This Ragtag Group of Soldiers in Mismatched Uniforms Is the Most Hated Unit in the US Army

[rangerrebew]

This Ragtag Group of Soldiers in Mismatched Uniforms Is the Most Hated Unit in the US Army
Western Journal

Published 15 hours ago

on August 14, 2021

By C. Douglas Golden, The Western Journal


They’re called the “Geronimo Battalion.” They have mismatched uniforms. They’re based in the swamps of Louisiana. They’re called the “most hated unit in the Army.”

And they’re doing their job perfectly.

The “Geronimo” Battalion is actually the 1st Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment, as the U.S. Army notes on its website. The battalion is based at Fort Polk in Louisiana. Its soldiers’ main mission is to serve as the OPFOR — Opposing Force — at the U.S. Army’s Joint Readiness Training Center during military exercises.

What does this mean? Effectively, for training purposes, they’re the enemy. They know every nook and cranny of the swampy terrain they’re defending. Visiting troops who are training against them don’t.

https://flagandcross.com/this-ragtag-group-of-soldiers-in-mismatched-uniforms-is-the-most-hated-unit-in-the-us-army/

[sneakypete]

Operating as the enemy guerilla force against the "wear red and march in a straight line" regular army can be an INSANE amount of fun.

Fun to the point where the ones we capture or who are declared to be "killed in action" almost always want to join the guerilla band. And I am talking about PFC's and E-4's from the 82nd Abn Division,not slackers. They volunteer to go live in the woods without all the amenitities the regular army provides,and in some cases,they could have gone back to their air-conditioned barracks and hot mess hall food.

I like to THINK that what these then-young men learned later helped them save lives as they became senior NCO's,and that they passed these lessons on to younger generations.