Lone Survivor, the movie.

[R0N]

I haven't read Victory Point, but was under the impression it received as much criticism as Lone Survivor for exaggerating or in Victory Point's case for under exaggerating.

I personally think the MOH citation for Murphy gives the most accurate estimation of the OPFOR's size.

I know a large portion of the officers that were interviewed for the book; bottom line is that although special operations forces are good some times they believe too much of their press and don't do the basics so they end up getting in trouble.

[docsherm]

I know a large portion of the officers that were interviewed for the book; bottom line is that although special operations forces are good some times they believe too much of their press and don't do the basics so they end up getting in trouble.

Examples?

[R0N]

I worked with TF Blue in S AFG years ago, they did not fist talk to the battle space owner to deconflict in their TAOR and often excluded their JTACs from mission being none-trident holders

An OOB does not you much good in a TF battle space who own their own air and guns that often are in usage to defend their units in TICs

[HKGuns]

I know a large portion of the officers that were interviewed for the book; bottom line is that although special operations forces are good some times they believe too much of their press and don't do the basics so they end up getting in trouble.

I call 100% BS on this post. The "basics" are so well trained and engrained in these teams, they are essentially automatic.

Ok so after reading your follow-up, your alphabet soup description is not the basics and sounds like sour grapes more than anything.

[R0N]

I call 100% BS on this post. The "basics" are so well trained and engrained in these teams, they are essentially automatic.

Like doing comm checks? Or not doing the equivalent of a hard hit on a close target recon?

You don't have to believe me, it is your choice. I am not special operations just work around Army SOF and SF in Western Iraq and Navy NSW in Western Iraq and S AFG both in a Conventional/Indigenous Forces in support of, liaison and Fire Support roles. My personally opinion was the Army were better at the planning and basics, while both were equally good at actions on the objective.

[R0N]

I call 100% BS on this post. The "basics" are so well trained and engrained in these teams, they are essentially automatic.

Ok so after reading your follow-up, your alphabet soup description is not the basics and sounds like sour grapes more than anything.

Actually those are the basic, if you don't understand what those mean you don't have the background to even know much about the subject.

Any company commander who did not do that would get his ass handed to him by his BN commander because that is what is taught to him as a Lt at his basic course.

[M&P15T]

Like doing comm checks?

Yeah, this. Those SEALs were told by the Marines that had been operating in the area, that the MBITR coms they were planning on taking with them, would not work. And the SEALs didn't listen to the Marines, and paid dearly for that mistake.

The coms not being suitable for the mission were what set up the entire chain of events.

[Alex V]

The wife and I went to see American Sniper last night. Excellent movie! My only critique would be that it felt a little rushed. I know it's a lot of material to cover but if people are willing to sit through 3.5 hours of Lord of the Rings, I'm okay with 3.5hours of American Sniper.

When the last scene came on, knowing what's going to happen, we honestly could not hold back the tears. It does not even begin to describe what a shame it is. Such a man, to be taken away in such a away... Ugh.

[chuckman]

Like doing comm checks? Or not doing the equivalent of a hard hit on a close target recon?

You don't have to believe me, it is your choice. I am not special operations just work around Army SOF and SF in Western Iraq and Navy NSW in Western Iraq and S AFG both in a Conventional/Indigenous Forces in support of, liaison and Fire Support roles. My personally opinion was the Army were better at the planning and basics, while both were equally good at actions on the objective.

I was a corpsman and my perception was the Marines edged the Army, barely, in planning and basics, but I agree that Army and Navy were equally good with actions on the target (Marines were right there, too). I like the SEALs, have several friends that are or were, but in my opinion they ignored too many lessons learned by other units. That said, they also tended to be better at IADs and rebounding when the poop hit the fan. All my experience was at the small-unit level and don't know what it is or was like "higher."

[MountainRaven]

Like doing comm checks? Or not doing the equivalent of a hard hit on a close target recon?

You don't have to believe me, it is your choice. I am not special operations just work around Army SOF and SF in Western Iraq and Navy NSW in Western Iraq and S AFG both in a Conventional/Indigenous Forces in support of, liaison and Fire Support roles. My personally opinion was the Army were better at the planning and basics, while both were equally good at actions on the objective.

It has been over two decades since my father EAS'd.

It seems that this largely reflects what his feelings were while he was active duty (having worked with SOF): That the SOF guys spent so much time practicing the things that made them special operations forces and not just small, largely independent teams of light infantry that they tended to not do so well on the basics.