The special forces should change their name or better define who they are

[Alexander's Horse]

The name "special force" makes me think of special education, Special Olympics etc. That made me laugh sometimes when I was around SF. They are challenged in some ways, some of them at least, but generally good at what they do.

What sort of "forces" should they be? Who deserves the elite title? Who doesn't? I saw some Search and Rescue units styling themselves as SF. Do police SWAT qualify? Who is the best of the best? Which country? What should they be called as a class of troops?

The Australian SAS has a poor opinion of the British SAS, who started it all. Is there any need for peer review?

The definition of special forces seems to be expanding all the time. Maybe they aren't all that special anymore. They should have some of accreditation process.

I know this is a live debate within the SF community.

Discuss.

[kentonio]

I saw some Search and Rescue units styling themselves as SF.

Don't know if its true or not, but was reading Perfect Storm recently and the author describes the rescue divers training as being more intensive than special forces.

[MikeH]

More intensive in terms of their diving training, maybe, but not in terms of weapons and explosives? Would make sense.

[kentonio]

More intensive in terms of their diving training, maybe, but not in terms of weapons and explosives? Would make sense.

Again, I don't know how true it is, but it said that a particular group of US rescue people do hardcore training in pretty much all the different environment trainings (in case they need to drop into desert/mountains/artic or whatever to rescue troops), plus weapons training for rescues behind enemy lines etc. It sounded a bit overexaggerated but that was the claim.

[kentonio]

Ahah, found it! They're called pararescue apparently.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_...rce_Pararescue

[MikeH]

If they are military, in what way are they not Special Forces?

in fact :

Part of the little-known Air Force Special Tactics community[3]

[Alexander's Horse]

I met airforce tac, they consider themselves SF, that's what I am talking about

[Dr Strangelove]

I think it's because the word "commando" now has some unfortunate connotations.

[regexcellent]

Yeah or Phoenix Raven which are just glorified rent-a-cops basically. But no they are ~special forces~