CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html> <html class="client-nojs vector-feature-language-in-header-enabled vector-feature-language-in-main-page-header-disabled vector-feature-sticky-header-disabled vector-feature-page-tools-pinned-disabled vector-feature-toc-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-main-menu-pinned-disabled vector-feature-limited-width-clientpref-1 vector-feature-limited-width-content-enabled vector-feature-custom-font-size-clientpref-1 vector-feature-appearance-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-night-mode-enabled skin-theme-clientpref-day vector-toc-available" lang="en" dir="ltr"> <head> <meta charset="UTF-8"> <title>Special forces - Wikipedia</title> <script>(function(){var className="client-js vector-feature-language-in-header-enabled vector-feature-language-in-main-page-header-disabled vector-feature-sticky-header-disabled vector-feature-page-tools-pinned-disabled vector-feature-toc-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-main-menu-pinned-disabled vector-feature-limited-width-clientpref-1 vector-feature-limited-width-content-enabled vector-feature-custom-font-size-clientpref-1 vector-feature-appearance-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-night-mode-enabled skin-theme-clientpref-day vector-toc-available";var cookie=document.cookie.match(/(?:^|; )enwikimwclientpreferences=([^;]+)/);if(cookie){cookie[1].split('%2C').forEach(function(pref){className=className.replace(new RegExp('(^| )'+pref.replace(/-clientpref-\w+$|[^\w-]+/g,'')+'-clientpref-\\w+( |$)'),'$1'+pref+'$2');});}document.documentElement.className=className;}());RLCONF={"wgBreakFrames":false,"wgSeparatorTransformTable":["",""],"wgDigitTransformTable":["",""],"wgDefaultDateFormat":"dmy", "wgMonthNames":["","January","February","March","April","May","June","July","August","September","October","November","December"],"wgRequestId":"5cb810dd-3f1e-4b95-862b-4093d7482a53","wgCanonicalNamespace":"","wgCanonicalSpecialPageName":false,"wgNamespaceNumber":0,"wgPageName":"Special_forces","wgTitle":"Special forces","wgCurRevisionId":1258916286,"wgRevisionId":1258916286,"wgArticleId":23489383,"wgIsArticle":true,"wgIsRedirect":false,"wgAction":"view","wgUserName":null,"wgUserGroups":["*"],"wgCategories":["CS1: long volume value","CS1 uses Bengali-language script (bn)","CS1 Bengali-language sources (bn)","Articles with short description","Short description matches Wikidata","Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages","Articles containing Russian-language text","All articles with unsourced statements","Articles with unsourced statements from June 2016","Articles with unsourced statements from September 2022","Articles containing Greek-language text", "Articles needing additional references from September 2021","All articles needing additional references","Articles with unsourced quotes","Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from September 2020","Articles containing explicitly cited English-language text","Articles to be expanded from October 2023","All articles to be expanded","Articles with unsourced statements from October 2023","Commons category link from Wikidata","Special forces","Combat occupations","Counterterrorism","Types of military forces","Warfare by type"],"wgPageViewLanguage":"en","wgPageContentLanguage":"en","wgPageContentModel":"wikitext","wgRelevantPageName":"Special_forces","wgRelevantArticleId":23489383,"wgIsProbablyEditable":false,"wgRelevantPageIsProbablyEditable":false,"wgRestrictionEdit":["autoconfirmed"],"wgRestrictionMove":["autoconfirmed"],"wgNoticeProject":"wikipedia","wgCiteReferencePreviewsActive":false,"wgFlaggedRevsParams":{"tags":{"status":{"levels":1}}},"wgMediaViewerOnClick":true ,"wgMediaViewerEnabledByDefault":true,"wgPopupsFlags":0,"wgVisualEditor":{"pageLanguageCode":"en","pageLanguageDir":"ltr","pageVariantFallbacks":"en"},"wgMFDisplayWikibaseDescriptions":{"search":true,"watchlist":true,"tagline":false,"nearby":true},"wgWMESchemaEditAttemptStepOversample":false,"wgWMEPageLength":50000,"wgRelatedArticlesCompat":[],"wgEditSubmitButtonLabelPublish":true,"wgULSPosition":"interlanguage","wgULSisCompactLinksEnabled":false,"wgVector2022LanguageInHeader":true,"wgULSisLanguageSelectorEmpty":false,"wgWikibaseItemId":"Q234497","wgCheckUserClientHintsHeadersJsApi":["brands","architecture","bitness","fullVersionList","mobile","model","platform","platformVersion"],"GEHomepageSuggestedEditsEnableTopics":true,"wgGETopicsMatchModeEnabled":false,"wgGEStructuredTaskRejectionReasonTextInputEnabled":false,"wgGELevelingUpEnabledForUser":false};RLSTATE={"ext.globalCssJs.user.styles":"ready","site.styles":"ready","user.styles":"ready","ext.globalCssJs.user":"ready","user": "ready","user.options":"loading","ext.cite.styles":"ready","skins.vector.search.codex.styles":"ready","skins.vector.styles":"ready","skins.vector.icons":"ready","jquery.makeCollapsible.styles":"ready","ext.wikimediamessages.styles":"ready","ext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.noscript":"ready","ext.uls.interlanguage":"ready","wikibase.client.init":"ready","ext.wikimediaBadges":"ready"};RLPAGEMODULES=["ext.cite.ux-enhancements","mediawiki.page.media","ext.scribunto.logs","site","mediawiki.page.ready","jquery.makeCollapsible","mediawiki.toc","skins.vector.js","ext.centralNotice.geoIP","ext.centralNotice.startUp","ext.gadget.ReferenceTooltips","ext.gadget.switcher","ext.urlShortener.toolbar","ext.centralauth.centralautologin","mmv.bootstrap","ext.popups","ext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.init","ext.visualEditor.targetLoader","ext.echo.centralauth","ext.eventLogging","ext.wikimediaEvents","ext.navigationTiming","ext.uls.interface","ext.cx.eventlogging.campaigns", "ext.cx.uls.quick.actions","wikibase.client.vector-2022","ext.checkUser.clientHints","ext.growthExperiments.SuggestedEditSession","wikibase.sidebar.tracking"];</script> <script>(RLQ=window.RLQ||[]).push(function(){mw.loader.impl(function(){return["user.options@12s5i",function($,jQuery,require,module){mw.user.tokens.set({"patrolToken":"+\\","watchToken":"+\\","csrfToken":"+\\"}); }];});});</script> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=ext.cite.styles%7Cext.uls.interlanguage%7Cext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.noscript%7Cext.wikimediaBadges%7Cext.wikimediamessages.styles%7Cjquery.makeCollapsible.styles%7Cskins.vector.icons%2Cstyles%7Cskins.vector.search.codex.styles%7Cwikibase.client.init&only=styles&skin=vector-2022"> <script async="" src="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=startup&only=scripts&raw=1&skin=vector-2022"></script> <meta name="ResourceLoaderDynamicStyles" content=""> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=site.styles&only=styles&skin=vector-2022"> <meta name="generator" content="MediaWiki 1.44.0-wmf.5"> <meta name="referrer" content="origin"> <meta name="referrer" content="origin-when-cross-origin"> <meta name="robots" content="max-image-preview:standard"> <meta name="format-detection" content="telephone=no"> <meta property="og:image" content="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/A_joint_special_forces_team_moves_together_out_of_an_Air_Force_CV-22_Osprey_aircraft%2C_Feb._26%2C_2018.jpg/1200px-A_joint_special_forces_team_moves_together_out_of_an_Air_Force_CV-22_Osprey_aircraft%2C_Feb._26%2C_2018.jpg"> <meta property="og:image:width" content="1200"> <meta property="og:image:height" content="800"> <meta property="og:image" content="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/A_joint_special_forces_team_moves_together_out_of_an_Air_Force_CV-22_Osprey_aircraft%2C_Feb._26%2C_2018.jpg/800px-A_joint_special_forces_team_moves_together_out_of_an_Air_Force_CV-22_Osprey_aircraft%2C_Feb._26%2C_2018.jpg"> <meta property="og:image:width" content="800"> <meta property="og:image:height" content="533"> <meta property="og:image" content="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/A_joint_special_forces_team_moves_together_out_of_an_Air_Force_CV-22_Osprey_aircraft%2C_Feb._26%2C_2018.jpg/640px-A_joint_special_forces_team_moves_together_out_of_an_Air_Force_CV-22_Osprey_aircraft%2C_Feb._26%2C_2018.jpg"> <meta property="og:image:width" content="640"> <meta property="og:image:height" content="427"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=1120"> <meta property="og:title" content="Special forces - Wikipedia"> <meta property="og:type" content="website"> <link rel="preconnect" href="//upload.wikimedia.org"> <link rel="alternate" media="only screen and (max-width: 640px)" href="//en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_forces"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/static/apple-touch/wikipedia.png"> <link rel="icon" href="/static/favicon/wikipedia.ico"> <link rel="search" type="application/opensearchdescription+xml" href="/w/rest.php/v1/search" title="Wikipedia (en)"> <link rel="EditURI" type="application/rsd+xml" href="//en.wikipedia.org/w/api.php?action=rsd"> <link rel="canonical" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_forces"> <link rel="license" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en"> <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Wikipedia Atom feed" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:RecentChanges&feed=atom"> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//meta.wikimedia.org" /> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//login.wikimedia.org"> </head> <body class="skin--responsive skin-vector skin-vector-search-vue mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-Special_forces rootpage-Special_forces skin-vector-2022 action-view"><a class="mw-jump-link" href="#bodyContent">Jump to content</a> <div class="vector-header-container"> <header class="vector-header mw-header"> <div class="vector-header-start"> <nav class="vector-main-menu-landmark" aria-label="Site"> <div id="vector-main-menu-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown vector-main-menu-dropdown vector-button-flush-left vector-button-flush-right" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-main-menu-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-main-menu-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Main menu" > <label id="vector-main-menu-dropdown-label" for="vector-main-menu-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-menu mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-menu"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Main menu</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-main-menu-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> <div id="vector-main-menu" class="vector-main-menu vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-main-menu-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-unpinned" data-feature-name="main-menu-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-main-menu" data-pinned-container-id="vector-main-menu-pinned-container" data-unpinned-container-id="vector-main-menu-unpinned-container" > <div class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Main menu</div> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-main-menu.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-main-menu.unpin">hide</button> </div> <div id="p-navigation" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-navigation" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Navigation </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="n-mainpage-description" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Main_Page" title="Visit the main page [z]" accesskey="z"><span>Main page</span></a></li><li id="n-contents" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Contents" title="Guides to browsing Wikipedia"><span>Contents</span></a></li><li id="n-currentevents" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Portal:Current_events" title="Articles related to current events"><span>Current events</span></a></li><li id="n-randompage" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:Random" title="Visit a randomly selected article [x]" accesskey="x"><span>Random article</span></a></li><li id="n-aboutsite" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:About" title="Learn about Wikipedia and how it works"><span>About Wikipedia</span></a></li><li id="n-contactpage" class="mw-list-item"><a href="//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contact_us" title="How to contact Wikipedia"><span>Contact us</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-interaction" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-interaction" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Contribute </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="n-help" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Help:Contents" title="Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia"><span>Help</span></a></li><li id="n-introduction" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Help:Introduction" title="Learn how to edit Wikipedia"><span>Learn to edit</span></a></li><li id="n-portal" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Community_portal" title="The hub for editors"><span>Community portal</span></a></li><li id="n-recentchanges" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:RecentChanges" title="A list of recent changes to Wikipedia [r]" accesskey="r"><span>Recent changes</span></a></li><li id="n-upload" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:File_upload_wizard" title="Add images or other media for use on Wikipedia"><span>Upload file</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <a href="/wiki/Main_Page" class="mw-logo"> <img class="mw-logo-icon" src="/static/images/icons/wikipedia.png" alt="" aria-hidden="true" height="50" width="50"> <span class="mw-logo-container skin-invert"> <img class="mw-logo-wordmark" alt="Wikipedia" src="/static/images/mobile/copyright/wikipedia-wordmark-en.svg" style="width: 7.5em; height: 1.125em;"> <img class="mw-logo-tagline" alt="The Free Encyclopedia" src="/static/images/mobile/copyright/wikipedia-tagline-en.svg" width="117" height="13" style="width: 7.3125em; height: 0.8125em;"> </span> </a> </div> <div class="vector-header-end"> <div id="p-search" role="search" class="vector-search-box-vue vector-search-box-collapses vector-search-box-show-thumbnail vector-search-box-auto-expand-width vector-search-box"> <a href="/wiki/Special:Search" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only search-toggle" title="Search Wikipedia [f]" accesskey="f"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-search mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-search"></span> <span>Search</span> </a> <div class="vector-typeahead-search-container"> <div class="cdx-typeahead-search cdx-typeahead-search--show-thumbnail cdx-typeahead-search--auto-expand-width"> <form action="/w/index.php" id="searchform" class="cdx-search-input cdx-search-input--has-end-button"> <div id="simpleSearch" class="cdx-search-input__input-wrapper" data-search-loc="header-moved"> <div class="cdx-text-input cdx-text-input--has-start-icon"> <input class="cdx-text-input__input" type="search" name="search" placeholder="Search Wikipedia" aria-label="Search Wikipedia" autocapitalize="sentences" title="Search Wikipedia [f]" accesskey="f" id="searchInput" > <span class="cdx-text-input__icon cdx-text-input__start-icon"></span> </div> <input type="hidden" name="title" value="Special:Search"> </div> <button class="cdx-button cdx-search-input__end-button">Search</button> </form> </div> </div> </div> <nav class="vector-user-links vector-user-links-wide" aria-label="Personal tools"> <div class="vector-user-links-main"> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-preferences" class="vector-menu mw-portlet emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-userpage" class="vector-menu mw-portlet emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> <nav class="vector-appearance-landmark" aria-label="Appearance"> <div id="vector-appearance-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown " title="Change the appearance of the page's font size, width, and color" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-appearance-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-appearance-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Appearance" > <label id="vector-appearance-dropdown-label" for="vector-appearance-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-appearance mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-appearance"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Appearance</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-appearance-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-notifications" class="vector-menu mw-portlet emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-overflow" class="vector-menu mw-portlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="pt-sitesupport-2" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item user-links-collapsible-item"><a data-mw="interface" href="https://donate.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FundraiserRedirector?utm_source=donate&utm_medium=sidebar&utm_campaign=C13_en.wikipedia.org&uselang=en" class=""><span>Donate</span></a> </li> <li id="pt-createaccount-2" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item user-links-collapsible-item"><a data-mw="interface" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=Special+forces" title="You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory" class=""><span>Create account</span></a> </li> <li id="pt-login-2" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item user-links-collapsible-item"><a data-mw="interface" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&returnto=Special+forces" title="You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [o]" accesskey="o" class=""><span>Log in</span></a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <div id="vector-user-links-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown vector-user-menu vector-button-flush-right vector-user-menu-logged-out" title="Log in and more options" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-user-links-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-user-links-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Personal tools" > <label id="vector-user-links-dropdown-label" for="vector-user-links-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-ellipsis mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-ellipsis"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Personal tools</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="p-personal" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-personal user-links-collapsible-item" title="User menu" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="pt-sitesupport" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="https://donate.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FundraiserRedirector?utm_source=donate&utm_medium=sidebar&utm_campaign=C13_en.wikipedia.org&uselang=en"><span>Donate</span></a></li><li id="pt-createaccount" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=Special+forces" title="You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-userAdd mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-userAdd"></span> <span>Create account</span></a></li><li id="pt-login" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&returnto=Special+forces" title="You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [o]" accesskey="o"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-logIn mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-logIn"></span> <span>Log in</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-user-menu-anon-editor" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-user-menu-anon-editor" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Pages for logged out editors <a href="/wiki/Help:Introduction" aria-label="Learn more about editing"><span>learn more</span></a> </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="pt-anoncontribs" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:MyContributions" title="A list of edits made from this IP address [y]" accesskey="y"><span>Contributions</span></a></li><li id="pt-anontalk" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:MyTalk" title="Discussion about edits from this IP address [n]" accesskey="n"><span>Talk</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </header> </div> <div class="mw-page-container"> <div class="mw-page-container-inner"> <div class="vector-sitenotice-container"> <div id="siteNotice"></div> </div> <div class="vector-column-start"> <div class="vector-main-menu-container"> <div id="mw-navigation"> <nav id="mw-panel" class="vector-main-menu-landmark" aria-label="Site"> <div id="vector-main-menu-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="vector-sticky-pinned-container"> <nav id="mw-panel-toc" aria-label="Contents" data-event-name="ui.sidebar-toc" class="mw-table-of-contents-container vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-toc-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> <div id="vector-toc" class="vector-toc vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-toc-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-pinned" data-feature-name="toc-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-toc" > <h2 class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Contents</h2> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-toc.