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    U.S. Army Special Forces Handbook
    U.S. Army Special Forces Handbook
    U.S. Army Special Forces Handbook
    Ebook261 pages1 hour

    U.S. Army Special Forces Handbook

    By U.S. Department of the Army

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    About this ebook

    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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSkyhorse
    Release dateJun 17, 2008
    ISBN9781626369597
    U.S. Army Special Forces Handbook
    Author

    U.S. Department of the Army

    The  Department of the Army  (DA) is one of the three military departments within the  Department of Defense of the United States of America. Its mission is to fight and win our Nation’ s wars by providing prompt, sustained land dominance across the full range of military operations and spectrum of conflict in support of combatant commanders.

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    • 5/5
      I always love these DoD publications. They're rarely reader friendly, but they're really not supposed to be. They aren't artists, they don't care about layout. It's all about the content, and like virtually all of the dozens and dozens I've read, this one continues in delivering high quality content. Recommended for those interested in the topic...

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    U.S. Army Special Forces Handbook - U.S. Department of the Army

    CHAPTER 1

    GENERAL

    I. MISSION OF SPECIAL FORCES:

    To plan and conduct unconventional warfare operations in areas not under friendly control.

    To organize, equip, train, and direct indigenous forces in the conduct of guerrilla warfare.

    To train, advise, and assist indigenous forces in the conduct of counterinsurgency and counterguerrilla operations in support of U.S. combat war objectives.

    To perform such other special forces missions as may be directed or as may be inherent in or essential to the primary mission of guerrilla warfare.

    II. UNCONVENTIONAL WARFARE IS COMPOSED OF THE INTERRELATED FIELDS OF:

    Guerrilla warfare.

    Evasion and escape.

    Subversion against hostile states.

    III. MISSIONS OF GUERRILLA FORCES:

    Primary:

    Interdict enemy lines of communication.

    Interdict enemy installations and centers of war production, and conduct other offensive operations in support of conventional military operations.

    Supporting Tasks:

    Intelligence.

    Psychological warfare.

    Evasion and escape.

    Subversion against hostile states.

    ORGANIZATION OF SFG AND SFOB

    e9781602391260_i0002.jpg

    Figure 1.

    IV. COMPOSITION OF OPERATIONAL DETACHMENTS:

    Operational Detachment A:

    Operational Detachment B:

    Operational Detachment C:

    CHAPTER 2

    TACTICS

    I. ESTIMATE OF THE SITUATION

    1. MISSION:

    Mission assigned and analysis thereof to include sequence of task(s) to be performed and the purpose.

    2. SITUATION AND COURSES OF ACTION:

    Considerations affecting possible courses of action.

    Characteristics of the area of operation: weather, terrain, other.

    Relative combat power: enemy situation and friendly situation.

    Enemy capabilities.

    Own courses of action: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How as appropriate.

    3. ANALYSIS:

    Select enemy capabilities.

    List advantages and disadvantages.

    Course of action vs enemy capabilities.

    Course of action vs enemy capabilities.

    4. COMPARISON:

    Review and summary of advantages and disadvantages.

    Determination of significant advantages and disadvantages.

    5. RECOMMENDATION/DECISION:

    Formal statement of the course of action recommended/adopted.

    OPERATION ORDER

    Task Organization: Includes the task subdivisions or tactical components comprising the command and reflects the unit of organization for combat.

    1. SITUATION:

    Enemy Forces: situation, capabilities. Indications.

    Friendly Forces: missions and locations of higher adjacent, supporting and reinforcing units.

    Attachments and Detachments: units attached to or detached from the unit issuing the order, for the operation concerned. Effective time of attachment or detachment is indicated when other than the time of the order.

    2. MISSION:

    Based on the order of the next higher headquarters and the commander’s analysis of his mission, this paragraph contains a clear, concise statement of task(s) to be accomplished by the unit issuing the order and its purpose.

    3. EXECUTION:

    Concept of Operations.

    Tactical mission of unit.

    Coordinating Instruction: Tactical instructions and details of coordination applicable to two or more elements of the command.

    4. ADMINISTRATION AND LOGISTICS:

    Matters concerning supply, transportation, service, labor, medical evacuation and hospitalization, personnel, civil affairs and miscellaneous.

