DELTA FORCE
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:''For the computer game, see Delta Force (computer game). For the movie, see The Delta Force (film)''.
The '1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta' ('1st SFOD-D') — commonly known as 'Delta' in the U.S. Army, 'Delta Force' by civilians, and 'Combat Applications Group' by the Department of Defense — is a Special Operations Force (SOF) and an integral element of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC).
Delta Force's primary tasks are counter-terrorism and national intervention operations, although it is an extremely versatile group capable of assuming many missions, including, but not limited to, rescuing hostages, raids, and killing covert enemy forces. Delta Force conducts missions similar to those attributed to the British Special Air Service (SAS), on which it was originally modeled.
The unit was started by Colonel Charles Beckwith in 1977. Throughout its creation, the unit had the benefit of experience from the British SAS.
The unit took part in Operation Eagle Claw, the failed attempt to rescue American hostages from the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1980. The mission failed due to an overly complex plan, inadequate Special Operations Aviation training for the accompanying aircrews, a collision between a rescue helicopter and a refuelling tanker aircraft, and mechanical problems with the helicopters transporting the rescuers, caused by a severe sandstorm which clogged the engine intakes and reduced the pilots' visibility to nearly nothing.
After that debacle, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), also known as the "Nightstalkers", was founded and made responsible for the transporting of special forces personnel to and from Areas of Operation.
In 1999, writer Mark Bowden published the book '', 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.
1st SFOD-D has also participated in operations in a variety of foreign locations, including in Beirut, Lebanon and extensively in Central America, fighting the Salvadorian revolutionary group Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front and assisting the CIA-funded Contras, in Nicaragua.
The Pentagon tightly controls information about Delta Force and publicly refuses to comment on the secretive unit and its activities.
Delta Force operators are granted an enormous amount of flexibility and autonomy, similar to their Navy counterparts in the 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". When uniforms are worn, they lack markings, names, or branch names. 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 book ''Black Hawk Down'' by Mark Bowden (though less so in the film of the same name). Delta operators are allowed a significant degree of latitude in their "personal grooming standards." They are allowed to grow their hair longer than what "normal" army regulations would allow. Although the Army Rangers used to sport the standard "high and tight" haircut, the fact that the Ranger mission currently involves the support of Delta Force operations allows them to periodically assume the same "civilian" look of their Delta bretheren. Although the book "Blackhawk Down" also depicts Delta Force members wearing rock climbing helmets (to protect from bumps and scrapes while entering buildings rather than against gunfire) and hiking boots rather than the standard issue garments, it is unlikely that any armed forces soldier in the modern era would be seen wearing anything other than a ballistic helmet during combat operations.
Delta's unconventional nature also allows its members to carry highly-customized weapons. Like any other military unit, Delta has dedicated mission taskings including snipers and squad machine gunners. The flexibility of Delta means that weaponry is quite varied and often depends on the mission at hand or personal preference of the individual operators. Below is a list of common or highlighted weapons; the list should not in any way be considered complete, and it should also be noted that Delta Force operators often have access to the entire armory of the United States Army.
★ A common weapon of choice may be the M4 carbine often in use with various accessories including the M203 grenade launcher, and other accessories of the SOPMOD kit. The H&K MP5SD may still be available to Delta operators, but has fallen out of use as a CQB (close quarters battle) weapon due to the general acceptance of the superiority of the M4 carbine and the 5.56mm round's ballistic performance vs. that of the MP-5's 9mm cartridge.
★ Delta force operators often decide to pick up or bring in weapons that are in use with the indigenous forces or the enemy in the Area of Operations (AO). This is to help them blend in with the locals, to use local-style ammunition scavenged during the mission, or to conceal their country of origin if weapons are lost or captured.
