Special Forces (United States)

U.S. Army Special Forces
1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) combat service identification badge
Active	19 June 1952 – present
Country	United States of America
Branch	United States Army
Type	Special operations force
Role	Primary missions: Unconventional warfare Foreign internal defense Special reconnaissance Direct action Counter-terrorism Other roles: Counter-proliferation Counter-insurgency Hostage rescue Information operations Humanitarian missions Counter-narcotics Security forces assistance
Part of	1st Special Forces Command
Headquarters	Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Nickname(s)	Green Berets, Quiet Professionals, Soldier-Diplomats, Snake Eaters, Bearded Bastards
Motto(s)	De Oppresso Liber
Color of Beret	Rifle-green
Engagements	World War II Korean War Cold War Laotian Civil War Dominican Civil War Vietnam War Salvadoran Civil War Operation Urgent Fury Operation Just Cause Gulf War Somali Civil War  • Operation Restore Hope Operation Uphold Democracy Bosnian War Kosovo War War On Terror  • Operation Enduring Freedom  • Iraq War  • War in North-West Pakistan  • Operation Inherent Resolve  • Operation Freedom’s Sentinel Lord's Resistance Army insurgency Operation Atlantic Resolve
Website	www.army.mil/usasoc/

Primary missions:

Other roles:

The United States Army Special Forces, colloquially known as the Green Berets due to their distinctive service headgear, are a special operations force tasked with five primary missions: unconventional warfare (the original and most important mission of Special Forces), foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, direct action, and counter-terrorism. The first two emphasize language, cultural, and training skills in working with foreign troops. Other duties include combat search and rescue (CSAR), counter-narcotics, counter-proliferation, hostage rescue, humanitarian assistance, humanitarian demining, information operations, peacekeeping, psychological operations, security assistance, and manhunts; other components of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) or other U.S. government activities may also specialize in these secondary areas. Many of their operational techniques are classified, but some nonfiction works and doctrinal manuals are available.

As special operations units, Special Forces are not necessarily under the command authority of the ground commanders in those countries. Instead, while in theater, SF units may report directly to a geographic combatant command, USSOCOM, or other command authorities. The Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) highly secretive Special Activities Division (SAD) and more specifically its Special Operations Group (SOG) recruits from the Army's Special Forces. Joint CIA–Army Special Forces operations go back to the MACV-SOG branch during the Vietnam War. The cooperation still exists today and is seen in the War in Afghanistan.