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Subject: Project Bluelight/Bluelight Battalion?
Renegade1A    6/29/2006 6:23:27 PM
Fifteen years ago I met a former SF Soldier that had mentioned having been a member of Bluelight. For some reason the name has always stuck in my head. Anyway, I am currently a student in the American Military University's Intelligence Studies program and I'm working on a paper on count-terrorism units. It is my understanding, through what I was told back in the early '90s and the EXTREMELY limited information I've been able to gather online about Bluelight that it was either in competition with Delta or the forerunner of it for assignment as the US's premiere CT mission. I believe they were the interim team as well until Delta becam operational. Can anyone give further insight as to the history of Bluelight or info on where I can go to find out?
 
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Horsesoldier    RE:Project Bluelight/Bluelight Battalion?   6/29/2006 8:20:59 PM
Consider all the following sentences to start with "I think" or "I heard" . . . Blue Light was more a competitor to Delta than a forerunner, though it may have preceded Delta by a modest amount of time (months, not years, I'd think, but not sure). It was never declared operational, and the slightly faster formation time may have been that it was formed by tasking SF personnel rather than Delta's SAS-type selection process. Went away after Delta got the nod to do the national-asset CT mission. All that said, I would also note that some, perhaps all, personnel from Blue Light merged into Delta very early on in Delta's history, probably immediately before or after it got the official nod to be the go-to unit for CT. I don't know of any good sources for history on Blue Light, beyond passing references here and there in books about Delta or other unrelated or somewhat related topics.
 
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GOP    RE:Project Bluelight/Bluelight Battalion?   6/29/2006 11:56:15 PM
Horsesoldier is correct, from everything I have read (not much other than what is in Charles Beckwith's book on Delta and a few other small pieces of info from other books). As far as your paper, I think we would all agree (especially Horsesoldier), that DEVGRU is by far the most effective CT unit on planet earth. I would use words like "Unbelievable", "Awesome", and "Top Notch" when describing DEVGRU and SEALs in general... :)
 
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Schackleford    RE:Project Bluelight/Bluelight Battalion?   6/30/2006 3:13:47 AM
I seem to remember (don't ask me how) that Blue Light was formed in opposition to the tactics and principles of Delta Force, by an officer with longstanding rivalries with Charles Beckwidth, Delta Force's Godfather.
 
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Carl S    RE:Project Bluelight/Bluelight Battalion?   7/2/2006 4:51:42 PM
My take is Blue Light was a temp organization, formed from Special Forces. Its sole role was to provide a temporary capabiity while the much more elaboarate structure of Delta force was stood up. Perhaps it commader or some other leader hoped to make it more than that? Changing the subject...A couple times I've read brief items on the organization of Delta force. Each gave differing proportions, but both commonly described the intelgence group as the largest in manpower of Delta. Perhaps exceeding 50% of the aggregate manpower. Can anyone verify this?
 
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SteelGear    RE:Project Bluelight/Bluelight Battalion?   7/4/2006 9:25:16 PM
--As far as your paper, I think we would all agree (especially Horsesoldier), that DEVGRU is by far the most effective CT unit on planet earth. I would use words like "Unbelievable", "Awesome", and "Top Notch" when describing DEVGRU and SEALs in general...-- Your bias towards the 'Superiority' of the USN SEALs is nothing short of amazing.
 
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mough    RE:Project Bluelight/Bluelight Battalion?   7/5/2006 11:02:43 AM
Your bias towards the 'Superiority' of the USN SEALs is nothing short of amazing.<< he was kidding, that's why the :)< was in the post
 
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Maverick    RE:Blue Light Issues: Real Talk   7/7/2006 3:46:07 PM
Renegade 1A I would caution you stop your search for blue light intel. Some of the courses in your curriculum deals specifically with how bad they have been treated in the past, however, they persevered as only the great ones can. Some strap hanger whores ( a Beckwithian term ) thought they were doing innovative work by devising a system that would manage the mortality rate of blue light soldiers after their tours of duty were over, as many considered them extremely dangerous. That gutless era has been replaced by the current era that recognizes the fact that America needs every blue light type of soldier they can muster in addition to the D types as well.
 
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GOP    RE:Blue Light Issues: Real Talk   7/7/2006 9:50:37 PM
>> would caution you stop your search for blue light intel. Some of the courses in your curriculum deals specifically with how bad they have been treated in the past, however, they persevered as only the great ones can. Some strap hanger whores ( a Beckwithian term ) thought they were doing innovative work by devising a system that would manage the mortality rate of blue light soldiers after their tours of duty were over, as many considered them extremely dangerous. That gutless era has been replaced by the current era that recognizes the fact that America needs every blue light type of soldier they can muster in addition to the D types as well.<< Can anyone make out what Braddock is saying, or what relevance this has to do with the original bluelight bn? All I really understand is "I would caution you to stop your search for blue light intel" (why exactly?)
 
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Horsesoldier    RE:Blue Light Issues: Real Talk   7/8/2006 4:55:38 PM
>>Can anyone make out what Braddock is saying, or what relevance this has to do with the original bluelight bn? All I really understand is "I would caution you to stop your search for blue light intel" (why exactly?) << I'm guessing it's because Braddock is a lunatic, even when he calls himself "Maverick." But at least he did not say anyone was trying to "ascertain" anything, so maybe he's making progress.
 
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longrifle    RE:Blue Light Issues: Real Talk   7/8/2006 6:40:47 PM
>>Some strap hanger whores.....<< Kettle, this is pot, over.
 
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