# World's most elite combat soldiers?



## manifold (Jul 13, 2010)

Who is the best of the best?

Discuss.


----------



## RetiredGySgt (Jul 13, 2010)

manifold said:


> Who is the best of the best?
> 
> Discuss.



Depends what you mean.

If you mean Special operations that is one question. If you mean a general Combat force that is another.

I would submit that the US Marines are the best overall Combat troops.

As for Special ops, well that gets a bit dicey.


----------



## Jos (Jul 13, 2010)

I would have to say the Royal Marines as The Royal Marines have one of the longest basic infantry training courses in the world.
Royal Marines - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


----------



## JBeukema (Jul 13, 2010)

Whoever has the biggest bomb and is crazy enough to use it, wins


----------



## xotoxi (Jul 13, 2010)

manifold said:


> *World's most elite combat soldiers?
> 
> *Who is the best of the best?
> 
> Discuss.



Team Rainbow.

No further discussion needed.


----------



## JBeukema (Jul 13, 2010)

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce8CgJRkr_I&feature=related[/ame]


----------



## sparky (Jul 13, 2010)

the most expendable>

Monkeys trained as battlefield killers in Afghanistan - People's Daily Online


----------



## manifold (Jul 13, 2010)

JBeukema said:


> Whoever has the biggest bomb and is crazy enough to use it, wins



For clearly having nothing to add to the discussion but being unable to resist nevertheless, and then being able to come up with nothing but a seriously lame attempt at sarcasm, you sir...


...fail.

<insert funny google search "fail" image here>


----------



## manifold (Jul 13, 2010)

JBeukema said:


> YouTube - Team America World Police Intro



And then you redeem yourself.


----------



## Tom Clancy (Jul 13, 2010)

Conventional Warfare?  Probably the US Army Infantry, Including Rangers and Delta.  Not to mention the Royal Marines, those guys can pack a serious punch.. And of course our own Marines. 

Armored Warfare? I would say the M1A1 Is at a huge advantage over it's Russian Competitor. 

Air Warfare?  Depends.. The F-22 Is one piece of Engineering.. I would have to go with the Navy and Air Force. 

What else em I missing?


----------



## geauxtohell (Jul 13, 2010)

The unit that the Pentagon still denies exists and whose members don't all write books about the stuff they did when they leave the Army.

Delta Force.


----------



## geauxtohell (Jul 13, 2010)

Tom Clancy said:


> Conventional Warfare?  Probably the US Army Infantry, Including Rangers and Delta.  Not to mention the Royal Marines, those guys can pack a serious punch.. And of course our own Marines.
> 
> Armored Warfare? I would say the M1A1 Is at a huge advantage over it's Russian Competitor.
> 
> ...



Delta Force is the antithesis of conventional.

Ranger Regiment belongs to special operations, but in reality they are a damn good Infantry Unit.  Based on what I saw, I'd put them among the best infantry units in the DOD.


----------



## JBeukema (Jul 13, 2010)

geauxtohell said:


> The unit that the Pentagon still denies exists and whose members don't all write books about the stuff they did when they leave the Army.
> 
> Delta Force.


We're still not supposed to know about those guys?

The phrase 'well-known secret' comes to mind.


----------



## Tom Clancy (Jul 13, 2010)

geauxtohell said:


> Tom Clancy said:
> 
> 
> > Conventional Warfare?  Probably the US Army Infantry, Including Rangers and Delta.  Not to mention the Royal Marines, those guys can pack a serious punch.. And of course our own Marines.
> ...



Excuse me, I should have probably created a Special Forces List.. 

Yep, Ranger school is hell though.. literally.


----------



## JBeukema (Jul 13, 2010)




----------



## geauxtohell (Jul 13, 2010)

JBeukema said:


> geauxtohell said:
> 
> 
> > The unit that the Pentagon still denies exists and whose members don't all write books about the stuff they did when they leave the Army.
> ...



Yeah.  Everyone knows about them.  However, they aren't "officially recognized" by the Pentagon.  There is no line in the Army's Budgit to support the "Delta Force" or "Operational Detachment Delta".  