★ It has been noted in a popular weapons magazine that "Delta Force gives each member a stipend with which to purchase his own customized M1911 in .45 caliber."[1] Former Delta operator Larry Vickers states on his webpage that the experience which contributed to his line of handbuilt 1911 pistols came from his fifteen years in Delta where "more .45 ACP ammo is shot out of 1911 style pistols than any other place in the world". [2]
★ Delta snipers use M14 in urban environments due to their semi-automatic ability, allowing for a follow-up shot much more quickly than with a bolt-action rifle. In Mark Bowden's book, ''Black Hawk Down'', he records that one of the elite Delta Force soldiers, Sergeant First Class Randy Shughart, chooses a M14 rifle because of the increased stopping power offered by the 7.62 NATO and reliability. Haney, in fact, notes that Delta snipers frequently use the M14 rather than more specialized sniping rifles. More recent upgrades to the M14, such as the M21 and M25 rifles are commonly in use, and often misidentified as M14s. In addition, the SR-25 rifle, a 7.62mm platform that is based on the same semi automatic operating system as the M4 and M16 rifle is also currently in use in the special operations community.
★ Vickers worked with Heckler & Koch to come up with a better weapon than the M4, and then asked his former colleagues to help test the weapon. [3] The Heckler & Koch HK416 was the first weapon to result from this program, and uses a different type of piston action as a remedy to the inherent fouling issue that the M4 Carbine carries with its direct impingement system. [4] The Heckler & Koch HK417 is a weapon based on the same piston system but designed to shoot the larger 7.62 NATO round for more stopping power, as the lack of stopping power from the 5.56 NATO is another criticism of the M4 from Special Forces troops. In a telling display of Delta Force's opinion on the new weapon, the first 500 production HK416 carbines were purchased by Delta Force, in addition to the prototypes already with Delta.
According to the book ''Inside Delta Force'' by Command Sergeant Major Eric L. Haney (ret.), the smallest unit is a team, consisting of four to five members. Each team specializes in HALO/HAHO, SCUBA, or other skill groups. The next tier is the troop level, consisting of four to five teams. Finally, squadron level (there are four squadrons) consists of two troops (Assault and Sniper). Squadrons are broken down into troops and teams as needed to fit mission requirements.
In ''Not a Good Day to Die: The Untold Story of Operation Anaconda'', ''Army Times'' staff writer Sean Naylor describes Delta as having nearly 1,000 operators. Naylor wrote that only approximately 250 of those are operators trained to conduct direct action and reconnaissance missions. Those soldiers are divided into three squadrons—A, B, and C—with each squadron subdivided into three troops. Two are assault troops while a third troop specializes in reconnaissance and surveillance and is known as the "recce" troop. The remaining soldiers in Delta are highly trained specialists in mechanics, communications, intelligence, and other support activities, on top of a headquarters staff.
Naylor also wrote that Delta maintains an aviation platoon using aircraft painted in civilian schemes and with fake identification numbers, different from the aircraft of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne)
[5]. This aviation platoon allegedly uses as many as twelve
AH-6 and MH-6 ''Little Birds''[6].
Most recruits come from the United States Army Special Forces (the ''Green Berets'') and the 75th Ranger Regiment, but recruits may volunteer from any branch of the Military, including the National Guard and Reserves.
Since the 1990s, the Army has posted recruitment notices for the 1st SFOD-D [7], which many believe refers to Delta Force. The Army, however, has never released an official fact sheet for the force. The recruitment notices placed in Fort Bragg's newspaper, Paraglide, refer to Delta Force by name, and label it ''"...the Department of Defense's highest priority unit..."'' [8]. The notice states that all applicants must be males, 22 years or older, have a general technical skill of 110 or higher, and be in the ranks of E-5 through E-8, with at least 4 and a half years in service.
Such recruits are usually men with skills such as proficiency in a foreign language or other desirable traits. The selection course begins with standard tests including: push-ups, sit-ups, and a three mile run. The recruits are then put through eighteen-mile, all-night land navigation courses while carrying a thirty-five pound rucksack. The rucksack's weight and the distance are increased and the time to complete the task is decreased with every march. The physical testing ends with a forty-mile march with a forty-five pound rucksack over very rough terrain which must be completed in an unknown amount of time. It is said that only the highest-ranking members of the Pentagon are allowed to see the set time limits, but all assessment and selection tasks and conditions are set by Delta training cadre. The mental portion of the testing begins with numerous psychological exams. The men then speak to the commander of Delta and others within the unit. If an individual is selected for Delta, then a 6 month training cycle/probation begins, starting with firearms accuracy and training with other types of munitions.
