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"Blue Light" redirects here. For other uses, see Blue Light (disambiguation). The United States Army Special Forces, known in the United States simply as Special Forces or SF, is an elite special operations force of the U.S. Army trained for guerrilla warfare, unconventional warfare, and special operations. SF was founded in 1952 by OSS Jedburgh Colonel Aaron Bank known as the father of the Special Forces, and its members are informally known as "the Green Berets", because of the unit's distinctive green beret headgear. Their official motto is De Oppresso Liber (Latin: "To Liberate the Oppressed"), a reference to one of their primary missions to train and assist foreign indigenous forces. [1] Blue Light may refer to: Blue Light, part of the 5th Special Forces Group that existed into the early 1980s Blue-light hazard, the potential for a photochemical induced retinal injury Blue Light, a Canadian beer made by the Labatt Brewing Company. ...
Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
The United States Army is the largest and oldest branch of the armed forces of the United States. ...
For other uses, see Special forces (disambiguation). ...
USASOC shoulder patch. ...
A green beret is a type of headgear. ...
De Oppresso Liber or to free the oppressed is the motto of the United States Army Special Forces. ...
Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...
Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000...
Combatants United States Iran Commanders Col. ...
The Invasion of Grenada, known to US forces as Operation Urgent Fury, was an invasion of the island nation of Grenada by the military forces of the United States of America and several Caribbean nations. ...
Combatants United States Panama Commanders General Carl W. Stiner Manuel Noriega Strength 27,684+ 3,000+ Casualties 23 Dead, 324 Wounded 450 Military, 200-4,000 Civilian U.S. Army 7th Infantry Division (light) soldiers prepare to take La Comandancia in the El Chorrillo neighborhood of Panama City, December 1989. ...
See also: 2003 invasion of Iraq and Gulf War (disambiguation) C Company, 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment, 1st UK Armoured Division The Persian Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force of 34 nations led by the United States. ...
Combatants U.S.-led coalition Iraq Commanders George H. W. Bush, Norman Schwarzkopf, Colin Powell Saddam Hussein, Ali Hassan Al-Majid, Hussein Kamel Strength 660,000 ~545,000 Casualties 345 dead, 1,000 wounded 25,000 - 100,000 dead, 100,000 - 300,000 wounded The 1991 Gulf War (also Persian...
Combatants United States United Nations Pakistan Malaysia Somalia Commanders Many Mohamed Farrah Aidid The United Nations intervention in Somalia (code-named Operation Restore Hope) was a United Nations–sanctioned United States military operation from 9 December 1992 to 4 May 1993. ...
Combatants USSOF, UNOSOM II, Frontier Force Regiment Somali National Alliance-affiliated militias Commanders William F. Garrison Mohamed Farrah Aidid Strength 160 5,000-10,000 Casualties U.S. 18 killed 73 wounded 1 captured Malaysia 1 killed 7 wounded Pakistan 2 wounded Militia and civilians At least 3,000[1...
For other uses, see Iraq war (disambiguation). ...
For other uses of the term, see Iraq war (disambiguation) The 2003 invasion of Iraq (also called the 2nd or 3rd Persian Gulf War) began on March 20, 2003, when forces belonging primarily to the United States and the United Kingdom invaded Iraq arguably without the explicit backing of the...
Combatants United States Kurdish Resistance Iraq Strength 26 U.S. Special Forces 80 Kurdish fighters Unknown Casualties 18 civilians and Kurdish fighters 2 T-55 tanks, 8 armoured personnel carriers, 4 troop trucks, unknown number of soldiers killed, 20 captured The Battle of Debecka Pass, sometimes known as the Battle...
The United States Special Operations Forces is the official category where the U.S. Department of Defense lists the U.S. military units that have a training specialization in unconventional warfare and special operations. ...
The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ...
“Guerrilla†redirects here. ...
Unconventional warfare (UW) is the opposite of conventional warfare. ...
Special forces or special operations forces is a term used to describe relatively small military units raised and trained for reconnaissance, unconventional warfare and special operations. ...
Year 1952 (MCMLII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...
For other uses, see Colonel (disambiguation). ...
Colonel Aaron Bank (November 23, 1902 – April 1, 2004) was the founder of the US Army Special Forces, commonly called Green Berets. ...
This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
Iraqi wearing a keffiyeh. ...
De Oppresso Liber or to free the oppressed is the motto of the United States Army Special Forces. ...
For other uses, see Latin (disambiguation). ...
Special Forces units are tasked with seven specific missions: unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, direct action, combating terrorism, counter-proliferation, and information operations. Other duties include coalition warfare and support, combat search and rescue (CSAR), security assistance, peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance, humanitarian de-mining and counter-drug operations. [2] Foreign internal defense (FID) is a US military term, used by a number of Western militaries. ...
