Special Forces (United States Army)
| Special Forces Group | |
|---|---|
 United States Army Special Forces shoulder sleeve insignia |
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| Active | 19 June 1952–Present |
| Country | United States of America |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Type | Special Forces |
| Role | Direct Action, Foreign Internal Defense, Special Reconnaissance, Unconventional Warfare |
| Size | ~4500 |
| Part of | United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) |
| Nickname | Green Berets |
| Motto | De Oppresso Liber ("To Liberate the Oppressed") |
| Engagements | Vietnam War Operation Urgent Fury Operation Just Cause Operation Desert Storm Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Iraqi Freedom |
The United States Army Special Forces (Special Forces, SF, or Green Berets) are the foundational branch of the larger elite special operations forces (SOF), which is now a part of the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC), a component of United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).
Special Forces units are tasked with four primary missions: unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, and direct action. The first two emphasize language, cultural, and training skills in working with foreign troops. Other duties include coalition warfare and support, combat search and rescue (CSAR), security assistance, peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance, humanitarian demining, counter-terrorism, counter-proliferation, psychological operations, and counter-drug operations; other components of the United States Special Operations Command or other U.S. government activities may also specialize in these secondary areas[1] Many of their operational techniques are classified, but some nonfiction works[2] and doctrinal manuals are available.[3][4][5]
Their official motto is De Oppresso Liber (Latin: "To Liberate the Oppressed"), a reference to one of their primary missions, training and advising foreign indigenous forces.[6]
Currently, Special Forces units are deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom. They are also deployed with other SOCOM elements as one of the primary American military forces in the ongoing War in Afghanistan. As a special operations unit, Special Forces are not necessarily under the command authority of the ground commanders in those countries. Instead, while in theatre, SF operators may report directly to United States Central Command, USSOCOM, or other command authorities.
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Organization
U.S. Army Special Forces is divided into five Active Duty (AD) and two Army National Guard (ARNG) Special Forces groups. Each Special Forces Group (SFG) has a specific regional focus. The Special Forces soldiers assigned to these groups receive intensive language and cultural training for countries within their regional area of responsibility (AOR).[7] Due to the increased need for Special Forces soldiers in the War on Terror, all Groups—including those of the National Guard (19th and 20th SFGs)—have been deployed outside of their areas of operation (AOs), particularly to Iraq and Afghanistan. A recently released report showed Special Forces as perhaps the most deployed SOF under USSOCOM, with many operators, regardless of Group, serving up to 75% of their careers overseas, almost all off which has been to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Basic Element - SF Operational Detachment-Alpha (ODA) composition
A Special Forces company consists of six ODAs (Operational Detachments Alpha) or "A-teams." The number of ODAs can vary from company to company, with each ODA specializing in an infiltration skill or a particular mission-set (e.g. Military Freefall (HALO), combat diving, mountain warfare, maritime operations, or urban operations).
An ODA classically consists of 12 men, each of whom has a specific function (MOS or Military Occupational Specialty) on the team. The ODA is led by an 18A (Detachment Commander), usually a Captain, and a 180A (Detachment Technician) who is his second in command, usually a Warrant Officer First Class (WO1) or Chief Warrant Officer 2d Class (CW2). The team also includes the following enlisted men: one 18Z team sergeant (Operations Sergeant), usually a Master Sergeant, one 18F ( Assistant Operations/Intelligence Sergeant), usually a Sergeant First Class, and two each 18B (Weapons Sergeant), 18C (Engineer Sergeant), 18D (Medical Sergeant), and 18E (Communications Sergeant). This organization facilitates 6-man "split team" operations, redundancy, and mentoring between a senior specialist NCO and his junior assistant.
Company HQ Element - SF Operational Detachment-Bravo (ODB) composition
A Special Forces company, when required, will deploy an Operational Detachment Bravo, (ODB) or "B-team," usually composed of 11-13 soldiers. While the A-team typically conducts direct operations, the purpose of the B-team is to support the A-teams in the company. There is one B-team per company.
