Textbook Cases:
U.S. Special Operations Command
©1999 Dave Kish

These profiles were written to correct a variety of outdated listings and inaccuracies in the Delta Green operations manual. These profiles are as accurate and as up-to-date as possible; as these units constantly experiment with organization and many details are classified, however, there may be some small errors. I apologize for these.

75th Ranger Regiment

ORGANIZATION

1. Rangers consist of three battalions, headquarters, and headquarters company.
   • 1st Battalion is located at Hunter Army AirField, Georgia.
   • 2nd Battalion is located at Fort Lewis, Washington.
   • 3rd Battalion is located at Fort Benning, Georgia.
   • Headquarters is located at Fort Benning, Georgia.
2. Each battalion contains:
   • 3 Combat Companies with: 3 Rifle Platoons (about 45 men each), Weapons Platoon (about 23 men). Each Rifle Platoon is made up of 3 Rifle Squads of three Fire teams each and a machine gun squad. All squad leaders are at least Staff Sergeants and team leaders are Sergeants. Specialists (equivalent to Corporals) who have the Ranger Tab (attended Ranger School) may be team leaders when necessary.
   • Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) with: Company headquarters, Fire Support Team, USAF FAC Team, Medical Team, Communications Team, Support Section (Food Service, etc.).
3. Headquarters contains: Commanding Officer (colonel), his staff, special staff (communications officer, fire support officer, surgeon, staff judge advocate, USAF weather officer and USAF tactical air control officer), HQ Company Staff, Fire Support Element, Communications Platoon, Reconnaissance Platoon, Medical Treatment Team, and RIP (Ranger Indoctrination Program).

1. Jump School: All must have attended Jump School/be Airborne qualified.
2. Ranger Indoctrination Program (RIP): 3 1/2-week program designed to weed out those who can't make it. Timed marches/runs, swim tests, and military skill testing. After this is completed, the men are considered Rangers and go to the Battalions for operational training. 6-12 months later they may attend the Ranger School.
3. Ranger School:
   • Ranger Assessment Phase (RAP)--Fort Benning, Georgia (5 days). Testing for admittance to the Ranger School. PT Tests and military knowledge tests.
   • 1st Phase--Camp Darby, Georgia. Covers Hand-to-Hand Combat, Patrolling, Advanced Land Navigation, Leadership, Survival Training, PT/Obstacle Courses, Field Exercises.
   • 2nd Phase--Dugway Proving Grounds, Utah. Covers Desert Survival, Patrolling, Battle Drills, Advanced Combat Techniques (Ambushes, crossing barbed wire, assaults, etc.), Field Training Exercises.
   • 3rd Phase--Camp Merrill, Georgia. Covers mountaineering operations.
   • 4th Phase--Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Covers Jungle/Swamp Operations, additional Advanced Combat Techniques, Small Boat Operations, Field Training Exercises.
4. Operational Training: each Battalion trains 48 weeks a year to maintain performance. Physical training is done five days a week. During a three-year cycle each battalion trains in extreme cold and in amphibious operations. Jungle, mountain and desert training are done once a year, at least. Urban training is conducted every six months.
5. Officers and NCOs: All officers and NCOs must be Ranger School graduates and all Officers must have served at least a year in a leadership position in a non-Ranger unit (be at least a First Lieutenant).

1. Infiltration/Exfiltration by land, air and sea.
2. Conduct Direct Action.
3. Conduct Raids.
4. Recovery of Personnel and Special Equipment.
5. Conduct Conventional or Special Light Infantry Operations.

1. High number of NCOs.
2. Highest percentage of NCOs who later become Officers in the Army.
3. Each Battalion rotates for a month as the Ranger Ready Force. They must be able to deploy anywhere in the world within eighteen hours.

Special Forces

ORGANIZATION

1. There are five active Special Forces Groups, two Reserve, and two National Guard:
   • 1st Area of Operation: Pacific and Eastern Asia. Located: Fort Lewis, WA.
   • 3rd Area of Operation: Caribbean and Western Africa. Located: Fort Bragg, NC.
   • 5th Area of Operation: Southwest Asia and Northeastern Africa. Located: Fort Campbell, KY.
   • 7th Area of Operation: Central and South America. Located: Fort Bragg, NC.
   • 10th Area of Operation: Europe and Western Asia. Located: Fort Carson, CO.
   • 11th (Army Reserve) Located: Fort Meade, Maryland
   • 12th (Army Reserve) Located: Arlington Heights, Illinois
   • 19th (National Guard) Area of Operation: Asia. Located: Camp Williams, UT.
   • 20th (National Guard) Area of Operation: Europe and Western Asia. Located: Birmingham, AL.
   • 2 Forward Deployed Companies (one in Germany and one in South Korea)
2. Special Forces Battalions:
   • 3 Battalions per Group
   • 1 C-Detachment (headquarters/support elements):
     Detachment Commander (Lt. Colonel)
     Executive Officer (Major)
     Staff with: Adjutant (Captain), Intelligence officer (Captain), Operations officer (Captain), Supply officer (Captain), Command Sergeant-Major, Intelligence NCO (Master Sergeant), Operations NCO (Master Sergeant), Supply NCO (Sergeant 1st Class), Administrative Supervisor (Staff Sergeant), Senior Field Radio Repairman (Sergeant), and 4 Radio Operators (Sergeants).
   • 3 B-Detachments
   • 18 A-teams
   • SF Battalion Support Company
   • Military Intelligence (MI) Detachment (with 3 SOT-As [Special Operation Team-A] that deploy with SFOD-As to provide SIGINT and EW capabilities. Has no interrogation teams attached)
   • SF Battalion Service Detachment
3. Special Forces Companies:
   • 3 Companies per Battalion (A (Alpha), B (Bravo) and C (Charlie) Companies).
   • 1 B-Detachment (headquarters/support element):
     Detachment Commander (Major)
     Executive Officer (Captain)
     Staff with: Adjutant (Captain), Intelligence officer (Captain), Operations officer (Captain), Supply officer (Captain), Command Sergeant-Major, Intelligence NCO (Master Sergeant), Operations NCO (Master Sergeant), Engineering NCO (Sergeant 1st Class), 1-2 Weapons NCOs (Sergeant 1st Class), Medical Specialist (Sergeant 1st Class), Communications Supervisor (Sergeant 1st Class), Supply Sergeant (Sergeant 1st Class), Administrative Supervisor (Staff Sergeant), Assistant Supply Sergeant (Staff Sergeant), Preventative Medical Specialist (Specialist 6th Class), Combat Engineer Specialist (Sergeant), 4 Radio Operators (Sergeants).
   • 6 A-Teams per Company (1 HALO, 1 SCUBA, 4 "Ruck")
     SF A-Teams (Special Forces Operational Detachment-Alpha):
     Detachment Commander: Captain
     Executive Officer/Intelligence Specialist: Warrant Officer
     Operations NCO/Team Sergeant: Master Sergeant
     Intelligence & Operations NCO: Sergeant First Class
     Weapons NCO: Sergeant First Class
     Assistant Weapons NCO: Staff Sergeant
     Engineer NCO: Sergeant First Class
     Assistant NCO Engineer: Staff Sergeant
     Medical NCO: Sergeant First Class
     Assistant Medical NCO: Staff Sergeant
     Communications NCO: Sergeant First Class
     Assistant Communications NCO: Staff Sergeant
     For any particular team, the position of Executive Officer is served by a Warrant in possession of considerable regional expertise in language, political science, HUMINT and COMINT techniques, and interrogation methods above and beyond that of other team members. No other team member is cross-trained in this area; the function is solely the responsibility of the XO.
4. Supporting Units:
   • 112th Signal Battalion
   • 528th Support Battalion
   • SF Group Support Company
   • Military Intelligence (MI) Detachment
   • Service Detachment
   • Signal Detachment
   • Medical Section
   • Personnel Section
5. Special Projects Teams: These teams are not on declassified Special Forces TOEs (Tables of Organization and Equipment). SF troops assigned to them are removed temporarily from the SF command structure and placed under other DoD departments. Known in SF as "long hair teams" due to their relaxed grooming standards, they provide various Black and Grey operational services.