Special Reconnaissance (SR) is conducted by small units of highly trained military personnel, usually from Special Operations Forces (SOF) who avoid combat with, and detection by, the enemy. ...
In the context of military special operations, direct action (DA) consists of: Short-duration strikes and other small-scale offensive actions conducted as a special operation in hostile, denied, or politically sensitive environments and which employ specialized military capabilities to seize, destroy, capture, exploit, recover, or damage designated targets. ...
Terrorist redirects here. ...
Counter-proliferation refers to military efforts to combat proliferation, including the application of military power to protect forces and interests, intelligence collection and analysis. ...
This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...
Search and Rescue (acronym SAR) is an operation mounted by emergency services, often well-trained volunteers, to find someone believed to be in distress, lost, sick or injured either in a remote or difficult to access area, such as mountains, desert or forest (Wilderness search and rescue), or at sea...
It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ...
It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with development aid. ...
Hydrema mine clearing vehicle Demining is the process of removing landmines or naval mines from an area, which is usually done to enable military action in that area or for humanitarian reasons, as old minefields represent an important hazard to civilians. ...
Massive mark-ups for drugs, areas/drugs/index. ...
Currently, Special Forces units are deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom. They are also deployed with other USSOCOM elements as the primary American military force in the ongoing War In Afghanistan. For other uses of the term, see Iraq war (disambiguation) The 2003 invasion of Iraq (also called the 2nd or 3rd Persian Gulf War) began on March 20, 2003, when forces belonging primarily to the United States and the United Kingdom invaded Iraq arguably without the explicit backing of the...
Emblem of the United States Special Operations Command. ...
Wars during the History of Afghanistan include: The First Anglo-Afghan War The Second Anglo-Afghan War The Third Anglo-Afghan War The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan The U.S. invasion of Afghanistan This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share...
Predecessors
The US Special Forces was established out of several special operations units that were active during World War II. Formally, its lineage comes from the 1st Special Service Force (Devil's Brigade), but that unit was more a Special reconnaissance (SR) and Direct Action (DA) command, which operated in uniform without augmentation by local soldiers. While there were Ranger units in WWII, and 1st Special Service Force was more like a brigade-sized Ranger unit, the current 75th Ranger Regiment's lineage traces back to the WWII Ranger battalions. Arthur D. "Bull" Simons served with WWII Ranger units in the Pacific, and was to become a legendary Special Forces commander Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...
Shoulder sleeve patch of the 1st Special Service Force. ...
Special Reconnaissance (SR) is conducted by small units of highly trained military personnel, usually from Special Operations Forces (SOF) who avoid combat with, and detection by, the enemy. ...
For the Canadian urban guerrilla group Direct Action, see Squamish Five. ...
Look up ranger in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
Official force name 75th Ranger Regiment Rangers Other names Airborne Rangers Army Rangers Task Force Ranger U.S. Army Rangers Branch U.S. Army Chain of Command USASOC Description Special Operations Force, rapidly deployable light infantry force. ...
Colonel Arthur D. Bull Simons (28 June 1918 - 21 May 1979) was an American military officer, best known for leading Operation Ivory Coast, an attempted rescue of American prisoners of war from the Vietcong prison at Son Tay. ...
Some of the Office of Strategic Services units have much more similarity, in mission, with the original Army Special Forces mission, Unconventional Warfare (UW), or acting as cadre to train and lead guerillas in occupied countries. The Special Forces motto, de oppresso liber (Latin: "free from oppression) reflects this historical mission of guerilla warfare against an occupier. Specifically, the 3-man Operation Jedburgh units provided leadership to French Resistance units. The larger OSS Operational Groups (OG) were more associated with SR/DA missions, although they did work with Resistance units. COL Aaron Bank, commander of the first Special Forces group, served in OSS during WWII. The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. It was the wartime intelligence agency and was the predecessor to the Central Intelligence Agency, the Special Forces, and Navy SEALs. ...
Unconventional warfare (UW) is the opposite of conventional warfare. ...
Guerrilla (also called a partisan) is a term borrowed from Spanish (from guerra meaning war) used to describe small combat groups. ...
Jedburgh was an operation in World War II in which men from the Office of Strategic Services and the British Special Operations Executive parachuted into Nazi occupied France to conduct sabotage and guerilla warfare, and to lead French Maquis forces against the Germans. ...
Colonel Aaron Bank (November 23, 1902 – April 1, 2004) was the founder of the US Army Special Forces, commonly called Green Berets. ...
