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United States Special Operations Forces (SOF) are components of the Department of Defense's United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).

The U.S. military definition of Special Operations Forces according to the Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms is "Those Active and Reserve Component forces of the Military Services designated by the Secretary of Defense and specifically organized, trained, and equipped to conduct and support special operations. Also called SOF".^[1] The definition in the DOD Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms references Joint Publication 3-05.1 - Joint Special Operations Task Force Operations (JP 3-05.1) as its source.^[1]^[2]

List of SOF units

Joint Special Operations Command

Joint Special Operations Command^[3]^[4]

United States Army

United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC)^[3]^[4]
- U.S. Army Special Forces Command^[3]^[4]
  - 1st Special Forces Group^[3]^[4]
  - 3rd Special Forces Group^[3]^[4]
  - 5th Special Forces Group^[3]^[4]
  - 7th Special Forces Group^[3]^[4]
  - 10th Special Forces Group^[3]^[4]
  - 19th Special Forces Group (Army National Guard)^[3]^[4]
  - 20th Special Forces Group (Army National Guard)^[3]^[4]
- 75th Ranger Regiment^[3]^[4]
  - 1st Ranger Battalion^[3]^[4]
  - 2nd Ranger Battalion^[3]^[4]
  - 3rd Ranger Battalion^[3]^[4]
  - Ranger Special Troops Battalion^[4]
- US Army Special Operations Aviation Command (ARSOAC)^[3]^[4]
  - 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment "Night Stalkers"^[3]^[4]
  - Special Operations Aviation Training Battalion^[3]^[4]
  - Systems Integration Management Office (SIMO)^[3]^[4]
  - US Army Special Operations Command Flight Detachment^[3]^[4]
- Military Information Support Operations Command^[3]^[4]
  - 4th Military Information Support Group^[3]^[4]
  - 8th Military Information Support Group^[3]^[4]
- 95th Civil Affairs Brigade^[3]^[4]
  - 91st Civil Affairs Battalion^[4]
  - 92nd Civil Affairs Battalion^[4]
  - 96th Civil Affairs Battalion^[4]
  - 97th Civil Affairs Battalion^[4]
  - 98th Civil Affairs Battalion^[4]
- 528th Sustainment Brigade^[3]^[4]
  - Special Troops Battalion^[4]
  - Special Operations Medical Detachment^[4]
  - 112th Special Operations Signal Battalion (Airborne)^[4]
- John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School^[4]
  - 1st Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne)^[4]
  - Special Warfare Education Group (Airborne)^[4]
  - Special Warfare Medical Group (Airborne)^[4]

United States Navy

Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC)^[3]^[4]
- Naval Special Warfare Group 1^[3]^[4]
  - SEAL Teams 1, 3, 5, 7^[3]^[4]
  - Logistics Support Unit 1^[4]
  - Naval Special Warfare Unit 1^[4]
  - Naval Special Warfare Unit 3^[4]
- Naval Special Warfare Group 2^[3]^[4]
  - SEAL Teams 2, 4, 8, 10^[3]^[4]
  - Logistics Support Unit 2^[4]
  - Naval Special Warfare Group 2^[4]
  - Unit 2 Detachment South^[4]
  - Naval Special Warfare Unit 10^[4]
- Naval Special Warfare Group 3^[3]^[4]
  - SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1^[3]^[4]
  - Logistics Support Unit 3^[4]
  - SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1 Detachment 1^[4]
- Naval Special Warfare Group 4^[3]^[4]
  - Special Boat Teams 12^[3]^[4]
  - Special Boat Team 20^[3]^[4]
  - Special Boat Team 22^[3]^[4]
  - NAVSCIATTS^[4]
- Naval Special Warfare Group 10^[3]^[4]
  - Support Activity 1^[4]
  - Support Activity 2^[4]
  - Mission Support Center^[4]
- Naval Special Warfare Group 11^[3]^[4]
  - SEAL Teams 17, 18 (Navy Reserve)^[3]^[4]
- Naval Special Warfare Center^[3]^[4]
  - Basic Training Command^[4]
  - Advanced Training Command^[4]
- United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group (Often referred to as SEAL Team Six)^[3]^[4]

United States Air Force

Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC)^[3]^[4]
- 1st Special Operations Wing^[3]^[4]
- 24th Special Operations Wing^[3]^[4]
- 27th Special Operations Wing^[3]^[4]
- 58th Special Operations Wing
- 193d Special Operations Wing (Air National Guard)^[3]^[4]
- 919th Special Operations Wing (Air Force Reserve)^[3]^[4]
- 352nd Special Operations Group^[3]^[4]
- 353rd Special Operations Group^[3]^[4]
- USAF Special Operations Training Center^[3]^[4]

United States Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC)^[3]^[4]

SOF career fields

United States Army

Special Forces
Rangers
Army Special Operations Aviators
Military Information Support Operators (Psychological Operations)
Civil Affairs Soldiers

Enablers^[4]

Sustainers

United States Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps Critical Skills Operator (CSO)

Enablers^[4]

Special Operations Capabilities Specialist
Combat Services Specialist

United States Navy

Navy SEALs
Special warfare combatant-craft crewmen (SWCC)
Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman (SARC)

United States Air Force

Officers

Enlisted

Combat Control (CCT)
Pararescue (PJ)
Special Operations Weather Technician (SOWT)
Tactical Air Control Party (TACP)*

* Note: ALO/TACP are not inherently designated SOF, only ALO/TACP belonging to Special Tactics Squadrons which are under AFSOC, the vast majority of TACPs/ALOs are in Air Support Operations Squadrons which belong to Air Combat Command.

