Airforce Rangers

[Havoc345]

AF Rangers yes you heard right. Some kind of expirimental unit during Vietnam to compete with the Army's LRRP Ranger Co's


http://www.brianwillson.com/awolranger.html

another link with some pic's

http://safesideassociation.org/gallery_1.html

[digrar]

I remember reading a book about them ages ago. Too long ago to remember anything like title or author, was interesting though, IIRC.

[Dominique]

Safeside was an experimental unit of AF Security Police. They're primary job was conducting defense patrols and ambushes around US air bases. They were not there to compete with LRRP & Ranger Companies.

US airbases were constantly coming under attack from mortars, snipers, and even full scale ground assaults. The normal SP units just were not equipped or trained to deal with the problem. Most of the guys were either brand new recruits, usually draftees who scored to low to enter one of the technical fields, disciplinary problems (for reason that only the AF could understand, convicted criminals were assigned military police and security duties), or guys used to performing routine law enforcement duties at peace time airbases.

Once the senior AF leadership finally realized they couldn't depend on the Army or Marines for security (they had other things to worry about), they finally got serious about training and equipping a unit for airbase ground defense, the Combat Security Police (CSP). The CSP squadrons received extensive training in light infantry tactics, heavy weapons, jungle operations and undertook a modified version of the US Army Ranger School geared specifically for their mission. They were also the first SPs to done berets. But, in their wisdom the AF dumped them as soon as the war was over. the modern day descendants of the CSP are the 820th Security Forces Group. They do nothing but Air Base Defense.

One other note, the author Leroy Thompson, was a CSP back in Vietnam.

[Lambert58]

AF Rangers yes you heard right. Some kind of expirimental unit during Vietnam to compete with the Army's LRRP Ranger Co's.


The AF receives slots for ranger school every year for security forces. Been going on for about 20 years now. WTF is your point?

[Dominique]

SF also run a pre-Ranger course for AF personnel attending Ranger school (SF, CCT, PJ, TACP, SOWT), and provide instructors at Airborne School, and a full time AF Liaison at the Ranger Training Brigade. Hell the AF even runs its own combat dive course for Special Tactics guys (they couldn't get all the slots they needed at the Army's Combatant Dive Course, and it gives them more control over how the course is run).

[Pete031]

The Aussies have a unit like that I believe... DIGRAR, correct me if I'm wrong?

[Havoc345]

The AF receives slots for ranger school every year for security forces. Been going on for about 20 years now. WTF is your point?


Yea this was more than 20 years ago and I was wrong about the latter part of my statement. Maybe you should actually view the links I posted before you respond.

[digrar]

The Aussies have a unit like that I believe... DIGRAR, correct me if I'm wrong?


New one just starting, not sure if they've qualled anyone yet.

[Dominique]

Is it part of the ADG? Or something totally new? as for similar units, the Brits have the RAF Regiment, The French the Commandos de L'Air, the Italians have a unit who's name escapes me at the moment, the Spanish have the EADA, the Swedish have the Airbase Rangers, and I can't recall the name of the Maylaysian unit. Plus I read of a few others in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, India and Germany.

[Pete031]

I met a few of those ADG guys, they talked as if that was their job. Airfield counter espionage and counter surveillance.
They seemed rather young. Good guys though.