United States Special Operations Forces

The United States Special Operations Forces is the official category where the United States Department of Defense lists the US military units that have a training specialisation in unconventional warfare and special operations. Special Operations Forces are often referred to incorrectly as US Special Forces, which, in actuality, is the official name for the Green Berets.

The Department refers to such units (and similar foreign organisations) as Special Operations Forces (SOF).

General information

During peacetime, SOF units are usually under the operational command of their assigned branch of the military. But the Secretary of Defense can place Special Operations Forces (including all of the below, as well as US Navy SEAL units, selected units of the US Air Force, and other units) under the direct control of the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM), usually in time of active hostilities. US SOF units have the same basic role in warfare as the special forces of most other countries, supplying small, elite units that can operate far behind enemy lines on sabotage, reconnaissance, counter-insurgency and other missions. Most have extensive airborne training.

List of United States Special Operations Forces

Counter-Terrorist Units

1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (SFOD-D) "Delta Force"
Navy Special Warfare Development Group "DEVGRU"

Special Operation Forces

United States Army

Army Special Forces "Green Berets"
75th Ranger Regiment "Rangers"
160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) "Night Stalkers"
United States Army Civil Affairs, and Psycological Operations Command

United States Navy

SEAL Teams
Special Boat Teams (SBT's)

United States Air Force

Air Force Special Forces "Special Tactics" (Pararescuemen, Combat Controllers, Combat Weathermen)
Tactical Air Control Parties (TACPs)

United States Marine Corps

United States Coast Guard

Port Security Units (overseas port security for U.S. Navy and allied civilian installations)

Joint Task Forces

Former

Devil's Brigade (also 1st Special Service Force, WW II)
Marine Raiders (WW II)
Paramarines (WWII)
Merrill's Marauders aka. 5307th Composite Unit (provisional) (WW II)
Underwater Demolitions Team-formed in WW2 and tasked with the destruction of beach obstacles and collecting sand samples/
MACV SOG- A joint Allied unit comprised of 2,000 American soldiers (mostly special forces) and over 8,000 highly trained South Vietnamese troops.
Tiger Force
Project Delta, Omega Group, Sigma Group - Vietnam War era special forces units, of which much is speculated, rumored to still exist in some form.
Blue Light (early 1980s)
Red Cell

U.S. Special Operations Centers, Schools, and Courses

Associations

Foreign Exchange Units

External links

http://www.specialoperations.com/Units/military.htm
http://specwarnet.net/
http://www.mh-53pavelow.com

References

USDOD (June 5, 2003). US DOD Dictionary of Military Terms. United States Department of Defense. United States of America.
USDOD (June 5, 2003). US DOD Dictionary of Military Terms: Joint Acronyms and Abbreviations. United States Department of Defense. United States of America.
Inside Delta Force by CSM. Eric Haney (ret.) former Delta Force operator and founding member
Masters of Chaos by Linda Robinson
Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern Warfare by Mark Bowden
Not a Good Day to Die : The Untold Story of Operation Anaconda by Sean Naylor
http://www.specialoperations.com/Units/military.htm

Special forces of the United States | Military of the United States | United States Special Operations Command

アメリカ陸軍特殊作戦部隊

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