Reform

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranger_School


Ranger School

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The United States Army Ranger School is an intense 61-day combat leadership course oriented toward small-unit tactics.


Overview

The course is conducted in various locations. Training in the Benning Phase occurs in and around Camp Rogers and Camp Darby at Fort Benning, Georgia. Training at the Mountain Phase is conducted at Camp Merrill, in the remote mountains near Dahlonega, Georgia. The Florida Phase is conducted at various locations near Camp Rudder, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The Desert Phase—conducted initially at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, and later relocated to Dugway Proving Ground, Utah and Fort Bliss, Texas, was eliminated in 1995.

The United States Army Ranger School is not organizationally affiliated with the 75th Ranger Regiment. Ranger School falls under control of the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command as a school open to most members of the United States Army; while the 75th Ranger Regiment is a Special Operations warfighting unit










http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_special_operations_forces


United States special operations forces

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

United States Special Operations Forces (SOF) are components of the Department of Defense's United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).

The U.S. military definition of Special Operations Forces according to the Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms is "Those Active and Reserve Component forces of the Military Services designated by the Secretary of Defense and specifically organized, trained, and equipped to conduct and support special operations.


List of SOF units


United States Army


75th Ranger Regiment










http://www.army.mil/article/29315/special-forces---shooters-and-thinkers/

U.S. ARMY

WWW.ARMY.MIL

THE OFFICIAL HOMEPAGE OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY


Special Forces - Shooters and thinkers

October 26, 2009

Bestowing the Green Beret upon Special Forces 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.

From enabling partner nation forces around the globe to organizing, training, equipping and conducting combined combat operations with Iraqi and Afghan special operations forces, the Green Berets are decisively engaged supporting U.S. national objectives. Those efforts often begin at the local level by building rapport with indigenous peoples and gaining valuable insights and information, often through shared cups of chi tea with tribal leaders. These and other efforts lead to enduring partnerships and commitment to common goals.

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." This Latin phrase meaning, "To Liberate the Oppressed," references one of their primary missions: training and combat-advising foreign indigenous forces.

Special Forces' roots date back to World War II, when the Office of Strategic Services and the First Special Service Force were formed. These units specialized in behind-the-lines guerrilla warfare and commando operations. Later, Special Forces gained renown in the Vietnam War, where they earned 17 Medals of Honor. Many of the early Green Berets were Lodge Act volunteers-foreign-born men who fought for various nations in World War II.

Following Vietnam, they continued to contribute to the defeat of insurgencies around the globe, often with a small footprint in remote areas. These warriors displayed a long-term commitment to our allies that has led to great operational success in such places as El Salvador, Colombia and the Philippines.

Following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Special Forces further demonstrated their capabilities when less than 300 Soldiers, working closely with indigenous partners, caused the collapse of the Taliban-led government of Afghanistan in 43 days. In Iraq, Special Forces, working with select Iraqi indigenous partners, prevented an entire Iraqi corps from reinforcing Baghdad, while simultaneously conducting multiple special operations in the Western Desert and spearheading attacks toward Baghdad. Since then, Special Forces Soldiers have been on the cutting edge of our nation's global partnership to defeat terror and eliminate insurgencies from the Philippines to Colombia to Africa.

The 12-man ODA (Operational Detachment Alpha) or "A-team," is largely made up of NCOs. Each man has a specific function, ranging from operations and intelligence, to weapons, engineering, medical and communications. The advanced training for each specialty can take six months or longer and includes small-unit tactics; languages; and survival, evasion, resistance and escape. The ODA itself may specialize in an infiltration skill or a particular mission-set, such as military freefall, combat diving, mountain warfare, maritime operations or urban operations.

Entry into Special Forces begins with Special Forces Assessment and Selection, or SFAS, held at Camp Mackall, near Fort Bragg, N.C. Mentally and physically demanding, the course is designed to see if a Soldier has what it takes to serve on an ODA. Particular emphasis is placed on attributes such as intelligence, physical fitness, motivation, trustworthiness, accountability, maturity, stability, judgment, decisiveness and teamwork. About 40 percent of all candidates attempting SFAS are successful.

Getting "selected" at SFAS (Phase 1) enables a candidate to continue to the next four phases of the Special Forces Qualification Course (the "Q-Course"). All Special Forces trainees must complete the Army Airborne School before beginning Phase 2 of the Q-Course. If a candidate successfully completes these next four phases, he will graduate as a Special Forces Soldier and be assigned to an ODA.

Special Forces groups are currently located at Fort Bragg, Fort Campbell, Ky.; Fort Carson, Colo.; and Fort Lewis, Wash. Additional Special Forces battalions are in Okinawa, Japan, and Panzer Kaserne, Stuttgart, Germany. In 2011, the 7th Special Forces Group (currently at Fort Bragg) will relocate to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. There are also two National Guard Special Forces Groups located in Alabama and Utah, with subordinate units based in 19 states.

As proven leaders, warriors and diplomats, the global demand for Special Forces Soldiers has never been higher. To meet the demand, Special Forces units are being expanded, with a fourth battalion of roughly 400 Soldiers being added to each of the Army's five active-duty Special Forces Groups. This growth has placed an equally high demand on non-Special Forces support Soldiers, critical to the logistical and support needs of a Special Forces group.










http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Forces_(United_States_Army)


Special Forces (United States Army)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The United States Army Special Forces, known as the Green Berets because of their distinctive service headgear, are a special operations force tasked with five primary missions: unconventional warfare (the original and most important mission of Special Forces), foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, direct action, and counter-terrorism. The first two emphasize language, cultural, and training skills in working with foreign troops. Other duties include combat search and rescue (CSAR), counter-narcotics, counter-proliferation, hostage rescue, humanitarian assistance, humanitarian demining, information operations, peacekeeping, psychological operations, security assistance, and manhunts; other components of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) or other U.S. government activities may also specialize in these secondary areas. Many of their operational techniques are classified, but some nonfiction works and doctrinal manuals are available.

As special operations units, Special Forces are not necessarily under the command authority of the ground commanders in those countries. Instead, while in theater, SF units may report directly to a geographic combatant command, USSOCOM, or other command authorities. The Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) highly secretive Special Activities Division (SAD) and more specifically its Special Operations Group (SOG) recruits from the Army's Special Forces.


See also

1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (Delta Force)



- posted by H.V.O.M - Kerry Wayne Burgess 11:10 AM Pacific Time Spokane Valley Washington USA Tuesday 24 February 2015