The ODB is led by an 18A, usually a Major, who is the Company Commander (CO). The CO is assisted by his Company Executive Officer (XO), another 18A, usually a Captain. The XO is himself assisted by a company technician, a 180A, generally a Chief Warrant Officer (CW3), who assists in the direction of the organization, training, intelligence, counter-intelligence, and operations for the company and its detachments. The Company Commander is assisted by the Company Sergeant Major, an 18Z, usually a Sergeant Major. A second 18Z acts as the Operations NCO, usually a Master Sergeant, who assists the XO and Technician in their operational duties. He has an 18F Assistant Operations NCO, who is usually a Sergeant First Class. The company's support comes from an 18D Medical Sergeant, usually a Sergeant First Class, and two 18E Communications Sergeants, usually a Sergeant First Class and a Staff Sergeant.
Note the distinct lack of a weapons or engineer NCO. This is because the B-Team generally does not engage in direct operations, but rather operates in support of the A-Teams. Each SF company has one ODA that specializes in HALO (military free fall parachuting) and one trained in combat diving. Other ODA specialties include military mountaineering, maritime operations, and personnel recovery.
The following jobs are outside of the Special Forces 18-series Career Management Field (CMF), but hold positions on a Special Forces B-Team. Soldiers in these positions are not "Special Forces qualified," as they have not completed the Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course (SFAS) or the Special Forces Qualification Course (SFQC or "Q Course):
- The Supply NCO, usually a Staff Sergeant, the commander's principal logistical planner, works with the battalion S-4 to supply the company.
- The Nuclear, Biological, Chemical (NBC) NCO, usually a Sergeant, maintains and operates the company's NBC detection and contamination equipment, and assists in administering NBC defensive measures.[8]
Battalion HQ Element - SF Operational Detachment-Charlie (ODC) composition
A C-team is one of the operational detachments of the Special Forces. It is a pure command and control unit with operations, training, signals and logistic support responsibilities. Its basic organization follows the same lines with a Lieutenant-Colonel (O-5) for commander and a Command Sergeant Major (E-9) for the leading NCO. There are an additional 20-30 SF personnel who fill key positions in Operations, Logistics, Intelligence, Communications and Medical. A Special Forces battalion usually consists of 3 companies.
SF Group strength
Until recently an SF Group has consisted of three Battalions, but since the Department of Defense has authorized US Army Special Forces Command to increase its authorized strength by one third, a fourth Battalion will be activated in each Active Duty Group by 2012.
A Special Forces Group is historically assigned to a Unified Combatant Command or a theater of operations. The Charlie detachment is responsible for a theater or a major subcomponent, and can raise brigade or larger guerrilla forces. Subordinate to it are the Bravo detachments, which can raise battalion and larger forces. Further subordinate, the ODAs typically raise company-sized units when on UW missions. They can form 6-man "split A" detachments that are often used for Special Reconnaissance (SR).
Groups
| Insignia | Group |
|---|---|
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1st Special Forces Group - 1st Battalion stationed in Okinawa, the 2nd and 3rd Battalions headquartered at Fort Lewis, Washington. The 1SFGA is oriented towards the Pacific region, and is often tasked by PACOM. |
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3rd Special Forces Group - Headquartered at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The 3SFGA is theoretically oriented towards all of Sub-Saharan Africa with the exception of the Eastern Horn of Africa, i.e. AFRICOM. In practice, 3SFGA and two of its battalions spend roughly six months out of every twelve deployed to Afghanistan as Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - Afghanistan. |
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5th Special Forces Group - Headquartered at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The 5SFGA is oriented towards the Middle East, Persian Gulf, Central Asia and the Horn of Africa (HOA), and is frequently tasked by CENTCOM. Currently, 5SFGA and two of its battalions spend roughly six months out of every twelve deployed to Iraq as Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - Arabian Peninsula. |
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7th Special Forces Group - Headquartered at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The 7SFGA is theoretically oriented towards Latin America, Central America, and the Caribbean, i.e. SOUTHCOM. In practice, 7SFGA and two of its battalions spend roughly six months out of every twelve deployed to Afghanistan as Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - Afghanistan. (In 2010, 7SFGA is scheduled to relocate to Eglin Air Force Base in Florida as part of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round. |