The Q (Qualification) Course
1. Special Forces Assessment and Selection (21 days)- A 3-phase battery of tests to determine intelligence, aptitude, foreign language ability, physical endurance and mental stability.
2. Phase 2/ MOS Training (approx. 2mos.)- This is where the trainees learn their specialty. There are courses for SF Officer, SF Weapons, SF Communications, SF Medical (the longest at 23 weeks), SF Engineering and SF Intelligence and Operations
3. Phase 13 - This puts the team together for training in field craft, advanced specialties, etc. It culminates with "Robin Sage," a 2-week guerrilla wargame to show what has been learned.
4. Note: The SF Q Course is constantly undergoing refinement and this is the current incarnation. Few older SF vets went through this. Phase 13 is so called because it incorporates elements of the old Phase 1 & 3. Some training has been dropped/moved in this layout (such as most of the survival training, which now resides at the SERE [Survival, Escape, Resistance and Evasion] School/Course).

1. Unconventional Warfare (UW)
2. Direct Action (DA)
3. Special Reconnaissance (SR)
4. Foreign Internal Defense (FID)
5. Counter-Terrorism (CT)
6. Psychological Operations (PSYOP)
7. Civil Affairs (CA)
8. Coalition Warfare/Support

1. Unit identification: A-Teams are numbered as ODA-### (Example-ODA-345). This stands for "Operational Detachment Alpha," with the first number representing the group, the second and third representing battalion and team designation. ODAs ending in 4 designate a HALO group; those ending in a 5 designate a Combat Diver/SCUBA team. (This is true in 3rd Group, anyway, and the numbers are probably true SF-wide.)
2. A soldier must be an E-4 or higher to apply for Special Forces.
3. When talking to members of SF, remember they are Special Forces, not "Green Berets." You will be informed that they are troopers, not hats!

1st Special Forces Operational Detachment - Delta

ORGANIZATION

1. There are 3 Squadrons, broken down into an unknown number of Troops. Each Troop has 16 men. These are further broken down into four 4-man squads. Each squad is color-coded for organizational and control purposes. There are about 800 members of Delta, with about 225 "shooters". Of the 225 operators, 1/3 are snipers.
2. Detachment designations:
   • D - Command and Control (The Headquarters)
   • E - Communications, Intelligence and Administrative Support (includes finance, logistics, medical detachment, research and development, technology and electronics, etc.)
   • F - Operational Arm (The operators themselves)
   • The medical detachment maintains special doctors at Fort Bragg and various other bases around the country secretly, to provide medical assistance as needed.
   • "The Funny Platoon": This is the in-house Intelligence arm of Delta. They grew out of a long-running dispute/rivalry with ISA. They will infiltrate a country ahead of a Delta intervention to gather intelligence. They are the only US Special Operation Force to employ woman in a combat role (the only other SOF that has employed women at all has been Army Special Forces, and then, only in a training role).
   • Delta has acquired a small Aviation Squadron for limited in-house use. This consists of twelve AH-6 Attack and MH-6 Transport helicopters. These have been painted in civilian colors and have fake tail number IDs. They still rely on the 160th SOAR and USAF for larger operations.

1. Counterterrorism
2. Proactive Counter-terrorism (Hunting individual terrorist leaders, attacks on terrorist camps, etc.)
3. POW recovery ops during wartime
4. Strategic Reconnaissance
5. Special Assault
6. Security
7. Assist in nuclear terror threats/recovery of nuclear devices

NOTES

1. All Delta members have pagers for 24-hour call-ups.
2. All operators in Delta have been issued Federal Weapons Permits, which allow them to travel anywhere armed. They are ALWAYS armed.
3. Delta has relaxed grooming standards (long hair, earrings, etc.) to assist in undercover ops.
4. All members of Delta and their families are given cover stories to prevent their unit affiliation from leaking out.
5. Delta is almost all US Army, but members of the Reserves, National Guard, and the other services can also apply. They will be placed on duty with the unit if selected and serve a 3-year tour with the unit.
6. UNCONFIRMED: I have come across several times the statement that Delta and SEAL Team 6 no longer go by those names. They are left on for dealing with the public but are referred to by some other designation in official communications. This, as I said, is unconfirmed, so use at your own discretion.

