Dissecting Special Operation

[Armstrong]

Great thread buddy!

It is indeed a very informative thread !

Unfortunately my understanding of Special Forces does not extend beyond what I learned when playing Call of Duty 2 during college !

So most of what @jhungary wrote swooshed right off the top of my head !

But at least @jhungary mentioned me in the OP !

 

[Neptune]

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Was just surfing the page for a quiet Saturday, I was quite surprise to see people don't quite understand some concept of Special Operation when I was watching a thread. Being a defence forum, so I volunteer to help. And today, I am going to talk about Special Operation.

Each country have there own Armed Force, so it's only natural for them to inherit their own Special Operation Unit. Each country set their rules for their Special Operation profile and standards. In this article, I am going to use United States Special Operation Command (USSOCOM) as a template so don't be surprise if what I said here is not exactly how SOF team operate in your own country.

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Brief History of Special Operation

Special Operation as a concept exist since a really, really long time, if you have to look back to the essence of special operation, then the famous Trojan Horse can also be seen as a kind of Special Operation

The modern era special operation exist as early as 1845, when the British Indian Army employ Crops of Guide and Gurkha Scout to perform combat reconnaissance behind enemy line, that is the first use of standard Special Force unit

However, up until WW1, SOF are used as an attachment unit attached to a formal fighting unit, the only completely independent SOF unit was arguably the Strom Trooper used by the German during WW1, where a bunch of soldier going wild and infiltrate the gap between trenches and storm the no man lands are widely but arguably the first organised SOF unit that the world have ever seen.

But for the undenialable fact remain, the SOF unit was horned and the name earned during WW2, when they were established as a full fledged department inside Military Organisation.

The father of Special Forces undoubtedly is the Brigadier Dudley Clarke, which formed 3 core unit during WW2 that evolved into what SOF is today, they are the Commando (British Commando), Special Air Service (SAS) and the US Army Ranger. Where these three organisation basically wrote the book on Special Operation Manual that most SOF live by today

The definition of Special Operation

Special Operation (refer to SpecOp herein) Force are a force or unit to train with unconventional warfare, quote from Ben Affleck from the movie Pearl Harbour, it's the kind of mission usually give you a medal but it will give it to your NOK.

That actually did summed up the definition of special operation, which is a sort of high risk mission that normal combat force will not or are not equip to deal with and a specialised tactics and equipment (Also training to use those equipment) are needed to perform such mission, that mission can then be called a SpecOps and the people who conduct those mission are called Special Force Operator, or simply operator.
Many people don't know this, but SpecOps not just deal with highly classified mission (Such as Tier 1 mission) but the mission statement and mission spectrum for SpecOps are quite board. Basically, SpecOps are separated into 4 different categories:

1. Special Operations
2. Overt Operations
3. Covert Operations
4. Black/Denied Operation

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Special Operation

Basically this is a sort of Military Operation that require some special skills set to perform, typical Special Operation usually included Combat Search And Rescue, Special Reconnaissance, Intelligence Gathering, Personnel and Asset Recovery.

Most of these type of operation require skill set which a normal soldier would not process, skill such as stealth, live saving, medical and intelligence processing. For which a special branch of people trained in those field and they perform those operation (Like Parajumper perform a CSAR operation or a LRS Platoon gather intelligence behind enemy lines)

The mission parameter would be the same as any normal mission given to normal unit, just the skill required is different, so the operational parameter would have the same as any combat mission given to any combat unit, just these type of mission is a lot harder to complete. SOF soldier performing those operation would wear uniform, have complete tactical control of any allied asset in their AO, have official and established support system and also with support and usually conduct in association with normal combat troop (Such as a PJ can rescue a downed airmen behind enemy line and transfer him to medical personnel waiting on pick up point)

Special Operation are conducted by member of the USSOCOM, which with

Army
USASOC (US Army Special Operation Command, known as Green Beret)
US Army Ranger
US Army EOD

USAF - 23 AFG
Combat Controller
Pararescuemen
Tactical Air Party
Combat Weather Services

US Naval Special Warfare (NSW)
SEALs
UDT

MARSOC (Marine Special Operation Command)
Force Recon
Marine Raider (SOCS-S)

US Coast Guard
Rescue Swimmer

Overt Operation

Overt Operation is something it does not appear to what it seems, a mission covering another mission. The player are all there, they are not concealed nor covered. You know they were there and they are doing something, it's the something that separate Overt to Covert Operation.

