Here is your war on Terrorism ! America !

Originally posted by Dimitri Dzengalshlevi

I wouldn't pass psychological testing for special forces? I think our definitions of special forces are a bit different. Perhaps you're thinking too much about elite forces, wheras I'm quite aware that special forces require a psychological profile quite unlike regular people. They also tend to have abilities quite unlike regular people too, such as extra sensory perception, intensified reflexive abilities and advanced weapon skills.

Could be that your perceptions of "Special Forces" are different. In the US, Special Operations troopers ARE the elite forces. No difference between the two concepts here. I recall reading in "the Great Soviet Encyclopedia" before the Soviet collapse that they considered rocket troops and chemical troops to be "Special Forces", and that all of the US "Special Forces" were a gaggle of cutthroat mercenaries.

I giggled when I read that. They were of course talking about the guys in green beanies, and I knew without a doubt that those in the military didn't qualify as "mercenaries", since neither their motivations nor profit potential matched the profile.

But yeah, I can see how the US concept of "Special Forces" might not translate well to folks in other countries.

I wouldn't worry about the psych testing - I doubt I'd pass either, since I'm just a loon. Come to think of it, some of the SF troopers I've known tended towards the looney, too. Maybe it goes with the turf. I knew a guy in the 19th SFG, and you wouldn't believe what he kept stashed inside his binoculars as a reminder on deployments...

Now, for this part:

They also tend to have abilities quite unlike regular people too, such as extra sensory perception, intensified reflexive abilities and advanced weapon skills.

I'm not, nor have I ever been, SF, but I still feel a bit qualified to speak to that. True enough, there's a certain something there in the way of an early-warning system, but I never thought of it as "ESP". I always figured it to be the normal sense picking up on things below the threshold of conscious perception - normal senses, not "extra-sensory", but reacting to stimuli you didn't notice on a conscious level. I've got it - always have had it - but I still can't read minds or any of that "magic" junk usually associated with the term "ESP". It's just a hyper sensitivity of normal senses, nothing more.

Hyper reflexes are a given. "The quick and the dead", and all that. Folks who don't have them gravitate towards other fields, or don't make it long in that one. It's again nothing superhuman nor abnormal, just on the higher end of the range of human reflexes.

Advanced weapon skills are taught, not inborn. The reflexes and hyper-sensitivity may assist, but the skills are not inherent - they're learned.

That would be after selection.

Originally posted by backinblack
reply to post by FarArcher

 

Those dumbass soldiers you think you're above? Apparently they're a hell of a lot smarter than you as they understand what a ratio is. What a kill ratio is.

Oh, and those ever so clever soldiers would be nothing without the smart guys designing their weapons..
Then what does it matter?
They're simply cannon fodder anyway...

Cannon fodder?

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, a dangerous man is a dangerous man, regardless of his tools. Whether he's got one of them sexy new M4's with all the pretty bells and whistles, all designed by the eggheads at some factory somewhere who are overly-reliant on pretty, new, BREAKABLE technology, or whether he's got a rock and a strong desire, or even just teeth and toenails, that guy is gonna be dangerous.

It's not the utensils, it's the MAN.

Cannon fodder? Yeah, maybe - but he'll make sure a sizeable number of the opposition make their appointment with the cannoneers, too.

Originally posted by FarArcher

This war on terrorism will soon enough be here at home, and I can assure you they won't be fighting to defend your kind.

"Terrorism" takes all sorts of forms, and is often in the eye of the beholder. I'm strongly convinced that you're right here - it's coming to a theater near us, sooner rather than later.

It's gonna be real interesting to see what form it takes here precisely when it decides to plant itself in earnest. I'm thinking, ever more increasingly, that it'll be an old foe, with a brand new makeover.

I'm not gonna examine it's "surgically enhanced" face, I'm gonna watch what it does, and hear how it talks. That's the way to recognize it.

reply to post by nenothtu

Special Forces troopers you've known tended toward looney?

Thanks, Neno, that's quite a boost!