There are other units like that too.  The "Army Of North Virginia", etc.


----------



## JBeukema (Jul 13, 2010)

So we'll call them Grey Ops?


----------



## geauxtohell (Jul 13, 2010)

Tom Clancy said:


> geauxtohell said:
> 
> 
> > Tom Clancy said:
> ...



Ranger School certainly sucks.  However, Ranger Regiment is the Army's actual Ranger unit that conducts Ranger Missions (they used to specialize in taking down airfields).  

Lots of people go to Ranger School and never go to Ranger Regiment.


----------



## geauxtohell (Jul 13, 2010)

JBeukema said:


> So we'll call them Grey Ops?



Translucent ops?

I've always admired the Delta Force's code of Omerta.  One of the operators wrote a book about his time in Delta Force and was immediately ostracized by the community.  

To this day, I couldn't tell you if I ever saw a Delta Force Operator when I was in the Army.  

Other elite units?  Not so much.  They could probably fill a library with books written by ex SEALs though I suppose DEVGRU would be analogous.


----------



## Tom Clancy (Jul 13, 2010)

geauxtohell said:


> Tom Clancy said:
> 
> 
> > geauxtohell said:
> ...



True that, Most people do it for the Patch and gain some Bragging Rights, and rightfully so.   Most Infantry Officers go through that to make sure their Men know he's been through shit and knows what to do..


----------



## geauxtohell (Jul 13, 2010)

Tom Clancy said:


> geauxtohell said:
> 
> 
> > Tom Clancy said:
> ...



It's a de facto requirement for Infantry Officers.  If you don't have a tab, you are most likely going to have a rough time when you get to your unit.  Many people do it for bragging rights, but in reality, it's just good training.  No more.  No less.


----------



## manifold (Jul 13, 2010)

I've heard that some Israeli units are considered among the best, don't really know much about it though.

Is there any truth to that or are they overrated?


----------



## geauxtohell (Jul 13, 2010)

manifold said:


> I've heard that some Israeli units are considered among the best, don't really know much about it though.
> 
> Is there any truth to that or are they overrated?



I've never dealt with the Israeli Army, but it wouldn't surprise me.  They have to be combat ready.

I was extremely impressed with the Japanese Defense Force.  The warrior ethos is still alive and well among the Japenese Soldiers.


----------



## Hugidwyn (Jul 14, 2010)

manifold said:


> Who is the best of the best?
> 
> Discuss.



Russian remains a good soldier everywhere and in all conditions. One of the main advantages of Russian is its ability to withstand the tremendous devastation and bloody battles, as well as the opportunity to present an unusually severe conditions.

Russian certainly an excellent soldier and skillful leadership is a dangerous opponent. It would be a serious mistake to underestimate him

In battle, Russian hateful and extremely cruel. These qualities are characteristic for the Russian - the Asian part of the inhabitants of the country, Mongols, Turkmen and Uzbeks, as well as for the Slavs who live west of the Urals.

Suffice it to read, as appreciated Russian soldiers by the Germans. Take the memoirs of any known German military officer. The Germans were determined that the resistance of Soviet soldiers connected with their national character.


----------



## Skull Pilot (Jul 14, 2010)

[youtube]LMZDDGtxu38[/youtube]


----------



## Hugidwyn (Jul 14, 2010)

Honour and glory of the Russian soldiers!

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wxy3awZZrgs]YouTube - Honour and glory of the Russian soldiers![/ame]


----------



## editec (Jul 14, 2010)

manifold said:


> Who is the best of the best?
> 
> Discuss.


 
Depends

Whichever one happens to be holding me a gunpoint at the time, for sure.

They're _the BEST pro temp._


----------



## froggy (Jul 14, 2010)

List of Decorations for Audie Murphy.

