US Army SOF Photos

[TLDR20]

I'm honestly really suprised that VBSS hasn't gotten more visibility on training calendars, what with all the nonsense going on off the HoA.



That is bad ass...

It is really a traditional SEAL mission. I have never done anything close to VBSS. Even in SFAUCC. Ship stuff is just SEAL stuff

 

[goon175]

Touche. And as fun as it would be to dabble in that, it should probably stay a SEAL task.

 

[TLDR20]

Touche. And as fun as it would be to dabble in that, it should probably stay a SEAL task.

Other than the entry it is just straight up CQB. I think an ODA would be capable of doing it!

 

[goon175]

Well yeah, I don't think an ODA or Ranger PLT would have any issue with it, but why do we have NSW if they aren't going to be the ones taking on the maritime missions? Thats kind of what I was getting at, as far as it staying a SEAL task.

 

[TLDR20]

Well yeah, I don't think an ODA or Ranger PLT would have any issue with it, but why do we have NSW if they aren't going to be the ones taking on the maritime missions? Thats kind of what I was getting at, as far as it staying a SEAL task.

They may have had an issue filling the tasker. I would personally choose an ODA over a Ranger platoon only due to ones ability to teach vs a bunch o privates

 

[goon175]

Haha, you got me cback:

• board ship
• clear and secure ship
• give impromptu classes on react to contact battle drill and foreign weapons

Standard VBSS mission, for sure!

 

[SkrewzLoose]

Obviously WAY out of my lane here, but wouldn't the Chinook completely eliminate any element of surprise? I understand that this is an exercise to show off capabilities, but just seems a bit odd to my untrained eye. A cool picture, none the less!

 

[TLDR20]

Haha, you got me cback:

• board ship
• clear and secure ship
• give impromptu classes on react to contact battle drill and foreign weapons

Standard VBSS mission, for sure!

Not standard but Ranger privates are very different than SF NCO's

Obviously WAY out of my lane here, but wouldn't the Chinook completely eliminate any element of surprise? I understand that this is an exercise to show off capabilities, but just seems a bit odd to my untrained eye. A cool picture, none the less!

Is a fast boat better? A boat involves hooks I assume. A helicopter is faster than a boat, and just as conspicuous as a boat.

 

[goon175]

I agree, But I don't doubt a Ranger platoons ability to do anything DA related, to include VBSS. You make it sound like its 25 privates running around with guns for the first time! Give'm a little more credit than that!

 

[TLDR20]

I agree, But I don't doubt a Ranger platoons ability to do anything DA related, to include VBSS. You make it sound like its 25 privates running around with guns for the first time! Give'm a little more credit than that!

Oh I don't doubt a group of Rangers could do it! I think they would do a great job! The teaching is what I question.

 

[goon175]

Oh yeah, you got me there all day long. Thats why you guys do that!

Rangers are definately not known for there patience towards foreign nationals. not by any means whatsoever! private or not, for that matter.

I was wondering how we got on the topic of teaching, but then I went back and re-read my post. By maritime missions I was stictly thinking of the VBSS type missions, and obviously maritime includes much more than just that.

 

[TLDR20]

Rangers are definately not known for there patience towards foreign nationals. not by any means whatsoever! private or not, for that matter.

Yeah that's what I was getting at. DA wise I KNOW a Ranger platoon could do it, but I don't think they could teach a HN to do the same. However I also know an ODA or ODB could do it and teach a
HN to do it, perfectly, and constructively. That is what an ODA can do, and that is what most don't understand!

 

[goon175]

If you look at it in that aspect, an ODA would be better suited than a SEAL platoon.

 

[TLDR20]

If you look at it in that aspect, an ODA would be better suited than a SEAL platoon.

Exactly, but most people still don't understand that. SF by their nature are teachers, teachers that lead, often in combat. No other SOF unit trains for that purpose. SEALs may be great at doing VBSS, but who do we call on to teach it? SF? Of course. Who do we call on to teach other countries tier 1 units? NSWDG? CAG? Or SF? A lot of the time it is SF. For a reason. We may not be tier 1 but we can teach like a mofo!

 

[goon175]

Oh yeah, I would never dispute that. Having any other unit conduct those types of FID missions doesn't make sense to me, and thats what I was saying about SEALs, the maritime missions should be theres to conduct, otherwise, why do we have them? If SF isn't doing the FID mission, why do we have them? You guys are the best at it, and thus should be the go-to guys to do it.

