United States special operations forces

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United States special operations forces (SOF) are the active and reserve component forces of the United States Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force within the US military, as designated by the Secretary of Defense and specifically organized, trained, and equipped to conduct and support special operations. [1] [2] All active and reserve special operations forces are assigned to the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). [2] [3]

Contents

Composition

Component commands
★★★ Represents a unit led by a lieutenant general or vice admiral
★★ Represents a unit led by a major general or rear admiral (upper half)
★ Represents a unit led by a brigadier general or rear admiral (lower half)

Joint Special Operations Command

Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) ★★★ [7]

United States Army

1-10th Special Forces Group secure their weapons after a day of training at the Panzer Range Complex, Boeblingen, Germany, 8 Nov. 2016. 161109-A-RY767-130 (25363079749).jpg
1-10th Special Forces Group secure their weapons after a day of training at the Panzer Range Complex, Boeblingen, Germany, 8 Nov. 2016.
Army Rangers during a training operation. U.S. Army Rangers, assigned to 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, prepare for extraction on Fort Hunter Liggett, California, Jan. 30, 2014.jpg
Army Rangers during a training operation.

United States Marine Corps

Marine Raiders fine-tune Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) skills. MARSOC Marines fine-tune Visit, Board, Search and Seizure skills 150114-M-LS286-215.jpg
Marine Raiders fine-tune Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) skills.

United States Navy

Navy SEALs during night operation in Afghanistan. United States Navy SEALs 676.jpg
Navy SEALs during night operation in Afghanistan.
SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team (SDV) 2 conduct diving lock out US Navy 071026-N-3093M-012 Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kori Melvin documents Navy divers and special operators from SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team (SDV) 2 and Naval Special Warfare Logistics Support conducting Lock Out.jpg
SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team (SDV) 2 conduct diving lock out
SWCC from Special Boat Team 22 operating a SOC-R SWCC operating a SOC-R in Act of Valor.jpg
SWCC from Special Boat Team 22 operating a SOC-R

United States Air Force

Air Force Special Tactics Commandos training in Jordan Members of the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command, assigned to the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron.jpg
Air Force Special Tactics Commandos training in Jordan

SOF career fields

United States Army

Army Special Forces (Green Berets) during breach and clear training near al-Tanf, Syria Green Beret breach training at ATG, 25 April 2020.jpg
Army Special Forces (Green Berets) during breach and clear training near al-Tanf, Syria

United States Marine Corps

United States Navy

Special Boat Team 20 navigates a rigid-hull inflatable boat while a SEAL team boards a yacht US Navy 090427-N-4205W-352 A Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewman (SWCC) assigned to Special Boat Team (SBT) 20 navigates a rigid-hull inflatable boat.jpg
Special Boat Team 20 navigates a rigid-hull inflatable boat while a SEAL team boards a yacht

United States Air Force

* Not all PJs/CROs are assigned to AFSOC; many are assigned to Rescue Squadrons within ACC, PACAF, and USAFE. There is no difference in training or selection between Rescue and Special Tactics assignments. [25]

** TACP-O/TACP Airmen must undergo additional selection and training to be assigned to AFSOC Special Tactics Squadrons. Most are assigned to ACC and support conventional Army Units. [26]

U.S. special operations centers, schools, and courses

Deployable Specialized Forces U.S. Coast Guard operators fire Mk18 rifles while instructors supervise during the Advanced Tactical Operations Course at Special Missions Training Center Locked, Loaded, US Coast Guardsmen participate in Advanced Tactical Operations Course 150402-M-IU187-018.jpg
Deployable Specialized Forces U.S. Coast Guard operators fire Mk18 rifles while instructors supervise during the Advanced Tactical Operations Course at Special Missions Training Center

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Navy SEALs</span> U.S. Navy special operations force

