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<ul class="summary-list"><li>The top Marine general is taking the Corps back to its naval roots amid a shift to great-power competition.</li><li>That has implications for the Corps' special operators, <keyword id="13614271" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="marine-forces-special-operations-command" source="Orion">Marine Forces Special Operations Command</keyword>.</li></ul><p>US special-operations forces have been on the frontlines for more than 20 years.</p><p>Those forces have played a major role in US counterterrorism and counterinsurgency campaigns in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. But with Russia and China posing a growing challenge, the Pentagon is looking at how to employ those operators' unique skills in a different environment.</p><p>Each US military branch has been brainstorming how its special operators can contribute. For Marine Forces Special Operations Command, the question is particularly pertinent.</p><h2>SOCOM's newest member</h2><div type="image" title="Marine raiders" height="2250" width="3000" msid="90832154" hostid="261"></div><p>The other US military branches established their special-operations commands in the late 1980s and early 1990s. <keyword id="11993049" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="us-special-operations-command" source="Orion">US Special Operations Command</keyword>, a combatant command overseeing each branch's special-operations component, was formed in 1987.</p><p>The Marine Corps resisted invitations to contribute to SOCOM because of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-messy-way-the-marines-joined-us-special-operations-command-2021-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a belief that "every Marine is special"</a> and that Marines didn't do separate special-operations forces. The Corps eventually relented, however, and MARSOC joined SOCOM in 2006.</p><p>The <keyword id="13614270" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="marine-raider-regiment" source="Orion">Marine Raider Regiment</keyword>, as the Marine unit attached to SOCOM is known, specializes in direct-action missions like raids, special reconnaissance operations, and foreign internal defense — the training and advising of partner forces. They can also conduct unconventional warfare, which involves working with proxy fighters, and counterterrorism operations.</p><p>"MARSOC initially started out with a unique organizational structure and capabilities," which were unparalleled in US Army Special Operations Command or in Naval Special Warfare Command, retired Marine Raider Maj. Fred Galvin told Insider.</p><div type="image" title="Marine Corps Special Operations MARSOC" height="1333" width="2000" msid="90832155" hostid="261"></div><p>"These capabilities provided a very robust 'raid' capability with an organic infantry security platoon, which even Tier 1 units do not have in their organic organization, nor do Tier 1 units have available for integrated training throughout their entire pre-deployment training life cycle," Galvin added.</p><p>Galvin is the author of "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Few-Bad-Men-Ambushed-Afghanistan/dp/163758413X" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Few Bad Men</a>," an account of the first Marine Special Operations combat deployment to Afghanistan and how it overcame attacks from all sides.</p><p>Throughout the global war on terror, <keyword id="13614269" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="marine-raiders" source="Orion">Marine Raiders</keyword> deployed and fought in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and across Africa. Marine Raiders made the headlines in January 2020 when they were the first responders to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-troops-in-kenya-hit-by-al-shabab-terrorists-2020-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an al-Shabab attack</a> on a Kenyan military base that killed three Americans.</p><p>With the end of major combat operations in the Middle East and the resulting decline in demand for counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations, MARSOC has been competing with Naval Special Warfare and Army Special Operations for funds and missions.</p><h2>Culture, language, and low-visibility operations</h2><div type="image" title="Marine Raider Battalion" height="1333" width="2000" msid="90832156" hostid="261"></div><p>During a conference in February, <keyword id="11940053" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="us-marine-corps" source="Orion">US Marine Corps</keyword> Commandant Gen. David Berger offered some insight into how the Marine Corps' special-operations forces might be fighting in the future.</p><p>With the war on terror winding down, SOCOM has declared a need to better balance deterrence of strategic rivals with counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations.</p><p>Having a forward-deployed force working with allies and partners across the world to build credible defenses against near-peer adversaries, such as China and Russia, is as important as targeting violent extremist organizations.</p><p>For MARSOC to support such a pivot, Berger described an emphasis on low-visibility and operational preparation of the battlefield operations, which aren't combat operations but prepare a battle space for potential kinetic actions.</p><div type="image" title="Marine Raider Regiment free-fall parachute" height="1333" width="2000" msid="90832157" hostid="261"></div><p>The Marine Raiders' "great value is their persistent presence forward and in their deeper cultural and language" skills, as well as "their connectivity through the country team into the nation," Berger said. "Conventional forces don't normally have any of that."</p><p>For example, a Marine Raider team could go into Kenya to map out roads, safe houses, active or potential airstrips, and other points of interest that could be used to support the quick deployment of special operators in response to an attack.</p><p>To conduct such operations, special-operations units need to have mature troops who can blend into the environment, and the ethnic and linguistic diversity of the US special-operations community facilitates that goal. For example, units like the Army's 7th Special Forces Group, which is assigned to Central and South America, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200814022743/https:/www.army.mil/article/211791/leadership_solidified_through_heritage_7th_special_forces_group_airborne" target="_blank" rel="noopener">emphasize</a> those cultural connections and <a href="https://warontherocks.com/2021/05/talking-the-talk-language-capabilities-for-u-s-army-special-forces/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tailor</a> their language instruction to that region.</p><p>Special operators with those backgrounds and skills can blend in to where they're operating, making it easier to connect with potential partners and harder for rival forces to detect them.</p><h2>'Back to naval roots'</h2><div type="image" title="Marine special operations helocast VBSS" height="1000" width="1500" msid="90832158" hostid="261"></div><p>Berger has sought to reorient the Marine Corps toward the maritime realm after years of combat in places like Afghanistan, and he said he'd like to see a similar shift for Marine Raiders.</p><p>"Hopefully if you were to look two or three or four years into the future, [MARSOC] would follow a similar path as the rest of the Marine Corps, back to naval roots [and] how does it support the naval expeditionary forces forward," Berger said at the National Defense Industrial Association conference.</p><p>Berger's push to ditch "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/marine-corps-force-redesign-means-taking-tanks-from-norway-caves-2020-8" target="_top">big </a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/marine-corps-force-redesign-means-taking-tanks-from-norway-caves-2020-8" target="_top">heavy things</a>" and build a smaller, lighter, more naval-focused force has won support in Congress and among Pentagon leaders, but it has also drawn backlash. More than two dozen retired generals have <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/04/01/corps-detat-how-two-dozen-retired-generals-are-trying-to-stop-an-overhaul-of-the-marines-00022446" target="_top">mounted a campaign</a> against it.</p><p>Like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fighting-war-on-terror-took-heavy-toll-special-operators-say-2021-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">other US special-operations units</a>, Marine Forces Special Operations Command has felt the strain of the past 20 years of near-constant combat operations in the Middle East and Africa. But that experience has also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-socom-learned-in-afghanistan-means-for-future-fights-2021-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">yielded lessons and capabilities</a> that the command can apply to great-power competition in the future.</p><p>MARSOC has come a long way, developing "greater combat capabilities and integration with more assets that provide their deployable forces with enhanced lethality that did not previously exist," Galvin said.</p><p><em>Stavros Atlamazoglou is a defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate.</em></p>

In future wars, US Marine special operators will need to do more than 'kicking down a door,' top Marine says