On many occasions, Delta Force will cross-train with similar units from allied countries such as the Australian SASR, British SAS, the German KSK and the Israeli Sayeret Matkal and will even help train other U.S. counter-terrorism and national intervention units, such as the FBI's HRT.
In his book ''Killing Pablo'', Mark Bowden suggests that a Delta Force sniper may have eliminated Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. There is no hard evidence of this though and credit is generally attributed to Colombian security forces.
Delta force was also involved in the offensive against the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2002 [9]. 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.
Though the Mullah was not present, 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.
One of several operations in which Delta Force operators are thought to have played important roles was the 2003 invasion of Iraq[10]. They allegedly entered Baghdad in advance, undercover with long hair and mustaches, along with SEALs from DEVGRU, guiding air strikes, building networks of informants while eavesdropping on and sabotaging Iraqi communication lines.
Delta Force has formed the core of the special strike unit which has been hunting individuals like Osama Bin Laden and others since the October 2001 beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom. It has been variously designated Task Force 11, in OEF, then Task Force 20, then seemingly Task Force 121, then after that Task Force 145 and Task Force 6-26 (not necessarily in that order).
★ Colonel Charles Beckwith
★
★ Selected by President Jimmy Carter to organize and form a highly specialized counter-terrorism unit, known today as Delta Force [11].
★ Major Richard Meadows
★
★ Key role in establishing Delta Force [12].
★ General Peter J. Schoomaker [13] [14] [15]
★
★ 35th Chief of Staff of the United States Army. Commander of ''1st SFOD-D'' from 1989–1992.
★ Major General David L. Grange
★
★ Commanded C Company, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, in Desert One in 1980. Commanded a ''1st SFOD-D'' squadron during the Invasion of Grenada. Deputy Commander of ''1st SFOD-D'' under General Schoomaker.
★ Lieutenant General William G. Boykin
★
★ Commander of 1st SFOD-D from 1992–1995. Commanding Officer of the 1st SFOD-D unit at the Battle of Mogadishu.
★ Master Sergeant Gary Gordon and Sergeant First Class Randall Shughart
★
★ Medals of Honor, KIA on October 3, 1993, during the Battle of Mogadishu.
★ Eric L. Haney, Command Sergeant Major, US Army (ret) [16]
★
★ Self-proclaimed founding member of Delta Force who has sparked controversy in his post-Army career. Wrote the book ''Inside Delta Force: The Story of America's Elite Counter-terrorist Unit'', upon which the television series ''The Unit'' is based [17] (and self-referenced in show credits).
★ Sergeant First Class Paul Howe
★
★ The real life version of Delta Force Sergeant First Class Jeff Sanderson, played by William Fichtner in the film ''Black Hawk Down''. Name changes were made in an attempt to keep the Delta Force operators anonymous.
★ Larry Vickers
★
★ Delta Force operator that went on to private industry firearms design. Some of his notable work includes help designing and consulting for Heckler & Koch on the Heckler & Koch HK416 and Heckler & Koch HK417 projects. He also runs a private training and consulting firm. [18]
★ Delta Force is referenced to in many video games, and is often a playable force.
★ In the television series ''24'', agent Jack Bauer is noted to have previously been a member of Delta Force. Delta Force also serves an integral part in the third season of the show.
★ In the novel ''Deception Point'' by Dan Brown, Delta Force plays a major antagonist role.
★ The television show ''The Unit'' is based on the book '' by the show's producer Eric Haney.
★ In the ''G.I. Joe'' comic book series by Larry Hama, the official name of the G.I. Joe Team is given as Special Counter-terrorist Group Delta.
★ In the movie ''Delta Force'', actor Chuck Norris and fellow Delta operators rescue American and international hostages taken by a fictitious Islamic terrorist organization that hijacks a commercial plane.
★ The book, and later movie, ''Black Hawk Down'', describes the attempt by Delta force and the US Army Rangers to capture a Somalian warlord, Mohammed Farrah Aidid.
