I just wanted to throw my two cents in regards to AFSOC and the many comments on here in terms of CCTs and PJs lacking recognition and praise for deeds, etc.
Being a PJ and especially a CCT is a very individualistic role in special operations. That really comes down to the nature of how they work/operate and the structure of their ranks. CCTs are attached to Ranger Platoons, SF A-Teams, CAG and DEV teams, etc. Delta, Rangers, SEALs, etc get recognition for events because they are a cohesive units with a goal ("kill Taliban, find UBL, capture Al Qaeda).
"Rangers assault an objective and take out the senior Taliban leader of that province including the killing of 30 of his men"
"SEALs infiltrate Pakistan and take out Osama bin Laden"
"Delta Force rescues American hostage held in Baghdad"
"Special Forces soldiers in Colombia help soldiers destroy a FARC jungle camp"
Get the picture?
You will never see headlines that say :
"24th STS assaults objective in Baghdad and kills the senior AQ facilitator"
"PJs from the 21st STS raid a weapons factory in Kabul and recover massive weapons cache"
That is why they will never have the recognition that other SOF units get simply because... they are not a unit. They are a collection of awesome special operators who contribute immensly to the fight by attaching themselves to SOF units. CCTs will play the deciding factor in the outcomes of battles throughout Iraq/Afghanistan (esp Afghanistan) as we have seen since 9/11. And the individuals will defintely get recognized (it's evident in the countless valor awards given to CCTs/PJs). But the 21st, or 23rd, or 24th STS will NEVER be recognized in the way that the other SOF units will.