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Marine Forces Special Operations Command, known as MARSOC, turned 15 years old in February.</li><li>Now part of <keyword id="672652" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="US-Special-Operations-Command">US Special Operations Command</keyword>, MARSOC's formation was prolonged by bureaucratic wrangling and turf wars.</li></ul><p>This year marks the <a href="https://www.dvidshub.net/news/389559/marine-forces-special-operations-command-celebrates-15th-anniversary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">15th anniversary</a> of Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC).</p><p>Created on February 24, 2006, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-marine-special-operations-raiders-are-trained-armed-2020-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MARSOC is the Marine Corps' component</a> of US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and is composed of the Marine Raider Regiment, Marine Raider Support Group, and Marine Raider Training Center.</p><p><keyword id="10610674" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="marine-raiders">Marine Raiders</keyword>, who trace their roots to World War II, primarily focus on direct action, such as ambushes and raids, as well as special reconnaissance and foreign internal defense - the training and advising of partner forces - but they can also conduct unconventional warfare (which primarily means supporting proxy forces) and counterterrorism operations, all with a varying degree of effectiveness.</p><p>MARSOC was created to fill what the Pentagon prudently saw as a future gap in special-operations forces. From the start, the US military effort in the Global War on Terror indicated that it would heavily rely on special-operations units.</p><p>The frantic insurgency in Iraq, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/story-of-first-special-ops-mission-afghanistan-after-911-attacks-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the complicated fight in Afghanistan</a>, and the various hotspots worldwide proved correct those who called for more commandos.</p><p>But disputes around MARSOC's creation linger for the command and could endanger its future.</p><h2>'<strong>Every Marine is Special'</strong></h2><div type="image" title="Marine Corps Special Operations MARSOC" height="1333" width="2000" msid="81333357" hostid="261"></div><p>After Operation Eagle Claw, the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-failed-iran-hostage-rescue-raid-influenced-us-special-forces-2020-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">failed rescue of American hostages in Iran in 1980</a>, the Pentagon ordered the creation of a dedicated special-operations command for special-operations units from across the services.</p><p>Established in 1987, US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) brought together special-operations units such as the Army Green Berets, Navy SEALs, and Air Force Special Tactics Squadrons. Each service was invited to join with its special-operations units, but the Marine Corps turned down the offer.</p><p>The Marines already had some special-operations units, namely <keyword id="9146943" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="marine-recon">Marine Recon</keyword> and Force Recon, which focused on special reconnaissance and direct action. They were considered special-operations units by everyone but the Corps, which saw them as specialized infantry rather than commandos, a reflection of the "Every Marine is special" mindset prevalent in the Marine Corps since its inception.</p><p>SOCOM and the Marine Corps went their separate ways until the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Having seen the tactical and strategic value of special-operations units in the early days of the Global War on Terror, then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld pushed for more commandos.</p><p>The Marine Corps begrudgingly created the Marine Corps Special Operations Command Detachment (Det One) in late 2002 as a study unit to see if Marines could fill special-operations roles.</p><div type="image" title="Marine Corps JTAC Navy MH-60S helicopter" height="1333" width="2000" msid="81333360" hostid="261"></div><p>However, since Reconnaissance Marines were already widely seen as a special-operations unit, or its Marine equivalent, the Corps' decision to set up Det One for further study, rather than incorporating Marines into SOCOM right away, is viewed by many as an attempt to stall the process until Pentagon leadership moved on or lost interest.<em><br /></em></p><p>"The early [Det One] years were tough. In the beginning, we didn't have jack shit. No weapons, no ammo, no ranges, no mission, no nothing. Both the Corps and SOCOM shunned us, while the SEALs [Naval Special Warfare Command] wanted to control us. We were the red-headed stepchild," a former Reconnaissance Marine and Marine Raider told Insider.</p><p>Neither SOCOM nor the Marine Corps wanted a Marine special-operations command, but for different reasons.</p><p>SOCOM believed that the Marine Corps had gotten its chance to "operate" back in 1987; the Marine Corps believed it could do its own special-operations thing as good or even better than SOCOM and didn't want to lose quality Marines.</p><p>"What we did have, however, was a solid bunch of guys, about 100 operators and support Marines. All of them were as solid as they come because the leadership had handpicked them. We're talking senior Recon men with years of experience and numerous deployments under their belts. Same goes for the support and intel guys. Top-notch Marines on their respective fields who could probably outperform grunts on basic infantry skills because they went through much of our training," the former Recon Marine and Raider added.</p><h2>Always faithful, always forward</h2><div type="image" title="Marine Corps Special Operations MARSOC" height="1333" width="2000" msid="81333362" hostid="261"></div><p>Det One was a success and led to the creation of MARSOC in 2006. The 1st and 2nd Force Recon Battalions were disbanded, with most of their operators going to the newly established 1st and 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalions, with a third Raider battalion added later.</p><p>During the Global War on Terror, MARSOC contributed to the fight, but as the wars concluded or drew down, Marine Raiders have found themselves competing for missions and funds with units such as the Army Special Forces Regiment or the SEAL Teams.</p><p>Since MARSOC is the new kid on the block, it tends to be relegated to less active areas of operations - ironically, however, these regions can get quite busy, and Marine Raiders have participated in some neat operations, such <a href="https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2020/01/22/marine-raiders-led-counterattack-against-jihadi-forces-at-manda-bay-kenya/">the </a><a href="https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2020/01/22/marine-raiders-led-counterattack-against-jihadi-forces-at-manda-bay-kenya/">response</a> to al-Shabab's attack on the Kenyan military base at Manda Bay in January 2020.</p><p>Some <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/marine-corps-special-operators-react-to-call-to-disband-marine-raiders-2019-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have called for MARSOC's deactivation</a>, citing the Corps' limited resources and demands elsewhere. For now, it seems that the 15-year-old MARSOC will make it into adulthood. Judging from the past, that future may be rocky.</p><p><em>Stavros Atlamazoglou is a defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate.</em></p>