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-toc.unpin">hide</button> </div> <ul class="vector-toc-contents" id="mw-panel-toc-list"> <li id="toc-mw-content-text" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a href="#" class="vector-toc-link"> <div class="vector-toc-text">(Top)</div> </a> </li> <li id="toc-Capabilities" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Capabilities"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1</span> <span>Capabilities</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Capabilities-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-History" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#History"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2</span> <span>History</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-History-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle History subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-History-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Early_period" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Early_period"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.1</span> <span>Early period</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Early_period-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-First_specialized_units" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#First_specialized_units"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.2</span> <span>First specialized units</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-First_specialized_units-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-World_War_I" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#World_War_I"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.3</span> <span>World War I</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-World_War_I-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Interwar_period" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Interwar_period"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.4</span> <span>Interwar period</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Interwar_period-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Chaco_war" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Chaco_war"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.4.1</span> <span>Chaco war</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Chaco_war-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-World_War_II" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#World_War_II"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.5</span> <span>World War II</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-World_War_II-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-British" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#British"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.5.1</span> <span>British</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-British-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Commandos" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Commandos"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.6</span> <span>Commandos</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Commandos-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Special_Air_Service_(SAS)" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Special_Air_Service_(SAS)"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.6.1</span> <span>Special Air Service (SAS)</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Special_Air_Service_(SAS)-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Chindits" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Chindits"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.6.2</span> <span>Chindits</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Chindits-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-The_Company_of_Chosen_Immortals" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#The_Company_of_Chosen_Immortals"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.6.3</span> <span>The Company of Chosen Immortals</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-The_Company_of_Chosen_Immortals-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Poland" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Poland"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.6.4</span> <span>Poland</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Poland-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Australian" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Australian"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.6.5</span> <span>Australian</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Australian-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-United_States" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#United_States"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.6.6</span> <span>United States</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-United_States-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Office_of_Strategic_Services" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Office_of_Strategic_Services"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.6.7</span> <span>Office of Strategic Services</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Office_of_Strategic_Services-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Marine_Raiders" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Marine_Raiders"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.6.8</span> <span>Marine Raiders</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Marine_Raiders-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-United_States_Army_Rangers" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#United_States_Army_Rangers"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.6.9</span> <span>United States Army Rangers</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-United_States_Army_Rangers-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-1st_Special_Service_Force" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#1st_Special_Service_Force"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.6.10</span> <span>1st Special Service Force</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-1st_Special_Service_Force-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Merrill's_Marauders" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Merrill's_Marauders"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.6.11</span> <span>Merrill's Marauders</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Merrill's_Marauders-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Special_Forces_Tab" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Special_Forces_Tab"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.6.12</span> <span>Special Forces Tab</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Special_Forces_Tab-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Axis_powers" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Axis_powers"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.6.13</span> <span>Axis powers</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Axis_powers-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-German" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#German"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.6.14</span> <span>German</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-German-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Italian" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Italian"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.6.15</span> <span>Italian</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Italian-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Japanese" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Japanese"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.6.16</span> <span>Japanese</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Japanese-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Finnish" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Finnish"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.6.17</span> <span>Finnish</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Finnish-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Bangladesh_Liberation_War_(1971)" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Bangladesh_Liberation_War_(1971)"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.7</span> <span>Bangladesh Liberation War (1971)</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Bangladesh_Liberation_War_(1971)-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Modern_special_forces" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Modern_special_forces"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.8</span> <span>Modern special forces</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Modern_special_forces-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Tier_One_units" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Tier_One_units"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.9</span> <span>Tier One units</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Tier_One_units-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Notes" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Notes"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>Notes</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Notes-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-References" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#References"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>References</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-References-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-titlebar-toc vector-button-flush-left" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Toggle the table of contents" > <label id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-label" for="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-listBullet mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-listBullet"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Toggle the table of contents</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Special forces</span></h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. Available in 49 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-49" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">49 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ar mw-list-item"><a href="https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%82%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AA_%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%B5%D8%A9" title="قوات خاصة – Arabic" lang="ar" hreflang="ar" data-title="قوات خاصة" data-language-autonym="العربية" data-language-local-name="Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>العربية</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ast mw-list-item"><a href="https://ast.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuercies_especiales" title="Fuercies especiales – Asturian" lang="ast" hreflang="ast" data-title="Fuercies especiales" data-language-autonym="Asturianu" data-language-local-name="Asturian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Asturianu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-az mw-list-item"><a href="https://az.wikipedia.org/wiki/X%C3%BCsusi_t%C9%99yinatl%C4%B1lar" title="Xüsusi təyinatlılar – Azerbaijani" lang="az" hreflang="az" data-title="Xüsusi təyinatlılar" data-language-autonym="Azərbaycanca" data-language-local-name="Azerbaijani" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Azərbaycanca</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bn mw-list-item"><a href="https://bn.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B6%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B7_%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%80" title="বিশেষ বাহিনী – Bangla" lang="bn" hreflang="bn" data-title="বিশেষ বাহিনী" data-language-autonym="বাংলা" data-language-local-name="Bangla" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>বাংলা</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-be mw-list-item"><a href="https://be.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%86%D0%BF%D1%80%D1%8B%D0%B7%D0%BD" title="Спецпрызн – Belarusian" lang="be" hreflang="be" data-title="Спецпрызн" data-language-autonym="Беларуская" data-language-local-name="Belarusian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Беларуская</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bg mw-list-item"><a href="https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%B8_%D0%B7%D0%B0_%D1%81%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%BD%D0%B8_%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%B8" title="Сили за специални операции – Bulgarian" lang="bg" hreflang="bg" data-title="Сили за специални операции" data-language-autonym="Български" data-language-local-name="Bulgarian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Български</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-br mw-list-item"><a href="https://br.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerzhio%C3%B9_ispisial" title="Nerzhioù ispisial – Breton" lang="br" hreflang="br" data-title="Nerzhioù ispisial" data-language-autonym="Brezhoneg" data-language-local-name="Breton" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Brezhoneg</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ca mw-list-item"><a href="https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forces_especials" title="Forces especials – Catalan" lang="ca" hreflang="ca" data-title="Forces especials" data-language-autonym="Català" data-language-local-name="Catalan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Català</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-cs mw-list-item"><a href="https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speci%C3%A1ln%C3%AD_jednotka" title="Speciální jednotka – Czech" lang="cs" hreflang="cs" data-title="Speciální jednotka" data-language-autonym="Čeština" data-language-local-name="Czech" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Čeština</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-da mw-list-item"><a href="https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specialstyrker" title="Specialstyrker – Danish" lang="da" hreflang="da" data-title="Specialstyrker" data-language-autonym="Dansk" data-language-local-name="Danish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Dansk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-de badge-Q17437798 badge-goodarticle mw-list-item" title="good article badge"><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spezialeinheit" title="Spezialeinheit – German" lang="de" hreflang="de" data-title="Spezialeinheit" data-language-autonym="Deutsch" data-language-local-name="German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Deutsch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-et mw-list-item"><a href="https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erioperatsioonide_v%C3%A4ed" title="Erioperatsioonide väed – Estonian" lang="et" hreflang="et" data-title="Erioperatsioonide väed" data-language-autonym="Eesti" data-language-local-name="Estonian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Eesti</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-el mw-list-item"><a href="https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%95%CE%B9%CE%B4%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%AD%CF%82_%CE%B4%CF%85%CE%BD%CE%AC%CE%BC%CE%B5%CE%B9%CF%82" title="Ειδικές δυνάμεις – Greek" lang="el" hreflang="el" data-title="Ειδικές δυνάμεις" data-language-autonym="Ελληνικά" data-language-local-name="Greek" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Ελληνικά</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-es mw-list-item"><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuerzas_especiales" title="Fuerzas especiales – Spanish" lang="es" hreflang="es" data-title="Fuerzas especiales" data-language-autonym="Español" data-language-local-name="Spanish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Español</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eo mw-list-item"><a href="https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specialcelaj_fortoj" title="Specialcelaj fortoj – Esperanto" lang="eo" hreflang="eo" data-title="Specialcelaj fortoj" data-language-autonym="Esperanto" data-language-local-name="Esperanto" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Esperanto</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eu mw-list-item"><a href="https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indar_bereziak" title="Indar bereziak – Basque" lang="eu" hreflang="eu" data-title="Indar bereziak" data-language-autonym="Euskara" data-language-local-name="Basque" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Euskara</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fa mw-list-item"><a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%86%DB%8C%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C_%D9%88%DB%8C%DA%98%D9%87" title="نیروهای ویژه – Persian" lang="fa" hreflang="fa" data-title="نیروهای ویژه" data-language-autonym="فارسی" data-language-local-name="Persian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>فارسی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forces_sp%C3%A9ciales" title="Forces spéciales – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Forces spéciales" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-gl mw-list-item"><a href="https://gl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forzas_especiais" title="Forzas especiais – Galician" lang="gl" hreflang="gl" data-title="Forzas especiais" data-language-autonym="Galego" data-language-local-name="Galician" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Galego</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ko mw-list-item"><a href="https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%ED%8A%B9%EC%88%98%EB%B6%80%EB%8C%80" title="특수부대 – Korean" lang="ko" hreflang="ko" data-title="특수부대" data-language-autonym="한국어" data-language-local-name="Korean" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>한국어</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hy mw-list-item"><a href="https://hy.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D5%80%D5%A1%D5%BF%D5%B8%D6%82%D5%AF_%D5%B6%D5%B7%D5%A1%D5%B6%D5%A1%D5%AF%D5%B8%D6%82%D5%A9%D5%B5%D5%A1%D5%B6_%D5%A6%D5%B8%D6%80%D6%84%D5%A5%D6%80" title="Հատուկ նշանակության զորքեր – Armenian" lang="hy" hreflang="hy" data-title="Հատուկ նշանակության զորքեր" data-language-autonym="Հայերեն" data-language-local-name="Armenian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Հայերեն</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-id mw-list-item"><a href="https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasukan_khusus" title="Pasukan khusus – Indonesian" lang="id" hreflang="id" data-title="Pasukan khusus" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Indonesia" data-language-local-name="Indonesian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Indonesia</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-is mw-list-item"><a href="https://is.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A9rsveit" title="Sérsveit – Icelandic" lang="is" hreflang="is" data-title="Sérsveit" data-language-autonym="Íslenska" data-language-local-name="Icelandic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Íslenska</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-it mw-list-item"><a href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forze_speciali" title="Forze speciali – Italian" lang="it" hreflang="it" data-title="Forze speciali" data-language-autonym="Italiano" data-language-local-name="Italian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Italiano</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-he mw-list-item"><a href="https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%9B%D7%95%D7%97%D7%95%D7%AA_%D7%9E%D7%99%D7%95%D7%97%D7%93%D7%99%D7%9D" title="כוחות מיוחדים – Hebrew" lang="he" hreflang="he" data-title="כוחות מיוחדים" data-language-autonym="עברית" data-language-local-name="Hebrew" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>עברית</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ka mw-list-item"><a href="https://ka.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E1%83%A1%E1%83%9E%E1%83%94%E1%83%AA%E1%83%98%E1%83%90%E1%83%9A%E1%83%A3%E1%83%A0%E1%83%98_%E1%83%9D%E1%83%9E%E1%83%94%E1%83%A0%E1%83%90%E1%83%AA%E1%83%98%E1%83%94%E1%83%91%E1%83%98%E1%83%A1_%E1%83%AB%E1%83%90%E1%83%9A%E1%83%94%E1%83%91%E1%83%98" title="სპეციალური ოპერაციების ძალები – Georgian" lang="ka" hreflang="ka" data-title="სპეციალური ოპერაციების ძალები" data-language-autonym="ქართული" data-language-local-name="Georgian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>ქართული</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ml mw-list-item"><a href="https://ml.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B4%B8%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%AA%E0%B5%86%E0%B4%B7%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%AF%E0%B5%BD_%E0%B4%AB%E0%B5%8B%E0%B4%B4%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%B8%E0%B5%8D" title="സ്പെഷ്യൽ ഫോഴ്സ് – Malayalam" lang="ml" hreflang="ml" data-title="സ്പെഷ്യൽ ഫോഴ്സ്" data-language-autonym="മലയാളം" data-language-local-name="Malayalam" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>മലയാളം</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ms mw-list-item"><a href="https://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasukan_operasi_khas" title="Pasukan operasi khas – Malay" lang="ms" hreflang="ms" data-title="Pasukan operasi khas" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Melayu" data-language-local-name="Malay" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Melayu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nl mw-list-item"><a href="https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speciale_eenheid" title="Speciale eenheid – Dutch" lang="nl" hreflang="nl" data-title="Speciale eenheid" data-language-autonym="Nederlands" data-language-local-name="Dutch" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Nederlands</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ja mw-list-item"><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%89%B9%E6%AE%8A%E9%83%A8%E9%9A%8A" title="特殊部隊 – Japanese" lang="ja" hreflang="ja" data-title="特殊部隊" data-language-autonym="日本語" data-language-local-name="Japanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>日本語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-no mw-list-item"><a href="https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spesialstyrke" title="Spesialstyrke – Norwegian Bokmål" lang="nb" hreflang="nb" data-title="Spesialstyrke" data-language-autonym="Norsk bokmål" data-language-local-name="Norwegian Bokmål" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Norsk bokmål</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-oc mw-list-item"><a href="https://oc.