The United States Special Operations Forces is the official category which the United States 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).
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General information
While in the continental U.S., most SOF units fall administratively under their assigned branch of the military, but organizationally under U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM). Operational control of deployed units falls under the respective SOCOM and its Special Operations Command structure. However, the Secretary of Defense can place all Special Operations Forces, 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 SOCOM, usually in time of active hostilities. 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.
List of United States Special Operations Forces
Counter-Terrorist Units
- 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (SFOD-D) "Delta Force" (United States Army)
- Navy Special Warfare Development Group "DEVGRU" (United States Navy) (formerly SEAL TEAM 6)
- 24th Special Tactics Squadron - United States Air Force
- Intelligence Support Activity (known under various codenames since 1989, including Centra Spike, Torn Victor and Gray Fox)
Special Operation Forces
United States Army
- 75th Ranger Regiment ("Rangers")
- 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) ("Night Stalkers")
- United States Army Special Forces ("Green Berets")
- 4th Psychological Operations Group and other batallions (Airborne)
- 95th Civil Affairs Brigade and other battalions (Airborne)
United States Navy
- SEALs (Sea, Air, Land)
- SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV) Teams
- Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen (SWCC "Swics", Special Boat Teams)
United States Air Force
- 1st Special Operations Wing which includes
- 6th Special Operations Squadron - Green Beret equivalent in the Air Force.
- 4th and 16th Special Operations Squadrons - the only AC-130 Gunship squadrons
- Various other support aircraft including the CV-22, C-130, MC-130E/H/W, MH-53J/M, UH-1N/H, CN-235-100, An-26, U-28A, CASA 212, MQ-1A/B Predator, and Mi-8.
- 352d Special Operations Group
- 353d Special Operations Group
- 720th Special Tactics Group which includes
- Air Force Special Tactics members consisting of all Pararescuemen, Combat Controllers, and Combat Weathermen.
United States Marine Corps
- United States Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command
- Marine Force Reconnaissance (Reconnaissance and Direct Action)
- Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO)
- Radio Reconnaissance Platoon
- Fleet Antiterrorism Security Teams (FAST)
- Special Reaction Teams (SRTs)
United States Coast Guard
- Port Security Units (overseas port security for U.S. Navy and allied civilian installations)
- Law Enforcement Detachments
- Maritime Safety and Security Teams (MSST)
Intelligence Community Special Units
- Strategic Support Branch (SSB, DIA)
- Special Activities Division (CIA)
- Special Collections Service (SCS, joint NSA - CIA)
- Proactive and Preemptive Operations Group (P2OG, DoD)
Disbanded or Inactive Units
In the modern U.S. military structure since World War II, dozens of special operations units have been formed and later disbanded. Many were created for a specific, limited objective (such as Task Force 11), or for a specific conflict. In some cases, a special operations unit is reconstituted under a different name, usually for reasons of security, or evolves from a pilot project into a more permanent force. See Former United States special operations units.
U.S. Special Operations Centers, Schools, and Courses
- Ranger School and Course - Fort Benning
- John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School - Fort Bragg
- Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Training - Naval Special Warfare Center
- Air Force Special Operations School - Hurlburt Field
- Special Missions Training Center (USCG) - Camp Lejeune
- Marine Special Operations School - Camp Lejeune
Federal Law Enforcement Special Units
- Special Response Teams - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
- Special Operations Group - United States Marshals Service
- Hostage Rescue Team - Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Mobile Enforcement Teams - Drug Enforcement Administration
- Special Response Teams - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
- Mobile Security Division - Bureau of Diplomatic Security
- Tactical Teams - U.S. Border Patrol
- Counter Assault Team - U.S. Secret Service
See also
- United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM)
- Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC)
- List of special forces units
References
- USDOD (June 5, 2003). US DOD Dictionary of Military Terms. United States Department of Defense. United States of America. Retrieved on 2004-01-11.
- USDOD (June 5, 2003). US DOD Dictionary of Military Terms: Joint Acronyms and Abbreviations. United States Department of Defense. United States of America. Retrieved on 2004-01-11.
- 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.
- United States Special Operations. SpecialOperations.com. Retrieved on 2004-01-11.
- Special Forces Units. Retrieved on 2006-10-08.
External links
- [1] Special Operations Community Website
