The public and most of the news media seem to be confused about just what units of our military are “Special Forces.” It seems the Navy SEALS, Army Rangers, Green Berets, and the infrequently mentioned Delta Force are all referred to as “Special Forces.” While all of these units are the elite of our military they come under the umbrella known as Special Operations. Each has it’s own unique method of operation which I will not go into here. To clarify the confusion Special Forces are a unit unto themselves and are also known as Green Berets.
Getting back to the SEALs, now seems like a good opportunity to read the book “Lone Survivor.” This is the story told by the only survivor of the worst SEAL team loss in their history. The beginning is all about their training, which I believe is the toughest physically and mentally of any of our elite military units. It is a must read to appreciate just what they do and how this disaster occurred due to “political correctness.”
To find out about Special Forces I suggest reading “Horse Soldiers,” the story of how just over a hundred Green Berets along with Afghan Northern Alliance tribesmen took out the Taliban just after 9/11. The accomplished mission that was lost to the public.
“The Road to Unafraid” written by an Army Ranger who documents many of his missions including Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1993 will give the reader a better appreciation for what the Rangers do. The author went on to become a Chaplain in the Rangers.
“Never Surrender” written by one of the founding members of Delta Force, tells the story of how Delta Force got its beginning and numerous Delta Force operations including the Iranian Hostage rescue that went wrong.
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