GREEN ON. Rhodesian Light Infantry paratroopers rolling out, circa. 1970s. #RLI

While the hallmark of the ingenious #Fireforce tactics employed by the Rhodesian Security Forces was aggressive helicopter envelopment, it was often augmented by several sticks of conventional paratroopers.

All four commando units within the ranks of the Rhodesian Light Infantry would begin to focus heavily on developing these conventional paratrooper tactics by 1976 as the Bush War intensified. They were often dropped from heights as low as 400-600 feet, with extreme precision. These lessons of the importance of precision were learned early on by the Rhodesian African Rifles earlier on in the war when an entire “stick” of paratroopers were killed or severely injured when the pilot gave to “green light” at too low of an altitude as their antiquated C-47 approached a rapidly rising hill.

Precision, and aggression quickly yielded results with an average 80-1 kill ratio for these paratroopers in conjunction with helicopter-bourne forces. It also yielded remarkable rate of survival rate of 100% for all of the #C-47 “Dakota” Skytrain’s that took part in these missions. However, one did get dinged up from small arms fire, but it was nothing a mechanic couldn’t buff out!