Special Operations: Another Commando Olympics
1st January 2016
By the end of 2015 the U.S. and Britain revealed that they are sending more commandos (SAS, Special Forces, SEALs) to Iraq and Syria, all in response to the November 13 ISIL attack in Paris. Previously it was known that Jordan and Iran also had commandos operating in the area. Recently Russia has sent some of its spetsnaz commandos to Syria and several other nations (mostly NATO) are also making contributions. All this is shaping up to look like Afghanistan in the decade after 2001. So many nations spent commandos to Afghanistan in that time that this soon be called “the Commando Olympics”. This was not because so many nations had contingents there but because so many of them were working together for the first time. The different commando organizations weren’t competing with each other and were performing similar missions. But each national contingent used slightly different methods and equipment. Naturally, everyone compared notes and made changes based on combat experience. That was the draw for commandoes; getting and using “combat experience.” Training is great, but there’s nothing like operating against an armed and hostile foe. This is big thing, as the participating commandoes are becoming a lot more effective. But you can’t get a photograph of this increased capability, and the commandoes aren’t talking to the press. So it’s all a big story about commandos in Afghanistan and Syria is something you’ll never hear much about, except in history books, many years from now.