Book review: Inside Delta Force
The basis for the CBS show The Unit, Inside Delta Force tells the true story of the formation of the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment - Delta from the eyes of one of it's first members, Eric Haney.
The first half of the book details the Selection process, where candidates, most of whom are from Army Special Forces or the Rangers, are put through their paces under very watchful eyes. While the physical fitness is definitely important, that's not the primary reason they're being watched so carefully. At odd intervals, a random test of some sort is given - anything from simple math or reading, to map-reading, or psychological evaluations.
The crucible of this initial process is a series of hikes, done alone with a starting rucksack weight of 40 lbs. A map is handed out, coordinates given, and then they're off to determine the best course for them to get to their objective. Once finding said objective, they do it again, to somewhere else. And again. And again. And again. At the end, they have made it - and real training begins.
This is the beginnings of Delta force, a group of men who's sole job is counter-terrorism. In fact, according to the Army, they don't exist. Delta operators grow beards, have longer hair, and dress as regular citizens - allowing them to blend in easier. They have been deployed, according to Haney, to nearly every hotspot around the world and have been involved in every bit of combat since it's inception, including Iraq, Afghanistan, and Mogadishu - the fateful town of Blackhawk Down.
There are two main things I pulled from this book. First and foremost is being a Delta operator ages a man. The book begins with Haney and most other candidates in their twenties and ends when most are in their mid-thirties - not exactly what one would call a career. But the constant toil and mental awareness coupled with seeing terrible things done to human beings in other parts of the world is too much to keep anyody functioning at the high caliber that these men do their jobs.
The second thing is about our wonderful government. Haney really doesn't mince his words well when talking about the number of missions where they'd have a hand on the door to a hijacked airplane only to recieve a stand down from Washington. He makes a strong case for who we really should be going after in the war on terrorism - the Saudis - as well as explain why we never will - oil. In the end, our own bureacracy is what trips them - and us - up.
Haney's book has drawn considerable criticism, mainly for sharing too much. He does share a lot - you will never look at a chalk mark on the sidewalk or see a pinhole in a tail-light and think nothing of it ever again - but he also holds back considerably in many cases.
In all, it's well worth a read, especially for fans of the TV show.
The first half of the book details the Selection process, where candidates, most of whom are from Army Special Forces or the Rangers, are put through their paces under very watchful eyes. While the physical fitness is definitely important, that's not the primary reason they're being watched so carefully. At odd intervals, a random test of some sort is given - anything from simple math or reading, to map-reading, or psychological evaluations.
The crucible of this initial process is a series of hikes, done alone with a starting rucksack weight of 40 lbs. A map is handed out, coordinates given, and then they're off to determine the best course for them to get to their objective. Once finding said objective, they do it again, to somewhere else. And again. And again. And again. At the end, they have made it - and real training begins.
This is the beginnings of Delta force, a group of men who's sole job is counter-terrorism. In fact, according to the Army, they don't exist. Delta operators grow beards, have longer hair, and dress as regular citizens - allowing them to blend in easier. They have been deployed, according to Haney, to nearly every hotspot around the world and have been involved in every bit of combat since it's inception, including Iraq, Afghanistan, and Mogadishu - the fateful town of Blackhawk Down.
There are two main things I pulled from this book. First and foremost is being a Delta operator ages a man. The book begins with Haney and most other candidates in their twenties and ends when most are in their mid-thirties - not exactly what one would call a career. But the constant toil and mental awareness coupled with seeing terrible things done to human beings in other parts of the world is too much to keep anyody functioning at the high caliber that these men do their jobs.
The second thing is about our wonderful government. Haney really doesn't mince his words well when talking about the number of missions where they'd have a hand on the door to a hijacked airplane only to recieve a stand down from Washington. He makes a strong case for who we really should be going after in the war on terrorism - the Saudis - as well as explain why we never will - oil. In the end, our own bureacracy is what trips them - and us - up.
Haney's book has drawn considerable criticism, mainly for sharing too much. He does share a lot - you will never look at a chalk mark on the sidewalk or see a pinhole in a tail-light and think nothing of it ever again - but he also holds back considerably in many cases.
In all, it's well worth a read, especially for fans of the TV show.
posted by misawa at 7:49 AM
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