While Fil-American guerilla operations in the Japanese-occupied Phillipines are not part of the direct lineage of Army Special Forces, some of the early Special Forces leadership were involved in advising and creating the modern organization. They included Russell Volckmann, who had commanded guerillas in North Luzon and then in the Korean War [3] ,Donald Blackburn, who also served with the North Luzon force; and Wendell Fertig, who developed a division-sized force on Mindanao. Wendell Fertig (b. ...
During the Korean War, United Nations Partisan Forces Korea operated on islands and behind enemy lines. These forces were also known as the 8086th Army Unit, and then as the Far East Command Liaison Detachment, Korea, FECLD-K 8240th AU. These troops directed North Korea's partisans in raids, harassment of supply lines and the rescue of downed pilots. Since the initial Special Forces unit, 10 Special Forces Group (Airborne) was activated on 19 June 1952, but the Korean War broke out on June 25, 1950, Army Special Forces did not operate as a unit in that war. Experience gained in that war, however, influenced the development of Special Forces doctrine. Also known as UNPIK, a unit during the Korean War that was consolidated under the control of Eighth United States Army, Korea’s 8th Army G-3 Miscellaneous Group, 8086th Army Unit. ...
Creation of Army Special Forces Special Forces Command was developed out of the Special Operations Division of the Psychological Warfare Center which was activated in May 1952. June 1952, with the creation of the 10th Special Forces Group (SFG) under Colonel Bank, marked the forces' official founding. This coincided with the establishment of the Psychological Warfare School, which is now known as the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School. The 10th SFG deployed to Bad Tölz, Germany the following September, The remaining cadre at Fort Bragg, North Carolina formed the 77th Special Forces Group, which in May 1960 became 7th Special Forces Group [4]. The purpose of United States psychological operations (PSYOP) is to induce or reinforce attitudes and behaviors favorable to U.S. objectives. ...
The 10th Special Forces Group was formed on June 19th, 1952, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, with Colonel Aaron Bank in command. ...
unit crest John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School (USAJFKSWCS) trains United States Army personnel for the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) and Army Special Operation Forces (ARSOF). ...
Bad Tölz seen from the River Isar Bad Tölz is a town in Bavaria, Germany, and administrative center of the district of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen. ...
Look up cadre in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
Troopers of the 82nd training on Fort Bragg Paratroopers in training at Fort Bragg Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke Counties, North Carolina, USA, near Fayetteville. ...
 BG William P. Yarborough (left) meets with President John F. Kennedy at Fort Bragg, N.C., Oct. 12, 1961 Image File history File links Yarborough_&_J.F.Kennedy. ...
Image File history File links Yarborough_&_J.F.Kennedy. ...
Initial Deployments As well as preparing for the Warsaw Pact invasion that never came, Vietnam, El Salvador, and Afghanistan are the three major modern conflicts that have defined the Special Forces. Not to be confused with the Warsaw Convention, which is an agreement about airlines financial liability and the Treaty of Warsaw (1970) between West Germany and the Peoples Republic of Poland. ...
First European deployment 10th Special Forces Group was responsible, among other missions, to operate stay-behind guerilla operation after a presumed Soviet overrunning of Western Europe. It acquired a large number of Eastern European immigrants who brought much area and language skills. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...
Southeast Asia Special Forces units deployed, in 1961, to Laos, and then were among the first U.S. troops committed to Vietnam. Beginning in the early 1950s, Special Forces teams deployed from the United States and Okinawa to serve as advisers for the fledgling South Vietnamese Army. As the United States escalated its involvement in the war, Special Forces' mission expanded as well. Since Special Forces were trained to lead guerillas, it seemed logical that they would have a deep understanding of counterguerilla actions, which became the Foreign internal defense (FID) mission. 5th Special Forces Group mixed the UW and FID missions, often leading Vietnamese units such as Montagnards and lowland Civilian Irregular Defense Groups. This article is about the prefecture. ...
The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) was a military component of the armed forces of the Republic of Vietnam (commonly known as South Vietnam). ...
Foreign internal defense (FID) is a US military term, used by a number of Western militaries. ...
The term Montagnard can refer to a mountain-dwelling people of central Vietnam: Degar a factional partisan of the party of The Mountain during the French Revolution This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...
Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG, pronounced sid-gee) was a program devised by the CIA in early 1961 to counter expanding Viet Cong influence in South Vietnams Central Highlands. ...
The main SF unit in South Vietnam was the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) earned seventeen Congressional Medals of Honor in Vietnam, making it the most prominently decorated unit for its size in that conflict. Special Forces personnel also played key roles in the highly secret Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV) Studies and Observation Group. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States. ...
The Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV, pronounced as mac vee) was the United States command structure during the Vietnam War from 1962 until the wars end. ...
This article needs to be wikified. ...
Latin America In the 1980's the US Special Forces were deployed to El Salvador. The U.S. troops mission was to train the El Salvadorians who at the time were in trouble. They trained the El Salvadorians for combat by providing them with military tactics and techniques. The Special Forces saved them from Communist takeover under the Duarte Regime. In 1992 the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front reached an agreement with the government of El Salvador. Successful in El Salvador, the 3rd Special Forces Group was created in 1990 resulting in the current active duty Special Forces Group.
Current organization U.S. Army Special Forces is divided into five active duty Special Forces groups. Each Active Duty 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. In the United States military active duty refers to military members who are currently serving full time in their military capacity. ...
| Insignia | Group | |
| 1st Special Forces Group - 1st Battalion stationed in Okinawa, the 2nd and 3rd Battalions headquartered at Fort Lewis, Washington. 1st SFG has responsibility for the Pacific. Even if they are not part of PACOM, they can be asked to work with elements from that command. |
 | 3rd Special Forces Group - Headquartered at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. 3rd SFG has responsibility for all of sub-Saharan Africa except for the eastern Horn of Africa. Even if they are not part of AFRICOM, they can be asked to work with elements from that command. | |
| 5th Special Forces Group - Headquartered at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. 5th SFG has responsibility for the Middle East, Persian Gulf, Central Asia and the Horn of Africa (HOA). Even if they are not part of CENTCOM, they can be asked to work with elements from that command. | |
| 7th Special Forces Group - Headquartered at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. 7th SFG has responsibility for Latin America, Central America, and the Caribbean (along with 20th SFG). (In 2010, 7th SFG is scheduled to relocate to Eglin Air Force Base in Florida as part of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round. Even if they are not part of SOUTHCOM, they can be asked to work with elements from that command. | |
| 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. 10th SFG has responsibility for Europe, mainly Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Turkey, Israel, Lebanon and northern Africa. Even if they are not part of EUCOM, they can be asked to work with elements from that command. | |
| 19th Special Forces Group - One of the two National Guard groups for the Special Forces. Headquartered in Draper, Utah, with detachments in Washington, West Virginia, Ohio, Rhode Island, Colorado, and California. 19th SFG has responsibility over Southeast Asia (shared with 5th SFG), as well as the Pacific (shared with 1st SFG). |
 | 20th Special Forces Group - One of the two National Guard groups for the Special Forces. Headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, under Southern Command, with battalions from Alabama (1st Battalion), Mississippi (2nd Battalion), and Florida (3rd Battalion), with detachments in North Carolina, Chicago, Illinois, Louisville, Kentucky and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 20th SFG has an area of responsibility 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. The area is shared with 7th SFG. | | Inactive Groups | | 6th Special Forces Group - Active from 1963 to 1971. Responsible for Iraq AO and other middle eastern countries. | |
| 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. | Image File history File links 1sfg. ...
The 1st Special Forces Group is a U.S. Army Special Forces unit that was activated on 24 June 1957 at Camp Drake, Japan. ...
This article is about the prefecture. ...
Fort Lewis is a census-designated place and U.S. Army post located in Pierce County, Washington. ...
For the capital city of the United States, see Washington, D.C.. For other uses, see Washington (disambiguation). ...
For other meanings of Pacific, see Pacific (disambiguation). ...
Emblem of the United States Pacific Command New emblem: [1] The United States Pacific Command (USPACOM), led by the Commander, Pacific Command (CDRUSPACOM), is the supreme military authority for the various branches of the Armed Forces of the United States serving within its area of responsibility (AOR). ...
Image File history File links 3sfg. ...
The 3rd Special Forces Group is a U.S. Army Special Forces unit that was activated on 5 December, 1963 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. ...
Fort Bragg is a census-designated place and United States Army base, or post, in Cumberland County, North Carolina, near Fayetteville. ...
Official language(s) English Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Largest metro area Charlotte metro area Area Ranked 28th - Total 53,865 sq mi (139,509 km²) - Width 150 miles (240 km) - Length 560[1] miles (900 km) - % water 9. ...
A political map showing national divisions in relation to the ecological break (Sub-Saharan Africa in green) A geographical map of Africa, showing the ecological break that defines the sub-Saharan area Sub-Saharan Africa is the term used to describe the area of the African continent which lies south...
The Horn of Africa. ...
The United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM or AFRICOM) is a new Unified Combatant Command of the United States Department of Defense, to have an area of responsibility covering Africa and to be fully operational by September 2008. ...
Image File history File links 5sfg. ...
This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...
