Just for fun......The Ultimate Soldier

[grant]

I see nuthink!

[Correus]

You know...I've given this a bit more serious thought. There are many, many out there that could be considered 'the ultimate soldier' and all of them seem to have one thing in common - they stood up for what they believed in and fought for it. So, in my mind, anyone who has, is, or does stand and fight is 'the ultimate soldier'.

As the old saying goes.... "all gave some and some gave all".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTs6a0ORdQU

Sappy - I know - but that's they way I see it.

[carvel2]

And I'll see both of you with a an excellent hand....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbjND-FxoyI&feature=related

[grant]

And I'll see both of you with a an excellent hand....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbjND-FxoyI&feature=related

Would you believe I can't view that in Canada? Weird!

[Big Al]

The Rhodesian armed forces of the 1960s and 70s. The RLI, RAR, Selous Scouts, Grey's scouts. They had their backs to the wall, coping with everything that was thrown at them and only a little support from South Africa. Because of them and their tactics we learned how to deal with modern day terrorists. Today's counter insurgency tactics were learned from them.

Men Among Men everyone of them!

[Invisible officer]

And I'll see both of you with a an excellent hand....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbjND-FxoyI&feature=related

Would you believe I can't view that in Canada? Weird!

Same in Germany. Thank Sony and the other fun destroyers!

[Invisible officer]

The Gurkhas are splendid fighters. But failed in other aspects. The Gurkha MP was disbanded soon. They had been to kind!

The foreign legion is not bad, but those jungle trained guys fall in my special force rating. Not every Legionaire gets it.
Funny that nobody named the US Marines. I would'nt either.

But the Polish winged Hussars? Defending Western Europe for centuries against the east. Rarely beaten. And looking great. Surely top ten material.

[Parus Ater]

Solid Snake.




Seriously, for me, being WWII biased I'm saying the Commandos or the US Rangers. The 2nd Rangers got through a whole year in the ETO including the Hurtgen Forest wearing summer uniform.

[Deadmanwade]

As a kid I went to visit my local war museum, the Durham Light Infantry Museum in Durham City. My father used to go to a Military Vehicle Collectors club and they had a weekend rally there every year. As well as getting to ride around in Land Rovers, Jeeps, Austin Champs and other cool off road vehicles, I spent quite a few hours at the museum.
The story of this chap always seemed particularly inspiring.

[janner]

The British regular army of 1914 was among the best ever fielded. Combined with the Imperial German officer's training they would have been invincible.

Gurkhas? Only the peacetime regulars. Not the inflated world war units.

Would these be the same German officers who advanced their men in close column on the battlefield in the face of BEF marksmanship or the ones who messed-up the staff work for the right flank of the German advance in 1914?

I fear that under Imperial German officers the soldiers of the BEF may never have made it back to Mons at all

I'd also be wary of the Gurkha myth. I have worked with Gurkhas frequently (and even led a unit of them for a very short period of time), and, whilst good soldiers, they are of a similar professional standard to most other units in the British Army. However, the caste system distorts training and promotion, and hinders the advancement of capable soldiers over higher caste contemporaries.