Medal of Honor

Distinguished Service Cross

Silver Star (with oak leaf cluster)

Legion of Merit

Bronze Star (with oak leaf cluster and Valor device)

Purple Heart (with two oak leaf clusters)

U.S. Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal

U.S. Army Good Conduct Medal

Presidential Unit Citation (with First Oak Leaf Cluster)

American Campaign Medal

European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal (with One Silver Star, Four Bronze Service Stars (representing nine campaigns) and one Bronze Arrowhead (representing assault landing at Sicily and Southern France)),

World War II Victory Medal

Army of Occupation Medal (with Germany Clasp)

Armed Forces Reserve Medal

French FourragÃ¨re in Colors of the Croix de guerre

French Legion of Honor  Grade of Chevalier

French Croix de guerre (with Silver Star),

French Croix de guerre (with Palm)

Medal of Liberated France

Belgian Croix de guerre (with 1940 Palm)



Additionally, Murphy was awarded:

|  the Combat Infantry Badge,

Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar,

Expert Badge with Bayonet Bar







It's not the branch it's the determination of the individual.


----------



## RetiredGySgt (Jul 14, 2010)

froggy said:


> List of Decorations for Audie Murphy.
> 
> Medal of Honor
> 
> ...



Chesty Puller won 5 Navy crosses, mostly because the higher ups hate a good warrior and refused to put him in for the medal of Honor. On Guadalcanal when the Army took over his positions his command post was right behind the line. The Army unit was flabbergasted and immediately moved it 2000 yards off the line.

In Korea when surrounded by 7 Chinese Army Divisions he told his men " we have them right where we want them, we can shoot them in any direction"

As the Marines at Chosin pulled back and fought their way through 9 Chinese Divisions after being surrounded , the US High Command wrote them off. Chesty announced " retreat, hell, we are advancing in another direction"

 The Marines "retreated" THROUGH all 9 Chinese Divisions. Destroying at least 3 in the process. They took out all their dead and wounded along with thousands of Army troops. They reached the coast with either all their equipment or having DESTROYED what they could not get out. All along a SINGLE dirt road. rebuilding bridges as they went.


----------



## RetiredGySgt (Jul 14, 2010)

In Desert Storm the Iraqis were so worried about ONE Marine Division off the coast of Kuwait they tied down 12 Divisions to protect against them.


----------



## RetiredGySgt (Jul 14, 2010)

Having been in both the Army and the Marine Corps I can tell you the difference.

Marines train to fight, they are trained to adopt and over come, EVERY Marine is expected to know his next seniors job and be able to do it. They are taught to take the objective as fast as possible, to utilize available assets and not wait for more.

The Army is taught to fight as well however they are taught to wait for support, to use artillery rather then seize objectives.

In Panama the Army would call in howitzers to level buildings because a sniper fired at them, The Marines simply assaulted the building and cleared out the sniper.


----------



## froggy (Jul 14, 2010)

I'd tell you of some of my feats but then you'd be in someone's sights.


----------



## editec (Jul 14, 2010)

froggy said:


> List of Decorations for Audie Murphy.
> 
> Medal of Honor
> 
> ...


 
Yeah, remarkable soldier without reservation, but he sucked as an actor.


----------



## rdean (Jul 14, 2010)

I thought Republicans didn't like the "elite".  They call them "snobs".


----------



## Toome (Jul 16, 2010)

Old topic, lame discussion.  No offense to the OP intended.

I've worked with a variety of foreign militaries during my career.  The US military tops them all hands down.  You can break it down into so-called elite units and conventional units, but that turns into a pretty retarded discussion.  RANGERS excel at infiltrating and attacking deep targets.  But they rely on the Air Force to insert them and, depending on the extraction plan, either or a combination of efforts from the Navy, Air Force or Army "REMFs."  This is why the so-called "elite unit" discussion is lame:  if RANGERS aren't successfully inserted and extracted, they become cannon fodder real damn quick.

What distinguishes the US military from any other is its strong NCO corps.  It IS the backbone of the military whether you're talking Army, Marines, Navy or Air Force.  Yeah, other militaries also have NCOs, but they don't give them the same authority the US does.  The sergeant trains, disciplines, motivates, inspires, clothes, feeds the troops.  The sergeant is the one who knows all about a troop's personal problems, goals, ambitions, fears and beliefs.  It makes a helluva difference on the battlefield and is the key ingredient to team-building and mission success.  No other military in the world empowers its NCOs like the US military does.