 

[TLDR20]

Oh yeah, I would never dispute that. Having any other unit conduct those types of FID missions doesn't make sense to me, and thats what I was saying about SEALs, the maritime missions should be theres to conduct, otherwise, why do we have them? If SF isn't doing the FID mission, why do we have them? You guys are the best at it, and thus should be the go-to guys to do it.

Being in Batt you know how SEALs often act, unfortunately that carries over to their leadership, which means they are now getting FID missions they are not equipped to handle! As a result of this I was twice tasked on a short deployment to augment a SEAL detatchment because I was a medic, that should have been our mission to start with! Oh well end rant!

 

[Polar Bear]

Any info about this pic? Maybe a Special Reconnaissance mision? Anyone have any info or pics about this tipe of misions actually?

Yes, a guy is standing on a very large rock, some call it a mountain. He was wishing that he was anywhere but where he is but knows no one else will do the deed. God said who shall I send and he stood up and said, send me Lord I will do your bidding.

 

[TLDR20]

Yes, a guy is standing on a very large rock, some call it a mountain. He was wishing that he was anywhere but where he is but knows no one else will do the deed. God said who shall I send and he stood up and said, send me Lord I will do your bidding.

Are posts on SS supposed to give me boner? This one did!

 

[CDG]

It is really a traditional SEAL mission. I have never done anything close to VBSS. Even in SFAUCC. Ship stuff is just SEAL stuff

It actually breaks down a little further. There are unopposed, non-compliant, and opposed boardings. Unopposed is just like it sounds, we call the vessel, they agree to let us come search them, we do the search and go home. Non-compliant is where passive-aggressive measures are taken to prevent boarding. They may say we can't board them, or they say we do but when we get there they've got the perimeter of the deck strung with barbed wire or something. Opposed means they shoot at us. The amount of boardings that need doing these days far outpaces the SEALs ability to keep up. With that in mind, the tasking for unopposed and non-compliant boardings has largely shifted to the blue water Navy. I was a part of one of the first non-compliant teams that was qualified as such. The Navy also experimented with taking regular sailors and training them in HVBSS, which is VBSS done from helos. That was short-lived however. The other tasking remains in place and there are ships that go on deployments to the Persian Gulf with a mission largely consisting of Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO). So the VBSS teams are made up of volunteers from the ships crew who have to pass a few tests and then make it through the training. I do know that the training has changed drastically since I went through. When I went through the NCVBSS course we had a decent amount of shooting, defensive tactics every morning, basic medical training, and a decent amount of room entry/clearing training. However, when we ran an FTX for the regular Navy brass, they did not like the aggressiveness we displayed and told the instructors (almost all former/current SOF) that they needed to tone it down. The Instructors called bullshit and a large number of them quit after that.

 

[TLDR20]

It actually breaks down a little further. There are unopposed, non-compliant, and opposed boardings. Unopposed is just like it sounds, we call the vessel, they agree to let us come search them, we do the search and go home. Non-compliant is where passive-aggressive measures are taken to prevent boarding. They may say we can't board them, or they say we do but when we get there they've got the perimeter of the deck strung with barbed wire or something. Opposed means they shoot at us. The amount of boardings that need doing these days far outpaces the SEALs ability to keep up. With that in mind, the tasking for unopposed and non-compliant boardings has largely shifted to the blue water Navy. I was a part of one of the first non-compliant teams that was qualified as such. The Navy also experimented with taking regular sailors and training them in HVBSS, which is VBSS done from helos. That was short-lived however. The other tasking remains in place and there are ships that go on deployments to the Persian Gulf with a mission largely consisting of Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO). So the VBSS teams are made up of volunteers from the ships crew who have to pass a few tests and then make it through the training. I do know that the training has changed drastically since I went through. When I went through the NCVBSS course we had a decent amount of shooting, defensive tactics every morning, basic medical training, and a decent amount of room entry/clearing training. However, when we ran an FTX for the regular Navy brass, they did not like the aggressiveness we displayed and told the instructors (almost all former/current SOF) that they needed to tone it down. The Instructors called bullshit and a large number of them quit after that.

Great! I still think an ODA could track and teach all of that if the mission called for it!