The messy way the Marines joined US Special Operations Command

<ul class="summary-list"><li>US special-operations and law-enforcement units have specialized training to board ships at sea.</li><li>Those skills aren't exclusive to Navy SEALs, and as broader strategic competition grows, especially in the vast Pacific region, more of those units will have to put them to use.</li></ul><p>Boarding enemy vessels has been a staple of naval combat since ancient times. Before the age of gunpowder, the quickest and most efficient way to win a naval battle was to either ram and sink an enemy ship or board it.</p><p>Crews, thus, were both seamen and warriors. As technology evolved and allowed ships to engage enemies at longer distances with cannons, mortars, torpedoes, missiles, and aircraft, the ability to board enemy vessels nearly became obsolete.</p><p>But as the US Navy came to rule the waves following World War II, the need for a non-catastrophic option to intercept suspicious ships and enemy vessels resurfaced.</p><p>Enter Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) operations.</p><div type="image" title="Coast Guard Navy visit board search seizure VBSS" height="1330" width="2000" msid="80467957" hostid="261"></div><p>Although historically Navy SEALs have been the logical choice for VBSS because of their <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/navy-seals-take-combat-diving-capability-to-another-level-2021-1" target="_top">maritime special-operations capabilities</a>, they aren't the only ones doing it.</p><p>Reconnaissance Marines, Marine Raiders, Army Green Berets, the Coast Guard's Maritime Security Response Teams, and even conventional Navy crews and Marines, have varying levels of proficiency in VBSS.</p><p>"VBSS is one of the most complex and dangerous of MAROPS [Maritime Operations] missions. Its conduct requires special equipment and training," Lino Miani, a former Special Forces officer and president of the <a href="http://www.combatdiver.org/" target="_top">Combat Diver Foundation</a>, told Insider.</p><h2>An art and a science</h2><div type="image" title="Coast Guard MSRT visit board search seizure VBSS" height="1125" width="2000" msid="80467959" hostid="261"></div><p>VBSS operations can be divided into two portions: the approach/insertion phase and the CQB phase.</p><p>When special-operations units conduct VBSS, it falls on the Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen (SWCC) to get the assault element to the target.</p><p>These elite Navy special-operators insert and extract other special-operations units - primarily SEALs - for maritime special reconnaissance, maritime raids, and VBSS.</p><p>When it comes to VBSS, they are the experts. It falls on SWCC operators to ferry assault teams to the target and to deal with any outside interference while the assaulters are clearing the vessel.</p><p>"The trickiest part [during a VBSS operation] is probably keeping the boat up against the ship when the assaulters are climbing," a former SWCC operator told Insider. "The boat captain constantly needs to be feathering the throttles to maintain the same speed as the ship. He also needs to keep the boat snug to the ship without violently banging against it. The safety of the assaulters is in the boat captain's hand."</p><div type="image" title="Navy SEAL visit board search seizure VBSS" height="1328" width="2000" msid="80467960" hostid="261"></div><p>Aside from the getting the assaulters safely aboard the vessel, there are numerous other considerations to take into account during a VBSS operation.</p><p>"Sea state and illumination certainly play a part. Obviously, less moon the better. Going out on a flat calm night may not be ideal, because it's easier to see the silhouette of boats and their wakes," added the former SWCC operator.</p><p>"On the other hand, conducting VBSS in 8-foot waves may not be great either. Another consideration is trying to not be detected during the approach. There are techniques that SWCCs use to minimize the chance of detection prior to boarding," said the former SWCC operator.</p><p>Once aboard, assaulters essentially face a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/weapons-gear-used-by-us-military-special-operations-delta-seals-2020-10" target="_top">close-quarters combat (CQB)</a> scenario. Depending on the size and type of the vessel, it can take hours to clear it.</p><h2>A growing need for VBSS</h2><div type="image" title="Naval Special Warfare visit board search seizure VBSS" height="1333" width="2000" msid="80467962" hostid="261"></div><p>The shift to great-power competition and the Pentagon's increased focus on the Pacific encourages more attention to VBSS operations. China can field more than 750 vessels, with the vastness of the Pacific theater complicating the problem.</p><p>In a conflict, SEAL Teams would shoulder most of the burden, with the rest of the VBSS-capable special-operations and conventional units taking up the slack.</p><p>Despite the size of the threat and the likelihood of an incident, it would take a lot of convincing for the Army to contribute more assets to the VBSS mission.</p><p>"Though emerging realities in the Indo-Pacific area of operations will give the [<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/army-special-operations-role-in-great-power-competition-with-china-2020-9" target="_top">Army Special Forces</a>] Regiment a good reason to place some command emphasis on its existing MAROPS capability, expanding it is unlikely," Miani said.</p><p>"Though the capability is in a relatively good state in 1st Special Forces Group - the Regiment's [Indo-Pacific Command]-oriented unit - expanding that capability will require trade-offs that will impact the Group's other missions," Miani told Insider. "That said, relatively small investments could be made in giving more teams in 1st SFG some basic small boat skills. This will offer more options to 1st Group (and by extension Indo-Pacom) for operating with regional partners in littoral environments."</p><div type="image" title="Marines visit board search seizure VBSS" height="1333" width="2000" msid="80467963" hostid="261"></div><p>But there is a way for the Special Forces Regiment to contribute more in alignment with one of its core missions - Foreign Internal Defense (FID), or training partner forces.</p><p>"FID is probably the more impactful and economical way for Indo-Pacom to address the need for expanded VBSS capability in the area of operations," added Miani, who is also CEO of <a href="http://www.navisioglobal.com/" target="_top">Navisio Global LLC</a>, a consultancy that provides analysis and advice on topics of <keyword id="6356001" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="international">international</keyword> security and business.</p><p>"Special Operations Forces play an important role in maritime security, but navies, coast guards, and law enforcement play a larger role, particularly in Southeast Asia," Miani said. "The SF Regiment is uniquely suited to help Indo-Pacom proliferate the VBSS capability among relevant regional partners."</p><p>"This is critical, especially in an other-than-war legal environment that makes it far more likely host nation forces will be the ones conducting these operations than US forces," Miani added.</p><p><em>Stavros Atlamazoglou is a defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran (National Service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate.</em></p>

US special-operations units have a daring way to board enemy ships, but it's not just for Navy SEALs

<ul class="summary-list"><li>US special-operations forces use the <keyword id="12635692" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="helocast" source="Orion">helocast</keyword> technique to get troops into and out of hard-to-reach areas.</li><li><keyword id="12635693" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="helocasting" source="Orion">Helocasting</keyword> is a little-known insertion and exfiltration methods that allows operators to creep up on targets.</li></ul><p>US special operators have several ways to get to work.</p><p>Green Beret teams can do <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/special-operations-accident-shows-military-free-fall-parachute-risks-2021-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">free-fall jumps with oxygen from 25,000 feet</a>, and Navy SEAL squads can spend <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/navy-seals-explain-why-submarine-launched-commando-raids-are-tough-2021-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">up to eight hours in mini-submarines on combat dives</a>.</p><p>One of the least known methods of insertion and exfiltration is the "helocast," an airborne special-operations technique used by small commando elements to insert into semi- or non-permissive areas.</p><h2>Scary but effective</h2><div type="image" title="Marines and sailors practice helocasting" height="1333" width="2000" msid="87993472" hostid="261"></div><p>Helocasting involves commandos jumping from a helicopter into water and either swimming or using a small boat that they bring with them to get to shore.</p><p>"Helocast ops are an important insertion method in our quiver" that provides flexibility, even if it's "not the most comfortable technique as far as insertion methods go," a Green Beret assigned to a National Guard unit told Insider.</p><p>Through helocasting, Special Forces units "can creep up on a target without be seen" and exfiltrate very quickly if needed, the Green Beret said. "Our pilots are amazing, and they can fly right on top of the waves. They are really great because it requires a different kind of coolness to know that you have a dozen or more lives literally on your hands and still be cool about it."</p><p>Some conventional rotary-wing units are qualified to support helocasting operations, but the Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/meet-the-armys-160-soar-night-stalkers-special-operations-pilots-2020-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">also known as the "Night Stalkers,"</a> is the go-to choice for such missions.</p><p>The helicopters used most often are MH-60 Black Hawks, MH-47 Chinooks, and CH-53 Super Stallions, but other platforms, such as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/special-operations-ah6-mh6-helicopters-may-go-out-of-service-2021-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the MH-6 Little Bird</a> and CV-22 Osprey, can be used depending on the scenario.</p><div type="image" title="US soldiers conduct helocast training" height="1916" width="2000" msid="87993473" hostid="261"></div><p>Despite the skill of the pilots and the quality of the platform, helocasting can be harrowing.</p><p>"It's a pretty scary experience the first couple of times you do it. You can't hear shit because of the helicopter rotors and you literally walk in[to] the dark, cold water of an ocean or a lake," a Marine Raider told Insider.</p><p>"It's all about trust. You have to trust your training, the helicopter crew, and of course your teammates. But after you've done it a few times it becomes easier, as with all things, but not more comfortable!" said the Marine Raider, who like the Green Beret spoke anonymously because they weren't authorized to comment.</p><p>The helocast insertion technique is almost exclusively reserved for special-operations teams that are qualified as combat divers or combat swimmers.</p><p>That includes Navy SEALs, Marine Raiders, and Reconnaissance Marines, but also Army Green Berets assigned to a combat diving team and Air Force Pararescuemen, Combat Controllers, Tactical Air Control Party airmen, and Special Reconnaissance operators.</p><h2>How would you like your Duck?</h2><div type="image" title="US Marines with combat rubber raiding craft for helocast" height="1333" width="2000" msid="87993475" hostid="261"></div><p>There are three varieties of helocast: Rolled Duck, Soft Duck, and Hard Duck.</p><p>Rolled Duck is when the boat isn't inflated at all, meaning the operators have to use special pumps to fully inflate it while in the water.</p><p>Soft Duck is when the boat is partially inflated, requiring the commandos to use those pumps to fully inflate it while they're in the water.</p><p>Hard Duck is when the boat is fully inflated and good to go the moment it hits the water.</p><p>The mission and the helicopter available determine which technique is used. With larger helicopters, an MH-47 Chinook or a CH-53 Sea Stallion, it's more likely the operators will conduct a Hard Duck.</p><p>The most commonly used boats are the trusty Zodiac, also known as Combat Rubber Raiding Craft (CRRC), and the Rigid Hull Inflatable boat (RHIBS). Which boats are chosen depends on the operation — CRRCs are smaller but RHIBS are sturdier and can operate over longer distances.</p><div type="image" title="Army Special Forces Green Berets helocast CH-47" height="1429" width="2000" msid="87993476" hostid="261"></div><p>Similar to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/seal-team-6-parachute-skills-distinct-among-special-operations-units-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">airborne operations that require jumpmasters</a>, there must be at least one qualified cast master present during every helocast, and all the operators participating must be qualified in the insertion method.</p><p>When it is time for exfiltration, the operators can motor their boat straight into the helicopter as it hovers right on top of the water. This takes a lot of training and coordination, but it's a quick way out of the water. Operators can also use hoists, fast ropes, and rope ladders to get to and from the helicopter.</p><p>The mission requirements, which aircraft are available, and the operational environment all influence which implements are used.</p><p>If a Green Beret combat diver team is exfiltrating from an operation in a permissive or semi-permissive area and friendly forces have air superiority, they may have more time to work with and thus decide to use a rope ladder.</p><p>Special-operations forces need to be proficient in several different insertion methods because when "the time comes for the real deal, we need to have options," the Green Beret said. "The enemy has strong air defenses and we can't HALO [High Altitude Low Opening parachute jump] in? We can do a helocast or an over-the-beach insertion, and the list goes on."</p><p><em>Stavros Atlamazoglou is a defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate.</em></p>