Fort Campbell is a large post of the United States Army located approximately ten miles northwest of downtown Clarksville, Tennessee. ...
Official language(s) English[1] Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Area Ranked 37th - Total 40,444 sq mi (104,749 km²) - Width 140 miles (225 km) - Length 379 miles (610 km) - % water 1. ...
A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ...
Map of the Persian Gulf. ...
Map of Central Asia showing three sets of possible boundaries for the region Central Asia located as a region of the world Central Asia is a vast landlocked region of Asia. ...
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) is a theater-level Unified Combatant Command unit of the U.S. armed forces, established in 1983 under the operational control of the U.S. Secretary of Defense. ...
Image File history File links 7sfg. ...
The 7th Special Forces Group was activated on 20 May, 1960. ...
Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ...
For other uses, see Central America (disambiguation). ...
West Indies redirects here. ...
Eglin Air Force Base is the home of the United States Air Force 96th Air Base Wing of the Air Force Materiel Command, and is also headquarters for more than 45 associate units. ...
This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ...
The preliminary 2005 Base Realignment and Closure list was released by the United States Department of Defense on May 13, 2005. ...
USSOUTHCOM emblem The United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM, or informally: SOUTHCOM) is a Unified Combatant Command responsible for all United States military activities in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean basin (except Cuba and Puerto Rico, which are the responsibility of United States Northern Command). ...
Image File history File links 10sfg. ...
The 10th Special Forces Group was formed on June 19th, 1952, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, with Colonel Aaron Bank in command. ...
Böblingen Böblingen is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, seat of Böblingen District. ...
For other uses, see Stuttgart (disambiguation). ...
Fort Carson is a United States Army installation and a Census Designated Place located immediately south of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States and just north of Pueblo, Colorado in Pueblo County Colorado. ...
Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Largest metro area Denver-Aurora Metro Area Area Ranked 8th - Total 104,185 sq mi (269,837 km²) - Width 280 miles (451 km) - Length 380 miles (612 km) - % water 0. ...
For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ...
Central Europe The Alpine Countries and the Visegrád Group (Political map, 2004) Central Europe is the region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe. ...
Pre-1989 division between the West (grey) and Eastern Bloc (orange) superimposed on current national boundaries: Russia (dark orange), other countries of the former USSR (medium orange),members of the Warsaw pact (light orange), and other former Communist regimes not aligned with Moscow (lightest orange). ...
Balkan redirects here. ...
Northern Africa (UN subregion) geographic, including above North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Africa. ...
The U.S. European Command (EUCOM) is a Unified Combatant Command of the United States military, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. ...
Image File history File links 19sfg. ...
National Guard may refer to: A military force: Cypriot National Guard United States National Guard National Guard (France), active during the French Revolution Saudi Arabian National Guard A part of the Military of Kuwait Iraqi National Guard A part of the Military of Venezuela Portuguese Republican National Guard National Guard...
Draper is a city in Salt Lake County and Utah County, Utah, United States, located about 20 miles south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. ...
This article is about the U.S. state. ...
Official language(s) English Capital Charleston Largest city Charleston Largest metro area Charleston metro area Area Ranked 41st - Total 24,244 sq mi (62,809 km²) - Width 130 miles (210 km) - Length 240 miles (385 km) - % water 0. ...
This article is about the U.S. State. ...
This article is about the U.S. State. ...
Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Largest metro area Denver-Aurora Metro Area Area Ranked 8th - Total 104,185 sq mi (269,837 km²) - Width 280 miles (451 km) - Length 380 miles (612 km) - % water 0. ...
This article is about the U.S. state. ...
Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ...
Image File history File links 20sfg. ...
The 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne) or 20th SFG (ABN) is one of two Army National Guard groups for the United States Army Special Forces. ...
Nickname: Location in Jefferson County in the state of Alabama Coordinates: , Country State Counties Jefferson, Shelby Incorporated December 19, 1871 Government - Type Mayor - Council - Mayor Bernard Kincaid (Current) Larry Langford (Mayor-Elect) Area - City 151. ...
This article is about the U.S. State. ...
USSOUTHCOM emblem The United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM, or informally: SOUTHCOM) is a Unified Combatant Command responsible for all United States military activities in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean basin (except Cuba and Puerto Rico, which are the responsibility of United States Northern Command). ...
This article is about the U.S. state. ...
Nickname: Motto: Urbs in Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location in the Chicago metro area and Illinois Coordinates: , Country State Counties Cook, DuPage Settled 1770s Incorporated March 4, 1837 Government - Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Area - City 234. ...
Official language(s) English[1] Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Largest metro area Chicago Metropolitan Area Area Ranked 25th - Total 57,918 sq mi (140,998 km²) - Width 210 miles (340 km) - Length 390 miles (629 km) - % water 4. ...
