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United States special operations forces are active and reserve component forces of U.S. Military. They are designated by the United States Secretary of Defense, and are specifically trained to conduct operations in an area under enemy or unfriendly control or politically sensitive environments to achieve military, diplomatic, informational, and economic objectives of the United States.

General information

While in the continental U.S., most special operations forces (SOF) units answer to the administration of their assigned branch of the military, but organizationally under U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM). Operational control of deployed units falls under the respective SOCOM and its Special Operations Command structure. However, the Secretary of Defense can place all special operations forces under the direct control of the SOCOM, usually in time of active hostilities.

U.S. 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 unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, counter-terrorism, special reconnaissance, and direct action missions.

As of 2009, there were roughly 55,000 personnel in the United States special operations forces.

List of United States special operations forces

Special missions units

• 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (SFOD-D) "Delta Force" (United States Army)
• United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group "DEVGRU" (United States Navy)
• 24th Special Tactics Squadron - (United States Air Force)
• Intelligence Support Activity "ISA" (United States Army)

United States Army

• Special Forces ("Green Berets")
• 75th Ranger Regiment ("Rangers")
• 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) ("Night Stalkers")
• 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne)
• 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (Airborne)

United States Navy

• Navy EOD
• United States Navy SEALs
• Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen

United States Air Force

• 352d Special Operations Group
• 353d Special Operations Group
• 1st Special Operations Wing (Formerly the 16th Special Operations Wing)
• 27th Special Operations Wing
• Combat Control Team
• Air Force Special Operations Weather Technician
• United States Air Force Pararescue

United States Marine Corps

• 1st MSOB
• 2nd MSOB
• MSOAG

Intelligence Community Special Units

• Strategic Support Branch (CIA/DIA)
• Special Activities Division (CIA)
• Special Collections Service (NSA - CIA)

Disbanded or inactive units

In the modern U.S. military structure since World War II, dozens of special operations units have been formed and later disbanded. Many were created for a specific, limited objective (such as Task Force 11), or for a specific conflict. In some cases, a special operations unit is reconstituted under a different name, usually for reasons of security, or evolves from a pilot project into a more permanent force. See Former United States special operations units.

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

• Joint Special Operations University - Hurlburt Field
• Ranger School - Fort Benning
• John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School - Fort Bragg
• Naval Special Warfare Center - Coronado, California
• USAF Special Operations School - Hurlburt Field
• Marine Special Operations School - Camp Lejeune
• Marine Corps Special Operations Training Group

Commands

• United States Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command
• United States Army Special Operations Command
• United States Air Force Special Operations Command
• United States Naval Special Warfare Command
• United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM)
• Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC)

See also

• Close Quarters Battle
• Counter-insurgency
• Counter-terrorism
• Direct action (military)
• Hand-to-hand combat
• Guerrilla warfare
• Foreign internal defense
• Light infantry
• List of special forces units
• Low intensity conflict
• Manhunt (military)
• Special Weapons and Tactics
• Unconventional warfare

References

• USDOD (June 5, 2003). "US DOD Dictionary of Military Terms". United States Department of Defense. United States of America. Retrieved 2004-01-11.

• USDOD (June 5, 2003). "US DOD Dictionary of Military Terms: Joint Acronyms and Abbreviations". United States Department of Defense. United States of America. Retrieved 2004-01-11.

• CSM Eric Haney (retired, former Delta Force operator and founding member. Inside Delta Force: The Story of America's Elite Counterterrorist Unit. Delacorte Press. ISBN 0-385-33603-9.

• Linda Robinson (2004). Masters of Chaos: The Secret History of the Special Forces. PublicAffairs. ISBN 1-58648-249-1.

• Mark Bowden (1999). Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern Warfare. Atlantic Monthly Press. ISBN 0-87113-738-0.

• Sean Naylor (2005). Not a Good Day to Die : The Untold Story of Operation Anaconda. The Berkeley Publishing Group. ISBN 0-425-19609-7.

• "Special Forces Units". Retrieved 2006-10-08.

External links

• US Special Operation Forces - 2009 SOCOM Factbook
• Special Operations Community Website
• Learning to Fight a War

References

1. http://blog.wired.com/defense/2009/04/budget.html

v t e United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM)
United States Army USASOC	Units 1st Special Forces Command 75th Ranger Regiment Army Special Operations Aviation Command John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School Types Special Forces Rangers Civil Affairs Psychological Operations
United States Marine Corps MARSOC	Units Marine Raider Regiment Marine Raider Support Group Marine Raider Training Center Types Critical skills operator
United States Navy NAVSPECWARCOM	Units Naval Special Warfare Group 1 Naval Special Warfare Group 2 Naval Special Warfare Group 4 Naval Special Warfare Group 8 Naval Special Warfare Group 11 Naval Special Warfare Center Types Navy SEALs Special warfare combatant-craft crewmen
United States Air Force AFSOC	Units 1st Special Operations Wing 24th Special Operations Wing 27th Special Operations Wing 137th Special Operations Wing 193rd Special Operations Wing 352nd Special Operations Wing 353rd Special Operations Wing 492nd Special Operations Wing 919th Special Operations Wing Types Pararescue Combat Control Team Special Reconnaissance Combat Rescue Officer Special Tactics Officer Combat Aviation Advisors Psychological Operations
Special mission units JSOC	Army 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (Delta Force) Intelligence Support Activity (ISA / The Activity) Navy Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU / SEAL Team Six) Air Force 24th Special Tactics Squadron (24 STS) Joint Communications Unit
Theater Special Operations Commands	SOCAFRICA SOCCENT SOCEUR SOCKOR SOCPAC SOCNORTH SOCSOUTH
Source: SOCOM 2013 Fact Book

• Special forces of the United States
• United States Special Operations Command