July 20,
2008: The war on terror, and especially
the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, have brought back an old American
battlefield tradition; tracking and stalking the enemy. Even before the
American revolution, colonial militias used the hunting skills of their members
to develop uniquely American infantry tactics. The generals never completely
accepted or permanently adapted these skills. But in every war, and especially
in World War II and subsequent conflicts, the tracking and stalking skills of
troops were recognized, and utilized, on the battlefield.
During
World War II, many divisions organized special scouting units, recruiting troops
who were particularly skilled at tracking, and stalking game. These hunting skills
are easily transferred to the battlefield. Indeed, the earliest armies made use
of these skills, and primitive tribes still use "hunting parties" as "war
bands" when the game is two-legged and able to fight back. The most successful
army in history, that of the Medieval Mongols, was based on the hunting
organization and tactics employed to survive on the great plains of Eurasia.
During the
Korean War (1950-53), division commanders created "Ranger Companies," composed
of their most skilled stalkers and scouts. These rangers were disbanded after
Korea, but were revived in Vietnam, in the form of LRRPs (Long Range
Reconnaissance Patrols) and other specialized units. After Vietnam, the Ranger
Regiment was created, but as a force of elite light infantry, not scouts. More
of these ranger type skills were taught to all troops, but not in a
concentrated enough way to make a difference.
But the
U.S. Marine Corps noted that snipers, a development of the late 19th century
smokeless powder (making it more difficult to spot a sniper who had just fired
the more accurate and longer range rifles), also had to use stalking and
tracking skills to be effective. So the marines established small
"Scout-Sniper" units, and utilized both these skills to both find the enemy,
and kill them if necessary.
In Iraq,
policemen and detectives, serving there in large numbers as reservists, brought
their concept of "street marts" to the growing bag of tricks developed for fighting
in Iraq. Being able to spot who was a bad guy, dressed as a civilian and trying
to stay undetected in the population, was something urban police are good at.
In many infantry units, these skills were codified, and taught to troops. The
marines took this a step farther, and developed a new stalking and tracking
program for all marines.
The U.S.
Army Special Forces, and commando troops world-wide, have long recognized the
usefulness of these skills, and now the U.S. Army is trying to incorporate more
of it into their regular training. After all, it's an old American tradition.
