Special mission unit

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The term Special Missions Unit (SMU), at one time referred to as a "Tier 1" unit, [1] is used in the United States to categorize the nation's most highly secretive and elite military special operations forces. [2] The term "special missions unit" is also used in Australia to describe the Special Air Service Regiment. Special mission units have been involved in high-profile military operations, such as the killing of Osama bin Laden and the attempted hostage rescue of Kayla Mueller.

Contents

United States

Emblem of the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command. Seal of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC).svg
Emblem of the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command.

The United States military definition in the Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms comes from Joint Publication 3-05.1 – Joint Special Operations Task Force Operations (JP 3-05.1). [3] JP 3-05.1 defines a "special mission unit" as "a generic term to represent a group of operations and support personnel from designated organizations that is task-organized to perform highly classified activities." [4]

The U.S. government does not acknowledge which units specifically are designated as special missions units, [5] only that they have special mission units within the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), which is part of U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM). In the early 1990s then–Commander in Chief of SOCOM, General Carl Stiner, identified both Delta Force and SEAL Team Six as permanently assigned special mission units in congressional testimony and public statements. [6] In 1998, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Walter B. Slocombe publicly referred to special mission units during a briefing to the Senate Armed Services Committee: "We have designated special mission units that are specifically manned, equipped and trained to deal with a wide variety of transnational threats" and "These units, assigned to or under the operational control of the U.S. Special Operations Command, are focused primarily on those special operations and supporting functions that combat terrorism and actively counter terrorist use of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). These units are on alert every day of the year and have worked extensively with their interagency counterparts." [7]

List of United States military SMUs

As of 2023, the U.S. military has publicly acknowledged five units as Special Mission Units:

Australia

The Australian Army's elite Special Air Service Regiment are described as being "special missions units with unique capabilities within the Australian Defence Force". [20] The Regiments are components of Australia's Special Operations Command (SOCOMD), and are tasked with conducting "sensitive strategic operations, special recovery operations, training assistance, special reconnaissance and precision strike and direct action". [20]

The SASR currently has four sabre squadrons, known as 1, 2, 3 and 4 Squadron. [21] The first two squadrons rotate through the two roles performed by the Regiment; one squadron conducts the counter terrorism/special recovery (CT/SR) role, and the remaining squadrons conduct the warfighting/reconnaissance role, while 4 Squadron is responsible for collecting intelligence and also supports the Australian Secret Intelligence Service. [22]

Notable operations

An Iraqi-American military interpreter pictured with Saddam shortly after his capture. SaddamSpiderHole.jpg
An Iraqi-American military interpreter pictured with Saddam shortly after his capture.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne)</span> US Army special operations helicopter unit

The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), abbreviated as 160th SOAR (A), is a special operations force of the United States Army that provides helicopter aviation support for special operations forces. Its missions have included attack, assault, and reconnaissance, and these missions are usually conducted at night, at high speeds, low altitudes, and on short notice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">75th Ranger Regiment</span> Elite US Army light infantry unit

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joint Special Operations Command</span> Joint component command of the U.S. Special Operations Command

The Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) is a joint component command of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and is charged with studying special operations requirements and techniques to ensure interoperability and equipment standardization, to plan and conduct special operations exercises and training, to develop joint special operations tactics, and to execute special operations missions worldwide. It was established in 1980 on recommendation of Colonel Charlie Beckwith, in the aftermath of the failure of Operation Eagle Claw. It is headquartered at Pope Field.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Special Forces Support Group</span> Military unit

The Special Forces Support Group (SFSG) is a special forces unit of the British Armed Forces. The SFSG was formed officially on 3 April 2006 to provide support to the Special Air Service, the Special Boat Service and the Special Reconnaissance Regiment on operations. It is a tri-service unit, composed of the 1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment,, a company of Royal Marine Commandos, and a flight (platoon) from the Royal Air Force Regiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">24th Special Tactics Squadron</span> U.S. Air Forces tier one special operations force

The 24th Special Tactics Squadron is one of the Special Tactics units of the United States Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). Garrisoned at Pope Field, North Carolina, it is the U.S. Air Force component of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). The unit's webpage describes it as "the Air Force's special operations ground force".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intelligence Support Activity</span> United States Army Special Operations unit

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The history of the British Army's Special Air Service (SAS) regiment of the British Army begins with its formation during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War, and continues to the present day. It includes its early operations in North Africa, the Greek Islands, and the Invasion of Italy. The Special Air Service then returned to the United Kingdom and was formed into a brigade with two British, two French and one Belgian regiment, and went on to conduct operations in France, Italy again, the Low Countries and finally into Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joint Special Operations Command Task Force in the Iraq War</span> Special operations unit

The Joint Special Operations Command Task Force which fought in the Iraq War was a joint U.S. and British special operations temporary grouping assembled from different units. It has been described as a "hunter-killer team" with its core made up of the United States Army's 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta and the 75th Ranger Regiment, as well as the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group and members of the United States Air Force's 24th Special Tactics Squadron, all under Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) and elements from the United Kingdom Special Forces, including the Special Air Service, Special Boat Service (SBS), Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR), 18 (UKSF) Signal Regiment and the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG). The task force was reported to be responsible for the cross border raid into Syria from Iraq in October 2008 that resulted in eight deaths including Abu Ghadiya, along with several US operations in the Horn of Africa targeting al-Qaeda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Rhino</span> Military operation by the US Army in Afghanistan

Operation Rhino was a Joint Special Operations Command raid by several special operations units, including the United States Army's 160th Special Operation Aviation Regiment and the 75th Ranger Regiment, on several Taliban targets in and around Kandahar, Afghanistan during the invasion of Afghanistan. The mission was an airfield seizure in support of a Delta Force raid on the nearby home of Mullah Omar; though intelligence suggested that perhaps neither location was occupied. Ultimately though both locations turned out to be largely empty, the operations were successfully completed, and provided substantial propaganda footage for the U.S. throughout the early war; though at the cost of two Rangers supporting the operation killed in a helicopter crash nearby in Pakistan.