★ In the novel ''By Order of the President'' by W.E.B. Griffin, Delta Force plays a significant role.
★ In the novel ''The Day Before Midnight'' by Stephen Hunter, several major characters are Delta Force members. The leader of Delta Force in the novel is a man named Richard Puller, who bears many similarities to Charlie Beckwith.
★ The popular ''Delta Force'' series by NovaLogic centers around Delta Force operations, one of the more recent games being ''.
★ In several of the Vince Flynn novels, Delta Force works with CIA operative Mitch Rapp.
★ Several former Delta Force members volunteer to help during the rescue mission at the end of the Bad Boys II movie.
★ U.S. Navy's DEVGRU,
★ U.S. Special Operation Forces
★ Joint Special Operations Command
★ United States Special Operations Command
★ Hostage Rescue Team of the FBI
★ List of special forces units
★ Beckwith, Charles (1983). ''Delta Force''
★ Haney, Eric. ''Inside Delta Force''
★ Bowden, Mark (1999). ''Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War''. Atlantic Monthly Press. Berkeley, California (USA). ISBN 0-87113-738-0 about operation Gothic Serpent
★ Bowden, Mark (2001). ''Killing Pablo: The Hunt for the World's Greatest Outlaw''. ISBN 0-87113-783-6 about the hunt for Pablo Escobar
★ Naylor, Sean (2005). ''"Not a Good Day to Die: The Untold Story of Operation Anaconda''", Penguin Group, New York about Operation Anaconda
★ Griswold, Terry. "DELTA, America's Elite Counterterrorist Force", ISBN 0-87938-615-0
★ Robinson, Linda, ''Masters of Chaos: The Secret History of the Special Forces''
★ National Geographic Documentary: ''Road to Baghdad''
1. Special Weapons for Military & Police #34
2. http://www.vickerstactical.com/about/industry.htm
3. http://www.vickerstactical.com/about/HK416.htm
4. http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/02/atCarbine070219/
5. Sean Naylor, ''"Not a Good Day to Die: The Untold Story of Operation Anaconda''", Berkley, ISBN 0425196097, p.30
6. http://www.specencyclopaedia.com/web/continents/North%20America/United%20States%20of%20America/SOF/1st%20SFOD-D%20(A)/delta.shtml
7. Mountaineer. SFOD-D seeking new members. Fort Carson, Colorado: ''Mountaineer'' (publication). January 16, 2003.
8. Fort Bragg's newspaper Paraglide, recruitment notice for Delta Force
9. http://www.hq.usace.army.mil/cepa/pubs/sep03/story13.htm
10. http://carlisle-www.army.mil/usawc/Parameters/03autumn/noonan.pdf
11. http://www.campbell.army.mil/1bde/distinguished_members_of_the_reg.htm
12. Hasenauer, Heike. A Special Kind of Hero. United States Army Publishing Agency: ''Soldiers''. November 1995. Volume 50, No 11.
13. http://www.army.mil/leaders/csa/default.htm
14. http://www.dod.mil/news/Jun2003/n06172003_200306172.html
15. http://www.mccoy.army.mil/ReadingRoom/Triad/06272003/Army%20Chief%20of%20Staff.htm
16. http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Delta_Force_founder_Bush_started_WWIII_0324.html
17. http://www.cbs.com/primetime/the_unit/bios/ehaney.shtml
18. http://www.vickerstactical.com/consulting.htm
★ http://www.defenselink.mil/ The official website of the United States Department of Defense, US Department of Defense, DoD
★ http://www.army.mil/ US Army
★ United Warrior Survivor Foundation, Supporting Families of Fallen Special Forces Members
★ http://www.infantrymen.net/ Infantrymen.net, Military reference focusing on the infantry (The secondary-MOS that Delta falls under)
★ http://www.specialoperations.com/Army/Delta_Force/default.html
★ http://www.aei.org/events/filter.all,eventID.1030/transcript.asp Transcript of Sean Naylor's speech to American Enterprise Institute
★ http://www.shadowspear.com/sfod.htm ShadowSpear.com Special Operations]
The '1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta' ('1st SFOD-D') — commonly known as 'Delta' in the U.S. Army, 'Delta Force' by civilians, and 'Combat Applications Group' by the Department of Defense — is a Special Operations Force (SOF) and an integral element of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC).
