my below comment was addressed to Horsesoldier

There's an interesting sidenote on the Grenada incident in a book on SEAL Team Six by Cmdr Marcinok(Rogue Warrior). Apparently, he's still held in high regard, although as a bit of a maverick. As for DEVGRU, if it exists which it of course doesnt, it was formerly known as SEAL Team Six. Marcinko blames the commander who succeeded him for allowing the night water drop, which apparently was way off course(pilot error?), with the pickup ships nowhere nearby. I'm no rifleman, and you'd have to shoot me before you got me to roll around in the mud, but I get the impression from the description of their training that SEAL Six really had its #### together under Marcinko, and that that was a JSOC planning blunder in which his replacement, CDR Ghormley should've spoken up. Aside: from a squid's perspective, how stupid is that? Why jump when there's a HUGE freaking combined Navy/Marine task force floating off of Grenada. Couldn't they head out from the ships via Boston Whaler or Zodiac? Then, to their credit, they accomplished their mission objectives, then swam back out to the ships when the task force "forgot" about them. An interesting thing about DEVGRU...it's possibly the only group in SOCOM that hasn't been highly publicized. Delta's leaked, the AF CCTs have been PRing their more recent actions in Afghanistan/Iraq, but you really don't hear anything about DEVGRU. Most people don't even know what the hell it is. As for unique SEAL capabilities, I'd have to put HVBSS on the list. As far as I know, the other special operations guys don't practice boarding a ship underway, either by helo insertion or climbing up with a ladder via Zodiac. Anyway, Rogue Warrior is a pretty good read, and the movie Navy SEALs was based on it, as much as Top Gun was based off the life of Randy Cunningham.

[As for unique SEAL capabilities, I'd have to put HVBSS on the list. As far as I know, the other special operations guys don't practice boarding a ship underway, either by helo insertion or climbing up with a ladder via Zodiac.] Are you talking about other SOCOM units or in general? The SAS certainly do (and IIRC were the first to undertake structured boarding due to the Andrea Dorea). Aust'n SASr certainly do 9as do the Kiwis) In fact the UK/NZ/Singapore/Malaysia and Aust'n specops people are training together for combined boarding situations. (Straits of Malacca, pirates, terrorists) The Italians also have a long long history of boarding at sea. (COMSUB)

SOCOM. I believe the SBS was doing sea boarding before the SEALs started training for CT ops.

my top 5 would be: 1- Navy Seals 2- Delta Force 3- Green Barrets 4- SAS 5- Spetznaz I could not think of anyone else that should measure up to these organizations. but i am open to suggestion with fact to back them up.

>>An interesting thing about DEVGRU...it's possibly the only group in SOCOM that hasn't been highly publicized. Delta's leaked, the AF CCTs have been PRing their more recent actions in Afghanistan/Iraq, but you really don't hear anything about DEVGRU. Most people don't even know what the hell it is. << It hasn't? Anyone with tell all books by its founder floating around is pretty much out in the open and on the radar.

>>how do u make sweeping general statements like tht? u really can't say tht for any country's sf forces. how do u know out of every single military personnel who can do wht and who can beat who?????..... << Certainly -- not unlike basing one's assessment of best and worst special operations units on a public relations event in Botswana that was not even attended by an 'A' list of NATO special operations units, I would think.

firstly, let's hear your opinion as to why you'd put SEALS, Delta Force and the Green B ahead of the SAS. Now I assume you're talking about Brit SAS who have a brilliant record. I don't want to get into a ``My country specops can do this..'' but you asked for other contenders so I'll give you the Aus SAS. Firstly, they were the premier unit of their type in Vietnam. They suffered one KIA in the entire conflict and that trooper died back in Australia from his wounds. The Viet Cong were so scared of them they named them Phantoms of the Jungle (Ma Rhung I think the spelling is). They also operated alongside Brit SAS during the 50s and 60s confrontations and Malaya Emergency. The Aus SAS again demonstrated their ability in the recent Afghan conflict and were the first Allied troops to fire a shot in anger during the second Gulf War. They are also leaders in desert survival, assualts from the air and hot heliborne extractions. The Kiwi SAS, although small in number, are also top class. But, as many people have said on this board, ranking special forces is pointless. Really, the less your hear about a special forces unit the better. They should be neither seen nor heard. Yes, the list you have are all top quality operators (though I wouldn't put Spetznaz in it) but I doubt the men themselves care for rankings..

sorry, my last post was for Patton620.

Thanks Beersheba i never really knew that much about the SAS that much before. I think my new list will be more to your liking: 1-Navy Seals 2-British SAS 3-Delta Force 4-Green Barret 5-Russian Spetznaz( I believe that all or most of the former soviet rebublics still refer to there special forces as spetznaz, but i may be wrong)