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Know a SEAL from a Night Stalker: a breakdown of US Special Operations units

While it could be said that every unit which falls under the “special ops” umbrella is comprised of operators who can move, shoot, and communicate with lethal efficiency, different units developed to address specialized challenges.

As the years wore on, and particularly since the onset of the Global War on Terrorism, lines may have blurred a bit between specialties in many cases, allowing various units to conduct similar operations. But, the specific nature of each continues to inform the internal culture of divisions that fall under the command of U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), honoring their heritage as well as the prowess their service experience allots.

Many people who understand America’s special operations apparatus are usually most familiar with the elements of one of SOCOM’s subordinate commands, the Joint Special Operations Command, or JSOC. Officially, JSOC is tasked with studying special operations requirements and techniques in order to ensure the best methods of unit interoperability are employed, while fielding new equipment and conducting special operations exercises, training, and missions in the best interest of our nation. To be succinct, JSOC has the “best of the best.” It might help to think of them as America’s war-fighting All-Star team.

Units of JSOC include:

The Intelligence Support Activity, commonly called “The Activity”
The U.S. Air Force 24th Special Tactics Squadron
The U.S. Navy’s Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU) or the recently popularized SEAL Team Six
The U.S. Army’s 75^th Ranger Regiment: Regimental Reconnaissance Company
The U.S. Army’s 1^st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, commonly known as Delta Force

However, listing these names does little to clear up potential confusion, so allow me to elaborate briefly on three of these four units.

DEVGRU, SEAL Team 6, and whatever their current (and classified) operational title may be are all referring to the same group of elite Navy SEALs. Team 6 recruits from within, choosing only the best of the already elite Navy SEAL community. Delta is often compared to Seal Team 6 in terms of operational capabilities and grueling indoctrination and training, but differs from its sea-based brethren primarily in recruiting tactics: Delta operators may come from any branch, and are sometimes even former SEALs.

The Air Force’s 24^th Special Tactics Squadron (24^th STS) is perhaps the least recognized of the three, which may be because pararescuemen, combat controllers, and Tactical Air Control Parties deployed by the 24^th STS usually serve alongside DEVGRU or Delta teams, rather than fielding complete teams on their own. These airmen synchronize and control elements of air support or provide medical assistance to other special operators in the field.

Beyond the elite units housed within JSOC, SOCOM boasts a number of other special operations teams that may be best addressed by dividing them by their representative military branches.

United States Army Special Operations Command

Know a SEAL from a Night Stalker: a breakdown of US Special Ops units — (Photo: U.S. Department of Defense)

Special Forces (Green Berets)

The term “special forces” is often misattributed to any military personnel working within America’s special operations community. However, the phrase is actually specific to the Army’s elite group of soldiers who specialize in unconventional warfare, reconnaissance, internal foreign defense, anti-terror operations, and direct action combat. Green Berets are considered unique from other special operators for various reasons, most importantly being put to use in times of peace and conflict alike. Their motto, “De Oppresso Liber” translates to “Free the Oppressed.”

The 75^th Ranger Regiment

Like the Navy SEALs, a highly specialized company of Rangers falls under JSOC, but the rest of Ranger Battalion answers to the U.S. Army Special Operations Command. Rangers are specifically-selected soldiers who must first complete an eight-week long Ranger Assessment and Selection Program—which replaced the Ranger Indoctrination Program, or RIP, in 2010—before reaching their assignment within the regiment. Once there, they must complete the even more arduous Ranger School in order to earn their Ranger Tab.

The 160^th SOAR (Night Stalkers)

The U.S. Army’s Special Operations Regiment (SOAR) provides helicopter aviation support for special operations troops, often flying into extremely hostile territory to deliver and extract elite operators from combat zones. Aviators in the 160^th are among the most highly-trained pilots on the planet, and use the latest in new and modified military aircraft to complete missions often deemed too dangerous for many other aviation units. It was the 160^th that delivered JSOC operators to the compound in Pakistan on May 2^nd, 2011 to kill Osama Bin Laden.

Other units or personnel that fall under SOCOM include skilled civil affairs soldiers, military information support operators, sustainment soldiers, and the training cadre responsible for assessing, training, and educating the Army’s elite war-fighters.

