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Military Fiction Resources

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Mharvey

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Hey all,

I've been kicking around trying my hand at a Military Fiction, set in the present day. It will likely be centered around an USAF Special Tactics squad, and I was wondering if any practiced hands at writing in this genre can direct me toward some good resources for research.

I will not be writing about a real battle, but a believable "could happen" scenario based in an African country. Right now, I'm looking at Gabon as the location, and it will likely involve the recovery and extraction of one or more high valued targets.

I've come up with some stuff via Google, but I'm looking for things a simple Google search might not yield. Recommended books for reading, or even if anyone has real life experiences that could be applicable. Anything of that sort.

Thanks very much!

BTW: If this is the wrong forum for this sorta thing, I apologize. Haven't seen too much on this genre in these forums.
 
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Noah Body

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I say "Bah!" for going with an AFSOC Special Tactics Squadron (note this distinction--it's squadron, not squad) as opposed to their leading-edge Army counterpart. ;)

Are you looking for books or websites?
 

Mharvey

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I say "Bah!" for going with an AFSOC Special Tactics Squadron (note this distinction--it's squadron, not squad) as opposed to their leading-edge Army counterpart. ;)

Are you looking for books or websites?

The main reason I went with them is because Rangers, Army Special Forces and SEALs have been written about many, many times. I didn't even know Air Force had an equivalent until I started researching. Based on their website and the work they do, it seemed like they would be a perfect match for the kind of story I want to tell.

And thanks for that tip. This is going to be a monstrous research project for me, as my knowledge of military operations is somewhat limited. Websites or books would be great.
 

Noah Body

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Well... without knowing what your story is, the thing is they're not the same. (And in face, Rangers, SF, and SEALs are actually very different from each other in the missions that they do.) If you're presuming that STS folks run out, meet interesting new people, and kill them, that's not usually part of their portfolio. These are guys who take charge of the tactical airspace and support tactical air operations, not real gunslingers. The USAF pretty much leaves the ground dimension to the Army.

ETA: Links!

Official US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Site

Official Air Force Special Operations Command Site (complete with an airman trying to be Army tough by exclaiming he had "one last hooah" left in him)

Official Hurlburt Field Tenant Units Page

GlobalSecurity USSOCOM Page

GlobalSecurity AFSOC Page

GlobalSecurity's 720th STG Page

Official AFSOC 720th STG Page
PAO: (850) 884-4246 (call 'em if you want real information; be prepared to identify yourself, your intent, and some personal information. Don't be shy, you can call a PAO as a private citizen and ask for information.)

I think the 720th is the most likely candidate unit for your work, which is clearly 100% guesswork on my side.

I have joint ops experience with the forerunners of these guys, so if you want specifics, feel free to PM me with questions. I'll do my best to answer them.
 
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Gary

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There is a huge amount of inter-service rivalry when it comes to special operations, and each branch has their specialty, which is the subject of much debate...usually to justify funding. The Air Force role is normally transport, air support and rescue, and the Airmen are often attached to the unit of the service they are supporting. However, the Air Force also conducts single-service missions if there is not a need for a large combat team.

An example...a friend was a C-130 pilot tasked with grabbing a "high value target" in Africa. The team he transported was made up of Air Force and CIA personnel. The CIA agents were already on the ground in the country, and they pulled off the actual grab, while the Air Force troops secured the landing zone.
 
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Mharvey

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Well... without knowing what your story is, the thing is they're not the same. (And in face, Rangers, SF, and SEALs are actually very different from each other in the missions that they do.) If you're presuming that STS folks run out, meet interesting new people, and kill them, that's not usually part of their portfolio. These are guys who take charge of the tactical airspace and support tactical air operations, not real gunslingers. The USAF pretty much leaves the ground dimension to the Army.

ETA: Links!

Official US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Site

Official Air Force Special Operations Command Site (complete with an airman trying to be Army tough by exclaiming he had "one last hooah" left in him)

Official Hurlburt Field Tenant Units Page

GlobalSecurity USSOCOM Page

GlobalSecurity AFSOC Page

GlobalSecurity's 720th STG Page

Official AFSOC 720th STG Page
PAO: (850) 884-4246 (call 'em if you want real information; be prepared to identify yourself, your intent, and some personal information. Don't be shy, you can call a PAO as a private citizen and ask for information.)

I think the 720th is the most likely candidate unit for your work, which is clearly 100% guesswork on my side.

I have joint ops experience with the forerunners of these guys, so if you want specifics, feel free to PM me with questions. I'll do my best to answer them.

This is awesome information. Thanks so much.

I'm still working on the specifics, but the general plot is probably gonna look something like a group of extremely well-funded mercenaries airdock with a foreign cargo ship (thinking French, since they used to own Gabon at it's not a stretch for them to lease the land for a highly classified project they want off the books) carrying *extremely* sensitive cargo. They try to kill off the crew and take the cargo, but the crew resists, the plane/cargo goes down.

The AFSOC Special Tactics squadron with the main characters are called in because that part of the jungle is completely inaccessible by land without several days of delay. They will execute a very high risk landing, parashooting into the middle of a thick jungle. It's something I'll have to research as well - whether they'd have to find a clearing, or if it is actually possible to deploy on a canopy. They have to attain the cargo and then extract themselves - or flat out destroy it if extraction isn't possible.

That's the very rough mission I have in mind. Would that fall under the AFSOC Special Tactics umbrella?
 

Noah Body

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I honestly don't think so, at least not entirely. For sure, an AF SOW would most likely transport the team, but this sounds more like an Army SF engagement or something for SEALs or even a Marine special operations capable (SOC) unit, which is normally part of an MEF. The good thing about the Marines is they have their own ships and aircraft, whereas the SEALs would have to deploy forward to a Naval asset in the area (I would presume the Navy has a CVG on a rotation in that part of the world). In my day--and I left the service in 1994--this kind of op would have USAF/USA SOF written all over it, given the distances and particulars. This shouldn't dissuade you from using AF guys if this is your desire, I just think the mission as you described it is outside of what I know their mission to be. (Or what it used to be.)

I'll poke around a bit and see if I can find out what the capabilities are on the USAF side for these kinds of missions. I'm still as friendly as I can possibly be with a former USAF MH-60G pilot, which means that I have to go through thirty minutes of insults before I can speak to him directly, but he might be able to give a proper steer.
 
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