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%B2r%C3%A7as_especialas" title="Fòrças especialas – Occitan" lang="oc" hreflang="oc" data-title="Fòrças especialas" data-language-autonym="Occitan" data-language-local-name="Occitan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Occitan</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pl mw-list-item"><a href="https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Si%C5%82y_specjalne" title="Siły specjalne – Polish" lang="pl" hreflang="pl" data-title="Siły specjalne" data-language-autonym="Polski" data-language-local-name="Polish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Polski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pt mw-list-item"><a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/For%C3%A7a_especial" title="Força especial – Portuguese" lang="pt" hreflang="pt" data-title="Força especial" data-language-autonym="Português" data-language-local-name="Portuguese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Português</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ru mw-list-item"><a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A4%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D1%81%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BE_%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%B7%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%87%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F" title="Формирования специального назначения – Russian" lang="ru" hreflang="ru" data-title="Формирования специального назначения" data-language-autonym="Русский" data-language-local-name="Russian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Русский</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sq mw-list-item"><a href="https://sq.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forcat_speciale" title="Forcat speciale – Albanian" lang="sq" hreflang="sq" data-title="Forcat speciale" data-language-autonym="Shqip" data-language-local-name="Albanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Shqip</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-simple mw-list-item"><a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_forces" title="Special forces – Simple English" lang="en-simple" hreflang="en-simple" data-title="Special forces" data-language-autonym="Simple English" data-language-local-name="Simple English" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Simple English</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sl mw-list-item"><a href="https://sl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specialne_sile" title="Specialne sile – Slovenian" lang="sl" hreflang="sl" data-title="Specialne sile" data-language-autonym="Slovenščina" data-language-local-name="Slovenian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Slovenščina</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ckb mw-list-item"><a href="https://ckb.wikipedia.org/wiki/%DA%BE%DB%8E%D8%B2%DB%8C_%D8%AA%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%A8%DB%95%D8%AA" title="ھێزی تایبەت – Central Kurdish" lang="ckb" hreflang="ckb" data-title="ھێزی تایبەت" data-language-autonym="کوردی" data-language-local-name="Central Kurdish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>کوردی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sr mw-list-item"><a href="https://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%86%D0%B8%D1%98%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%BD%D0%B5_%D1%98%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%86%D0%B5" title="Специјалне јединице – Serbian" lang="sr" hreflang="sr" data-title="Специјалне јединице" data-language-autonym="Српски / srpski" data-language-local-name="Serbian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Српски / srpski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sh mw-list-item"><a href="https://sh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specijalne_jedinice" title="Specijalne jedinice – Serbo-Croatian" lang="sh" hreflang="sh" data-title="Specijalne jedinice" data-language-autonym="Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски" data-language-local-name="Serbo-Croatian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fi mw-list-item"><a href="https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erikoisjoukko" title="Erikoisjoukko – Finnish" lang="fi" hreflang="fi" data-title="Erikoisjoukko" data-language-autonym="Suomi" data-language-local-name="Finnish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Suomi</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sv mw-list-item"><a href="https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specialf%C3%B6rband" title="Specialförband – Swedish" lang="sv" hreflang="sv" data-title="Specialförband" data-language-autonym="Svenska" data-language-local-name="Swedish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Svenska</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ta mw-list-item"><a href="https://ta.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B1%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%AA%E0%AE%9F%E0%AF%88%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%B3%E0%AF%8D" title="சிறப்புப்படைகள் – Tamil" lang="ta" hreflang="ta" data-title="சிறப்புப்படைகள்" data-language-autonym="தமிழ்" data-language-local-name="Tamil" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>தமிழ்</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-th mw-list-item"><a href="https://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%99%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%A2%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%B4%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%A8%E0%B8%A9" title="หน่วยรบพิเศษ – Thai" lang="th" hreflang="th" data-title="หน่วยรบพิเศษ" data-language-autonym="ไทย" data-language-local-name="Thai" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>ไทย</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tr mw-list-item"><a href="https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%96zel_kuvvetler" title="Özel kuvvetler – Turkish" lang="tr" hreflang="tr" data-title="Özel kuvvetler" data-language-autonym="Türkçe" data-language-local-name="Turkish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Türkçe</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uk mw-list-item"><a href="https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%B8_%D1%81%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%86%D1%96%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%85_%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%86%D1%96%D0%B9" title="Сили спеціальних операцій – Ukrainian" lang="uk" hreflang="uk" data-title="Сили спеціальних операцій" data-language-autonym="Українська" data-language-local-name="Ukrainian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Українська</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-vi mw-list-item"><a href="https://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%E1%BB%B1c_l%C6%B0%E1%BB%A3ng_%C4%91%E1%BA%B7c_bi%E1%BB%87t" title="Lực lượng đặc biệt – Vietnamese" lang="vi" hreflang="vi" data-title="Lực lượng đặc biệt" data-language-autonym="Tiếng Việt" data-language-local-name="Vietnamese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Tiếng Việt</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%89%B9%E7%A8%AE%E9%83%A8%E9%9A%8A" title="特種部隊 – Chinese" lang="zh" hreflang="zh" data-title="特種部隊" data-language-autonym="中文" data-language-local-name="Chinese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>中文</span></a></li> </ul> <div class="after-portlet after-portlet-lang"><span class="wb-langlinks-edit wb-langlinks-link"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q234497#sitelinks-wikipedia" title="Edit interlanguage links" class="wbc-editpage">Edit links</a></span></div> </div> </div> </div> </header> <div class="vector-page-toolbar"> <div class="vector-page-toolbar-container"> <div id="left-navigation"> <nav aria-label="Namespaces"> <div id="p-associated-pages" class="vector-menu vector-menu-tabs mw-portlet mw-portlet-associated-pages" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-nstab-main" class="selected vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special_forces" title="View the content page [c]" accesskey="c"><span>Article</span></a></li><li id="ca-talk" class="vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Talk:Special_forces" rel="discussion" title="Discuss improvements to the content page [t]" accesskey="t"><span>Talk</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="vector-variants-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown emptyPortlet" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-variants-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-variants-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Change language variant" > <label id="vector-variants-dropdown-label" for="vector-variants-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">English</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="p-variants" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-variants emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> <div id="right-navigation" class="vector-collapsible"> <nav aria-label="Views"> <div id="p-views" class="vector-menu vector-menu-tabs mw-portlet mw-portlet-views" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-view" class="selected vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special_forces"><span>Read</span></a></li><li id="ca-viewsource" class="vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special_forces&action=edit" title="This page is protected.
You can view its source [e]" accesskey="e"><span>View source</span></a></li><li id="ca-history" class="vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special_forces&action=history" title="Past revisions of this page [h]" accesskey="h"><span>View history</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> <nav class="vector-page-tools-landmark" aria-label="Page tools"> <div id="vector-page-tools-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-tools-dropdown" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-tools-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-tools-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Tools" > <label id="vector-page-tools-dropdown-label" for="vector-page-tools-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Tools</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-tools-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> <div id="vector-page-tools" class="vector-page-tools vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-page-tools-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-unpinned" data-feature-name="page-tools-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-page-tools" data-pinned-container-id="vector-page-tools-pinned-container" data-unpinned-container-id="vector-page-tools-unpinned-container" > <div class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Tools</div> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-page-tools.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-page-tools.unpin">hide</button> </div> <div id="p-cactions" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-cactions emptyPortlet vector-has-collapsible-items" title="More options" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Actions </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-more-view" class="selected vector-more-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special_forces"><span>Read</span></a></li><li id="ca-more-viewsource" class="vector-more-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special_forces&action=edit"><span>View source</span></a></li><li id="ca-more-history" class="vector-more-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special_forces&action=history"><span>View history</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-tb" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-tb" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> General </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="t-whatlinkshere" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:WhatLinksHere/Special_forces" title="List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [j]" accesskey="j"><span>What links here</span></a></li><li id="t-recentchangeslinked" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:RecentChangesLinked/Special_forces" rel="nofollow" title="Recent changes in pages linked from this page [k]" accesskey="k"><span>Related changes</span></a></li><li id="t-upload" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard" title="Upload files [u]" accesskey="u"><span>Upload file</span></a></li><li id="t-specialpages" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:SpecialPages" title="A list of all special pages [q]" accesskey="q"><span>Special pages</span></a></li><li id="t-permalink" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special_forces&oldid=1258916286" title="Permanent link to this revision of this page"><span>Permanent link</span></a></li><li id="t-info" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special_forces&action=info" title="More information about this page"><span>Page information</span></a></li><li id="t-cite" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CiteThisPage&page=Special_forces&id=1258916286&wpFormIdentifier=titleform" title="Information on how to cite this page"><span>Cite this page</span></a></li><li id="t-urlshortener" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UrlShortener&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSpecial_forces"><span>Get shortened URL</span></a></li><li id="t-urlshortener-qrcode" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:QrCode&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSpecial_forces"><span>Download QR code</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-coll-print_export" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-coll-print_export" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Print/export </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="coll-download-as-rl" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:DownloadAsPdf&page=Special_forces&action=show-download-screen" title="Download this page as a PDF file"><span>Download as PDF</span></a></li><li id="t-print" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special_forces&printable=yes" title="Printable version of this page [p]" accesskey="p"><span>Printable version</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-wikibase-otherprojects" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-wikibase-otherprojects" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> In other projects </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="wb-otherproject-link wb-otherproject-commons mw-list-item"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Special_forces" hreflang="en"><span>Wikimedia Commons</span></a></li><li id="t-wikibase" class="wb-otherproject-link wb-otherproject-wikibase-dataitem mw-list-item"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q234497" title="Structured data on this page hosted by Wikidata [g]" accesskey="g"><span>Wikidata item</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> </div> <div class="vector-column-end"> <div class="vector-sticky-pinned-container"> <nav class="vector-page-tools-landmark" aria-label="Page tools"> <div id="vector-page-tools-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> </div> </nav> <nav class="vector-appearance-landmark" aria-label="Appearance"> <div id="vector-appearance-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> <div id="vector-appearance" class="vector-appearance vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-appearance-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-pinned" data-feature-name="appearance-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-appearance" data-pinned-container-id="vector-appearance-pinned-container" data-unpinned-container-id="vector-appearance-unpinned-container" > <div class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Appearance</div> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-appearance.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-appearance.unpin">hide</button> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div id="bodyContent" class="vector-body" aria-labelledby="firstHeading" data-mw-ve-target-container> <div class="vector-body-before-content"> <div class="mw-indicators"> <div id="mw-indicator-pp-default" class="mw-indicator"><div class="mw-parser-output"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Protection_policy#semi" title="This article is semi-protected."><img alt="Page semi-protected" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1b/Semi-protection-shackle.svg/20px-Semi-protection-shackle.svg.png" decoding="async" width="20" height="20" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1b/Semi-protection-shackle.svg/30px-Semi-protection-shackle.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1b/Semi-protection-shackle.svg/40px-Semi-protection-shackle.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="512" data-file-height="512" /></a></span></div></div> </div> <div id="siteSub" class="noprint">From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</div> </div> <div id="contentSub"><div id="mw-content-subtitle"></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Military units trained to conduct special operations</div> <p class="mw-empty-elt"> </p> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">"Special Operations Forces" redirects here. For other uses, see <a href="/wiki/Special_Operations_Force_(Singapore)" title="Special Operations Force (Singapore)">Special Operations Force (Singapore)</a>, <a href="/wiki/Special_Operations_Forces_(Russia)" title="Special Operations Forces (Russia)">Special Operations Forces (Russia)</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Special_Operations_Forces_(Ukraine)" title="Special Operations Forces (Ukraine)">Special Operations Forces (Ukraine)</a>.</div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">"Crack-troops" redirects here. For the military formation, see <a href="/wiki/Shock_troops" title="Shock troops">Shock troops</a>.</div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">For other uses, see <a href="/wiki/Special_forces_(disambiguation)" class="mw-disambig" title="Special forces (disambiguation)">Special forces (disambiguation)</a> and <a href="/wiki/Elite_Force_(disambiguation)" class="mw-redirect mw-disambig" title="Elite Force (disambiguation)">Elite Force (disambiguation)</a>.</div> <figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:A_joint_special_forces_team_moves_together_out_of_an_Air_Force_CV-22_Osprey_aircraft,_Feb._26,_2018.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/A_joint_special_forces_team_moves_together_out_of_an_Air_Force_CV-22_Osprey_aircraft%2C_Feb._26%2C_2018.jpg/300px-A_joint_special_forces_team_moves_together_out_of_an_Air_Force_CV-22_Osprey_aircraft%2C_Feb._26%2C_2018.jpg" decoding="async" width="300" height="200" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/A_joint_special_forces_team_moves_together_out_of_an_Air_Force_CV-22_Osprey_aircraft%2C_Feb._26%2C_2018.jpg/450px-A_joint_special_forces_team_moves_together_out_of_an_Air_Force_CV-22_Osprey_aircraft%2C_Feb._26%2C_2018.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/A_joint_special_forces_team_moves_together_out_of_an_Air_Force_CV-22_Osprey_aircraft%2C_Feb._26%2C_2018.jpg/600px-A_joint_special_forces_team_moves_together_out_of_an_Air_Force_CV-22_Osprey_aircraft%2C_Feb._26%2C_2018.jpg 2x" data-file-width="4034" data-file-height="2689" /></a><figcaption>An American special forces team moves together out of an <a href="/wiki/U.S._Air_Force" class="mw-redirect" title="U.S. Air Force">U.S. Air Force</a> <a href="/wiki/CV-22_Osprey" class="mw-redirect" title="CV-22 Osprey">CV-22 Osprey</a> aircraft on February 26, 2018</figcaption></figure> <p><b>Special forces</b> or <b>special operations forces</b> (<b>SOF</b>) are <a href="/wiki/Military" title="Military">military</a> units trained to conduct <a href="/wiki/Special_operations" title="Special operations">special operations</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-NATO_doctrine_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-NATO_doctrine-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-US_doctrine_3-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-US_doctrine-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> <a href="/wiki/NATO" title="NATO">NATO</a> has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equipped forces using unconventional techniques and modes of employment".<sup id="cite_ref-NATO_doctrine_1-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-NATO_doctrine-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-NATO_Glossary_4-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-NATO_Glossary-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Special forces emerged in the early 20th century, with a significant growth in the field during <a href="/wiki/World_War_II" title="World War II">World War II</a>, when "every major army involved in the fighting" created formations devoted to special operations behind enemy lines.