Southeast Texas Medical Associates, LLP James L. Holly, M.D. Southeast Texas Medical Associates, LLP


Letters - Special Forces Theory, McRaven Spec Ops
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Special Forces and Green Berets

Special Forces (SF) have been a part of military operations theory since the Joint Canadian/American 1st Special Service Force which was formed in 1944 and which was memorialized in the movie, The Devil’s Brigade.  

Many nations have SF units; the United States has ten SF units among the best known are the Rangers, the Green Berets, Delta Force, Seal Team 6 and others. 

In his book on Special Forces Theory, entitled, Spec Ops, Admiral William McRaven discussed how a small force achieves Relative Superiority over a much larger force.  By analyzing eight historical events, he identifies six SF principles which are:

1.  Simplicity
2.  Security
3.  Repetition
4.  Surprise
5.  Speed
6.  Purpose

Two of the eight military actions analyzed by McRaven from which he derived the six SF principles have been dramatized in movies.  The most famous and best known action, which best defined SF principles, was, Operation Jonathan: The Israeli Raid on Entebbe, July 4, 1976.  There are now five movies made about this event.  The second was The U.S. Ranger Raid on Cabanatuan, January 30, 1945.  The movie is entitled, The Great Raid.

If you want to understand SF units, read McRaven’s book and watch these three movies.  One more recommendation is Dick Couch’s, Chosen Soldier:  The Making Of a Special Forces Warrior.  

Couch was a Navy Seal and was given unfettered access to Green Beret training in order to write this authoritative book about the training of Green Berets.  He concluded, “...Green Berets’ training regimens are known as the hardest in the world.”  Couch stated that Green Berets are the “smartest, most versatile, and most valuable fighting force.”

James (Larry) Holly, M.D.
Former C.E.O. SETMA

www.jameslhollymd.com

Adjunct Professor
 Family & Community Medicine
UT Health San Antonio
Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine