 So, what do we know about the CAS? |
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| Guest_Crimsondude 2.0_* |
 Nov 28 2004, 05:08 AM
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#76
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Maybe they're all shedim.
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Nov 28 2004, 08:12 AM
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#77
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Running Target  Group: Members Posts: 1,326 Joined: 15-April 02 Member No.: 2,600 |
I thought the Wildcats took genetic material from History's Greatest Warriors ™ to clone their General, Serpentor!!!, but I could be remembering that wrong.
There was a site I found a few years ago (and don't care anywhere near enough to try and find again) that had some homebrewed CAS material on it, most notably the CAS-Army Special Forces on the Aztlan Border called the Desert Rats. I liked the name (in fact, I liked it when the British were using in in N. Africa in WW2), and so I've used them a few times in character backgrounds and so on. |
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Nov 28 2004, 08:37 AM
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#78
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Immoral Elf Group: Members Posts: 15,247 Joined: 29-March 02 From: Grimy Pete's Bar & Laundromat Member No.: 2,486 |
Australians!!! |
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| Guest_Crimsondude 2.0_* |
Nov 28 2004, 08:49 AM
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#79
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Daniel Casquilho's site, wasn't it? And they were Border Patrol, IIRC.
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Nov 28 2004, 09:13 AM
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#80
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Target Group: Members Posts: 80 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 850 |
I think that the Widlcats were so nasty out of teh gate due to magic ... Physads, some Anchored spells tosse din as well ... back when no one else knew *jack* about magic. Since then, they've coasted on their reputation and built on it through some tough training. Rep goes far. :) |
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| Guest_Crimsondude 2.0_* |
Nov 28 2004, 10:07 AM
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#81
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Yes, and bankrolled with an economy that makes the Tir's look realistic, no doubt.
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Nov 28 2004, 10:12 AM
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#82
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,598 Joined: 15-March 03 From: Hong Kong Member No.: 4,253 |
The other problem with having a good SF group is you need a good army to draw them out of. You don't just turn the 18 year old high school graduate into a SF trooper, they join the army, and if they are any good, they go on to SF.
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Nov 28 2004, 10:18 AM
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#83
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 511 Joined: 30-May 03 From: Tulsa, OK Member No.: 4,652 |
Which would seem to indicate that the CAS, having one of the better trained grunt forces should have a better pool of soldiers to draw SF troops out of, thus having high quality SF. I would also think the CAS would put a high priority on SF troops with regard to Aztlan and probably wanting to support things like the rebels in the Yucatan. I suppose it's just another thing that wasn't thought through very well. |
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Nov 28 2004, 10:29 AM
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#84
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Immoral Elf Group: Members Posts: 15,247 Joined: 29-March 02 From: Grimy Pete's Bar & Laundromat Member No.: 2,486 |
That isn't necessarily true. The Australian regular military is a joke, but the Oz SAS is considered among the finest Spec-Ops forces in the world. |
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Nov 28 2004, 10:43 AM
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#85
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,326 Joined: 15-April 02 Member No.: 2,600 |
That sounds right. Also, apparently it was the Austrailians. I have made that most American of errors, I apologize. It was certainly never my intent to demean any nations peoples for their valiant service in any armed conflict, anywhere, at any time. In my defense, I went to public school here in America, so you know, I don't actually know anything. Over the years its entirely possible that my own ideas regarding the CAS Desert Rats has slowly seeped into the original write up on Casquilho's site until now, I have no idea which came from what or whom. In my game, they are the CAS Army SF who watch the Aztlan border (and to a lesser extent, the PCC). |
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Nov 28 2004, 11:01 AM
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#86
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Target Group: Members Posts: 80 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 850 |
Here's some fun, tho:
As of the 1990 census, there were just under two million persons of AmerInd ancestry in the US. Figure that VITAS and teh war would knock that down quite a bit, then breed 'em up for two generations. You're still looking at, what? two and a half million? Three tops? The UCAS and CAS combine to well over three hundred million. Yes, teh native nations have a lot of people, but the Anglo types have to have a ten to one advantage ove rthe natives, if not more. There's simply no way around that unless the average Native family numbers twenty kids or so. Teh Great Ghost Dance has *very* clearly rattled the UCAS past rationality. I'd imagine that the Wildcats have to be in a similar situation. Then again, it could just be poor writing. :) -- Johnny Reb |
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Nov 28 2004, 11:03 AM
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#87
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Immoral Elf Group: Members Posts: 15,247 Joined: 29-March 02 From: Grimy Pete's Bar & Laundromat Member No.: 2,486 |
It's cool. I am just somewhat familiar with the Desert Rats, as my father was one of them. The British had equivelant forces there (the LRRP), but they used a different name. :)
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Nov 28 2004, 11:23 AM
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#88
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,598 Joined: 15-March 03 From: Hong Kong Member No.: 4,253 |
Some Gogleing puts the Australian Army at around 2 divisions + some attachements. This gives them around 15,000 ? combat soldiers to recruit SF from. Assuming that around 5% of soldiers are 'SF potentials' that gives them around 500-1000 people to choose from. After that it is largely about training and retetention. These numbers would let them field a 'short regiment' or so of specops forces.
Having high quality SF is not directly related to having a large standing army, it's just a pre-requirement. You need a 'large' pool of grunts to choose from, who you wouldthen train as SF. The CAS would certainly have a large enough pool of grunts, but their armed forces may not place all that much emphasis on SF. Also, the cross training that SF forces participate in is usually necessary to avoid 'group think' in your SF community as the selection process will tend to produce soldiers who troopers who have all been through the same training, follow the same doctrine, think the same way, etc. So reasons that the CAS SF guys might not be 'that good': Different funding pattern: The CAS SF funding pattern might be toward 'more good troops' rather than 'few great troops'. So the CAS might have a lot 'Rangers', but no 'Delta'. Lack of political support (either from the army and/or the goverment) Good SF forces need political support, without this they will tend to miss too many opportunities. Doctrine The CAS SF structure has embraced a non-optimal method (i.e.over emphasis on close/hand to hand combat), have 'too much' of one subsection (i.e. lots of combat deckers), or turned it's back in a 'required' one (i.e. anti-magic) Reputation among the Grunts (who would normally try out for SF) "Ah yes, join the Ferrets, travel to Mexico, meet blood spirits, get medals, have them sent to your relatives." say the grunts. |
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Nov 28 2004, 01:49 PM
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#89
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 5,889 Joined: 3-August 03 From: A CPI rank 1 country Member No.: 5,222 |
I get the feeling that the Ferrets, like the 1st SFOD-Delta, the SAS, and many other of the "super" Special Operations units IRL, don't normally take just grunts that show potential either. Soldiers who try out for Delta are usually already Rangers or Special Forces, some of the best in those units, and then only 1-in-10 or 1-in-20 or so make it through. But then the Delta is around 200-300 members, maybe, out of a pool of around 5,000-8,000 of Rangers and Special Forces alone, plus hundreds of thousands of other troops.
Although, like I said earlier, those requirements must have fallen if out of a pool of 1/3rd the size they can pick out twice as many (although that's apparently just fluff from that one website). But I don't think it's quite fair to call the Ferrets equivalent of Rangers or SF instead of Delta or SAS, because I do get the feeling these are supposed to be used for counter-terrorism and extremely high-risk raid operations in very small groups very deep inside enemy territory. Rangers, who are mostly just "elite" airborne infantry, and SF, whose specialty is guerrilla warfare and training/leading/communicating/working with local populations, aren't suitable for those kinds of ops. RL examples do tend to show that a decent standing army and experience in special operations correlate strongly with having successful special operations units. Maybe the Tirs and some of the Native American Nations have benefited greatly from ex-US experience and have been training their specops units like mad since they were formed. They also benefit from very high levels of patriotism (ultranationalism, even), which helps put together a good standing army and maintain those specops units. |
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Nov 28 2004, 03:34 PM
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#90
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,133 Joined: 3-October 04 Member No.: 6,722 |
The British Army might beg to differ. Quoth the 7th Armoured Brigade website on the British Army network: HQ 7TH ARMOURED BRIGADE HOME OF THE 'DESERT RATS' 7th Armored Brigade was raised as part of the newly formed 7th Armoured Division from garrison troops stationed in North Africa in 1938. In the early part of the Second World War the Brigade fought in the North African campaigns against the Germans and Italians (1940 to 1941). This culminated in 'Operation Cursader' during late 1941, in which the 7th Armoured Brigade was involved in bitter fighting at Sidi Rezegh (November 20th to 27th 1941) - an action which the Brigade Headquarters still commemorates to this day. In early 1942 7th Armoured Brigade was moved to Burma - it arrived at Rangoon in February 1942 and was involved in the retreat through Burma to India during that year. It moved back to the Middle East in 1943 and was stationed in Iraq and Egypt before moving to Italy in May 1944 - the Brigade fought in Italy as part of the Canadian Corps for the rest of the war. The end of the Second World War found 7th Armoured Brigade based in northern Italy as part of the occupying forces. In 1947 the Brigade moved to Germany - it has been based there ever since. Its present location is Hohne Garrison, to the north of Hannover. The Brigade still wears the famous 'Desert Rat' flash on its uniform - this originates from the North African campaign when the 7th Armoured Division adopted the insignia and nickname of the 'Desert Rats'. In 1959 the 7th Armoured Division was disbanded, but the history and name was carried on by the 7th Armoured Brigade. |
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Nov 28 2004, 05:54 PM
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#91
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Immoral Elf Group: Members Posts: 15,247 Joined: 29-March 02 From: Grimy Pete's Bar & Laundromat Member No.: 2,486 |
That's all true, but ...
As far as I know, the Australian 9th Infantry Battalion was the first to use the term 'Desert Rats', which was slightly changed from the nickname 'Rats of Tobruk' that the Germans gave them in, of all places, Tobruk. Of course back then all Oz troops had British Officers, and Oz units were attached to larger British Brigades and Regiments. It's fully possible that the term refers to both and each came about it independantly, but more than likely that it was just broadened to include the entire Brigade. I have the medals and citations to prove my father's participation in the 'Australian 9th Infantry Battalion - Desert Rats' |
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Nov 29 2004, 12:26 AM
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#92
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King of the Hobos Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,117 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 127 |
Not always. The Israel Defence Force has conscripts go straight into a lot of their special forces units from what I've read. They seem to to do it in the reverse of everyone else- try out for units straight out of induction and if you fail the course then move down to the next unit in the pecking order as it were. Only a few of their units like MATKAL or S13 seem to use the western method of getting some experience under your belt and then trying out. But then the IDF's special forces are a mess.
I think that's probably a misaprehension from SoNA. It says they're not as good as other nations like the Wildcats, but then since they're apparently some of the best then that's not exactly a great slur. Average to good would be a good descriptions, which compared to regular troops is very good if you follow me. :) |
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Nov 29 2004, 05:53 AM
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#93
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,174 Joined: 13-May 04 From: UCAS Member No.: 6,327 |
Ok, reediting my post. I've reread the Ferrets weblink again. It seems interesting. But really what do we know that's canon about the Ferrets? That's what I'm asking about.
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Nov 29 2004, 07:25 AM
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#94
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Target Group: Members Posts: 80 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 850 |
A small mention in the CAS section of Shadows Across North America. It's the nickname of one Marine unit there. (Tho tehre's some debate in-book about that,)
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| Guest_Crimsondude 2.0_* |
Nov 29 2004, 08:50 AM
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#95
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Guests |
They were first mentioned in Just Compensation as being, or being part of, CSMC Force Recon.
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