Weapons and Equipment of special forces

Weapons & Equipment

The Green Berets use a variety of weapons. In addition to U.S. Army weapons in use but also quite foreign weapons are used. The following list includes most likely not all the weapons, since they frequently can change pretty quickly:
BB guns:
Beretta M9 (9mm x 19)
Colt M-1911A1 (11.43 mm x 23)
H & K Mk.23 SOCOM (11.43 mm x 23)
Ü SMGs & PDW's:
FN P90 (5.7 x 28)
H & K MP5, different variants, for example PDW/A3/A5/SD (9 mm x 19)
Ü assault rifles:
M16A2/A3 Colt (5.56 mm x 45)
Colt M4A1 SOPMOD (5.56 x 45 mm)
BB guns:

Structure of the special forces detachments

Structure

Ü The "Special Forces Operational Detachment (SFOD) Alpha"
The so-called "A-Team" is the smallest unit in the Special Forces concept. This group can operate fully autonomous and is composed of 12 soldiers. The team leader is usually a captain, his deputy is a Lieutenant or Warrant officer (specialist service officer). Other facilities include a master sergeant serving as the highest non-commissioned officer, a sergeant first class as a news and defense expert, and two weapons specialists, two paramedics, two radio operators and two pioneers of the team. All team members have at least the rank of sergeant (NCO) and thanks to the double occupation of the A-Team can again be divided into two groups, each with 6 man.

Training of special forces candidates

Training In order to even get to the Special Forces candidates must meet the following conditions:

Ü 100 or more points in a test setting
Ü suitability for transfer to a higher security level
Ü 50 m swimming in full combat gear and equipment
Ü high school completion
Ü Successful completion of the performance test
Ü pass the psychological test
Ü Concluded parachute training
If the applicant meets these conditions, it starts for the first phase of training. Here he learned and consolidate their knowledge in infantry combat and the driving of smaller units.

special forces operations in the 1990s

Worked extremely hard 90

The end of the Cold War brought numerous cuts on the part of the American forces with him. Thus, from 15 July 1991, the 10th SFG deducted from the Bavarian town of Bad Tölz and set back in the States.
But the world situation changed not only to the good and then Special Forces were shortly afterwards again on training missions in Somalia (1993) and Haiti (1994). Shortly after NATO had decided to intervene in Bosnia, there were Green Berets of the 10th SFG in the country. Further training and combat operations worldwide followed, including in Kosovo 1999th Here, the Special Forces were mainly with Fernspäh and FAC missions, but also with consulting work for the Albanian KLA in use.

Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan 2001 -?)

Long before the terrorist attacks of 11 September the Green Berets were in Afghanistan. However, these were numerically weak, but even then had the task I make loading arrest. With the attacks on the WTC and the Pentagon, the man power, however, changed dramatically. Mainly come and join the members of the 5th SFG used.
In the first stage of the Afghanistan campaign, only a few members of the American special forces were deployed. Sun was sent to several A-Teams for the various groups of the Northern Alliance to train and support them in the fight. Most got the A-Team also supported by the Air Force Combat Controller, which coordinated air support. So they allowed the initially surprising rise and subsequent defeat of the Taliban.
After this first phase, the number of personnel increased in the country, so that the Green Berets had to actively intervene in the fighting. So were e.g. Green Berets in the heavy fighting in the prison revolt in the fort Qila-i-Janghi at Mazar-i-Sharif and in Operation "Anaconda" involved. Since the Taliban and al Qaeda fighters had often hidden in caves, now had to try the Green Berets as a tunnel rat. That not everything went according to plan shows the death of 3 Green Berets of the 3rd Battalion, 5th SFG. She died on 5 December 2001 when errant throw on a 1,000 kg bomb from a B-52. On 4 January then another Green Beret came under enemy fire. But even outside of combat operations, the Special Forces are used, they formed eg the newly formed Afghan National Army, and helped with the reconstruction of the country.

The bad years for the American special forces

Even today, after so many years, the Vietnam war for the U.S. is a humiliation and disgrace. He brought considerable changes to American society, and therefore also for the U.S. armed forces. It was converted from a conscript in a volunteer army and had to take drastic staff cuts out. This was the fate of the Special Forces, where over 60% of the staff has been saved. In addition, the 3rd, 6th and the 8th Group disbanded.
In 1977 within the Special Forces was a secret to this day anti-terrorism unit, the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment Delta (SFOD-1) established under the command of Colonel Beckwith. The existence of the widely known as "Delta Force" force is denied today by the Pentagon. It is modeled after the world almost all special unit set up: The British SAS.
Within just two years, this resident of Fort Bragg troops were trained and developed, including SAS and German GSG9. But the first "real" action, the liberation of the hostages in Iran in 1980 did go wrong. The highly excellent in Vietnam paratrooper officer Beckwith had a short time later to retire and the U.S. had suffered another setback.

Special Forces in the Vietnam War (1965-1973)

Indochina had before the intervention of the Americans a checkered history: In the 2nd World War the previous occupying power France was driven by the new rulers, the Japanese. After the defeat of the French returned, but the Vietnamese did not want to be longer only colony. Thus began a bloody war in which more foreigners died in the ranks of the Legion, than ever before. Finally, the "Viet Minh" said communist guerrillas were victorious under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh and General Giap's in 1954 over the French. The land was along the 17th Latitude divided into a communist north and a capitalist, actually more dictatorial South.
But the infiltration of communist fighters from the north stopped and so decided to have the then government under Kennedy for sending of advisers. The Special Forces were the first to stay in Vietnam for a long time and this should be that way. After Kennedy's vision was this "secret" war never be disclosed to a conventional war, but after his assassination exactly the opposite occurred. In Vietnam, the beginning only the 5th SFG was used, but the other groups had to give substantial parts of their manpower to the huge demand for staff to deliver supplies.