U.S. Army Special Operations Command:
‘The Quiet Professionals’

USASOC PAO

	photo courtesy of USASOC PAO

‘The Quiet Professionals’ of the U.S. Army’s Special Operations Command, have been operating at the forefront of the War on Terror since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 and continue to make great contributions worldwide. The operations tempo for Army Special Operations Forces has never been greater, and is not likely to decrease in the near future. 

Fort Bragg is home to a large portion of the Army’s Special Operations units and personnel. Of about 27,000 personnel serving within USASOC, a little more than 10,000 men and women are located here, assigned to USASOC’s headquarters and multiple subordinate commands.

Reaching its 20th year of service this December, and headquartered at Fort Bragg, the three-star command is led by Lt. Gen. John F. Mulholland, with forces conducting special operations across the full spectrum of warfare. USASOC’s Soldiers employ warfighting skills ranging from exceptional individual tactical skills, to the most advanced and demanding collective combat capabilities, to skills requiring an advanced appreciation of human behavior.

USASOC Soldiers and units frequently employ both cutting edge technology as well as primitive solutions to accomplish their missions.

On any given day elements of three of the five active-duty Special Forces groups, units from the two National Guard Special Forces groups, one Ranger battalion, about 36 special operations aircraft, and more than 35 civil affairs teams and 35 psychological operations teams and sustainment brigade logistics units are deployed around the world. Though only about 5 percent of our Army, USASOC is the largest of the service components that make up U.S. Special Operations Command, and provides about 70 percent of the special operations personnel in Central Command’s theater. 

For those in USASOC, the pace is fast, however morale and job satisfaction have seldom been greater. Combined with some of the best equipment and training of any military force in the world, USASOC has never lost sight that the key to winning the fight is the quality of its Soldiers. Now, the single largest airborne command in the Army, the majority of Army special operations Soldiers are specifically assessed and selected to meet the demanding requirements of the specific formations. Following successful selection, USASOC Soldiers then undergo comprehensive and demanding training programs that prepare them for assignments within the operational units. After eight years of war, USASOC’s ranks are now as experienced and well-seasoned as they’ve ever been. USASOC has a “backbone” of impeccably trained, seasoned noncommissioned officers that take quiet, professional pride in executing missions with excellence, honor and valor. 

In his agenda for defense, President Barack Obama stated, “We must build up our special operations forces, civil affairs, information operations and other units and capabilities.” The demand for special operations personnel, skills and training is high. As a result, USASOC’s units are experiencing growth and associated reorganization to meet current and future requirements worldwide. USASOC is committed to maintaining the world’s finest ground special operations force. 

Seven principle Army special operations units
The seven principle units that make up USASOC include the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School and the U.S. Army Special Forces Command, both headquartered at Fort Bragg. Also located at Fort Bragg are the 4th Psychological Operations Group, 95th Civil Affairs Brigade and 528th Sustainment Brigade. Two other key units of Army special operations are the 75th Ranger Regiment, headquartered at Fort Benning, Ga., and the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, headquartered at Fort Campbell, Ky.

The command also provides oversight of two Army National Guard Special Forces Groups, the 19th located in Draper, Utah, and the 20th out of Birmingham, Ala., in coordination with the National Guard Bureau and state adjutants general.

The U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School is responsible for selecting, training and educating special operations forces, as well as leader development. The school teaches more than 10,000 students in more than 60 different courses each year.

The center and school’s 1st Special Warfare Training Group conducts a wide variety of special operations training including the qualification courses for Special Forces, civil affairs and psychological operations as well as advanced capabilities such as military free fall operations. Advanced combat medical training is provided by the Special Warfare Medical Group which is responsible for all U.S. Military Special Operations Forces’ combat medical training including Army Rangers, Army Civil Affairs medics and Navy corpsmen.

Warrior diplomats
Bestowing the ‘Green Beret’ upon Special Forces at Fort Bragg in 1961, President John F. Kennedy called the distinctive headgear “a symbol of excellence, a badge of courage, a mark of distinction in the fight for freedom.” That standard of excellence continues to distinguish those who have earned the Special Forces tab.  Created in 1952, U.S. Army Special Forces take their lineage from several World War II organizations, namely the First Special Services Force (the Devil’s Brigade), the Alamo Scouts and, in particular, the famous Office of Strategic Services.
Within U.S. Army Special Forces Command, there are five active Special Forces groups and two U.S. Army National Guard groups, each regionally oriented. Two of those five Special Forces groups, the 3rd and 7th, are stationed at Fort Bragg. The 7th, however, is slated to relocate to Eglin A.F.B. in 2011 as a result of Base Realignment and Closure. USASFC’s unconventional warfare capabilities provide a viable military option for a variety of operational taskings, making it the U.S. military’s leading unconventional warfare force.

