Wow - some SF guys here.

My Dad - who is the guy who taught me to "be prepared: was "Company B 2671st Special Reconnaissance Battalion" if that means anything to you. He did NOT go in with his team, as he broke his ankle training at Blida

I saw discovery channel program about British SAS forces are better equiped than US SF groups. Britain is a smaller country hence it can spend more money for higher quality material for kits for its SAS. The SAS has the latest high tech survival items that look like James bond gear.

Hey Mike,
Sure agree on the beret issue! It really is a case of someone that is afraid to be all they can be passing a proclamation to elevate their ego, if that makes sense. It reminds me of the time we were no longer allowed to wear foreign jump wings on our BDUs, mainly someone in power felt left out so they took the foreign wings from us all.
As for Groups, I was 10th, 12th Reserve and 19th ANG. Worked Desert Storm with SOCCENT. Although I am a desert rat at heart, I was not keen on the Middle East and was really glad to not have to go back again!
Uniforms, I do like the MARPATs, not the ACUs and there has never been a better uniform than the OD jungle fatigues! Cheers!

I'm sure that if you watch enough TV, then you might get the impression that the USA is behind just about everybody in just about every facet of life everywhere. The reality might be a little bit different. So what did "discovery channel program" say that "US SF groups" was lacking in "latest high tech survival items that look like James bond gear?" Hmm?

While I am sure all units of every military force worldwide are lacking some thing or other survival equipment or otherwise. However, I do happen to know a few members of the US special operations community and I can tell you that they don't go to the field unprepared, especially in E&E and survial areas. Although I believe it is the country who fields troops responsibility to equip them properly, it is also the troopers responsibilty to deploy prepared, with the proper mindset and whatever tools they can get their hands on.

One difference between the Coast Guard & the rest of us is in peacetime, we train but never get to actually do our jobs. Those guys train, but they actually use that training operating their equipment & weapons everyday. The Coast Guard is a combination police dept, ambulance co., rescue organization, air force & military service all in one.

As a former infantryman, for 12 years, we never really carried anything special. We had pretty much everything we needed on our backs, with the exception of food. That being said, I went through a one week survival class, in 90, that was pretty informative. The instructor had us modify our uniform, so that we had fishing line, a wire saw, a scalpel, and a few other things sewn into our BDUs. The class was also heavy on fire building & plant identification. As a result of taking over an hour with a bow making a fire, I now carry a lighter & flint/steel combo whenever I go hiking.

> Britain is a smaller country hence it can spend more money for higher quality
> material for kits for its SAS.

I think it's more that the SAS are special. They mostly get to pick their own gear. Other regiments have to use the usual channels, so probably lags behind the curve as much as in any other country.

I'd have thought a big country would have more actual money, and hence proportionally more to spare for a relatively small unit of elite soldiers.