Why and How are Special Forces more protective and supportive of each other compared to regular service members?

I was kind of miffed when I read the title. I don't think anybody has ever or will ever be more supportive of my teammates than me. Then I started thinking about all the Blue Falcons I have served with over the years. I also thought about those above me that were more concerned about promotions than taking care of troops. Both of these were a small group of people over the years and were the exception never the rule, but a couple bad apples have the ability to crush a units groove.

All the SOGs have a couple things that we don't have in the regular units. The people that are SF/SEAL/PJs/Force Recon/Rangers all have to try out. They want to be in these units. The units have selection process and can wash people out. They also have the ability to get rid of those that don't fit in after training. Us normal Joes are stuck with what we get and have to make the best of these people we are assigned.

To go along with this, these people train together on very focused missions. Repetition breeds trust and familiarity with those you work close with. I have worked SWAT in both the civilian and military side. Room clearing is a dance, an art form. It only works if the team has trained over and over again. You know what the guy next to you is going to do for the most part. When you enter the door the plan is that the first man is going the opposite wall of where you stacked. If he don't for what ever reason then the next man will. It is a dance. We trust every one of these people. I would say the same thing happens with tank crews. These are very focused missions. Once you start bring in the support units and command staff it starts to get muddied.

I would have to say it is the breed of the individuals within these units. Those that serve within these units put more sweat and blood into attaining a position within those units than the average Service Member does to get into their current unit, which they may or may not have wanted to be assigned to in the first place. Again I wish each and every Service Member had the drive, discipline and desire to excel, that you find within these units. Unfortunately, the people in these units are a small portion of the greater population that has a special mind set. These folks are the 1% of the 1 percent.

This my take on this having never (obviously) been SF. I think that the level of discipline and the amount of effort put forth by one's peers is directly proportional to the level of loyalty and camaraderie one has for the guy/girl on their right and left. I was in a support battalion and we had a lot of malingerers, thieves, liars, and assholes and, unfortunately, that crap would just wear on everyone else who had a burning desire to do their job and then some. My two cents...