Re: Homepage updated(semi OT long)

John M. Atkinson wrote:

> The next project will be the Basilikoi Anthropopoi, which will
basically
> be a Stargrunt page--I don't think we'll be seeing them on a Dirtside
II
> table.  Unless of course I outfit one as a Ranger/Commandoe-style unit
> which engages in larger-scale raids.	Again, advice, comments,
> suggestion, and discussion about future SOF are more than welcome.

I just got done reading a great bookcalled "The Brandenburgers: Global
Missions" by Franz Kurowski (JJ Fedorowicz pub isbn 0-921991-38-x)
There's
very littel written on German SF in WWII (Lucas' "Kommando" but that
didn't
really get too much detail on eth Brandenburgers)

Anyway they had an interesting organization. They started out as a
company,
then a bn then a regt (called "constuction training units".) Then they
were
a division sized units (but split up in indenpendent Regts. Finally the
SS
(skorzeny took over special ops and the Brandenburg div became a panzer
grenadier div (many of their peorators went to SS specops)
In their Div structure (pre PZG)they looked like this:
Signals Bn (important since spec ops commo is it's own thing apart from
reg
commo support.)
Tropical bn (they worked in Africa and mid east) (they did a lot of SAS
type
airfield raids plus all that indiana jones hiding fule and ammo supplies
in
temples etc))
Coastal raider bn (Seals type stuff though there was also a naval
underwater
demo company) Had a great misison in taking LEROS
Parachute battalion (most brandenburgers were not abn) Thye had a few
good
drops including LEROS

They then had 4 regts each w/ 3 bns As of july 1943 they were
deployed...
1st Regt:
1bn USSR
2bn Yugoslavia
3bn Greece
2d Regt:
1bn Greece
2bn  Greece
3bn  Greece
3rd Regt
1bn USSR
2bn So. France
3bn  USSR
4th Regt
1bn Greece
2bnYugoslavia
3bn Yugoslavia

A training regt:
Which also included a mountain bn and a legionairre bn
One independent parachut company (for real secret squirrel stuff)
One independent company (hung around the flagpole for setep and fetchit
missions.

They also had a special ops air wing that conducted special
reconnasaicne
and insertions.

A couple of points of relevance for future SOF.

1. SOF units are most effective when they are regionally oriented so the
guys can learn the language culture etc. And in space it would be good
to
have units out by thefrontier where they can react quickly.
2. SOF units need a lot of support. Thee a lot of intel and planning
that
goe sinto these ops they winging it stuff only starts when you are on
the
ground not when preparing.
3. SOF needs their owo air/space assetts.
4. It would probably be cost prohibitive to have them all trained in
power
armor etc. Maybe some can be taiolored for raids, some for clandesting
etc
etc.

The smallest unit that you could station (garrisson) sonehwhere would be
a
company. It can have the necessary support to field teams. Your basic
building block can be anywhere from a 12 man team to a four man team
(but in
that case multiple teams will need to work together on occasion.  You
might
want to have big units around for your large raid typeo perations.

SPECOPS teams (not just US but most)normally have two specializations:
1. How they get to work: (i.e: HALO, scuba, combat swimmer, Long range
desert vehicles, Ruck and in the future orbital drop, capsule and
freefall,
and deepspace teams ala the ASAS in Karla's kidnap)
2. What mission they perform when they get here: (Direct Action  (raids
and
combat stuff, include specialization in Terminal guidance and CAS), CQC
(Close quarter combat...door kicking). Special Reconnasaince, mountain
ops,
desert ops etc.
3. Teams will have one primary and one alternate misson. Apart from the
ones
mentioned above:
A. CST Coalitioin Suppport Teams. If the Noi Rhomanai have allies, it's
good
to stick a team with each manuever unit (say bde level) so this way you
have
someone uyou trust whos there and can tell you "yes they really are at
grid
xyz "and can also provide FIST B. CAS guidance with NR air/orbital units
C. FID foreign Internal Defense This is the bread and butter of all
specops.
Training foerign allied units and also advising them  in counter
isurgency
ops
Unconventional Warfare UW means guerilla ops toppling governments
instead of
keeping them in power.
D. SOCCE Special ops command and control element. There's not a singl
specops unit in the world that doesn't ahve enemies in high places or
low
places in he conventional army. The SOCCE acts as a staff to the
conventional commander who has SF units under his command (usually and
army
or corp commander). They make sure the commander understands the
capabilities and limitations of sf units and make siure their guys don't
get
fucked.
There's others but one future specialization for sure would begetting in
and
out of psace ships and stations ala karla's Kidnap.

Anyway that's a long ramble of some things to think about when setting
up
your forces.

Los