Yeah, officers get in the way sometimes.  No doubt.  I used to was one.  I've always had a clear understanding with my NCOs that I strongly believed in "Sergeant's Business" and would never interfere until they came to me.  Once they did, they no longer owned the problem.  My guidance to them was:  "be careful what you ask for, you just might get it."  And their counsel to me was:  "if it ain't broke, don't fuck with it, sir."  We got along just fine.

One other thing, this separate services bullshit is pointless.  The US military fights as one team.  The Army can't win it alone, neither can the Marines, Navy or Air Force.  That went out a very long time ago.  We've tasked organized our forces for a pretty long time.  In fact, at times I think the Pentagon ought to permanently designate task forces from the services, but there are practical arguments for keeping them separate.  Point is that the Army can't do it without close air support, the Marines can't do it without the Navy, the Air Force can't fly without the Army and Marines taking out enemy air defenses, and while the Navy owns the seas, combat is all about land.

One Team, One Fight.

RANGERS LEAD THE WAY!


----------



## Douger (Jul 16, 2010)

F.A.R.C. , as the brainwashed dolts are soon to discover.


----------



## Douger (Jul 16, 2010)

RetiredGySgt said:


> Having been in both the Army and the Marine Corps I can tell you the difference.
> 
> Marines train to fight, they are trained to adopt and over come, EVERY Marine is expected to know his next seniors job and be able to do it. They are taught to take the objective as fast as possible, to utilize available assets and not wait for more.
> 
> ...


Interesting. I guess you were one of the brainwashed assholes destroying civilian Panama so your masters at the CIA...namely Bush one, could get rid of their zit faced boy gone bad ?


----------



## LA RAM FAN (Jul 16, 2010)

Douger said:


> RetiredGySgt said:
> 
> 
> > Having been in both the Army and the Marine Corps I can tell you the difference.
> ...



thats a pretty accurate statement to make.Matter of fact,you hit the nail right on the head.


----------



## Charles_Main (Jul 17, 2010)

manifold said:


> Who is the best of the best?
> 
> Discuss.



Delta hands down, followed closely by British, Aussie SAS


IMO Prolly some Israeli forces that deserve mention as well.


----------



## DiveCon (Jul 17, 2010)

Douger said:


> F.A.R.C. , as the brainwashed dolts are soon to discover.


totally delusional
that terrorist group wouldnt stand a chance against any US force


----------



## mudwhistle (Jul 17, 2010)

Tom Clancy said:


> Conventional Warfare?  Probably the US Army Infantry, Including Rangers and Delta.  Not to mention the Royal Marines, those guys can pack a serious punch.. And of course our own Marines.
> 
> Armored Warfare? I would say the M1A1 Is at a huge advantage over it's Russian Competitor.
> 
> ...



Team Delta isn't conventional forces.

If you're talking large scale operations it's a toss up between the Marines and the Rangers. The Rangers are basically Marines that think.

If you want to do a snatch or fight a war with foreign forces as the main combat units then Special Forces or the Green Berets are the best.

If you want waterborn operations the SEALS are the best.

If the mission is complex and takes place over a long period but you don't need alot of exposure...then Team Delta is the best...or maybe SAS units.

Who is the best really depends on the mission.


----------



## syrenn (Jul 17, 2010)

microbes and virus's 

Universal soldiers and no one ever sees them coming!


----------



## editec (Jul 17, 2010)

Best soldiers?

Viet Cong irregulars circa 1968.

They'd take licking and kept on kicking.


----------



## Kalam (Jul 17, 2010)

Hugidwyn said:


> manifold said:
> 
> 
> > Who is the best of the best?
> ...



Excellent soldiers don't have entire armored columns destroyed by a handful of guerillas. 



