|
Community Links |
Social Groups |
Pictures & Albums |
Members List |
Search Forums |
Advanced Search |
Go to Page... |
|
Thread Tools |
03-04-2016, 04:20 PM | #20491 |
Hog Driver
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Georgia
Posts: 12,238
|
I would combine cold weather training with mountaineering because the two go hand in hand, but mountaineering would also be a good skill for smaller recon assets too.
|
03-04-2016, 05:23 PM | #20492 |
W.O.R.M.S. Commander
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Back in the US of A! (NoVA)
Posts: 10,649
|
Compared to the normal day to day soldier, Mountaineering is probably enough of a specialty that there is a need to have a mission ready force capable of handling that environment. Like the 10th Mountain. Similar to being Jump qualified.
Unlike Norway though, cold weather is not as much of a fact of life for Americans. So there is probably a need there just for that reason. Most US military INfantry Training seems to happen in the South. Ft Hood, Ft Benning, Camp Pendleton, Parris Island. AS far as Special Operators SAS/Delta having a dedicated Mountaineering troop which handles Arctic climes. I'm not sure what the thought is behind there or how they created the four troop breakdown. Maybe the troops rotate, between, Scuba, MFF, Mountain and mobility. But like you say Lowtech, I don't know how much of a unique skill set Mountianeering requires. First and foremost they are Operators and those small team tactics are what they must excel at. I mean if an entire Squadron goes out do they leave the Mountain troop behind with the gear? But from a readiness stand point, we have the potential Battle with the Soviet Union, that existed until only 25 years ago, before that was the Falklands which seemed a bit chilly. Perhaps this is what precipitated the Mountain troop creation. Prior to the 80s everything else for SAS seemed more Hot weather related; Oman, Malaysia. Then Northern Ireland actions are more Urban combat. Today we have Afghanistan which is extremely Mountainous with cold winters in the north, but Desert Terrain as well. Still this may be cause for the continued use of a Mountain Troop?
__________________
Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome. |
03-04-2016, 05:50 PM | #20493 |
Hog Driver
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Georgia
Posts: 12,238
|
You could divide it between basic and advanced mountaineering. Basic would involve a larger unit of troops (10th Mountain) training for basic cold weather and mountain ops. Advanced would involve smaller units (recon platoon, SFODA, SEAL platoon) with more technical, perishable skills. A person with advanced training may lead less advanced mountaineers through moderate terrain that requires snowshoes or dog sleds, perhaps skis, and hiking steep slopes, but only advanced mountaineers would work together in severe terrain, crossing glaciers and crevasses, and scaling ice walls with crampons and axes, penetrating high alpine climates.
Last edited by Tanksmasher; 03-04-2016 at 05:53 PM.. |
03-04-2016, 06:26 PM | #20494 |
just a Marine
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: central PA
Posts: 1,681
|
Loose Cannon had a great point about where most of the US troops are stationed CONUS. I grew up in Northern Montana (If you guys ever watch that show Dual Survival, they did an episode about near where I grew up) with serious winters only experienced a few places in the US. Everybody in places like that knows a thing or two about living in the cold.
The heat can be miserable, but the cold is debilitating and deadly to soldiers. Part of the problem I observed is that since we generally are not in cold environments, the gear we were issued didn't cut it. We did some training ops where it was so cold C-4 crumbled and then it would warm up to about 33-34 Fahrenheit and everything gets soaking wet, then it cools off again and everything gets really miserable. I found that hunting, camping, or rounding up cattle in extreme cold was not as miserable as the 20-35 degree range where you are constantly getting wet. I don't know if we still do it, but the USMC would do an annual exercise in Norway, just like Captain SAS was saying. We had a unit called the Norway Air Landed Brigade, and their heavy gear and supplies are stored in Norway. The NALB would fly in, pull out the gear, spend a few weeks in the snow training, then put it all away in preparation of pending Soviet invasion. The NALB is more typical of how we specialize in various environments. If you are an infantryman, you are not a cold weather or desert infantryman, but whatever unit you get assigned to might spend a lot of time in one environment. If you get assigned to 7th Marines out in the stumps (29 Palms), you by default become a desert warfare expert. If you are at Camp Lejeune, you might be part of the NALB and have to learn some cold weather stuff. |
03-04-2016, 10:14 PM | #20495 |
Crimson Guard
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Canada
Posts: 1,018
|
Well . . . aside from the name there's nothing "mountain" about 10th Mountain Division. It's just a historical name. But it's a fair point that the troops in Alaska are probably going to be better at cold weather stuff than the troops in Hawaii. I'd also add that there's a difference between cold weather training and Arctic survival.
