An Airborne Company's Last Stand

SOCNET:The Special Operations Bulletin Board ^ | 6/17/2005 | Michael Wilmouth, Sgt., Peter Tsouras, Lt. Col.

[DJ Taylor]

Elite combat units are elite only because they train harder than other units at their war fighting skills, but wearing a special hat or parachuting out of airplanes never made anyone elite. It looks like this Russian Airborne Infantry unit was sorely lacking in their basic infantry skills and could hardly be called elite. Instead of elite, you could call them what you call any combat infantry unit that lets their war fighting skills degrade; you call them dead.

[snoringbear]

I wonder if the Ruskies must actually jump out of a plane (in the air) in order to become "Airborne" certified? My guess is that their air-lift capability is in such sad state that their five jumps or whatever the requirement, is simulated by jumping off a cabbage crate, heh, heh, poor Ivan...

[Thombo2]

"They did not perform so well in Afghanistan either."I thought i conveyed that in my statement.Please re-read my friend:)

[wildcatf4f3]

Think you're right and it explains the lack of US prisoners in Iraq. Still it can't be an easy decision to make and thats why I admire it so much. The men on Wake surrendered. the men on Guadalcanal did not. Some were captured, theres a difference. The Marines learned that death fighting was more merciful than death by beheading. the Japanese and Muslims share that penchant for decapitation and suicidal death. We've seen it before and the Jihadis are learning that after the rules are set, their barbarism loses its psychological power.

[denydenydeny]

Media reports consistently indicate that no 6th Company soldiers were taken prisoner. They refused to give up their position, even while knowing they would be overrun and killed. The VDV is known as an elite force composed of soldiers with high morale, discipline and a sense of purpose. Their actions make it clear that this characterization held true.

To repeat the point made by several on this thread, it's pretty clear that the reason for their fighting to the last man was less "high morale, discipline and a sense of purpose," than it was the knowledge that the savages had already posted beheading videos on the internet, and that they could expect the same. The article is a bit disingenuous.

[alfa6]

Marker Bump

[PeteB570]

Check my post # 10.

4 days is a long time to hold out when you are surrounded.

The ability of the small company to hold off repeated attacks is to be commended. The ability of the the higher command to exercise it's C&C is not.

Airborne Infantry the world over have a certain swagger when they walk. That swagger was hard earned in thousands of little known engagements.

[Dick Vomer]

The men on Wake surrendered. the men on Guadalcanal did not. Some were captured, there's a difference

that's why we "Remember the Alamo" and never really hear about the Battle of Goliad....in both battles "everybody died",but the manner of your death is remembered almost as much as the manner of your life...

[TET1968]

If you don't want your "power base," be it military, citizens, club, group, sect, organization, congregation, following, fans, members, supporters, customers,clients, constituents, voters, benefactors, investors, contributors, to surrender to your enemies demands, .......you demonize your enemy.

If your people are under siege and starving you tell them the enemy intends on raping and beheading everyone they capture alive.

If one does not agree with you, he is your enemy. If he is your enemy, you invalidate him.

To fight this way, the only weapon you need is a loud voice, Everything Ted Turner learned in life, he learned from Joseph Gobbles.