
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When diplomacy failed in the past, and this happened numerous times, Military might was used, for example, SF, Green Berets, Navy Seals, to counter any adversarial efforts. Read "Hell in a small place."
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Any unit can be "elite". Give them good weapons, the best training, and the best gear, and on paper they are the "best of the best". BUT what really makes a unit "elite" are the personnel in the unit. They're dedication to duty, their belief in the mission, and their dedication to accomplishment of the mission. Usually this is associated with all of the SOF units, but I'd challenge anyone to say that TOG, USMC Silent Drill, or even the military bands aren't "elite" units based off of the criteria I listed before. If not them, them that simple line unit full of grunts or POGs that do their jobs to the fullest and allow the Commander and 1SG to do their jobs with little to no issues is an elite unit to me
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Pentagon Study Finds Soldiers With Beards More Effective In Combat
A Special Forces beard has been standard but many in SF have been angered at a study showing that beards increase combat proficiency for all.
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The entry requirements and the budget are the driving factors. It needs to be a limited group of select individuals that conduct great training frequently. That is what drives the esprit de corps and provides the confidence and swagger. If you took any SF unit and gave them the budget of a reserve unit they'd all abandon ship.
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LTC (Join to see)
Conversely, if you took a reserve unit and gave them the budget of an SF unit, they would still be a reserve unit, with (arguably) more in their budget, and still would not be able to accomplish the types of missions the SF unit does. Nor would this funding move them into the "elite". Additionally, I am not sure which SF unit you are referring to but I can guarantee you that to a man, no matter which SF unit, not a one would 'abandon ship" due to a budgetary issue.
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MAJ (Join to see)
By abandon ship I mean the elite Soldiers now in a non-elite unit would find a different unit (move back to an elite unit) where they could conduct good training. Temporary budget limitations are not what I had in mind. SF Soldiers/Rangers, Airborne are just not content in a unit that doesn't conduct realistic training.
I certainly agree it's a combination of limited entry and quality opportunities that make units elite.
I certainly agree it's a combination of limited entry and quality opportunities that make units elite.
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