Show and Tell

Cato: It's so obvious, it's bound to be a trap.
Clouseau: That is why you'll never be a great detective, Cato.
It's so obvious that it could not possibly be a trap
--The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976)

I'm out of money, I'm out of hope,
It looks like self destruction.
Well how much more can we take,
With all of this corruption?
--Flirtin' With Disaster, Molly Hatchet
_____________

More photo analysis from the aesthetically-inclined Ranger. This time from photos in Dick Couch's book, "Chosen Soldier: The Making of a Special Forces Warrior 2007)." It borders on Rainman's level of intensely minute focus, but that is part of Ranger's Asperger-like charm.

In photo #1 depicting "proper technique for searching an enemy prisoner of war," the caption reads, "VERY CAREFULLY!" However, that is not the way Ranger would "cover" a prisoner being searched.

Prisoner are dangerous even when unarmed. Imagine the prisoner pivoting, rolling and grabbing the searcher. Imagine him twitching -- would you the searcher want somebody firing 5.56 mm rounds into his body when you might catch a stray round or ricochet?

Instead, why not place your rifle muzzle on his back between the shoulder blades? In the eventuality he moves, the blast will go into the ground, and not kill a friendly. This isn't rocket science. If SF is being trained this shoddily, what standards are being used by the rest of the Army?


In the second photo, the machine gun is employed as a medium MG since it is on a tripod. Ranger has never seen a tripod carried on actual offensive operations. The tripod is generally an item used in defensive fires. Imagine running from the ambush to the objective rally point carrying this extra piece of steel.

Ranger will buy the theatrical Ghilly suits on an ambush, but do troopers really carry this kind of gear on extended combat operations which are the hallmark of traditional SF UW/GW operations?

The tripod is superfluous, and causes the gun to be employed too high off the ground. Being high causes the gunner to present a higher profile and therefore be a better target for enemy fire. Additionally, the gunner and assistant gunner are camouflaged, but the gun is not, so what is the point?

Grazing fire should ideally be used in an ambush raking the length of the kill zone. If you must use a tripod, it should be dug into the ground. But the tripod and traversing and elevating mechanism do not allow the gunner to rapidly shift his fire to the rear if the enemy tries an unexpected avenue of approach.

The tripod and T & E must be assembled at the ambush site and disassembled after the ambush. This is unrealistic and it is not reasonable to approach the ambush site or leave it with the gun attached to the tripod and the T & E mechanism. Also, the gun will be hot and difficult to handle after blowing the ambush.

The rule is: keep everything simple. The setup presented does not allow for rapid evacuation of the scene, as it is too unwieldy.

The belt of the MG is too long and the assistant gunner should be supporting in closer to the gun. The MG is less likely to have a stoppage if the belt feeds directly into the gun without angling up into the feed tray, as seen in the picture.

What is the function of the assistant gunner? He is there to service the gun and to provide last ditch security to the gunner, and to call out targets. The assistant should have his primary or secondary weapon ready to employ if the enemy assaults the ambush site. It is not evident in the photo.

Also, the tree to the left of the gun obstructs the field of fire, which negates the cover that it may provide. Neither the gunner or his assistant can see any threat approaching because they would be masked from sight by the tree. Additionally, the muzzle blast will throw back into the faces of the gunners after hitting the tree.

You would imagine ideal form would be presented for this photo shoot. In actuality, this presents a recipe for disaster.

Well there you have it, SOCNET and SOFORP fans. Close analysis of some "SF warriors" from your favorite son.