Delta Force's primary tasks are counter-terrorism and national intervention operations, although it is an extremely versatile group capable of assuming many missions, including, but not limited to, rescuing hostages, raids, and killing covert enemy forces. Delta Force conducts missions similar to those attributed to the British Special Air Service (SAS), on which it was originally modeled.
Background
The unit was started by Colonel Charles Beckwith in 1977. Throughout its creation, the unit had the benefit of experience from the British SAS.
The unit took part in Operation Eagle Claw, the failed attempt to rescue American hostages from the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1980. The mission failed due to an overly complex plan, inadequate Special Operations Aviation training for the accompanying aircrews, a collision between a rescue helicopter and a refuelling tanker aircraft, and mechanical problems with the helicopters transporting the rescuers, caused by a severe sandstorm which clogged the engine intakes and reduced the pilots' visibility to nearly nothing.
After that debacle, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), also known as the "Nightstalkers", was founded and made responsible for the transporting of special forces personnel to and from Areas of Operation.
In 1999, writer Mark Bowden published the book '', 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.
1st SFOD-D has also participated in operations in a variety of foreign locations, including in Beirut, Lebanon and extensively in Central America, fighting the Salvadorian revolutionary group Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front and assisting the CIA-funded Contras, in Nicaragua.
Overview
The Pentagon tightly controls information about Delta Force and publicly refuses to comment on the secretive unit and its activities.
Delta Force operators are granted an enormous amount of flexibility and autonomy, similar to their Navy counterparts in the 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". When uniforms are worn, they lack markings, names, or branch names. 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 book ''Black Hawk Down'' by Mark Bowden (though less so in the film of the same name). Delta operators are allowed a significant degree of latitude in their "personal grooming standards." They are allowed to grow their hair longer than what "normal" army regulations would allow. Although the Army Rangers used to sport the standard "high and tight" haircut, the fact that the Ranger mission currently involves the support of Delta Force operations allows them to periodically assume the same "civilian" look of their Delta bretheren. Although the book "Blackhawk Down" also depicts Delta Force members wearing rock climbing helmets (to protect from bumps and scrapes while entering buildings rather than against gunfire) and hiking boots rather than the standard issue garments, it is unlikely that any armed forces soldier in the modern era would be seen wearing anything other than a ballistic helmet during combat operations.
Weaponry
Delta's unconventional nature also allows its members to carry highly-customized weapons. Like any other military unit, Delta has dedicated mission taskings including snipers and squad machine gunners. The flexibility of Delta means that weaponry is quite varied and often depends on the mission at hand or personal preference of the individual operators. Below is a list of common or highlighted weapons; the list should not in any way be considered complete, and it should also be noted that Delta Force operators often have access to the entire armory of the United States Army.
★ A common weapon of choice may be the M4 carbine often in use with various accessories including the M203 grenade launcher, and other accessories of the SOPMOD kit. The H&K MP5SD may still be available to Delta operators, but has fallen out of use as a CQB (close quarters battle) weapon due to the general acceptance of the superiority of the M4 carbine and the 5.56mm round's ballistic performance vs. that of the MP-5's 9mm cartridge.
★ Delta force operators often decide to pick up or bring in weapons that are in use with the indigenous forces or the enemy in the Area of Operations (AO). This is to help them blend in with the locals, to use local-style ammunition scavenged during the mission, or to conceal their country of origin if weapons are lost or captured.
