Demand for elite forces growing fast

As the U.S. and its allies pressure insurgents in Afghanistan and Pakistan, there will be a greater need for intelligence in North Africa where extremists seek sanctuary, the military's top special operations commander told Congress on Thursday.

Adm. Eric T. Olson, head of U.S. Special Operations Command, told the House Armed Services terrorism subcommittee Thursday that increased military pressure "will not necessarily end the (insurgent) activity, it will shift some of the sanctuaries to other places."

Counterterrorism officials have warned that battle-hardened extremists have been moving from the Pakistan-Afghanistan border to safe havens in north and east Africa, bringing sophisticated terrorist tactics with them.

Olson also said that it will take a long, patient effort to defeat insurgents in Afghanistan and Pakistan and win the hearts and minds of civilians.

Olson also told the subcommittee that his elite special operations forces can't grow fast enough to meet increasing global demands, so the Pentagon is depending more heavily on support that is not always available from regular forces.

He turned to intelligence concerns in North Africa in response to a question from Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., chairman of the subcommittee.

Smith asked Olson if the special operations forces could use more intelligence and surveillance coverage in North Africa, where al-Qaida has set up a franchise in the vast ungoverned areas.

"We've got to find ways of having a better understanding of what is happening there," Olson said, adding that increased surveillance would be one answer.

In Pakistan, Olson said the U.S. must be careful not to take any action that suggests the Pakistan military is an extension of the U.S. military. And in Afghanistan, he said, the key is to have as small a footprint as possible, and work "village by village, valley by valley."

"We need to get better at countering Taliban propaganda," added Smith, saying that the U.S., including Olson's special operations forces, must work with the locals to get the Afghan people "on our side."

He said he needs the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines to provide more logistics, intelligence, communications and air transportation support for his troops overseas.

"The non-availability of these force enablers has become our most vexing issue in the operational environment," Olson said.

Special operations forces can only grow by 3 percent to 5 percent a year, Olson said. But the need for those units to deploy in hot spots around the globe is outpacing that growth, he said.

The mobile, specially trained units carry out more secretive anti-terror missions, and in a number of countries they are used to train foreign forces.

In most cases, however, they rely on their brethren in larger, conventional military units to fuel their helicopters, fix their trucks, transport their troops and provide surveillance and other information.

Olson said there is still a shortage of manned and unmanned surveillance aircraft and systems, which are critical for his forces on the warfront.

Another challenge, he said, will be to ensure that special operations units serving in dangerous areas of Iraq get the support they need as the larger, conventional units leave the country.

There are 135,000 U.S. forces in Iraq, and they are scheduled to leave the cities by June. President Barack Obama has said that all combat forces will be out of the country by the end of August 2010, and all forces will be out of Iraq by the end of 2011.


Source:
http://www.military-world.net/Afghanistan/1538.html

Pic

In Kurdish northern Iraq, a U.S. special-forces soldier aims a .50-cal sniper rifle
at guerrillas of Ansar al-Islam. The Al-Qaeda-linked Ansar was driven from Iraqi villages into the mountains along the Iranian border by Kurdish and U.S. Forces."
Photograph by Kate Brooks-Corbis


U.S. Special Forces and Afghan Militia Force [AMF] mercenaries confront villagers during a raid upon Narizah in late August [Wally Santana, AP photo].


A US Army Special Forces soldier stands guard as Afghan civilians and Northern Alliance militia members look on in Khwaja Bahuaddin, Afghanistan. [Brennan Linsely, AP]

Delta Force 2

As a counter-terrorist group, Delta's main function is in hostage rescue. During Operation Just Cause Delta got their chance to do just that. Kurt Muse, an American businessman operating an underground radio station, had been jailed in the city of Modelo. A 160th SOAR MH-6 transported a team of troopers to the rooftop of the jail. The team fought its way down to the second floor and blew the door to Muse' cell, freeing him without injury. As the team and Muse made their way to the roof and the waiting MH-6, Kurt Muse counted at least five bodies. Not all had been killed; one terrified guard had been handcuffed to a staircase railing. Lifting off, the small helicopter was hit by small arms fire and fell to the street below. The pilot slid the aircraft along the ground to a parking lot and attempted to take off again. The aircraft was hit by ground fire again and hit the ground, this time permanently. A passing UH-60 spotted the infrared spotlight held up by a Delta trooper, and soldiers from the 6th Infantry Regiment came to their rescue. Four Delta operators were wounded, but Delta had "officially" validated their existance and saved Kurt Muse' life.

Delta also saw action in Desert Storm, although the full extent of what they did there has not been revealed. Delta Troopers provided security for General Norman Schwartzkopf and also took part in some missions into Iraq to locate Scud misile launchers for destruction. Delta recieved some unwanted publicity in the disasterous UN Campaign to stabilize the country of Somolia. During their mission in Mogadishu, Somolia, they assaulted different safe houses containing high-ranking members of warring clans and took them prisoner. Unfortunately, during their last mission two of the suport helicopters from the 160th SOAR were shot down. Two Delta operators were killed defending the survivors of the second crash, and at least one was killed in an on-foot extraction through a city populated with locals riled up against the Americans.

Operators from the 1st SFOD were cruicial to the invasion of Iraq in early 2003. It is reported that they were in place ahead of time in the capital of Bagdhad, building networks of informants while eavesdropping and sabotaging Iraqi communications lines.

Delta works closely with the 160th SOAR for air support, but they also have their own fleet of helicopters (the aviation platoon). Painted in civilian colors and with fake registration numbers, the helicopters can deploy with Delta operators and mount gun pods to provide air support as well as transportation. Delta/CAG also works with the CIA's Special Activities Staff.

Good Reads:
"DELTA, America's Elite Counterterrorist Force" Terry Griswold ISBN 0-87938-615-0
"Blackhawk Down" Mark Bowden ISBN 0-87113-738-0

Delta Force

The 1st SFOD-Delta (Delta force) is one the Federal Government's CT (Counter Terrorist) groups. Also known as CAG (Combat Applications Group) the Pentagon manages to tightly control what is known about this Unit. Their soldiers are recruited from the U.S. Army, mainly from the Special Forces Green Berets and Rangers. Their main compound is in a remote area of Fort Bragg and it is rumored that up to 2,500 personnel are present at this facility.

The TO (Table of Order) for Delta consists of three operational squadrons, a support squadron, a signal squadron, an aviation platoon, and what is termed the "Funny Platoon". This funny platoon is reported to be the only JSOC unit including female operators. Selection for all of these units is rigourous with more focus on mental abilities and toughness than physical.

Training involves runs through CQB (Close Quarters Battle) killing houses designed to teach teams and individuals how to assault buildings that have been captured by terrorists. Selective firing (whether or not to shoot a target) as well as the double tap (shooting the target twice to make sure that the target does not get up again) are instilled in the Counter-terrorism specialists.

Their facility at Bragg is reported to be considered the best special operation training facility in the world. The CQB indoor training range has earned the ominous nick-name, "The House of Horrors". The Facility comes equipped with mock-up of trains and buses for practice in tubular assaults, and there is reported to be a section of a wide-body jet in the units "aircraft room".