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEThomas1983690_6-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEThomas1983690-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Depending on the country, special forces may perform functions including <a href="/wiki/Airborne_forces" title="Airborne forces">airborne operations</a>, <a href="/wiki/Counter-insurgency" class="mw-redirect" title="Counter-insurgency">counter-insurgency</a>, <a href="/wiki/Counter-terrorism" class="mw-redirect" title="Counter-terrorism">counter-terrorism</a>, <a href="/wiki/Foreign_internal_defense" title="Foreign internal defense">foreign internal defense</a>, <a href="/wiki/Covert_operations" class="mw-redirect" title="Covert operations">covert ops</a>, <a href="/wiki/Direct_action_(military)" title="Direct action (military)">direct action</a>, <a href="/wiki/Hostage_crises" class="mw-redirect" title="Hostage crises">hostage rescue</a>, <a href="/wiki/High-value_targets" class="mw-redirect" title="High-value targets">high-value targets</a>/<a href="/wiki/Manhunt_(military)" title="Manhunt (military)">manhunt</a>, <a href="/wiki/Intelligence,_surveillance,_target_acquisition,_and_reconnaissance" title="Intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance">intelligence operations</a>, <a href="/wiki/Mobility_(military)" title="Mobility (military)">mobility operations</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Unconventional_warfare" title="Unconventional warfare">unconventional warfare</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-adrp_spec_operations_7-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-adrp_spec_operations-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In Russian-speaking countries, special forces of any country are typically called <span title="Russian-language text"><i lang="ru-Latn"><a href="/wiki/Spetsnaz" title="Spetsnaz">spetsnaz</a></i></span>, an acronym for "special purpose". In the <a href="/wiki/United_States" title="United States">United States</a>, the term <i>special forces</i> often refers specifically to the <a href="/wiki/United_States_Army_Special_Forces" title="United States Army Special Forces">U.S. Army Special Forces</a>, while the term <i>special operations forces</i> is used more broadly for these types of units. </p> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r886046785">.mw-parser-output .toclimit-2 .toclevel-1 ul,.mw-parser-output .toclimit-3 .toclevel-2 ul,.mw-parser-output .toclimit-4 .toclevel-3 ul,.mw-parser-output .toclimit-5 .toclevel-4 ul,.mw-parser-output .toclimit-6 .toclevel-5 ul,.mw-parser-output .toclimit-7 .toclevel-6 ul{display:none}</style><div class="toclimit-3"><meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Capabilities">Capabilities</h2></div> <p>Special forces capabilities include the following: </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Special_reconnaissance" title="Special reconnaissance">Special reconnaissance</a> and surveillance in hostile environments</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Foreign_internal_defense" title="Foreign internal defense">Foreign internal defense</a>: Training and development of other states' military and security forces</li> <li>Offensive action</li> <li>Support to <a href="/wiki/Counter-insurgency" class="mw-redirect" title="Counter-insurgency">counter-insurgency</a> through population engagement and support</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Counter-terrorism" class="mw-redirect" title="Counter-terrorism">Counter-terrorism</a> operations</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sabotage" title="Sabotage">Sabotage</a> and demolition</li> <li>Hostage rescue</li></ul> <p>Other capabilities can include <a href="/wiki/Bodyguard" title="Bodyguard">close personal protection</a>; waterborne operations involving <a href="/wiki/Frogman" title="Frogman">combat diving/combat swimming</a>, <a href="/wiki/Naval_boarding" title="Naval boarding">maritime boarding</a> and amphibious missions; as well as <a href="/wiki/Air_force_infantry_and_special_forces_units#Special_operations_forces" class="mw-redirect" title="Air force infantry and special forces units">support of air force operations</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="History">History</h2></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Early_period">Early period</h3></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Hokusai-sketches---hokusai-manga-vol6-crop.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/Hokusai-sketches---hokusai-manga-vol6-crop.jpg/170px-Hokusai-sketches---hokusai-manga-vol6-crop.jpg" decoding="async" width="170" height="315" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/Hokusai-sketches---hokusai-manga-vol6-crop.jpg/255px-Hokusai-sketches---hokusai-manga-vol6-crop.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/Hokusai-sketches---hokusai-manga-vol6-crop.jpg/340px-Hokusai-sketches---hokusai-manga-vol6-crop.jpg 2x" data-file-width="903" data-file-height="1675" /></a><figcaption>Japanese drawing of the archetypical <a href="/wiki/Ninja" title="Ninja">ninja</a>, from a series of sketches (<i><a href="/wiki/Hokusai_manga" class="mw-redirect" title="Hokusai manga">Hokusai manga</a></i>) by <a href="/wiki/Hokusai" title="Hokusai">Hokusai</a>.</figcaption></figure> <p>Special forces have played an important role throughout the history of warfare, whenever the aim was to achieve disruption by "hit and run" and <a href="/wiki/Sabotage" title="Sabotage">sabotage</a>, rather than more traditional conventional combat. Other significant roles lay in <a href="/wiki/Reconnaissance" title="Reconnaissance">reconnaissance</a>, providing essential intelligence from near or among the enemy and increasingly in combating irregular forces, their infrastructure and activities. </p><p>Chinese strategist <a href="/wiki/Jiang_Ziya" title="Jiang Ziya">Jiang Ziya</a>, in his <i><a href="/wiki/Six_Secret_Teachings" title="Six Secret Teachings">Six Secret Teachings</a></i>, described recruiting talented and motivated men into specialized elite units with functions such as commanding heights and making rapid long-distance advances.<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> <a href="/wiki/Hamilcar_Barca" title="Hamilcar Barca">Hamilcar Barca</a> in Sicily (249 BC) had specialized troops trained to launch several offensives per day.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (June 2016)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> In the late Roman or early Byzantine period, Roman fleets used small, fast, camouflaged ships crewed by selected men for scouting and commando missions. In the <a href="/wiki/Middle_Ages" title="Middle Ages">Middle Ages</a>, special forces trained to conduct special operations were employed in several occasions.<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> An example of this were the special forces of <a href="/wiki/Gerald_the_Fearless" title="Gerald the Fearless">Gerald the Fearless</a>, a Portuguese warrior and folk hero of the <a href="/wiki/Reconquista" title="Reconquista">Reconquista</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Muslim forces also had naval special operations units, including one that used camouflaged ships to gather intelligence and launch raids and another of soldiers who could pass for Crusaders who would use ruses to board enemy ships and then capture and destroy them.<sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In <a href="/wiki/Japan" title="Japan">Japan</a>, <a href="/wiki/Ninja" title="Ninja">ninjas</a> were used for <a href="/wiki/Reconnaissance" title="Reconnaissance">reconnaissance</a>, <a href="/wiki/Espionage" title="Espionage">espionage</a> and as <a href="/wiki/Assassination" title="Assassination">assassins</a>, <a href="/wiki/Bodyguards" class="mw-redirect" title="Bodyguards">bodyguards</a> or fortress guards, or otherwise fought alongside conventional soldiers.<sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> During the <a href="/wiki/Napoleonic_wars" class="mw-redirect" title="Napoleonic wars">Napoleonic wars</a>, <a href="/wiki/Rifle_regiment" title="Rifle regiment">rifle regiments</a> and <a href="/wiki/Sapper" title="Sapper">sapper</a> units were formed that held specialised roles in reconnaissance and skirmishing and were not committed to the formal battle lines. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="First_specialized_units">First specialized units</h3></div> <figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Colonel_Benjamin_Church.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/85/Colonel_Benjamin_Church.jpg/200px-Colonel_Benjamin_Church.jpg" decoding="async" width="200" height="283" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/85/Colonel_Benjamin_Church.jpg/300px-Colonel_Benjamin_Church.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/85/Colonel_Benjamin_Church.jpg/400px-Colonel_Benjamin_Church.jpg 2x" data-file-width="538" data-file-height="760" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Benjamin_Church_(ranger)" title="Benjamin Church (ranger)">Colonel Benjamin Church</a> (1639–1718) from the <a href="/wiki/Plymouth_Colony" title="Plymouth Colony">Plymouth Colony</a>, father of <a href="/wiki/Unconventional_warfare" title="Unconventional warfare">Unconventional warfare</a>, American Ranging, and Rangers</figcaption></figure> <p>Between the 17th and 18th centuries, there were wars between American colonists and Native American tribes. In <a href="/wiki/Colonial_history_of_the_United_States" title="Colonial history of the United States">Colonial America</a> specialized <a href="/wiki/United_States_Army_Rangers" title="United States Army Rangers">Rangers</a> formed and first mentioned by <a href="/wiki/John_Smith_(explorer)" title="John Smith (explorer)">Capt. John Smith</a>, in 1622. Learning frontier skills from friendly Native Americans the Rangers helped carry out offensive strikes "<a href="/wiki/Guerrilla_warfare" title="Guerrilla warfare">frontier combat</a>" against hostile Natives. Thus Ranger companies were formed to provide reconnaissance, intelligence, light infantry, and scouting. <a href="/wiki/Benjamin_Church_(ranger)" title="Benjamin Church (ranger)">Colonel Benjamin Church</a> (c. 1639–1718) was the captain of the first Ranger force in America (1676).<sup id="cite_ref-Grenier2005_16-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Grenier2005-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Many Colonial officers would take the philosophies of Benjamin Church's ranging and form their own Ranger units. </p><p>Several Ranger companies were established in the American colonies, including <a href="/wiki/Knowlton%27s_Rangers" title="Knowlton's Rangers">Knowlton's Rangers</a>, an elite corps of Rangers who supplied reconnaissance and espionage for <a href="/wiki/George_Washington" title="George Washington">George Washington</a>'s Continental Army.<sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> <a href="/wiki/Daniel_Morgan" title="Daniel Morgan">Daniel Morgan</a>, was known as leader of The Corps of Rangers for the <a href="/wiki/Continental_Army" title="Continental Army">Continental Army</a>. <a href="/wiki/Rogers%27_Rangers" title="Rogers' Rangers">Rogers' Rangers</a> on Roger's Island, in modern-day Fort Edward, New York, is regarded as the "spiritual home" of the <a href="/wiki/United_States_Special_Operations_Forces" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Special Operations Forces">United States Special Operations Forces</a>, specifically the United States Army Rangers. These early American light infantry battalions were trained under <a href="/wiki/Robert_Rogers%27_28_%22Rules_of_Ranging%22" title="Robert Rogers' 28 "Rules of Ranging"">Robert Rogers' 28 "Rules of Ranging"</a>, which is considered the first known manual of modern <a href="/wiki/Asymmetric_warfare" title="Asymmetric warfare">asymmetric warfare</a> tactics used in modern special operations. </p><p>Various military Ranger units such as the <a href="/wiki/United_States_Mounted_Rangers" title="United States Mounted Rangers">United States Mounted Rangers</a>, <a href="/wiki/United_States_Rangers_in_the_War_of_1812" title="United States Rangers in the War of 1812">United States Rangers</a>, <a href="/wiki/Loudoun_Rangers" title="Loudoun Rangers">Loudoun Rangers</a>, <a href="/wiki/43rd_Virginia_Cavalry_Battalion" title="43rd Virginia Cavalry Battalion">43rd Virginia Rangers</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Texas_Military_Forces#Texas_Rangers" title="Texas Military Forces">Texas Military Rangers</a> continued throughout the 19th-20th century until the modern formation of the <a href="/wiki/75th_Ranger_Regiment" title="75th Ranger Regiment">Army Ranger Battalions</a> in WWII.<sup id="cite_ref-Churchill_18-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Churchill-18"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>18<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <figure class="mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Burnham_in_africa_close_up.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/Burnham_in_africa_close_up.jpg/250px-Burnham_in_africa_close_up.jpg" decoding="async" width="250" height="174" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/Burnham_in_africa_close_up.jpg/375px-Burnham_in_africa_close_up.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/Burnham_in_africa_close_up.jpg 2x" data-file-width="383" data-file-height="266" /></a><figcaption>British Army scouts in South Africa (1893): <a href="/wiki/Frederick_Russell_Burnham" title="Frederick Russell Burnham">Frederick Russell Burnham</a> (middle); Hon. <a href="/wiki/Maurice_Gifford" title="Maurice Gifford">Maurice Gifford</a> (right)</figcaption></figure> <p>The <a href="/wiki/British_Indian_Army" title="British Indian Army">British Indian Army</a> deployed two special forces during their border wars: the <a href="/wiki/Corps_of_Guides_(India)" title="Corps of Guides (India)">Corps of Guides</a> formed in 1846 and the <a href="/wiki/5_Gorkha_Rifles_(Frontier_Force)" class="mw-redirect" title="5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force)">Gurkha Scouts</a> (a force that was formed in the 1890s and was first used as a detached unit during the 1897–1898 <a href="/wiki/Tirah_Campaign" class="mw-redirect" title="Tirah Campaign">Tirah Campaign</a>).<sup id="cite_ref-19" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>During the <a href="/wiki/Second_Boer_War" title="Second Boer War">Second Boer War</a> (1899–1902) the British Army felt the need for more specialised units. Scouting units such as the <a href="/wiki/Lovat_Scouts" title="Lovat Scouts">Lovat Scouts</a>, a Scottish Highland regiment made up of exceptional <a href="/wiki/Woodsmen" class="mw-redirect" title="Woodsmen">woodsmen</a> outfitted in <a href="/wiki/Ghillie_suit" title="Ghillie suit">ghillie suits</a> and well practised in the arts of <a href="/wiki/Marksmanship" class="mw-redirect" title="Marksmanship">marksmanship</a>, <a href="/wiki/Field_craft" class="mw-redirect" title="Field craft">field craft</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Military_tactics" title="Military tactics">military tactics</a> filled this role. This unit was formed in 1900 by <a href="/wiki/Simon_Fraser,_14th_Lord_Lovat" title="Simon Fraser, 14th Lord Lovat">Lord Lovat</a> and early on reported to an American, Major <a href="/wiki/Frederick_Russell_Burnham" title="Frederick Russell Burnham">Frederick Russell Burnham</a>, the Chief of Scouts under <a href="/wiki/Frederick_Roberts,_1st_Earl_Roberts" title="Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts">Lord Roberts</a>. After the war, Lovat's Scouts went on to formally become the British Army's first sniper unit.<sup id="cite_ref-sniper_20-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-sniper-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>20<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Additionally, the <a href="/wiki/Bushveldt_Carbineers" title="Bushveldt Carbineers">Bushveldt Carbineers</a>, formed in 1901, can be seen as an early <a href="/wiki/Unconventional_warfare" title="Unconventional warfare">unconventional warfare</a> unit. </p><p>The <i><a href="/wiki/Luna_Sharpshooters" title="Luna Sharpshooters">Luna Sharpshooters</a></i>, also known as the "<i>Marksmen of Death</i>" (<a href="/wiki/Spanish_language" title="Spanish language">Spanish</a>: <i>Tiradores de la Muerte</i>), was an elite unit formed on 1899 by <a href="/wiki/General" class="mw-redirect" title="General">General</a> <a href="/wiki/Antonio_Luna" title="Antonio Luna">Antonio Luna</a> to serve under the <a href="/wiki/Philippine_Revolutionary_Army" title="Philippine Revolutionary Army">Philippine Revolutionary Army</a>. They became famous for fighting fiercer than the regular Filipino army soldiers. Most of the members of this unit came from the old <a href="/wiki/Spanish_Army" title="Spanish Army">Spanish Army</a> filipino members which fought during the <a href="/wiki/Philippine_Revolution" title="Philippine Revolution">Philippine Revolution</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-V.R._Jose_21-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-V.R._Jose-21"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>21<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Antonio_luna_small.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/Antonio_luna_small.jpg/220px-Antonio_luna_small.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="328" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/Antonio_luna_small.jpg/330px-Antonio_luna_small.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/Antonio_luna_small.jpg/440px-Antonio_luna_small.jpg 2x" data-file-width="600" data-file-height="895" /></a><figcaption>General <a href="/wiki/Antonio_Luna" title="Antonio Luna">Antonio Luna</a> of the <a href="/wiki/Philippine_Revolutionary_Army" title="Philippine Revolutionary Army">Philippine Revolutionary Army</a>, the founder of <i>Tiradores dela Muerte</i></figcaption></figure> <p>The sharpshooters became famous for their fierce fighting and proved their worth by being the usual spearheading unit in every major battle in the <a href="/wiki/Philippine%E2%80%93American_War" title="Philippine–American War">Philippine–American War</a>. In the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Paye" title="Battle of Paye">Battle of Paye</a> on December 19, 1899, Bonifacio Mariano, a sharpshooter under the command of General <a href="/wiki/Licerio_Ger%C3%B3nimo" title="Licerio Gerónimo">Licerio Gerónimo</a>, killed General <a href="/wiki/Henry_Ware_Lawton" title="Henry Ware Lawton">Henry Ware Lawton</a> of the <a href="/wiki/United_States_Army" title="United States Army">United States Army</a>, making the latter the highest ranking casualty during the course of the war.<sup id="cite_ref-22" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="World_War_I">World War I</h3></div> <figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Italian_Arditi.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/76/Italian_Arditi.jpg/300px-Italian_Arditi.jpg" decoding="async" width="300" height="203" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/76/Italian_Arditi.jpg/450px-Italian_Arditi.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/76/Italian_Arditi.jpg/600px-Italian_Arditi.jpg 2x" data-file-width="696" data-file-height="471" /></a><figcaption>Members of the Italian <i><a href="/wiki/Arditi" title="Arditi">Arditi</a></i> corps, 1918, brandishing daggers.</figcaption></figure> <p>The German <a href="/wiki/Stormtroopers_(Imperial_Germany)" title="Stormtroopers (Imperial Germany)">Stormtroopers</a> and the Italian <a href="/wiki/Arditi" title="Arditi">Arditi</a> were the first modern shock troops. They were both elite assault units trained to a much higher level than that of average troops and tasked to carry out daring attacks and bold raids against enemy defenses. Unlike Stormtroopers, Arditi were not units within infantry divisions, but were considered a separate combat arm.<sup id="cite_ref-Arditi_23-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Arditi-23"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>23<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Interwar_period">Interwar period</h3></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Chaco_war">Chaco war</h4></div> <p>The <a href="/wiki/Macheteros_de_Jara" title="Macheteros de Jara">Macheteros de Jara</a> was an auxiliary cavalry regiment that was organized since August 15, 1932, before the Battle of Boquerón began. The regiment was recruited from former outlaws from Paraguay who fought against Bolivian officers and soldiers. </p><p>The <a href="/wiki/50th_Infantry_Regiment_(Bolivia)" title="50th Infantry Regiment (Bolivia)">50th Infantry Regiment</a> (Cuchilleros de la Muerte) was a Bolivian infantry regiment that fought in the Chaco War. Nicknamed the Knives of Death (Spanish: Cuchillos de la Muerte), the regiment relied almost exclusively on the use of blade weapons, particularly bayonets. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="World_War_II">World War II</h3></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="British">British</h4></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Commandos_In_training.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="Man climbing over assault course wooden obstacle" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/68/Commandos_In_training.jpg/220px-Commandos_In_training.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="199" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/68/Commandos_In_training.jpg/330px-Commandos_In_training.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/68/Commandos_In_training.jpg/440px-Commandos_In_training.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1000" data-file-height="905" /></a><figcaption>The <a href="/wiki/British_Commandos" class="mw-redirect" title="British Commandos">British Commandos</a> were the prototype for the modern special forces. Volunteers had to undergo an arduous training course.</figcaption></figure> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Commandos">Commandos</h3></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Commandos_(United_Kingdom)" title="Commandos (United Kingdom)">Commandos (United Kingdom)</a></div> <p>Modern special forces emerged during the <a href="/wiki/Second_World_War" class="mw-redirect" title="Second World War">Second World War</a>. In 1940, the <a href="/wiki/British_Commandos" class="mw-redirect" title="British Commandos">British Commandos</a> were formed following <a href="/wiki/Winston_Churchill" title="Winston Churchill">Winston Churchill</a>'s call for "specially trained troops of the hunter class, who can develop a reign of terror down the enemy coast."<sup id="cite_ref-24" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-24"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>24<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> A <a href="/wiki/Staff_officer" class="mw-redirect" title="Staff officer">staff officer</a>, <a href="/wiki/Lieutenant_Colonel" class="mw-redirect" title="Lieutenant Colonel">Lieutenant Colonel</a> <a href="/wiki/Dudley_Clarke" title="Dudley Clarke">Dudley Clarke</a>, had already submitted such a proposal to <a href="/wiki/General" class="mw-redirect" title="General">General</a> Sir <a href="/wiki/John_Dill" title="John Dill">John Dill</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Chief_of_the_Imperial_General_Staff" class="mw-redirect" title="Chief of the Imperial General Staff">Chief of the Imperial General Staff</a>. Dill, aware of Churchill's intentions, approved Clarke's proposal<sup id="cite_ref-haskew_25-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-haskew-25"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>25<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and on 23 June 1940, the first Commando raid took place.