USING DELTA FORCE

Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (SFOD-D AKA Combat Applications Group and Combat Development Group) involvement in a scenario could be handled in a number of ways. Any action taken outside of the United States could reasonably involve the unit, so if you tinker with the locales of a published scenario or create one of your own, you could slip them in that way. The missions undertaken by Special Operations Forces in today's environment are varied and give you a bit of latitude in involvement. Many units (SFOD-D included) have had their traditional missions muddied considerably by political necessity, military misuse and new threats. That is why you find SFOD-D hunting SCUDs in Desert Storm (a political necessity to keep Israel from broadening the war) or assisting in PeaceKeeping Operations in Somalia (a new threats environment). SFOD-D itself has grown from a hostage rescue force into a covert/clandestine special operations force with many missions outside of hostages. Factor in DG involvement and puppet-string pulling and any overseas mission could include Special Operations personnel with the flimsiest of justifications.

Domestically, the involvement gets trickier but far from unlikely. Having them attached as observers, advisors or liaisons can get them involved in any domestic operation. In any case where the threat of terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and so on are involved, military personnel from these units will be involved in these roles. SFOD-D is barred from performing domestic hostage operations (that is the responsibility of the FBI's HRT) but since the inception of Presidential Decision Directive-25 (PDD-25), Delta is exempt from the Posse Comitatus Act in other areas (as an interesting side note and possible Delta Green hook, naval forces are also technically exempt, hence the USMC is exempt).

The Joint Task Forces already mentioned provide another avenue for involvement (and a good DG manipulation hook). The Joint Task Forces grew out of then-Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney's designation of drugs as a threat to national security and Congress followed by passing a defense authorization bill that directed the military to assist in training and materials for law enforcement engaged in drug enforcement and/or interdiction. The Joint Task Forces work with a sister organization within the Justice Department known as Operation Alliance. It is Operation Alliance's job to send requests for assistance from various law enforcement agencies to the appropriate Joint Task Force. The JTF then sees if aid is appropriate based on a set of criteria and forwards the request to the commander of Forces Command (Fort McPherson, GA) who has final authority to allocate personnel and resources. Each JTF has a regional headquarters and a legal staff. The controversy over this system is that many times the flimsiest of evidence and even just the "suspicion" of drugs is enough to allocate military resources (helicopters, APCs, personnel and so on).

RANKS AND REQUIREMENTS

Command structure:

• SFOD-D Commanding Officer: Colonel
• Deputy (XO): Lt. Colonel
• Squadron Commanders: Lt. Colonel
• Administrative/Intelligence/Logistics/Operations/Support Directorates
• Commanders: Lt. Colonels
• Troop Commanders: Captains or Majors, plus a Sergeant Major
• Squad Commanders: Senior Sergeants

All members of SFOD-D are either Sergeants (E-5) or higher for enlisted or Captains or higher for officers.

To enter SFOD-D a candidate must meet the following criteria before beginning the training course:

• Male (exceptions for the "Funny" platoon) and at least 22 years of age
• Physical evaluation
• PT test (including swim qualification)
• Psychological evaluation and Background Investigation
• Airborne-qualified or able to attend airborne training
• Be between the ranks of E-5 (Sergeant) and E-7 (Sergeant First Class) for enlisted
• Be either an O-3 (Captain) or O-4 Major with at least 1 year of command experience at the company level for officers
• Enlisted must have at least a 110 or higher GT Score and officers must have either a BS or BA degree

ARMAMENTS

While SFOD-D has the ability to choose weapons outside of the US military arsenal, this is usually only done if a mission would require it for some reason (such as a covert operation). They mostly stay with US-issue weapons for logistical and maintenance reasons. The weapons commonly (but not exclusively) carried are:

• M-16 series of weapons (depending upon the mission which variant that is carried)
• Mossberg 500 Shotguns
• Remington 870 Shotguns
• M40 Sniping Systems
• M21 Sniping Systems
• HK MP-5 series of weapons
• Beretta M9 Pistols
• Colt M1911A1 Pistols
• SOCCOM pistol system
• Macmillian and Barrett .50 Weapons Systems (these were used in Desert Storm for disabling SCUDs from a distance)

160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne)

ORGANIZATION

1. Task Force 160 was reorganized and designated as the 160th SOAR and assigned to US Army Special Operations Command in May 1990. They are known as "The Night Stalkers".
2. 1st Battalion - Located: Fort Campbell, Kentucky. 18 AH-6, 18 MH-6 and 30 MH-60 helicopters. Some elements are forward deployed in Panama.
3. 617th Aviation Detachment
4. 2nd Battalion - Located: Fort Campbell, Kentucky. 24 MH-47 Helicopters.
5. 3rd Battalion - Located: Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia. 10 MH-60 and 8 MH-47 helicopters. Directly supports the Rangers.
6. 245th Aviation Battalion (Oklahoma National Guard). 25 AH-6, 15 UH-60 (to be replaced by MH-60) and 23 UH-1 Helicopters.

1. Officer/Pilot: 14 Week Qualification Course, followed by two other qualification levels: Fully Mission Qualified (progression time: 12-18 months) and Flight Lead (progression time: 36-48 months)
2. Enlisted/Support: 3 week Qualification Course

Note: INSCOM Intelligence Support Activity

Before their disbanding, the UDTs consisted of:

UDT 11 Located at Coronado, California. Became SEAL Team 5

UDT 12 Located at Coronado, California. Became SDV 1.

UDT 21 Located at Norfolk, Virginia. Became SEAL Team 4.

UDT 22 Located at Norfolk, Virginia. Became SDV 2.

Each Team consisted of 15 officers and 111 enlisted men.

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U.S. MARINE CORPS

Recon Battalion

Each Marine Division has a Recon battalion of approximately 500 men (including HQ and support services). They are trained to operate just forward of the frontlines or directly in front of/alongside conventional Marine units. (These are the Marines in the movie Heartbreak Ridge.) These are different from the Force Recon Marines, below. Their training is still fierce and many later move into FR. Not all members are SCUBA and/or Airborne qualified.

