Wilf,
Point taken; however, I'm still not convinced that it's the way to go for standard infantry. Both flexibility and modularity have advantages, of course, but so does habitual association. Where to strike the balance?
The very experienced Special Forces NCOs leading Nungs and Montangnards in SOG made flexibility work to their advantage. But then again they finished the conflict with more Medals of Honor, per capita, than any other unit in Vietnam. That's a tremendous testimony to their ability. Do we think that most green 2d Lieutenants could or would be capable of operating that way?
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.
I'll have to order a copy of Blackfoot is Missing. By the way, 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. John Plaster's book SOG mentions him. He was also my Battalion Command Sergeant Major from 1984-1988.
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