KarabSoT (January 1, 1970 at 12:59 am)

Or a documentary about the Foreign Legion or the SAS... All the same. Each gets its own coverage and shows the media what it wants.

sapperhutch (January 1, 1970 at 12:59 am)

I'd still say the UK had a wider experience, not discounting major conflicts such as Borneo, Malaya, Yemen, South Atlantic, Gulf 1, Balkans, Afghan, Gulf 2 etc and Northern Ireland a constant commitment. Not one-off ops such as most you mentioned. The US Government asked London to handle Mogadishu....they said no ;)

mhesi (January 1, 1970 at 12:59 am)

willbaboon, how can you compare SOF units when you don't even know your ass from your elbow about each individual unit. Special Forces in the UK refers to SAS/SBS/SRR/SFSG/14 Int. Special Forces in the US military means quite literally the US Army Special Forces (Green Berets, though they don't like that name). They are a completely different unit from the SAS with a very different purpose.

mhesi (January 1, 1970 at 12:59 am)

The US also has a lot of experience in Grenada, Panama, Raegan's South American wars in the 80's, Honduras, Beirut, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Phillipines, Indonesia, Somalia etc. The UK does not have anymore experience than the US does. Especially now with Iraq.

ChronoLegionX (January 1, 1970 at 12:59 am)

vonthrud the SEALS were not called the SEALS in WW2 they were simply called "frogmen". Their job was to scout the beachhead before the Normandy invasion and clear tank traps and mines wherever they could. It was only after WW2 that the SEALS were officially given their title. Good observation, though.

abnsurfer (January 1, 1970 at 12:59 am)

Sapper is right I don't think that SOF "X" is Better than "Y", that is a liner type thinking that is neither here nor there in the community. Each unit has a speciality that they train for."Use the right tool for the job." Bottom line is that SOF are quiet professionals that do a job that not everyone can do.

vonthrud (January 1, 1970 at 12:59 am)

well that aint ture cos as far as i know the seals wernt around in WW2 the sas and sbs were though! i may be wrong though :)

sapperhutch (January 1, 1970 at 12:59 am)

Makes me laugh when people sat at home on the couch say x unit is better than y. US have the advantage of equipment and resources whereas the Brits have the advantage of 30 years experience in Northern Ireland, Falklands etc. Both have exceptional SF units.

numkie (January 1, 1970 at 12:59 am)

in Afghanistan it's a seal team that has killed and captured more Taliban than any other unit. I have no idea about Iraq, but SAS seem to talk a ton to the BBC.

ChronoLegionX (January 1, 1970 at 12:59 am)

...then you have the Rangers, Russian Spetznaz and GRU, Green Berets and the french foreign legion, etc. By the way i defy anyone to find a training regimen more rigorous than that used by SEALs and Delta...and i'm talking to you guys who seem to think the SAS is the only highly disciplined HRT in existence. Give me a break...