★ It has been noted in a popular weapons magazine that "Delta Force gives each member a stipend with which to purchase his own customized M1911 in .45 caliber."[1] Former Delta operator Larry Vickers states on his webpage that the experience which contributed to his line of handbuilt 1911 pistols came from his fifteen years in Delta where "more .45 ACP ammo is shot out of 1911 style pistols than any other place in the world". [2]
★ Delta snipers use M14 in urban environments due to their semi-automatic ability, allowing for a follow-up shot much more quickly than with a bolt-action rifle. In Mark Bowden's book, ''Black Hawk Down'', he records that one of the elite Delta Force soldiers, Sergeant First Class Randy Shughart, chooses a M14 rifle because of the increased stopping power offered by the 7.62 NATO and reliability. Haney, in fact, notes that Delta snipers frequently use the M14 rather than more specialized sniping rifles. More recent upgrades to the M14, such as the M21 and M25 rifles are commonly in use, and often misidentified as M14s. In addition, the SR-25 rifle, a 7.62mm platform that is based on the same semi automatic operating system as the M4 and M16 rifle is also currently in use in the special operations community.
★ Vickers worked with Heckler & Koch to come up with a better weapon than the M4, and then asked his former colleagues to help test the weapon. [3] The Heckler & Koch HK416 was the first weapon to result from this program, and uses a different type of piston action as a remedy to the inherent fouling issue that the M4 Carbine carries with its direct impingement system. [4] The Heckler & Koch HK417 is a weapon based on the same piston system but designed to shoot the larger 7.62 NATO round for more stopping power, as the lack of stopping power from the 5.56 NATO is another criticism of the M4 from Special Forces troops. In a telling display of Delta Force's opinion on the new weapon, the first 500 production HK416 carbines were purchased by Delta Force, in addition to the prototypes already with Delta.
Organization
According to the book ''Inside Delta Force'' by Command Sergeant Major Eric L. Haney (ret.), the smallest unit is a team, consisting of four to five members. Each team specializes in HALO/HAHO, SCUBA, or other skill groups. The next tier is the troop level, consisting of four to five teams. Finally, squadron level (there are four squadrons) consists of two troops (Assault and Sniper). Squadrons are broken down into troops and teams as needed to fit mission requirements.
In ''Not a Good Day to Die: The Untold Story of Operation Anaconda'', ''Army Times'' staff writer Sean Naylor describes Delta as having nearly 1,000 operators. Naylor wrote that only approximately 250 of those are operators trained to conduct direct action and reconnaissance missions. Those soldiers are divided into three squadrons—A, B, and C—with each squadron subdivided into three troops. Two are assault troops while a third troop specializes in reconnaissance and surveillance and is known as the "recce" troop. The remaining soldiers in Delta are highly trained specialists in mechanics, communications, intelligence, and other support activities, on top of a headquarters staff.
Naylor also wrote that Delta maintains an aviation platoon using aircraft painted in civilian schemes and with fake identification numbers, different from the aircraft of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne)
[5]. This aviation platoon allegedly uses as many as twelve
AH-6 and MH-6 ''Little Birds''[6].
Recruitment and training
Most recruits come from the United States Army Special Forces (the ''Green Berets'') and the 75th Ranger Regiment, but recruits may volunteer from any branch of the Military, including the National Guard and Reserves.
Since the 1990s, the Army has posted recruitment notices for the 1st SFOD-D [7], which many believe refers to Delta Force. The Army, however, has never released an official fact sheet for the force. The recruitment notices placed in Fort Bragg's newspaper, Paraglide, refer to Delta Force by name, and label it ''"...the Department of Defense's highest priority unit..."'' [8]. The notice states that all applicants must be males, 22 years or older, have a general technical skill of 110 or higher, and be in the ranks of E-5 through E-8, with at least 4 and a half years in service.
Such recruits are usually men with skills such as proficiency in a foreign language or other desirable traits. The selection course begins with standard tests including: push-ups, sit-ups, and a three mile run. The recruits are then put through eighteen-mile, all-night land navigation courses while carrying a thirty-five pound rucksack. The rucksack's weight and the distance are increased and the time to complete the task is decreased with every march. The physical testing ends with a forty-mile march with a forty-five pound rucksack over very rough terrain which must be completed in an unknown amount of time. It is said that only the highest-ranking members of the Pentagon are allowed to see the set time limits, but all assessment and selection tasks and conditions are set by Delta training cadre. The mental portion of the testing begins with numerous psychological exams. The men then speak to the commander of Delta and others within the unit. If an individual is selected for Delta, then a 6 month training cycle/probation begins, starting with firearms accuracy and training with other types of munitions.
