The Perfect Soldier Special Operations, Commandos, and the Future of U.S. Warfare

by Dunnigan, James F.

• ISBN13: 9780806524160
• ISBN10: 0806524162
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-06-01
• Publisher: Citadel

Summary

In this authoritative, in-depth account, military,author and historian James F. Dunnigan uncovers,the fascinating evolution of the world's deadliest,warriors, from skilled prehistoric hunters,through Stoss Truppen, British SAS, Russia's,Spetnaz, the Long-Range Reconnaissance Patrols of,the Vietnam War, antiterrorism commandos, SWAT,teams, and the commando wars of Afghanistan and,Iraq. With brilliant analysis and gripping,descriptions, Dunnigan explores the minds, methods,and decisive battles of elite forces. This inside,look shows the way warfare has changed forever.

Table of Contents

Foreword to the Paperback Edition	xi
1 "Send Me Your Best Men..."	1	(13)
Things You Need to Know	4	(5)
Afghanistan and the Perfect Soldiers	9	(3)
A History of Innovation and Military Effectiveness	12	(2)
2 Commandos Through History	14	(32)
Fellowships and Royal Guards	14	(1)
Legends and Reality	15	(2)
Primary Groups	17	(1)
Hunters and Commandos	18	(1)
The Heroes of Legend Were Real	19	(2)
Tribal Commandos	21	(1)
Send Me Your Best Men for a Special Mission	22	(1)
Armies of Commandos	23	(3)
When Being the Best Isn't Good Enough	26	(3)
The Grenadiers	29	(1)
Commandos on Horseback	30	(1)
Mamelukes and Janissaries	31	(1)
The Lessons of the Past	32	(2)
Wilderness Wisdom	34	(1)
Major Robert Rogers's Rules for His Rangers	35	(9)
Fighting Toward the Future	44	(2)
3 Out of Africa and into the Trenches	46	(17)
Stosstruppen and Special Units	51	(8)
Undefeated in Africa	59	(3)
Why Every Nation Doesn't Have Commandos	62	(1)
4 Raiders, Guerrillas, and Peacemakers	63	(16)
Marines as Peacekeepers	63	(3)
Marines as Raiders	66	(2)
Reeling in the Raiders	68	(3)
Raiders from Above	71	(2)
Airborne Qualified	73	(2)
The Guerrilla Revolution	75	(4)
5 The Golden Age: Commandos	79	(29)
British Storm Troopers	79	(2)
Commando Training	81	(2)
Commandos in Action	83	(2)
Commandos Underwater	85	(1)
Battles in the Surf Zone	86	(2)
Long Range Desert Group	88	(2)
Popski's Private Army	90	(1)
Special Air Service During World War II	91	(2)
The Origins of the U.S. Special Forces	93	(1)
The Origins of the Green Beret	94	(1)
U.S. Army Rangers	95	(4)
U.S. Marine Commandos	99	(1)
The Makin Mistake	100	(2)
Sneaking in by Air	102	(2)
German Commandos: The Brandenburgers	104	(1)
Russian Commandos	105	(1)
Royal Marine Commandos After World War II	106	(1)
U.S. Ranger Companies in Korea	107	(1)
6 The Golden Age: Elite Troops	108	(35)
Paratroopers in Search of a Mission	108	(2)
Russia's Parachute Army	110	(3)
The American Airborne Army	113	(3)
The American Amphibious Army	116	(3)
Guerrilla Wars and Commandos	119	(24)
7 Shadow Wars and the Threat	143	(18)
Covert Commandos	143	(3)
How to Create a Successful Guerrilla Movement	146	(3)
How to Defeat a Successful Guerrilla Movement	149	(5)
How to Fight Guerrillas and Win	154	(7)
8 Special Forces and Vietnam	161	(29)
The Special Forces	162	(4)
The Green Berets Go to Vietnam	166	(3)
The Special Forces and the Mountain Tribes of Vietnam	169	(7)
The Secret War in Laos	176	(4)
The North Vietnamese Strike Back	180	(1)
Psychological Warfare	180	(1)
The Secret War in Cambodia	181	(2)
The Other Commandos of Vietnam	183	(2)
LRRP Rules	185	(2)
Lessons of Vietnam	187	(1)
New Thinking After Vietnam	188	(2)
9 Spetsnaz and Sappers	190	(10)
Spetsnaz	190	(3)
Spetsnaz in Afghanistan	193	(1)
Russian Special Assault Units	194	(1)
North Vietnamese Sappers	195	(5)
10 Afghanistan: The First Commando War	200	(42)
Myths and Realities of the Afghan War	203	(4)
The Afghan Way of War	207	(2)
Commandos With Big Bombs	209	(1)
Stumbling onto Success	210	(3)
Timeline for the Taliban Takedown	213	(7)
Casualties	220	(1)
Where Have All the Smart Bombs Gone?	221	(2)
What Speaks Louder Than Bullets?	223	(3)
Task Force 11 and the Commando Olympics	226	(2)
The Drug Gangs of Afghanistan	228	(2)
Drone Fever	230	(3)
Bombing Afghanistan with Information	233	(4)
The Eyes Up There	237	(1)
Why Afghanistan Had to Be a Commando War	238	(4)
11 The Perfect Soldiers	242	(57)
Perfect Soldiers Everywhere	244	(2)
Marines	246	(2)
Paratroopers	248	(1)
SOCOM and Special Operations Doctrine	249	(11)
Hearts and Minds	260	(2)
Rangers	262	(3)
Special Forces	265	(5)
Peace Commandos	270	(2)
U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command	272	(3)
SEALs	275	(1)
SEAL Team Six	276	(1)
Delta Force	277	(4)
LRSU, Son of LRRP	281	(1)
Commandos Around the World	281	(6)
Special Air Service	287	(1)
Blunting the Sharp End	287	(2)
Commando Carrier	289	(1)
Finding Natural-Born Killers	290	(2)
Survival of the Deadliest	292	(2)
Train as You Fight, Fight as You Train	294	(2)
Where the Operators Are	296	(1)
Perfect Soldiers of the Twenty-First Century	297	(2)
Index	299