> The Shatoy ambush (known in Russia as the 'Battle of Yaryshmardy) was an April 16, 1996, attack by forces of an Arab-born commander Ibn al-Khattab near the town of Shatoy in the southern mountains of Chechnya, during the First Chechen War.... According to the U.S. book The Wolves of Islam, the destroyed convoy numbered 50 vehicles (trucks, fuel tankers, APCs and a mine-clearing T-80 tank) and by Khattab's own count more than 200 soldiers were killed. A video of the ambush and its aftermath, widely distributed and celebrated in Chechnya, featured Khattab "walking triumphantly down a line of blackened Russian corpses", and gained him the early fame in Chechnya and a great notoriety in Russia. The images of carnage also caused a new calls for the Russia's defence minister Pavel Grachev to resign, while Russia suspended its limited troop withdrawal.
> 
> Shatoy ambush - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


----------



## Hister (Jul 17, 2010)

Kalam said:


> Excellent soldiers don't have entire armored columns destroyed by a handful of guerillas.



Excellent soldiers don't fight in slippers and pyjamas like the muslims do. And they don't need to hire the US army to protect them like Saudi Arabia.

Kalam, do you wear PJs and slippers out in public too? And a big fuzzy, itchy, scratchy beard? Or are you a fake muslim? or wannabe?


----------



## Kalam (Jul 17, 2010)

Hister said:


> Kalam said:
> 
> 
> > Excellent soldiers don't have entire armored columns destroyed by a handful of guerillas.
> ...


Some can pull it off.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R42k7YwrVMg]YouTube - Mujahideen Warfare TaeKwonDo[/ame]



Hister said:


> And they don't need to hire the US army to protect them like Saudi Arabia.


Who said anything about them?



Hister said:


> Kalam, do you wear PJs and slippers out in public too? And a big fuzzy, itchy, scratchy beard?


When I get my paper in the morning, yeah.



Hister said:


> Or are you a fake muslim? or wannabe?


Like this guy?

Richard Francis Burton, An Adventurer in Disguise


----------



## Kalam (Jul 17, 2010)

> New reputation!
> Hi, you have received 0 reputation points from Hister.
> Reputation was given for this post.
> 
> ...



Can I take a shower instead?


----------



## mudwhistle (Jul 17, 2010)

editec said:


> Best soldiers?
> 
> Viet Cong irregulars circa 1968.
> 
> They'd take licking and kept on kicking.



Not really.

They can't pack enough food and water to last a long mission. They're limited in their range. They usually won by being sneaky and by use of overwhelming numbers....not by being the best.


----------



## Toome (Jul 17, 2010)

editec said:


> Best soldiers?
> 
> Viet Cong irregulars circa 1968.
> 
> They'd take licking and kept on kicking.



No offense intended, but this is a classic example of historical inaccuracy.  During the Tet Offensive in January-February 1968, 80,000 Viet Cong irregulars launched a massive attack in more than 100 towns and villages in South Vietnam hoping to motivate the local population to join the uprising.  Estimates vary from 40,000 Viet Cong KIA estimated by the US/RVN side to an admitted 75,000 Viet Cong KIA estimated by the NVA, but the point is that the Viet Cong were wiped out.  It was a huge military disaster.  Just about every one of them were killed or wounded.

The irony of ironies is that this total, complete and absolute North Vietnamese military disaster was a huge propaganda victory.  It totally and completely turned American opinion around and was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back in escalating American anti-war sentiments.  It was then that Walter Cronkite, the "most trusted man in America," said in an editorial that the war was lost and the only hopeful solution was to negotiate a peace with the North Vietnamese.

So, if your definition is that they were great by being the poor dumb bastards who died for their country, you're absolutely correct.  Their deaths led to victory.


----------



## CMike (Jul 17, 2010)

The Israeli elite groups by far.