US special operators have a rough, little-known way to get to missions in hostile territory

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Amid increased Chinese pressure on <keyword id="12048018" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="taiwan" source="Orion">Taiwan</keyword> this month, it was reported that US troops have been Taiwanese forces.</li><li>US special-operations forces have for decades deployed overseas to train partners to better defend themselves.</li></ul><p>In the first days of October, the Chinese military sent more than 150 aircraft, including bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-taiwan-remains-calm-amid-unprecedented-chinese-military-pressure-2021-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">into Taiwan's air-defense identification zone</a>, which isn't territorial airspace but is still seen as a provocative move.</p><p>Amid that Chinese aggression, reports emerged that <keyword id="12380352" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="us-army-special-forces" source="Orion">US Army Special Forces</keyword> soldiers and Marine Raiders have deployed to Taiwan and have been <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-military-deployment-training-troops-taiwan-report-2021-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">working with their Taiwanese counterparts</a> since at least last year.</p><p>The US hasn't had an official military presence in Taiwan since 1979, when the US officially recognized Beijing, but that doesn't mean US commandos haven't been working with Taiwanese troops over the years, though that training has ebbed and flowed with US policy toward Taiwan.</p><p>Although training rotations are usually not disclosed, American commandos have deployed to the region before to conduct <keyword id="12380354" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="foreign-internal-defense" source="Orion">foreign internal defense</keyword> - or the training of allied or partner conventional and special-operations forces, including Taiwan's.</p><h2>The secret weapon of US special-operations</h2><div type="image" title="Taiwan soldier shore beach landing amphibious exercise" height="1331" width="2000" msid="87245972" hostid="261"></div><p>When people think of special-operations units, they think of door-kickers who can perform the toughest operations under the most arduous conditions. Those units do that, but they have also mastered many other mission sets that are valuable in peacetime, competition, and during war.</p><p>Foreign internal defense is one of them, and the Army's Special Forces Regiment has unparalleled expertise.</p><p>Foreign internal defense is the bread and butter of <keyword id="12012830" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="green-beret" source="Orion">Green Beret</keyword>s. During such overseas rotations, Green Beret teams work with and train their local counterparts, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/language-ability-is-one-us-special-operations-most-important-skills-2021-8" target="_top">us</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/language-ability-is-one-us-special-operations-most-important-skills-2021-8" target="_top">ing</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/language-ability-is-one-us-special-operations-most-important-skills-2021-8" target="_top"> </a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/language-ability-is-one-us-special-operations-most-important-skills-2021-8" target="_top">their cultural </a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/language-ability-is-one-us-special-operations-most-important-skills-2021-8" target="_top">knowledge </a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/language-ability-is-one-us-special-operations-most-important-skills-2021-8" target="_top">and language capabilities</a> to build rapport with their counterparts and ensure a smoother training experience.</p><p>By training foreign units, Green Berets form solid professional and personal relationships with the local unit and could capitalize on those relationships in the future.</p><p>"FID is one component of US efforts to help our partners prevent lawlessness, insurgency, and war in their own countries. The primary method we use to conduct FID is building the capacity of military and paramilitary partners," Lino Miani, a former Army Special Forces officer and president of the <a href="https://combatdiver.org/" target="_top">Combat Diver Foundation</a>, told Insider.</p><p>Other units within US Special Operations Command, such as Marine Raiders, Navy SEALs, Air Commandos, and Navy Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen, also have some foreign internal defense capability.</p><div type="image" title="Taiwan soldiers with grenade launchers" height="1335" width="2000" msid="87245973" hostid="261"></div><p>"We're very flexible and can use FID in many ways. For example, dive teams can quite literally stand up brand new units with combat divers, and the next teams that get to rotate in-country can continue that relationship," a former Green Beret told Insider.</p><p>Troops specializing in other infiltration methods can do the same thing. "Free-fall teams can train their guys in HALO [High Altitude Low Opening] and HAHO [High Altitude High Opening] ops, mobility teams can work with their vehicle guys, etc.," added the former Green Beret, who requested anonymity because of ongoing work with the US government.</p><p>In the Indo-Pacific area of operations, it's the 1st Special Forces Group - one of seven Green Beret groups - that is responsible for working with Taiwanese and other regional partners and allies. Green Berets assigned to the unit learn the cultural and linguistic nuances of the region to be more successful. Many also have ethnic ties to the region, giving them another way to relate to the forces they train.</p><p>"It is these partners that will make it increasingly difficult for <keyword id="11892748" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="china" source="Orion">China</keyword> to subvert their governments and societies. This serves as both a complicating factor for Chinese designs and a deterrent. In many ways, FID places more capability in more forward locations, more durably, and for less money than USA would be able to do with our own troops," added Miani, who is also CEO of <a href="http://www.navisioglobal.com/" target="_top">Navisio Global LLC</a>, an <keyword id="6356001" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="international" source="Orion">international</keyword> security and business consultancy.</p><p>Rotations like the one in Taiwan are sometimes not disclosed to avoid international incidents or diplomatic fallout.</p><p>"SOCOM has a presence in over 70 countries. Much of it is standard rotations in friendly countries with which we've had a solid relationship for decades," the former Special Forces operator said. "Other rotations are in countries where our presence would be better not advertised for many different reasons, like domestic opposition or fear of upsetting third countries that are the regional 'top dogs.'"</p><h2>A war with China</h2><div type="image" title="Taiwan soldier launches Javelin" height="1334" width="2000" msid="87245974" hostid="261"></div><p>In a war with China, the allied and partner commando units that US special-operations forces have helped stand up or train over the decades would be an advantage for the US military.</p><p>"China's strategic geography depends on three rivers and a coastline. This strategic core is constrained by the US 7th Fleet on one side and by ethnic minority regions of varying degrees of historic hostility on the other three," said Miani, who served in the 1st Special Forces Group.</p><p>"Any war between the USA and China will take place in this strategic periphery but will ultimately be waged to protect the core and guarantee the Chinese economy has access to the rest of the world," Miani told Insider.</p><p>These partners and allies are all united in their desire to avoid an oppressive China on their doorstep that could upend regional peace. But if it came to blows, they would be valuable allies and already prepared to deal with Chinese forces through their decades of training with US special operators.</p><p>Green Beret teams already in countries in the region will also have a head start if fighting breaks out and could slow down or distract Chinese forces, buying the US and its allies valuable time to deploy their forces.</p><p>"The SF Regiment can be America's most potent tool for drawing Chinese divisions away from that purpose," Miani said. "This will require FID in some regions to impede Chinese conquests and <keyword id="12380353" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="unconventional-warfare" source="Orion">unconventional warfare</keyword> in areas where China already holds sway."</p><p><em>Stavros Atlamazoglou is a defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate.</em></p>

