# Ex Canadian JTF2 commando makes eye-popping revelations **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 5, 2009, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-canadian-jtf2-commando-makes-eye-popping-revelations/512705 "2009-10-05T18:26:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-canadian-jtf2-commando-makes-eye-popping-revelations/512705/21 "2009-10-07T06:01:40Z")
> [@trupa](#): > > I **Assassination of a Spy** > In the Balkans, a spy in the NATO armed forces (nationality not disclosed) was stealing NATO top-secret radio traffic. JTF2 followed the spy to a R&R centre in Hungary, where they observed him meeting with an Iraqi military officer in his hotel room. Whe they were both in the room, JTF2 entered the room and shot both the spy and the Iraqi contact to death with silenced 9mm handguns, then recovered several Top-Secret documents from the room. Humm. Isn’t the point to not kill but to capture the spies, so you know how much other damage they have done? > [@](#): > > **Assassination of a War Criminal** > In the Balkans again, JTF2 collaborated with the SAS to ambush and assassinate a know war criminal. SAS soldiers camouflaged themselves near a fishing spot frequented by the target. JTF2 personnel hid in the water. When the target arrived, he was killed, along with all his bodyguards. Yup, the JTF2 get the harder job, hiding in the water. They get bumper stickers aftwards, _Tougher than the SAS_ ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-canadian-jtf2-commando-makes-eye-popping-revelations/512705/22 "2009-10-07T18:03:09Z")
> [@TokyoPlayer](#): > > Humm. Isn’t the point to not kill but to capture the spies, so you know how much other damage they have done? Well in books of popular fiction, that course of action is taken when the spy has outlived his or her usefulness. Some fictional NATO person whose hands have been caught in the cookiejar was turned and feed info to whomever. Whomever has now rumbled to the fact that his or her source has been turned. Depending on what the fictional Nato person was selling, its usually something heinous to rate a terminate with extreme predudice. Declan ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-canadian-jtf2-commando-makes-eye-popping-revelations/512705/23 "2009-10-07T19:40:05Z")
This sounds deeply bullshit, if only that there’s a long-known rule that the people who actually worked in Special Forces are the ones who never brag about it. This guy sounds like he’s making it up. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-canadian-jtf2-commando-makes-eye-popping-revelations/512705/24 "2009-10-08T01:02:02Z")
I smell a poseur. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-canadian-jtf2-commando-makes-eye-popping-revelations/512705/25 "2009-10-08T01:10:26Z")
Okay, I have some background and had the opportunity to speak at some length with a former member, although he was not an assaulter, he was “in the know” support staff. He did say that all books on the subject (including the one in the OP) are about 25% accurate, the rest is utter BS. I am inclined to believe him. ---
**Author:** ![trupa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@trupa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trupa)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-canadian-jtf2-commando-makes-eye-popping-revelations/512705/26 "2009-10-08T04:12:49Z")
> [@Poysyn](#): > > Okay, I have some background and had the opportunity to speak at some length with a former member, although he was not an assaulter, he was “in the know” support staff. > > He did say that all books on the subject (including the one in the OP) are about 25% accurate, the rest is utter BS. I am inclined to believe him. This is a valuable point of hard-data, **Poysyn** , thanks for posting this. Did your acquaintance make any comments on any of the points I pulled out from the book in the OP? Btw, not that it matters much, but after the general scepticism regarding the effect of the mysterious muscle building supplement, I went back to check if my recollection of the wight gain figures were correct. Turns out the claim is for 90lbs of muscle gain, but over 6 months, not 3 like I originally wrote. I suspect it doesn’t make that much of a difference, though… ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-canadian-jtf2-commando-makes-eye-popping-revelations/512705/27 "2009-10-08T04:56:40Z")
Books like this are often written by the people on the fringes of the organization - the supply Sergeant who didn’t quite make the grade, or someone who was in the unit for a very short time and may not have ever even seen combat, who’s looking to embellish his reputation and make a few bucks. In some cases, it can even act as resume padding for higher paying jobs in the ‘security’ industry or as a military consultant. Someone close enough to be able to realistically describe the scenes, the jargon, the strategies, and the weapons, but is more of a ‘wannabe’ than the real deal. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-canadian-jtf2-commando-makes-eye-popping-revelations/512705/28 "2009-10-08T05:05:48Z")
> [@trupa](#): > > Turns out the claim is for 90lbs of muscle gain, but over 6 months, not 3 like I originally wrote. I suspect it doesn’t make that much of a difference, though… It doesn’t make a difference, it’s still a ridiculous figure. The only people who can gain 90 pounds of muscle **even with the most powerful anabolic steroids** are professional bodybuilders who dedicate their _entire_ day to weight training and elaborately-planned meals which are planned down to the very last calorie and carbohydrate. You cannot do this and be a special-forces soldier at the same time. And you sure as shit can’t do it in six months. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-canadian-jtf2-commando-makes-eye-popping-revelations/512705/29 "2009-10-08T16:27:42Z")
> [@trupa](#): > > This is a valuable point of hard-data, **Poysyn** , thanks for posting this. Did your acquaintance make any comments on any of the points I pulled out from the book in the OP? > > Btw, not that it matters much, but after the general scepticism regarding the effect of the mysterious muscle building supplement, I went back to check if my recollection of the wight gain figures were correct. Turns out the claim is for 90lbs of muscle gain, but over 6 months, not 3 like I originally wrote. I suspect it doesn’t make that much of a difference, though… No problem. I hate to use this, but the points specifically discussed were on a privileged platform, so I wouldn’t feel right posting them to a public board. Suffice it to say, the guy was not “showing off” it was an official briefing. ---
**Author:** ![Sundrop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@Sundrop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sundrop)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-canadian-jtf2-commando-makes-eye-popping-revelations/512705/30 "2009-10-08T17:28:47Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > It doesn’t make a difference, it’s still a ridiculous figure. The only people who can gain 90 pounds of muscle **even with the most powerful anabolic steroids** are professional bodybuilders who dedicate their _entire_ day to weight training and elaborately-planned meals which are planned down to the very last calorie and carbohydrate. You cannot do this and be a special-forces soldier at the same time. And you sure as shit can’t do it in six months. Nor can you do it with a pill. Most of the ‘good’ stuff, steroidally speaking, has to be taken by injection, or you kill your liver. Sure, there’s stuff like 'var that comes in pill form, but it is incredibly mild both in side effects and mass gains even with large doses. Guy is blowing smoke. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-canadian-jtf2-commando-makes-eye-popping-revelations/512705.md?page=1)