Special Forces Command exercises command and control over five active component groups. Additionally, it exercises training oversight of two Army National Guard groups. Each Special Forces Group is regionally oriented to support one of the war fighting commanders in chief (see below).

Special Forces soldiers are carefully selected, specially trained and capable of extended operations in extremely remote and hostile territory. They train to perform five doctrinal missions: Foreign Internal Defense (FID), Unconventional Warfare (UW), Special Reconnaissance (SR), Direct Action (DA) and Counter Terrorism (CT).

While Special Forces soldiers are capable of performing all of these missions, an increasing emphasis is being placed on Foreign Internal Defense, or FID, and Coalition Warfare Support. FID operations are designed to help friendly developing nations by working with host country military and police forces to improve their technical skills, understanding of human rights issues and to help with humanitarian and civic action projects.

A new mission that has emerged as a result of Operation Desert Storm is coalition warfare/support. Coalition warfare/support draws upon the Special Forces soldier's maturity, military skills, language skills and cultural awareness. It ensures the ability of a wide variety of foreign troops to work together effectively in a wide variety of military exercises or operations such as Operation Desert Storm.

In addition to the individual skills of operations and intelligence, communications, medical aid, engineering, and weapons, each Special Forces soldier is taught to train, advise and assist host-nation military or paramilitary forces. Special Forces soldiers are highly skilled operators, trainers and teachers. Area-oriented, these soldiers are specially trained in their area's native language and culture.

Gunnery Network - SOF