There has always been a romantic fascination with special operations forces (SOF). The idea of secret commandos or Rangers striking from the shadows surprising the enemy with overwhelming speed, violence of action, and cutting-edge technology appeals to America's image of highly trained, elite Soldiers. There is, however, another Soldier who fights from the shadows. This one is perhaps less known and far less understood. His real weapons are a deep understanding of terrain, the relationships built, and the influence developed to motivate and train others to take up the fight. These Soldiers are the U.S. Army SF, the "quiet professionals" whom history and popular culture often overlook. Designed to organize, train, and support indigenous personnel in behind-the-lines resistance activities, SF belongs to an organization unique in the Army's history. Founded at the Psychological Warfare Center at Fort Bragg in 1952 and based upon lessons learned and formation used in guerrilla warfare during World War II, its sole purpose was UW. The experience in Vietnam gave SF a second purpose: countering a subversive insurgency. This brief history identifies the precursors and major developments that created modern U.S. Army SF. FM 3-18 is the principal manual for Special Forces (SF) doctrine. It describes SF roles, missions, capabilities, organization, mission command, employment, and sustainment operations across the range of military operations. Topics include: The History of Special Forces-World War II, The Cold War, and Modern Special Forces The Role of Special Forces Special Forces Guidance and Principal Tasks The Organization of Special Forces-US Special Operations Command and the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School Employment of Special Forces-County Teams, Theater of Operations, and Training Programs Unconventional Warfare and Foreign Internal Defense

Field Manual (FM) 3-05.130, Army Special Operations Forces Unconventional Warfare, establishes keystone doctrine for Army special operations forces (ARSOF) operations in unconventional warfare (UW). It is based on lessons learned from both historical and contemporary UW operations. It is also based on existing, long-standing Army Special Forces (SF) UW doctrine; recently developed doctrine, such as counterinsurgency (COIN); and emerging affiliated concepts, such as irregular warfare (IW).

This publication outlines the planning process as it relates to a Special Forces (SF) operational detachment-alpha (ODA) conducting deliberate planning for special operations. Planning is an essential task common to all aspects of SF operations. More content available at: doguedebordeauxsurvival.com

This handbook reveals the techniques and tactics that make the U.S. Army Special Forces some of the most elite and highly skilled soldiers in the world. Trained to succeed in specialized operations such as reconnaissance, unconventional warfare, and counter-terrorism, these soldiers undergo a rigorous selection process and operate under the principles of self-sufficiency, stealth, speed, and teamwork. Here readers will discover how guerrilla forces differ from special forces and how unconventional warfare relates to both; how to conduct a raid; how to improvise explosive devices; and how special forces carry out air operations.

Volume 8 of the Army University Large Scale Combat Operations series. The Competitive Advantage: Special Operations Forces in Large Scale Combat Operations presents twelve historical case studies of special operations forces from World War I through Operation Iraqi Freedom. This volume sheds light upon the emerging roles, missions, and unique capabilities that have forged a path for Army Special Operations Forces today. These case studies set Large Scale Combat Operations in the center and place ARSOF's role in the forefront. If a reader were to take one piece from this volume, it would be the clear understanding of the close synergy that occurs between the Conventional Force and SOF in Large Scale Combat Operations for major wars in the 20th and early 21st century. That synergy should provide a broad azimuth for military planners and practitioners to follow as the Army, SOF, and the Joint Force combine to preserve the peace, defend the Nation, and defeat any adversary.

Doctrine provides a military organization with unity of effort and a common philosophy, language, and purpose. This manual, "Theater Army Operations" (FM3-93), discusses the organization and operations of the theater army headquarters, including its role as the Army Service component command (ASCC) to the geographic combatant commander (GCC) and the relationships between the theater army headquarters and the theater enabling commands. The manual also discusses theater army responsibilities for setting the theater, Title 10 functions and responsibilities, generally referred to as the combatant commander's daily operations requirements, as well as the operational employment of the theater army's contingency command post (CCP) to directly mission command limited types of operations.

