US Elite Forces - Vietnam

There seems to be something in the American character or way of life that views the very existence of elite armed forces with a great deal of suspicion. And while elite forces are used during a time of war, and indeed often glorified by the media their very existence is underlined in controversy. Both in and out of the military there is constant criticism, and indeed even pressure to dissolve any organization considered to be an elite force within any of the branches of service. Regardless of how this controversy is resolved in the future, if ever, the elite forces did an extraordinary job in the past and can be counted on to do so in the future, when need rears its ugly head. The peculiar nature and circumstances of the Vietnam War were such that it provided fertile ground for the growth of elite forces and the development of special mission tac­tics especially the Army's Special Forces. However, each branch of service had an elite special mission trained organization and the Army and Air Force had more than one: The Army's Special Forces, the largest and perhaps consequently the most controver­sial of all the American Elite troops can serve as a focus to introducing one to the elite troops belonging to the other branches of service. This is especially so since much of the tactics and training were pioneered and developed by the men of the Special Forces — the Green Berets.