    5. COMMAND AND SIGNAL:

    Signal instructions and Information.

    Command post and location of the commander.

    ANNEXES:

    Operation overlay.

    Fire support plan.

    DISTRIBUTION:

    II. PATROL LEADER’S ORDER

    1. SITUATION:

    Enemy forces: Weather, terrain, identification, location, activity, strength.

    Friendly Forces: Mission of next higher unit, location and planned actions of units on right and left, fire support available for patrol, mission and routes of other patrols.

    Attachments and Detachments.

    2. MISSION:

    What the patrol is going to accomplish?

    3. EXECUTION:

    (Subparagraph for each subordinate unit.)

    Concept of operation.

    Specific duties of elements, teams, and individuals.

    Coordinating instructions:

    Time of departure and return.

    Formation and order of movement.

    Route and alternate route of return.

    Identification techniques used when departing and reentering the friendly area(s).

    Rallying points and action at rallying points.

    Location and actions at mission support sites.

    Actions on enemy contact.

    Actions at danger areas.

    Actions at objective.

    Rehearsals and inspections.

    Debriefing.

    4. ADMINISTRATION AND LOGISTICS:

    Rations.

    Arms and ammunition.

    Uniform and equipment. (State which member will carry and use.)

    Method of handling wounded and prisoners.

    5. COMMAND AND SIGNAL:

    Signal.

    Signals to be used within the patrol.

    Communication with higher headquarters—radio call signs, primary and alternate frequencies, times to report and special code to be used.

    Challenge and password.

    Command:

    Chain of command.

    Location of patrol leader and assistant patrol leader Information.

    III. PATROL WARNING ORDER

    The patrol warning order should consist of the following items of information.

    A brief statement of the enemy and friendly situation.

    Mission of the patrol.

    General instructions.

    General and special organization.

    Uniform and equipment common to all, to include identification and camouflage measures.

    Weapons, ammunition, and equipment each member will carry.

    Who will accompany patrol leader on reconnaisance and who will supervise patrol members’ preparation during patrol leader’s absence.

    Instructions for obtaining rations, water, weapons, ammunition and equipment.

    The chain of command.

    A time schedule for the patrol’s guidance. At a minimum, include meal times and the time, place, and uniform for receiving the patrol leader’s order.

    IV. TROOP LEADING PROCEDURE

    Begin planning:

    Study terrain from map, sketch or aerial photo for:

    Critical terrain features.

    Observation and fields of fire.

    Cover and concealment.

    Obstacles.

    Avenues of approach.

    Make quick estimate of situation (thorough as time permits).

    Make preliminary plan.

    Arrange for:

    Movement of unit (where, when, how).

    Reconnaissance (select route, schedule, persons to take along, use of subordinates).

    Issue of order (notify subordinate leaders of time and place).

    Coordination (adjacent and supporting units).

    Make reconnaissance (examine the ground-see la above, if necessary changes preliminary plan).

    Complete plan (receive recommendations, complete estimates, change preliminary plan as necessary, prepare order).

    Issue order (include orientation on terrain if possible).

    Supervise.

    THE GUERRILLA BASE

    e9781602391260_i0006.jpg

    Figure 1.

    ORGANIZATION OF A RAID FORCE

    e9781602391260_i0007.jpg

    Figure 2. An example of the organization for movement of a raid force.

    e9781602391260_i0008.jpg

    Figure 3.

    CONDUCT OF A RAID

    e9781602391260_i0009.jpg

    Figure 4.

    CHAPTER 3

    DEMOLITIONS

    I. INTRODUCTION

    The following information pertaining to field engineering and demolitions is intended to supplement, but not to replace, that contained in FM 5-25, Explosives and Demolitions, and FM 5-34 Engineer Field Data. These field manuals, GTA 5-14, the Demolition Card and GTA 5-21, the Mine Card, are convenient references that should be obtained and used in conjunction with this section of the handbook.

    TABLE I. PRINCIPAL EXPLOSIVES OF THE WORLD.

    e9781602391260_i0010.jpge9781602391260_i0011.jpg

    TABLE II. BASIC DEMOLITION FORMULAS.

    e9781602391260_i0012.jpg
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