The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the United States Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the United States Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main functions are conducting small-unit special operation missions in maritime, jungle, urban, arctic, mountainous, and desert environments. SEALs are typically ordered to capture or kill high-level targets, or to gather intelligence behind enemy lines. SEAL team personnel are hand-selected, highly trained, and possess a high degree of proficiency in unconventional warfare (UW), direct action (DA), and special reconnaissance (SR), among other tasks like sabotage, demolition, intelligence gathering, and hydrographic reconnaissance, training, and advising friendly militaries or other forces. All active SEALs are members of the U.S. Navy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Special operations</span> Specially designated military operations that are considered unconventional

Special operations or special ops are military activities conducted, according to NATO, by "specially designated, organized, selected, trained, and equipped forces using unconventional techniques and modes of employment." Special operations may include reconnaissance, unconventional warfare, and counterterrorism, and are typically conducted by small groups of highly trained personnel, emphasizing sufficiency, stealth, speed, and tactical coordination, commonly known as special forces.

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

The United States Army Special Operations Command (Airborne) (USASOC ( YOO-sə-sok)) is the command charged with overseeing the various special operations forces of the United States Army. Headquartered at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, it is the largest component of the United States Special Operations Command. It is an Army Service Component Command. Its mission is to organize, train, educate, man, equip, fund, administer, mobilize, deploy and sustain Army special operations forces to successfully conduct worldwide special operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Det One</span> Military unit

The Marine Corps Special Operations Command Detachment One, also simply known as Det One, was a pilot program of attaching a permanent unit of the United States Marine Corps to the United States Special Operations Command. It was commanded by Col. Robert J. Coates, former commanding officer of 1st Force Reconnaissance Company. Det One was activated on 19 June 2003 and had its headquarters at Camp Del Mar Boat Basin in Camp Pendleton, California. It was disbanded in 2006 and succeeded by the permanent United States Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Marine Forces Special Operations Command</span> United States Marine Corps component command

United States Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) is a component command of the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM) that comprises the Marine Corps' contribution to SOCOM, originating from Marine Force Recon (FORECON). Its core capabilities are direct action, special reconnaissance and foreign internal defense. MARSOC has also been directed to conduct counter-terrorism and information operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Republic of Korea Army Special Warfare Command</span> ROK Army command

The Republic of Korea Army Special Warfare Command, also known as the Republic of Korea Army Special Forces "Black Berets", is a strategic-level military command of the Republic of Korea Army responsible for their special operations forces. ROK Special Forces brigades work in a close relationship with their United States Army Special Forces counterparts and other allies in international security and intervention missions. U.S. SOF in Korea are under the command and control of Special Operations Command Korea (SOCKOR) which is a sub-unified command assigned under the Korean Armed Forces Command.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4th Psychological Operations Group</span> US Army special forces support unit

The 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne) or 4th POG(A) is one of the United States Army's active military information support operations units along with the 8th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne), which was activated 26 August 2011 at Fort Liberty. The 8th Group has responsibility for the 3rd and 9th Psychological Operations battalions while the 4th Group has responsibility for the 1st, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th battalions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">528th Sustainment Brigade (United States)</span> U.S. Army sustainment and special operations unit

The 528th Sustainment Brigade (Airborne), 528th Sustainment Brigade (SO) (A), or 528th SB (SO) (A) was activated on 16 December 2008, as part of the overall United States Army Special Operations Forces logistics transformation. The brigade replaced the Special Operations Support Command (Airborne) (SOSCOM) as combat service support and combat health support unit for all Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) units under the 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">528th Support Battalion (United States)</span> Military unit

The 528th Support Battalion is a battalion of the United States Army. The 528th Support Battalion's mission is to provide rapidly deployable CSS and HSS to ARSOF as directed. The 528th Support Battalion's strengths lie in its capability to support ARSOF-unique and low-density weapons and vehicles. The 528th complements [organic] 22 ARSOF CSS, HSS, and signal units. The support battalion consists of a headquarters and main support company (HMSC), three forward support companies and may receive augmentation from Theater Army. As part of Army Special Operations Command the unit, along with the 112th Signal Battalion, is tasked to provide full logistical support to Army Special Operations Forces forming along with several other units what was known as Special Operations Support Command, later reorganized as the 528th Sustainment Brigade. Brigade Troops Battalion includes a wide variety of military occupation specialists: riggers, drivers, medics, mechanics, engineers, fuelers, cooks, etc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States military beret flash</span>