<sup id="cite_ref-haskew_25-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-haskew-25"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>25<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>By the autumn of 1940 more than 2,000 men had volunteered and in November 1940 these new units were organised into a <a href="/wiki/Special_Service_Brigade" title="Special Service Brigade">Special Service Brigade</a> consisting of four battalions under the command of <a href="/wiki/Brigadier" title="Brigadier">Brigadier</a> J. C. Haydon.<sup id="cite_ref-26" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-26"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>26<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The Special Service Brigade was quickly expanded to 12 units which became known as Commandos.<sup id="cite_ref-haskew_25-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-haskew-25"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>25<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Each Commando had a lieutenant colonel as the <a href="/wiki/Commanding_officer" title="Commanding officer">commanding officer</a> and numbered around 450 men (divided into 75 man <a href="/wiki/Troop" title="Troop">troops</a> that were further divided into 15 man <a href="/wiki/Section_(military_unit)" title="Section (military unit)">sections</a>). </p><p>In December 1940 a Middle East Commando depot was formed with the responsibility of training and supplying reinforcements for the Commando units in that theatre.<sup id="cite_ref-Moreman_27-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Moreman-27"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>27<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In February 1942 the Commando training depot at <a href="/wiki/Achnacarry" title="Achnacarry">Achnacarry</a> in the <a href="/wiki/Scottish_Highlands" title="Scottish Highlands">Scottish Highlands</a> was established by Brigadier Charles Haydon. Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Charles Vaughan, the Commando depot was responsible for training complete units and individual replacements.<sup id="cite_ref-Moreman_27-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Moreman-27"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>27<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The training regime was for the time innovative and physically demanding, and far in advance of normal British Army training.<sup id="cite_ref-Moreman_27-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Moreman-27"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>27<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The depot staff were all hand picked, with the ability to outperform any of the volunteers. </p> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Landing_on_Queen_Red_Beach,_Sword_Area.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="Men wading ashore from a landing craft" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d9/Landing_on_Queen_Red_Beach%2C_Sword_Area.jpg/220px-Landing_on_Queen_Red_Beach%2C_Sword_Area.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="216" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d9/Landing_on_Queen_Red_Beach%2C_Sword_Area.jpg/330px-Landing_on_Queen_Red_Beach%2C_Sword_Area.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d9/Landing_on_Queen_Red_Beach%2C_Sword_Area.jpg/440px-Landing_on_Queen_Red_Beach%2C_Sword_Area.jpg 2x" data-file-width="800" data-file-height="785" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/British_Commandos" class="mw-redirect" title="British Commandos">British Commandos</a> wearing the green beret and carrying the Bergen rucksack during the <a href="/wiki/Normandy_landings" title="Normandy landings">Normandy landings</a></figcaption></figure> <p>Training and assessment started immediately on arrival, with the volunteers having to complete an 8-mile (13 km) march with all their equipment from the <a href="/wiki/Spean_Bridge" title="Spean Bridge">Spean Bridge</a> railway station to the commando depot.<sup id="cite_ref-Moreman_27-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Moreman-27"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>27<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Exercises were conducted using live ammunition and explosives to make training as realistic as possible. Physical fitness was a prerequisite, with cross country runs and <a href="/wiki/Boxing" title="Boxing">boxing</a> matches to improve fitness. Speed and endurance marches were conducted up and down the nearby mountain ranges and over <a href="/wiki/Assault_course" title="Assault course">assault courses</a> that included a <a href="/wiki/Zip-line" class="mw-redirect" title="Zip-line">zip-line</a> over <a href="/wiki/Loch_Arkaig" title="Loch Arkaig">Loch Arkaig</a>, all while carrying arms and full equipment. Training continued by day and night with river crossings, mountain climbing, <a href="/wiki/World_War_II_combatives" title="World War II combatives">weapons training, unarmed combat</a>, map reading, and small boat operations on the syllabus. </p><p>Reaching a wartime strength of over 30 individual units and four assault <a href="/wiki/Brigade" title="Brigade">brigades</a>, the Commandos served in all theatres of war from the <a href="/wiki/Arctic_Circle" title="Arctic Circle">Arctic Circle</a> to <a href="/wiki/European_theatre_of_World_War_II" title="European theatre of World War II">Europe</a> and from the <a href="/wiki/Mediterranean_and_Middle_East_theatre_of_World_War_II" title="Mediterranean and Middle East theatre of World War II">Mediterranean and Middle East</a> to <a href="/wiki/South-East_Asian_theatre_of_World_War_II" title="South-East Asian theatre of World War II">South-East Asia</a>. Their operations ranged from small groups of men landing from the sea or by parachute to a brigade of assault troops spearheading the Allied invasions of Europe and Asia. The first modern special forces units were established by men who had served with the Commandos, including the <a href="/wiki/Parachute_Regiment_(United_Kingdom)" title="Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom)">Parachute Regiment</a>, <a href="/wiki/Special_Air_Service" title="Special Air Service">Special Air Service</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Special_Boat_Service" title="Special Boat Service">Special Boat Service</a>. The <a href="/wiki/No._10_(Inter-Allied)_Commando" title="No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando">No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando</a> organised by British of volunteers from occupied Europe led to French <a href="/wiki/Commandos_Marine" title="Commandos Marine">Commandos Marine</a>, Dutch <a href="/wiki/Korps_Commandotroepen" title="Korps Commandotroepen">Korps Commandotroepen</a>, Belgian <a href="/wiki/Paracommando_Brigade_(Belgium)" class="mw-redirect" title="Paracommando Brigade (Belgium)">Paracommando Brigade</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-28" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-28"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>28<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-29" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-29"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>29<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-30" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-30"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>30<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Special_Air_Service_(SAS)"><span id="Special_Air_Service_.28SAS.29"></span>Special Air Service (SAS)</h4></div> <p>The first modern special forces unit was the <a href="/wiki/Special_Air_Service" title="Special Air Service">Special Air Service</a> (SAS), formed in July 1941 from an unorthodox idea and plan by <a href="/wiki/Lieutenant" title="Lieutenant">Lieutenant</a> <a href="/wiki/David_Stirling" title="David Stirling">David Stirling</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-31" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-31"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>31<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In June 1940 he volunteered for the <a href="/wiki/No._8_(Guards)_Commando" title="No. 8 (Guards) Commando">No. 8 (Guards) Commando</a> (later named "<a href="/wiki/Layforce" title="Layforce">Layforce</a>"). After Layforce was disbanded, Stirling remained convinced that due to the mechanized nature of war a small team of highly trained soldiers with the advantage of surprise could exact greater damage to the enemy's ability to fight than an entire platoon. His idea was for small teams of parachute trained soldiers to operate behind enemy lines to gain intelligence, destroy enemy aircraft, and attack their supply and reinforcement routes. Following a meeting with the C-in-C Middle East, <a href="/wiki/General" class="mw-redirect" title="General">General</a> <a href="/wiki/Claude_Auchinleck" title="Claude Auchinleck">Claude Auchinleck</a>, his plan was endorsed by the Army High Command. </p> <figure class="mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Special_Air_Service_in_North_Africa_E_21337.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ea/Special_Air_Service_in_North_Africa_E_21337.jpg/250px-Special_Air_Service_in_North_Africa_E_21337.jpg" decoding="async" width="250" height="223" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ea/Special_Air_Service_in_North_Africa_E_21337.jpg/375px-Special_Air_Service_in_North_Africa_E_21337.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ea/Special_Air_Service_in_North_Africa_E_21337.jpg/500px-Special_Air_Service_in_North_Africa_E_21337.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2186" data-file-height="1949" /></a><figcaption>British <a href="/wiki/Special_Air_Service" title="Special Air Service">SAS</a> in North Africa (1943), in jeeps with mounted heavy machine guns</figcaption></figure> <p>The force initially consisted of five officers and 60 <a href="/wiki/Enlisted_rank" title="Enlisted rank">other ranks</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-32" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-32"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>32<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Following extensive training at <a href="/wiki/Kibrit_Air_Base" title="Kibrit Air Base">Kabrit camp</a>, by the <a href="/wiki/River_Nile" class="mw-redirect" title="River Nile">River Nile</a>, L Detachment, SAS Brigade, undertook its first operations in the <a href="/wiki/Western_Desert_(North_Africa)" class="mw-redirect" title="Western Desert (North Africa)">Western Desert</a>. Stirling's vision was eventually vindicated after a series of successful operations. In 1942, the SAS attacked Bouerat. Transported by the <a href="/wiki/Long_Range_Desert_Group" title="Long Range Desert Group">Long Range Desert Group</a> (which carried out deep penetration, covert reconnaissance patrols, intelligence missions and attacks behind the enemy lines from 1940), they caused severe damage to the harbour, petrol tanks and storage facilities.<sup id="cite_ref-sm9_33-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-sm9-33"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>33<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> This was followed up in March by a raid on <a href="/wiki/Benghazi" title="Benghazi">Benghazi</a> harbour with limited success but they did damage to 15 aircraft at <a href="/wiki/Al-Berka" title="Al-Berka">Al-Berka</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-sm9_33-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-sm9-33"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>33<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The <a href="/wiki/June_1942_Crete_airfield_raids" class="mw-redirect" title="June 1942 Crete airfield raids">June 1942 Crete airfield raids</a> at <a href="/wiki/Heraklion_Airport" class="mw-redirect" title="Heraklion Airport">Heraklion</a>, <a href="/wiki/Kasteli" class="mw-redirect" title="Kasteli">Kasteli</a>, <a href="/wiki/Tympaki_Airport" title="Tympaki Airport">Tympaki</a> and <a href="/wiki/Maleme_Airport" title="Maleme Airport">Maleme</a> significant damage was caused, and raids at Fuka and <a href="/wiki/Mersa_Matruh" title="Mersa Matruh">Mersa Matruh</a> airfields destroyed 30 aircraft.<sup id="cite_ref-34" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-34"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>34<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Chindits">Chindits</h4></div> <p>In the <a href="/wiki/Burma_Campaign" class="mw-redirect" title="Burma Campaign">Burma Campaign</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Chindits" title="Chindits">Chindits</a>, whose long-range penetration groups were trained to operate from bases deep behind <a href="/wiki/Japan" title="Japan">Japanese</a> lines, contained commandos (<a href="/wiki/King%27s_Regiment_(Liverpool)" title="King's Regiment (Liverpool)">King's Regiment (Liverpool)</a>, 142 Commando Company) and <a href="/wiki/Gurkhas" class="mw-redirect" title="Gurkhas">Gurkhas</a>. Their jungle expertise, which would play an important part in many British special forces operations post-war, was learned at a great cost in lives in the jungles of <a href="/wiki/Burma" class="mw-redirect" title="Burma">Burma</a> fighting the Japanese.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (September 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="The_Company_of_Chosen_Immortals">The Company of Chosen Immortals</h4></div> <p>Immediately after the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Greece" class="mw-redirect" title="Battle of Greece">German occupation of Greece</a> in April–May 1941, the <a href="/wiki/Greek_government_in_exile" class="mw-redirect" title="Greek government in exile">Greek government</a> fled to <a href="/wiki/Egypt" title="Egypt">Egypt</a> and started to form military units in exile. <a href="/wiki/Hellenic_Air_Force" title="Hellenic Air Force">Air Force</a> Lt. Colonel G. Alexandris suggested the creation of an Army unit along the lines of the British SAS. In August 1942 the Company of Chosen Immortals (<a href="/wiki/Greek_language" title="Greek language">Greek</a>: <span lang="el">Λόχος Επιλέκτων Αθανάτων</span>) was formed under Cavalry Major Antonios Stefanakis in Palestine, with 200 men. In 1942, the unit was renamed <a href="/wiki/Sacred_Band_(World_War_II)" class="mw-redirect" title="Sacred Band (World War II)">Sacred Band</a>. In close cooperation with the commander of the British <a href="/wiki/Special_Air_Service" title="Special Air Service">SAS</a> Regiment, Lt. Colonel <a href="/wiki/David_Stirling" title="David Stirling">David Stirling</a>, the company moved to the SAS base at Qabrit in Egypt to begin its training in its new role. The special forces unit fought alongside the SAS in the Western Desert and the <a href="/wiki/Aegean_Sea" title="Aegean Sea">Aegean</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-35" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-35"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>35<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-36" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-36"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>36<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Poland">Poland</h4></div> <p>During the start of <a href="/wiki/World_War_II" title="World War II">World War II</a> “September campaign,” the Polish Government did not sign the capitulation, but moved to Paris and then to London.<sup id="cite_ref-Grom_37-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Grom-37"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>37<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In an attempt to achieve its aims the government in exile gave orders to the Polish resistance and formed a special military unit in Britain with the soldiers called <a href="/wiki/Cichociemni" class="mw-redirect" title="Cichociemni">Cichociemni</a> (“silent and unseen”) paratroopers to be deployed into Poland.<sup id="cite_ref-Grom_37-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Grom-37"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>37<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The Cichociemni were trained similar to the British Special Forces, with the curricula differing according to each soldier's specialization.<sup id="cite_ref-Grom_37-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Grom-37"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>37<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Their task, on deployment to Poland, was to sustain the structures of the Polish state, training the members of the Resistance in fighting the German occupant.<sup id="cite_ref-Grom_37-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Grom-37"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>37<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> This included taking part in the <a href="/wiki/Warsaw_Uprising" title="Warsaw Uprising">Warsaw Uprising</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Australian">Australian</h4></div> <p>Following advice from the British, Australia began raising special forces.<sup id="cite_ref-38" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-38"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>38<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The first units to be formed were <a href="/wiki/Australian_commandos" title="Australian commandos">independent companies</a>, which began training at <a href="/wiki/Wilson%27s_Promontory" class="mw-redirect" title="Wilson's Promontory">Wilson's Promontory</a> in Victoria in early 1941 under the tutelage of British instructors. With an establishment of 17 officers and 256 men, the independent companies were trained as "stay behind" forces, a role that they were later employed in against the Japanese in the <a href="/wiki/South_West_Pacific_Area" title="South West Pacific Area">South West Pacific Area</a> during 1942–43, most notably fighting a guerrilla campaign in <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Timor" title="Battle of Timor">Timor</a>, as well as actions in <a href="/wiki/New_Guinea_campaign" title="New Guinea campaign">New Guinea</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-39" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-39"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>39<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In all, a total of eight independent companies were raised before they were re-organised in mid-1943 into commando squadrons and placed under the command of the divisional cavalry regiments that were re-designated as cavalry commando regiments. As a part of this structure, a total of 11 commando squadrons were raised. </p><p>They continued to act independently and were often assigned at brigade level during the later stages of the war, taking part in the fighting in New Guinea, <a href="/wiki/Bougainville_campaign" title="Bougainville campaign">Bougainville</a> and <a href="/wiki/Borneo_Campaign_(1945)" class="mw-redirect" title="Borneo Campaign (1945)">Borneo</a>, where they were employed largely in long-range reconnaissance and flank protection roles.<sup id="cite_ref-40" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-40"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>40<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In addition to these units, the Australians also raised the <a href="/wiki/Z_Special_Unit" title="Z Special Unit">Z Special Unit</a> and <a href="/wiki/M_Special_Unit" title="M Special Unit">M Special Unit</a>. M Special Unit was largely employed in an intelligence-gathering role, while Z Special Force undertook direct action missions. One of its most notable actions came as part of <a href="/wiki/Operation_Jaywick" title="Operation Jaywick">Operation Jaywick</a>, in which several Japanese ships were sunk in <a href="/wiki/Singapore" title="Singapore">Singapore</a> Harbour in 1943. A second raid on Singapore in 1944, known as <a href="/wiki/Operation_Rimau" title="Operation Rimau">Operation Rimau</a>, was unsuccessful.<sup id="cite_ref-41" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-41"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>41<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="United_States">United States</h4></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Rangers-pointe-du-hoc.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7f/Rangers-pointe-du-hoc.jpg/220px-Rangers-pointe-du-hoc.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="263" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7f/Rangers-pointe-du-hoc.jpg/330px-Rangers-pointe-du-hoc.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7f/Rangers-pointe-du-hoc.jpg/440px-Rangers-pointe-du-hoc.jpg 2x" data-file-width="620" data-file-height="741" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/United_States_Army_Rangers" title="United States Army Rangers">United States Army Rangers</a> at <a href="/wiki/D-Day" class="mw-redirect" title="D-Day">D-Day</a>, <a href="/wiki/Pointe_du_Hoc" title="Pointe du Hoc">Pointe du Hoc</a></figcaption></figure> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Office_of_Strategic_Services">Office of Strategic Services</h4></div> <p>The United States formed the <a href="/wiki/Office_of_Strategic_Services" title="Office of Strategic Services">Office of Strategic Services</a> (OSS) during <a href="/wiki/World_War_II" title="World War II">World War II</a> under the <a href="/wiki/Medal_of_Honor" title="Medal of Honor">Medal of Honor</a> recipient <a href="/wiki/William_J._Donovan" title="William J. Donovan">William J. Donovan</a>. This organization was the predecessor of the <a href="/wiki/Central_Intelligence_Agency" title="Central Intelligence Agency">Central Intelligence Agency</a> (CIA) and was responsible for both intelligence and special forces missions. The CIA's elite <a href="/wiki/Special_Activities_Division" class="mw-redirect" title="Special Activities Division">Special Activities Division</a> is the direct descendant of the OSS.