Special operations (SO) differ from conventional operations in degree of physical and political risk, operational techniques, modes of employment, and dependence on detailed operational intelligence and indigenous assets. SO are conducted in all environments, but are particularly well suited for denied and politically sensitive environments. SO can be tailored to achieve not only military objectives through application of special operations forces (SOF) capabilities for which there are no broad conventional force requirements, but also to support the application of the diplomatic, informational, and economic instruments of national power. SOF are those forces identified in Title 10, United States Code (USC), Section 167 or those units or forces that have since been designated as SOF by Secretary of Defense (SecDef). Generally, SOF are under the combatant command (command authority) (COCOM) of the Commander, United States Special Operations Command (CDRUSSOCOM), or the respective geographic combatant commander (GCC) to which they are assigned. SOF are those Active Component and Reserve Component forces of the Services specifically organized, trained, and equipped to conduct and support SO.
Army Doctrine Publication (ADP) 3-05, Special Operations, provides a broad understanding of Army special operations by describing how executing the two mutually supporting critical capabilities of special warfare and surgical strike contribute to unified land operations (figure 1, page iii). ADP 3-05 provides a foundation for how the Army meets the joint force commander's needs by appropriately blending Army special operations forces and conventional forces. The principal audience for ADP 3-05 is all members of the profession of arms. Commanders and staffs of Army headquarters serving as joint task force or multinational headquarters should also refer to applicable joint or multinational doctrine concerning the range of military operations and joint or multinational forces. Trainers and educators throughout the Army will also use this publication. Commanders, staffs, and subordinates ensure their decisions and actions comply with applicable U.S., international, and, in some cases, host nation laws and regulations. Commanders at all levels ensure their Soldiers operate in accordance with the law of war and the rules of engagement. (See Field Manual [FM] 27-10, The Law of Land Warfare.) ADP 3-05 uses joint terms where applicable. Selected joint and Army terms and definitions appear in both the glossary and the text. Terms for which ADP 3-05 is the proponent publication (the authority) are marked with an asterisk (*) in the glossary. Definitions for which ADP 3-05 is the proponent publication are boldfaced in the text. For other definitions shown in the text, the term is italicized and the number of the proponent publication follows the definition. ADP 3-05 applies to the Active Army, the Army National Guard/Army National Guard of the United States, and the United States Army Reserve unless otherwise stated. Army special operations forces are those Active and Reserve Component Army forces designated by the Secretary of Defense that are specifically organized, trained, and equipped to conduct and support special operations (Army Doctrine Reference Publication [ADRP] 3-05, Special Operations). The term Army special operations forces represents Civil Affairs, Military Information Support operations, Rangers, Special Forces, Special Mission Units, and Army special operations aviation forces assigned to the United States Army Special Operations Command. The proponent of ADP 3-05 is the Special Operations Center of Excellence. The preparing agency is the Joint and Army Doctrine Integration Division, Capabilities Development and Integration Directorate, United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School.
This field manual, Army Doctrine Publication ADP 3-05 Army Special Operations July 2019, provides a broad understanding of Army special operations. ADP 3-05 provides a foundation for how the Army meets the joint force commander's needs to achieve unified action by appropriately integrating Army conventional and special operations forces. This version replaces the previous versions of both ADP 3-05 and ADRP 3-05. It is effectively two manuals combined into one. The principal audience for ADP 3-05 is all members of the profession of arms. Commanders and staffs of Army headquarters serving as joint task force or multinational headquarters should also refer to applicable joint or multinational doctrine concerning the range of military operations and joint or multinational forces. Trainers and educators throughout the Army will also use this publication. Senior Army leaders can use this publication to describe the contributions of Army special operations across the range of military operations to other senior Service leaders and senior government civilian leaders.ADP 3-05 provides the strategic context for employment of Army special operations forces and defines special operations. It describes the role of Army special operations formations. A role is the broad and enduring purpose for which the organization or branch is established (ADP 1-01). ADP 3-05 updates doctrine on Army special operations, to include incorporating the Army's operational concept of unified land operations in the context of large-scale combat operations. In addition, this publication provides information on the extant practices for special operations conducted in support of ally integrated operations in support of higher campaign plans.
