The Tier 1 units like Seal Tm 6 and Delta are routinely augmented by MI types and other specialists. Normal SOF units now have specialty MI type units and teams and there are several unknown large MI type units that use SOF operators running around since early 80s. The trend has been to more augmentation from specialty personnel, like PJs, combat controllers, linguists, EOD and MI types etc.
Very few halo classes have graduated with as little as 17 jumps when it used to be at Fort Bragg but that was 20 years ago but never with as little as 14. Weather and clearance for the altitude was the problem from DC Air Control. Just was hard to get the clearance to go above 15,000 at times and we jumped up to 30,000 feet. That is why it was moved it to Yuma AZ and now every class easily gets 20 plus jumps.
You would be surprised at the number of HALO and HAHO (High Altitude High Opening) jumps that have been conducted in combat in the last 15 years. It still is an excellent method of infiltration. I know small teams have jumped and landed at 14,500 on a mountain top in combat in recent years. Expense is not a criteria if the mission calls for it and actually not much more expensive for the actual jump than a static line. Once the person is trained (that is the huge exense), you are still jumping from normall same A/C just at different altitude and different parachutes and equipment.