----------



## Jos (Jul 17, 2010)

Many people  have heard of the SAS  how many know of the British SBS?
Special Boat Service - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


----------



## mudwhistle (Jul 17, 2010)

Jos said:


> Many people  have heard of the SAS  how many know of the British SBS?
> Special Boat Service - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Not much difference between them and the UDT/Seals


----------



## CMike (Jul 17, 2010)

Sayeret - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

_Sayarot and elite special operations units that became public over the years include (while it is believed that other units which have not gone public also exist):

Sayeret Matkal is a special operations unit under the IDF Intelligence Command. It is a designated deep reconnaissance unit but it also has counter-terrorist responsibilities. The unit is modelled on the British Special Air Service. It is perhaps most known internationally for Operation Entebbe (in which they rescued more than 100 Air France airline passengers hijacked to Uganda by PLO ) and similar operations like Operation Isotope. It is the most elite unit in the IDF 
Sayeret Golani is an elite special operations unit. It consists of three highly trained Special Force Units Orev, Palsar, and Palchan. (same format as the other infantry Brigades) This unit has been so successful because of the soldiers aggressiveness, expertise, and training. 
Maglan is a commando unit which specialized in operating behind enemy lines. The unit is relatively new, and little is known about it. Maglan is best known for its part in the Second Lebanon War. 
Yehidat Shaldag is the Israeli Air Force Commando unit. The unit perform special missions by using advanced combat technologies. It is best known for its actions in Operation Litani, Operation Accountability, Operation Sharp and Smooth, and the speculation about its role in Operation Orchard. 
Sayeret Yael is a special elite combat engineering and commando unit of the Combat Engineering Corps. It is specialized in accurate demolitions and planting pinpoint explosives along with other high-scale combat engineering operations in and outside the Israeli borders. Sayeret Yael is part of Yahalom - elite combat engineering unit for special missions, which beside engineering commando also deals with EOD, bomb disposal, robotics, counter-tunnels warfare, development of combat engineering equipment and other classified tasks. 
Shayetet 13 ("Flotilla 13") is the elite Israeli amphibious naval special forces commando unit. It is known for its Tyre raid, Operation Spring of Youth and Operation Bulmus 6. 
Duvdevan Unit - The Duvdevan Unit is one of the most renowned special forces units in Israel for its undercover operations. Only Duvdevan and Sayeret Matkal are authorized to wear their uniforms without identifying shoulder tabs. 
Sayeret Tzanhanim is an elite unit contained within the Tzanhanim Brigade. The unit participated in the Entebbe operation in conjunction with Sayeret Matkal and Sayeret Golani 



Sayeret Egoz - IDF Northern Command Counter-Guerilla Unit 
Unit Oketz - IDF K-9 unit 
Unit Moran & Unit Meitar - IDF Artillery Corps Special Forces Anti-Armour Units 
Unit Yachmam - IDF Target Observation and Deep Reconnaissance 
Unit Yanmam - Airborne-capable Anti-Aircraft unit 
Sayeret Haruv - Former IDF Central Command Special Forces unit 
Sayeret Shaked - Former IDF Southern Command Special Forces unit 
Sayeret Rimon - Former Counter-Terrorism unit that was forerunner to others like Shimshon and Duvdevan. Meir Dagan was a member of Rimon. 
Samson's Foxes - Gaza Strip: Former Occupied Territories Counter-Terrorism unit 
Unit Yaban - IDF/Navy Force Protection unit (Along with Unit Oketz has female operators within its ranks) 
Unit Yaltam - IDF/Navy Salvage and Recovery unit 
LOTAR Eilat - IDF Reserve Force Counter-Terrorism/Hostage Rescue Unit, based at the Southern Israeli port city of Eilat. 
Unit 669 - IDF/AF Aeromedical Rescue Unit. 
Palsar 7 & Palsar 188 & Palsar 401 - The 7th, 188th and 401st Armored Brigades Reconnaissance units 
Unit 707 - Former IDF/Navy Defensive Divers unit. 
Unit 5707 - IDF/AF Target Observation and Surveillance unit. 
Unit 869 - Specialist Visual Intelligence, Observation and Surveillance unit 
Unit Alpinistim - IDF Alpine unit that patrols the Golan Heights and provides protection for IDF Electronic Listening Posts located at Mount Hermon and Har Avital. This unit also provides alpine rescue services. 
Each of the four Infantry Brigades (Golani, Givati, Nahal and Paratroopers) has its own Gadsar (Gedud siyur, as mentioned above) special unit contained within it. Each unit belong to a specific regional command, and there it mainly operate, but all the "Gadsar" unit work in almost every region they call._


----------



## Jos (Jul 17, 2010)

You missed out   Sayeret  Mtsots li ta'zain  now they know there job, and do it well


----------



## CMike (Jul 17, 2010)

I think Israel's elite units, could kick any other country's unit's butts.


