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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 75th Ranger Regiment: Regimental Reconnaissance Company
  • The U.S. Army’s 1st 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 24th Special Tactics Squadron (24th STS) is perhaps the least recognized of the three, which may be because pararescuemen, combat controllers, and Tactical Air Control Parties deployed by the 24th 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 75th 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 160th 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 160th 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 160th that delivered JSOC operators to the compound in Pakistan on May 2nd, 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

Know a SEAL from a Night Stalker: a breakdown of US Special Ops units
(Photo: United States Navy)

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

Know a SEAL from a Night Stalker: a breakdown of US Special Ops units
(Photo: United States Air Force)

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

Know a SEAL from a Night Stalker: a breakdown of US Special Ops units
(Photo: United States Marine Corps)

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.

To Hell and back: The 2019 Marine Raider Competition

On June 12, Marines from across the Marine Corps’ special operations units gathered in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to participate in the 2019 Marine Raider Competition.

Six teams, each comprised of six spec ops Marines, competed for the glory of being awarded the title of best Marine Raider. The six teams hailed from the 1st Marine Raider Battalion (1st MRB), 2nd Marine Raider Battalion (2nd MRB), 3rd Marine Raider Battalion (3rd MRB), the Marine Raider Training Center (MRTC), and the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, respectively.

“The endurance coupled with the strength needed for some of the events was one of the most taxing parts of the competition,” said a Marine Raider with the MRTC team, who also serves as an assessment and selection (A&S) land navigation instructor, in a statement to DVIDS. “Trying to pace ourselves and make sure we were maintaining hydration throughout the events while pushing through all the aches and pains was the most mentally straining aspect.”

The biggest challenge of the competition was a 15-mile ruck march peppered with various tasks and tests. The teams had to conduct stress shooting, breaching tests, casualty evacuation, paddling in Zodiac inflatable boats, and rappelling. Throughout the multiple events, each competitor carried a rucksack weighing a minimum of 45 pounds, plus their combat load.

“When it came to preparing, our biggest challenge was finding adequate time to train,” added the A&S land navigation instructor from the MRTC team. “We got hit with some penalties because of that, but we did our best to communicate with each other and help each other through the events.”

“Going in we were expecting to be the fastest team,” said Sergeant Adam Terrazas from the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion team. “I think we came out of the gate too strong, which affected us negatively because we started to break off a little and get dehydrated, but ultimately, we were able to put our minds together at each event and help one another get through the challenges.”

The Marine Raider Competition is an annual event hosted by Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC) with the goal of fostering camaraderie and testing the operational capabilities of its operators. MARSOC is young compared to its sister spec ops commands. At 13 years old, the command has faced many challenges in convincing skeptics—both within the Marine Corps and outside—of its utility and effectiveness. When everyone is competing for shrinking budgets, that ain’t easy.

 

Feature image: Operational Detachment Alpha Special Forces Soldiers and Marines with 1st Marine Raider Support Battalion conduct movement to a Landing Zone for a low altitude drop resupply at Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center, Bridgeport, Calif., Aug 5, 2018. The purpose of this training was for Army Special Forces and MARSOC to improve upon their joint training techniques. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. William Chockey).

 

This article was written by Stavros Atlamazoglou at NEWSREP

Gun control: The case of the ‘smart gun’

Could so-called smart guns be the solution to gun control and fewer mass shooting incidents? A new study finds that while there is widespread support for smart guns, the considerable additional cost and questionable efficacy demotivates people from purchasing such weapons.

According to the study by Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health, smart guns hold considerable potential but have yet to proselytize large numbers of American gun owners.

With respect to the research method, in 2016, the team conducted an online, nationwide survey of American gun owners, inquiring about their concerns on smart gun technology, costs and the possibility of buying such a weapon. In 2018, the team analyzed the results to determine which attributes were linked to people who were more likely to buy a smart gun.

The results are revealing. The Johns Hopkins team found 48% of gun owners were — to varying degrees — familiar with smart guns and that 79% believed firearms shops should be selling both traditional and smart guns. However, only 5% were likely and 13% very likely to purchase a personalized gun with features that added about $300 to the price tag. Furthermore, 70% questioned the efficacy of the technology, and 56% believed that the price was too high. Finally, those who reported they safely stored their current firearms were 50% more likely to purchase a smart gun.

Smart guns, also known as personalized guns, are safer because of their personalized design, which is specifically tailored to the user. For example, a smart gun’s pistol grip — utilizing biometric sensors — would only recognize the person for whom the gun was manufactured, thereby making it harder for other people to purposely or accidentally discharge the firearm.

Another popular technology is Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). RFID connects a weapon to a small wearable device (for instance, a ring, bracelet, watch, or necklace) and allows only the wearer to fire the gun.

Smart guns, however, have a number of disadvantages. To begin with, they are more expensive given their tailored nature. Second, they can’t be resold to other gun owners. Third, they can’t be used by other people in case of an emergency. This point might seem counterintuitive but consider the case where an intruder has stormed a house in which the smart gun’s owner is absent or incapacitated. The personalized nature of the gun wouldn’t allow other members of the family to defend themselves with it.

The team concluded: “Current gun owners expressed modest interest in purchasing personalized guns with radio frequency identification technology. Because gun owners interested in personalized guns appear more safety conscious, the potential benefit of personalized guns in these homes may be limited.”

