Democratic Underground - Unfortunately, a now somewhat politically incorrect term.

In today's Army, they're Long Range Surveillance Units. And in the Marines, they were Force Recon (now just Recon, or Amphibious Recon). Same schtick:

LRRP's usually operated in four to eight man patrols. The LRRP units provided ground force commanders with intelligence on the tactical situation in their areas of responsibility (AOR). LRRPs units were also tasked with a number of direct action (DA) missions. Units attacked Viet Cong (VC) supply areas, tracked enemy units, directed air strikes, and harassed the VC. During the course of the war, all LRRP units in Vietnam were redesigned as rangers, and made separate companies of the 75 Infantry Regiment. With the US withdrawal from the conflict in Vietnam most of the LRRP/Ranger units were disbanded. By the end of the war, only two ranger units remained on active duty.

During the early eighties, the US Army once again found it self lacking a deep reconnaissance unit. After conducting a brief study, it was decided that the activation of a LRRP type unit would best meet the Army's needs. While debating the structure of the new units, senior Army officers felt that the name LRRP was to closely associated with the conflict in Vietnam. After a short debate the designation of Long Range Surveillance Units was chosen.

Unlike the Ranger units, that they are so commonly confused with, LRSUs perform passive intelligence gathering missions, and are not equipped for offensive combat operations. LRSUs take grate pains to avoid being detected. LRS units provide US Army divisions, and Corps with the ability to deploy reconnaissance patrols deep into the enemy's rear. Operating as six man teams, LRSU teams are trained extensively in long range communications, survival, covert observation, and various infiltration techniques. Many LRSU unit members are qualified in HALO/HAHO and combat diving skills. In certain situations they may also engage in stay behind operations. Units are capable of being infiltrated on foot, by aircraft, parachute, or small boats. Units may be deployed up to 150 miles behind enemy lines. They are expected to operate on there own, for up to thirty days. Team members are capable of providing bomb damage assessments; directing artillery fire; targeting emery antiaircraft systems for destruction; and locating enemy troop concentrations.

http://www.specwarnet.com/americas/lrsu.htm

And a very interesting movie about LRRP's, one of the best Nam movies, IMHO:

84 Charlie MoPic

The essential mission is to sneak quietly around, for days or weeks, gathering and relaying info to HQ. When things go right, no combat. Things sometimes don't go right, so they are heavily trained for that, too. That makes them useful for small raids, prisoner snatches, etc. Someone close to me deploys next month to do this high speed stuff. Hope things go right.

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