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Force Recon

ORGANIZATION

1. There has been considerable reorganization of the Force Recon Marine structure recently. In the 2nd Division, both 2nd Force Recon and 2nd Recon Battalion have been merged. They have developed a structure in which one moves through a series of platoons based on experience and training. These platoons are gathered into three companies. The first company (A Company) is for Marines in various stages of training. The next company (B Company) is for Marines who deploy for tactical recon (just beyond the frontlines). The final company (C Company) specializes in Deep/Strategic recon. The 2nd Division is based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The other Force Recon companies are organized as follows:
   • 1st Force Recon: assigned to 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendelton, California
   • 3rd Force Recon: assigned to 3rd Marine Division, Camp S.D. Butler, Okinawa, Japan
   • 4th Force Recon: assigned to 4th Marine Division (Reserve), New Orleans, Louisiana
   • 5th Force Recon: assigned to III MEF (Marine Expeditionary Force), Camp S.D. Butler, Okinawa, Japan
2. Each FR Company consists of:
   • Headquarters (5 officers and 26 enlisted men)
   • Supply Services Platoon (1 officer and 35 enlisted men)
   • 6 Recon Platoons (1 officer and 14 enlisted men)
3. Recon teams operate usually in teams of 4 men (there is some experimentation with six man teams)

MISSIONS

1. Primarily Deep/Strategic Recon
2. Despite many years of resisting (often unsuccessfully) being used for other SpecOps missions (Direct Action and so on), FR has been incorporating training for these missions. They now have a counterterror and direct action capability. The 5th also specializes in these sorts of ops.)

TRAINING

1. All Recon:
   • RIP (Recon Indoctrination Phase) -- Selection and Assessment
   • Amphibious Recon School (9 1/2 Weeks)
2. Force Recon:
   • US Army Basic Airborne
   • SCUBA School

NOTES

1. Until 1997, Recon/FR were considered Secondary MOS (specialized training, essentially). This meant you could not spend your entire career with the unit, instead serving 2-3 year tours. This has been changed, however, allowing continual service and a primary MOS.
2. Several times I have noticed that a reference to Marine special operations forces being gathered into a unit known as 2nd Recon. I find no backing for this. This may be a misrepresentation of the fact that the various SpecOps units assigned to the Fleet Marine Forces are placed under an administrative umbrella in each division known as SRIG (Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Intelligence Group). This provides headquarters and logistical functions to units such as Force Recon, Scout-Snipers, and so on. Each division has a SRIG, not just 2nd Division.

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ANGLICO (Air-Naval Gun Liaison Company)

ORGANIZATION

ANGLICO companies function much as Force Recon Marines above, receiving very similar training, with the key difference being their mission. FR is there to gather data, sometimes staying in place for weeks. ANGLICO gets into position and, once targets have been observed, begins directing aerial and naval gunfire onto targets. There is an ANGLICO unit with every SRIG.

TRAINING

1. US Army Basic Airborne
2. SCUBA
3. Ranger
4. ANGLICO in-house tactical training (ongoing)

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Security Force Battalion

ORGANIZATION

1. Atlantic Battalion - based at Norfolk, Virginia
2. Pacific Battalion - based at Mare Island, California
3. 59 Officers and 2004 Marines
4. Commanding Officer - Major
5. Each battalion has six companies and various Mobile Training Teams (MTTs) and sub-units.

TRAINING

1. All members must have completed SOI (School of Infantry).
2. Security Force School (22 Days-Longer for NCOs and officers) - Teaches Combat Marksmanship (shotgun and pistol - all Security Forces are dual armed), Room Clearing, etc.

MISSIONS

Counterterrorist and Security for US Navy and Marine Corps ships and bases.

NOTES

Security Force Battalion should not be confused with the Marine Security Guard Battalion, which provides embassy security.

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FAST (Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team) Companies

ORGANIZATION

1. There is one FAST Company per Security Battalion.
2. Each includes 321 Marines, task-organized based upon mission:
   • Headquarters element.
   • Four or five "guard" platoons (one officer and 49+ enlisted men).
   • Weapons platoon (29-man MG section, 7-man 60mm Mortar section and 13 man SMAW section).
   • Each platoon has 2-man HQ and 3 16+ man squads (divided into Team Leader and two guard teams).
   • Each company has Designated Marksmen (DM) with sniper training.

TRAINING

1. All members must have completed SOI (School of Infantry).
2. Security Force School (22 Days-Longer for NCOs and officers) - Teaches Combat Marksmanship (shotgun and pistol - all Security Forces are dual armed), Room Clearing, etc.
3. FAST Training (5 weeks) - Additional training in Close Quarters Battle, submachine gun employment (MP-5), etc.

MISSION

1. Various tasks concerning security and antiterrorism missions directed at the United States Navy, USMC and sensitive facilities and persons (recently deployed to Saudi Arabia to test security in the wake of the bombings there and to provide security for the US ambassador to Somalia during the intervention there).
2. Counterterrorist response force for the Navy/Marine Corps.
3. Nuclear safe-guarding for the United States Navy.

NOTE

Security Forces/FAST is a Secondary MOS. Essentially, this means specialized training. Members do not spend their entire careers in the unit, instead doing 2-3 year tours before returning to other units. Reapplication to the unit after a "normal" tour often happens. Recently, several more FAST Companies have been brought online from reassigned Security Force Detachments, each beginning to practice further specialization.

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Note: Scouts/Snipers

These are small, two man teams organized and placed into the SRIGs of various units. They are used to interdict key personnel and materials during wartime/operations. There are several teams attached at both the battalion and regimental level. Training includes a several-week selection and training process that develop additional marksmanship and advanced fieldcraft.

