US special operations forces are special — but they're not 'elite'

I actually never liked how the terms "special operations" or "special forces" (as opposed to Special Forces) had been applied to so many support units. The terms lose their meaning.

I would argue that a Bravo is elite compared to a conventional Infantryman. A Charlie is an elite Engineer. A Delta is an elite Medic. An Echo is an elite Communications Specialist. A Fox is an elite Intelligence Analyst. It sounds like the COL is sour about not making a cut somewhere.

I'm left wondering what Business Insider's point was. We can argue semantics all day long. If the word "elite" evokes images that ruffle the feathers of some... I'm unsure of how that impacts the relevance or comparative assessment of these units. It's difficult to say anything from the "outside looking in"... but from what little I can tell, no one in the Military (apart from what may be said among the uninitiated... particularly those of the female variety) actually confuses "supporting" something for being "equal" to something. Handing a scalpel to someone doesn't make one a doctor...and you can't obtain a "tab", "trident", or certain colors of beret by osmosis. Likewise, having been placed in a temporary role that parallels portions of another doesn't mean one is now "the same as" , let alone "as good as" that role.

Now, the other side of the coin.

Are special operations personnel the only qualified warfighters in the Military? I presume even they would say that they most certainly hope not. If it were otherwise, then there are a great many people drawing pay who should not, and a very few being asked to shoulder more than their fair share. We may send an ODA in to make contact with indigenous allies and support a counterinsurgency. SEALS may be deployed to rescue high-value assets. If national command authority decides to invade a foreign nation... we send in a whole lot of other people too. If a convoy carrying the mail from one FOB to another gets attacked en route... the "POGs" manning it are expected to return fire and defend themselves. Aviators carry small arms because it's not a foregone conclusion that their fight ends when their plane is shot down. I can assure you that the crew served weapons on a Navy amphibious transport are not there for "looks". A cook was once bestowed the Medal of Honor.

Personally, I believe there are few people willing to serve their country, fewer still willing and able to serve in a combat capacity... and d@^n few who have proven they posses the physical, emotional, and mental capacity to serve as true special operations Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines. We can all argue where we personally lie along that range... but I suspect each of us knows what "elite" really means, and why it's still important.