United States Navy Special Warfare Command

SEALs

Navy SEALs are probably the most famous special operations unit in the world. Countless movies have depicted the heroism of SEALs, and even more books recount stories told by individuals who earned the coveted Trident. Unbeknownst to some, SEAL is an acronym that stands for Sea, Air, and Land—acknowledging the heart of the Navy SEALs’ role as a multi-purpose combat force. SEALs conduct operations in any situation or location, from clandestine reconnaissance to direct action missions.

Special Warfare Combatant-craft (SWCC) Crewmen and Enablers

SWCC Crewmen belong to Special Boat Teams often tasked with operating small surface craft for coastal operations and to support special operations missions. Primarily focused on aiding in the infiltration and exfiltration of SEAL teams, these Crewmen work where larger vessels cannot operate, providing close fire support and medical care to special operators on mission. Enablers, like the SWCC Crewmen, offer technical assistance to special operations personnel, including everything from cryptologic support to explosive ordnance disposal.

United States Air Force Special Operations Command

Special Tactics Airmen

Special Tactics Airmen offer a wide variety of operational capabilities derived through diverse areas of training and expertise. Combat controllers are certified air traffic controllers that infiltrate combat zones undetected to simultaneously conduct air traffic control and coordinate air support while also participating in direct action missions. Pararescuemen, or PJs, specialize in both conventional and unconventional recovery operations. The Special Operations Surgical Team offers a rapid deploying and lightweight medical element for trauma life support.

Special Operations Aviators

The men and women assigned to the Air Force’s Special Operations Aviators are considered some of the most exceptional pilots in the military. Flying in specialized aircraft, they conduct operations primarily under cover of darkness, and offer varying levels of support to special operations missions, including reconnaissance, infiltration and exfiltration, and command and control operations.

Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command

Critical Skills Operators/Special Operations Officers

Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) recently reflagged with the historically-consistent moniker of Marine Raiders. They’re the latest addition to the SOCOM organizational structure. For much of the Marine Corps’ history, it operated without any formal association to SOCOM, instead establishing independent Force Recon units in a similar fashion while retaining organizational control. Since MARSOC entered the SOCOM fold, its operators conduct foreign internal defense operations, special reconnaissance, and direct action combat missions.

While this list offers a glimpse into the various facets of special operations units, it’s important to acknowledge that the nuanced differences in culture and conduct exhibited by operators within each can be difficult to quantify.

Each special operations group had to shed aspects of its parent branch in order to better integrate unique skill sets and capabilities with those offered by groups hailing from other branches. However, traditions and culture found within groups such as the SEALs or Marine Raiders remain intrinsically tied to their service birthplaces. There’s always been a fair amount of friendly competition between branches, but once a Soldier, Sailor, Marine, or Airman answers to SOCOM, they must work their way into the new combined culture of the service. SOCOM, in many ways, is an extraordinary beast all its own.

SOCOM operators come from all walks of life, and represent a variety of military occupational specialties established in each of the four branches of American service. Ultimately, these special operators are more than war-fighters: they’re diplomats, problem solvers, and instruments of foreign policy. Only by combining the best and brightest from America’s exceptional military infrastructure can they possibly accomplish so much.

Where does the term ‘operator’ come from?

Operator – someone who operates.

In the civilian world, that could be someone operating an excavator, a wheeled tractor, and other similar heavy equipment. Historically, the term applied to people who worked in the old-school telephone centers and operated the manual telephone switchboards that were necessary in order from someone to call another number.

In the military, conversely, the term operator has come to be associated with troops serving in Special Operations Forces (SOF). A Navy SEAL operator, a Special Forces operator, a Marine Raider operator has become standard nomenclature, even in official communique and statements.

But what’s the actual origin of the term? For many in the spec ops community, an operator is someone who is serving or has served in one of the Joint Special Operations Command’s (JSOC) Special Mission Units (SMU). This would apply to members of the Delta Force, SEAL Team Six, also known as the Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU), 24^th Special Tactics Squadron (24^th STS), Intelligence Support Activity (ISA), or one of the other smaller, blacker SMUs.