U.S. Special Operations centers, schools, and courses

International Special Training Center (ISTC) - Pfullendorf, Federal Republic of Germany
Joint Special Operations University – Hurlburt Field
Advanced Special Operations Techniques Course (ASOTC) - Fort Bragg
John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School – Fort Bragg
Military Free Fall Advanced Tactical Infiltration Course (ATIC) - Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona
Naval Special Warfare Center – Coronado, California
Naval Special Warfare Advanced Training Command, Imperial Beach, CA
Recon and Surveillance Leaders Course (RSLC) - Fort Bening, Georgia
Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat (SFAUC) - Fort Bragg
Special Forces Combat Diver Qualification Course - Key West, Florida
Special Forces Sniper Course (SFSC) - Fort Bragg
Special Forces Advanced Targeting Reconnaissance Target Analysis Exploitation Techniques (SFARTAETC)
Special Forces Physical Surveillance Course
SOF Sensitive Site Exploitation, Technical Exploitation Course
SOF Sensitive Site Exploitation, Operator Advanced Course
Special Forces Master Mountaineering Course (Level 1)
Special Forces Senior Mountaineering Course (Level 2)
Winter Warfare, Mountain and Cold Weather Operations
Special Forces Technical Surveillance (SFTSC)
Marine Special Operations School – Camp Lejeune
- Marine Corps Special Operations Training Group
US Army Ranger Assessment and Selection Program (RASP) – Fort Benning, Georgia
US Army Small Unit Ranger Tactics (SURT) – Fort Benning, Georgia
US Army Ranger School
USAF Combat Control School – Pope Field, North Carolina
USAF Pararescue Recovery Specialist Course - Kirtland AFB, NM
USAF Special Operations School – Hurlburt Field, FL
- Special Tactics Training Squadron
JTAC Advanced Instructor Course – Nellis AFB, NV^[5]
US Navy Rescue Swimmer school, Pensacola, Florida
US Coast Guard Special Mission Training Center, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

Commands

United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM)^[4]
- Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC)^[4]
- United States Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC)^[4]
- United States Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC)^[4]
- United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC)^[4]
- United States Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC)^[4]
- Special Operations Command – Joint Capabilities (SOC-JC)
- Theater Special Operations Commands
  - Special Operations Command Africa (SOCAFRICA)^[4]
  - Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT)^[4]
  - Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR)^[4]
    - Joint Special Operations Air Component Europe
  - Special Operations Command Pacific (SOCPAC)^[4]
  - Special Operations Command South (SOCSOUTH)^[4]^[6]
  - Special Operations Command North (Provisional)(SOCNORTH)^[7]^[4]
  - Special Operations Command Korea (SOCKOR)^[4]

Notes

^ ^a ^b special operations forces. Dtic.mil. Retrieved on 2014-05-24.
^ "Joint Special Operations Task Force Operations" (PDF). 26 April 2007. p. GP-15 (Glossary page). Retrieved 19 September 2013.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af ^ag ^ah ^ai ^aj ^ak ^al ^am ^an ^ao ^ap ^aq ^ar ^as ^at ^au ^av ^aw ^ax ^ay ^az ^ba ^bb ^bc ^bd ^be "SOCOM 2013 Factbook" (PDF). 2013. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af ^ag ^ah ^ai ^aj ^ak ^al ^am ^an ^ao ^ap ^aq ^ar ^as ^at ^au ^av ^aw ^ax ^ay ^az ^ba ^bb ^bc ^bd ^be ^bf ^bg ^bh ^bi ^bj ^bk ^bl ^bm ^bn ^bo ^bp ^bq ^br ^bs ^bt ^bu ^bv ^bw ^bx ^by ^bz ^ca ^cb ^cc ^cd ^ce ^cf ^cg ^ch ^ci ^cj ^ck ^cl ^cm ^cn ^co ^cp ^cq ^cr ^cs ^ct ^cu ^cv ^cw "SOCOM 2014 Factbook" (PDF). 2014. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
^ "Enlisted heroes receive graduate-level education at Weapons School". 6 February 2013. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
^ Special Operations Command South
^ U.S. Special Operations Command, North (Provisional Command) > U.S. Northern Command > Article View. Northcom.mil (2013-05-16). Retrieved on 2014-05-24.