 

Feature image: A prototype of a smart gun that NJIT spent more than a decade developing. The gun uses sensors to measure a user’s hand grip so only authorized users can fire. Courtesy of the New Jersey Institute of Technology

This article was written by Stavros Atlamazoglou at NEWSREP

Recon Challenge 2019: Sweat, blood, and pain for a noble cause

On May 16, active-duty and veteran U.S. Marines from units stationed around the globe gathered in Camp Pendleton, California, to participate in the annual Recon Challenge.

The Recon Challenge is an endurance event that takes participants through numerous tests inspired by the Reconnaissance Marine training and operational history. There is, for example, a grueling 30-mile ruck made while carrying more than 50 pounds of gear, a one-mile swim, an obstacle course, and marksmanship tests.

Marines formed up and competed in two-man teams, with each team representing a fallen Marine by wearing his name on their rucksacks. Upon crossing the finishing line, the teams hung their fallen brother’s dog tag on a makeshift combat cross as a final testament of remembrance.

This year’s challenge, which was the 11th, had 22 regular teams and one unique team comprised of 13 men.

The challenge was co-funded and co-organized by the Marine Reconnaissance Foundation (MRF). According to their website, the MRF aims “to provide both ad-hoc and long-term support for the Reconnaissance Marines and the U.S. Special Amphibious Corpsmen [SARC] deployed abroad, their spouses and their children.”

But aside from remembering fallen brothers-in-arms, the challenge also has another function: giving purpose to veterans. A former Recon Marine described this aspect of the challenge most eloquently in an inspiring post on the event’s Facebook page:

“This year was different for me from any other year, while on active duty I always wanted to get out front and prove that I could do what I was expecting my Marines to do. I thrived off the pain, misery, and suffering that this challenge forces you to endure whether you like it or not and I missed the since of comradery [sic] that I had become so accustomed to while on active duty. Running as a civilian this year reinforced the fact in my eyes that the Reconnaissance Man needs something in our lives that continually pushes us beyond what we think is possible to maintain some since of balance in our lives. I did not run to win this year, I ran to find some clarity and clear my mind of all the things we hold onto that distract us from our purpose in life. The pain I endured along the route reminded me that I’m alive and I need to take advantage of every opportunity to bond with friends and share my experiences with others in the hopes that I might help someone that is struggling to find that balance. The Recon Challenge is the only time we have the opportunity for our past, present, and future Reconnaissance Marines to come together at one location and reconnect with old friends make new ones and inspire the next generation of Reconnaissance men to strive to uphold the traditions we have earned with our blood, sweet, and tears.”

Semper fidelis.

 

Feature Image: CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – Gunnery Sgt. Zachary Holm, operations chief, Echo Company, 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, fires a M1911 pistol during the marksmanship portion of the 10th Annual Recon Challenge on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., May 17, 2018.

This article was written by Stavros Atlamazoglou at NEWSREP

SEAL teams to get new clandestine underwater craft

As the Pentagon shifts its gaze from low-intensity conflicts to nation-level adversaries, the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is following suit, and the Navy SEAL teams are eager to prove their strategic utility in the rediscovered domain.

SOCOM and the Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC) are focusing their efforts on two underwater craft: a Shallow Water Combat Submersible (SWCS) and a Dry Combat Submersible (DCS). The former is intended to replace the MK-8, Mod 1 SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV).

The DCS will enable frogmen to stay warmer throughout their insertion to the target, which would translate into less fatigued SEALs and thus more combat-effectiveness. But the SWCS will enable SEALs to navigate littoral waters easier. Consequently, the choice of which platform to employ in an operation would depend on the environment and the objectives.

Capt. Katherine Dolloff, SOCOM’s program executive officer for maritime systems, said to National Defense, the “SWCS brings increased payload and range, updated sensors, an improved navigation system and a modernized command-and-control architecture to permit the rapid integration of new technologies.”

SDVs are used to clandestinely transport frogmen on their target. They have the ability to stealthily remain underwater for many hours and can evade most underwater detection systems.

The SWCS is about 23 feet long, while the DCS is about 40 feet long and four times heavier, but it also sports a longer effective range than the shallow water version.

Lockheed Martin and Submergence Group, a British company, have been manufacturing the DCS. By next year, SOCOM anticipates having five SWCSs and three DCSs operational.

This development comes in a pertinent moment. Recently, the NSWC decided to reactivate SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team (SDVT-2) after an absence of 11 years. SDVT-2 will serve as the dedicated East Coast SDV unit.

An SDV Task Unit is an operational outfit responsible for planning, coordinating, and operating submersible systems. SDV Task Units are usually comprised of a combination of SDV/SEAL platoons. SEALs serving on SDV teams have completed the same training as their “regular” SEAL team colleagues but also have received additional specialized training on the operation of SDVs.

The reactivation of SDVT-2 delineates the strategic shift that is currently underway in the SOCOM. During the 2019 Special Operations Forces Industry Conference that took place in May, the new SOCOM commander, Gen. Richard Clarke, said America’s SOF units must reorient their focus to nation-level adversaries. China and Russia are – and will be in the near future — the main threats. SEAL teams, and their SDVs, would be of great strategic value in the South China Sea, where China is swamping the place with artificial islands.

 

Feature image: A Navy diver and special operator from SEAL Delivery Team (SDV) 2 perform SDV operations with the nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine USS Florida (SSGN 728) for material certification. Material certification allows operators to perform real-world operations anytime, anywhere. (U.S. Navy Photo courtesy of DVIDS).

 

This article was written by Stavros Atlamazoglou at NEWSREP

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).

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