United States Special Operations Forces
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The United States Special Operations Forces is the official category where the United States Department of Defense lists the U.S. military units that have a training specialisation 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 organisations) as Special Operations Forces (SOF).
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[edit] General information
During peacetime, SOF units are usually under the operational command of their assigned branch of the military. However, the Secretary of Defense can place all Special Operations Forces, 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.
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.
[edit] List of United States Special Operations Forces
[edit] Counter-Terrorist Units
- Navy Special Warfare Development Group "DEVGRU" (United States Navy)
- 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (SFOD-D) "Delta Force" (United States Army)
[edit] Special Operation Forces
[edit] United States Army
- Army Special Forces "Green Berets"
- 75th Ranger Regiment "Rangers"
- 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) "Night Stalkers"
- United States Army Civil Affairs, and Psychological Operations Command
[edit] United States Navy
- SEAL Teams
- Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen (Special Boat Units)
[edit] United States Air Force
- Air Force Special Forces "Special Tactics" (Pararescuemen, Combat Controllers, Combat Weathermen)
- Tactical Air Control Parties (TACPs)
[edit] United States Marine Corps
[edit] 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)
- U.S. Coast Guard International Affairs (jointly run with the Department of State, see below)
[edit] Intelligence Community Special Units
- Strategic Support Branch - Defense Intelligence Agency
- Special Activities Division - Central Intelligence Agency
- Central Security Service - National Security Agency
[edit] Other
- United States Department of State
- U.S. Coast Guard International Affairs (jointly run with the US Coast Guard, see above)
[edit] Joint Task Forces
- Gray Fox (aka Capacity Gear or Centra Spike ; former Intelligence Support Activity)
- Task Force 20
- Task Force 121
- Task Force 145
- Task Force 6-26
[edit] Former
- Devil's Brigade (also 1st Special Service Force, WW II)
- Merrill's Marauders, also known as 5307th Composite Unit (provisional) (WW II)
- Alamo Scouts (WWII)
- Alaskan Scouts (WWII)
- Marine Raiders (WWII)
- Paramarines (WWII)
- Marine Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion (WWII)
- Naval Scouts and Raiders (WWII)
- Naval Combat Demolition Units (NCDU) (WWII)
- Underwater Demolitions Team — formed in WW2 and tasked with the destruction of beach obstacles and collecting sand samples
- Air Commandos (WWII)
- Carpet Baggers (WWII)
- Airborne Ranger Companies(Korea)
- Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols (LRRPs) — Vietnam War era]] deep reconnaissance and raider units
- MACV SOG — a joint unconventional warfare task force comprised of 2,000 American soldiers (mostly special forces) and over 8,000 highly trained indigenous mercenaries
- Tiger Force — Vietnam War era reconnaissance commando platoon in the 1/327th Infantry
- Red Cell
[edit] U.S. Special Operations Centers, Schools, and Courses
- Air Assault School - Fort Campbell
- Ranger School and Course - Fort Benning
- John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School - Fort Bragg
- Marine Corps Combatant Diver Course - Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center
- Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Training - Naval Special Warfare Center
- Air Force Special Operations School - Hurlburt Field
[edit] Federal Law Enforcement Special Units
- Special Operations Group - United States Marshals Service
- Hostage Rescue Team - Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Mobile Enforcment Teams - Drug Enforcement Administration
- Special Response Teams - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
- Diplomatic Security Service - Department of State
[edit] Foreign Exchange Units
[edit] Australia
[edit] France
[edit] Germany
[edit] See also
[edit] 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 0385336039.
- Linda Robinson (2004). Masters of Chaos: The Secret History of the Special Forces. PublicAffairs. ISBN 1586482491.
- Mark Bowden (1999). Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern Warfare. Atlantic Monthly Press. ISBN 0871137380.
- Sean Naylor (2005). Not a Good Day to Die : The Untold Story of Operation Anaconda. The Berkeley Publishing Group. ISBN 0425196097.
- United States Special Operations. SpecialOperations.com. Retrieved on 2004-01-11.
- Special Forces Units. Retrieved on 2006-10-08.
