Posted on Oct 29, 2017
CPT Assistant Operations Officer (S3)
8.02K
97
62
14
14
0
F5370b11
It has been a while seen there has been some military service banter. I have often heard that since I was a younger that the Marines were the first to fight. Much later I was exposed to the Army, to which I would join, and the Airborne. Logically you would tend to believe Airborne units would really be the first one there.

What would you say?

Alibi: Then when I joined the Army I realized the Air Force were really the first ones to fight.
Posted in these groups: Imgres DeploymentAir combat art 0134 CombatIraq war Warfare
Avatar feed
Responses: 31
LTC Orlando Illi
11
11
0
Ask the 75th RANGER Regiment about Urgent Fury and Just Cause. If you want to reach out and touch someone - send the best light infantry in the world
(11)
Comment
(0)
COL Strategic Plans Chief
COL (Join to see)
>1 y
SEALs were on the island long before the Rangers got there in Urgent Fury. The 7th Special Forces beat the Rangers to Panama during Just Cause.
(1)
Reply
(0)
LTC Orlando Illi
LTC Orlando Illi
>1 y
COL (Join to see) - True in both cases. I interpreted the question as what type of sustained combat powers would be the first - Special Ops are not sustained combat power. They are used for reconnaissance.
(0)
Reply
(0)
PFC Mobile Gun System (Mgs) Gunner
PFC (Join to see)
>1 y
LTC Orlando Illi I would say also special forces in Afghanistan they were some of the first military units sent for the purposes of fostering a guerilla movement as well as verifying HVT's and also sensitive sites for destruction or seizure.
(0)
Reply
(0)
LTC Orlando Illi
LTC Orlando Illi
>1 y
In 2001, subsequent to 9/11, both the CIA and the SOCOM began to court the Northern Alliance in an attempt to use indigenous personnel to overthrow the Taliban. In my estimation that is NOT projecting Combat Power. Rather, it is use of Special Operation and CIA assets to effect regime change with the intent of bringing the new regime into friendly relations with the United States.
(0)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
COL Charles Williams
8
8
0
CPT (Join to see) It all depends and on the size and scope.... Ranger Battalion most likely, or an Airborne BCT. Or, both. But, it is all METT-TC
(8)
Comment
(0)
LTC Self Employed
LTC (Join to see)
>1 y
Ask the USMC's MEUs dwelling somewhere near a hotspot. They may go first on a NEO or into combat.
(0)
Reply
(0)
COL Strategic Plans Chief
COL (Join to see)
>1 y
Sir, you know that SOCOM had a smaller element there before they employ one of those other organizations.
(0)
Reply
(0)
SN Greg Wright
SN Greg Wright
>1 y
LTC (Join to see) - Better yet, ask the Naval task force delivering that MEU.
(0)
Reply
(0)
COL Charles Williams
COL Charles Williams
>1 y
COL (Join to see) - Roger, I will never forget when we did an Assault Landing in Somalia... Only to find Red Horse had already repaired the airfield, and an Army Transportation element was controlling the traffic on the airfield. SF had been their for months prior. Long before the SEALS landed on national TV.
(0)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
TSgt Robert Allen
7
7
0
Usually they employ the Air Force and or the Navy first; then send in the ground forces in a large battlefield scenario. This way the enemy count has been decreased before the ground forces are sent in. The worse case scenario is when there are combatants and non combatants that are co-located. In that scenario, the Marines usually will be first in followed by the Army with air support by the Air Force. Of course the Navy gives the Marines a ride and the Air Force gives the Army a ride.
(7)
Comment
(0)
CPT Assistant Operations Officer (S3)
CPT (Join to see)
>1 y
When I was younger I used to think it was the Army then I realized the air force would be there first dropping bombs.
(2)
Reply
(0)
COL Strategic Plans Chief
COL (Join to see)
>1 y
Someone from SOCOM...not the Airforce...unless you count the reconnaissance aircraft.
(0)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small

Join nearly 2 million former and current members of the US military, just like you.

close