Ex Special forces authors: why the hate?

[BigT]

@RikWriter

Many of them feel that even things cleared by the DoD can be too revealing and can jeopardize operational security.

I didn’t think it was popular in the military to question the wisdom of your superiors. If the people who have the right to say it’s okay say it’s okay, what right do they have to say they’re wrong?

Sounds to me more like a secret fraternity thing. And we know what abuses that has caused…

[RikWriter]

@BigT

I didn’t think it was popular in the military to question the wisdom of your superiors.

LOL, you’ve obviously never been in the military! Griping about how stupid your superiors are is a favorite passtime!

[Moirai]

@sweeteviljesus

Ah, your right. Five were killed and another member was killed two days later in a mortar attack according to wikipedia. But is six enough to destroy a squadron?

SFOD-D operational units are quite small, compared to other SF branches. Very much force-multipliers rather than the force itself.

[Ogre]

Sso what about Marcinko? Is he legit? Does he take flak for his books? I’ll admit that I’m as fascinated by Special Forces guys as any other red-blooded non-military American boy, but the few times I’ve looked at his books, his defiant, douchey-looking pose seems even to me to be kind of an attention-whoring betrayal, so I’ve never read them.

[RikWriter]

@Ogre

Sso what about Marcinko? Is he legit? Does he take flak for his books? I’ll admit that I’m as fascinated by Special Forces guys as any other red-blooded non-military American boy, but the few times I’ve looked at his books, his defiant, douchey-looking pose seems even to me to be kind of an attention-whoring betrayal, so I’ve never read them.

Marcinko is a pretty polarizing figure. A lot of SEALs hate his guts, some admire him. He’s a genuine badass, but he’s also a shameless self-promoter and borderline conman.

[msmith537]

@EJsGirl

SFOD-D operational units are quite small, compared to other SF branches. Very much force-multipliers rather than the force itself.

According to Wikipedia (and therefore true):

In Not a Good Day to Die: The Untold Story of Operation Anaconda, Army Times staff writer Sean Naylor describes Delta as having nearly 1,000 operators.[1] Naylor wrote that approximately 250 of those are operators trained to conduct direct action and reconnaissance missions.[1]. There are three main operational squadrons:

A Squadron
B Squadron
C Squadron
These squadrons are broken down into troops, two are assault troops while a third troop specializes in reconnaissance and surveillance and is known as the “recce” troop.[1] . Each Troop has 16 men. These are further broken down into four 4-man teams. Each team is color-coded for organizational and control purposes.According to the book Inside Delta Force by Command Sergeant Major Eric L. Haney (ret.), the smallest unit is a team, broken down into four-man teams.[2]. Each operational element will each specializes in air, waterborne and vehicle/land operations.

A squadron may contain around 50 men.

We know of 6 Delta operatives killed in the Battle of Mogadishu because it was so high profile. It’s entirely likely there were many other Delta operatives killed in other operations that were not publicized. So 6+ guys out of a unit of 50 highly trained and specialized guys is a lot.

@guizot

I’ve heard that Green Berets are the same way. They just call themselves “Marines” when a stranger asks.

I think you mean “Army”. I thought I read somewhere (maybe in Black Hawk Down) that Delta and other SOCOM types just say they are “civilian contractors” or something. The book does make a point of mentioning that the Delta guys don’t have to adhear to military grooming standards so they can blend in more.
One question. Does anyone know why Delta wore black ice hockey helmets in Black Hawk Down? I assume it’s because they just want protection from accidently bumping their heads on something and don’t care about the balistic protection of the bulkier and presumably heavier Kevlar helmets.

[RikWriter]

@msmith537

One question. Does anyone know why Delta wore black ice hockey helmets in Black Hawk Down? I assume it’s because they just want protection from accidently bumping their heads on something and don’t care about the balistic protection of the bulkier and presumably heavier Kevlar helmets.

Those were actually skateboarding helmets, I believe. They wore them because the older Kevlars were too bulky and got in the way of urban fighting. Nowadays, the Kevlar has been redesigned and I don’t believe Delta wears the skateboarding helmets anymore.