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22 Facts About the U.S. Special Operations Forces You’re Not Supposed to Know  

They’re the most elite units that any military has to offer and the most capable fighters in the world.

They’re responsible for everything from counterterrorism operations to providing humanitarian aid to engaging in direct combat with boots on the ground. They help make our world a safer place.

They are the more than 70,000 men and women who comprise the U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF), under the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).

These forces are divided across many units, including the Air Force Air Commandos, Marine Corps Raiders, U.S. Navy SEALs, the Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Night Stalkers), Air Force Combat Controllers, and the Army Green Berets, among several others.

Here are 22 facts about these U.S. special operations forces you’re not supposed to know:

1 – Most Special Operations Soldiers Are Married with Children

Most Special Forces Soldiers Are Married with Children
Image Credit: Military.com

It’s an easy misconception to make that soldiers who comprise the special operations forces are either fresh, young recruits who are not married or who dedicate so much time to their duties that they don’t have any time left on their hands to dedicate to raising a family.

But in reality, most soldiers in the U.S. special ops are married with at least two children. They live normal lives apart from their military duties, and if you were to encounter them in America, they would likely look just any other family walking by.

2 – Most Special Forces Soldiers Are In Their Late 20s to Early 30s

Most Special Forces Soldiers Are In Their Late 20s to Early 30s
Image Credit: We The People

Most special ops soldiers are not as young as you might think. The average age for an enlisted special ops member is 29, while the average age for an officer is 34.

The reason why most special ops soldiers are not as young as you may think is because…

3 – Most Special Ops Soldiers Have Eight Years of Experience in Conventional Military Roles

Most Special Forces Soldiers Have Eight Years of Experience in Conventional Military Roles 2
Image Credit: Boot Camp & Military Fitness Institute

Most (but not all) soldiers who join a unit in the special operations forces are recruited rather than joining it early on. They initially sign up for a more conventional sector of the military for basic training and then have to continually prove themselves in that sector before recruitment.

4 – Most Special Ops Soldiers Have To Learn A Language Other Than English

All Special Forces Soldiers Know A Language Other Than English
Image Credit: DLIFLC

One of the primary responsibilities for special ops soldiers is to work with foreign soldiers and advisors in different places around the world. That’s why special operations soldiers will receive language and culture training before deploying to a new region.

This doesn’t mean that most special operations soldiers are totally fluent in the language of the region they’re living in, but they should know enough to hold a basic conversation. Current SOF (special operations forces) rules mandate that at least 80% of personnel qualify for minimum proficiency in the foreign language of the country or region they’ll be deployed in.

5 – ‘Special Operations Forces’ is Not the Same as ‘Special Forces’

Special Operations is Not the Same as Special Forces
Image Credit: LinkedIn

These two terms are often used interchangeably, but they shouldn’t be. The term ‘special forces’ officially refers to the Army’s Special Forces, who are also known as the Green Berets.

The term ‘special operations forces’ refers to all units that fall under SOCOM, which includes the Green Berets. Many people use the term ‘special forces’ colloquially to refer to all elite forces within the U.S. military, but ‘special operations forces’ or ‘special ops’ is more accurate as an overall term. The men in the above photo are from the Green Berets.

6 – Women Serve In the Special Forces Too

Women Serve In the Special Forces Too
Image Credit: War on the Rocks

Since 2015, all military positions (including special operations forces) have become open to female applicants who qualify. The first female Green Beret actually graduated from the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School in 2020. In 2021, the first ever woman graduated from the Navy’s SWCC (Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen) training course.

Women currently comprise roughly 20% of the United States armed forces overall, and over 10% of the special operations forces.

7 – The First Official U.S. Special Forces Unit Was Established in 1952

The First Official U.S. Special Forces Unit Was Established in 1952
Image Credit: Together We Served

The first official special forces unit of the United States was established as the 10th Special Forces Group under the U.S. Army Psychological Division.

It was commanded by Colonel Aaron Bank (pictured above) who most notably had been involved in an unsuccessful U.S. military operation during World War II to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Colonel Bank became known as the “Father of the Special Forces.”

