- The 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (SFOD-D) unit, otherwise known as Delta Force, was involved in the US's successful raid on the compound of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
- The highly secretive unit - comprising about 1,200 operators - recruits mainly from other Special Forces units like Army Rangers and Green Berets.
- The unit was started in 1977 under Col. Charles Beckwith, who saw the need for a force that could mobilize quickly to fight unconventional threats.
- Beckwith envisioned a force like the British Special Air Service, or SAS, which he served with as an exchange officer in 1962.
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The 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (SFOD-D) unit, otherwise known as Delta Force, is a highly selective, extremely secretive unit under the Joint Special Operations Command.
Since its inception in 1977, it has been involved in several high-profile and high-risk operations, like the 1993 mission in Somalia that inspired the movie "Black Hawk Down," as well as classified operations the public will likely never know about.
Here's what is publicly known about Delta Force.