The office of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) historian, however, posits that the term originated from with the Green Beret community. In support of this claim, there is a document from the late 1950s. Dated April 2, 1959, the document’s headline reads: “The Code For the Special Forces Operator.” It includes 10 provisions to which a Green Beret must abide to. They range from the volunteer and highly dangerous nature of Special Forces – during the Cold War, Special Forces Operational Detachment Alphas (SFODAs) were designed to remain behind enemy lines once the Soviet mechanized onslaught had been unleashed on Western Europe; their role, as it is today, was to organize, train, and lead indigenous forces in waging an Unconventional Warfare (UW) campaign against the Communists – to superb physical fitness, soldiership, and professionalism, among other things.

“I realize,” the document’s sixth provision states, “it is my responsibility as a Special Forces Operator to undergo more intense and more rugged training than is required of the average soldier of the United States Army.”

The document was signed by Captain Albert Clement, 1^st Company, 77^th Special Forces Group (SFG), and witnessed by John Hanretty. The 77^this one of the original Special Forces Groups and the predecessor of the modern-day 7^thSFG.

So, there it is. According to the existing historical evidence, it is the Green Berets who have the claim over the term “Operator.” Does a title matter, though? Not to those who operate.

This article was written by Stavros Atlamazoglou at NEWSREP

Feature image courtesy of the U.S. Navy

Delta Force operator awarded Distinguished Service Cross for Mali operation

A Delta Force operator has been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC), the nation’s second-highest award for valor under fire, for his actions during a terrorist attack in Bamako, Mali in November 2015.

During the morning hours of November 20, 2015, approximately a dozen Islamists associated with the terrorist group al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb attacked the Radisson Blu Hotel, a luxury establishment in downtown Bamako, the Malian capital. They took about 170 people hostage, including a number of Americans.

According to the award citation leaked to the Army Times, the Delta operator was serving as team leader of an outfit supporting overseas contingency operations against enemy forces. The citation goes on to praise the operator’s “valorous actions, dedication to duty, and willingness to place himself in great personal risk for the protection of others,” concluding that his actions were critical in the success of the hostage rescue operation.

Alongside the Army commando, Gunnery Sergeant Jared Stout, a Marine Raider from the Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC), received the Silver Star, the third-highest award for valor. Master Sergeant Stout was also named the 2019 Marine of the Year.

The awards ceremony for the unnamed Delta Force operator and Master Sergeant Stout—he was promoted since the action—was held in June 2018, but has only now been publicized.

In a statement to the Army Times, Lieutenant Colonel Loren Bymer, a United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) representative, stated that “Army Special Operations Forces are deployed to more than 60 countries around the world on any given day. Brave men and woman [sic] assigned to Army Special Operations units fight alongside each other and our allies and partners towards common goals across the globe.”

The American and Western SOF presence in Africa has been a poorly kept secret for years. Alongside Delta Force teams, the Navy’s SEAL Team 6 and the Army’s Intelligence Support Activity (ISA) are also active on the African continent, intended primarily to curb extremist influence.

“Previous to September 2001 until now, a plethora of valor awards have been bestowed upon ARSOF Soldiers showcasing the value U.S. Army Special Operation Command brings to each other and the Nation,” Lt. Col. Bymer added.

Although the U.S. government is often hesitant to broadcast an American presence in certain parts of the world, awarding valor awards for clandestine actions that took place or to units that weren’t supposed to be somewhere isn’t novel. During the 2012 Benghazi attacks on the U.S. consulate that resulted in the death of four Americans, two Delta Force operators took the initiative and flew from nearby Tripoli in support of the hard-pressed CIA compound that was under siege by scores of Islamists. Eventually, the two operators were awarded the nation’s second-highest awards for valor for their actions, the DSC and Navy Cross. (The latter was awarded as one of the operators was a Marine, which provides an interesting glimpse at the diversity of the Army’s elite counterterrorism unit.)

Feature image courtesy of the U.S. Army

This article was written by Stavros Atlamazoglou at NEWSREP

New reloadable ‘digital flashbang’ could offer more options for special operators, law enforcement officers

A new, reloadable flashbang with a digital fuse promises to give law enforcement officers and war-fighters a crucial tactical advantage when it comes to close-quarters combat (CQC).