This manual, Army Doctrine Publication ADP 3-05 Special Operations January 2018, provides a broad understanding of Army special operations by describing how executing the two mutually supporting core competencies of special warfare and surgical strike contribute to unified land operations provides a foundation for how the Army meets the joint force commander's needs by appropriately blending Army special operations forces and conventional forces. The principal audience for ADP 3-05 is all members of the profession of arms. Commanders and staffs of Army headquarters serving as joint task force or multinational headquarters should also refer to applicable joint or multinational doctrine concerning the range of military operations and joint or multinational forces. Trainers and educators throughout the Army will also use this publication.ADP 3-05 uses joint terms where applicable. Selected joint and Army terms and definitions appear in both the glossary and the text. ADP 3-05 is not the proponent publication (the authority) for any term. ADRP 3-05 is now the proponent publication of terms for which the previous ADP 3-05 was the authority. For definitions shown in the text, the term is italicized and the number of the proponent publication follows the definition.Army special operations forces are those Active and Reserve Component Army forces designated by the Secretary of Defense that are specifically organized, trained, and equipped to conduct and support special operations (JP 3-05). The term Army special operations forces represents Civil Affairs, Psychological Operations, Rangers, Special Forces, Special Mission Units, and Army special operations aviation forces assigned to the United States Army Special Operations Command-all supported by the 528th Sustainment Brigade (Special Operations) (Airborne).ADP 3-05 applies to the Active Army, the Army National Guard/Army National Guard of the United States, and the United States Army Reserve unless otherwise stated.
This is the true story of a man who fulfilled his destiny. He was just a country boy from Nebraska who grew up to achieve great things for his country. A multitude of short stories that chronicle his life begins with his parents. To know them is to know him. Through them, he received an adventurous childhood and he was instilled with a value system that governed his life. The story continues with wartime exploits, travels to Iran and Pakistan, and world-wide assignments. The story includes some people that he met along the way; some famous and some not so famous. The man was a soldier. A professional soldier who rose through the ranks and was considered the expert at the top of his chosen career field. Life after the Army has involved local politics, community service, recreation and retail sales. His primary wish in life is to see his grand children grow up and not have to follow in his footsteps.
Among its key responsibilities, the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) plans and synchronizes operations against terrorist networks. At any given moment, SOF are likely to be engaged in some state of the planning or execution of special operations in many countries around the world, spanning a wide range of environments and mission. SOF therefore must be capable of operating in environments ranging from tropical jungle to arctic, maritime to desert, subterranean to mountainous, and rural to urban. Within this vast range additional factors may influence technical and operational requirements including weather, topography, bathymetry, geology, flora, fauna, and human population density. All of these factors must be weighed in terms of the challenges they pose to supporting communications and operational security. In short, SOF must maintain the capability to operate globally, in any environment, angainst any threats that can be countered by its unique capabilities. Sensing and Supporting Communications Capabilities for Special Operations Forces focuses primarily on the key core SOF task of special reconnaissance, to determine SOF-specific sensing and supporting communications needs and mapping them to existing and emerging technologies. The book discusses preliminary observations, issuees, and challenges, and identifies additional capabilities and technology areas that should be addressed.
The newest edition of the Special Operations Forces Medical Handbook is perfect and practical for both soldiers and civilians. Nearly 140 comprehensive illustrations show the proper techniques for medical care, from basic first-aid and orthopedics to instructions for emergency war surgery and even veterinary medicine. Questions are listed so that the medic can obtain an accurate patient history and perform a complete physical examination. Diagnoses are made easier with information on the distinctive features of each illness. This straightforward manual is sure to assist any reader faced with a medical issue or emergency.
Current army doctrine provides a guide for the integration of conventional and special operations forces in combat, but provides little direction to guide the integration of conventional and special operations forces in a peacetime training environment. This monograph seeks to determine if and how the US Army should formalize the integration of conventional forces and special operations forces in training for the complex future. By analyzing instances of integration of conventional and special operations forces in the first two years of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, this monograph concludes that peacetime integration in training should be emphasized more, particularly at the combat training centers. Because of the uncertainty inherent in the future operating environment, a formal model for this integration in training could not be developed. Regardless, an increase in integration of conventional and special operations forces in training will inherently provide a common understanding that can be applied to integration in combat. Contents: 1. Introduction 2. Literature Review 3. Methodology 4. Case Study: Operation Enduring Freedom 5. Findings and Analysis 6. Conclusion Conventional forces and SOF integration and interoperability is often asserted as a key to maximizing resources to accomplish missions. International relations and complexity theorist Robert Jervis describes this interaction effect in saying that "events that occur close together also can have a different impact than they would if their separate influences were merely summed." He goes on to explain this concept that the whole of a system is different than the sum of its parts. Thinking systemically, CF and SOF integration has the potential to produce greater effects than if CF and SOF operated independently of each other. Despite this, CF and SOF integration is not fully embraced by either the conventional Army or the special operations community. United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has recently instituted the Global SOF Network (GSN) model, where USSOCOM integrates the US SOF more closely with international and intra-national SOF elements. Meanwhile, the Army has implemented the Regionally Aligned Forces (RAF) concept, where Army conventional brigades develop regionally based expertise and form habitual relationships with Geographic Combatant Commands to aid in conducting theater security cooperation activities. Because of these initiatives, it is evident that SOF and CF will continue to operate in the same locations, toward the same objectives, in combat and non-combat operations in the future. Despite the emergence of the RAF and GSN concepts, and the theoretical ability for the whole of a system to be different than the sum of its parts, the Army has done little to formalize or foster continuous and lasting efforts for integrating special operations and conventional forces.
