Joint Special Operations Command

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Emblem of the Joint Special Operations Command

The Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) is a component command of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). It was established on December 15, 1980, in the aftermath of the failure of operation Eagle Claw^[1]. It is located at Pope Air Force Base and Fort Bragg in North Carolina, USA.

The Joint Special Operation Command is believed to be the USSOCOM part carrying out counter-terrorism and military covert operations. It is said to directly command some special operations forces called Special Missions Units^[2]. These allegedly includes :

Delta Force, which is administratively under U.S Army command;
DEVGRU (previously known as SEAL Team Six), which is administratively under U.S Navy command;
24th Special Tactics Squadron
A field intelligence unit previously known as the Intelligence Support Activity, which eventually used codenames including CENTRA SPIKE, TORN VICTOR and GRAY FOX.
Joint Aviation Unit, sometimes believed to be the former SEASPRAY unit
Technical Intelligence Unit, said to be linked with the Special Reconnaissance Capabilities (SRC) program^[3]
Signals Intelligence Branch

For special operations, these units may receive support from other Special Operations Forces, most notably the 75th Ranger Regiment, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), and the USAFSOC's Special Operations Squadrons^[4].

The JSOC frequently create specialised "Task Forces" for his missions, bringing together Special Missions Units operators, other Special Operations Forces operators (mostly those listed above), and in some cases (such as many of the "numerical" Task Forces operating in Afghanistan and Iraq), CIA operatives and/or foreign special forces such as British Special Air Service and other United Kingdom Special Forces and Polish GROM. Such Task Forces operate under command of the JSOC.^[5]

Task Force Ranger (for operation Gothic Serpent, in Somalia in 1993)
Task Force 11 (a.k.a. Task Force Sword, Afghanistan, late 2001-summer 2003) and Task Force 5 (Afghanistan, summer 2003-July 2003 ?)
Task Force 20 (Iraq, summer 2003)
Task Force 121, Task Force 6-26, Task Force 145 and maybe Task Force 77: various names for what is believed to be the same Task Force charged of most of hunting of "high-value targets" in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The JSOC is also a "joint headquarters designed to study special operations requirements and techniques; ensure interoperability and equipment standardization; plan and conduct joint special operations exercises and training; and develop joint special operations tactics"^[6]. For this task, the Joint Communications Unit (JCU) is tasked to ensure compatibility of communications systems and standard operating procedures of the different special operations units.

1 See also
- 1.1 Bibliography
2 References
3 External links

[edit] See also

[edit] Bibliography

Steven Emerson, Secret Warriors: Inside the Covert Military Operations of the Reagan Era, G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1988. ISBN 0-399-13360-7
Michael Smith, Killer Elite: The Inside Story of America's Most Secret Special Operations Team, Cassell, London, 2006. ISBN 0-3043-6727-3

[edit] References

^ Steven Emerson, Secret Warriors, p.26 (see Bibliography for complete references of the books)
^ GlobalSecurity.org
^ (French) Jean-Jacques Cécile, Les Forces Spéciaes en Afghanistan ("Special forces in Afghanistan)
^ As it has been the case in Task Force Ranger and Task Force 145
^ Task Fore Ranger was under command of MG William F. Garrison, the then-JSOC commander (Mark Bowden, Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War). Task Force 145 is also under command of the JSOC (Sean Naylor, Closing in on Zarqawi in Army Times, May 8, 2006 [1])
^ GlobalSecurity.org