<sup id="cite_ref-42" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-42"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>42<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Marine_Raiders">Marine Raiders</h4></div> <p>On February 16, 1942, the <a href="/wiki/U.S._Marine_Corps" class="mw-redirect" title="U.S. Marine Corps">U.S. Marine Corps</a> activated a battalion of Marines with the specific purpose of securing beach heads, and other special operations. The battalion became the first modern special operations force of the U.S. The battalion became known as <a href="/wiki/Marine_Raiders" title="Marine Raiders">Marine Raiders</a> due to Admiral <a href="/wiki/Chester_Nimitz" class="mw-redirect" title="Chester Nimitz">Chester Nimitz</a>'s request for "raiders" in the Pacific front of the war.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (September 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="United_States_Army_Rangers">United States Army Rangers</h4></div> <p>The history of the <a href="/wiki/United_States_Army_Rangers" title="United States Army Rangers">United States Army Rangers</a> specialist soldier dates back to the 17th through 19th century from military units such as <a href="/wiki/United_States_Mounted_Rangers" title="United States Mounted Rangers">United States Mounted Rangers</a>, <a href="/wiki/United_States_Rangers_in_the_War_of_1812" title="United States Rangers in the War of 1812">United States Rangers</a> and <a href="/wiki/Texas_Military_Forces" title="Texas Military Forces">Texas Rangers</a>. In WWII mid-1942, Major-General Lucian Truscott of the U.S. Army, a General Staff submitted a proposal to <a href="/wiki/General_George_Marshall" class="mw-redirect" title="General George Marshall">General George Marshall</a> onceived under the guidance of then Army Chief of Staff, General George C. Marshall, that selectively trained Ranger soldiers were recruited for the newly established special operations Army <a href="/wiki/75th_Ranger_Regiment" title="75th Ranger Regiment">Ranger Battalion</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-Grenier2005_16-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Grenier2005-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="1st_Special_Service_Force">1st Special Service Force</h4></div> <p>The United States and <a href="/wiki/Canada" title="Canada">Canada</a> formed the <a href="/wiki/1st_Special_Service_Force" class="mw-redirect" title="1st Special Service Force">1st Special Service Force</a> as a sabotage <a href="/wiki/Ski_warfare" title="Ski warfare">ski brigade</a> for operations in Norway. Later known as the "Devil's Brigade" (and called "The Black Devils" by mystified German soldiers), the First Special Service Force was dispatched to the occupied Aleutian Islands, Italy and Southern France.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (September 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Merrill's_Marauders"><span id="Merrill.27s_Marauders"></span>Merrill's Marauders</h4></div> <p><a href="/wiki/Merrill%27s_Marauders" title="Merrill's Marauders">Merrill's Marauders</a> were modeled on the Chindits and took part in similar operations in Burma. In late November 1943, the <a href="/wiki/Alamo_Scouts" title="Alamo Scouts">Alamo Scouts</a> (Sixth Army Special Reconnaissance Unit) were formed to conduct reconnaissance and raider work in the Southwest Pacific Theater under the personal command of then Lt. General <a href="/wiki/Walter_Krueger" title="Walter Krueger">Walter Krueger</a>, Commanding General, Sixth U.S. Army. Krueger envisioned that the Alamo Scouts, consisting of small teams of highly trained volunteers, would operate deep behind enemy lines to provide intelligence-gathering and tactical reconnaissance in advance of Sixth U.S. Army landing operations.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (September 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Special_Forces_Tab">Special Forces Tab</h4></div> <p>In 1983, nearly 40 years after the end of World War II, the US Army created the <a href="/wiki/Special_Forces_Tab" title="Special Forces Tab">Special Forces Tab</a>. It was later decided that personnel with at least 120 days' wartime service prior to 1955 in certain units, including the Devil's Brigade, the Alamo Scouts and the OSS Operational Groups, would receive the Tab for their services in World War II, placing them all in the lineage of today's U.S. and Canadian (via Devil's Brigade) Special Forces.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (September 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Axis_powers">Axis powers</h4></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1251242444">.mw-parser-output .ambox{border:1px solid #a2a9b1;border-left:10px solid #36c;background-color:#fbfbfb;box-sizing:border-box}.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+style+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+style+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+link+.ambox{margin-top:-1px}html body.mediawiki .mw-parser-output .ambox.mbox-small-left{margin:4px 1em 4px 0;overflow:hidden;width:238px;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em}.mw-parser-output .ambox-speedy{border-left:10px solid #b32424;background-color:#fee7e6}.mw-parser-output .ambox-delete{border-left:10px solid #b32424}.mw-parser-output .ambox-content{border-left:10px solid #f28500}.mw-parser-output .ambox-style{border-left:10px solid #fc3}.mw-parser-output .ambox-move{border-left:10px solid #9932cc}.mw-parser-output .ambox-protection{border-left:10px solid #a2a9b1}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-text{border:none;padding:0.25em 0.5em;width:100%}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-image{border:none;padding:2px 0 2px 0.5em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-imageright{border:none;padding:2px 0.5em 2px 0;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-empty-cell{border:none;padding:0;width:1px}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-image-div{width:52px}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .ambox{margin:0 10%}}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .ambox{display:none!important}}</style><table class="box-Unreferenced_section plainlinks metadata ambox ambox-content ambox-Unreferenced" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td class="mbox-image"><div class="mbox-image-div"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Question_book-new.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/50px-Question_book-new.svg.png" decoding="async" width="50" height="39" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/75px-Question_book-new.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/100px-Question_book-new.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="512" data-file-height="399" /></a></span></div></td><td class="mbox-text"><div class="mbox-text-span">This section <b>does not <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources" title="Wikipedia:Citing sources">cite</a> any <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability" title="Wikipedia:Verifiability">sources</a></b>.<span class="hide-when-compact"> Please help <a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Special_forces" title="Special:EditPage/Special forces">improve this section</a> by <a href="/wiki/Help:Referencing_for_beginners" title="Help:Referencing for beginners">adding citations to reliable sources</a>. Unsourced material may be challenged and <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability#Burden_of_evidence" title="Wikipedia:Verifiability">removed</a>.</span> <span class="date-container"><i>(<span class="date">September 2021</span>)</i></span><span class="hide-when-compact"><i> (<small><a href="/wiki/Help:Maintenance_template_removal" title="Help:Maintenance template removal">Learn how and when to remove this message</a></small>)</i></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>The <a href="/wiki/Axis_powers" title="Axis powers">Axis powers</a> did not adopt the use of special forces on the same scale as the British. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="German">German</h4></div> <p>The German army's <a href="/wiki/Brandenburger_Regiment" class="mw-redirect" title="Brandenburger Regiment">Brandenburger Regiment</a> was founded as a special forces unit used by the <a href="/wiki/Abwehr" title="Abwehr">Abwehr</a> for infiltration and long distance reconnaissance in <a href="/wiki/Fall_Weiss_(1939)" title="Fall Weiss (1939)">Fall Weiss</a> of 1939 and the <a href="/wiki/Fall_Gelb" class="mw-redirect" title="Fall Gelb">Fall Gelb</a> and <a href="/wiki/Operation_Barbarossa" title="Operation Barbarossa">Barbarossa</a> campaigns of 1940 and 1941.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (September 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-680-8283A-30A,_Budapest,_Otto_Skorzeny,_Adrian_v._F%C3%B6lkersam.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/da/Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-680-8283A-30A%2C_Budapest%2C_Otto_Skorzeny%2C_Adrian_v._F%C3%B6lkersam.jpg/220px-Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-680-8283A-30A%2C_Budapest%2C_Otto_Skorzeny%2C_Adrian_v._F%C3%B6lkersam.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="149" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/da/Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-680-8283A-30A%2C_Budapest%2C_Otto_Skorzeny%2C_Adrian_v._F%C3%B6lkersam.jpg/330px-Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-680-8283A-30A%2C_Budapest%2C_Otto_Skorzeny%2C_Adrian_v._F%C3%B6lkersam.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/da/Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-680-8283A-30A%2C_Budapest%2C_Otto_Skorzeny%2C_Adrian_v._F%C3%B6lkersam.jpg/440px-Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-680-8283A-30A%2C_Budapest%2C_Otto_Skorzeny%2C_Adrian_v._F%C3%B6lkersam.jpg 2x" data-file-width="800" data-file-height="540" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Otto_Skorzeny" title="Otto Skorzeny">Otto Skorzeny</a> (left) and the former <i><a href="/wiki/Brandenburger_Regiment" class="mw-redirect" title="Brandenburger Regiment">Brandenburger</a></i> <a href="/wiki/Adrian_von_F%C3%B6lkersam" title="Adrian von Fölkersam">Adrian von Fölkersam</a> (middle), 1944</figcaption></figure> <p>Later during the war the <a href="/wiki/502nd_SS_J%C3%A4ger_Battalion" title="502nd SS Jäger Battalion">502nd SS Jäger Battalion</a>, commanded by <a href="/wiki/Otto_Skorzeny" title="Otto Skorzeny">Otto Skorzeny</a>, sowed disorder behind the Allied lines by mis-directing convoys away from the front lines. A handful of his men were captured by the Americans and spread a rumor that Skorzeny was leading a raid on <a href="/wiki/Paris" title="Paris">Paris</a> to kill or capture General <a href="/wiki/Dwight_Eisenhower" class="mw-redirect" title="Dwight Eisenhower">Dwight Eisenhower</a>. Although this was untrue, Eisenhower was confined to his headquarters for several days and Skorzeny was labelled "the most dangerous man in Europe".<sup class="noprint Inline-Template" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Inline_citation#When_you_must_use_inline_citations" title="Wikipedia:Inline citation"><span title="The text near this tag needs a citation. (September 2022)">This quote needs a citation</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Italian">Italian</h4></div> <p>In <a href="/wiki/Italy" title="Italy">Italy</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Decima_Flottiglia_MAS" title="Decima Flottiglia MAS">Decima Flottiglia MAS</a> was responsible for the sinking and damage of considerable British tonnage in the <a href="/wiki/Mediterranean" class="mw-redirect" title="Mediterranean">Mediterranean</a>. Also there were other Italian special forces like A.D.R.A. (<i>Arditi Distruttori Regia Aeronautica</i>). This regiment was used in raids on Allied airbases and railways in North Africa in 1943. In one mission they destroyed 25 <a href="/wiki/B-17_Flying_Fortress" class="mw-redirect" title="B-17 Flying Fortress">B-17 Flying Fortress</a> bombers.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (September 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Japanese">Japanese</h4></div> <p>The <a href="/wiki/Imperial_Japanese_Army" title="Imperial Japanese Army">Imperial Japanese Army</a> first deployed army paratroops in combat during the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Palembang" title="Battle of Palembang">Battle of Palembang</a>, on <a href="/wiki/Sumatra" title="Sumatra">Sumatra</a> in the <a href="/wiki/Netherlands_East_Indies" class="mw-redirect" title="Netherlands East Indies">Netherlands East Indies</a>, on 14 February 1942. The operation was well-planned, with 425 men of the 1st Parachute Raiding Regiment seizing <a href="/wiki/Palembang" title="Palembang">Palembang</a> airfield, while the paratroopers of the 2nd Parachute Raiding Regiment seized the town and its important oil refinery. Paratroops were subsequently deployed in the <a href="/wiki/Burma_campaign" title="Burma campaign">Burma campaign</a>. The 1st Glider Tank Troop was formed in 1943, with four <a href="/wiki/Type_95_Ha-Go" class="mw-redirect" title="Type 95 Ha-Go">Type 95 Ha-Go</a> light tanks. The paratroop brigades were organized into the <i>Teishin Shudan</i> as the first division-level raiding unit, at the main Japanese airborne base, Karasehara Airfield, <a href="/wiki/Ky%C5%ABsh%C5%AB" class="mw-redirect" title="Kyūshū">Kyūshū</a>, Japan.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (September 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p>However, as with similar airborne units created by the <a href="/wiki/Allies_of_World_War_II" title="Allies of World War II">Allies</a> and other <a href="/wiki/Axis_powers" title="Axis powers">Axis powers</a>, the Japanese paratroops suffered from a disproportionately high casualty rate, and the loss of men who required such extensive and expensive training limited their operations to only the most critical ones. Two regiments of <i>Teishin Shudan</i> were formed into the 1st Raiding Group, commanded by Major General <a href="/wiki/Rikichi_Tsukada" title="Rikichi Tsukada">Rikichi Tsukada</a> under the control of the <a href="/wiki/Southern_Expeditionary_Army_Group" title="Southern Expeditionary Army Group">Southern Expeditionary Army Group</a>, during the <a href="/wiki/Philippines_campaign_(1944%E2%80%9345)" class="mw-redirect" title="Philippines campaign (1944–45)">Philippines campaign</a>. Although structured as a division, its capabilities were much lower, as its six <a href="/wiki/Regiment" title="Regiment">regiments</a> had manpower equivalent to a standard infantry <a href="/wiki/Battalion" title="Battalion">battalion</a>, and it lacked any form of <a href="/wiki/Artillery" title="Artillery">artillery</a>, and had to rely on other units for logistical support. Its men were no longer parachute-trained, but relied on aircraft for transport.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (September 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p>Some 750 men from the <a href="/wiki/2nd_Raiding_Brigade" title="2nd Raiding Brigade">2nd Raiding Brigade</a>, of this group were assigned to attack American air bases on <a href="/wiki/Luzon" title="Luzon">Luzon</a> and <a href="/wiki/Leyte" title="Leyte">Leyte</a> on the night of 6 December 1944. They were flown in <a href="/wiki/Mitsubishi_Ki-57" title="Mitsubishi Ki-57">Ki-57 transports</a>, but most of the aircraft were shot down. Some 300 commandos managed to land in the <a href="/wiki/Burauen" title="Burauen">Burauen</a> area on Leyte. The force destroyed some planes and inflicted numerous casualties, before they were annihilated.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (September 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Finnish">Finnish</h4></div> <p>During World War II, the Finnish Army and Border Guard organized <a href="/wiki/Sissi_(Finnish_light_infantry)" title="Sissi (Finnish light infantry)">sissi</a> forces into a <a href="/wiki/Long-range_reconnaissance_patrol" title="Long-range reconnaissance patrol">long-range reconnaissance patrol</a> (<i>kaukopartio</i>) units. These were open only to volunteers and operated far behind enemy lines in small teams. They conducted both intelligence-gathering missions and raids on e.g. enemy supply depots or other strategic targets. They were generally highly effective. For example, during the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Ilomantsi_(1944)" title="Battle of Ilomantsi (1944)">Battle of Ilomantsi</a>, Soviet supply lines were harassed to the point that the Soviet artillery was unable to exploit its massive numerical advantage over Finnish artillery. Their operations were also classified as secret because of the political sensitivity of such operations. Only authorized military historians could publish on their operations; individual soldiers were required to take the secrets to the grave. A famous LRRP commander was <a href="/wiki/Lauri_T%C3%B6rni" title="Lauri Törni">Lauri Törni</a>, who later joined the U.S. Army to train U.S. personnel in special operations.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (September 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Bangladesh_Liberation_War_(1971)"><span id="Bangladesh_Liberation_War_.281971.29"></span>Bangladesh Liberation War (1971)</h3></div> <p>In June 1971, during the <a href="/wiki/Bangladesh_Liberation_War" title="Bangladesh Liberation War">Bangladesh Liberation War</a>, the <a href="/wiki/World_Bank" title="World Bank">World Bank</a> sent a mission to observe the situation in <a href="/wiki/East_Pakistan" title="East Pakistan">East Pakistan</a>. The media cell of Pakistan's government was circulating the news that the situation in East Pakistan was stable and normal. <a href="/wiki/Khaled_Mosharraf" title="Khaled Mosharraf">Khaled Mosharraf</a>, a sector commander of <a href="/wiki/Mukti_Bahini" title="Mukti Bahini">Mukti Bahini</a>, planned to deploy a special commando team. The task assigned to the team was to carry out commando operations and to terrorize <a href="/wiki/Dhaka" title="Dhaka">Dhaka</a>. The major objective of this team was to prove that the situation was not actually normal. Moreover, Pakistan, at that time, was expecting economic aid from World Bank, which was assumed<sup class="noprint Inline-Template" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Words_to_watch#Unsupported_attributions" title="Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Words to watch"><span title="The material near this tag may use weasel words or too-vague attribution. (September 2020)">by whom?</span></a></i>]</sup> to be spent to buy arms. The plan was to make World Bank Mission understand the true situation of East Pakistan and to stop sanctioning the aid.<sup id="cite_ref-Mosharraf_43-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Mosharraf-43"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>43<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Khaled, along with <a href="/wiki/Abu_Taher_Mohammad_Haider" title="Abu Taher Mohammad Haider">A. T. M. Haider</a>, another sector commander, formed the <a href="/wiki/Crack_Platoon" title="Crack Platoon">Crack Platoon</a>. Initially, the number of commandos in the platoon was 17, trained in <a href="/wiki/Melaghar_Camp" title="Melaghar Camp">Melaghar Camp</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-44" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-44"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>44<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> From Melaghar, commandos of Crack Platoon headed for Dhaka on 4 June 1971 and launched a guerrilla operation on 5 June.<sup id="cite_ref-Mosharraf_43-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Mosharraf-43"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>43<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Later, the number of commandos increased, the platoon split and deployed in different areas surrounding Dhaka city.<sup id="cite_ref-45" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-45"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>45<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The basic objectives of the Crack Platoon were to demonstrate the strength of Mukti Bahini, terrorising Pakistan Army and their collaborators. Another major objective was proving to the international community that the situation in East Pakistan was not normal. That commando team also aimed at inspiring the people of Dhaka, who were frequently victims of killing and torture. The Crack Platoon successfully fulfilled these objectives. The World Bank mission, in its report, clearly described the hazardous situation prevailing in East Pakistan and urged ending the military regime in East Pakistan.<sup id="cite_ref-46" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-46"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>46<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The Crack Platoon carried out several successful and important operations. The power supply in Dhaka was devastated<sup id="cite_ref-47" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-47"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>47<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-48" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-48"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>48<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> which caused severe problems for the Pakistan Army and the military administration in Dhaka. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Modern_special_forces">Modern special forces</h3></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">See also: <a href="/wiki/List_of_military_special_forces_units" title="List of military special forces units">List of military special forces units</a></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:ODA525.