# Elite Military Units **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 2, 2006, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elite-military-units/346811 "2006-03-02T20:59:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elite-military-units/346811/41 "2006-03-05T03:56:12Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > Opined **bigurn** > > Even a hard core _anti_-nationalist Canuck like myself would beg to differ and call [these guys](http://www.snipercountry.com/Articles/KillingShot_2430Metres.asp) “the best trigger pullers”. One guy… Nations the world over send their guys to Quanitco to do Marine Sniper School. The training system their is emulated by EVERYBODY. US Marine snipers, generally regarded as the best. Or at least having gone through the best training. I wonder now if there is a shooting contest, similar to “Best Ranger” or somesuch? Would be interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elite-military-units/346811/42 "2006-03-05T19:08:57Z")
Don’t forget the Webelos - they’re the Cub Scouts’ elite group. The toughest pack of ten year olds you’ve ever met. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elite-military-units/346811/43 "2006-03-05T19:24:11Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#): > > Don’t forget the Webelos - they’re the Cub Scouts’ elite group. The toughest pack of ten year olds you’ve ever met. Pshaw!! They’re not elite, just advanced. Eagle Scouts… now _they’re_ special ops. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elite-military-units/346811/44 "2006-03-05T20:00:07Z")
Darn straight. We learned bomb-making, scuba ops, assassination protocols - the works. Just ask Stalin. (Communists claimed that Boy Scouts did in fact learn such things. Probably because they skirted close to that line themselves with the various Communist youth organizations.) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elite-military-units/346811/45 "2006-03-05T21:26:38Z")
All I know is that they told us if we ever saw another scout and we saw all his merit badges were blacked out, we weren’t supposed to ask him any questions. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elite-military-units/346811/46 "2006-03-05T22:24:47Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#): > > All I know is that they told us if we ever saw another scout and we saw all his merit badges were blacked out, we weren’t supposed to ask him any questions. Well…we _could_ tell you what those were for. But then we’d have to kill you. ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elite-military-units/346811/47 "2006-03-06T15:54:58Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#): > > All I know is that they told us if we ever saw another scout and we saw all his merit badges were blacked out, we weren’t supposed to ask him any questions. Pishaw… the REAL elite Eagle forces didn’t wear a uniform around camp. If you needed to know, We’d tell you… just before We’d… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elite-military-units/346811/48 "2006-03-06T16:05:51Z")
Another question: how does the military get PERMISSION to set up these special units? i mean, that old novel (“SEVEN DAYS IN MAY”) about a crazy general setting up his own special force (“Econcom”) which he was to use to overthrow the US Government: isn’t that a danger? and how about when you are using the (regualr) Army to invade some place-all of a suddenthese guys appear, wearing special uniforms-how do you know they are on our side? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elite-military-units/346811.md?page=2)