8 – The Green Berets Had Its Origins with the British in World War II

The Green Berets Had Its Origins with the British in World War II
Image Credit: National Army Museum

During the Second World War, a detachment of the U.S. Army Rangers trained at a commando school in Scotland. The school included intense training in combat and wilderness survival techniques. The British soldiers at this school each wore a green beret cap; identical berets were then given to each U.S. Ranger who graduated from the program.

In 1954, two years after its official establishment, the Special Forces adopted the green beret caps to help distinguish them from other military units. The name ‘the Green Berets’ has stuck ever since.

9 – President Kennedy is Regarded as a Hero of the Green Berets

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Image Credit: Army.mil

In advance of his 1961 visit to Fort Bragg in North Carolina, President John F. Kennedy requested that the Army Special Forces soldiers in attendance wear their green beret caps. The beret thus far had been an unofficial part of the special forces uniform, but it was made official by the U.S. Army before Kennedy’s visit.

Every year on November 22th, the anniversary of President Kennedy’s assassination, the Special Forces lay a wreath and a green beret on his grave. Kennedy himself referred to the beret cap as a “symbol of excellence, a badge of courage, and a mark of distinction in the fight for freedom.”

10 – U.S. Special Ops Forces Are Deployed to 70% of the World’s Countries

U.S. Special Ops Forces Are Deployed to 75 of the Worlds Countries
Image Credit: In These Times

U.S. special ops forces are usually operating in at least 70% of the world’s countries at any given time. The number of countries that special ops forces have been deployed to increased significantly following 9/11 as part of the War on Terror.

Most of these deployments are usually done in conjunction with foreign military forces. In the above photo, South Korean marines are participating in a joint training exercise with U.S. special ops soldiers.

11 – Each Special Ops Soldier Receives Medical Training

Each Special Ops Soldier Receives Medical Training
Image Credit: Military.com

It’s a common misconception that only medics in the military receive medical training. When it comes to special ops forces, each individual soldier receives medical training to some degree and each soldier carries medical equipment while out in the field.

The medical equipment provided to each soldier will be relative to the environment that they are in. For example, any special ops soldiers operating near or by the ocean will be provided with a SharkBite kit.

12 – Special Ops Medics Are Among The World’s Highest Trained Medical Professionals

Special Ops Medics Are Among The Highest Trained Medical Professionals
Image Credit: Aggressive Medicine

The above being said, special ops medics are among the most highly trained medical professionals in the world.

They are capable of conducting physical exams out in the field, diagnosing serious diseases, bandaging wounds, vaccinating people, performing surgeries, setting bone fractures, identifying bacteria in water, dental work, and delivering babies, among other important medical tasks.

13 – There are Eight Teams of Navy SEALs

There are Eight Teams of Navy SEALs
Image Credit: Asia Times

The U.S. Navy SEALs (Sea, Air, and Land) are among the most elite special ops units in the entire world. There are currently eight teams of SEALs numbered as follows: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 10.

There is no SEAL Team 9, and the famous is SEAL Team 6 is actually officially designated as a ‘Rainbow’ team due to their personnel being broken down under four colors (blue, gold, red, and silver).

14 – SEAL Training is Among the Most Grueling in the World

SEAL Training is Among the Most Grueling in the World
Image Credit: NBC News

It’s no easy feat becoming a U.S. Navy SEAL. SEALs have to undergo over a year of the most physically demanding and intensive training in the world. They start with up to 12 weeks of training at the Naval Special Warfare Preparatory School, followed up by three weeks of physical testing.

This is then followed up with twenty-five weeks of BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL) training; the third week of this period is infamously known as ‘hell week’ and consists of 135 hours of almost non-stop physical training. Any SEALs who pass this phase then have 28 weeks of SEAL qualification course training ahead of them, which is essentially where they receive their specialized combat training.

15 – Special Ops Soldiers Regularly Play Team-Based Sports

Special Ops Soldiers Regularly Play Team Based Sports
Image Credit: vrre.univ-mosta.dz

Special ops soldiers will regularly play sports with one another, such as soccer, football, or water polo. Not only does this help them maintain their stamina, physical strength, and endurance, it also helps them to keep a team-based mindset and camaraderie with one another, which is vital for when they’re out in the field on missions.