Liberty Dynamic has been working on the Enhanced Diversionary Device (EDD) for more than four years. According to the manufacturer, their flashbangs are superior to current products for a number of reasons. First, they are reloadable, which reduces overall operating costs of units. Second, since they are reloadable, they can be used more during training, thereby maximizing their effectiveness on target. Finally, they’re safer and more reliable. According to the manufacturer, the flashbang’s “low volatility energetic material and very low fragmentation potential should reduce costly lawsuits and insurance claims resulting from improperly deployed or flawed devices.” This last detail would mostly concern law enforcement officers rather than the military: Imagine a terrorist filing a lawsuit after his hideout was stormed by commandos.

Additionally, the EDD’s payload can be adjusted depending on the situation. As of now, Liberty Dynamic offers four payload options: Active Shooter; Convoy, Equipment, & Aircraft Security; Crowd Control; and Perimeter Security.

In January, the flashbang became available for pre-order. The Colorado-based company expects to fill orders starting this month. The primary customers for the EDD are law enforcement agencies and departments seeking to enhance their Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams. But the reloadable flashbang could also interest the military.

John M. Chapman, chief executive officer and co-founder of Liberty Dynamic, told National Defence that the Air Force gave the company a small business innovation research grant to experiment with arming drones with the EDD. Moreover, the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate, which is responsible for the non-lethal arsenal of the U.S. military, has also shown interest in the device.

The purpose of a flashbang is to distract and disorient the target, which would give the assaulters a few precious seconds to gain the upper hand. CQC is notoriously complex and mentally demanding. Friendly and enemy targets are often separated by only a few inches. Consequently, the assaulting team benefits greatly from the momentary distraction. On the downside, however, flashbangs can cause physical damage to the hostages or assaulters and material damage to the target building. Any attempt to “cook-off” a flashbang—that is, to pull the pin but hold it a few seconds before throwing it so it detonates immediately once thrown—would result in fingers lost. With regard to buildings, flashbangs could cause a fire inside a room full of hostages that would further complicate the rescue operation. The Iranian embassy hostage rescue operation in 1980 by the British Special Air Service (SAS) is a good example of this. A flashbang caused the heavy curtains inside one of the points of entry to catch fire, frustrating the rescue operation.

This article was written by Stavros Atlamazoglou at NEWSREP

Feature image: U.S. Army Soldiers, from 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) conduct urban training in a live fire shoot house on Fort Carson, Colo., Oct., 27, 2016. The training builds confidence and keeps the Soldiers combat skill levels at a high state of readiness. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Brandon Franklin)

US Special Operations Command reveals new helmet for operators

American commandos will soon be going into combat protected by a new, high-tech helmet. According to a statement by the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), Gentex Corporation has been awarded a contract worth $95 million to supply SOCOM with its Ops-Core FAST SF Super High Cut Helmet.

Gentex manufactures a number of different models of protective headgear. The Ops-Core FAST SF Super High Cut Helmet, however, is the most advanced. According to a company description, the helmet has a “revolutionary ergonomic shell geometry…providing the highest level of ballistic protection at the lightest weight. Designed for combat operations, these shells provide different ballistic protection levels and cuts to suit the range of mission and comms needs.”

The high-cut specification allows for more communications and hearing protection systems. That does, however, come at the cost of less protection on the side of the helmet.

The Army’s current combat helmet is also manufactured by Gentex and is a mid-cut model, meaning that it offers more ear protection but is also heavier and less accommodating of communications and hearing protection systems.

SOCOM first announced its intent to procure a new helmet for its operators back in March 2017. The initial call for proposals stated that the minimum value of the contract would be $150,000 and the maximum would be $95 million. Gentex was awarded the maximum possible contract for an unspecified number of helmets. Note: On the retail market, the Ops-Core FAST SF Super High Cut Helmet currently costs $1,690.

Interestingly, some special operations units have already been using the Ops-Core FAST SF Super High Cut Helmet. The Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC), for instance, has been fielding the helmet, alongside other models, to its Marine Raiders for some time now. In May 2018, a representative from the Marine Corps Systems Command (SYSCOM) told the Marine Corps Times, “The Marine Corps is buying a small quantity of mid-cut and high-cut helmets to conduct ballistic testing and limited user evaluations to develop a better understanding of the trade-offs between ballistic protection, situational awareness, and hearing system integration. For now, this is only a research and development effort.”