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U.S. AIR FORCE

Air Force Special Operations Command

ORGANIZATION

1. AFSOC Headquarters: Located at Hurlburt Field, Florida.
2. 16th Special Operations Wing: Located at Hurlburt Field. MC-130 E/H (8th Special Operations Squadron flies the E, 15th SOS flies the H), AC-130 H/U (4th SOS flies the U, 16th SOS flies the H), MH-53J (20th SOS), MC-130P (9th SOS-prepositioned at Eglin AFB, Florida), MH-60G (55th SOS), C-130 E, UH-1 N, (the 6th SOS is the Wing's combat aviation advisory unit)
3. 352nd Special Operations Group: Located at RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom. MH-53J (21st SOS), MC-130 H (7th SOS), MC-130 P (67th SOS), MC-130N (Also contains 321st Special Tactics Squadron; see units, below)
4. 353rd Special Operations Group: Located at Kadena AFB, Okinawa, Japan. MC-130H/P (1st SOS flies the H, 17th SOS flies the P), MH-53J (31st SOS, located at Osan Air Base, Korea) (Also contains the 320th Special Tactics Squadron: see units below)
5. 193rd Special Operations Wing (Air National Guard): Located at Harrisburg IAP, Pennsylvania. EC-130E. Contains 123rd Special Tactics Flight (Standiford Field, Kentucky), 107th Air Weather Flight (Selfridge ANGB, Michigan), 146th AWF (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 181st AWF (Dallas, Texas)
6. 919th Special Operations Wing (Air Force Reserve): Located at Duke Field, Florida. MC-130 E/P. Contains 711th SOS (MC-130 E) and 5th SOS (MC-130 P).
7. 720th Special Tactics Group: Located at Hurlburt Field Florida. Contains the 10th Combat Weather Squadron, 21st Special Tactics Squadron (Pope AFB, North Carolina), 22nd Special Tactics Squadron (McChord AFB, Washington), 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, 24th Special Tactics Squadron (Pope AFB, North Carolina)
8. USAF Special Operations School: Located at Hurlburt Field, Florida.
9. 18th Flight Test Squadron: Located at Hurlburt Field, Florida.
10. AFSOC Air Support Operations Squadron: Located at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
11. Total Aircraft:
    • 8 AC-130H Spectre gunships
    • 13 AC-130U Spooky gunships
    • 36 MH-53J Pave Low helicopters
    • 10 MH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters
    • 8 MC-130E Combat Talon I
    • 21 MC-130H Combat Talon II
    • 5 EC-130E (PSYOP aircraft)
    • 8 EC-130 Airborne Command, Control, and Communications
    • 24 MC-130P Combat Shadow (Refueling)
    • 2 UH-1N helicopters

MISSION

1. Provide infiltration/exfiltration for agents and special operations forces.
2. Provide resupply to forces in the field.
3. Provide aerial fire support/fire support control for special operations forces.
4. Other special operations (PSYOPS support, BLU-82 operations, etc.).

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Para-Rescue

ORGANIZATION

1. 720th Special Tactics Group. Located at Hurlburt Field, Florida.
2. 21st Special Tactics Squadron. Located at Pope AFB, North Carolina.
3. 22nd Special Tactics Squadron. Located at McChord AFB, Washington.
4. 23rd Special Tactics Squadron. Located at Hurlburt Field, Florida.
5. 24th Special Tactics Squadron. Located at Pope AFB, North Carolina
6. 320th Special Tactics Squadron. Located at Kadena AFB, Okinawa, Japan.
7. 321st Special Tactics Squadron. Located at RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom.
8. 41st Rescue Squadron. Located at Moody AFB, Georgia.
9. 66th Rescue Squadron. Located at Nellis AFB, Nevada.
10. Kirtland AFB Detachment, New Mexico.
11. Lackland AFB Detachment, Texas.
12. 56th Rescue Squadron. Located at Keflavik Naval Air Station, Iceland.
13. Kadena AFB Detachment, Okinawa, Japan.
14. Guard/Reserve:
    • 106th Rescue Wing. Located at Suffolk County, New York.
    • Moffett Field Detachment, California.
    • Portland IAP Detachment, Oregon.
    • 301st Rescue Wing. Located at Patrick AFB, Florida.
    • 210th Rescue Wing. Located at Kulis ANGB, Alaska.
    • 305th Rescue Wing. Located at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona.

TRAINING

1. Combat Control/Pararescue Selection, Lackland AFB, Texas (12 Weeks)
2. Special Forces Combat Diver, Key West Naval Air Station, Florida (5 Weeks)
3. US Army Basic Airborne, Fort Benning, Georgia (3 Weeks)
4. US Army Basic Military Freefall (HALO), Fort Bragg, North Carolina (4 Weeks)
5. US Air Force Combat Survival, Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington (3 Weeks)
6. Special Operations Combat Medic Course, Fort Bragg, North Carolina (22 Weeks)
7. Pararescue Recovery Specialist Course, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico (20 Weeks)

MISSION

1. Search and Rescue (SAR)
2. Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR)
3. Recovery support for NASA
4. Other limited operations as applicable

NOTE

Para-Rescue wears the Maroon Beret.

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Combat Controller Teams

ORGANIZATION

Air Combat Controller Teams (ACC) are organized into the same units as Pararescue, above. Additional members are tasked to various special operations units to provide coordination. Members may be further tasked to deployed teams to provide on the ground assistance.

TRAINING

1. Combat Control/Pararescue Selection - Lackland AFB, Texas (12 Weeks)
2. Special Forces Combat Diver - Key West Naval Air Station, Florida (5 Weeks)
3. US Army Basic Airborne - Fort Benning, Georgia (3 Weeks)
4. US Army Basic Military Freefall (HALO) - Fort Bragg, North Carolina (4 Weeks)
5. US Air Force Combat Survival - Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington (3 Weeks)
6. US Air Force Air Traffic Control - Kessler Air Force Base, Mississippi (10 Weeks)
7. Combat Control - Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina (12 Weeks)

MISSION

1. Provide forward Air Traffic Control Zones in combat areas (Drop Zones, Landing Zones, Extraction Zones, Recovery Zones).
2. Provide ground based fire control for AC-130 operations.
3. Command and control, surveying capabilities, limited weather observations, demolitions to clear obstructions.

NOTE

Combat Controllers wear the Scarlet Beret.

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Special Operations Meteorologists

ORGANIZATION

1. AFSOC Units:
   • 10th Combat Weather Squadron
   • Headquarters - Located at Hurlburt Field, Florida
   • Detachment 1 - Located at Fort Lewis, Washington. Supports 1st Special Forces Group.
   • Detachment 2 - Located at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Supports 5th Special Forces Group and 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.
   • Detachment 3 - Located at Fort Carson, Colorado. Supports 10th Special Forces Group.
   • Detachment 4 - Located at Fort Benning, Georgia. Supports 75th Ranger Regiment, 2nd & 3rd Ranger Battalion.
   • Detachment 5 - Located at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Supports 3rd Special Forces Group, 7th Special Forces Group.
   • OL-A (Operating Location-Alpha), 10CWS - Located at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Located at Hunter Army AirField, Georgia. Supports 1st Ranger Battalion.
   • OL-A, 321st Special Tactics Squadron - Located at Panzer Kaserne, Germany. Supports 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group.
   • OL-A, 320th Special Tactics Squadron - Located at Torii Station, Japan. Supports 1st Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group.
   • 720th Special Tactics Squadron - Located at Hurlburt Field, Florida. Staff position.
2. ACC Units:
   • 18th Air Support Operations Squadron - Located at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Supports 101st Airborne Division
   • 18th Weather Squadron - Located at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Supports XVIII Airborne Corps, 82nd Airborne Division, 18th Aviation Brigade.

