Comments on: Why on earth did the Navy need commandos who could raid anywhere on it?

By: Lucklucky

Lucklucky — Thu, 16 Sep 2021 02:20:37 +0000

The origins:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decima_Flottiglia_MAS

By: Sam J.

Sam J. — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 00:54:22 +0000

“SEALs as a unit that should not exist”

I’m listening to the Jocko interview and now I understand why they shouldn’t exist. Other units had the capability, but it looks like the people at the top just did not want these crazy deranged warrior-type people.

Szopen,

https://www.wykop.pl/cdn/c3201142/comment_BvHZAO5nH0utf7KQK55EGZsB8gEaDEsa,w400.jpg

They look bad ass!

By: Szopen

Szopen — Sat, 11 Sep 2021 11:57:37 +0000

Why maritime power have navy special units is one thing, but why country such as mine apes SEALs and creates Formoza, is completely another thing.

They seem to exist only to have cool looking photos (and to capture some Iraq facilities twenty years ago).

https://www.wykop.pl/cdn/c3201142/comment_BvHZAO5nH0utf7KQK55EGZsB8gEaDEsa,w400.jpg

By: Felix

Felix — Sat, 11 Sep 2021 05:38:31 +0000

Off topic: Where is Kirk? I hope he’s OK.

By: VXXC

VXXC — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 22:53:31 +0000

When the SEALS get told to march over mountains in wet suits, carrying O2 tanks, marching in flippers..

…then they’ll be in the Army.

By: Hoyos

Hoyos — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 19:31:36 +0000

Nobody questions sailors operating in a littoral environment. My understanding is until the fifties most sailors received some basic infantry training because they might have to operate on shore for brief periods. The Navy having frogmen, operating in an amphibious manner, none of this is weird.

SEALs in Iraq and Afghanistan operating far far away from a large body of water without a scuba tank in sight is weird.

First chapter is interesting, basically details marines going from naval infantry to Army 2: The Sequel. Kind of like army aviation developing close air support helicopters after the Air Force spin-off and didn’t want to provide the CAS the army wanted. The navy kind of lost its infantry so things like the SEALs gained more prominence being the implication.

Related detour, there’s been talk about Special Operations Command spinning off into its own service. I feel like key questions aren’t being asked like “what are we actually trying to accomplish here?” Might be a good way to slosh money around is my fear but I might be thinking too cynically.

By: Bruce Purcell

Bruce Purcell — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 17:06:25 +0000

The Navy needs sailors who can swim, frogmen. When you separate a specialty into two new specialties, lots of people get promoted. When Navy frogmen separated into EOD frogmen who know explosives and how to swim around propellers, and SEAL frogmen who know how to swim ashore with small arms, lots of people got promoted. D-JFK was president around then and he was nuts about ‘special forces’.

By: Sam J.

Sam J. — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 16:42:22 +0000

“SEALs as a unit that should not exist”

I’m not sure why anyone would say this. I haven’t listened to the podcast yet. Maybe I will change my mind but something like 80% or more of the Earth’s population live within 80 miles of the Ocean so being able to operate on the Ocean with land capabilities makes perfect sense. You infiltrate from the Ocean to the population centers close to it which is most of the population.