This field manual establishes doctrine for military operations in a counterinsurgency (COIN) environment. It is based on lessons learned from previous counterinsurgencies and contemporary operations. It is also based on existing interim doctrine and doctrine recently developed. Counterinsurgency operations generally have been neglected in broader American military doctrine and national security policies since the end of the Vietnam War over 40 years ago. This manual is designed to reverse that trend. It is also designed to merge traditional approaches to COIN with the realities of a new international arena shaped by technological advances, globalization, and the spread of extremist ideologies--some of them claiming the authority of a religious faith. This is a comprehensive manual that details every aspect of a successful COIN operation from intelligence to leadership to diplomacy. It also includes several useful appendices that provide important supplementary material.

Special Operations ForcesReference Manual Fourth Edition

Written as a Top Secret US Army procedural manual and released under the Freedom of Information act this manual describes the step-by-step process recommended to control and contain the minds of the enemy and the general public alike. Within these pages you will read in complete detailed the Mission of PSYOP as well as PSYOP Roles, Policies and Strategies and Core Tasks. Also included are the logistics and communication procedures used to insure the "right" people get the "right" information.

This publication, Field Manual FM 3-98 Reconnaissance and Security Operations July 2015, provides doctrinal guidance and direction for Cavalry organizations, as well as reconnaissance and security organizations. This FM establishes the foundation for the development of tactics and procedures in subordinate doctrine publications. This publication applies across the range of military operations. While the main focus of this field manual is Cavalry formations within the units listed below, all maneuver formations must be able to conduct reconnaissance and security tasks. - Armored brigade combat team (ABCT) Cavalry squadron. - Infantry brigade combat team (IBCT) Cavalry squadron. - Stryker brigade combat team (SBCT) Cavalry squadron. - Battlefield surveillance brigade (BFSB) Cavalry squadron. - It is applicable to the- - Scout platoon of maneuver battalions. - Combat aviation brigade air squadron. The principal audiences for FM 3-98 are commanders, leaders, and staffs responsible for the planning, execution, or support of reconnaissance and security operations as well as instructors charged with teaching reconnaissance and security operations. Doctrine consists of fundamental principles that describe how to fight. At the tactical level, doctrine consists of authoritative principles concerning how to execute reconnaissance and security operations as part of Army and joint operations that require professional military judgment in their application. Importantly, our doctrine must describe how brigade combat teams (BCT) and subordinate units combine the capabilities of various arms into cohesive, combined arms, air-ground teams and provide a clear description of how to execute reconnaissance and security operations. This publication provides the commander and staff of Cavalry formations with doctrine relevant to Army and joint operations. This publication explains how effective reconnaissance and security operations generate depth, allow commanders reaction time and maneuver space, fight for information and collect information through stealth, protect against surprise, ease the forward movement of follow-on forces, and provide commanders with flexibility and adaptability. The doctrine described in this publication is applicable across unified land operations. The previous proponent manual for Cavalry Operations was FM 3-20.96, published 12 March 2010, which included operational considerations. This publication provides doctrinal guidance for all formations assigned to the ABCT, the IBCT, and SBCT. The following is a summary of each chapter in the manual: Chapter 1 addresses the role of Cavalry in unified land operations and Cavalry organizations. Chapter 2 discusses understanding the threat, potential threat groups and threat characteristics. Chapter 3 addresses the operational environment, shaping, engaging, and influencing outcomes, and consolidating gains. Chapter 4 highlights the updated concepts of mission command in relation to commander's reconnaissance and security guidance, the operations process and information collection. Chapter 5 begins with an overview, followed by a detailed discussion of the fundamentals of reconnaissance, forms of reconnaissance, and reconnaissance handover. Chapter 6 begins with an overview, followed with the fundamentals of security operations, counterreconnaissance, and the forms of security. Chapter 7 provides a short overview and then devotes a section to reconnaissance and security stability planning, stability principles and frameworks, and stability tasks. Chapter 8 describes sustainment for reconnaissance and security tasks, sustainment planning considerations for reconnaissance and security, sustainment considerations for reconnaissance and security and special sustainment consideration.