Louisville redirects here. ...
Official language(s) English[1] Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Area Ranked 37th - Total 40,444 sq mi (104,749 km²) - Width 140 miles (225 km) - Length 379 miles (610 km) - % water 1. ...
City nickname: The Steel City Location in the state of Pennsylvania Founded 1758 Mayor Tom Murphy (Dem) Area - Total - Water 151. ...
This article is about the U.S. State. ...
Gulf of Mexico in 3D perspective. ...
Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
The 8th Special Forces Group was established in 1963 at Fort Gulick, Panama Canal Zone. ...
Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ...
Counter-insurgency is the combating of insurgency, by the government (or allies) of the territory in which the insurgency takes place. ...
The Green Beret Edson Raff, one of the first Special Forces officers, is credited with introducing the green beret,[5] which was originally unauthorized for wear by the U.S. Army. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy authorized them for use exclusively by the US Special Forces. Preparing for an October 12 visit to the Special Warfare Center at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the President sent word to the Center's commander, Brigadier General William P. Yarborough, for all Special Forces soldiers to wear the beret as part of the event. The President felt that since they had a special mission, Special Forces should have something to set them apart from the rest. In 1962, he called the green beret "a symbol of excellence, a badge of courage, a mark of distinction in the fight for freedom." Aside from the well-recognized beret, Special Forces soldiers are also known for their more informal attire than other members of the U.S. military. Edson Duncan Raff (b. ...
President is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, trade unions, universities, and countries. ...
John Kennedy and JFK redirect here. ...
Then Brigadier General Yarborough meeting with President John F. Kennedy at Fort Bragg, October 12, 1961 Lieutenant General William Pelham Yarborough (born May 12, 1912 in Seattle, Washington; died December 6, 2005) was a U.S. Army officer and a 1936 graduate of West Point. ...
The men of the Green Beret caught the public's imagination and were the subject of a best selling book The Green Berets by Robin Moore, a hit record, Ballad of the Green Berets written and performed by Barry Sadler, The Green Berets (film) produced, directed, and starring John Wayne and a comic strip and American comic book Tales of the Green Beret written by Robin Moore with artwork by Joe Kubert. See United States Army Special Forces in popular culture. This article is about the U.S. Special Operations Force. ...
Robin Moore (b. ...
Ballad of the Green Berets is a patriotic song in the ballad style about the Green Berets, an elite special force in the U.S. Army. ...
Ballad of the Green Berets LP Barry Sadler (November 1, 1940 – September 8, 1989) was an American author and musician. ...
The Green Berets is the title of a 1968 film starring John Wayne and featuring George Takei, David Janssen, Jim Hutton, and Aldo Ray. ...
For other persons named John Wayne, see John Wayne (disambiguation). ...
This article is about the comic strip, the sequential art form as published in newspapers and on the Internet. ...
An American comic book is a small magazine originating in the United States containing a narrative in the comics form. ...
Robin Moore (b. ...
Joe Kubert (born September 18, 1926, Poland) is an American comic book artist who went on to found the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art. ...
A United States Army Special Forces trooper will be the first to emphatically tell you that the Green Beret is a hat and not the man who wears it. ...
Training and selection
 A 19th Special Forces Group soldier mans an M60 machine gun on a HMMWV in Afghanistan, in March 2004. An AT4 anti-tank rocket can be seen in the foreground. When Special Forces were first created by Col. Aaron Bank in 1952, the recruits were personally selected by Bank himself. Most of the members were from the 82nd Airborne. The Forces began with 200 soldiers and the training lasted fourteen weeks. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1689x1155, 832 KB)March 3, 2004: Sgt. ...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1689x1155, 832 KB)March 3, 2004: Sgt. ...
For other uses, see M60. ...
This article refers to the Military HMMWV, not the civilian Hummer sold by General Motors General Characteristics (Humvee) Manufacturer: AM General Length: 4. ...
This article is about the unguided anti-tank weapon. ...
Todays training is far more rigorous. New male recruits to the Army who have requested to join the Special Forces first begin training at Fort Benning, Georgia. (All United States Special Forces units are closed to females.) This consists of basic training and Infantry training combined in a 14 week-long course. After graduation, soldiers must attend and pass the three-week Airborne school before progressing to the Special Operations Preparation Course (SOPC) at Ft. Bragg. Fort Benning is a base facility of the United States military outside Columbus, Georgia. ...
