"Chalks"

[SFontaine]

I been wonderin for a while.. Was Chalk just a codeword for Squad in Somali Operation or are Ranger Squads always called Chalks?

[front]

Open sources in the SAS would call the units a "chalk".

[Open source info]

cheers

front

[Phil_EFMB]

"Chalks" are simply who goes on what helicopter. In preparing for an airmobile operation, units are divided down into chalks for transport. Usually, members of a chalk are also member of the same squad. Once back on the ground, the chalks will normally link back up with their platoon, company, etc., but this all depends on the operational plan.

In BHD, the chalks were tasked with operating as individual units once on the objective. It's possible that other soldiers normally outside of a squad would have been assigned to a chalk in order to "beef up" the chalk for its mission (M60 crew, for example). This would be why they continued to refer to them like they did throughout the operation ("Chalk 4" instead of "3rd Squad").

In airborne operations, the groups are called "sticks".

[NcDeuce]

Chalk is just another name for squad, team, or group, not only for helicopter-bourne assaults.

[digrar]

I only ever heard it in referring to a group of soldiers being transported somewhere, either by air or by vehicle.