US Green Berets who've trained Taiwanese troops explain how they could fight China and why the US keeps their mission secret

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11908390" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="us-army-special-operations-command" source="Orion">US Army Special Operations Command</keyword> hosted its annual <keyword id="6356001" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="international" source="Orion">international</keyword> <keyword id="12493185" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sniper" source="Orion">sniper</keyword> competition in March.</li><li>The competition includes US and foreign military snipers as well as law-enforcement marksmen.</li></ul><p>Every year, sharpshooters from around the world gather in North Carolina for one of the most exclusive military sniper competitions.</p><p>US Army Special Operations Command's international sniper competition brings together sniper teams from special-operations and conventional units as well as law-enforcement agencies from dozens of countries.</p><p>Snipers are an essential part of every military. They can take out valuable targets at long ranges and conduct reconnaissance in hard-to-reach areas. The international sniper competition, which began in 2004, has become one of the best ways to test the skills of those marksmen.</p><h2>Best of the best</h2><div type="image" title="US Army special operations sniper competition" height="1444" width="2000" msid="91377689" hostid="261"></div><p>Twenty-one sniper teams took part in the annual competition's 13th iteration, traveling to the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in March. This year's version consisted of a series of events that challenged the two-man teams.</p><p>The four-day event had 23 scenarios to evaluate the teams' ability to work together seamlessly as shooter and spotter with speed and accuracy against targets from multiple distances in different simulated operational environments.</p><p>The events tested the snipers' long-, medium-, and short-range marksmanship capabilities using all manners of weapons, including sniper rifles, carbines, and pistols.</p><p>In general, the competition aims to provide a diverse set of simulated operational conditions that reflect the realities of a modern, interactive battlefield.</p><p>"The sniper teams face lanes that force them to maneuver over and around obstacles to establish a firing position and make engagement on a target. In other lanes, they might have to be in a static position while other challenges that make it hard are presented, like targets that move behind obstacles," <u><a href="https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2022/03/29/here-are-the-results-of-army-special-operations-annual-sniper-competition/" target="_top">said</a></u> Col. Matthew Tucker, commanding officer of the Army's 2nd Special Warfare Training Group, which hosted the competition.</p><h2>The results are in</h2><div type="image" title="US Army special operations sniper competition" height="1497" width="1997" msid="91377691" hostid="261"></div><p>First place went to the US Army Special Operations Command team — the generic name may mean it was composed of members of <keyword id="12135323" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="delta-force" source="Orion">Delta Force</keyword>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-tough-selection-process-to-join-army-delta-force-2021-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a secretive unit the Army rarely acknowledges</a>.</p><p>Second place went to a team of <a href="https://coffeeordie.com/sniper-contest/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">French SAS</a> commandos. The US Army National Guard's 20th Special Forces Group took the final spot on the podium. A team of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/berger-marine-special-ops-must-do-more-than-kick-doors-2022-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marine Raider</a> sniper instructors was fourth, and a team from the Kommando Spezialkräfte, a German tier-one military special-operations unit, came in fifth.</p><p>Units from across the US special-operations community participated, including almost all the Army's Green Beret units, the 75th Ranger Regiment, and SEAL Team 1. Several other countries' militaries sent teams, including Switzerland, the Netherlands, Norway, Ireland, and Italy.</p><p>In addition to the military participants, the law-enforcement contingent included <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-of-coast-guard-snipers-during-at-sea-drug-busts-2018-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a US Coast Guard team</a>, which came in 13th, and a team from the US Secret Service, which placed 19th.</p><h2>An important event</h2><div type="image" title="US Army special operations sniper competition" height="1404" width="2000" msid="91377694" hostid="261"></div><p>This year's sniper competition was particularly relevant in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The event brought together several NATO allies and reinforced unit-level relationships.</p><p>All the international teams taking part were from Europe, "and we currently face a common threat there that harkens back to the Cold War," Tucker said, <a href="https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2022/03/29/here-are-the-results-of-army-special-operations-annual-sniper-competition/" target="_top">according to Army Times</a>. "So this has been a great opportunity for us, this year, to improve the interoperability that will be required of all of us to meet treaty obligations with NATO as well as with other allies."</p><p>The sniper competition is a competition, and the teams take it seriously — some more seriously than others — "but we should remember that whoever wins doesn't mean that suddenly that is the best unit" in the special-operations world, a retired Delta Force operator, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they continue to work with the government, told Insider.</p><div type="image" title="US Army special operations sniper competition" height="1502" width="2000" msid="91377697" hostid="261"></div><p>"On the flip side, that also doesn't mean that the units that come up second, third, or last are bad units," the retired operator added.</p><p>The sniper competition offers participants the opportunity to learn from one another and for units to share their tactics, techniques, and procedures, the retired operator said. That may be one of the most important aspects of the event.</p><p>"Let's say, a sniper team for X unit might have deployed to Africa and they have mastered the marksmanship dynamics in extremely hot environments. That knowledge can be passed through such competitions and proliferate [within] the force," the retired operator said.</p><p><em>Stavros Atlamazoglou is a defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate.</em></p>