----------



## DiveCon (Jul 17, 2010)

CMike said:


> I think Israel's elite units, could kick any other country's unit's butts.


i think the US SF could give them a run for their money, but we are not at odds with them


----------



## Ringel05 (Jul 19, 2010)

*Who is the best of the best?*

Navy Corpsmen, Army & Air Force medics.


----------



## Caroljo (Jul 21, 2010)

I don't know about who's the best....but just gotta brag that my son was selected for Special Forces training a few weeks ago!  This is something he's been working for, it was his 3rd time at selection.  He's a Sgt in the Army, 27 yrs old...and of course it's not the perfect job a mother would want for her kid...but i'm happy for him because it's what he wanted so badly.


----------



## DiveCon (Jul 21, 2010)

Caroljo said:


> I don't know about who's the best....but just gotta brag that my son was selected for Special Forces training a few weeks ago!  This is something he's been working for, it was his 3rd time at selection.  He's a Sgt in the Army, 27 yrs old...and of course it's not the perfect job a mother would want for her kid...but i'm happy for him because it's what he wanted so badly.


congrats
and give a thanks to your son for his service


----------



## topspin (Jul 21, 2010)

for large units the marine corp IMO

 After college I worked in a healthclub with an ex Seal and an ex green barret those were the two most confident scary to stand next to guy's I've ever met to this day.


----------



## Wicked Jester (Jul 22, 2010)

Well, Rangers of course!.....But then i'm obviously biased by pride.

We trained with certain elements of the IDF (Israeli defense forces), and they can definitely get down with the best of 'em.

But, in my mind, the best forces are US Army, AF, Navy and Marines. They are proving it everyday over in the ME.


----------



## mudwhistle (Jul 22, 2010)

CMike said:


> I think Israel's elite units, could kick any other country's unit's butts.



Doubtful.

They aren't really tested because they seem to be fighting mostly Arabs.


----------



## PatekPhilippe (Jul 22, 2010)

JBeukema said:


> Whoever has the biggest bomb and is crazy enough to use it, wins



That would be this one....
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxD44HO8dNQ]YouTube - Tsar Bomba - King of the Bombs - 57,000,000 Tonnes of TNT[/ame]


----------



## ConHog (Jul 22, 2010)

xotoxi said:


> manifold said:
> 
> 
> > *World's most elite combat soldiers?
> ...



Awesome book, But I would submit The Unit for your consideration.


----------



## waltky (Mar 12, 2018)

Flygirl competes for 'Best Warrior' Title...




*Lone Female Competitor Battles for 'Best Warrior' Title*
_12 Mar 2018 -- Of the more than 3,200 airmen serving in the Texas Air National Guard, only eight were selected to compete at Camp Swift as part of the 2018 Texas Military Department Best Warrior Competition. Among the selectees, one stood out from her peers -- not just for her skill and abilities in qualifying to represent her unit, but also as the only female competitor._


> "Competing seemed like a great opportunity," said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jennifer Brown, an education and training specialist with the Texas Air National Guard's 273rd Cyber Operations Squadron. "For me, it wasn't an imitation factor. I used to be a Marine, and I remember every year my commander would send out an invite for individuals interested in the competition. When I saw the email for this year and saw the list of different knowledge responsibilities I went ahead and tried out."
> 
> Competition
> 
> ...


----------



## Admiral Rockwell Tory (Mar 13, 2018)

geauxtohell said:


> The unit that the Pentagon still denies exists and whose members don't all write books about the stuff they did when they leave the Army.
> 
> Delta Force.