Overt Operation usually intelligence related, but sometime it can range from tactics and doctrine training or personnel and intelligence recovery.

An overt operation can downgrade into a simple Special Operation or can upgrade into a full blown covert operation. In Vietnam, MACV (Military Advisor Command, Vietnam) was an Military Operation directly transferred from it's Overt Counterpart (MAAG, Military Assistance Advisor Group) which included US Special Operation Command personnel to train, harass and intelligence gathering capacity. As it's capacity and work become more and more apparent, The USSOCOM decided to drop the overt operation and instead conduct a full blown Special Operation in support of US Combat Operation in Vietnam.

On the other hand, the Iranian Contra affair is an overt operation that gone covert, it started out with US supported Iranian by sending weapon via Israel to secure American Hostage in Lebannon, but progress into a full blown covert operation to supply Iranian weapon and ammunition to fight Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war in 1980s.

A typical special force unit can be tasked to perform overt operation, it may or may not need special or outside assistance.

Covert Operation

Under USC, the only department allowed to conduct covert operation are the National Security Agency (NSA) and conducted under the CIA banner. President can appoint Groups outside NSA/CIA circle to led a covert operation.

The different between covert op and overt ops and also denied ops are covert ops have a plausible denialibility, while a overt op cannot offer that (as the member still wearing uniform for that country) while a denied ops have absolutely denialibility.

A covert ops must be led by CIA so when a SOF member attached to the covert ops, they are working for NSA/CIA instead of their parental organisation.

Perhaps the major difference between a covert ops and overt ops are on the support level. While the overt op would and could use all Operational Support from Civilian to Government support, covert ops have to operate under concealed support network to cover the sponsors involvement. Usually thru a shell/cover organisation.

Mission wise, they could be the same with any type of mission, it can be a personnel recovery op or an intels ops, but the atmospheric the operator operate on are quite different. The potential discovery of a covert operation would harm or damage national image.

Traditionally, member of Special Force community known as Tier One Operator would conduct covert operation overseas, while a covert operation conduct within its own national boundary are known as undercover. Tier One Organisation such as

Delta Force (1SFOD-D)
SEALs Team-6 (Devgru)
CIA Special Activities Division
Special Air Service

Denied Operation

The last category is denied operations. Just as the name suggested, not much is know with Denied Ops. Parameter is that it must have a total denialibility and that anyone conducting denied op are not longer a national employee but working as a private individual.

The different between covert ops and denial ops are the line, which blur the mission parameter, as ironically, they are usually absent. (ie no mission parameter)

Another thing about denied op is, they are usually open ended ops, which means the operator will only be extracted when the mission is complete, and there are no time frame to complete a mission. The mission parameter are often sandbox type mission, which offer no structural conformity and lineage that can be traced.

The term total denialibility means there are absolutely no way could an operator, if captured, either it could mean there are a "no-capture" order to the operator (the operator take his/her own life before getting captured) or an operator that operate under a deep cover.

Not much is known as to who or which organisation currently conduct these type of mission, most mission would have been performed by individual organisation as to totally denial responsibility. Both rumour has it there are 2 group that operate these kind of mission since WW2, ironically, both were mentioned or referenced on mainstream TV

British Section XX (Which traced back to WW2 under the double cross system, discover and turn German spy in France and Britain) referenced by UK TV series Strike Back as Section 20.

American Team 8 ( Taken from the name section 8, the clause of discharge due to mentally unfit, referring to as a crazy bunch) referenced by the movie "The Basic"

Those painkillers are a real pain in the back, makes me so tired lol. Back to topic,

AFAIK, most SOF/SF in Europe have started putting priority at interoperability and civil affairs most likely from what we've learnt in Afghanistan. We see most of NATO changed their threat perception to assymetric warfare (lately its changing again due to Ukraine crisis) which resulted with heavy reliance to SF. As a result, units as good as USSOCOM have emerged such as KSG9, Polish GROM or the Swedish one. Of course some have decades old experience.
Our VBSS instructor was Navy SOF so. He was a CPO. We had chit chats a few times. And from some family members also; two things I noticed on these team guys;

1- They rank up way faster than the surface personnel
2- The thing they do, they won't change it to the World.

