U.S. SOF HISTORY - Facts

The history of U.S. Special Operations Forces

updated August 8, 2008

What is the difference between U.S. Army Rangers and U.S. Army Special Forces (aka Green Berets)

There are many differences between the two, from their schooling, to their unit/team composition, to the very missions they perform. The largest difference is the missions of Rangers and Special Forces tend to be unique from one another. Generally speaking, Army Special Forces are trained and equipped to work more clandestine operations behind enemy lines. Special Forces missions include, amongst other things, training and equipping other forces so they therefore spend much of their time teaching. While both Rangers and Special Forces can both perform Direct Action missions, Special Forces uniqueness lean more toward long term missions where they remain with host nations for longer periods of time performing force multiplying (training and equipping a force where there was none). For more information on on Special Forces, please visit Army Special Forces overview Website and the Ft. Bragg Special Forces Website. The Rangers on the other hand, tend to be used more for a dynamic application where the need requires a tremendous amount of intensity and firepower (example taking a critical or fortified position like an airport). The Rangers are trained and equipped to move long distances over eratic terrain either from air or land in a way the enemy might never suspect their arrival. And lastly, Rangers generally end up sprinkled through out the Army's various branches, whereas Special Forces remains generally entact. It has been said before that Rangers that get transferred spend the rest of their careers working to get back to the 75th Ranger Regiment (i.e. home). For more information on Rangers please visit 75th Ranger Regiment Website and What is a Ranger.

How does the training between Army Special Forces (aka Green Berets) and Army Rangers differ?

Special Forces candidates have to have completed basic and infantry and have served in a unit and reached the rank of E4 to E7 before applying to become a Special Forces candidate. Upon being recommended for Special Forces soldier applicants must go through a selection course lasting several weeks which includes strenuous physical stamina requirements as well as leadership, teamwork and mental applications to name a few. For Special Forces there is a minimum I.Q. requirement and language ablility that must be met as well. Upon acceptance as cadidates, Special Forces schools at Ft. Bragg vary in length anywhere from six months to over a year (the longest being the Medic). Upon completion of the Primary Special Forces MOS (Communications, Light and Heavy Weapons, Engineering and Demolitions, Medic), trainees then go through a language school, before being assigned to a Special Forces Group and Team. To become a Special Forces soldier, from the time of first entering the Army, to achieving the rank of an E4, generally takes two to three years of service, another year of school at Ft. Bragg, and then adding on an agreement to serve in Special Forces for a specified period of time (the Army doesn't want to invest all that extensive training in a soldier if that soldier isn't willing to invest additional service time). For more information on Special Forces course training, please visit the Ft. Bragg Special Forces Training Overview Website. Ranger School also requires a selection course after soliders complete basic and infantry training. Rangers are trained at the Ranger Training Brigade, for ninety days at Ft. Benning. Their training involves extensive small unit infantry tactics and is a very physically and mentally challenged course that includes jungle and mountain terrains with a lot of focus on leadership under strenuous and duress scenarios. Ranger candidates can enter Ranger School as a Private First Class, and after completing Ranger Training, and serving with the Regiment four to five years (wearing a Ranger Regiment Tab on their right shoulder), they can retire from the military.

Are there any Army Personnel that are Navy SEAL qualified?

The Army has units that are like Navy SEALs but not SEAL qualified. Army Special Forces has military scuba teams, comprised of soldiers that have gone through Special Forces military scuba school (which was developed from the Navy SEAL model for training military scuba). The difference between the two is the Navy SEALs are used by the Navy to clear and secure harbors and other areas of interest that involve access to the land through water. Army Special Forces on the other hand use its military scuba teams for missions using water insertion.

What is U.S. Special Operations Forces (aka SOF)?

U.S. Special Operations Forces, also known as SOF, are considered the 'Tip of the Spear' in military forces. They consist of specific units from the U.S. Armed Services that specialize in uniquely tailored missions. Some of those missions include Direct Action, Unconventional warfare, FID (Foreign Internal Defense), Hostage retrieval, Counterinsurgency, Pyschological Operations, and Civil Affairs.

What services comprise Special Operations?

The U.S. Armed Services that make up SOF include, as follows:

Why aren't there any women U.S. Army Rangers, or women U.S. Army Special Forces (aka Green Berets), or women U.S. Navy SEALs?

Because there are currently specific laws in place that do not allow women admittance into specific areas of the U.S. Armed Services that directly relate to combat situations. In 1994, Secretary of Defense Les Aspin revised the policy on women in the service (and allow for women in certain combat areas like pilots). However, that policy did not extend to all units under the 'Direct Combat and Assignment Definition Rule', which included SOF units as well.
The underlining reason why women aren't allowed in all areas of U.S. Armed Services? Well, if you ask twenty different people, you might get twenty different answers. Some might cite differing body structures (female muscle mass compared to male and such might potentially force current physical standard requirements for certain units to change in order to allow potential female applicants), others might cite social reasons (men might feel more compelled to protect/save a female soldier thus potentially putting their own lives/mission in more jeopordy or the public being unready to cope with the trauma of a mother/daughter/sister soldier in harm's way) and some feel that having a female in an all male unit would be distracting (the chances of sexual harrassment allegations rising, or having to deal with a female soldier who gets pregnant and is suddenly unable to deploy for missions because of a change in physical condition). Even though the 'Direct Combat Rule' prohibits women being allowed to try out for or enter SOF units, according to several news articles, women soldiers are exposed to more combat situations than ever before in Iraq. (For information on historical women, from cultures and countries all over the world, fighting in battles we recommend the book Warrior Women by David E. Jones)

What's the rule of thumb for retired U.S. veterans wearing service patches or uniforms in public?

Many veterans of the U.S. Armed Services wear their uniforms in parades (example a 4th of July parade walking among a group of other veterans). You are not, under any circumstances allowed to portray yourself or imply in any way to be an Active Duty (Reserve or National Guard) member of the U.S. Armed Services (i.e. going out in public wearing a uniform as if you were on Active Duty). There are a lot of people, both veterans and civilan, who wear patches on their hats, jackets, shirts, etc. to show support, reflect on their training or service of either themselves or a loved one, or just because they want to. It should be noted, that wearing a patch, tab, or medal, of any kind, does not automatically make it a legitimate represenation of anyone's service, experience, or awards.

What countries are SOF units deployed to?

According to an article titled Where in the World Are We, published in the American Legion Magazine, February, 2008, there are about 490,000 U.S. Armed Service Personnel that are deployed to countries all over the world. And acording to the Congressional Service Reports the U.S. military has a presence in 144 of the world's nations.

More Facts coming soon!