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10th Special Forces Group - 1st Battalion stationed in the Panzer Kaserne (Panzer Barracks) in Boeblingen near Stuttgart, Germany, and the 2nd and 3rd Battalions are headquartered at Fort Carson, Colorado. The 10SFGA is theoretically oriented towards Europe, mainly Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Turkey, Israel, Lebanon and Northern Africa, i.e. United States European Command (EUCOM). In practice, 10SFGA and two of its battalions spend roughly six months out of every twelve deployed to Iraq as Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - Arabian Peninsula. |
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19th Special Forces Group - One of two National Guard Special Forces Groups. Headquartered in Draper, Utah, with companies in Washington, West Virginia, Ohio, Rhode Island, Colorado, and California, the 19SFGA is oriented towards Southwest Asia (shared with 5SFGA), Europe (shared with 10SFGA), as well as Southeast Asia (shared with 1SFGA). |
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20th Special Forces Group - One of two National Guard Special Forces Groups. Headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, with battalions in Alabama (1st Battalion), Mississippi (2nd Battalion), and Florida (3rd Battalion), with assigned Companies and Detachments in North Carolina ; Chicago, Illinois; Louisville, Kentucky; Baltimore, Maryland; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The 20SFGA has an area of responsibility (AOR) covering 32 countries, including Latin America south of Mexico, the waters, territories, and nations in the Caribbean sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and the southwestern Atlantic Ocean. Orientation towards the region is shared with 7SFGA. |
| Inactive Groups | |
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6th Special Forces Group - Active from 1963 to 1971. Based at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. Assigned to Southeast Asia. Many of the 103 original Son tay raider volunteers were from 6SFGA. |
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8th Special Forces Group - Active from 1963 to 1972. Responsible for training armies of Latin America in counter-insurgency tactics. |
| 11th Special Forces Group - Active from 1961 to 1994. | |
| 12th Special Forces Group - Active from 1961 to 1994. |
Special Forces MOS descriptions
- 18A - Special Forces Officer
- 180A - Special Forces Warrant Officer
- 18B - Special Forces Weapons Sergeant
- 18C - Special Forces Engineering Sergeant
- 18D - Special Forces Medical Sergeant
- 18E - Special Forces Communications Sergeant
- 18F - Special Forces Assistant Operations and Intelligence Sergeant
- 18X - Special Forces Candidate (Active Duty Enlistment Option)
- 18Z - Special Forces Operations Sergeant
Note: Individuals desiring a career in Special Forces who have no prior military service or who have separated from military service may enlist directly into the 18X MOS, and upon successful completion of upwards of six months of initial training be given the chance to be selected at the Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course (SFAS).
It should be noted that other personnel in MOS designations outside of 18 series often support SF teams directly.
Cultural references
See also
- Air Force Special Operations Command
- Delta Force
- Former United States special operations units
- List of special forces units
- Manhunt (Military)
- Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG), Vietnam War-era special operations unit
- Special Forces Association
- The Special Warfare Memorial Statue
- United States Army Special Forces in popular culture
References
- ↑ Joint Chiefs of Staff (17 December 2003), Joint Publication 3-05: Doctrine for Joint Special Operations, http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/jel/new_pubs/jp3_05.pdf, retrieved on 2008-04-27
- ↑ Waller, Douglas C. (1994), The Commandos: The Inside Story of America’s Secret Soldiers, Dell Publishing
- ↑ FM 3-05: Army Special Operations Forces, US Department of the Army, September 2006, http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/army/fm3-05.pdf
- ↑ "FM 3-05.102 Army Special Forces Intelligence" (PDF) (2001-07).
- ↑ Joint Chiefs of Staff (1993), Joint Publication 3-05.5: Special Operations Targeting and Mission Planning Procedures, http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/jel/new_pubs/jp3_05_5.pdf, retrieved on 2007-11-13
- ↑ Special Forces Mission, http://www.groups.sfahq.com/command/mission.htm, retrieved on 2007-03-08
- ↑ United States Army Special Forces Command, http://www.soc.mil/SF/SF_default.htm
- ↑ "Structure". Fort Campbell. United States Army. Retrieved on 2007-03-08.
External links
- Special Forces Command website
- Special Forces Recruiting at Fort Bragg official website
- United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School
- Official website of the Special Forces Association
- United States Special Operations Command
- United States Army Special Forces Overview(GoArmy)
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