TRAINING

1. Air Force Forecasting Training
2. Jump School
3. Limited tactical training

MISSION

1. Provide meteorological and oceanographic information in/for special operations theaters, including tactical infiltration, forecasting, working with host nations personnel, mission tailoring and data collection/analysis.
2. Operate in either forward bases or behind enemy lines.

NOTE

They wear the Grey Beret.

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THE MISSIONS

Counterproliferation: Seize, recover, disable, render ineffective or destroy weapons of mass destruction.

Counterterrorism: Provide counterterrorist and antiterrorist capabilities to detect, deter and/or respond to terrorist threats. Note: In the military, Counter-terrorism and anti-terrorism are not the same thing. Counter-terrorism is the actions taken after a terrorist action has begun. Anti-terrorism are measures taken to keep terrorist actions from occurring in the first place.

Foreign Internal Defense: Work with host nations to assist in organizing and training military forces. Work in an advisory/assistance role.

Special Reconnaissance: Deep surveillance/reconnaissance missions well behind enemy lines or into denied areas.

Direct Action: Short-duration raids, strikes, attacks, etc. to capture, recover, damage or destroy enemy personnel, material or sites.

Psychological Operations: Weaken enemy resolve to continue operations and weaken morale or induce/reinforce friendly attitudes/morale.

Civil Affairs: assist/advise friendly host nations on maintaining infrastructure (repair roads, dig wells, train police, etc.) and assist commanders in establishing and maintaining relations in combat zones.

Unconventional Warfare: Organize, train and assist guerrilla forces Information Operations: Attacks on enemy information-systems and defense of friendly ones.

Coalition Support: Assist multinational operating forces, coordinate between national forces and aid in communications, operations and training.

Humanitarian Assistance: Assist relief organizations in providing aid in natural or man-made disasters and war zones.

Security Assistance: Assist in training, development, etc. in DoD security programs and training.

Combat Search and Rescue: Penetrate combat zones/air defense networks to rescue pilots and deny downed technology to enemies.

Humanitarian Demining Operations: provide training to host nations in reducing or eliminating threats posed to noncombatants by mines/explosive devices.

Counterdrug Activities: Assist or train host nation's counterdrug forces to monitor and counter drug trafficking.

Special Activities: Conduct actions abroad in support of national policy that keeps the role of the US secret.

Peace Operations: Assist peacekeeping operations and forces.

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RULES

Occupational Templates

The number in parenthesis is the minimum a member of that unit must have in that skill. If you want to run with the big boys, well, you got to pay the cost.... Where "Hand to Hand Combat (30)" is listed, the character must devote 30 skill points among Fist/Punch, Grapple, Kick, and/or Knife. These minimum skills reflect the groups' basic training and advanced skills. Many individuals will have scores that exceed these considerably. Most of these groups are not special because they can hit a fly at 1000 yards with a rifle or are martial arts experts; their true worth is not as super soldiers, but as special soldiers who can act with decisiveness and professionalism.

Customization of these templates should occur to take into account a PC's background, other military training and experiences. These templates only reflect the training program of the unit in question.

Special Operations troops must be intelligent, strong-willed, educated, coordinated and physically fit. Characters should have STR, CON, INT, and POW of at least 12 and EDU of at least 15. There are no requirements for SIZ or APP.

Ranger: Demolitions (25), Hide (40), Navigation/Land (50), Parachuting (25), Spot Hidden (50), Special Operations, Rifle (40), Machine Gun, Electronics (25-Commo Gear), Sneak (40), Hand to Hand combat skills (30)

Special Forces: Bargain, Demolitions (25), Hide (30), Navigation/Land (50), Parachuting (25), Special Operations, Other Language (25), Fast Talk, Persuade, Sneak (30), Rifle (30), Submachine Gun (30), plus the following based on specialty:

Officer: Military Science (50)

Intelligence/Operations: Intelligence, Intelligence Analysis, Photography

Weapons: All Firearms Skills (30), plus Mechanical Repair (40)

Communications: Cryptography, Electronics (40), Mechanical Repair, Electrical Repair (30)

Engineer: Demolitions (40), Architecture, Carpentry, Mechanical Repair

Medical: First Aid (60), Medicine (35), Surgery (20), Pharmacy

SFOD-Delta Operator: Demolitions (30), Disguise, Drive Auto, Electronics, Parachuting (50), SCUBA (25), Special Operations, Sneak (40), Spot Hidden, Navigation/Land (60), Hide (40), Rifle/Submachine Gun (60), Pistol (50), Shotgun (50)

Security Force Guard: Spot Hidden, Special Operations, Rifle (30), Shotgun (45), Pistol (45), Listen, Mechanical Repair, Psychology

FAST Trooper: Same as Security Force Guard, above, plus Submachine Gun (45)

Recon Marine: Cartography, Spot Hidden (50), Navigation/Land (40), Boating (25), Demolitions (25), Hide (40), Sneak (40), Special Operations, Photography, Swim (40), Rifle (40), Submachine Gun (30)

Force Recon: Parachuting (25), SCUBA (25), Cartography, Spot Hidden (50), Navigation/Land (40), Boating (25), Demolitions (25), Hide (40), Sneak (40), Special Operations, Photography, Swim (40), Rifle (40), Submachine Gun (30)

ANGLICO: Use Force Recon, above, plus Electronics (30)

Scout/Sniper: Special Operations, Hide (50), Navigation/Land, Sneak (50), Spot Hidden (50), Track, Rifle (60), Swim

SEAL: Boating (25), Cartography, Hide, Sneak, Spot Hidden, Parachuting (25), SCUBA (40), Special Operations, Navigation/Land (35), Navigation/Sea, Air (35), Swim (45), Rifle (40), Submachine Gun (30), Pistol (30)

