Special Operations Forces

Special Operations Forces (SOF) are specially selected, trained, and equipped military units that conduct missions requiring unique skills, tactics, and capabilities beyond those of conventional forces. In the United States, SOF include the Army's Green Berets, Rangers, and Delta Force; the Navy's SEALs and Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen; the Air Force's Special Tactics and Combat Controllers; and the Marine Raiders.

SOF missions span a wide spectrum: direct action raids against high-value targets, special reconnaissance behind enemy lines, unconventional warfare working with indigenous forces, counter-terrorism operations, hostage rescue, and foreign internal defense (training partner nation forces). The 2011 raid on Osama bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, exemplified the precision, training, and risk that characterize special operations.

All SOF share several characteristics: rigorous selection that eliminates a large percentage of candidates, extended training pipelines that can last over two years, a high degree of individual initiative and adaptability, and the ability to operate in small teams far from conventional support. U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) oversees all SOF across the services and has been the most deployed element of the U.S. military for the past two decades.