The air force has both ground pounder types (para rescue and combat controllers) that are Spec ops, as well as aviators and crew that work with special operations. The pilots and crews are specially trained (hence the name :) for extreme conditions, special aircraft and different types of insertions and extractions.
It takes a special man to be able to fly a C-130 slow and low enough to jerk a guy up in a SPIES or STABO rig (where a c130 or other aircraft grabs a hook or rope and picks you up). Also infil flights for airborne operations are tricky affairs that require things like night flying, nap of the earth flight following the contours of the earth to avoid any radar signature. I mean I can imagine it's pretty hairy. The army has special ops pilots as well. Guys who fly aircraft like the little birds (small assault attack platforms) and such. There really is a difference. Tim -----Original Message----- From: Raymond Camden [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Friday, December 20, 2002 11:27 AM To: CF-Community Subject: RE: Somalia > Should just let the 75th Ranger Regiment and the 160th SOAR > police the place with a very loose rules of engagement. Give > some Air Force special ops aircraft and support (mmm EC-130). > That'll keep people safe :) > Hey - speaking of Air Force special ops - something I wanted to ask a while ago - does the Air Force have special forces units like Rangers, SEALs, etc? If so - what do they do? I mean - I can grok how SEALs and Rangers are different then normal grunts - but I can't imagine how a special forces 'pilot' would be better than a standard pilot. -ray ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?forumid=5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?method=subscribe&forumid=5 Your ad could be here. Monies from ads go to support these lists and provide more resources for the community. http://www.fusionauthority.com/ads.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
