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United States special operations forces

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The United States Special Operations Forces —commonly called U.S. special forces— is the official category where the U.S. Department of Defense lists the U.S. military units that have a training specialization in unconventional warfare and special operations.

The Department refers to such units (and similar foreign organizations) as Special Operations Forces (SOF).

General Information

During peacetime, SOF units are usually under the operational command of their assigned branch of the military. But the Secretary of Defense can place Special Operations Forces (including all of the below, as well as U.S. Navy SEAL units, selected units of the U.S. Air Force, and other units) under the direct control of the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM), usually in time of active hostilities. Special Operations Command consults with the theater commander about the best mix of SOF units and how best to use them. All Army SOF forces are supported by the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR, Night Stalkers).

U.S. SOF units have the same basic role in warfare as the Special Forces of most other countries, supplying small, elite units that can operate far behind enemy lines on sabotage, reconnaissance, counter-insurgency and other missions. Most have extensive airborne training.

Rangers on patrol

75th Ranger Regiment (Rangers)

Rangers were formerly identified by black berets, but now wear a khaki beret as their distinctive headgear. The Rangers are primarily used in reconnaissance, the gathering of intelligence data (including the capture of individual people), long-range patrolling, and security for operations by Delta Force. To become Ranger-qualified, soldiers must pass the nine-week Ranger School, which is one of the most demanding and intensive in the United States Armed Forces.

Special Forces (Green Berets)

Special Forces soldiers (who wear the distinctive green beret by which they are commonly known) are primarily used in liaison and training roles to friendly governments involved in counterinsurgency operations (as in Vietnam), or as liaison and training advisors to members of insurgency forces (commonly referred to as guerrillas) which the United States government wishes to support (as in Afghanistan). At the operational level, Special Forces are usually comprised of twelve-man "A Teams" with two officers and 10 enlisted members. Each member is expert in at least one Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) -- small arms, demolitions, medical, communication, etc. -- and cross-trained in at least one other specialty so that he may fill in for other members who are wounded or killed. Each member is usually proficient in the language of the host nation or insurgent group. All U.S. Army Special Forces members are double volunteers, having volunteered first for airborne training and then for Special Forces training. Special Forces training is mostly undertaken at Ft. Bragg, N.C. and is referred to as the "Q" Course (Qualification). The course has three phases: advanced military skills; advanced MOS training; and small unit operations, where teams undertake a simulated mission to train and organize indigenous forces.

1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (Delta Force)

Not much is known of "Delta Force," the U.S. government being unwilling to publicize much information. The little facts there are come from various public sources and not from the U.S. government itself. Delta Force members (who have no distinctive uniforms) are used to rescue hostages and perform other special counter-terrorism actions, most of which are classified. The organization and training of Delta Force personnel is classified, but they are known to be among the best marksmen in the world. Delta snipers are reportedly required to have 100 percent accuracy at 600 yards and 90 percent accuracy at 1,000 yards. Delta Force members are drawn from a variety of sources, including other Special Operations Forces. Delta Force is usually referred to (when it is referred to at all) by the U.S. government as either "the 1st Special Operations Detachment," or "the 1st Combat Applications Group." The group is small (estimates generally run to less than 400 members), and operates in small teams deep inside hostile territory, often with orders to terminate with stealth and impunity. The namesake of Delta Force is believed to have been "Project Delta," a special operations unit commanded in Vietnam by the late U.S. Army Col. Charles Beckwith. Two Delta Force members were awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously in Somalia while protecting the crew of a downed helicopter, and are the only soldiers to have been so honored while serving as snipers.

List of U.S. Special Operations Forces (incomplete)

Active

Army

Air Force

Marine Corps

Other

Former

References

  1. USDOD (June 5, 2003). US DOD Dictionary of Military Terms. United States Department of Defense. United States of America.
  2. USDOD (June 5, 2003). US DOD Dictionary of Military Terms: Joint Acronyms and Abbreviations. United States Department of Defense. United States of America.
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