SOPC's purpose is to prepare SF candidates for Phase I, Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS), an evaluation that lasts 24 days. Upon successful completion of this phase, recruits usually return to their previous units to await being admitted to a class in the three-phase Special Forces Qualification Course ("Q Course"). There recruits are assigned to the 1st Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg and required to participate in a demanding three-week Small Unit Tactics course. This course is designed to familiarize non-combat Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) soldiers with basic patrolling, orienteering and woodland skills. Afterwards, recruits of rank Staff Sergeant (E-6) and below attend the Primary Leadership Development Course/Basic Non-Commissioned Officer's Course at Camp Mackall before officially beginning Phase II, a seven-week block of instruction in Small Unit Tactics. In early 2006, Phase II was expanded to include three weeks of Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) training & lethal hand to hand combat & element of surprise disarming techniques, following immediately after completion of the Small Unit Tactics phase. The Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS) is a 24-day program used to assess the fitness of a candidate for further training to become a member of the U.S. Special Forces, popularly known as the Green Berets. ...
The objective of the Special Forces Qualification Course is train U.S. Army soldiers in the field of special operations in order to function as members of the United States Army Special Forces, also known as the Green Berets. ...
A Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) is a job classification in use in the United States Army and Marine Corps. ...
Patrolling is a military tactic. ...
The international orienteering symbol. ...
Primary Leadership Development Course or PLDC is the first course of study that must be attended by a U.S. Army non-commissioned officer candidate. ...
This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...
After Phase II, recruits then begin Phase III for specific training within one of five Special Forces specialties: 18A, SF Officer; 18B, SF Weapons Sergeant; 18C, SF Engineer Sergeant; 18D, SF Medical Sergeant; and 18E, SF Communications Sergeant. 18A-C and E training courses are about 15 weeks long, and the 18D training course is 42 weeks long. Following the completion of phase III, you begin what is called the language blitz portion. Depending on the language you are assigned it is either 8 or 12 weeks of language training. The recruits finish their Special Forces training by participating in "Robin Sage", a large-scale unconventional warfare exercise (Phase V) before being awarded the Special Forces tab.[6] Robin Sage is a training exercise for the US Green Berets. ...
Soldiers who successfully complete SFAS but are not already Airborne qualified are assigned a class date to attend Basic Airborne School at Ft. Benning, Georgia prior to reporting to Ft. Bragg.
After successfully completing the Special Forces Qualification Course and earning the green beret and SF tab, Special Forces Soldiers are then eligible for many advanced skills courses. These include the Military Free Fall Parachutist Course, the Combat Diver Qualification Course, the Special Forces Sniper Course, and the Special Forces Advanced Reconnaissance and Target Exploitation Techniques Course. Additionally, Special Forces Soldiers may participate in special operations training courses offered by other services and allied nations throughout their careers. Military diving is a branch of professional diving carried out by world armed forces. ...
For other uses, see Sniper (disambiguation). ...
Special Forces MOS Descriptions - 180A - SF Warrant Officer
- 18B - SF Weapons Sergeant
Part of a special forces deployment often includes uniform change. This special forces operator (left) is nearly indistinguishable from his Afghan counterparts. - 18C - SF Engineer Sergeant
- 18D - SF Medical Sergeant
- 18E - SF Communications Sergeant
- 18F - SF Assistant Operations & Intelligence Sergeant
- 18X - SF Candidate (Enlistment Option)
- 18Z - SF Operations Sergeant
Note: Candidates for SF school may enlist directly into the 18X MOS, and upon successful completion of Basic Training, Infantry AIT (or alternatively, Infantry OSUT as a combination of both Basic and AIT), Airborne School, and Special Forces Assessment and Selection, will be enrolled into the Special Forces Qualification Course and be awarded one of the other SF MOS. It should be noted that until a "true" SF MOS has been granted, the 18X candidate is for all intents and purposes considered to hold MOS 11B (Infantryman). Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
Group Organization A Special Forces Group is usually assigned to a Unified Combatant Command or theater of operations. The Operational Detachment-Charlie is responsible for a theater or major subcomponent, and can raise brigade or larger guerilla forces. Subordinate to it are the Bravo (B) detachments, which can operate battalion and larger forces. A Unified Combatant Command is composed of forces from two or more services, has a broad and continuing mission, and is organized either on a geographical basis (known as Area Of Responsibility, AOR) or on a functional basis. ...
Alpha (A) detachments typically raise company-sized units when on UW missions. They can form 6-man "split A" detachments that are often used for SR.
SF Operational Detachment-Alpha (ODA)composition A Special Forces company consists generally of six ODAs (Operational Detachments Alpha) or Alpha Detachments. Formerly, they were referred to as "A-teams", but this has fallen out of favor since the 1980s. The number of ODAs can vary from company to company, these may be specialized in some way. A prime example is 3rd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group, which maintains a "Counter-Narcotics Operational Detachment Alpha", or "CNODA" in their detachment at Camp Blanding, Florida. Camp Blanding is the primary military reservation and training base for the Florida National Guard, located near Jacksonville in Clay County, Florida that measures approximately 73,000 acres (29,542. ...
