Military madness in the US

[NMNeil]

Without question the SAS and Royal Marine Commandos are the best special forces in the world, bar none.
Here in the US we have almost comparable special forces who now have a 'Diversity & Inclusion’ chief.
Yes, a non military person who is going to tell special forces who they can recruit and possibly how to behave on a mission in case someones feelings get hurt.
https://www.stripes.com/news/us/house-panel-explor...
The world is slowly circling the drain with political correctness weighing it down.

[Earthdweller]

They’ll be fine, they’re getting gender neutral uniforms and people with big bellies that may or may not be about to become birthing humans are being given special flight suits so they can take their bump which may or may not contain a non gender specific unborn human into battle with them

[nikaiyo2]

Lol inclusiveness is just what the special forces need.

Where are the physically disabled? It’s terrible that the selection process is not blind or visually impaired friendly.

[take-good-care-of-the-forest-dewey]

NMNeil said:

Without question the SAS and Royal Marine Commandos are the best special forces in the world, bar none.
Here in the US we have almost comparable special forces who now have a 'Diversity & Inclusion’ chief.
Yes, a non military person who is going to tell special forces who they can recruit and possibly how to behave on a mission in case someones feelings get hurt.
https://www.stripes.com/news/us/house-panel-explor...
The world is slowly circling the drain with political correctness weighing it down.

I don't even think the SAS would agree with your assertion. US SOCOM can bring to bear materiel that the UK can only dream about.

UKSF may be better at some stuff... Without question, better. Nah.

[rxtx]

MX5Biologist said:

The committee is looking at recruitment for the Special Operations Forces, not Special Forces. There is a difference. The strength of US forces equivalent to SBS/SAS is about 4,000. SOF is made up of 70,000, in all kinds of functions.

Don't let facts get in the way of a political correctness rant!

[dai1983]

For a start the Royal Marines are not classed as SF despite what the retired ones say down the legion in between slagging Meghan off.

UK military has had a big push in diversity and inclusion for years in order to recruit more people. We also get mandatory annual training on it too.

[Earthdweller]

take-good-care-of-the-forest-dewey said:

I don't even think the SAS would agree with your assertion. US SOCOM can bring to bear materiel that the UK can only dream about.

UKSF may be better at some stuff... Without question, better. Nah.

All the gear, no idea you mean

[Flooble]

Pragmatically it's not a bad thing to have some diversity. A bunch of short-haired clean-shaven guys with pristine teeth stick out quite badly. Obviously I'm talking about the American SF ... it's the teeth that give it away

But don't forget as recently as the 70s when they had to dress men up as women to try not to stick out:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_Israeli_raid_on...

[A Winner Is You]

If they want true equality then shouldn't they make all women eligible for the draft?

[Earthdweller]

A Winner Is You said:

If they want true equality then shouldn't they make all women eligible for the draft?

Ah but

In the spirit of openness and equality will they only be allowed to go to War against other non gender specific sexually inclusive politically correct foes ?

Like these guys perhaps ?

[Octoposse]

NMNeil said:

Here in the US we have almost comparable special forces who now have a 'Diversity & Inclusion’ chief.

Not necessarily a bad thing. It's not hard to envisage someone whose one ambition in life was to do a particular job, and who actually would have been spectacularly good at it and a real asset to the organisation, but who is dissuaded from applying - or, even worse, driven out - because of some combination of their gender, race, religion or sexuality. Not hard to envisage because it has happened a lot.

Apart from basic notions of fairness; it's also in the organisation's interests to get the most capable people irrespective of that very same organisation's "baked in" assumptions.

Within living memory there weren't black US Marines, for example. As for Tailhook '91 . . .

[Johnnytheboy]

Octoposse said:

Not necessarily a bad thing. It's not hard to envisage someone whose one ambition in life was to do a particular job, and who actually would have been spectacularly good at it and a real asset to the organisation, but who is dissuaded from applying - or, even worse, driven out - because of some combination of their gender, race, religion or sexuality. Not hard to envisage because it has happened a lot.

Apart from basic notions of fairness; it's also in the organisation's interests to get the most capable people irrespective of that very same organisation's "baked in" assumptions.

Within living memory there weren't black US Marines, for example. As for Tailhook '91 . . .

That's fine.

But there is a difference between letting anyone apply based on merit, and actively seeking candidates from backgrounds seen as discriminated against, whether they are the best or not.

[Unexpected Item In The Bagging Area]

It always amuses me when I read that the SAS et al are the world’s greatest special forces. How is this determined? Is there a special forces World Cup? Or maybe a hardcore It’s A Knockout?

[dudleybloke]

Unexpected Item In The Bagging Area said:

It always amuses me when I read that the SAS et al are the world’s greatest special forces. How is this determined? Is there a special forces World Cup? Or maybe a hardcore It’s A Knockout?

Every year they have to paint a boathouse and the fastest wins.

[TTmonkey]

Unexpected Item In The Bagging Area said:

It always amuses me when I read that the SAS et al are the world’s greatest special forces. How is this determined? Is there a special forces World Cup? Or maybe a hardcore It’s A Knockout?

There are inter force competitions, yes. Proper ones.

Think the US Coast Guard service put the shady boys to shame with their sniper rifle shooting most years.

[PeteinSQ]

I watched a YouTube video with my son about US Coastguard Boot Camp the other night. I couldn't believe how relatively hard it was. Would never have guessed that the Coastguard was one of those services where youd get shouted at for weeks in basic training.

[rxtx]

It isn't about allowing pregnant women or disabled people to apply for positions that might put them in a helicopter over a front line as some people seem to immediately allude to, but about the myriad other positions such as cyber warfare or intelligence.

[2xChevrons]

PeteinSQ said:

I watched a YouTube video with my son about US Coastguard Boot Camp the other night. I couldn't believe how relatively hard it was. Would never have guessed that the Coastguard was one of those services where youd get shouted at for weeks in basic training.

The US Coast Guard is (unlike our HM Coastguard) a fully fledged uniformed military service that's basically a whole 'second navy' for the US but its role is to specialise in law enforcement at sea. Of course being an American law enforcement organisation that means it carries more firepower (and a willingness to use them if needed) than a lot of other nation's navies.

As well as dealing with drug smugglers, people traffickers, terrorists etc. the USCG has also been deployed in a supportive military capacity in pretty much every overseas conflict the USA has ever been in - USCG cutters were deployed as gunboats in the Spanish-American war, ran neutrality patrols and convoy escort in both world wars, carried out harbour protection during WW2 and supported amphibious operations in Europe and the Pacific, ran coastal patrols around SE Asia to interdict munitions and supplies heading in and out of North Vietnam as well as providing fire support in coastal areas and did a lot of port security, fleet protection, traffic control and general law enforcement in both Gulf Wars.

HM Coastguard is a very different beast being neither a military organisation or a law enforcement agency but since the 1920s has been purely to coordinate and oversee search & rescue and general marine safety issues.

[gregs656]

The lesson from the Royal Marines on recruitment campaigns is that if you want to grow your numbers telling your recruitment pool that ‘99% need not apply’ is not going to have the desired effect.

Recruitment and retention in the military is a problem in a lot of countries. Getting the message out that we need people like you (whoever you are) is not a bad thing.

[Scabutz]

dudleybloke said:

Unexpected Item In The Bagging Area said:

It always amuses me when I read that the SAS et al are the world’s greatest special forces. How is this determined? Is there a special forces World Cup? Or maybe a hardcore It’s A Knockout?

Every year they have to paint a boathouse and the fastest wins.

Yeah, but what colour they painting it?