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/ODA525.jpg/220px-ODA525.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="150" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/ODA525.jpg/330px-ODA525.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/ODA525.jpg/440px-ODA525.jpg 2x" data-file-width="704" data-file-height="479" /></a><figcaption>ODA 525 team picture taken shortly before infiltration in <a href="/wiki/Iraq" title="Iraq">Iraq</a>, February 1991</figcaption></figure> <p>Stemming from <a href="/wiki/Resolution_598" class="mw-redirect" title="Resolution 598">Resolution 598</a>, <a href="/wiki/Operation_Prime_Chance" title="Operation Prime Chance">Operation Prime Chance</a> was the first deployment of <a href="/wiki/United_States_Special_Operations_Command" title="United States Special Operations Command">U.S. Special Operations Command</a> (USSOCOM) troops, which were a product of the <a href="/wiki/Reagan_administration" class="mw-redirect" title="Reagan administration">Reagan administration</a> under <a href="/wiki/Secretary_of_Defense" class="mw-redirect" title="Secretary of Defense">Secretary of Defense</a> <a href="/wiki/Caspar_Weinberger" title="Caspar Weinberger">Caspar Weinberger</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-gwu1_49-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-gwu1-49"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>49<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Admiral <a href="/wiki/William_H._McRaven" title="William H. McRaven">William H. McRaven</a>, formerly the ninth commanding officer of USSOCOM (2011–2014), described two approaches to special forces operations in the 2012 posture statement to the <a href="/wiki/United_States_Senate_Committee_on_Armed_Services" title="United States Senate Committee on Armed Services">U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services</a>: "the direct approach is characterized by technologically enabled small-unit precision lethality, focused <a href="/wiki/Military_intelligence" title="Military intelligence">intelligence</a>, and inter-agency cooperation integrated on a digitally-networked battlefield", whereas the "indirect approach includes empowering host nation forces, providing appropriate assistance to humanitarian agencies, and engaging key populations."<sup id="cite_ref-50" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-50"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>50<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Elements of national power must be deployed in concert without over-reliance on a single capability, such as special forces, that leaves the entire force unprepared and hollow across the spectrum of military operations.<sup id="cite_ref-51" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-51"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>51<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p> Throughout the latter half of the 20th century and into the 21st century, special forces have come to higher prominence, as governments have found objectives can sometimes be better achieved by a small team of anonymous specialists than a larger and much more politically controversial conventional deployment. In both <a href="/wiki/Kosovo" title="Kosovo">Kosovo</a> and <a href="/wiki/Afghanistan" title="Afghanistan">Afghanistan</a>, special forces were used to co-ordinate activities between local <a href="/wiki/Guerrilla_warfare" title="Guerrilla warfare">guerrilla</a> fighters and <a href="/wiki/Air_power" class="mw-redirect" title="Air power">air power</a>.</p><figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Irish_Army_Ranger_Wing_Ford_Special_Recon_Vehicle_in_Chad_(4109830420).jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/30/Irish_Army_Ranger_Wing_Ford_Special_Recon_Vehicle_in_Chad_%284109830420%29.jpg/220px-Irish_Army_Ranger_Wing_Ford_Special_Recon_Vehicle_in_Chad_%284109830420%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="147" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/30/Irish_Army_Ranger_Wing_Ford_Special_Recon_Vehicle_in_Chad_%284109830420%29.jpg/330px-Irish_Army_Ranger_Wing_Ford_Special_Recon_Vehicle_in_Chad_%284109830420%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/30/Irish_Army_Ranger_Wing_Ford_Special_Recon_Vehicle_in_Chad_%284109830420%29.jpg/440px-Irish_Army_Ranger_Wing_Ford_Special_Recon_Vehicle_in_Chad_%284109830420%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3504" data-file-height="2336" /></a><figcaption>Irish <a href="/wiki/Army_Ranger_Wing" title="Army Ranger Wing">Army Ranger Wing</a> operators during patrol in <a href="/wiki/Chad" title="Chad">Chad</a>, 2008</figcaption></figure><p> Typically, <a href="/wiki/Guerrilla_warfare" title="Guerrilla warfare">guerrilla</a> fighters would engage enemy soldiers and tanks causing them to move, where they could be seen and attacked from the air. </p><figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:580164_2nd_Commando_Regiment_Afghanistan_2012_walking_to_US_Army_Chinook.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/52/580164_2nd_Commando_Regiment_Afghanistan_2012_walking_to_US_Army_Chinook.jpg/220px-580164_2nd_Commando_Regiment_Afghanistan_2012_walking_to_US_Army_Chinook.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="149" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/52/580164_2nd_Commando_Regiment_Afghanistan_2012_walking_to_US_Army_Chinook.jpg/330px-580164_2nd_Commando_Regiment_Afghanistan_2012_walking_to_US_Army_Chinook.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/52/580164_2nd_Commando_Regiment_Afghanistan_2012_walking_to_US_Army_Chinook.jpg/440px-580164_2nd_Commando_Regiment_Afghanistan_2012_walking_to_US_Army_Chinook.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3600" data-file-height="2434" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/2nd_Commando_Regiment" class="mw-redirect" title="2nd Commando Regiment">Australian special forces</a> walking with <a href="/wiki/Afghan_National_Army" class="mw-redirect" title="Afghan National Army">Afghan National Army</a> to a waiting <a href="/wiki/U.S._Army" class="mw-redirect" title="U.S. Army">U.S. Army</a> <a href="/wiki/Chinook_helicopter" class="mw-redirect" title="Chinook helicopter">Chinook helicopter</a> in 2012</figcaption></figure> <p>Special forces have been used in both wartime and peacetime military operations such as the <a href="/wiki/Laotian_Civil_War" title="Laotian Civil War">Laotian Civil War</a>, <a href="/wiki/Bangladesh_Liberation_War" title="Bangladesh Liberation War">Bangladesh Liberation War-1971</a>, <a href="/wiki/Vietnam_War" title="Vietnam War">Vietnam War</a>, <a href="/wiki/Portuguese_Colonial_War" title="Portuguese Colonial War">Portuguese Colonial War</a>, <a href="/wiki/South_African_Border_War" title="South African Border War">South African Border War</a>, <a href="/wiki/Falklands_War" title="Falklands War">Falklands War</a>, <a href="/wiki/The_Troubles" title="The Troubles">The Troubles</a> in Northern Ireland, the <a href="/wiki/Jaffna_University_Helidrop" title="Jaffna University Helidrop">Jaffna University Helidrop</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Gulf_War" title="Gulf War">first</a> and <a href="/wiki/2003_invasion_of_Iraq" title="2003 invasion of Iraq">second</a> Gulf Wars, Afghanistan, <a href="/wiki/Croatian_War_of_Independence" title="Croatian War of Independence">Croatia</a>, <a href="/wiki/Kosovo_War" title="Kosovo War">Kosovo</a>, <a href="/wiki/Bosnian_War" title="Bosnian War">Bosnia</a>, the <a href="/wiki/First_Chechen_War" title="First Chechen War">first</a> and <a href="/wiki/Second_Chechen_War" title="Second Chechen War">second Chechen Wars</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Iranian_Embassy_siege" title="Iranian Embassy siege">Iranian Embassy siege</a> (London), the <a href="/wiki/Air_France_Flight_8969" title="Air France Flight 8969">Air France Flight 8969</a> (<a href="/wiki/Marseille" title="Marseille">Marseille</a>), <a href="/wiki/Operation_Defensive_Shield" title="Operation Defensive Shield">Operation Defensive Shield</a>, <a href="/wiki/Operation_Khukri" title="Operation Khukri">Operation Khukri</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Moscow_theater_hostage_crisis" title="Moscow theater hostage crisis">Moscow theater hostage crisis</a>, <a href="/wiki/Operation_Orchard" class="mw-redirect" title="Operation Orchard">Operation Orchard</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Japanese_embassy_hostage_crisis" title="Japanese embassy hostage crisis">Japanese Embassy hostage crisis</a> (<a href="/wiki/Lima" title="Lima">Lima</a>), in <a href="/wiki/Sri_Lanka" title="Sri Lanka">Sri Lanka</a> against the <a href="/wiki/LTTE" class="mw-redirect" title="LTTE">LTTE</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Death_of_Osama_Bin_Laden" class="mw-redirect" title="Death of Osama Bin Laden">raid on Osama Bin Laden's compound</a> in Pakistan, the <a href="/wiki/2016_Indian_Line_of_Control_strike" title="2016 Indian Line of Control strike">2016 Indian Line of Control strike</a> the <a href="/wiki/2015_Indian_counter-insurgency_operation_in_Myanmar" title="2015 Indian counter-insurgency operation in Myanmar">2015 Indian counter-insurgency operation in Myanmar</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Death_of_Abu_Bakr_al-Baghdadi" title="Death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi">Barisha Raid</a> in <a href="/wiki/Syria" title="Syria">Syria</a> of 2019. </p><p>The <a href="/wiki/U.S._invasion_of_Afghanistan" class="mw-redirect" title="U.S. invasion of Afghanistan">U.S. invasion of Afghanistan</a> involved special forces from several coalition nations, who played a major role in removing the <a href="/wiki/Taliban" title="Taliban">Taliban</a> from power in 2001–2002. Special forces have continued to play a role in combating the Taliban in subsequent operations. </p><p>As gender restrictions are being removed in parts of the world, females are applying for special forces units selections and in 2014 the Norwegian Special Operation Forces established an all female unit <i><a href="/wiki/Jegertroppen" title="Jegertroppen">Jegertroppen</a></i> (English: <span lang="en">Hunter Troop</span>). </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Tier_One_units">Tier One units</h3></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1251242444"><table class="box-Expand_section plainlinks metadata ambox mbox-small-left ambox-content" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td class="mbox-image"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="[icon]" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg/20px-Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg.png" decoding="async" width="20" height="14" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg/30px-Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg/40px-Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="44" data-file-height="31" /></a></span></td><td class="mbox-text"><div class="mbox-text-span">This section <b>needs expansion</b>. You can help by <span class="anonymous-show"><span class="plainlinks"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk%3ASpecial_forces&preload=Template%3ASubmit+an+edit+request%2Fpreload&action=edit&section=new&editintro=Template%3AEdit+protected%2Feditintro&preloadtitle=Protected+edit+request+on+30+November+2024&preloadparams%5B%5D=edit+fully-protected&preloadparams%5B%5D=Special+forces">making an edit request</a></span></span><span class="user-show"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special_forces&action=edit&section=">adding to it</a> </span>. <span class="date-container"><i>(<span class="date">October 2023</span>)</i></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>These are the highest level of military special forces, as in the highest trained and usually the most secretive.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (October 2023)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> Examples would be the <a href="/wiki/Special_mission_unit" title="Special mission unit">special mission units</a> of the Australian and United States special operations forces. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1184024115">.mw-parser-output .div-col{margin-top:0.3em;column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .div-col-small{font-size:90%}.mw-parser-output .div-col-rules{column-rule:1px solid #aaa}.mw-parser-output .div-col dl,.mw-parser-output .div-col ol,.mw-parser-output .div-col ul{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .div-col li,.mw-parser-output .div-col dd{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}</style><div class="div-col" style="column-width: 20em;"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_military_special_forces_units" title="List of military special forces units">List of military special forces units</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Commando" title="Commando">Commando</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Airborne_forces" title="Airborne forces">Airborne forces</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Long_Range_Reconnaissance_Patrol" class="mw-redirect" title="Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol">Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Frogman" title="Frogman">Frogman</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_military_diving_units" title="List of military diving units">List of military diving units</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Police_Tactical_Unit" class="mw-redirect" title="Police Tactical Unit">Police Tactical Unit</a></li></ul> </div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Notes">Notes</h2></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap mw-references-columns"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-NATO_doctrine-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-NATO_doctrine_1-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-NATO_doctrine_1-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite id="CITEREFNorth_Atlantic_Treaty_Organization2013" class="citation journal cs1 cs1-prop-long-vol">North Atlantic Treaty Organization (13 December 2013). "Allied Joint Doctrine for Special Operations". <i>NATO Standard Allied Joint Publication</i>. AJP-3.5 (Edition A, Version 1). Brussels: NATO Standardization Agency: 1.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=NATO+Standard+Allied+Joint+Publication&rft.atitle=Allied+Joint+Doctrine+for+Special+Operations&rft.volume=AJP-3.5&rft.issue=Edition+A%2C+Version+1&rft.pages=1&rft.date=2013-12-13&rft.au=North+Atlantic+Treaty+Organization&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Richard Bowyer, Dictionary of Military Terms, Bloomsbury Reference (2005–08), <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/190497015X" title="Special:BookSources/190497015X">190497015X</a> / <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781904970156" title="Special:BookSources/9781904970156">9781904970156</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-US_doctrine-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-US_doctrine_3-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFJoint_Chiefs_of_Staff_(JCS)2014" class="citation journal cs1">Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) (16 July 2014). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20161201152006/http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/new_pubs/jp3_05.pdf">"Special Operations"</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. <i>Joint Publication</i>. <b>3–05</b>. Washington, DC: Department of Defense: GL-11. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/new_pubs/jp3_05.pdf">the original</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span> on 1 December 2016<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">18 September</span> 2016</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Joint+Publication&rft.atitle=Special+Operations&rft.volume=3-05&rft.pages=GL-11&rft.date=2014-07-16&rft.au=Joint+Chiefs+of+Staff+%28JCS%29&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dtic.mil%2Fdoctrine%2Fnew_pubs%2Fjp3_05.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-NATO_Glossary-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-NATO_Glossary_4-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFNorth_Atlantic_Treaty_Organization2013" class="citation web cs1">North Atlantic Treaty Organization (2013). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220528215932/https://www.jcs.mil/Portals/36/Documents/Doctrine/Other_Pubs/aap6.pdf">"NATO Glossary of Terms and Definitions (English and French)"</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. Brussels: NATO Standardization Agency. p. 2-S-8. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jcs.mil/Portals/36/Documents/Doctrine/Other_Pubs/aap6.pdf">the original</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span> on 28 May 2022<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">22 June</span> 2022</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=NATO+Glossary+of+Terms+and+Definitions+%28English+and+French%29&rft.place=Brussels&rft.pages=2-S-8&rft.pub=NATO+Standardization+Agency&rft.date=2013&rft.au=North+Atlantic+Treaty+Organization&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jcs.mil%2FPortals%2F36%2FDocuments%2FDoctrine%2FOther_Pubs%2Faap6.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-5">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_105950.htm">"Special Operations Forces"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/NATO" title="NATO">North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)</a></i>. March 7, 2024<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">May 11,</span> 2024</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=North+Atlantic+Treaty+Organization+%28NATO%29&rft.atitle=Special+Operations+Forces&rft.date=2024-03-07&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nato.int%2Fcps%2Fen%2Fnatohq%2Ftopics_105950.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEThomas1983690-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEThomas1983690_6-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFThomas1983">Thomas 1983</a>, p. 690.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-adrp_spec_operations-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-adrp_spec_operations_7-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHeadquarters,_Department_of_the_Army2019" class="citation web cs1">Headquarters, Department of the Army (July 2019). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220412133555/https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/ARN18909_ADP%203-05%20C1%20FINAL%20WEB(2).pdf">"ADRP 3-05 SPECIAL OPERATIONS"</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. <i>Army Publishing Directorate</i>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/ARN18909_ADP%203-05%20C1%20FINAL%20WEB(2).pdf">the original</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span> on 12 April 2022<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">22 June</span> 2022</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Army+Publishing+Directorate&rft.atitle=ADRP+3-05+SPECIAL+OPERATIONS&rft.date=2019-07&rft.au=Headquarters%2C+Department+of+the+Army&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farmypubs.army.mil%2Fepubs%2FDR_pubs%2FDR_a%2Fpdf%2Fweb%2FARN18909_ADP%25203-05%2520C1%2520FINAL%2520WEB%282%29.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-8">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFSawyer1993" class="citation book cs1">Sawyer, Ralph D. (1993). <i>The Seven Military Classics of Ancient China</i>. Boulder: Westview Press, Inc. pp. 39, 98–9. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8133-1228-0" title="Special:BookSources/0-8133-1228-0"><bdi>0-8133-1228-0</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Seven+Military+Classics+of+Ancient+China&rft.place=Boulder&rft.pages=39%2C+98-9&rft.pub=Westview+Press%2C+Inc&rft.date=1993&rft.isbn=0-8133-1228-0&rft.aulast=Sawyer&rft.aufirst=Ralph+D.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-9">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHarari2007" class="citation book cs1">Harari, Yuval Noah (2007). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7722/j.ctt81v7j"><i>Special Operations in the Age of Chivalry, 1100-1550</i></a>. Vol. 24. Boydell & Brewer. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.7722%2Fj.ctt81v7j">10.7722/j.ctt81v7j</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-84383-292-8" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-84383-292-8"><bdi>978-1-84383-292-8</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Special+Operations+in+the+Age+of+Chivalry%2C+1100-1550&rft.pub=Boydell+%26+Brewer&rft.date=2007&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.7722%2Fj.ctt81v7j&rft.isbn=978-1-84383-292-8&rft.aulast=Harari&rft.aufirst=Yuval+Noah&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jstor.org%2Fstable%2F10.7722%2Fj.ctt81v7j&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-10">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.evoraportugaltourism.com/guide/praca-de-giraldo.html">"Praça do Giraldo, Évora - Visitor's Guide"</a>. <i>www.evoraportugaltourism.com</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2024-11-22</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=www.evoraportugaltourism.com&rft.atitle=Pra%C3%A7a+do+Giraldo%2C+%C3%89vora+-+Visitor%27s+Guide&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.evoraportugaltourism.com%2Fguide%2Fpraca-de-giraldo.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-11">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Clemente Ramos, 653 n14: <i>El perro caminaba en noches lluviosas y muy oscuras, de fuerte viento y nieve, hacia las ciudades y había preparado sus instrumentos de escalas de madera muy largas, que sobrepasen el muro de la ciudad, aplicaba aquellas escaleras al costado de la torre y subía por ellas el primero, hasta la torre y cogía al centinela y le decía: "Grita como es tu costumbre," para que no le sintiese la gente. Cuando se había completado la subida de su grupo a lo más alto del muro de la ciudad, gritaban en su lengua con un alarido execrable, y entraban en la ciudad y combatían al que encontraban y le robaban y cogían a todos los que había en ella cautivos y prisioneros a todos los que estaban allí.