Army special operators invited other US troops and other militaries to a sniper competition. Here's who came out on top.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>US special operators have for decades had a set of "truths" to guide how they train and fight.</li><li>Their community's adherence to those values has been tested by 20 years of fighting terrorism.</li></ul><p>For decades the US special-operations community has had a set of "truths" to guide how it selects and train commandos and how it fights.</p><p>The <keyword id="11993049" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="us-special-operations-command" source="Orion">US Special Operations Command</keyword> (SOCOM) used hard-earned lessons and failures to create those five "<a href="https://www.socom.mil/about/sof-truths" target="_top">SOF Truths</a>."</p><p>Now, more than 40 years after the formal establishment of a special-operations structure and after 20 years of war in the Middle East, these guiding principles remain essential as the US faces new tests from China and Russia.</p><h2>The <keyword id="12513495" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sof-truths" source="Orion">SOF Truths</keyword></h2><div type="image" title="Marine Corps Special Operations MARSOC" height="1333" width="2000" msid="87650533" hostid="261"></div><p>The first SOF Truth is "Humans are more important than hardware." As SOCOM states, people, not gear, make the difference. Highly trained individuals working as a team can accomplish any mission even with equipment limitations, but untrained units with all the gear in the world can't.</p><p>The second SOF Truth is "Quality is better than quantity." A few, carefully selected, well-trained, and well-led special operators are preferable to a larger number of less qualified troops.</p><p>The third SOF Truth holds that "Special-operations forces cannot be mass-produced." Building a fully trained and operational special operator takes years and millions of dollars. Even after they are assigned to a Navy SEAL platoon, a Green Beret detachment, or Marine Raider team, those operators still receive training. You can't mass-produce such forces without degrading their capabilities.</p><p>The fourth SOF Truth is "Competent special-operations forces cannot be created after emergencies occur." This is probably one of the more important guidelines as it emphasizes the time required for build a competent special-operations force. If the US hadn't had elite Tier 1 units before finding Osama bin Laden, it probably wouldn't have been able to pull off that mission.</p><p>The fifth SOF Truth holds that "Most special-operations require non-special-operations support."</p><p>Although the "special" in special-operations can create a sense of elitism, most commandos require the support of conventional forces to achieve their mission. Whether it's analysts who provide key intelligence for an operation, the submariners who transport a Navy SEAL team for a clandestine mission, or the Army tankers who support a Delta Force squadrons in the field, conventional troops are often key in the success of special-operations forces.</p><h2>Lost along the way?</h2><div type="image" title="Fuerzas Comando US troops soldiers special operations" height="933" width="1400" msid="87650536" hostid="261"></div><p>SOCOM designed its five <a href="https://www.socom.mil/about/sof-truths" target="_top">SOF Truths</a> as a set of principles that are applicable in different situations and eras. They are, in essence, the philosophical foundations of the US special-operations community that will apply as long as that community exists.</p><p>However, the global war on terror brought significant changes to that community. The demands of a two-front war in Afghanistan and Iraq and the need to have a global presence in more than 70 countries forced SOCOM to expand. As a result, the force strayed from its Truths.</p><p>"I might characterize this 'diversion' more as a struggle for balance," said Lino Miani, a former Army Special Forces officer.</p><p>"During the [global war on terror], our mission required more forces than we had and gave us little time to develop them," Miani, president of the <a href="https://combatdiver.org/" target="_top">Combat Diver Foundation</a>, told Insider.</p><p>Increased operations put more pressure on the military to bring in more troops.</p><div type="image" title="Army 75th Ranger Regiment Iraq" height="1328" width="2000" msid="87650539" hostid="261"></div><p>Every battalion in the 75th Ranger Regiment jumped from three to four line infantry companies. Each Army Special Forces Group added a fourth battalion of Green Berets. Delta Force and Naval Special Warfare Development Group, which used to be known as SEAL Team 6, each raised an additional assault squadron.</p><p>Special-operations units were high demand, conducting near-constant operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world. The tempo created <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-is-worried-that-us-special-forces-may-be-overworked-2017-11" target="_top">concerns about burnout</a> and about <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/after-scandals-navy-seals-rethink-how-they-pick-leaders-2021-8" target="_top">slipping standards</a> of conduct and discipline.</p><p>SOCOM expanded because the Pentagon ordered it, not because it sought to. Recruiting, training, and retaining special operators is a lengthy and expensive process that can take anywhere from several months to years, depending on the tier of their unit.</p><p>The SOF truths were "really stubborn," said Miani, CEO of Navisio Global LLC, an international security and business consultancy. "Growing the SOF force, particularly the SF [Special Forces] Regiment, proved expensive and difficult, and many subsequent incidents involving discipline and effectiveness could be arguably trace directly back to a standard that was lowered or modified in some way."</p><p>In an era of great-power competition, in which the US military faces increased competition and potential conflict with a near-peer adversary - namely China and Russia - a smooth working relationship between all elements of the Pentagon is key.</p><div type="image" title="Navy SEAL graduation" height="964" width="1400" msid="87650541" hostid="261"></div><p>Special-operations and conventional units must be able to cooperate and interoperate. US special-operations forces' ability to operate with and near conventional forces during the war on terror was "a luxury" that reduced logistics chains, Miani said.</p><p>"I suspect very strongly that as we shift once again toward great-power competition as an operating concept, SOF will have to relearn a lot of lessons about supporting itself in remote locations. At the tactical level, this means unconventional logistics that cannot be accomplished by defense contractors with large footprints," added Miani, who runs <a href="https://www.aero-eye.com/?lang=en" target="_top">AeroEye</a>, a security firm offering aerial surveillance and monitoring.</p><p>That challenge underscores the emphasis the SOF Truth puts on planning and on conventional support. The principle of "one team, one fight" might be overused today, but it is of paramount importance in a military setting - and it might not be easy to achieve against a capable opponent.</p><p><em>Stavros Atlamazoglou is a defense journalist specializing in <keyword id="11969080" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="special-operations" source="Orion">special operations</keyword>, a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate.</em></p>

5 'truths' have guided US special operators for 40 years, but they face new tests from Russia and China - and at home

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Pentagon is probing <keyword id="179206" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="US-Central-Command">US Central Command</keyword>'s and <keyword id="672652" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="US-Special-Operations-Command">US Special Operations Command</keyword>'s handling of potential <keyword id="53558" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="War-crimes">war crimes</keyword> during US wars in the <keyword id="30350" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Middle-East">Middle East</keyword>.</li><li>Special-operations forces have dealt with cases of misconduct and other scandals in recent years, but current and former members are wary of the extra scrutiny.</li></ul><p>The Pentagon's Inspector General is investigating US Central Command's (CENTCOM) and US <keyword id="637658" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="special-operations">Special Operations</keyword> Command's (SOCOM) handling of potential war-crimes cases within their operational jurisdiction or by their units.</p><p>CENTCOM is one of the more important <a href="https://www.sandboxx.us/blog/what-is-a-combatant-command/" target="_top">unified combatant commands</a> in the US military, as it is responsible for the Middle East and parts of Africa. SOCOM is responsible for developing, equipping, and employing most US special-operations units.</p><p>According to the <a href="https://media.defense.gov/2021/Jan/25/2002570046/-1/-1/1/D2021-DEV0PD-0045.000_REDACTED.PDF" target="_top">Inspector General</a>, the objective of the investigation is two-fold: First, to evaluate and determine the extent to which CENTCOM and SOCOM developed programs compliant with the Defense Department's Law of War requirements and aimed at preventing or reducing potential war crimes, and second, to determine whether CENTCOM and SOCOM properly investigated allegations of potential war crimes.</p><p>In addition to CENTCOM and SOCOM, Inspector General will be investigating US Forces-Afghanistan, Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve - which is name for the US-led coalition against ISIS - and <a href="https://www.sandboxx.us/blog/jsoc-secretive-joint-special-operations-command-gets-new-leader/" target="_top">Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC)</a>.</p><p>The investigation comes after an ethics review within US special-operations units and a major scandal in the Australian special-operations community, where an extensive investigation <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/australia-to-prosecute-soldiers-accused-of-afghanistan-war-crimes-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed several cases of war crimes</a> by the Special Air Service Regiment - a unit equivalent to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/legendary-leaders-who-transformed-us-military-special-operations-units-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Delta Force</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/seal-team-6-parachute-skills-distinct-among-special-operations-units-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SEAL Team 6</a> - and the Commando Regiments.</p><h2>War fatigue or war crimes?</h2><div type="image" title="Marine Raider Afghanistan" height="1333" width="2000" msid="81709860" hostid="261"></div><p>When it comes to the investigation, the view from below is mixed.</p><p>"I believe the military is getting political pressures from the top, forcing them to do something. War is a nasty place, and accidents do happen," John Black, a retired Green Beret, told Insider.</p><p>"However, the purposeful act of committing war crimes cannot be tolerated. Having been in [Army Special Forces] for more than 15 years ... I can say objectively that Army Special Forces are the most professional soldiers in the world and would never purposefully commit a crime," Black added.</p><p>Steve Balestrieri, a retired Special Forces warrant officer, also questioned the timing of the announcement.</p><p>"Was it because of the revelation of the Australian case?" Balestrieri told Insider. If so, "the powers that be may just want to be sure that US forces acted accordingly."</p><p>Accusations of alleged war crimes in the US special-operations community have been around for a while.</p><p>Matthew Golsteyn was accused of the illegal killing of a suspected Taliban bomb maker in <keyword id="6354541" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="afghanistan">Afghanistan</keyword> in 2010, when Golsteyn was an Army Special Forces member. Golsteyn was one of several service members who were pardoned or granted clemency by President Donald Trump.</p><div type="image" title="Army Special Forces Afghanistan" height="1324" width="2000" msid="81709862" hostid="261"></div><p>Perhaps the most well-known of those cases is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/timeline-of-a-seals-war-crimes-case-navy-head-fired-2019-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">that of Chief Eddie Gallagher</a>, a Navy SEAL acquitted in 2019 of war-crimes charges in relation to the killing of a teenage ISIS fighter. Trump later restored Gallagher's rank.</p><p>In 2017, the <a href="https://theintercept.com/2017/01/10/the-crimes-of-seal-team-6/" target="_top">Intercept</a> published a scathing report on the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, as SEAL Team 6 is officially known, detailing instances of alleged war crimes and a culture of impunity. No one from that command was ever officially prosecuted for war crimes.</p><p>Insider understands that several Australian SAS operators involved in war crimes had participated in exchange programs or training with SEAL Team 6. That isn't proof of any illegal behavior by American commandos, but it shows the close relationship of those units at the highest level - one which often involves the sharing of ideas, tactics, and experiences.</p><p lang="en-GB">Insider has learned that following <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/plan-to-add-navy-seal-platoons-stalled-amid-discipline-problems-2019-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">several scandals</a> over illegal actions or misconduct in the SEAL Teams, Naval Special Warfare command started an ethics program that all junior officers must go through.</p><p>"The investigation doesn't mean an admission of guilt. SOCOM should welcome civilian oversight, as they could therefore never be accused of running amok, like the SAS in Australia has to deal with. But like anything else, it shouldn't come with any effect on operations," Balestrieri said.</p><h2>To investigate or not to investigate?</h2><div type="image" title="Navy SEAL Afghanistan" height="1331" width="2000" msid="81709866" hostid="261"></div><p lang="en-GB">The military has a poor record of investigating itself, and both SOCOM and CENTCOM have a history of questionable procedures.</p><p>"Senior leaders rush to judgment and don't ensure that investigators are first 'qualified' to conduct the investigation," Retired Marine Corps Maj. Fred Galvin told Insider.</p><p>Nor do those leaders ensure that the "investigator and investigation are completely fair and impartial [and] that the investigator does not have any contact with the command other than receiving clear initial guidance on what to investigate in order to prevent command influence," Galvin added.</p><p>In 2007, Galvin commanded <a href="https://www.uap.org/post/leadership-cover-ups/" target="_top">MARSOC Fox Company</a>, a Marine special-operations unit, that was falsely accused of killing civilians in Afghanistan.</p><p>Seven Marine Raiders with the unit were ostracized for years despite all available evidence indicating they acted <a href="https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/newsletters/daily-news-roundup/2019/01/07/commander-of-marsoc-team-falsely-accused-of-war-crimes-finally-cleared-for-promotion-to-lieutenant-colonel/" target="_top">within the laws of war</a>.</p><div type="image" title="Army 75th Ranger Regiment Iraq" height="1328" width="2000" msid="81709869" hostid="261"></div><p>Currently, troops deploying under SOCOM and CENTCOM feel like they face competing pressures, as they are supposed to conduct combat operations but suspect locals may want to use the US military justice against US troops.</p><p>"Anything questionable will result in at best a career-ending investigation or being incarcerated. Both have led to strategic victories for the enemy," Galvin added.</p><p>Members of the special-operations community are wary of the Pentagon investigation.</p><p>"I can't speak for any active-duty troops, but nobody likes outsiders poking into their business, because they're outsiders with no clue on what the job entails," Balestrieri said. "There will always be some who feel that there is a witch-hunt afoot, and we've seen those occur."</p><p>But the investigation, regardless of the outcome, seems unlikely to have a serious impact the commandos or their operations.</p><p>"There is an inherent risk when sending operators into harm's way. We as Americans must ensure that we have our soldiers' backs no matter what ... Operators aren't worried about investigations as a whole. No operator will be reluctant to pull the trigger. Hours and hours of drills and rehearsals make missions seamless," Black said.</p><p><em>Stavros Atlamazoglou is a defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate.</em></p>