I'll also say again that climbing expertise has more applications than just mountains. Naval commandos need the skills to board ships (I suspect climbing a wet, slippery ship moving in three dimensions presents more challenges than static mountains), and commando ops in urban areas involve climbing/descending the outsides of buildings. If I was writing file cards today I'd probably ditch the PMS/SMS categories and just go with skills, and the one relevant to this topic (I believe) would be "lead climber." |
03-05-2016, 04:50 AM | #20496 |
Commando
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Italy
Posts: 426
|
Quote:
__________________
"sturdy construction for rugged play" ____________________________________ .....always looking for Italian MOC figure.......... |
03-05-2016, 01:14 PM | #20497 |
Commando
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Italy
Posts: 426
|
Thanks Tyroc!!!
__________________
"sturdy construction for rugged play" ____________________________________ .....always looking for Italian MOC figure.......... Last edited by Forza Irresistibile; 03-05-2016 at 02:10 PM.. |
03-05-2016, 01:18 PM | #20498 |
Commando
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Italy
Posts: 426
|
Quote:
As far as I know, the Eric Friestadt was the mass produced file card, the Mark Friestadt version was on the filecard from the 1986 'Original Team Mail-Away' promotion. The Eric version was the prototype version that also appeared in Larry Hama's original typed dossier files.
The Mark W. Brenstan filename appeared in later mail away versions. As an aside, I use the Mark Friestadt as the file name for the Dinamita version of the character and the Brenstan as the unproduced Sigma 6 version of him.
__________________
"sturdy construction for rugged play" ____________________________________ .....always looking for Italian MOC figure.......... |
03-05-2016, 03:53 PM | #20499 |
Crimson Guard
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Canada
Posts: 1,018
|
After poking around online, I came across this breakdown of core skills in a SEAL platoon (Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewman (SWCC): Not Just a SEAL Taxi Service | Navy SEALs
Task Unit core skills include: Sniper, Breacher, Communicator, Maritime/Engineering, Close Air Support, Medical, Point-man/Navigator, Primary Driver/Navigator (Rural/Urban/Protective Security), Heavy Weapons Operator, Sensitive Site Exploitation, Air Operations Master, Lead Climber, Lead Diver/Navigator, Explosive Ordnance Disposal, and Technical Surveillance. Here's my first stab at how I'd us that model to assign tasks to a Joe platoon (assuming that they're all qualified the basics in jumping, diving and demolitions): Sniper/ reconnaissance/surveillance Breacher/ engineer Communicator, Maritime/Engineering - I'd delete this, or make it another engineer with vertical construction/blueprint/architect training Close Air Support/ Forward Observer Medical, Point-man/Navigator/small arms armourer Primary Driver/Navigator (Rural/Urban/Protective Security)/ mechanic Heavy Weapons Operator, Sensitive Site Exploitation/ intelligence/ linguist Air Operations Master/ jump master Lead Climber, Lead Diver/Navigator, Explosive Ordnance Disposal - I'd probably make this a specialist add-on Technical Surveillance/ intelligence While Joes new to the team would probably only have one specialist skill, I'd assume that those who had been around for 4+ years would have added a second. Also, instead of having teams organized by terrain/insertion type (air, mountain/arctic etc) I'd organize them geographically: Europe/North America; Middle East & North Africa; Sub-Saharan Africa; Latin America; South Asia; East Asia/Pacific. Each team would have an alternate geographic region. |
03-05-2016, 05:55 PM | #20500 |
W.O.R.M.S. Commander
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Back in the US of A! (NoVA)
Posts: 10,649
|
So is that a 15 man team? Is the team commander a separate position? I somehow thought they were 16 man teams.
So then: Torpedo Wet-Down Shipwreck Deep-Six Tracker Wet-Suit Depthcharge Link Night-Fox Who else would you add to that team to get to 16? Or better yet what would be the ultimate 16 man team based on the SEAL team setup?
__________________
Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome. |
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Please Help! Need filecards! | RockinHard | G.I. Joe Buy Sell Trade | 2 | 10-26-2008 06:14 PM |
Need filecards! | RockinHard | G.I. Joe Buy Sell Trade | 18 | 10-24-2008 09:17 PM |
Filecards Wanted!!!! | RockinHard | G.I. Joe Buy Sell Trade | 5 | 10-17-2008 10:25 PM |
Filecards Wanted! | RockinHard | G.I. Joe Buy Sell Trade | 5 | 10-05-2008 04:15 PM |
Quaid Spills Secrets on "G.I. Joe" | HissCommander | G.I. Joe News and Rumors | 108 | 10-01-2008 11:23 AM |
|
|
Recent Off Topic Threads |
JazWares 18th Halo |
Streets of Rage 4? by Jakks Pacific |
Hisstank Late Night thread... |
DarkLordMordred... |
Last Movie You Watched? |