United States Army Special Forces
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| United States Army Special Forces | |
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 United States Army Special Forces Shoulder Sleeve Insignia |
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| Active | June 19, 1952 – |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Type | Special Forces (commando-type) |
| Part of | United States Army Special Operations Command |
| Nickname | Green Beret |
| Motto | De oppresso liber ("To liberate the oppressed") |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War Operation Eagle Claw Operation Urgent Fury Operation Just Cause Operation Desert Shield Operation Desert Storm Operation Restore Hope Battle of Mogadishu Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Iraqi Freedom * Battle of Debecka Pass |
The United States Army Special Forces —also known by the nickname Green Berets or simply Special Forces (capitalized)— is a Special Operations Force of the United States Army trained for unconventional warfare and special operations. The force was founded in 1952 by Colonel Aaron Bank and their official headgear is the green beret, thanks to the efforts of an early officer, Edson Raff.
Their official motto is De oppresso liber ("To liberate the oppressed").
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[edit] The Green Beret
The Green Beret was originally unauthorized for wear by the U.S. Army. However, in 1961, President John F. Kennedy authorized them for use by the 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 Operatives are also known for their more informal attire than other members of the U.S. Military.
[edit] Organization
U.S. Army Special Forces is divided into five Active Duty Special Forces Groups (SFG). 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:
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.
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.
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).
7th Special Forces Group - Headquartered at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. 7th SFG has responsibility for Latin and Central America as well as the Caribbean (along with 20th SFG). Will be moving to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida as part of the 2005 BRAC.
10th Special Forces Group - 1st Battalion stationed 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, the Balkans, Turkey, Israel and Lebanon and northern Africa.
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 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.
[edit] Training
A completely new recruit to the United States Army, who has signed on for the Special Forces, starts his training in Fort Benning, Georgia. All United States Special Forces are currently closed to females, though one woman completed and graduated from the Special Forces Officer Course in 1980, thus becoming the only Special Forces-qualified female[1]. This consists of basic training and Infantry training combined in a 14-week course. After graduation, he moves to Airborne training, which lasts for three weeks. Upon graduation from Airborne school the potential Special Forces Soldier is next shipped to Fort Bragg, North Carolina for SOPC (Special Operations Preparation Course) I. This training helps the candidate prepare for Phase I, Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS), an evaluation that lasts 24 days. If the potential recruit makes it past this stage, he usually returns to his previous unit to await a class date to begin the Special Forces Qualification Course ("Q Course"). Upon being assigned to the 1st Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, NC recruits are required to attend a demanding three week Small Unit Tactics course, designed to familiarize non-combat MOS soldiers with basic patrolling 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 five-week block of instruction in Small Unit Tactics. In late 2005, three weeks of SERE training was integrated into an expanded Phase II curriculum, and follows immediately upon successful completion of the Small Unit Tactics phase. The recruit then ships back to Fort Bragg for Phase III of the Q course, where he trains within one of five specialties within Special Forces, those being: 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 26 weeks long, the 18D training course is 59 weeks long. Upon graduation the soldier attends Robin Sage, a large-scale unconventional warfare exercise (Phase IV) and language school (Phase V) before being awarded the Special Forces tab.
Soldiers who successfully complete SFAS and who are not already Airborne qualified will be assigned a class date to attend Basic Airborne School at Ft. Benning, Georgia prior to reporting to Ft. Bragg.
[edit] Special Forces MOS Descriptions
- 18A - SF Officer
- 180A - SF Warrant Officer
- 18B - SF Weapons Sergeant
- 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).
[edit] SF A-team composition
A Special Forces company consists generally of six Operational Detachments Alpha, (ODAs) or "A-teams", though this number 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.
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.
[edit] SF B-team composition
A Special Forces company when in need will deploy an Operational Detachment Bravo, (ODB) or "B-team" which generally contains 11 men. 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 lead by an 18A, usually a Major, who is the "Company Commander". The CO is assisted by his "Company Executive Officer", 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 it's detachments. The Company Commander is assisted by a "Company Sergeant Major", a senior 18Z, who is 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.
Note the distinct lack of a Weapons or Engineer NCO: This is because the B-Team generally does not engage in direct operations, rather the B-team supports the A-teams underneath them.
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 NBC NCO, usually a Sergeant, maintains and operates the companys NBC equipment.
[edit] See also
- Air Force Special Operations Command
- U.S. Coast Guard International Affairs - in cooperation with the United States Department of State, this Coast Guard force provides training, security and intelligence force deployed to locations and countries that lack established diplomatic contacts with the United States or for which the services of Green Berets or SEALs would be problematic.
[edit] References
- ^ "Woman is Termed Qualified For Green Beret Unit", AP/NYT, February 22, 1981, pp. Section 1, Page 20.
[edit] External links
- Special Forces Groups (Airborne)
- Special Forces History
- ProfessionalSoldiers.com
- Special Forces Association
- USASOC Special Forces Command
- The History Of The Green Berets
- SpecialOperations.com - Green Berets
- A Detailed History of Special Forces
- Special Forces Command - GlobalSecurity.org
- Special Operations Warrior Foundation
- Special Forces Assessment & Selection (SFAS) Preparation Resource