Operation Marlborough was the code name of a mission carried out by M Squadron Special Boat Service. The mission involved an SBS team from Task Force Black, in Baghdad, Iraq, on 23 July 2005 with support the Special Air Service and U.S. military assets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SEAL Team Six</span> One of the United States two secretive tier-one counter-terrorism and Special Mission Units

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Special Operations Command</span> Unified combatant command of the United States Armed Forces responsible for special operations

The United States Special Operations Command is the unified combatant command charged with overseeing the various special operations component commands of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force of the United States Armed Forces. The command is part of the Department of Defense and is the only unified combatant command created by an Act of Congress. USSOCOM is headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida.

References

  1. ↑ Sof, Eric (2022-03-14). "JSOC's Tier-system explained: How do they differ?". Spec Ops Magazine. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  2. ↑ Roblin, Sebastien (19 October 2019). "Dream of Becoming a Navy Seal or Part of Delta Force? Here Is the Ultimate Guide to U.S. Special Forces". The National Interest .
  3. ↑ Article title
  4. ↑ "Joint Special Operations Task Force Operations" (PDF). 26 April 2007. p. GP-15 (Glossary page). Retrieved 2013-09-19.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Secret Unit Expands Rumsfeld's Domain". The Washington Post . 2005-01-23. Retrieved 2013-09-19.
  6. ↑ Collins, John M. (November 1994). Special Operations Forces: An Assessment (Nov 1, 1994 ed.). Diane Publishing. pp. 69–71. ISBN   1410223140.
  7. 1 2 Eric Schmitt (2005-01-23). "Commandos Get Duty on U.S. Soil". New York Times . Retrieved 2013-09-19.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Morgan, Wesley (2021-10-27). "The not-so-secret history of the U.S. military's elite Joint Special Operations Command". Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  9. ↑ North, Oliver (2010). American Heroes in Special Operations. B&H Publishing Group. ISBN   978-0-8054-4712-5.
  10. 1 2 3 "The most secret of secret units". The Week. 2013-03-22. Retrieved 2013-09-10.
  11. 1 2 3 Neville, Leigh (2008). Special Operations Forces in Afghanistan . Osprey Publishing. p.  8. ISBN   978-1846033100.
  12. ↑ Smith, Michael (2008). Killer Elite: The Inside Story of America's Most Secret Special Operations Team. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 332. ISBN   978-0312378264 . Retrieved 28 September 2013.
  13. ↑ "In high demand, Air Force commandos must find new ways to cope with stress of duty". Gaffney Ledger. 9 May 2005. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  14. ↑ [9] [10] [7] [5] [11] [12] [13]
  15. 1 2 GlobalSecurity.org JSOC entry
  16. 1 2 Rowan Scarborough (15 March 2004). "Agencies unite to find bin Laden". Washington Times . Retrieved 15 March 2009.
  17. ↑ [15] [10] [5] [11] [16]
  18. ↑ [15] [10] [5] [11] [16]
  19. ↑ "AORG-STB MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD SUBJECT: Career Opportunity in Special Mission Unit" (PDF). 2011-10-04. Archived from the original on 10 April 2023.
  20. 1 2 "Special Air Service Regiment". Australian Army. Archived from the original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
  21. ↑ Lee (2007), p. 95.
  22. ↑ Epstein, Rafael; Welch, Dylan. "Secret SAS teams hunt for terrorists". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
  23. ↑ "Saddam Hussein Captured". US: ABC News. January 6, 2006. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  24. ↑ "Graphic: Osama bin Laden killed at compound in Pakistan". The Washington Post. 2011-05-05. Retrieved 2013-09-30.
  25. ↑ Thomas Gibbons-Neff (October 24, 2015). "Helmet camera footage shows joint U.S. Delta Force-Kurdish raid to rescue Islamic State hostages". washingtonpost.com. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  26. ↑ Jim Miklaszewski and Courtney Kube (October 23, 2015). "Master Sgt. Joshua Wheeler, U.S. Commando Killed in ISIS Raid, Ran to Gunfight". nbcnews.com. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  27. ↑ Jim Miklaszewski, Richard Engel and Alastair Jamieson (October 22, 2015). "U.S. Special Operations Forces Commando Killed in ISIS Hostage Rescue". nbcnews.com. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  28. ↑ "SERGEANT MAJOR THOMAS P. PAYNE, MEDAL OF HONOR, OPERATION INHERNT RESOLVE". army.mil. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  29. ↑ Katie lange (October 19, 2020). "Medal of Honor Monday: Sgt. Maj. Thomas 'Patrick' Payne". defense.gov. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  30. ↑ Pompeo, Michael R. (27 October 2019). "On the Death of Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi" (Press release). U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  31. ↑ Luis Martinez (February 4, 2020). "U.S. Special operations forces raid a compound that resulted in the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi". US: ABC News . Retrieved October 4, 2020.
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