Special operations forces are playing a key role in the Iraq conflict, albeit a 
covert one given the secretive nature of these units. U.S. Army Maj. Gen. 
Stanley McChrystal said on April 4, 2003, that the war in Iraq is supported 
by the largest special operations force since the Vietnam War. 

U.S. Special Forces

The soldiers of the U.S. Army Special Forces, the "Green Berets," are among 
the military's most versatile. Special Forces units not only train and advise 
troops in other countries, they also conduct combat operations. According to 
the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, the units are able to perform five 
principal missions: foreign internal defense, unconventional warfare, 
reconnaissance, direct action and counter-terrorism. 

Army Rangers

As with all special operations forces, the Rangers report to the Joint Special 
Operations Command, or JSOC, when in hostile or war situations. They are 
organized into the 75th Ranger Regiment, consisting of three battalions based 
at Fort Benning, Georgia. 

The Rangers are kept at a high level of readiness and can deploy anywhere in 
the world at a moment's notice. Rangers are trained in rapid infantry assault and 
night 


Delta Force

While the military acknowledges the existence of special mission units like Delta 
Force, it does not specify what they are called or their locations, staffing or 
organizational structure. Unofficially, Delta Force is considered one of the U.S. 
military's elite special operations units, its members drawn from all branches. 
Based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, its formal name is 1st Special Forces 
Operational Detachment - Delta. 


'Night Stalkers'

U.S. special operations forces are often supported by the Army's 160th Special 
Operations Aviation Regiment, which specializes in night flying and is known as 
"The Night Stalkers." Based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and Hunter Army Airfield 
in Georgia, the Regiment consists of MH-6 and AH-6 light helicopters, MH-60 
helicopters and MH-47 heavy assault helicopters. 

The regiment was formed after Desert One, the failed 1981 attempt to rescue 
hostages in Iran, when the Army determined it needed a special aviation unit 
trained in low-level night operations. The unit has served in a number of combat 
operations, including Urgent Fury in Grenada, Just Cause in Panama, Desert 
Shield/Desert Storm in Kuwait, Task Force Ranger in Somalia and Enduring 
Freedom in Afghanistan.


SEALs

SEALs, which stand for Sea, Air, Land, are the U.S. Navy's primary and most 
acclaimed special operations forces unit. Operating mainly in tight 16-man teams, 
SEALs train for missions in maritime environments, the desert, the jungle, in cold 
weather, and in urban surroundings. 

SEALs are trained extensively and rigorously in and around San Diego, California, 
and Norfolk, Virginia, to withstand and thrive in the face of personal, physical, 
environmental and other challenges. A final phase of their training is known as 
"Hell Week." SEALs trace their history to the frogmen of World War II, although 
new threats -- including terrorism -- have forced them to evolve substantially in 
recent years. 

Specially trained crewmen drive a variety of water craft to support SEALs and other 
special operations forces during maritime missions, and conduct unconventional 
small boat operations such as coastal and river patrols.



Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen

Special Boat Teams (SBTs) are part of the U.S. Navy's Special Warfare Command 
and participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom. SBTs are composed of Special Warfare 
Combatant-craft Crewmen (SWCC), which are specially trained coxswains who 
employ, operate and maintain a variety of surface combatant craft to conduct and 
support special operations, including maritime interdiction missions, insertion and 
extraction of Navy SEALs and other U.S. special operations units, direct action 
missions, and special reconnaissance. 

According to the Navy, Virginia-based Special Boat Team 20 assisted in the capture 
of the Iraqi port city of Umm Qasr and played a role in securing oil delivery stations 
along the Iraqi coast. SBT 20 detachments also conducted several leadership 
interdiction operations to prevent the escape of suspected Iraqi regime members. 




Air Force Special Operations Forces

While not as widely known as the SEALs, Army Rangers or even the mysterious 
Delta Force, the Air Force Special Operations Forces transport and provide close 
air support as an integral part of any special operations mission. 

Air Force SOF consists of uniquely equipped fixed and rotary wing aircraft operated 
by highly trained aircrews whose missions include insertion, extraction, re-supply, 
aerial fire support, refueling, combat search and rescue, and PSYOPS -- 
psychological operations. Aircraft flown by Air Force SOF include the AC-130 gunship, 
the MJ-53J Pave Low helicopter, used by other special operations forces for covert 
infiltrations, and the EC-130E Commando Solo, which is used for psychological 
operations. 

Air Force SOF also includes the Special Tactics Group. This group includes combat 
controllers who coordinate and direct airstrikes, para-rescuers who conduct combat 
search and rescue operations, and combat weathermen who operate expeditionary 
airfields and provide support for combat rescue missions.







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