The Pentagon is investigating whether special operators have committed war crimes, and if their commanders have even been checking

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The US military's special-operations forces have had an outsize role in the war on terror.</li><li>Twenty years of fighting terrorists and militants have taken a heavy toll on those forces.</li></ul><p>For the past 20 years, US special operators have been on the frontline of the struggle against terrorism.</p><p>Those special operators are small in number compared with their conventional counterparts, but they've made an outsize contribution to the global war on terrorism.</p><p>After the invasions of <keyword id="11892774" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="afghanistan" source="Orion">Afghanistan</keyword> and <keyword id="11896848" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="iraq" source="Orion">Iraq</keyword>, most US counterterrorism operations involved unconventional warfare, with commandoes training local partners and conducting raids.</p><p>That has played to the strengths of special operators, who see themselves as a scalpel rather than a hammer. Special-operations forces have thrived in such fast-paced, ambiguous environments.</p><h2>First in, last out</h2><div type="image" title="Army Rangers Afghanistan" height="974" width="2000" msid="87022285" hostid="261"></div><p>In the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks, special operators were the first in Afghanistan.</p><p>The Army's elite <keyword id="12135323" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="delta-force" source="Orion">Delta Force</keyword> launched a daring operation <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/army-delta-force-longest-air-assault-ever-weeks-after-911-2021-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to take out Mullah Omar, the leader of the Taliban, in his own headquarters</a> deep in enemy territory. While that was taking place, Green Berets were leading local anti-Taliban fighters to defeat the Taliban and Al Qaeda in a matter of weeks.</p><p>When the insurgency threatened to destroy Iraq and foil US-led reconstruction efforts there, special-operation forces orchestrated an industrial-scale counterterrorism campaign. Tier 1 units - Delta Force and SEAL Team 6, now known as Naval Special Warfare Development Group - led the effort to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stanley-mcchrystal-leaders-and-lessons-from-al-qaeda-leader-al-zarqawi-2018-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dismantle Al Qaeda in Iraq with a relentless campaign of raids</a>, sometimes as many as three at night.</p><p>The 75th Ranger Regiment also took on a more significant role, going after high-value targets that in the past would've been assigned to the Tier 1 units.</p><p>Green Berets trained the Iraqi counterterrorism unit that later led the brutal but effective fight against ISIS. In Afghanistan, Green Berets trained their Afghan counterparts, aiming to win the hearts and minds of the population and secure their communities.</p><div type="image" title="Navy SEAL Team Six Afghanistan" height="1809" width="2500" msid="87022286" hostid="261"></div><p><keyword id="12101902" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="navy-seals" source="Orion">Navy SEALs</keyword>, Marine Raiders, Reconnaissance Marines, and Air Commandos played equally important roles in taking down terrorists or enabling other special operations.</p><p>"No one can deny that this has been an extremely tough war. Perhaps not in the sense that military historians think and write about warfare from the ancient times to today. This was our war. [Special-operations forces] were at the tip of the spear, and we fought relentlessly," a retired Delta Force operator told Insider.</p><p>"That is not to ignore or diminish the contribution of our conventional brothers and sisters," the retired operator added. "They played a hugely important role, and we are immensely grateful for their contribution. It is one of the SOF truths: Special operations require non-SOF support. I want to stress this. It's always a jointed or combined effort."</p><p>The retired Delta operator and others in this story spoke anonymously to describe operations they conducted while in uniform.</p><p>Small numbers of US special operators remain in Iraq, but US forces have withdrawn from Afghanistan, and the shift toward competition with near-peer adversaries like Russia and China means the war on terror is likely to continue winding down.</p><h2>A heavy toll</h2><div type="image" title="Navy SEAL Extortion 17 hearse funeral" height="1333" width="2000" msid="87022288" hostid="261"></div><p>In two decades fighting terrorism, 660 special operators have been killed and 2,738 wounded. Those totals are small compared to the casualties in past wars, but they took a significant toll on those forces.</p><p>There are about 70,000 special operators across all services, making them about 3.5% of the US military's 2.1 million total troops. In such a small community, where members know each other by name, face, or reputation, every casualty is felt deeply.</p><p>"We played a big part in the war" and suffered because of it, with members of some units deploying more than a dozen times, straining families and mental health, a former Green Beret told Insider.</p><p>"Broken marriages [and] missed birthdays and anniversaries are just some of the residues of the relentless deployment cycle," the former Green Beret said. "But we were defending America forward. We weren't forced or coerced. We are volunteers. We responded [to] the cowardly attacks [of 9/11], and we responded with force and precision."</p><p>While that toll has been heavy, US special-operations forces are now better prepared to face those near-peer adversaries.</p><div type="image" title="Special Forces North Macedonia paratrooper" height="1333" width="2000" msid="87022289" hostid="261"></div><p>"The wars were great in allowing us not only to develop tactics, techniques, and procedures but gear and technology to match them," the retired Delta Force operator said, adding that the experience allowed operators to work more closely and more effectively.</p><p>"We 'sharpened our blades' and learned what works and what doesn't," the retired Delta Force operator added. "We would never be able to advance so quickly in peacetime. It's cynical to say so, but the wars really helped us in that sense."</p><p>Senior leaders at <keyword id="11993049" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="us-special-operations-command" source="Orion">US Special Operations Command</keyword>, which oversees each service's special-operations units, encapsulated those units' contributions to the war in a recent letter to the force.</p><p>Gen. Richard Clarke, the SOCOM commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Gregory Smith, the SOCOM senior enlisted leader, wrote that they were inspired by the "generation of brave Americans who have answered the call to serve over the last two decades - like the courageous generations before them."</p><p>Special operators serving on September 11 "approached their service with renewed dedication and resolve. Many more have raised their hand to serve," Clarke and Smith wrote. "Our Special Operations community has distinguished itself through countless acts of heroism and selflessness over almost two decades. That legacy of service and sacrifice continues."</p>