CCT: Parachuting (25), SCUBA (25), Special Operations, Navigation/Land, Navigation/Sea, Air (30), Swim (30), Climb, Spot Hidden, Electronics (30), Electrical Repair, Mechanical Repair

Pararescue: Use CCT, above, replacing Electronics, Electrical Repair and Mechanical Repair with First Aid (60), Medicine (35), Surgery (20) and Pharmacy

SO Meteorologist: Use CCT, above, and add Meteorology (45)

SOAR Pilot: Use the template in Delta Green. (Pilot Helicopter-50)

USAF SOC Pilot: Use the template in Delta Green. (Pilot Aircraft-50)

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New Skills

Special Operations (0%)

This "skill" is a special case. It is bought at a fixed cost of 50 Points. It represents the collection of Special Ops Skills that are not already covered but would be a waste of space to break down into individual skills. The character with this skill is allowed either a Know/Idea roll to represent this specialized training or can use it as a specialized sub-skill of another existing skill.

Some common uses and mechanics follow:

Rappelling: Can use Climb normally to represent the ability.

Fast Rope: Can use Climb normally to represent the ability.

Tactics (properly planning raids, ambushes, etc.): Can use Know roll. (This does not mean that the action itself is successful, that should be played out. It only allows the character to know the proper action for his character to take.)

Survival Skills: Can use Know Roll.

Area/Cultural/Military Knowledge of a foreign operating area: Allows a Know roll (keepers may wish to limit this to the unit's area specialty).

Forward Observing: Allows a Know Roll to accurately call in artillery support. An additional Luck roll is required for it to hit on the target. (Deviate the miss by how badly the roll fails; a 99-00 represents a "short" round on or near the team.)

Forward Aerial Observing: As Forward observing above but deals with Aircraft.

This list is by no means exclusive. The skill can be used for any such situation that arises.

Intelligence (0%)

As Special Operations above, this skill is bought for 50 Points and represents specialized training and knowledge of Intelligence Gathering and Intelligence operations. This skill would be bought/used by intelligence agents or military units trained in Intelligence. This will allow a Know or Idea Roll for a PC or character to know the standard operating protocol for their organization.

Other potential uses would include:

Vehicle Shadowing: use a Drive Auto roll to represent this ability.

Spot other intelligence operations: shadowing, dead-letter drops, and so on, with a Spot Hidden roll.

Area knowledge: allows knowledge of an area's culture and intelligence, military, and security apparatus, along with related issues at the Keeper's discretion. Use a Know or Idea Roll.

Special equipment useage: would represent special training with espionage equipment, such as cameras (Photography), communications (Electronics), bugs (Electronics or Electrical Repair), various chemicals of use to espionage (Chemistry), and others.

Allows the use of skills in special circumstances: Disguise, to avoid being spotted as an agent, Pharmacy, to apply the use of drugs such as "truth serums," and others.

This list is by no means exclusive. This skill can be used for any intelligence-related situation that would arise.

Intelligence Analysis (0%)

This Skill allows a character to analyze various incoming intelligence sources and formulate a coherent idea of the big picture. If successful, the roll will give the character as much information about the situation as allowed. The information may be lessened if sources are inaccurate or incomplete (Keeper's choice). Also, the information will only be as good as the amount received. Simple satellite pictures might show military movements or new constructions: their purpose could be determined, but not the owner's intent. With reports from agents and informants and the potential analysis grows. Failure indicates flawed information of some variety. The Keeper has the final say concerning the amount and quality of information.

This skill allows intelligence agents and military units trained in its use to gain informational research from intelligence sources much like research done with Library Use. It can also be used by Special Ops troops to analyze objects found during an operation for potential intelligence value to intelligence organizations.

Some examples of use:

Analyze satellite photos to determine troop movements, installations and so on.

Determine if papers found on prisoners or enemy dead have intelligence value.

Make judgements on the accuracy of HUMINT sources and determine what their reports might mean.

Interpret SIGINT messages for items of importance.

The above list is not exclusive.

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Skill Proficiency

The following skills should be considered to have a basic proficiency at 25%:

Boating

Demolitions

Parachuting (every additional 20 Points placed into the skill will allow an additional specialty: HALO, LALO, HAHO)

SCUBA

If used in their normal state, a skill roll is not made. Instead, make a Luck roll. If the Luck roll is successful, the skill is successful. If the roll is failed, the skill fails in some way. A roll of 99-00 represents a catastrophic failure.

For example, the PC has a 25% in Demolitions. Using the skill to place a standard package of assortment of explosives to destroy something, it would be a Luck roll. If failed, the charge may fail to blow, delay its explosion or so on. A 99-00 might represent it going off in the character's hand.

More advanced use of the skill will require a normal skill roll. Adverse conditions might also require a skill roll. Examples would include: boating in a heavy storm, HALO jumps, underwater demolitions, specialized SCUBA suits, and so on.

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Friction

A final rule to use in special operations is Friction. Simply put, Friction is the fancy, military term for Murphy's Law. Before a mission, make a Group Luck Roll (i.e., a Luck roll versus the Luck of the lowest member of the team). If it fails, something will go wrong on the mission. Some possibilities include:

Faulty intelligence (empty or stronger than expected).

Loss of supplies during infiltration (lost during jump or swamped boat, etc.).

Communications (or some other important piece of equipment) failure.

Unexpected premature enemy contact.

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OBSERVATIONS

Who is the best?

One of the things that many will ask is, "Who is the best?" The answer is, none of them is "the best." Every member of one of these units, both in America and around the world, is a professional. They receive training and gain experience that makes each one very special. In terms of being the best, this is like measuring sports teams. Armchair generals will scream for their "home teams" based on pride (and many times misconceptions from too many movies/books). With any success, they will point and shout about their team. With any defeat, many will scream that the unit is broken and needs major fixing.

Talk to almost anyone that is truly within the community. Most have served alongside members of the other units and have the highest respect for them. I've talked to SEALS and Force Recon men who have nothing but praise for the other. I've talked to SF men who thank God for their AF and SOAR comrades. It is usually the want-to-be who engages in this "best" thing.

