United States special operations forces

United States Special Operations Forces (SOF) are components of the Department of Defense's United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).

The U.S. military definition of Special Operations Forces according to the Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms is "Those Active and Reserve Component forces of the Military Services designated by the Secretary of Defense and specifically organized, trained, and equipped to conduct and support special operations. Also called SOF".[1] The definition in the DOD Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms references Joint Publication 3-05.1 - Joint Special Operations Task Force Operations (JP 3-05.1) as its source.[1][2]

List of SOF units

Joint Special Operations Command

Joint Special Operations Command[3][4]

United States Army

Army Rangers during a training course, 2011

United States Navy

Navy SEALs desert training exercise, 2004

United States Air Force

For a larger and more in-depth organizational breakdown of AFSOC see Air Force Special Operations Command#Units

United States Marine Corps

SOF career fields

United States Army

Enablers[4]

United States Marine Corps

Enablers[4]

United States Navy

United States Air Force

Officers
Enlisted

* Note: ALO/TACP are not inherently designated SOF, only ALO/TACP belonging to Special Tactics Squadrons which are under AFSOC, the vast majority of TACPs/ALOs are in Air Support Operations Squadrons which belong to Air Combat Command.

U.S. Special Operations centers, schools, and courses

Commands

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 special operations forces. Dtic.mil. Retrieved on 2014-05-24.
  2. ↑ "Joint Special Operations Task Force Operations". 26 April 2007. p. GP-15 (Glossary page). Retrieved 2013-09-19.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24 3.25 3.26 3.27 3.28 3.29 3.30 3.31 3.32 3.33 3.34 3.35 3.36 3.37 3.38 3.39 3.40 3.41 3.42 3.43 3.44 3.45 3.46 3.47 3.48 3.49 3.50 3.51 3.52 3.53 3.54 3.55 3.56 "SOCOM 2013 Factbook". 2013. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19 4.20 4.21 4.22 4.23 4.24 4.25 4.26 4.27 4.28 4.29 4.30 4.31 4.32 4.33 4.34 4.35 4.36 4.37 4.38 4.39 4.40 4.41 4.42 4.43 4.44 4.45 4.46 4.47 4.48 4.49 4.50 4.51 4.52 4.53 4.54 4.55 4.56 4.57 4.58 4.59 4.60 4.61 4.62 4.63 4.64 4.65 4.66 4.67 4.68 4.69 4.70 4.71 4.72 4.73 4.74 4.75 4.76 4.77 4.78 4.79 4.80 4.81 4.82 4.83 4.84 4.85 4.86 4.87 4.88 4.89 4.90 4.91 4.92 4.93 4.94 4.95 4.96 4.97 4.98 4.99 4.100 "SOCOM 2014 Factbook". 2014. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
  5. ↑ "Enlisted heroes receive graduate-level education at Weapons School". 6 February 2013. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
  6. ↑ Special Operations Command South
  7. ↑ U.S. Special Operations Command, North (Provisional Command) > U.S. Northern Command > Article View. Northcom.mil (2013-05-16). Retrieved on 2014-05-24.

References

External links