20 years of fighting terrorism took a heavy toll but has helped prepare for a bigger fight, US special operators say

<ul class="summary-list"><li>US special-operations forces are shifting their focus from counterterrorism to great-power competition.</li><li><keyword id="11908395" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="language-skills" source="Orion">Language skills</keyword> will only get more important as those operators work with more foreign partners.</li><li>Congress wants to make sure the US military is doing everything it can to attract and retain people who speak those languages.</li></ul><p>Mental and physical fitness, ingenuity, and grit are among the more important traits a special-operator can have.</p><p>Resources and technology are great bonuses that can take a commando to the next level. And yet, according to Congress, <keyword id="11908401" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="foreign-language" source="Orion">foreign language</keyword> capability is now equally if not more important.</p><p>These <keyword id="11908394" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="language" source="Orion">language</keyword> capabilities are a key asset in competition that takes place below the level of open conflict, known as the gray zone.</p><p>As the US focuses on that kind of competition with China and Russia, Congress is concerned that special-operations troops' foreign language capabilities have atrophied during the counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations of the past 20 years.</p><p>As a result, lawmakers are pressuring Pentagon to act.</p><p>"U.S. Special Operations Forces (USSOF) are an integral part of those military activities carried out below the level of armed conflict and therefore must maintain a high degree of proficiency in those languages critical to enable strategic competition," the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness <a href="https://armedservices.house.gov/_cache/files/6/b/6b5160e1-ee68-47ef-8623-431b9668c996/A4A2957BFCFC195F07A9754465981757.fy22-ndaa-readiness-subcommittee-mark-package.pdf" target="_top">said</a> in its markup of the 2022 defense budget.</p><p>If the provision makes it into the final budget, which may not pass until the end of the year, the Department of Defense would be required to submit a five-year strategy on how it plans to identify, recruit, and retain individuals in special-operations units with proficiency in critical languages <a href="https://www.nsep.gov/content/critical-languages" target="_top">identified</a> by the National Security Education Program.</p><h2>Special-operations and foreign languages</h2><div type="image" title="US Army special operations psychological Operations Qualification Course" height="942" width="1885" msid="85487425" hostid="261"></div><p>The globalization of the war against terrorism and the continuous reliance on special-operations troops for almost any contingency or conflict has increased the need for commandos with foreign language capabilities.</p><p>Before the September 11 attacks, the <keyword id="11908391" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="army-special-forces" source="Orion">Army Special Forces</keyword> Regiment was the only US special-operations unit with a foreign-language requirement. Because of their unconventional warfare and foreign internal defense mission sets - which both involve training partner forces - <keyword id="11908392" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="green-berets" source="Orion">Green Berets</keyword> have to speak a foreign language.</p><p>Options include Western European languages like French, Spanish, or Portuguese and others, such as Russian, Mandarin Chinese, or Arabic, often deemed "critical" because they are challenging to learn and in high demand.</p><p>Given their long-term investment in that skill, Green Berets are by far the most qualified in foreign languages and have the most robust foreign-language infrastructure.</p><p>Every Green Beret candidate has to pass language school at some point - either before or after graduation, depending on the year - and each Special Forces group has a language lab where Green Berets can hone their language skills.</p><div type="image" title="US Army Special Forces Green Beret language training" height="1358" width="2000" msid="85487426" hostid="261"></div><p>In addition, Special Forces operators are encouraged to take college or online courses, as their language proficiency levels are re-tested every year.</p><p>"The command has set up not only classroom training for SF [Special Forces] guys but Green Berets can sign up for the Special Operations Forces Tele-Training System, which allows them to either sign up for a dedicated course or to simply connect with a tutor who can work with them during free hours to improve their language capability," <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveB7SFG?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" target="_top">Steve Balestrieri</a>, a retired Green Beret warrant officer, told Insider.</p><p>The US military's emphasis on fighting with or through partner forces over the last two decades has prompted other special-operations units to pursue foreign language skills in order to be more competitive for missions and, ultimately, to secure greater budgets.</p><p>Navy SEALs and Marine Raiders in particular are sending more special operators to language school.</p><h2>Communicating your way to success</h2><div type="image" title="Army special forces Mali Africa" height="1728" width="2304" msid="85487427" hostid="261"></div><p>Conventional troops almost always are accompanied by at least one interpreter, so it's special operators that rely on and use foreign languages the most.</p><p>When US special-operations units are trying to build rapport with a partner force, the best way to do it is through a shared language. It's an elemental part of human relationships, a great way to understand the culture of a country or region, and it shows that American commandos take the locals seriously.</p><p>The US military uses the Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT) to measure language skill, with four levels - 0 to 3. The amount of training depends on the language, and it can take a few months to more than a year.</p><p>Achieving fluency or native proficiency in a foreign language, especially those the Pentagon deems critical, is no joke. So when a Green Beret from Oregon is in Afghanistan and can communicate in Pashto with the local commandos he is advising, he has already done a lot to earn their trust.</p><p>"Language training is extremely important for Special Forces teams as a way to make rapport with local partner forces," Balestrieri said. "Because of the war on terror, a lot of our language capability has atrophied and has to be stressed moving forward."</p><div type="image" title="Special Forces North Macedonia paratrooper" height="1333" width="2000" msid="85487429" hostid="261"></div><p>Beyond trust-building, language skills ease every interaction US troops have with local forces, from to teaching them how to clear rooms and leading them into combat to consoling them after setbacks.</p><p>"In gray-zone conflict, the ability to speak the language and know the culture of the target audience will be a huge advantage for SF [Special Forces] troops, which has been their bread and butter," Balestrieri added.</p><p>During the '80s and '90s, the language proficiency of members of 7th Special Forces Group "was a huge part of the success the group had in several different areas," Balestrieri said, referring to a unit involved in training Central American militaries.</p><p>When it comes to language capabilities, the US military has a strategic advantage over most other militaries because of the US's diverse population.</p><p>American troops with native or near-native language capabilities and cultural awareness learned through family ties are an asset in a special-operations environment, where commandos have to often work with a partner force.</p><p>So the pool of recruits exists, and it's up to the Pentagon to ensure that it attracts candidates who can qualify for and complete a special-operations selection and training program.</p><p><em>Stavros Atlamazoglou is a defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate.</em></p>

You Searched For "marine raider regiment" and got 10 results

In future wars, US Marine special operators will need to do more than 'kicking down a door,' top Marine says

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US Green Berets who've trained Taiwanese troops explain how they could fight China and why the US keeps their mission secret

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The Pentagon is investigating whether special operators have committed war crimes, and if their commanders have even been checking

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20 years of fighting terrorism took a heavy toll but has helped prepare for a bigger fight, US special operators say

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One of US special operators' most important skills has nothing to do with combat

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