Rhodesian Light Infantry

[pardus]

Jumping into combat upto THREE times a day.

Jumping into combat wearing shorts and sneakers.

Cpl Des Archer, 73 combat jumps.

Lowest combat jump, 200ft.

Average combat jump height, 500ft, descent time averaging less than 20 seconds.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46XGmUh0TFw&feature=related"]YouTube - Rhodesia - The Saints - Rhodesian Light Infantry[/ame]

 

[gunslinger]

Hard core warriors. Interesting post.

 

[uitlander]

RLI Recce Troop

I am an American US Army Viet Nam vet who served in the RLI. They were great troops * hard core sldiers who were soild out byt the Brits & the USA.
Aye yours,
Ken

 

[7point62]

The RLI was taking in a good many Americans, Brits, French back then. I think the French had their own battalion. I knew a "Federal" person in Jacksonville NC who was doing a bit of moonlighting recruiting for the Rhodys around mid 70s.

 

[Mac_NZ]

My Scout was a Rhodi before I had the ungrateful little shit promoted. Now hes in the RTO platoon poor wanker.

Hes a hard little prick, his old man was a cop with special branch and his uncles were C sqn and RLI, his old man is over here and likes a beer or twelve and the odd war story. Says they wore shorts because they "were fucking hard" they had some pretty advanced LBE gear compared to the rest of the world back then to.

 

[7point62]

Guess I can tell this now. This guy I knew was an FBI agent recruiting in the back room of a gun store in J'Ville, NC, right outside Camp Swampy. Moonlighting, I guess, who knows. He was talking primarily to infantry/recon NCO combat vets with at least 4 years. I had 6 and I used to hang there, so I got invited into "The Back Room". Boy, did my eyes open wide. They had a god dam recoilless rifle back there, a Ma Deuce, M60's, '79s, frags, 16s, mini 16s, 14s, M3s...

As best as I can recall the offer wasn't lucrative. No bonus, no promotion. You kept your rank and served a 1 year regular enlistment in a RLI company, I think it was for a year. Basically a chance to fight the ZANLAs or whateverthefuck they were called and snoop and poop in the bush.

This was '76 or '77 and the outlook wasn't too promising. The only support the Rhodis were getting was from S. Africa and that was on the sly. Everybody else wanted a piece of their ass and the Commies to win. 5 years earlier I'd gotten my ass out of one lost cause and left my counterparts with their peckers in their hands, so I wasn't buying in.

Instead I went to the 'Glades and learned to enjoy Gator meat.

 

[CBTech]

There is a pretty hardcore biker guy I know that said he was a Rhodi. Says he was recruited out of Houston. Said he wasn't allowed to join the US Army during RVN because of some ailment or some bullshit, maybe he said legal? trouble.
I really thought he was BS ing the whole time and now I am pretty sure if they were looking for NCO's w/ combat.
He always seemed like a old bullshitter type guy. This is who I learned about the RLI from and really enjoyed researching and learing about the situation there.

I would have to agree with you 7.62, they were sold out by too many and given little to no support with zero recognition from their alliances. Fuck That! Real(crazy) men need only to apply.