Who are the green berets?

[Jinef 2]

Okay, i was told that the SAS has a lot of Royal Marines in it by, suprise suprise, a Royal Marine. I could have said more about the UK SF but basically everyone is interested in the SAS and SBS, i'm sure America also has small groups of people it denies the existence of. *cough* Delta Force *cough*

I saw a video of these American SFs (don't know who) walking along with some Kurds towards the Iraqi Saddam Airport. Then they see Iraqi positions about 100 metres in front of them, and our highly experienced operative stands in the middle of the road and says 'contact front' in his radio. In the ten seconds they were standing there the Iraqi guys saw them and opened fire. Well he yelled something obviuos like "they're shooting at us" as he ran around a bit and then jumped into cover. The reporter and Camera man also jumped down with them. "It's been 2 hours now, and the American special forces are trying to call in air support on the what we now know to be as a MG position." said the reporter in a slighty monotone voice.

Also a 60 year old reporter in a helly hansen coat was reporting from no mans land and he spotted Americans special forces in a LUP "being covert before the assault begins" were his words. Thank god no Iraq sixty year old in a helly hansen coat was there!

[PitViper 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Jinef @ April 14 2003,16:37)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Okay, i was told that the SAS has a lot of Royal Marines in it by, suprise suprise, a Royal Marine. I could have said more about the UK SF but basically everyone is interested in the SAS and SBS, i'm sure America also has small groups of people it denies the existence of. *cough* Delta Force *cough*

I saw a video of these American SFs (don't know who) walking along with some Kurds towards the Iraqi Saddam Airport. Then they see Iraqi positions about 100 metres in front of them, and our highly experienced operative stands in the middle of the road and says 'contact front' in his radio. In the ten seconds they were standing there the Iraqi guys saw them and opened fire. Well he yelled something obviuos like "they're shooting at us" as he ran around a bit and then jumped into cover. The reporter and Camera man also jumped down with them. "It's been 2 hours now, and the American special forces are trying to call in air support on the what we now know to be as a MG position." said the reporter in a slighty monotone voice.

Also a 60 year old reporter in a helly hansen coat was reporting from no mans land and he spotted Americans special forces in a LUP "being covert before the assault begins" were his words. Thank god no Iraq sixty year old in a helly hansen coat was there!<span id='postcolor'>

American special forces would not have journalists with them.

[-iCeMaN- 0]

The Green Berets are a secret organization of walking hats that defend the freedom of the nation.  

-iCe-

[munger 25]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (PitViper @ April 14 2003,21:39)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">American special forces would not have journalists with them.<span id='postcolor'>

Then how come there were several TV reports on BBC and Sky News showing green berets training Kurds whilst journalists tagged along with them?

John Simpson, the BBC reporter who barely survived that F-15E airstrike which killed 18 people (green berets, Kurds and several cameramen) was embedded with them.

[-iCeMaN- 0]

I think the journalists just get in the way...

-iCe-

[Jinef 2]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">American special forces would not have journalists with them.<span id='postcolor'>

Yeah Right, they love the publicity. The best thing about the American special forces is that they are so hyped up by the media and discovery channel that no one would dare take 'em on.

[PFC Mongoose 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Jinef @ April 14 2003,22:37)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Okay, i was told that the SAS has a lot of Royal Marines in it by, suprise suprise, a Royal Marine. I could have said more about the UK SF but basically everyone is interested in the SAS and SBS, i'm sure America also has small groups of people it denies the existence of. *cough* Delta Force *cough*

I saw a video of these American SFs (don't know who) walking along with some Kurds towards the Iraqi Saddam Airport. Then they see Iraqi positions about 100 metres in front of them, and our highly experienced operative stands in the middle of the road and says 'contact front' in his radio. In the ten seconds they were standing there the Iraqi guys saw them and opened fire. Well he yelled something obviuos like "they're shooting at us" as he ran around a bit and then jumped into cover. The reporter and Camera man also jumped down with them. "It's been 2 hours now, and the American special forces are trying to call in air support on the what we now know to be as a MG position." said the reporter in a slighty monotone voice.

Also a 60 year old reporter in a helly hansen coat was reporting from no mans land and he spotted Americans special forces in a LUP "being covert before the assault begins" were his words. Thank god no Iraq sixty year old in a helly hansen coat was there!<span id='postcolor'>

I honestly can't see any trained solider of a modern military acting like that, much less a special Forces agent of the most Advanced Military on earth.

Not doubting that you saw it, just doubting heavily that it is what you claim to be.

[Tex -USMC- 0]

No, I saw it, and they were *special* forces. I'm absolutely sure they werent Green Berets though, more like FACs or another 'shake and bake' type Special Forces, running around without proper supervision. I wouldn't be especially quick to discount them though, as it appears that a couple thousand of them forced the surrender of almost all of the northern Iraqi forces in the space of 3 weeks.

[Jinef 2]

I just remembered, my Uncle was in the Green Berets, he was a cook.

[johnnylump 0]

Munger:

The proper, generic term for all the various American troops we're talking about is "special operations forces."

Special Forces is the proper name for the Green Berets. As mentioned above, these guys are Army and specialize in arming, training and coordinating combat operations with native forces (such as happened with the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan and the Kurds in northern Iraq). As an aside, this is a similar role to the CIA's paramilitary branch, the Special Operations Group, which falls under the Special Activities Division and ultimately the agency's Directorate of Operations. The CIA's paramilitary branch can also be used in truly covert operations, either of this nature (where a host government or the U.S. goverments wants to conceal its involvement) or in activities loosely termed "direct action" (that is, killing people and breaking stuff).

The Army's Delta Force, as mentioned, is not acknowledged by the U.S. government. Their speciality is counterterrorism, close-quarters combat and hostage rescue. These guys are for quick hits; Special Forces usually stay for the long haul.

Army Special Operations Forces also include the 75th Ranger Regiment and the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. Think of the Rangers as shock troops and light raiders. The 160th SOAR is one of two special operations aviation structures that gets all these guys to the fight.

The Navy, of course, has the SEALs (Sea, Air and Land). Most fall under the auspices of the Naval Special Warfare Command. SEAL team missions run the gamut but they specialize particularly in maritime and coastline special operations, including shipboarding. Naval Special Warfare also overseas a class of Special Warfare Combantant craft Crewmen, who man the small boats used to sometimes support SEAL operations.

Most SEALs are "white" _ that is, their roles and positions are publicly acknowledged. A few SEALs are truly "black" operators, working for Joint Special Operations Command in covert operations.

Lesser known is Air Force special operations, which include the pararescuemen and combat air traffic controllers and weathermen (no kidding). The Air Force also has a class of special operations pilots, who fly helicopters and C-130s, that conduct combat search-and-rescue, special operator infiltration and exfiltration, and other similar activities.

And, by the way, some special operations forces have let reporters near their operations -- when there is nothing that needs to be covert. See:

Kurdish militiamen, U.S. airstrikes: Forces work together to batter Saddam's front line

as an example.

[foxer 0]

Also to be in the green berets you have to speak another language.

[munger 25]

Cheers johnnylump, that was just the kind of detail I was after. Much obliged.

[benreeper 0]

Whose your daddy and what does he do?

Ben