Who do we serve? What is a special forces soldier (GB)?
The Green Beret- De oppresso liber
“ The Green Beret is again becoming a symbol of excellence, a badge of courage, a mark of distinction in the fight for freedom.”
U.S. Army Special Forces, also known as Green Berets, have deployed in foreign environments and unbridled areas of the world since 1952. Each Special Forces Soldier possesses unique skills and qualifications to maintain a continuous presence overseas.
After a rigorous qualification course, Green Berets are individually selected and specialty trained in weapons, engineering, medical, and communications based on Army Aptitude Tests. Upon completion, Green Berets are assigned to an Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) that is composed of 12 soldiers each having a specific skill or duty. These soldiers have a distinct ability to utilize small units and accomplish many tasks with little or no supervision across the globe.
One major difference the Green Berets have over other special forces/special operation communities is their ability to become “force multipliers''. By utilizing their training in different areas, such as: direct action combat, reconnaissance, parachuting, mountaineering, scuba, foreign language, cultural, political, and regional knowledge… a small group of Green Berets partner with and train other nation’s military/guerilla forces to help solve their own nation’s problem and help free themselves from oppression. Green Berets are continuously stationed all over the world and do much of their work silently and secretly, earning them the nickname “The Quiet Professional”.
The Special Forces Support Fund™ exists to support special forces soldiers. Technically speaking, a “special forces” soldier is the Army’s top-tier soldier. In other words, Green Berets. In the same way the Navy has “Navy SEALS”, Green Berets are the United States Army special forces. Operationally, Green Berets are unconventional soldiers, trained to work with the community in their area of deployment. In layman's terms, rather than quick extractions from active zones, Green Berets stay, rebuilding and immersing themselves in the communities. Green Berets are the “silent professionals”, so many non-military civilians are unfamiliar with their work.
For helpful context, Green Berets are featured in the movie “12 Strong”, which illustrates the story of the first soldiers deployed to Afghanistan following 9/11. The film showcases the declassified story of the “Horse Soldiers”- an event where that first group of soldiers worked with the local community in Afghanistan to execute one of the most high-level counter-terrorist actions after 9/11.
Special Forces are the most elite forces in the U.S. Army. Soldiers in this unit typically work in small, tactical teams on the most varied and sensitive missions the Army undertakes. The primary mission of the Army Special Forces is to train and lead unconventional warfare forces, or a clandestine guerrilla force in an occupied nation. The Green Berets specialize in nine doctrinal missions: unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, direct action, counterinsurgency, special reconnaissance, counterterrorism, information operations, counterproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and security force assistance.
The work of Green Berets emphasizes language, cultural, and training skills in working with foreign troops; recruits are required to learn a foreign language as part of their training and must maintain knowledge of the political, economic and cultural complexities of the regions in which they are deployed. Secondary missions include combat search and rescue (CSAR), counter-narcotics, hostage rescue, humanitarian assistance, humanitarian demining, information operations, peacekeeping, and manhunts. The Special Forces conduct these missions via seven geographically focused groups.
In countries other than the U.S., the term "special forces" or "special operations forces" (SOF) is often used generically to refer to any units with elite training and special mission sets. In the U.S. military, "Special Forces" is a proper (capitalized) noun referring exclusively to U.S. Army Special Forces (a.k.a. "The Green Berets").[39] The media and popular culture frequently misapply the term to Navy SEALs and other members of the U.S. Special Operations Forces.[65]
Special Forces (Green Berets) are not the same as Special Operations
The Green Berets are known as the “quiet professionals”, so naturally, many civilians aren’t familiar with the critical work they perform globally. Special Operations is the collective force made up of the Army Rangers, Special Forces (Green Berets), Night Stalkers, Psychological Operations, and Civil Affairs, whereas Special Forces (nicknamed the Green Berets) is an individual unit.
However, there is one modern day example that many Americans are now aware of: As a first response to the 9/11 attacks, the United States turned to our special forces soldiers.
The Horse Soldiers
President George W. Bush formed "Task Force Dagger", a joint Special Operations team consisting of Green Berets from the 5th Special Forces Group, aircrew members from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment ("Nightstalkers"), and Air Force Combat Controllers.
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Just days after 9/11, in October 2001, the 12-man Operational Detachment Alpha 595 (ODA 595) team, along with two Air Force combat controllers, were the second group of Task Force Dagger to enter Afghanistan. In the first operation of its kind, they landed 40 miles south of Mazar-i Sharif, a longtime stronghold of the Taliban. They were dropped onto a farmer's field, and linked up with the Northern Alliance.
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Because of the terrain of the Hindu Kush mountains, ODA 595 had to rely on small Afghan horses to carry out the US' first counterattack to the terrorist masterminds behind 9/11 (swipe for a photo). Carrying out the U.S. Army's first cavalry charge of the 21st century, the American and Northern Alliance and all 12 soldiers of ODA 595 successfully attacked the Taliban, many of whom threw away their weapons and ran. The story of this incredible feat can be found in the movie 12 Strong.
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It's been 20 years since 9/11, and when watching the footage of that day, what still stands apart so strikingly is the people who saw the danger, and ran towards it. This is also the legacy of the “Horse Soldiers” and our soldiers today. There will always be danger; those who are threatened by American freedoms.
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And yet, there will always be people willing to run towards evil. Let us strive to be worthy of the sacrifices that have been made, and continue to support those who are the first to step up to keep our country safe, and free.
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