![]() The regular army establishment, of course, sniffed at the idea of a self-proclaimed military elite, and not without cause. All of the combatants employed them, but it was the British who were most assiduous in creating small units of swashbucklers. ![]() While there have long been specialized units, like Rogers’ Rangers of the French and Indian War, professional Special Operations forces date back only to World War II. Given the ubiquity and importance of Special Operations today, it is a little startling to realize just how novel they are. With tens of thousands of “operators” and a multibillion-dollar budget, Socom has become virtually an independent military service. ![]() Once upon a time, when the president wanted to use military force without becoming embroiled in a major conflict, the cry would go out: “Send in the Marines!” Today the role once played by the Marine Corps - as the troops of choice for low-profile missions without a formal declaration of war - has been largely supplanted by the United States Special Operations Command. ![]() ROGUE HEROES The History of the SAS, Britain’s Secret Special Forces Unit That Sabotaged the Nazis and Changed the Nature of War By Ben Macintyre Illustrated. ![]()
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