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United States Special Operations Forces (SOF) are the special forces of the United States Department of Defense's United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) within the United States Armed Forces, used for special operations.

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Composition

Component commands

★★★ Represents a unit led by a lieutenant general or vice admiral

★★ Represents a unit led by a major general or rear admiral (upper half)

★ Represents a unit led by a brigadier general or rear admiral (lower half)

Joint Special Operations Command

Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) ★★★

  • 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (Airborne) (1st SFOD-D) (A) (USA)

    • A Squadron (Assault)

    • B Squadron (Assault)

    • C Squadron (Assault)

    • D Squadron (Assault)

    • E Squadron (Aviation)[5]

    • G Squadron (Intelligence, Reconnaissance, & Surveillance)

    • Combat Support Squadron

    • Signal Squadron

  • Naval Special Warfare Development Group (USN)

    • Blue Squadron (Assault)

    • Gold Squadron (Assault)

    • Red Squadron (Assault)

    • Silver Squadron (Assault)

    • Black Squadron (Intelligence, Reconnaissance, & Surveillance)

    • White Squadron (EOD Tactics Development & Evaluation Squadron)

    • Gray Squadron (Mobility Teams, Transportation/Divers)

    • Green Squadron (Selection/Training)

    • X Squadron (Experimental, R&D, technical innovations)

    • Combat Support Squadron

    • Technical Support Squadron (Tactical Cryptologic Support, Tactical Information Operations)

  • Regimental Reconnaissance Company (RCC) (USA)

    • RRD Team 1

    • RRD Team 2

    • RRD Team 3

  • 24th Special Tactics Squadron (24th STS) (USAF)

    • Black Team

    • Blue Team

    • Gold Team

    • Gray Team

    • Silver Team

    • Integrated Survey Program Team

    • Green Team (OTC – Assessment, Selection, Training)

  • Joint Communications Unit[6] (Joint Service)

    • A Squadron

    • B Squadron

    • C Squadron

    • D Squadron

    • Quick Reaction Team (QRT)

    • Special Mission Troop (SMT)

    • Executive Communications Detachment

  • Joint Cyber Operations Group (JCOG) (Formerly Joint Communications Integration Element/JCIE)(Joint Service)

  • Joint Special Operations Command Intelligence Brigade (JSOCIB)

    • Joint Exploitation Squadron (JES)

    • Joint GEOINT Squadron

    • Joint Processing, Exploitation and Dissemination (JPED) Squadron

      • Geospatial Exploitation Troop (GET)

      • Joint Exploitation Troop

    • Joint Targeting Squadron (JTS)

      • Joint SIGINT Targeting and Exploitation Troop (JSTET)

      • Joint Publicly Available Information (PAI) Troop

      • Interrogation and Exploitation Troop

  • 427th Special Operations Squadron[5] (USAF)

  • Intelligence Support Activity (USA)

United States Army

 

1-10th Special Forces Group secure their weapons after a day of training at the Panzer Range Complex, Boeblingen, Germany, 8 Nov. 2016.

 

Army Rangers during a training operation.

United States Marine Corps

 

Marine Raiders fine-tune Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) skills.

United States Navy

 

Navy SEALs during night operation in Afghanistan.

 

SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team (SDV) 2 conduct diving lock out

 

SWCC from Special Boat Team 22 operating a SOC-R

  • Naval Special Warfare Command (NAVSPECWARCOM) ★★Naval Special Warfare Group ONE

      • SEAL Team 1

      • SEAL Team 3

      • SEAL Team 5

      • SEAL Team 7

      • Logistics Support Unit 1

      • Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Unit 1

      • Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Unit 3

    • Naval Special Warfare Group TWO

      • SEAL Team 2

      • SEAL Team 4

      • SEAL Team 8

      • SEAL Team 10

      • Logistics Support Unit 2

      • Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Unit 2

      • Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Unit 4

      • Naval Special Warfare Unit (NSW) 10

    • Naval Special Warfare Group FOUR

      • Special Boat Team 12 (SBT-12)

      • Special Boat Team 20 (SBT-20)

      • Special Boat Team 22 (SBT-22)

      • Naval Small Craft Instruction and Technical Training School (NAVSCIATTS)

    • Naval Special Warfare Group EIGHT

      • SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1 (SDVT-1)

      • SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 2 (SDVT-2); was reactivated on 8 March 2019

      • Logistics Support Unit 3

      • Special Reconnaissance Team 1

      • Special Reconnaissance Team 2

      • Training Detachment 3

      • Mission Support Center

    • Naval Special Warfare Group ELEVEN

      • SEAL Team 17 (Navy Reserve)

      • SEAL Team 18 (Navy Reserve)

    • Naval Special Warfare Center

      • Basic Training Command

      • Advanced Training Command

United States Air Force

Note: nonoperations-related squadrons are not included for a condensed list of units

 

Air Force Special Tactics Commandos training in Jordan

SOF career fieldsUnited

States Army

 

Army Special Forces (Green Berets) during breach and clear training near al-Tanf, Syria

  • Special Forces

  • Rangers

  • Psychological Operations (Military Information Support Operators)

  • Civil Affairs Soldiers

  • Army Special Operations Aviators

  • Military Intelligence and other Special Operations/Support with enlisted Special Qualification (SQI) Identifier "S" or "K9" for Officers.

United States Marine Corps

United States Navy

United States Air Force

* Not all PJs/CROs are assigned to AFSOC; many are assigned to Rescue Squadrons within ACC, PACAF, and USAFE. There is no difference in training or selection between Rescue and Special Tactics assignments.

** TACP-O/TACP Airmen must undergo additional selection and training to be assigned to AFSOC Special Tactics Squadrons. Most are assigned to ACC and support conventional Army Units.

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

 

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See also[edit]

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