In the United States (US) military, a beret flash is a shield-shaped embroidered cloth that is typically 2.25 in (5.72 cm) tall and 1.875 in (4.76 cm) wide with a semi–circular base that is attached to a stiffener backing of a military beret. These flashes—a British English word for a colorful cloth patch attached to military headgear—are worn over the left eye with the excess cloth of the beret shaped, folded, and pulled over the right ear giving it a distinctive appearance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Special Operations Command (Philippines)</span> Military unit

The Armed Forces of the Philippines Special Operations Command (AFPSOCOM) is the unified special operations command of the AFP. It is responsible for planning, conducting, and supporting special operations.

<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. ↑ Joint Chiefs of Staff (16 July 2014). Special Operations (PDF). Joint Publication 3-05. Washington, DC: Department of Defense. pp. I-3 –I-4, GL-11. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 December 2016.
  2. 1 2 "10 U.S. Code § 167 - Unified combatant command for special operations forces". Legal Information Institute. Cornell Law School. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  3. ↑ Joint Chiefs of Staff 2014, p. I-3.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "SOCOM 2014 Factbook" (PDF). 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 December 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
  5. ↑ Special Operations Command South
  6. ↑ U.S. Special Operations Command, North (Provisional Command) > U.S. Northern Command > Article View. Northcom.mil (16 May 2013). Retrieved on 2014-05-24.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 SOCOM Public Affairs (2015). SOCOM Fact Book 2015 (PDF). SOCOM Public Affairs.
  8. 1 2 Trevithick, Joseph. "Shedding Some Light on the Pentagon's Most Shadowy Aviation Units". The Drive. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  9. ↑ "Joint Communications Unit | JCU | Fort Bragg, NC". jcu.mil. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  10. ↑ "U.S. Naval Special Warfare Command Establishes Group Eight, Disestablishes Groups Three and Ten". DVIDSHUB. 25 August 2021. Archived from the original on 29 August 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  11. ↑ Atlamazoglou, Stavros (15 September 2021). "To take on Russia and China, the US Navy is standing up a new unit to do the missions that only SEALs can do". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 7 July 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  12. ↑ NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE (PDF) (Report). Naval Special Warfare Center. May 2013. NWP 3-05. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  13. ↑ Faram, Mark D. (25 February 2019). "SEALs revive stealthy submarine delivery team in Virginia". Navy Times. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  14. 1 2 3 "Fact Book 2022" (PDF). SOCOM. 2022. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 July 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "1st Special Operations Group fact sheet". 1 July 2015.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "24th Special Operations Wing fact sheet". 1 July 2015.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "27th Special Operations Wing fact sheet". 1 July 2015.
  18. ↑ "Fact Book 2022" (PDF). SOCOM. 2022. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 July 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  19. 1 2 3 4 "919th Special Operations Wing fact sheet". 1 July 2015.
  20. 1 2 3 "352d Special Operations Wing fact sheet". 1 July 2015.
  21. 1 2 3 4 "353rd Special Operations Group fact sheet". 1 July 2015.
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Air Force Special Operations Air Warfare Center". 1 July 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
  23. 1 2 Jacobs, Jeffrey (3 October 2017). "No, Sending Civil Affairs Reservists through the Active Duty Training Pipeline Won't Solve the Army's Civil Affairs Problems". Modern War Institute. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  24. 1 2 3 4 "Career Paths". Marine Raider Recruiting. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  25. ↑ "Unit Info". 19 January 2015. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  26. ↑ "Policy changes allow Airmen to retrain into special ops". U.S. Air Force. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  27. ↑ WULLENJOHN, CHUCK. "Air Force becomes newest YPG tenant". Yuma Sun. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  28. ↑ "Enlisted heroes receive graduate-level education at Weapons School". 6 February 2013. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
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