Delta Force

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{{Infobox Military Unit |unit_name= 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (Airborne) |image= Image:SFOD-D Patch.jpg |caption= 1st SFOD-D (A) Insignia |dates= 1978 |country= United States |allegiance= |branch= United States Army |type= Special Operations |role= Versatile special operations force, mainly trained for counter-terrorism. |size= |command_structure= U.S. Army Special Operations Command |current_commander= |garrison= Fort Bragg, North Carolina |ceremonial_chief= |colonel_of_the_regiment= |nickname= "Combat Applications Group (CAG)"
"Delta Force" |patron= |motto= |colors= |march= |mascot= |battles= Operation Urgent Fury
Operation Just Cause
Operation Desert Storm
Operation Restore Hope
Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Iraqi Freedom |anniversaries= }}

The 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (Airborne) (1st SFOD-D (A)), commonly known as Delta within the U.S. Army or Delta Force by the general public, (and known in the Pentagon officially as the Combat Applications Group) is a Special Operations Force (SOF) of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). The force's main task is counter-terrorism, although it is extremely versatile. Delta Force is believed to conduct missions similar to those regularly attributed to the British Special Air Service (SAS), after which Delta Force was modeled, the Canadian's (JTF 2) the Australian Special Air Service Regiment (SASR), the Israeli Sayeret Matkal, the U.S. Navy's DEVGRU, Germany's GSG-9 and KSK, France's GIGN, the Polish GROM, the Indian National Security Guards and other elite counter-terrorism forces worldwide.

Contents

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Background

The Pentagon controls information about Delta Force tightly and publicly refuses to comment on the secretive unit. The unit took part in Operation Eagle Claw, the failed attempt to rescue American hostages from the U.S. Embassy in Iran in 1980. The mission failed due to mechanical problems with the helicopters transporting the rescuers, caused by a severe sandstorm clogging engine intakes and reducing visibility to nothing. After the debacle the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) was created to transport Special Forces personnel.

[1] [2] (PDF files)

Since the 1990s, the Army has posted recruitment notices for the 1st SFOD-D [3] [4] [5] (PDF files), which many believe refers to Delta Force. The Army, however, has never released an official fact sheet for the force.

In 1999, writer Mark Bowden published the book ‘Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War’ which chronicles the events that surrounded the October 3, 1993 Battle of Mogadishu. The book, in a short brief, relates Delta Force's involvement in the operations that occurred before the events leading to the battle. The book was later turned into a film by director Ridley Scott in 2001.

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Operations

According to the book Inside Delta Force by CSM Eric L. Haney (ret.), the smallest unit is a team, consisting of four to five members. The next tier is the troop level, consisting of four to five teams. Finally, squadron level(there are four squadrons) consists of four or five troops. Each troop specializes in HALO/HAHO, SCUBA, or other skill groups. Squadrons are broken down into troops and teams as needed to fit mission requirements.

Each individual member of Delta is known as an operator. This was to avoid confusion with the CIA's term operative.

Image:Delta Force during Operation Just Cause.jpg

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Recruitment and training

Contrary to popular belief Delta Force is believed to recruit its members solely from the Army, usually from the Army Special Forces (Green Berets) and the Rangers. Their main compound stands in a remote area of Fort Bragg, North Carolina and is thought to house about 2,500 personnel. Reports of the compound mention numerous shooting facilities for close-quarters battle, long-range sniping and counter-sniping, a dive tank, an Olympic size swimming pool, a huge climbing wall, and a mockup of an airliner.

Potential Delta Force operators reportedly undergo an extremely tough training regime, which can be assumed to be similar only to the Navy SEALS, British Special Air Service and Special Boat Service selection process.

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Delta Force in modern conflicts

One of several operations in which Delta Force operators are thought to have played important roles was the invasion of Iraq in 2003. [6] (PDF file) They allegedly entered Baghdad in advance, along with SEALs from DEVGRU, building networks of informants while eavesdropping on and sabotaging Iraqi communication lines.

The force was also involved in the offensive against the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2002. [7] Many observers strongly suspect that members of Delta Force made up one of two units involved in a raid on a residence belonging to Mullah Omar. According to The Pentagon the level of resistance to that operation was minimal.

The Mullah was not present but some papers and computer disks were said to have been seized in the raid. Critics later alleged that the second unit was unnecessary, claiming that it was very large and uncoordinated. As a result, they say, the defenders were alerted early and the number of friendly casualties was in fact higher than reported. According to the book Shadow Wars by David Pugliese Delta operators wanted a quiet insertion method which was denied as command opted for a combined Ranger Assault. Taliban fighters apparently ambushed the team when they were extracting and several Delta operators were severely wounded.

Delta Force operators are granted an enormous amount of flexibility and autonomy, as with their Navy counterpart, DEVGRU. They reportedly do not maintain any general uniformed presence and civilian clothing is the norm on or off duty while at Ft. Bragg. This is done to conceal the identities of these "secret soldiers". Uniforms are rarely worn, if at all, with any markings, names, or branch names on them. Hair styles and facial hair are allowed to grow to civilian standards in order for the force to be able to blend in and not be immediately recognized as military personnel.

This special status that sets the force apart from the "regular army" is depicted quite accurately in the movie Black Hawk Down. The Army Rangers in the film, elite by their own right, have the standard "high and tight" haircuts, yet the Delta Force operators are seen to be sporting much longer styles with side burns, unshaven faces, and non-military issue helmets (black helmets) and boots.

According to Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War, Delta Force team members are typically referred to by other personnel only as "D-Boys" or "Operators." The book also mentions that they hold little regard for rank within their force and refer to one another only by nicknames. Throughout the book Delta soldiers are recorded as expressing contempt for other, more regular US Army units, dismissing their training and combat performance. The Rangers on the other hand are throughout recorded as being in awe of the Delta soldiers, who were almost invariably older and with much greater skill and experience.

Delta Operators' unconventional nature also allows them to carry highly customized weapons. Although their standard weapon of choice may be the M4 carbine, it is not unusual to find them carrying foreign weapon systems that are often used by the enemy in the Area of Operation (AO). This is to either help them "blend in" with the locals or to use the ammunition from slain enemy fighters.

Additionally, in his book "Killing Pablo," Mark Bowden insinuates that a Delta Force sniper may have assassinated Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.

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Operations

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Famous Delta Force operators

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Links

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See also

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References

  1. Schlosta, Matthew. Delta Force recruiting special forces operators on post next week. Fort Huachuca, Arizona: The Fort Huchuaca Scout. November 13, 2003.
  2. Mountaineer. SFOD-D seeking new members. Fort Carson, Colorado: Mountaineer (publication). January 16, 2003.
  3. McGregor, James. Special mission recruiters look for elite to take up challenge. United States Marine Corps: Okinawa Marines (newspaper). June 28, 2002.
  4. Hasenauer, Heike. A Special Kind of Hero. United States Army Publishing Agency: Soldiers. November 1995. Volume 50, No 11.
  5. Eric Haney, former Delta Commando and founding member, 1979-1988, Inside Delta Force
  6. Robinson, Linda, Masters of Chaos: The Secret History of the Special Forces
  7. National Geographic Documentary: Road to Baghdadde:Delta Force

fr:1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (Airborne) he:כוח דלתא ja:デルタフォース pl:Delta Force sv:Delta Force

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