The Startling Size of US Special Forces

[n2doc]

US Special Operations Forces around the world, 2012-2013.Red: Special Ops Forces deployed in 2013
Blue: Special Ops Forces working with/training/advising/conducting operations with indigenous troops in the US or a third country during 2013.
Purple: Special Ops Forces deployed in 2012
Yellow: Special Operations Forces working with/training/advising/conducting operations with indigenous troops in the US or a third country during 2012.



"Dude, I don't need to play these stupid games. I know what you're trying to do." With that, Major Matthew Robert Bockholt hung up on me.

More than a month before, I had called US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) with a series of basic questions: In how many countries were US Special Operations Forces deployed in 2013? Are manpower levels set to expand to 72,000 in 2014? Is SOCOM still aiming for growth rates of 3%-5% per year? How many training exercises did the command carry out in 2013? Basic stuff.

And for more than a month, I waited for answers. I called. I left messages. I emailed. I waited some more. I started to get the feeling that Special Operations Command didn't want me to know what its Green Berets and Rangers, Navy SEALs and Delta Force commandos–the men who operate in the hottest of hotspots and most remote locales around the world–were doing.

Then, at the last moment, just before my filing deadline, Special Operations Command got back to me with an answer so incongruous, confusing, and contradictory that I was glad I had given up on SOCOM and tried to figure things out for myself.

more

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/01/map-startling-size-us-special%20forces

[niyad]

1. k and r and bookmarking. this is too depressing and too disgusting to read before coffee.

we are, without a doubt, the biggest, scariest, most secretive bully on the planet.

[phantom power]

2. recommend

[Octafish]

3. ''Dude, I don't need to play these stupid games. I know what you're trying to do.''

It's called journalism and it's supposed to be how We the People learn what our government does in our name, like make wars without end for profit.

[jsr]

4. Gotta go kill them over there before they come kill us here.

[L0oniX]

5. New Milton Bradly game called - World Police ver. 666.us

[Drew2510]

6. Ah, how did you expect they would respond to that sort of questioning?

Are we talking about size here (boots on the ground) or scope of deployment. Big, big difference.

[Bandit]

7. With Special Forces they are one and the same

Special Forces don't go anywhere in large numbers, like normal military troops do. When Special Forces are deployed, it is in small numbers. Four or five man teams usually. They normally use local forces to help guard their bases.

[Drew2510]

8. Thanks, I very much realize that. However

I wanted to get the OP to clarify or to understand this.

BTW an normal SF A team is composed of 12 people (ODA). Seal teams on the other hand may be composed of a hundred + members, but rarely tactically deployed that way.

[Bandit]

9. Things have changed some since I was in

We worked in five man teams almost exclusively, although when we used "road runners" they sometimes had six or seven men per team. Every SF encampment was guarded by locals (ARVN Rangers) etc.

[Drew2510]

10. Yes, me two.

[jmowreader]

13. A SEAL team (it's always in all caps) is equivalent to a SF company

On edit: an SF Operational Detachment Alpha consists of:

one Detachment Commander, who is a captain
one Assistant Detachment Commander, a warrant officer
one Team Sergeant, who's either a master sergeant or a sergeant major
one Assistant Operations and Intelligence Sergeant
two Weapons Sergeants
two Engineer Sergeants
two Medical Sergeants
two Communications Sergeants

That's how these guys are organized in garrison. When they go downrange the ODA splits in half. The Detachment Commander and team sergeant take one each weapons, engineer, medical and communications sergeant, and the Assistant Detachment Commander and the assistant O&I sergeant take the other half.

An SF company has six ODAs in it.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

11. Well, so much for the remnants the "Peace loving nation" BS meme.

[jwirr]

12. This does not look good to me. I know what we are doing in SAm. - trying to steal their oil again.

But what is left to steal in Asia and in Africa? Maybe slaves for our empire? Maybe he does know what the journalist is doing but Spec. Ops can rest assured we know what they are trying to do. They will soon need more cannon fodder for their games.

[haele]

14. Way too many expendable young men sent to way too many areas in the world.

The military is still pretty much the last go-to career for the poor or struggling - they're just being a bit more selective now that the need for boots on the ground is drawing down.

Special Operations is now becoming the go-to "career" (actually, career placeholder) for physical young men in economically depressed areas who aren't academically inclined enough to go through a police acadamy or can't get a sports scholarship that can get them into pro sports. An additional bennie with signing up is that as long as you keep your nose clean (or hide the bodies well enough), you don't have to worry about your job, pay, housing, or other benefits for the length of your contract. That's a major benefit in today's world - a guarenteed job with regular pay and some very good benefits (health, education, guarenteed vacation, housing) for at least six years.

They'll leave and get a police, security job - or mercenary - job after surviving their 6 - 10 years at SOCOM. Pretty much also guarenteed. But not so cush.

Haele