On many occasions, Delta Force will cross-train with similar units from allied countries such as the Australian SASR, British SAS, the German KSK and the Israeli Sayeret Matkal and will even help train other U.S. counter-terrorism and national intervention units, such as the FBI's HRT.
Known Operations
Delta Force in modern conflicts
In his book ''Killing Pablo'', Mark Bowden suggests that a Delta Force sniper may have eliminated Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. There is no hard evidence of this though and credit is generally attributed to Colombian security forces.
Delta force was also involved in the offensive against the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2002 [9]. 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.
Though the Mullah was not present, 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.
One of several operations in which Delta Force operators are thought to have played important roles was the 2003 invasion of Iraq[10]. They allegedly entered Baghdad in advance, undercover with long hair and mustaches, along with SEALs from DEVGRU, guiding air strikes, building networks of informants while eavesdropping on and sabotaging Iraqi communication lines.
Delta Force has formed the core of the special strike unit which has been hunting individuals like Osama Bin Laden and others since the October 2001 beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom. It has been variously designated Task Force 11, in OEF, then Task Force 20, then seemingly Task Force 121, then after that Task Force 145 and Task Force 6-26 (not necessarily in that order).
Famous Delta Force operators
★ Colonel Charles Beckwith
★
★ Selected by President Jimmy Carter to organize and form a highly specialized counter-terrorism unit, known today as Delta Force [11].
★ Major Richard Meadows
★
★ Key role in establishing Delta Force [12].
★ General Peter J. Schoomaker [13] [14] [15]
★
★ 35th Chief of Staff of the United States Army. Commander of ''1st SFOD-D'' from 1989–1992.
★ Major General David L. Grange
★
★ Commanded C Company, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, in Desert One in 1980. Commanded a ''1st SFOD-D'' squadron during the Invasion of Grenada. Deputy Commander of ''1st SFOD-D'' under General Schoomaker.
★ Lieutenant General William G. Boykin
★
★ Commander of 1st SFOD-D from 1992–1995. Commanding Officer of the 1st SFOD-D unit at the Battle of Mogadishu.
★ Master Sergeant Gary Gordon and Sergeant First Class Randall Shughart
★
★ Medals of Honor, KIA on October 3, 1993, during the Battle of Mogadishu.
★ Eric L. Haney, Command Sergeant Major, US Army (ret) [16]
★
★ Self-proclaimed founding member of Delta Force who has sparked controversy in his post-Army career. Wrote the book ''Inside Delta Force: The Story of America's Elite Counter-terrorist Unit'', upon which the television series ''The Unit'' is based [17] (and self-referenced in show credits).
★ Sergeant First Class Paul Howe
★
★ The real life version of Delta Force Sergeant First Class Jeff Sanderson, played by William Fichtner in the film ''Black Hawk Down''. Name changes were made in an attempt to keep the Delta Force operators anonymous.
★ Larry Vickers
★
★ Delta Force operator that went on to private industry firearms design. Some of his notable work includes help designing and consulting for Heckler & Koch on the Heckler & Koch HK416 and Heckler & Koch HK417 projects. He also runs a private training and consulting firm. [18]
Delta Force in popular culture
★ Delta Force is referenced to in many video games, and is often a playable force.
★ In the television series ''24'', agent Jack Bauer is noted to have previously been a member of Delta Force. Delta Force also serves an integral part in the third season of the show.
★ In the novel ''Deception Point'' by Dan Brown, Delta Force plays a major antagonist role.
★ The television show ''The Unit'' is based on the book '' by the show's producer Eric Haney.
★ In the ''G.I. Joe'' comic book series by Larry Hama, the official name of the G.I. Joe Team is given as Special Counter-terrorist Group Delta.
★ In the movie ''Delta Force'', actor Chuck Norris and fellow Delta operators rescue American and international hostages taken by a fictitious Islamic terrorist organization that hijacks a commercial plane.
★ The book, and later movie, ''Black Hawk Down'', describes the attempt by Delta force and the US Army Rangers to capture a Somalian warlord, Mohammed Farrah Aidid.
