In this article, we look at the five most elite US military special forces and their roles. You can read about the US equipping its special forces with advanced, sophisticated military equipment by heading over to the 15 Most Elite US Military Special Forces and Their Role, where we have also shed light on the rigorous training that precedes soldiers joining their units.
5. Navy SEALs
The Navy SEALs are the primary special operations forces of the Naval Special Warfare Command. The name SEALs is derived from the unit’s expertise in carrying out special operations in sea, land, and air. Some of the roles of the Navy SEALs include counter-terrorism, special reconnaissance, unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, and direct action. Personnel who join the SEALs are highly professional and undergo rigorous training. They are often tasked with responsibilities to take out high-value targets and gather military intelligence behind enemy lines.
4. 24th Special Tactics Squadron
From here on now, all units are Tier-1 special mission units. The 24th Special Tactics Squadron is the special operations unit of the United States Air Force that is responsible for ensuring air support for critical missions, such as coordination of air assets, recovery of downed personnel, and direct fire missions, among others. Moreover, being a tier-1 unit, it provides airmen to the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), including combat controllers, pararescuemen, and personnel with expertise in special reconnaissance. It is among the most elite US military special forces.
3. Intelligence Support Activity
The Intelligence Support Activity is a highly secretive special unit under the Army, which is primarily responsible for gathering intelligence that becomes the basis for planning the most critical special operations. Operatives in the unit are recruited from across services and obtain information from a variety of sources, including signal intelligence and human intelligence. The Intelligence Support Activity is one of the most elite military special forces in the US.
2. Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU)
The Naval Special Warfare Development Group, often known as DEVGRU or SEAL Team 6, is a counter-terrorism and special reconnaissance force under the command of the US Navy. It is a tier-1 special operations unit in the military on par with the Delta Force. The unit is made up from personnel from the existing Navy SEALs team, and is organized into four line squadrons of 50 operators each. DEVGRU’s track record is among the most impressive. The team is tasked with only the most dangerous and secretive operations. As far as their role goes, they’re only tasked with the most dangerous and secretive special operations. DEVGRU was responsible for taking out Osama Bin Laden, the then leader of Al-Qaeda, back in 2011 in his hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
1. Delta Force
The Delta Force is the most elite counter-terrorism unit under the command of the US Army. The group has executed various successful counter-terrorism missions over the years, specifically related to hostage rescue, capturing and eliminating high-value terrorists, and intelligence gathering on threats of militancy. The unit is highly skilled in close-quarter combat, survival, evasion, tactical driving, among other skills. What sets Delta apart from DEVGRU is combat experience. Delta guys are selected from other special forces, while operators in DEVGRU can be recruited directly from civilians. Often, personnel of the Delta Force are tasked with ensuring protection of VIPs as well. The unit was responsible for taking out Abu-Bakr Al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS, in 2019 in Syria. Like DEVGRU, Delta Force is only tasked with the most dangerous and critical operations.
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