16 – SOCOM Was Created to Coordinate the Special Ops Forces

SOCOM Was Created to Coordinate the Special Ops Forces
Image Credit: Wikipedia

In 1980, President Jimmy Carter ordered operation Eagle Claw to rescue more than fifty diplomats who were being held hostage in the U.S. embassy in Iran. The mission ended in disaster with eight U.S. servicemen being killed. The failure of the operation compelled Congress to create SOCOM to oversee and command Special Operations forces across all branches of the military to help prevent future calamities.

Today, each U.S. military branch has its own Special Operations command, but SOCOM makes sure that training and equipment is standardized across each branch and that the various branches can work together closely as needed.

17 – Special Ops Soldiers Also Provide Humanitarian Aid

Special Ops Soldiers Also Provide Humanitarian Aid
Image Credit: Army.mil

It’s not just tactical missions that U.S. special ops soldiers engage in. They also regularly take part in humanitarian work to provide help and support to disadvantaged or displaced people from around the world.

In recent years, special ops soldiers have been involved in providing humanitarian aid to regions like Afghanistan, Haiti, Japan, Nepal, and Syria.

18 – Some Special Ops Soldiers are Weathermen

Some Special Ops Soldiers are Weathermen
Image Credit: Ameritex Flag

Yep, you read that right. Soldiers in the Special Operations Weather Team (SOWT), under the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), are primarily trained to predict the weather. Specifically, they take and interpret meteorological data to predict weather patterns in hostile territory, which they can then provide to other land, naval, or air forces operating in the area.

SOWTs have been a part of the military since World War I and are currently integrated with other special ops units like the SEALs and the Delta Force. Besides predicting the weather, they also take part in combat missions and providing humanitarian aid as well.

19 – At Least One Special Ops Group ‘Doesn’t Exist’

At Least One Special Ops Group Doesnt Exist
Image Credit: Reddit

The Army Combat Applications Group is a group of elite, tier-one operators who are guaranteed to be in contact with enemy forces if they are accepted. Any one who passes the very rigorous training period to become a Combat Applications Group Operator will work closely with America’s highest intelligence agencies to execute top secret missions around the world that are off the books. They simply ‘cease to exist’ at that point.

20 – Air Force Combat Controllers Routinely Work Behind Enemy Lines

Air Force Combat Controllers Routinely Work Behind Enemy Lines
Image Credit: Air Force

Air Force Combat Controllers are exclusively trained to deploy covertly behind enemy lines to establish assault zones for other special forces units. In the process, they may need to conduct air traffic control and provide direct support to other units who deploy in the assault zone. That’s why the motto of the Combat Controllers is “First There.”

21 – Marine Raiders Regularly Deploy 14-Man Teams in High Stakes Operations

Marine Raiders Regularly Deploy in 14 Man Teams
Image Credit: Marine Raider Foundation

In 2006, the Marine division of SOCOM was formally activated as MARSOC, and in 2015, they were officially redesigned as ‘Marine Raiders’ in reference to the Marine Raider regiments who served in amphibious operations in World War II.

The official motto of the Marine Raiders is ‘Gung Ho!’ and it’s not hard to see why. They regularly deploy in 14-man teams in various high-stakes counterterrorism missions. They are specifically trained to thrive and fight in some of the most difficult and hostile environments the world has to offer.

22 – Navy SWCCs Often Transport Navy SEALs On Their Missions

Navy SWCCs Often Transport Navy SEALs On Their Missions
Image Credit: Wikipedia

The Navy SWCC (Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen), also known as the ‘boat guys,’ are among the highest trained units in the United States military when it comes to operations in rivers or along ocean coastlines.

One of their primary objectives is to insert and extract Navy SEAL units from highly classified locations where their missions take place. Like the SEALs, they also undergo incredibly grueling training that most applicants fail to complete. Their motto is “On Time, On Target, Never Quit.”

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