I think I've been insulted . . . but then again, we're just very task-oriented. If we can't go through, we'll go around. If we can't go around, we'll go over. If we can't go over, we'll go under. But we will go.

I have gone days without sleep. I've "awakened" hundreds of meters from where I last remember being, still marching. Loopy, but looney?

Had you said SEALS, I'd agree wholeheartedly as I've had friends who were SEALS.

Originally posted by FarArcher
reply to post by nenothtu

 

Special Forces troopers you've known tended toward looney?

I was briefed that SOF personnel were borderline genius or sociopaths.

Originally posted by Dimitri Dzengalshlevi
Keep insulting me with your crap. I really don't care if you're on the internet claiming to be special forces. You don't know me in real life and I would really like to see you keep up with me or my people out in the mountains, because I guarentee you and your special forces "150:1 kill" ratio isn't going to save your ass from freezing or other forms of exposure while being hunted down at the same time by people born on and in tune with the land.

Geez, what is it with Canadians thinking that they are the only ones with snow in their country? Dude, trust me, there are plenty of Americans that can operate in the same snow and cold as Canadians can.

And not every Canadian is some sort of harden survivalist. I'm willing to be the majority of the population of your big cities will be just as dead as any in NYC if a disaster struck.

Originally posted by Dimitri Dzengalshlevi
Seriously, typical American assumption that they know everything and everyone else is stupid or uneducated.

Pot, meet kettle.

Originally posted by Dimitri Dzengalshlevi
EDIT: I don't even know why people give you stars, dude. All you do is insult people you don't agree with and talk as if you're better than them. You're better than nobody.

edit on 17-1-2011 by Dimitri Dzengalshlevi because: (no reason given)

Whatever.

I wish we lived in a world where everyone was happy and there was no killing.....If I could, I would make that happen...

reply to post by FarArcher


"Looney" is in the eye of the beholder, and you've got to admit that most SF troopers are... different... from the general population, which is often perceived by us mere mortals as a bit... off...

Naw, it's not an "insult", not even a left handed one. I'm a bit off, too, just not got it as tightly packaged as an SF trooper.

That guy in the 19th SFG? He kept a dollar rolled up inside his binoculars to remind him of his missus on deployments. I'll let you fill in the blanks for yourself. I found that out while doing a "ride along" on an FTX just outside Camp Dawson. 'Twas an invite I couldn't pass up, but man, that dude was spooky!

Maybe the 19th, being a Guard outfit, ain't quite as tightly ummm.... structured... as the tight-assed outfits around Cherry Bomb Hill?

Edit to add: SEALs have friends? And if SEALs trend towards looney, and you hang out with them enough to use the word "friend", what does that say about... naw, never mind. We'll not go there...

Originally posted by punctual
I wish we lived in a world where everyone was happy and there was no killing.....If I could, I would make that happen...

Me too! If you ever find such a place, let me know, and I'm THERE, dude, draggin' my plow behind me!

Until that time, I have to deal with the world we're dealt. It is what it is.

Originally posted by nenothtu
I'm not, nor have I ever been, SF, but I still feel a bit qualified to speak to that. True enough, there's a certain something there in the way of an early-warning system, but I never thought of it as "ESP". I always figured it to be the normal sense picking up on things below the threshold of conscious perception - normal senses, not "extra-sensory", but reacting to stimuli you didn't notice on a conscious level. I've got it - always have had it - but I still can't read minds or any of that "magic" junk usually associated with the term "ESP". It's just a hyper sensitivity of normal senses, nothing more.

I guess there's the Hollywood version of ESP, and the actual thing. Like I said, extra sensory perception. All that means is that you can percieve things beyond touch, sight, hearing, tasting and smelling. Being able to sense another human or animal in your proximity, and even the ability to identify what it is just be instinct, is what I consider to be an ESP trait.

Personally I think any normal person has the capacity for ESP traits. It's really all about recognizing that you have the abilities in the first place, and then building on them through experience.

