The United States Special Operations Forces is the official category where the United States Department of Defense lists the US military units that have a training specialization in unconventional warfare and special operations. Special Operations Forces are often referred to incorrectly as US Special Forces, which, in actuality, is the official name for the Green Berets.
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 US Navy SEAL units, selected units of the US Air Force, and other units) under the direct control of the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM), usually in time of active hostilities. US 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 US Special Operations Forces (Incomplete)
Active
Army
- 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (SFOD-D) "Delta Force"
- Army Special Forces "Green Berets"
- 75th Ranger Regiment "Rangers"
- 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) (160th SOAR(A)) "Night Stalkers"
- ISA Intelligence Support Activity (also known under other names)
Navy
- Special Warfare Development Group "DEVGRU"
- Navy SEALs
- Special Boat Units (SBU's)
Air Force
- Air Force Special Forces "Special Tactics" (Pararescuemen, Combat Controllers, Combat Weathermen)
- Tactical Air Control Parties (TACPs)
Marine Corps
- Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance (FORECON)
- Special Reaction Teams (SRTs)
- Fleet Antiterrorism Security Teams (FAST)
Joint
- Gray Fox/Capacity Gear/Centra Spike (joint task force)
Non-Military
- Central Intelligence Agency - Special Activities Division
- National Security Agency - Central Security Service
- Federal Bureau of Investigation - Hostage Rescue Team
- Drug Enforcement Administration - Mobile Enforcement Teams
- Marshals Service - Special Operations Group
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Special Response Teams
- Secret Service - Counter Assault Team
- Coast Guard - Port Security Units
Former
- Devil's Brigade (also 1st Special Service Force, WW II)
- Marine Raiders (WW II)
- Paramarines (WWII)
- Merrill's Marauders aka. 5307th Composite Unit (provisional) (WW II)
- Underwater Demolitions Team-formed in WW2 and tasked with the destruction of beach obstacles and collecting sand samples/
- MACV SOG- A joint Allied unit comprised of 2,000 American soldiers (mostly Special Forces) and over 8,000 highly trained South Vietnamese troops.
- Tiger Force
- Project Delta, Omega Group, Sigma Group - Vietnam War era special forces units, of which much is speculated, rumored to still exist in some form.
- Blue Light (early 1980s)
- Red Cell
- Task Force 5 (still active under Task Force 121)
- Task Force 20 (still active under Task Force 121)
- Task Force 120 still active
- Task Force 126
- Task Force 262
- Task Force 505 still active
- Force 21 still active
See also
External links
References
- USDOD (June 5, 2003). US DOD Dictionary of Military Terms. United States Department of Defense. United States of America.
- USDOD (June 5, 2003). US DOD Dictionary of Military Terms: Joint Acronyms and Abbreviations. United States Department of Defense. United States of America.
- Inside Delta Force by CSM. Eric Haney (ret.) former Delta Force operator and founding member
- Masters of Chaos by Linda Robinson
- Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern Warfare by Mark Bowden
- http://www.specialoperations.com/Units/military.htm