United States Special Operations Command

The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) is a Unified Combatant Command with the mission statement

Provide fully capable Special Operations Forces to defend the United States and its interests. Plan and synchronize operations against terrorist networks.

It trains special operations personnel from all the U.S. military services, and either attaches units to geographic Unified Combatant Commands, or, when ordered to do so, may keep operational control of Special Operations units on strategic missions.

Army Component

The Army Special Operations Command is the Army component of this Unified Combatant Command. At Component headquarters, there are command and staff elements, the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare School, and various support elements. The major operational subcommands are:

• United States Army Special Forces
• 75th Ranger Regiment
• Ranger School
• 4th Psychological Operations Group
• xxth Civil Affairs Group

Certain Army special operations personnel are assigned to Joint Special Operations Command/

Navy Component

Under the Naval Special Warfare Command headquarters are the overall staff and doctrinal development, schools, the United States Navy SEALs, and various special warfare combat boat and other SEAL delivery units. Certain related functions, such as general Navy divers, are in other commands.

Air Force Component

Air Force Special Operations Command principally provides long-range transport and fire support aircraft, but also has specialists that operate with ground special operations troops. The ground roles include air traffic control for special operations aircraft, as well as meteorological monitoring in remote areas.

Marine Corps Component

See Marine Special Operations Command. This absorbed the special reconnaissance Marine Force Reconnaissance Companies, which had reported to the corps-level Marine Expeditionary Forces (MEF). It also contains units focused on foreign internal defense, which are broadening their capabilities into other special operations missions.

A Marine Special Operations School (MSOS) recruits, qualifies, ad develops Special Operations Forces (MARSOF) and has responsibility for doctrine development in Foreign Internal Defense (FID), Direct Action (DA), and Special Reconnaissance (SR). MARSOC has also been directed to develop a capability in Unconventional Warfare (UW), Counter-Terrorism (CT), and Information Operations (IO). The Marine Special Operations Support Group (MSOSG) provides combat support and combat service support, the to MARSOC Units. The MSOS

Going forward, the base unit of MARSOC will be the 14-man Marine Special Operations Team (MSOT), commanded by a Captain. All MSOTs will have the same organization. MSOTs will be part of a Marine Special Operations Company, commanded by a Major. Each MSOC headquarters will have the same structure. All MSOCs will be elements of an MSOB, commanded by a LtCol. The uniform naming convention gives MARSOC consistent, clearly understood force modules which enable effective resourcing and joint employment.

Joint Special Operations Command

The multiservice Joint Special Operations Command focuses on much more secret operations than the rest of USSOCOM. It provides task forces called Special Mission Units (SMU), which often have a Ranger company attached for perimeter security.

Army Special Operations Detachment Delta

While Special Forces have direct action capability, an early subunit of 5th Special Forces Group, with a hostage rescue capability, was rejected in favor of what is informally called Delta Force. Formally First Special Operations Detachment Delta (Airborne), the unit was consciously patterned after British Special Air Service, with whom COL Charlie Beckwith had served an exchange tour. While SAS has an advisory and guerilla leadership capability, it is not their primary emphasis.

DEVGROUP, Naval Special Operations

Formerly known as SEAL Team 6, this is a direct action, special reconnaissance and counterterrorist unit that adds underwater skills.