The United States Army has, within it's division, an elite Special Forces unit
entitled the Green Berets. The Green Berets originated in 1952 at Fort Bragg where only
the best troops in the Army were to volunteer. These troops included Rangers, Airborne
troops, war veterans, and officers. They all spoke a minimum of two languages, were
trained in infantry and parachuting, and were of rank no lower than Sergeant. The
primary mission of the green berets was and is "to infiltrate by land, sea or air, deep into
enemy-occupied territory and organize the resistance/guerrilla potential to conduct
Special Forces operations, with emphasis on guerrilla warfare"
(http://users.aol.comm/armysofl/early_years.html P.1).
The Green Berets differ from other Army infantry units, such as the Rangers, in
that they are designed differently because of their different types of missions. Most Army
infantry units are used to "lightly" attack with ferociousness, speed, and efficiency, then
to leave and have the heavier units, such as tanks or wheeled vehicles, come in to battle.
However, the Green Berets are trained to spend months, sometimes years, to establish a
self-reliant post within hostile enemy lines. They are capable of speaking the language
and knowing the culture in that area, while using their extensive survival skills to live
long periods of time without supply from the U.S. Once their post is established the
Green Berets train militaries of that region who are in agreement with the U.S
government (Newman, Richard J. P.1).
CON
The Green Berets are considered one of the United States' most elite and
respectable military subdivisions. However, many American citizens do not agree with
the purpose of the Green Berets. There is a very valid con side to the ethics behind it all.
One person that I interviewed was strongly opposed to the purpose of the Green Berets;
my father, Rashad Sghayer.
Rashad was not well informed about the Green Berets until I had explained to him
what they are and what they do. He immediately gave his opinion, and his opinion was
against any sort of military intervention around the world. The United States government
uses the Green Berets as a means of military intervention to serve their own purpose. The
U.S sends in the troops in order to train militaries that are for the same cause as the
United States. This poses a problem with political ties, and in many cases, sparks war.
According to Rashad, the U.S policy for the past six decades have been supporting dictators who
are, in many cases, controlling and extremist because he or she may serve the interest of the U.S
rather than the people of the country being ruled. It also goes the other way, the U.S may be
supporting rebel groups in a country that are against the leaders of that country who may not
support the interest of the United States. Rashad believes that the U.S should not police the world,
and that a country may be governed the way its government wants to be. He believes that if the
Green Berets should exist they should be helping rebels of countries with corrupt governments
that endanger their civilians, whether it helps the United States or not.
An example of the United States using the Green Berets in a case where the
outcome is good for the American government was in 1952, when the first Special Forces
unit was sent to operate in enemy territory. The unit was sent to Korea on confidential
missions. The Green Berets were used to train anti-communist guerrillas who were living
in North Korea and had joined the United Nations Partisan Forces-Korea
(http://users.aol.comm/armysofl/early_years.html P.2). These newly trained guerrillas would be
stationed on small islands near the Korean Coast. There these guerrillas, nicknamed
"donkeys" derived from a Korean word meaning liberty, would perform rescue missions,
raid communist institutions, and maintain military facilities. They were all instructed so
by Special Forces and the U.S. After a while of the U.S being there, the Donkeys
numbered more than 20,000, and were responsible for 69,000 communist casualties
(http://users.aol.comm/armysofl/early_years.html P.2). The Donkeys in Korea, trained by the
United States, were a strong ingredient to the United States' hopes for a communist-free
world. The United States used the Green Berets as a subtle way of interfering into the
communist country of Korea to eliminate communism, when in fact, their interference
had a very big impact on the outcome of the matter. This is a clear-cut example of how
the Green Beret's training can be used in the cause of the U.S government for worldwide
intervention in the case of inagreement.
The Green Berets are highly trained for missions in enemy territory. They
undergo training for PSYOP, or Psychological Operations. The objectives of these
operations are "to induce or reinforce foreign attitudes and behavior favorable to US
Objectives and to influence, emotions, motives, and behavior of foreign governments,
organizations, groups, and individuals" (http://users.aol.com/armysofl/Missions.html P.1). What
Rashad is against is the fact that the United States will use the Green Berets only of the
matter is in favor of the U.S. However, not helping out another country or rebels of
another country, even if justified in receiving help, just because of the fact that its
outcome doesn't affect the U.S is not acceptable by Rashad. An example from Rashad of
how the U.S uses the Green Berets only in its own interest is Pinochet. In Chile many
activists were killed by the military units of Pinochet, a puppet of the U.S, whose soldiers
underwent training from the Green Berets (Rashad Sghayer; Interview 4-28-00).
If using the Green Berets to spread American ideals is all the Green Berets were
meant for, opposition to this subdivision of Special Forces is fairly strong. The United
States should not be using the Green Berets as a form of propaganda. The government
attempts to make America look good by intervening into a country that "needs" help,
when in fact, in many cases, the intervention of the U.S is only helping a country that
doesn't really need much help: itself.