Denies exists?  Not hardly!

Where did you dig up that fantasy? I have watched them train for years!


----------



## Admiral Rockwell Tory (Mar 13, 2018)

geauxtohell said:


> JBeukema said:
> 
> 
> > geauxtohell said:
> ...



You people watch too much TV!


----------



## Admiral Rockwell Tory (Mar 13, 2018)

RetiredGySgt said:


> Having been in both the Army and the Marine Corps I can tell you the difference.
> 
> Marines train to fight, they are trained to *adopt* and over come, EVERY Marine is expected to know his next seniors job and be able to do it. They are taught to take the objective as fast as possible, to utilize available assets and not wait for more.
> 
> ...



Funny typo!  Adopt?  How many kids do they have?  I know they eat crayons, but ...


----------



## Admiral Rockwell Tory (Mar 13, 2018)

topspin said:


> for large units the marine corp IMO
> 
> After college I worked in a healthclub with an ex Seal and an ex green *barret* those were the two most confident scary to stand next to guy's I've ever met to this day.



Barret?

Please!  That's just intellectual laziness.


----------



## harmonica (Mar 18, 2018)

...best elite--Israel probably
they've have done many different ops including the Entebbe rescue ..they have decades of experience ...a lot more than Delta Force

combat
...the USMC has some heavy power with their Battalion Landing Teams:
tanks/anti-tank vehicles/mortars/recon/Anglico [ Air Naval Gunfire Liaison ] /etc
with sea attacks using LCACS/fast boats/AAVs/LCUs
it's own support choppers/attack choppers/Ospreys/Harriers/
it's own support vehicles
---so multiple landing scenarios /multiple combat scenarios
also they have the heavy hitting power with the Navy carriers including USMC pilots
...these are forward deployed on ships

--it's an all-in-one ''force''..


> The MEU is unique in that its* air and ground *combat elements are combined with a logistics combat element under one commander;


Marine expeditionary unit - Wikipedia


----------



## harmonica (Mar 18, 2018)

RetiredGySgt said:


> froggy said:
> 
> 
> > List of Decorations for Audie Murphy.
> ...


..the Chosin Battle is one of the most epic ever
..outnumbered 10-1 ..30 BELOW temps [ not wind chill ] hilly/icy/snowy terrain
..also the USMC was one of the few [ if any at all ] that did not get a bloody nose in the 1st Chinese Offensive--that's why the Chinese sent so many to try to destroy the Marines
..the other UN forces got pounded while the USMC defeated the Chinese


> The *only* defeat suffered by the CCF in their 1st Phase assault came at the hands of the Seventh Marines, in Sudong Gorge





> As a direct consequence of this lone defeat, the CCF determined during their evaluation after the 1st Phase assault to target the entire 1st Marine Division when they resumed their attacks. This led to the savagery of the Chosin Reservoir battles.


my father was there
CCF Prisoners, 7th Marines, 11/2/00, Sudong   Gorge


----------



## whitehall (Mar 18, 2018)

What does the word "elite" mean as it relates to military units? Does it mean well trained or well equipped or is it just pop-culture hype? The Navy Seals seem to have the inside edge on pop-culture hype but Marcus Luttrell's book "Lone Survivor" was about a failed Seal mission. At one point in the book Luttrell reflects on how Navy Seals who are trained to paddle little rubber boats while unconscious and withstand hypothermia find themselves on patrol at 10,000 feet in the Afghan mountains. That's the point. The Navy keeps cranking out Seal units but there is no military mission for the unit that evolved from UDT (underwater demolition teams) so they use them on patrol and the convoluted chain of command and communications gets them in trouble. Army Rangers finally rescued Luttrell. Another interesting note is that Seal snipers manned buildings in the Iraqi desert. Seals graduate from the same sniper school as Army Rangers and Marine Recon so why did the Army and Marines have to use Navy personnel in the desert with the convoluted command and communications structure when Army and Marines were available? My guess is that Seals have become the private little muscle of the CIA that literally calls the shots and that's a dangerous concept.


----------