 

[jhungary]

Those painkillers are a real pain in the back, makes me so tired lol. Back to topic,

AFAIK, most SOF/SF in Europe have started putting priority at interoperability and civil affairs most likely from what we've learnt in Afghanistan. We see most of NATO changed their threat perception to assymetric warfare (lately its changing again due to Ukraine crisis) which resulted with heavy reliance to SF. As a result, units as good as USSOCOM have emerged such as KSG9, Polish GROM or the Swedish one. Of course some have decades old experience.
Our VBSS instructor was Navy SOF so. He was a CPO. We had chit chats a few times. And from some family members also; two things I noticed on these team guys;

1- They rank up way faster than the surface personnel
2- The thing they do, they won't change it to the World.

hope you are getting better, I too were bouncing between fit and unfit at the moment, mostly because I am still recovering from the pneumonia a few month ago, and now I have a sore throat.

I agree, the recent wars (even dated back to Vietnam period) did require an expansion of SOF Community and the world have turn to reliance of SF for even trivial task.

I was in a special reconnaissance unit (Call Long Range Surveillance Detachment) when I was transferred to the 82d Airborne, those unit are more like a quasi Special Operation unit which they were used to conduct LRRP in Vietnam and used as Pathfinder during WW2. But After I joined, they disbanded it within 3 month and transfer all the personnel back to their parental unit and that detachment were substituted by a Special Op Recon Team...

I personally hated these Spec Op type encroaching normal unit turf, but no one can denied that these type of thing are on the rise. As the world now move on SOF simply because they are more efficient warfighting skills.

And well, it's quite different with the USSOCOM, as US Personnel were promoted by point system, most of what SOF did does not score any point (Some mission never existed, remember? ) so they tnd to in the grade a lot longer than normal unit, especially officer... But yeah, they won't change it for the world.

 

[Neptune]

hope you are getting better, I too were bouncing between fit and unfit at the moment, mostly because I am still recovering from the pneumonia a few month ago, and now I have a sore throat.

Thanks capt. Yeah I remember, from what you told before you were so ill. i wish a god speed recovery.

I agree, the recent wars (even dated back to Vietnam period) did require an expansion of SOF Community and the world have turn to reliance of SF for even trivial task.

I was in a special reconnaissance unit (Call Long Range Surveillance Detachment) when I was transferred to the 82d Airborne, those unit are more like a quasi Special Operation unit which they were used to conduct LRRP in Vietnam and used as Pathfinder during WW2. But After I joined, they disbanded it within 3 month and transfer all the personnel back to their parental unit and that detachment were substituted by a Special Op Recon Team...

I personally hated these Spec Op type encroaching normal unit turf, but no one can denied that these type of thing are on the rise. As the world now move on SOF simply because they are more efficient warfighting skills.

And well, it's quite different with the USSOCOM, as US Personnel were promoted by point system, most of what SOF did does not score any point (Some mission never existed, remember? ) so they tnd to in the grade a lot longer than normal unit, especially officer... But yeah, they won't change it for the world.

I should say you're lucky lol. Who knows who you would be if it wasn't disbanded, mentally I mean.
I see, well in here for example the highest OR (E type for US) rank other than the Force NCO in the Navy is MCPO. Those in surface/subsurface fleets are like fatties at least 40-45. But in UDT/EOD, SAT (Turkish seal lol), SAR; MCPOs I have seen were relatively very young looking at their shoulders. IDK I thought it was similar at some sort in the USN.


After bud/s they freak out completely..anyways god bless them.

 

[jhungary]

Thanks capt. Yeah I remember, from what you told before you were so ill. i wish a god speed recovery.




I should say you're lucky lol. Who knows who you would be if it wasn't disbanded, mentally I mean.
I see, well in here for example the highest OR (E type for US) rank other than the Force NCO in the Navy is MCPO. Those in surface/subsurface fleets are like fatties at least 40-45. But in UDT/EOD, SAT (Turkish seal lol), SAR; MCPOs I have seen were relatively very young looking at their shoulders. IDK I thought it was similar at some sort in the USN.


After bud/s they freak out completely..anyways god bless them.

Well, thanks, actually I have been a lot better, just since I felt ill before the winter started and into the winter not with a clean bill of health, It's kinda dodgy now

Well, I don't know, I mean, war is crazy, if there were stuff that's even more crazy then I saw, then I probably don't want to know it...

But about the rank, well, I don't know much about Navy, but in the navy, they have a different system than in the Army, and one branch may be a lot easier than the other branch to progress thru rank. In the Navy, they don't just have rank, they have rating as well, and but generally, it take a point system and point system is a lot harder for those who have a shady service record