The 12-man, Operational Detachment Alpha or “A-Team” is the heart and soul of SF operations. In high demand for their adaptability, cultural acumen, language and specialty skills, Special Forces Soldiers take great pride in their official motto ‘De Oppresso Liber, Latin phrase meaning, ‘To Liberate the Oppressed.’ This refers to the purpose of their core, unconventional warfare mission; to liberate oppressed peoples from hostile occupation or tyrannical regimes.

Living the legacy
The 75th Ranger Regiment is the world’s premier special operations light infantry force. They are masters of commando-like operations including seizing and securing key objectives, such as airfields and other direct action operations.

Rangers take great pride in a fighting legacy with roots back to the French and Indian wars, when Roger’s Rangers fought on America’s frontiers. Rangers fought throughout the European theater during World War II, and conducted deep penetration attacks against the Japanese in the China-Burma-India Theater. Rangers have played a vital role in Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama and Somalia. Throughout their long history, Rangers have thrived in tough environments and taking the fight to the enemy.

Ranger training, at night and in adverse conditions, encompasses arctic, jungle, desert and mountain operations, as well as amphibious instruction.

Plus or minus 30 seconds
The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment is home to the world’s best helicopter pilots and one of the most heavily committed SOF units in the U.S. military. Throughout its history, the ‘Night Stalkers’ of the 160th SOAR have compiled an unparalleled track record of successfully inserting and exfiltrating special operations personnel. Special operations forces have come to rely on the “plus or minus 30 seconds” guarantee of the 160th SOAR.

Tight-knit and proud, the members of this Army special operations unit live up to their motto: “Night Stalkers Never Quit.”

Words conquer
The 4th Psychological Operations Group is the active Army’s only psychological operations element. The 1,300-member Fort Bragg unit (slated to grow to about 2,300 troops by the year 2011) has six, regionally-aligned battalions that include cultural experts and linguists who understand political, ethnic and religious subtleties. 

The 4th POG designs messages for foreign audiences using television, radio and print, as well as the internet. You’ll find PSYOP troops at many overseas locations to assist U.S. and foreign governments, militaries and civilian populations. Their activities use nonviolent means in often violent environments. Persuading rather than compelling physically, they rely on logic and emotion to promote specific attitudes or behaviors favorable to U.S. objectives.

Civil military bridge
The 95th Civil Affairs Brigade bridges the gap between civil populations and the U.S. military to address conditions that promote instability and are exploited by extremists. Civil affairs teams deploy worldwide, building ties with the local residents, identifying civil vulnerabilities and finding creative solutions to problems. To accomplish the mission, the 95th CA Soldiers’ are language trained; culturally sensitive negotiators who understand the complicated web of relationships, and can operate in remote and austere conditions.

From the Philippines to Pakistan, from Mali to Colombia, Afghanistan and Iraq, the Army’s only active-duty civil affairs brigade is engaged around the world in more than 20 countries at any given time. Alongside other special operations forces and U.S. Government agencies, the Soldiers of the 95th support combatant commanders and U.S. ambassadors through the Civil Military Support Element. Sometimes in a military uniform and other times with a beard, 95th CA Soldiers work closely at the local level with tribal elders, the regional level with governors and military leaders and at the national level with host nation officials.

Assured support
This year saw Fort Bragg’s Special Operations Support Brigade reflagged as the 528th Sustainment Brigade. As the Army’s only airborne sustainment brigade, nearly a third of the 528th is deployed somewhere in the world on any given day, providing critical sustainment support to special operations units. The 528th also has the Army’s only air transport medical team designed to provide critical care aboard fixed-winged aircraft. 

Whether at the top of a mountain, or the edge of a map, the 528th Sustainment Bde. is likely there ensuring special operations units have what they need.

(Editor’s note: This is part one of a four part series highlighting the United States Army Special Operations Command.)