The balance between ballistic protection, weight, and comfort is always a precarious one. If the helmet doesn’t provide sufficient protection to the operator, then it’s worthless. If, on the other hand, the helmet is too heavy, the operator will be less effective on operations.

One thing is certain: SOCOM and the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), which commands Delta Force and the Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU)—also known as SEAL Team 6—among other tier-one units, have come a long way since the hockey-style helmets operators once used in combat operations.

This article was written by Stavros Atlamazoglou from NEWSREP

Feature image: U.S. Navy Sea, Air, and Land Team Members prepare for military jump operations during exercise TRIDENT 18-4 at Hurlburt Field, Florida, 09 July, 2018. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Staff Sgt. Corban Lundborg).

The Heckler & Koch MP7: Compact and lightweight Personal Defense Weapon

The MP7 is extremely compact, lightweight, can be used in very confined spaces, and is practically recoil-free. It can be carried continuously, making it the ideal personal weapon for the soldier of today. Those who carry it will be suitably armed for the broadest range of operations. – Heckler & Koch

In 1989, NATO published a set of requirements that requested a new type of firearm with rounds capable of penetrating body armor. Called the Personal Defense weapon, or PDW, it was meant to replace weapons, such as pistols and submachine guns, whose caliber was found wanting against ballistic protection. Several companies went on to design PDWs, with the most successful, if not the most visible version, coming from German arms company Heckler & Koch.

Designated the MP7, it was first displayed in 1999, with H&K officially beginning production of the weapon in 2000. The MP7 is a compact firearm that uses polymers extensively in its construction, and a short 7.1 inch barrel that helps keep the weight at 4.1 pounds. For ease of carry, a sliding stock provides a length of 25.1 inches extended and 16.3 inches closed. Iron sights for back up compliment mounting rails for sights, lights and lasers, etc., atop the length of the receiver and both sides of the forearm. A front grip that folds under the forearm is also standard.

Internally, its operation is based on the short stroke piston design of the G36 assault rifle, another H&K offering, and helps ensure that the round, which is unique to this weapon, functions reliably. And it is this round which may be the most intriguing part of the MP7.

Featuring a cartridge that measures a diminutive 4.6x30mm, first impressions might lead one to dismiss it as insufficient. Nonetheless, looks can be deceiving, and in this case keep in mind it is meant to defeat body armor. In this role, it is successful.

There are three types of rounds in widespread use. All feature specially designed penetration abilities, which range from the standard DM11, a 31 grain copper plated solid steel AP projectile; the DM21, a 46 grain steel jacketed lead core FMJ round; to the improved DM31 grain copper washed steel jacketed solid steel AP round. These can penetrate several layers of woven Kevlar fabric, with the DM11 traveling at a muzzle velocity of 2,362 fps able to pass through 20 layers backed by a 1.6mm titanium plate at 200 meters.

The cartridge fits in box magazines that come in 20, 30 or 40 round sizes. The 20 round is the same size of a 15 round 9mm magazine and the 40 is the same size of a 30 round 9mm. These insert into the pistol grip of the weapon and are reminiscent of the famous Uzi SMG.

Events after September 11, 2001 sent the MP7 into the field and it became an instant hit. Through the years, numerous worldwide Special Forces and police units adopted it, one of the most famous being the U.S Navy’s DEVGRU, better known as Seal Team 6. The weapon has seen use in Iraq, Afghanistan, and likely numerous classified operations during the War on Terror.

In 2003, H&K improved upon the design and a new version appeared called the MP7A1. This is the variant produced today, and features a redesigned pistol grip, stock and integral trigger safety like those found on Glock pistols.

As of 2014, military and police units of 17 nations employ the MP7 and MP7A1. Without a doubt, it is one of the most popular PDWs in the world today, with its closest competitor being the Fabrique National P90 in 5.7x28mm. FN’s PDW holds the lead in adoptions due in part to a 10 year head start in production. Regardless of this, it is not unreasonable to expect H&K’s weapon to close the gap in the coming years.

For more information

*Photos courtesy of Heckler & Koch

*Originally published on Special Operations.com