This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ...
An ODA typically consists of 12 men, each of whom has a specific function on the team. The ODA is led by an 18A, usually a Captain, and a 180A who is his second in command, usually a Warrant Officer One or Chief Warrant Officer Two. The team also contains the following enlisted men: one 18Z, usually a Master Sergeant, one 18F, usually a Sergeant First Class, and two each of the B's, C's, D's, and E's. The B's, C's, D's and E's work in senior/junior roles with the seniors, ideally having the rank of Sergeant First Class, and the juniors having the rank of Staff Sergeant or Sergeant. Please see Captain (military) for other versions of this rank Captain is a rank in the United States armed forces that ranks between a First Lieutenant and Major (O-3 in the United States Army, U.S. Air Force, and United States Marines), or a rank between a Commander and...
For other uses of Warrant Officer, see Warrant Officer. ...
United States Master Sergeant insignia U.S. Marine Corps Master Sergeant insignia U.S. Army Master Sergeant insignia U.S. Air Force A Master Sergeant is: the eighth enlisted rank in the United States Marine Corps, just above Gunnery Sergeant, below Master Gunnery Sergeant, Sergeant Major, and Sergeant Major of...
Sergeant First Class insignia Sergeant First Class (SFC) is the seventh enlisted rank in the U.S. Army, just above Staff Sergeant and below Master Sergeant, and is a non-commissioned officer. ...
United States Military Staff Sergeant insignia (U.S. Air Force) Staff Sergeant is the fifth enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force, just above Senior Airman and below Technical Sergeant. ...
For other uses, see Sergeant (disambiguation). ...
In a regular force troop, this level would be compared to a squad, patrol or section (even if the commander is a Captain (O-3) and not a Staff Sergeant (E-6)).
SF Operational Detachment-Bravo (ODB) composition A Special Forces company, when in need, 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 Executive Officer (XO), another 18A, usually a Captain. The XO is himself assisted by a company technician, a 180A, generally a Chief Warrant Officer Three, and 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 Staff Sergeant. This page meets Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ...
While Executive officer literally refers to a person responsible for the performance of duties involved in running an organization, the exact meaning of the role is highly variable, depending on the organization. ...
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 within its company. Each line company has one or more company detachments that are specially trained. They are trained in free-fall parachute operations, underwater (SCUBA) operations, and urban combat operations.
The following jobs are outside of the Special Forces 18-series CMF, but hold positions in a Special Forces B-Team. They are not themselves considered to be Special Forces, as they have not completed SFAS and SFQC:
- 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.[7]
In a regular force troop, this level of command could be compared to a company (although the commander is a Major (O-4) and not a Captain (O-3)) Military supply chain management is a cross-functional approach to procuring, producing and delivering products and services. ...
The S4, aided by the S4 section and specialized platoons (support, maintenance) organic to the headquarters and headquarters company (HHC), manages the battalions logistical support. ...
An NBC suit is a type of protective suit giving protection inclusively against particle radiation, biological and chemical agents, though depending on the design may or may not give protection against radiation. ...
SF Operational Detachment-C (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. It's very rare to see a C-team in a tactical zone , it is usually represent the battalion command . 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 soldier on patrol in Afghanistan. A Special Forces battalion usually consists of 3 companies. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 530 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,024 × 679 pixels, file size: 76 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A special forces operator on patrol in Afghanistan. ...
Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 530 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,024 × 679 pixels, file size: 76 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A special forces operator on patrol in Afghanistan. ...
Weaponry The standard weapons are the M4 Carbine, M9 pistol, M249 SAW. The vehicles they use are usually armed with M240 M4A1 redirects here. ...
The M9 handgun, formally Pistol, Semiautomatic, 9mm, M9, is a 9mm pistol of the U.S. military adopted in the 1980s. ...
Caliber: 5. ...
M240B pictured Caliber: 7. ...
See also This article is considered orphaned, since there are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...
Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) was established May 22, 1990, with headquarters at Hurlburt Field, Fla. ...
There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...
A United States Army Special Forces trooper will be the first to emphatically tell you that the Green Beret is a hat and not the man who wears it. ...
External links
References Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...
is the 67th day of the year (68th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...
is the 124th day of the year (125th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...
is the 325th day of the year (326th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...
is the 67th day of the year (68th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...
is the 67th day of the year (68th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...
is the 67th day of the year (68th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...
is the 67th day of the year (68th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
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