[FlyingSaucer]

While many units generally consist of smaller teams, the teams can often be changed and switched around as people get specialized or re-assigned at different points, this generally doesn't happen for the very elite units.

Small teams are kept together at all times since very early in the training. Doing the same exercises many many times with the same exact people leads to mastery that makes them just seem faster and more fluid.

The lifestyle point is also true, its easier to keep your edge when there aren't constant mindless tasks to be done (gate duty) for many hours a day.

- I'm saying this from experience with armed forces, but can't claim its true for all elite units everywhere.