Also, the training that each member undergoes is very similar. A Force Recon member will have many of the same skills as SEALs or SF: After a FR member has been through Marine Basic Training, School of Infantry, and Recon School, there will be next to no difference between him and a SEAL or so on. As anyone of these men advances through his career, they will undergo further training and experience that will refine them. With cross-training between units and schools, many will serve together and grow. The lines will blur. Who would be better, a USAF Pararescue or SF medical NCO? They receive almost identical training, and the Pararescue probably will get more real-world experience in his field dealing with more mundane ops such as aircraft crashes. Who would be better, a Marine NCO with 20 years under his belt, several real world deployments/actions, and a host of schools under his belt but never deployed with a SpecOps unit, or a 20-year old Ranger with a few months in his unit, with training but little experience? How would any of these units do their jobs properly without USAF, SOAR, SDV and so on?

Even looking at training provides little true insight, despite surface appearances. Looking at SEAL training, 26 weeks of intensive "fun," for example, doesn't show the real picture. Other training may seem shorter, so it must be lesser, right? Wrong. Units in the USMC and Army already have much of the basic skills taught to them that SEALs have to learn. In Rangers, SF and Recon, for example, they have already learned weapons handling, land navigation, tactics, and so on. The Navy men going into SEALs have to learn this and more. All these units have very tough selection and training, with none being truly better than any other.

Looking at missions doesn't provide the answer, either. Most of these units have specializations that they are very good at. But years of misuse and misunderstanding, coupled with changing world roles, have caused most units to learn the skills used by the others. Force Recon has been constantly misused, to the point that it just developed and accepted missions beyond its recon role. There are SCUBA-qualified SF teams that are easily the equal of SEAL divers. There are SEALs that are easily the equal of SF members when it comes to guerrilla warfare. It goes on and on. Even a failure in mission doesn't paint a picture of a lesser unit. When the SEALs failed at Paitilla Air Field in Panama, while attempting a large unit operation to take the area, it really doesn't say the unit was bad. Bad luck, misuse and a mission that they were not really trained to do is what hurt the operation, not a lack of individual skill or daring. The SEALs attempted a Ranger-type op that had never before been part of their bag of tricks. The mission may have failed, but lessons were learned and the force as a whole grew.

Even overseas, the distinctions are blurred. A third world nation's SpecOps might not have the money or fancy equipment others have. Still, when you get them in their backyard, they have many advantages to offset that.

Traditionally, the SAS was considered (and still is considered by many) to be the "best." At one time, when others SpecOps were in their infancy, this had merit. With the current degree of training, cross-training and experience, this is not the case. The current force is the equal of any other, neither better nor worse than their brothers are.

To be honest, many civilians could receive the exact same training, if they want to pursue it (and have the money). Parachuting and SCUBA courses are available. Firearms and fieldcraft schools exist. What really matters is the intensive training that is carried out under brutal conditions. This crams a great deal of information into a small package in a short period of time and allows effective deployment. It is not so much the training that is special, but the men. It is really a mixing of apples and oranges in many cases, and purely academic rambling to decide who is best. These are special men with special training and missions. They are all fantastic warriors in their own sense.

Roleplaying Notes

Another note, for role-playing, regards the general attitude produced within these units. Note that these are broad generalizations, not applicable to every member if the unit.

SEALs tend to be the most elitist of the SpecOps. They tend to be the most clannish and aloof.

Marine Recon and the USAF ground elements (Pararescue, etc.) tend to be the most approachable. In FR, this tends to be because their belonging to Recon is played down. The USMC has always sort of had a love-hate relationship with the "elite within an elite." Most FR Marines play up the fact that they are Marines first, with a special job to do. In the USAF, this trend seems to be because of the non-SpecOps side of their work. These men do jobs every day that don't involve specops and it seems to dilute their elitism (not their skills, their attitudes).

Rangers hold a special pride in their unit and its history/tradition/discipline. This manifests itself in different ways for different men. They are all professional and carry themselves as such, sometimes clannish and proud, sometimes not.

SF has had an up and down history. All members consider themselves elite and professional. Being in the limelight the most has softened their accessibility. While still clannish, they have been trained to deal with people and have faced much public interest or scrutiny. This manifests as sort of limited trust/mistrust way of dealing with outsiders.

SpecOps pilots tend to have the same attitude as fighter jocks. They are "the best of the best top gun types." They have a sort of controlled recklessness that shows through.

As I have said, these are very broad generalizations. There are quiet SEALs and brash SFers. I have included the above for a general way of portraying members for role-playing.

Operations and Application

With the exception of certain elements of Delta, remember that SpecOps troops are NOT intelligence agents. They may gather battlefield intelligence but they are not trained for undercover intel ops. Sometimes, they are misused, however...

Forget the lone-wolves you see in the movies. SpecOps troops are trained to operate as part of a team. You will almost never see one deployed alone for anything. They will usually have at least one other trooper with them for any mission.

SpecOps troopers are almost never betrayed and left behind as shown in the movies. The only time this will happen is when they are operating in a Black Op in an area where the U.S. cannot send support. The team will be aware of this fact ahead of time, however.

Many areas of the world have been rumored to have been the target of special recon missions by these units. The other side of the Iron Curtain (when it existed), the Soviet Union, North Korea, Cuba, areas of the Middle East and so on are supposed to have been the target of missions.

While the practice has been discontinued, certain older members of Army Special Forces and Navy SEALs have received training in the use of ADMs (Atomic Demolition Munitions - "backpack nukes"). Older characters could have skills/experiences to reflect this. Detachment Delta, also, probably has specially trained teams to help deal with these munitions.

SpecOps members make great additions to Delta Green. Small teams can be formed on a relatively permanent basis with an exterior mission (such as Marcinko's "Red Cell") while really serving as a research team or strike force to support Delta Green. Forget what you saw in the movies or read in action books. These men (women are allowed only into Delta and some have gone through SF but only to be trainers then, not operators) have great amounts of mental stability (i.e., high SAN). That is a prerequisite. They are highly skilled and their abilities have been enhanced. Members of these units have intelligence and academic skills to rival their civilian counterparts. Many hold degrees and advanced degrees. The amount of planning and research that goes into their operations hones their research capabilities. In short, they have access to skills, equipment, resources, and contacts to enhance their personal network and Delta Green as a whole.