Quote Originally Posted by Rifleman View Post
Wilf,

@The very experienced Special Forces NCOs leading Nungs and Montangnards in SOG made flexibility work to their advantage.

@It's also worth noting that some other SF projects like Popular Forces, Mobile Strike Forces, and Mobile Guerrilla Forces pretty much stuck to a traditional infantry organization.

@ did you happen to interview retired Command Sergeant Major Samuel Hernandez? He was a one-zero at CCN and made the first HALO jump in Vietnam with RT Florida.
@ Yep, but the Yards were pretty basic (every brave) folks. What works for them could well work elsewhere.

@ I had long talks with Ken Bowra who trained FANK Battalions in RVN. He even gave me copies of all their training programs. This was primarily to do with scaling equipment and inter-operability with conventional US Forces.

@Never met him. Doug Miller had agreed to talk to me and then fell ill and died. All the other guys I talked to are listed in the book. I have talked to many more since.

Quote Originally Posted by Rifleman View Post

@ Fire and maneuver usually became a platoon function for the Army in Vietnam anyway. Their squads - two fire team squads on paper, of course - always ended up as a machine gunner, grenadier, and a handfull of riflemen.

@I will point out though that some people, people with more experience than me, think independently operating squads are necessary for some of the fights we're facing in Iraq. I think independently operating squads really need to be big squads.

@ Oh, how do you like my avatar and signature?
@ In WW1 it certainly was and became so in WW2, for the UK. I have written extensively on the fact that the whole concept of section/squad F&M was a mistake caused by badly written manuals.

@ In Northern Ireland they just grouped 2 x 8 man sections together and formed "multiples," which were 3-4 x 4 man teams. Generally the platoon was split into 2 halves, one lead by the Platoon Commander and one by the Platoon Sergeant. This works. We have 25 years of continuous proof! In 1995 the UK did documented field trials which showed the same basic principles worked well for the Platoon attack as well.

@ Ah yes, the Avatar. Are you by any chance, an American?

...and when Washington gives back all the plantations the rebels stole from my family, I'll be a lot happier!