Psychic ability is something else. Telekinesis and telepathy are very advanced mental abilities, obviously not things that are seen outside of dark echelons of intelligence bureaus. People who can scramble your mind are definitely not people that I would want to screw with.

Originally posted by jerico65

Originally posted by FarArcher
reply to post by nenothtu

 

Special Forces troopers you've known tended toward looney?

I was briefed that SOF personnel were borderline genius or sociopaths.

edit on 19-1-2011 by jerico65 because: (no reason given)

That is BS.
SOF personnel are not the "Dirty Dozen", nor of they genius. They are men that are intelligent, can adapt and think on their feet. They go through a lot of training and school to become proficient in the trade.

reply to post by phatpackage


The last time I check with the government "wording", Iraq was a liberation campaign no war now the war on terror was named to fight terrorism all around the globe.

Now the only war on terrorism is the one that our own government is wagging against American citizens with more government power, unnecessary laws and unnecessary shady private agencies working against the American tax payer.

reply to post by punctual

Punctual, a world without killing would be ideal. A world without killing and liberals would be perfect.

Trouble is, so many folks bent on killing just to take. Liberals like taking without the killing.

Fastest way to reduce the number of killers is to just kill 'em.

reply to post by jerico65

jerico, of all posters, your opinion of SF'ers is likely more based on personal observation than most others here at ATS.

In fact, I'd bet only a handful know diddly about your location - Pineland. Near where I parachuted in as a temporary resident.

I also noted Neno's tongue-in-cheek joke about Cherry Bomb Hill, rather than Smoke Bomb Hill. Clever young lad isn't he? Only those familiar with SF would know enough to make such a joke.

What started out as a conflict of liberation quickly went south, and fell just short of an all-out civil war.

Like most good intentions, a terrible idea, a sorry-assed entry, and an abysmal execution.

We didn't follow one single principle of warfare.

reply to post by FarArcher


Jericho65, FarArcher, this Don's for you:

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/0efc75e67c7b.jpg[/atsimg]

I just hunted these down and scanned 'em for ya. They're a little wrinkled, because I carried 'em around in my wallet for a bit, and lately they've been doing duty as bookmarks. Not much else I can do with 'em, because the knotheads at the Currency Exchange won't even quote me an exchange rate, the Philistines! The original scans I did were at 600 dpi, and came out WAY too big to post here.

FarArcher, I much prefer Cherry Bombs to Smoke Bombs - "would ye like a flash with that smoke?"

Originally posted by macman
That is BS.
SOF personnel are not the "Dirty Dozen", nor of they genius. They are men that are intelligent, can adapt and think on their feet. They go through a lot of training and school to become proficient in the trade.

Dude, I was told that by a member of SF while I was taking, "Introduction to Special Operations" about three years ago.

reply to post by macman

Macman, he was talking TO a former Special Forces soldier.

He meant no disrespect, and was having a bit of fun.

Let's face it. No one in their right mind would volunteer for this stuff.

I learned early on while setting up cordon's for the SEAL team in my AO to keep a close eye on them. Disregard for fundamental safety is a big issue with the team I had the privilege to "work" with. I use that term very loosely, also. Just throwing in 2 cents.

reply to post by phatpackage


I've seen the way you respond to all war related topics. You sir, are either a) a troll b) a government shill or c) a person living under a rock who has no idea about current events.

Originally posted by phatpackage
reply to post by Nephi1337

 

It's a war! Righty or Wrongly people die, get over it! It is sad, very sad that innocents die but it is a war & by no means detracts from the overall effort in Iraq!

So when terrorist come here and kill us can't they just say well it's a war? Everyone believes it's no big deal until it's in there backyard killing there friends and relatives! It would not be a problem for me if there was anything to fight about!
Havent any of you people ever heard of General smedely butler?
He once said "'War is a racket. It always has been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives.'"
This man knew this after the first world war and since then what has changed besides the fact that it's easier then ever to kill more people faster for less money? Wake up people cause we are heading down a dangerous road!