References

United States Department of Defense (5 June 2003). "US DOD Dictionary of Military Terms: Joint Acronyms and Abbreviations". United States Department of Defense. United States of America. Retrieved 11 January 2004.
CSM Eric Haney (retired, former Delta Force operator and founding member) (2002). Inside Delta Force: The Story of America's Elite Counterterrorist Unit. Delacorte Press. ISBN 0-385-33603-9.
Linda Robinson (2004). Masters of Chaos: The Secret History of the Special Forces. PublicAffairs. ISBN 1-58648-249-1.
Mark Bowden (1999). Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern Warfare. Atlantic Monthly Press. ISBN 0-87113-738-0.
Sean Naylor (2005). Not a Good Day to Die: The Untold Story of Operation Anaconda. The Berkeley Publishing Group. ISBN 0-425-19609-7.
"Special Forces Units". Retrieved 8 October 2006.

External links

David Ignatius: Learning to Fight a War - Washington Post, 2008-02-10
Simon J. Powelson: Enduring engagement yes, episodic engagement no: lessons for SOF from Mali - Naval Postgraduate School, 2013
Photographic history of the U.S.Army's 1st Air Cavalry Division's LRRP / Rangers in Vietnam 1968.
Special Operations Community Website
US Special Operation Forces – 2009 SOCOM Factbook

[autogeneratedmil-1] special operations forces. Dtic.mil. Retrieved on 2014-05-24.

[2] "Joint Special Operations Task Force Operations" (PDF). 26 April 2007. p. GP-15 (Glossary page). Retrieved 19 September 2013.

[socom_2013_factbook-3] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af ^ag ^ah ^ai ^aj ^ak ^al ^am ^an ^ao ^ap ^aq ^ar ^as ^at ^au ^av ^aw ^ax ^ay ^az ^ba ^bb ^bc ^bd ^be "SOCOM 2013 Factbook" (PDF). 2013. Retrieved 27 February 2013.

[socom_2014_factbook-4] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af ^ag ^ah ^ai ^aj ^ak ^al ^am ^an ^ao ^ap ^aq ^ar ^as ^at ^au ^av ^aw ^ax ^ay ^az ^ba ^bb ^bc ^bd ^be ^bf ^bg ^bh ^bi ^bj ^bk ^bl ^bm ^bn ^bo ^bp ^bq ^br ^bs ^bt ^bu ^bv ^bw ^bx ^by ^bz ^ca ^cb ^cc ^cd ^ce ^cf ^cg ^ch ^ci ^cj ^ck ^cl ^cm ^cn ^co ^cp ^cq ^cr ^cs ^ct ^cu ^cv ^cw "SOCOM 2014 Factbook" (PDF). 2014. Retrieved 21 April 2014.

[5] "Enlisted heroes receive graduate-level education at Weapons School". 6 February 2013. Retrieved 21 March 2013.

[6] Special Operations Command South

[7] U.S. Special Operations Command, North (Provisional Command) > U.S. Northern Command > Article View. Northcom.mil (2013-05-16). Retrieved on 2014-05-24.

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@@ Line 125: / Line 125: @@
 * [[United States Army Rangers|Rangers]]
 * Army Special Operations Aviators
+* Military Information Support Operators ([[Psychological Operations (United States)|Psychological Operations]])
+* Civil Affairs Soldiers
 ;Enablers<ref name="socom 2014 factbook"/>
-* Military Information Support Operators ([[Psychological Operations (United States)|Psychological Operations]])
 * Sustainers
-* Civil Affairs Soldiers
 ===United States Marine Corps===

v t e United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM)
United States Army USASOC	Units 1st Special Forces Command 75th Ranger Regiment Army Special Operations Aviation Command John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School Types Special Forces Rangers Civil Affairs Psychological Operations
United States Marine Corps MARSOC	Units Marine Raider Regiment Marine Raider Support Group Marine Raider Training Center Types Critical skills operator
United States Navy NAVSPECWARCOM	Units Naval Special Warfare Group 1 Naval Special Warfare Group 2 Naval Special Warfare Group 4 Naval Special Warfare Group 8 Naval Special Warfare Group 11 Naval Special Warfare Center Types Navy SEALs Special warfare combatant-craft crewmen
United States Air Force AFSOC	Units 1st Special Operations Wing 24th Special Operations Wing 27th Special Operations Wing 137th Special Operations Wing 193rd Special Operations Wing 352nd Special Operations Wing 353rd Special Operations Wing 492nd Special Operations Wing 919th Special Operations Wing Types Pararescue Combat Control Team Special Reconnaissance Combat Rescue Officer Special Tactics Officer Combat Aviation Advisors Psychological Operations
Special mission units JSOC	Army 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (Delta Force) Intelligence Support Activity (ISA / The Activity) Navy Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU / SEAL Team Six) Air Force 24th Special Tactics Squadron (24 STS) Joint Communications Unit
Theater Special Operations Commands	SOCAFRICA SOCCENT SOCEUR SOCKOR SOCPAC SOCNORTH SOCSOUTH
Source: SOCOM 2013 Fact Book