★ In the novel ''By Order of the President'' by W.E.B. Griffin, Delta Force plays a significant role.
★ In the novel ''The Day Before Midnight'' by Stephen Hunter, several major characters are Delta Force members. The leader of Delta Force in the novel is a man named Richard Puller, who bears many similarities to Charlie Beckwith.
★ The popular ''Delta Force'' series by NovaLogic centers around Delta Force operations, one of the more recent games being ''.
★ In several of the Vince Flynn novels, Delta Force works with CIA operative Mitch Rapp.
★ Several former Delta Force members volunteer to help during the rescue mission at the end of the Bad Boys II movie.
See also
★ U.S. Navy's DEVGRU,
★ U.S. Special Operation Forces
★ Joint Special Operations Command
★ United States Special Operations Command
★ Hostage Rescue Team of the FBI
★ List of special forces units
Bibliography
★ Beckwith, Charles (1983). ''Delta Force''
★ Haney, Eric. ''Inside Delta Force''
★ Bowden, Mark (1999). ''Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War''. Atlantic Monthly Press. Berkeley, California (USA). ISBN 0-87113-738-0 about operation Gothic Serpent
★ Bowden, Mark (2001). ''Killing Pablo: The Hunt for the World's Greatest Outlaw''. ISBN 0-87113-783-6 about the hunt for Pablo Escobar
★ Naylor, Sean (2005). ''"Not a Good Day to Die: The Untold Story of Operation Anaconda''", Penguin Group, New York about Operation Anaconda
★ Griswold, Terry. "DELTA, America's Elite Counterterrorist Force", ISBN 0-87938-615-0
★ Robinson, Linda, ''Masters of Chaos: The Secret History of the Special Forces''
★ National Geographic Documentary: ''Road to Baghdad''
References
1. Special Weapons for Military & Police #34
2. http://www.vickerstactical.com/about/industry.htm
3. http://www.vickerstactical.com/about/HK416.htm
4. http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/02/atCarbine070219/
5. Sean Naylor, ''"Not a Good Day to Die: The Untold Story of Operation Anaconda''", Berkley, ISBN 0425196097, p.30
6. http://www.specencyclopaedia.com/web/continents/North%20America/United%20States%20of%20America/SOF/1st%20SFOD-D%20(A)/delta.shtml
7. Mountaineer. SFOD-D seeking new members. Fort Carson, Colorado: ''Mountaineer'' (publication). January 16, 2003.
8. Fort Bragg's newspaper Paraglide, recruitment notice for Delta Force
9. http://www.hq.usace.army.mil/cepa/pubs/sep03/story13.htm
10. http://carlisle-www.army.mil/usawc/Parameters/03autumn/noonan.pdf
11. http://www.campbell.army.mil/1bde/distinguished_members_of_the_reg.htm
12. Hasenauer, Heike. A Special Kind of Hero. United States Army Publishing Agency: ''Soldiers''. November 1995. Volume 50, No 11.
13. http://www.army.mil/leaders/csa/default.htm
14. http://www.dod.mil/news/Jun2003/n06172003_200306172.html
15. http://www.mccoy.army.mil/ReadingRoom/Triad/06272003/Army%20Chief%20of%20Staff.htm
16. http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Delta_Force_founder_Bush_started_WWIII_0324.html
17. http://www.cbs.com/primetime/the_unit/bios/ehaney.shtml
18. http://www.vickerstactical.com/consulting.htm
External links
★ http://www.defenselink.mil/ The official website of the United States Department of Defense, US Department of Defense, DoD
★ http://www.army.mil/ US Army
★ United Warrior Survivor Foundation, Supporting Families of Fallen Special Forces Members
★ http://www.infantrymen.net/ Infantrymen.net, Military reference focusing on the infantry (The secondary-MOS that Delta falls under)
★ http://www.specialoperations.com/Army/Delta_Force/default.html
★ http://www.aei.org/events/filter.all,eventID.1030/transcript.asp Transcript of Sean Naylor's speech to American Enterprise Institute
★ http://www.shadowspear.com/sfod.htm ShadowSpear.com Special Operations]
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