Filipino Fridays: Skills and Environment Expertise

The Philippine Army Rangers, aside from their reputation as an elite unit, also serve to highlight how being familiar with an environment (the tropical jungle), can give a major advantage to any individual or group.


Also their tracking skills (as also evidenced in the past by people used to living and hunting in the wilds of any country) may seem like wizardry to people more used to technology, and people not used to the jungle, but the tone of the experts is very matter-of-fact. They also seem really friendly, not the typical Hollywood gung-ho military stereotypes (and very similar to many of the soft-spoken military vets I met in the U.S.). Nothing to prove.

I seem to remember the G.I. Joe comic talking about the wonders that a well-trained, highly-motivated individual can achieve. Something to keep in mind, regardless of your nationality.

Stick a few of these guys in your next game, to remind your players that there are not-so-obvious experts in the world besides them.