As the United States Army stands in the midst of a transitional period, it must determine what type of Army it will be. In doing so, the Army must come to grips with new realities of the strategic context that demand a capability to use “Engagement” as defined in the National Security Strategy and an inculcation of “Operational adaptability” as defined in the Army Capstone Concept. Recently, the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) proposed a change to Army doctrine that would have made Special Operations a seventh warfighting function for the Army. The proposal failed to pass and the Army is now taking a much slower approach to changes. This monograph uses this failed proposal as a singular case study, or micro-event that illuminates a macro-phenomenon, which could be preventing the Army from meeting its challenges of engagement and operational adaptability. Using key elements of organization theory as a lens for understanding why the proposal failed, this monograph applies process tracing and argument mapping. It demonstrates that the fragmented organizational sub-culture of SOF may have influenced not only the failure of the proposal, but also continues to prevent the Army from leveraging the institutional strength of the SOF community toward engagement and operational adaptability.
Field Manual (FM) 3-05.130, Army Special Operations Forces Unconventional Warfare, establishes keystone doctrine for Army special operations forces (ARSOF) operations in unconventional warfare (UW). It is based on lessons learned from both historical and contemporary UW operations. It is also based on existing, long-standing Army Special Forces (SF) UW doctrine; recently developed doctrine, such as counterinsurgency (COIN); and emerging affiliated concepts, such as irregular warfare (IW).
The U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) was formed in response to the failed rescue attempt in 1980 of American hostages held by Iran. Among its key responsibilities, SOCOM plans and synchronizes operations against terrorist networks. Special operations forces (SOF) often operate alone in austere environments with only the items they can carry, which makes equipment size, weight, and power needs especially important. Specialized radios and supporting equipment must be carried by the teams for their radio-frequency (RF) operations. As warfighting demands on SOCOM have intensified, SOCOM's needs for significantly improved radio-frequency (RF) systems have increased. Toward a Universal Radio Frequency System for Special Operations Forces examines the current state of the art for both handheld and manpackable platform-mounted RF systems, and determines which frequencies could be provided by handheld systems. The book also explores whether or not a system that fulfills SOF's unique requirements could be deployed in a reasonable time period. Several recommendations are included to address these and other issues.
They are swift, silent, and deadly. That’s why armed guerrillas are feared by even the largest, best-equipped fighting forces. No tank, rocket-propelled grenade, or infantry battalion can match the guerrilla team’s ability to exact brutality with precision, instill fear in enemy hearts, and viciously deflate morale. From the snows of Korea to the jungles of Southeast Asia to the mountains of Afghanistan, the U.S. Army has employed guerrilla tactics to deadly effect. Those tactics and techniques, being used today by U.S. soldiers, are laid out in the U.S. Army Guerrilla Warfare Handbook. Employing small, heavily-armed, and well-oiled fire teams, guerrilla warfare has played an invaluable role in the success of nearly every U.S. campaign for decades. Here, its methods are detailed: raids and ambushes, demolition, counterintelligence, mining and sniping, psychological warfare, communications, and much more. This is an inside look at the guerrilla strategies and weapons that have come to be feared by enemies and respected by allies. Not another outside perspective or commentary on unconventional warfare, this is the original—of use to soldiers in the field and to anyone with an interest in military tactics.
This publication provides overarching doctrine for special operations and the employment and support of special operations forces across the range of military operations. This publication has been prepared under the direction of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. It sets forth joint doctrine to govern the activities and performance of the Armed Forces of the United States in joint operations and provides the doctrinal basis for interagency coordination and for US military involvement in multinational operations. It provides military guidance for the exercise of authority by combatant commanders and other joint force commanders (JFCs) and prescribes joint doctrine for operations, education, and training. It provides military guidance for use by the Armed Forces in preparing their appropriate plans. It is not the intent of this publication to restrict the authority of the JFC from organizing the force and executing the mission in a manner the JFC deems most appropriate to ensure unity of effort in the accomplishment of the overall objective. Joint doctrine established in this publication apply to the Joint Staff, commanders of combatant commands, subordinate unified commands, joint task forces, subordinate components of these commands, and the Services. The guidance in this publication is authoritative; as such, this doctrine will be followed except when, in the judgment of the commander, exceptional circumstances dictate otherwise. If conflicts arise between the contents of this publication and the contents of Service publications, this publication will take precedence unless the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, normally in coordination with the other members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has provided more current and specific guidance. Commanders of forces operating as part of a multinational (alliance or coalition) military command should follow multinational doctrine and procedures ratified by the United States. For doctrine and procedures not ratified by the United States, commanders should evaluate and follow the multinational command's doctrine and procedures, where applicable and consistent with US law, regulations, and doctrine.
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