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-12">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFKaziewicz2016" class="citation book cs1">Kaziewicz, Julia (22 November 2016). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=6e79DQAAQBAJ&dq=gerald+the+fearless&pg=PA91"><i>Study and Teaching Guide: The History of the Renaissance World: A curriculum guide to accompany the History of the Renaissance World</i></a>. Peace Hill Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781945841019" title="Special:BookSources/9781945841019"><bdi>9781945841019</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Study+and+Teaching+Guide%3A+The+History+of+the+Renaissance+World%3A+A+curriculum+guide+to+accompany+the+History+of+the+Renaissance+World&rft.pub=Peace+Hill+Press&rft.date=2016-11-22&rft.isbn=9781945841019&rft.aulast=Kaziewicz&rft.aufirst=Julia&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3D6e79DQAAQBAJ%26dq%3Dgerald%2Bthe%2Bfearless%26pg%3DPA91&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-13">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Porto Editora – Geraldo Geraldes, o Sem Pavor na Infopédia [em linha]. Porto: Porto Editora. [consult. 2022-04-22 22:05:13]. Disponível em <a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="https://www.infopedia.pt/$geraldo-geraldes-o-sem-pavor">https://www.infopedia.pt/$geraldo-geraldes-o-sem-pavor</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-14">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFChristides" class="citation web cs1">Christides, Vassilios. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110725230646/http://www.deremilitari.org/resources/pdfs/christides.pdf">"Military Intelligence in Arabo-Byzantine Naval Warfare"</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. Institute for Byzantine Studies, Athens. pp. 276–80. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.deremilitari.org/resources/pdfs/christides.pdf">the original</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span> on 2011-07-25<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2011-08-02</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Military+Intelligence+in+Arabo-Byzantine+Naval+Warfare&rft.pages=276-80&rft.pub=Institute+for+Byzantine+Studies%2C+Athens&rft.aulast=Christides&rft.aufirst=Vassilios&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.deremilitari.org%2Fresources%2Fpdfs%2Fchristides.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-15">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFTurnbull2003" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Stephen_Turnbull_(historian)" title="Stephen Turnbull (historian)">Turnbull, Stephen</a> (2003). <i>Ninja AD 1460–1650</i>. Osprey Publishing. pp. 44–7, 50. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-84176-525-9" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-84176-525-9"><bdi>978-1-84176-525-9</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Ninja+AD+1460%E2%80%931650&rft.pages=44-7%2C+50&rft.pub=Osprey+Publishing&rft.date=2003&rft.isbn=978-1-84176-525-9&rft.aulast=Turnbull&rft.aufirst=Stephen&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Grenier2005-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Grenier2005_16-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Grenier2005_16-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFGrenier2005" class="citation book cs1">Grenier, John (2005). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=JGCin1JJp8cC"><i>The First Way of War: American War Making on the Frontier, 1607–1814</i></a>. Cambridge University Press. p. 35. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-139-44470-5" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-139-44470-5"><bdi>978-1-139-44470-5</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+First+Way+of+War%3A+American+War+Making+on+the+Frontier%2C+1607%E2%80%931814&rft.pages=35&rft.pub=Cambridge+University+Press&rft.date=2005&rft.isbn=978-1-139-44470-5&rft.aulast=Grenier&rft.aufirst=John&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3DJGCin1JJp8cC&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-17"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-17">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">p.90 Karcher, Phillip <i>Encyclopaedia of British, Provincial, and German Army Units 1775-1783</i> , 1973, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8117-0542-0" title="Special:BookSources/0-8117-0542-0">0-8117-0542-0</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Churchill-18"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Churchill_18-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="Ran08" class="citation book cs1">Rankin, Nicholas (2008). <i>Churchill's Wizards: The British Genius for Deception 1914–1945</i>. Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books. p. 454. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8117-3600-8" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-8117-3600-8"><bdi>978-0-8117-3600-8</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Churchill%27s+Wizards%3A+The+British+Genius+for+Deception+1914%E2%80%931945&rft.place=Pennsylvania&rft.pages=454&rft.pub=Stackpole+Books&rft.date=2008&rft.isbn=978-0-8117-3600-8&rft.aulast=Rankin&rft.aufirst=Nicholas&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-19"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-19">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">"The Corps of Guides – the original Indian Army special forces." ..."The Scouts were not subordinate to any brigade or division but were <i>army</i> troops – deployed at the discretion of the field force commander." (<a href="#CITEREFBellamy2011">Bellamy 2011</a>, p. 115)</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-sniper-20"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-sniper_20-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFJohn_Plaster2006" class="citation book cs1">John Plaster (2006). <i><a href="/wiki/The_Ultimate_Sniper" title="The Ultimate Sniper">The Ultimate Sniper</a>: An Advanced Training Manual For Military and Police Snipers</i>. Paladin Press. p. 5. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-87364-704-1" title="Special:BookSources/0-87364-704-1"><bdi>0-87364-704-1</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Ultimate+Sniper%3A+An+Advanced+Training+Manual+For+Military+and+Police+Snipers&rft.pages=5&rft.pub=Paladin+Press&rft.date=2006&rft.isbn=0-87364-704-1&rft.au=John+Plaster&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-V.R._Jose-21"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-V.R._Jose_21-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFJose1972" class="citation book cs1">Jose, Vivencio (1972). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=SjFQPgAACAAJ"><i>The Rise and Fall of Antonio Luna</i></a>. Solar Pub. Corporation. pp. 220–221. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9789711707002" title="Special:BookSources/9789711707002"><bdi>9789711707002</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Rise+and+Fall+of+Antonio+Luna&rft.pages=220-221&rft.pub=Solar+Pub.+Corporation&rft.date=1972&rft.isbn=9789711707002&rft.aulast=Jose&rft.aufirst=Vivencio&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3DSjFQPgAACAAJ&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-22"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-22">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFOcampo2011" class="citation book cs1">Ocampo, Ambeth (2011). <i>Looking Back 4: Chulalongkorn's Elephants</i>. Anvil Publishing, Inc. pp. 66–70. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-971-27-2600-2" title="Special:BookSources/978-971-27-2600-2"><bdi>978-971-27-2600-2</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Looking+Back+4%3A+Chulalongkorn%27s+Elephants&rft.pages=66-70&rft.pub=Anvil+Publishing%2C+Inc.&rft.date=2011&rft.isbn=978-971-27-2600-2&rft.aulast=Ocampo&rft.aufirst=Ambeth&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Arditi-23"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Arditi_23-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMorisi2018" class="citation book cs1">Morisi, Paolo (2018). <i>Hell in the Trenches: Austro-Hungarian Stormtroopers and Italian Arditi in the Great War</i>. Helion and Company. p. 240. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1912174980" title="Special:BookSources/978-1912174980"><bdi>978-1912174980</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Hell+in+the+Trenches%3A+Austro-Hungarian+Stormtroopers+and+Italian+Arditi+in+the+Great+War&rft.pages=240&rft.pub=Helion+and+Company&rft.date=2018&rft.isbn=978-1912174980&rft.aulast=Morisi&rft.aufirst=Paolo&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-24"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-24">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Haskew, p. 47</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-haskew-25"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-haskew_25-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-haskew_25-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-haskew_25-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHaskew2007" class="citation book cs1">Haskew, Michael E (2007). <i>Encyclopaedia of Elite Forces in the Second World War</i>. Barnsley: Pen and Sword. pp. 47–8. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-84415-577-4" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-84415-577-4"><bdi>978-1-84415-577-4</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Encyclopaedia+of+Elite+Forces+in+the+Second+World+War&rft.place=Barnsley&rft.pages=47-8&rft.pub=Pen+and+Sword&rft.date=2007&rft.isbn=978-1-84415-577-4&rft.aulast=Haskew&rft.aufirst=Michael+E&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-26"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-26">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFJoslen1990" class="citation book cs1">Joslen, H. F. (1990). <i>Orders of Battle, Second World War, 1939–1945</i>. London: Naval & Military Press. p. 454. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-84342-474-6" title="Special:BookSources/1-84342-474-6"><bdi>1-84342-474-6</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Orders+of+Battle%2C+Second+World+War%2C+1939%E2%80%931945&rft.place=London&rft.pages=454&rft.pub=Naval+%26+Military+Press&rft.date=1990&rft.isbn=1-84342-474-6&rft.aulast=Joslen&rft.aufirst=H.+F.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Moreman-27"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Moreman_27-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Moreman_27-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Moreman_27-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Moreman_27-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMoreman2006" class="citation book cs1">Moreman, Timothy Robert (2006). <i>British Commandos 1940–46</i>. London: Osprey Publishing. pp. 37–49. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-84176-986-X" title="Special:BookSources/1-84176-986-X"><bdi>1-84176-986-X</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=British+Commandos+1940%E2%80%9346&rft.place=London&rft.pages=37-49&rft.pub=Osprey+Publishing&rft.date=2006&rft.isbn=1-84176-986-X&rft.aulast=Moreman&rft.aufirst=Timothy+Robert&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-28"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-28">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.defense.gouv.fr/marine/decouverte/forces/fusiliers_et_commandos/les_fusiliers_marins_et_les_commandos_marine">"Les fusiliers marins et les commandos"</a>. <a href="/wiki/Minist%C3%A8re_de_la_D%C3%A9fense" class="mw-redirect" title="Ministère de la Défense">Ministère de la Défense</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">17 April</span> 2010</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Les+fusiliers+marins+et+les+commandos&rft.pub=Minist%C3%A8re+de+la+D%C3%A9fense&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.defense.gouv.fr%2Fmarine%2Fdecouverte%2Fforces%2Ffusiliers_et_commandos%2Fles_fusiliers_marins_et_les_commandos_marine&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-29"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-29">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20101031231706/http://korpscommandotroepen.nl/index.php?l=en&p=42">"The history of the Commando Foundation"</a>. <a href="/wiki/Korps_Commandotroepen" title="Korps Commandotroepen">Korps Commandotroepen</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.korpscommandotroepen.nl/index.php?l=en&p=42">the original</a> on 31 October 2010<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">17 April</span> 2010</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=The+history+of+the+Commando+Foundation&rft.pub=Korps+Commandotroepen&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.korpscommandotroepen.nl%2Findex.php%3Fl%3Den%26p%3D42&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-30"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-30">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120307124159/http://www.mil.be/armycomp/units/index.asp?LAN=fr&FILE=&ID=540&MENU=625&PAGE=1">"Centre d'Entraînement de Commandos"</a>. Ministère de la Défense,la Composante Terre. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.mil.be/armycomp/units/index.asp?LAN=fr&FILE=&ID=540&MENU=625&PAGE=1">the original</a> on 7 March 2012<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">17 April</span> 2010</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Centre+d%27Entra%C3%AEnement+de+Commandos&rft.pub=Minist%C3%A8re+de+la+D%C3%A9fense%2Cla+Composante+Terre&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mil.be%2Farmycomp%2Funits%2Findex.asp%3FLAN%3Dfr%26FILE%3D%26ID%3D540%26MENU%3D625%26PAGE%3D1&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-31"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-31">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/London_Gazette" class="mw-redirect" title="London Gazette">London Gazette</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/ViewPDF.aspx?pdf=34420&geotype=London&gpn=4740">Issue 34420 published 23 July 1937, p. 10 of 80</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-32"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-32">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFThompson1994" class="citation book cs1">Thompson, Leroy (1994). <i>SAS: Great Britain's elite Special Air Service</i>. Zenith Imprint. p. 48. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-87938-940-0" title="Special:BookSources/0-87938-940-0"><bdi>0-87938-940-0</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=SAS%3A+Great+Britain%27s+elite+Special+Air+Service&rft.pages=48&rft.pub=Zenith+Imprint&rft.date=1994&rft.isbn=0-87938-940-0&rft.aulast=Thompson&rft.aufirst=Leroy&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-sm9-33"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-sm9_33-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-sm9_33-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFShorttMcBride1981" class="citation book cs1">Shortt, James; McBride, Angus (1981). <i>The Special Air Service</i>. Osprey Publishing. p. 9. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-85045-396-8" title="Special:BookSources/0-85045-396-8"><bdi>0-85045-396-8</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Special+Air+Service&rft.pages=9&rft.pub=Osprey+Publishing&rft.date=1981&rft.isbn=0-85045-396-8&rft.aulast=Shortt&rft.aufirst=James&rft.au=McBride%2C+Angus&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-34"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-34">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMolinari2007" class="citation book cs1">Molinari, Andrea (2007). <i>Desert Raiders: Axis and Allied Special Forces 1940–43</i>. Osprey Publishing. p. 75. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-84603-006-2" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-84603-006-2"><bdi>978-1-84603-006-2</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Desert+Raiders%3A+Axis+and+Allied+Special+Forces+1940%E2%80%9343&rft.pages=75&rft.pub=Osprey+Publishing&rft.date=2007&rft.isbn=978-1-84603-006-2&rft.aulast=Molinari&rft.aufirst=Andrea&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-35"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-35">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/WW2/comb+ops/greek+sacred+squadron/">"Greek Sacred Squadron"</a>. <i>gallery.commandoveterans.org</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2024-09-06</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=gallery.commandoveterans.org&rft.atitle=Greek+Sacred+Squadron&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fgallery.commandoveterans.org%2FcdoGallery%2Fv%2FWW2%2Fcomb%2Bops%2Fgreek%2Bsacred%2Bsquadron%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-36"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-36">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.combinedops.com/SACRED_SQUADRON.htm">"The Sacred Squadron - an Elite Greek Commando Unit"</a>. <i>www.combinedops.com</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2024-09-06</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=www.combinedops.com&rft.atitle=The+Sacred+Squadron+-+an+Elite+Greek+Commando+Unit&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.combinedops.com%2FSACRED_SQUADRON.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Grom-37"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Grom_37-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Grom_37-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Grom_37-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Grom_37-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://sofrep.com/specialoperations/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-polish-special-unit-grom/">"Everything you need to know about the Polish Special Unit GROM"</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Everything+you+need+to+know+about+the+Polish+Special+Unit+GROM&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fsofrep.com%2Fspecialoperations%2Feverything-you-need-to-know-about-the-polish-special-unit-grom%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-38"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-38">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Horner 1989, p. 21.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-39"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-39">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Horner 1989, pp. 22–6.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-40"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-40">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Horner 1989, p. 26.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-41"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-41">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Horner 1989, pp. 26–7.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-42"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-42">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">The Office of Strategic Services: America's First Intelligence Agency, Michael Warner, CIA History Staff, Center for the Study of Intelligence, United States Central Intelligence Agency (2000)</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Mosharraf-43"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Mosharraf_43-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Mosharraf_43-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMosharraf2013" class="citation book cs1 cs1-prop-script cs1-prop-foreign-lang-source">Mosharraf, Khaled (2013). <bdi lang="bn">মুক্তিযুদ্ধে ২ নম্বর সেক্টর এবং কে ফোর্স</bdi> (in Bengali). Prathamā prakāśana. pp. 55–56. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-984-90253-2-0" title="Special:BookSources/978-984-90253-2-0"><bdi>978-984-90253-2-0</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%AF%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A7%E0%A7%87+%E0%A7%A8+%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%B0+%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%9F%E0%A6%B0+%E0%A6%8F%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%82+%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%87+%E0%A6%AB%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B8&rft.pages=55-56&rft.pub=Pratham%C4%81+prak%C4%81%C5%9Bana&rft.date=2013&rft.isbn=978-984-90253-2-0&rft.aulast=Mosharraf&rft.aufirst=Khaled&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-44"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-44">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFIslam2013" class="citation book cs1 cs1-prop-script cs1-prop-foreign-lang-source">Islam, Zahirul (2013). <bdi lang="bn">মুক্তিযুদ্ধে মেজর হায়দার ও তার বিয়োগান্ত বিদায়</bdi> (in Bengali). Prathamā prakāśana. p. 77. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-984-90253-1-3" title="Special:BookSources/978-984-90253-1-3"><bdi>978-984-90253-1-3</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%AF%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A7%E0%A7%87+%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%9C%E0%A6%B0+%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BC%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0+%E0%A6%93+%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0+%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BC%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%97%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4+%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BC&rft.pages=77&rft.pub=Pratham%C4%81+prak%C4%81%C5%9Bana&rft.date=2013&rft.isbn=978-984-90253-1-3&rft.aulast=Islam&rft.aufirst=Zahirul&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-45"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-45">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFIslam2013" class="citation book cs1 cs1-prop-script cs1-prop-foreign-lang-source">Islam, Zahirul (2013). <bdi lang="bn">মুক্তিযুদ্ধে মেজর হায়দার ও তার বিয়োগান্ত বিদায়</bdi> (in Bengali). Prathamā prakāśana. p. 78. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-984-90253-1-3" title="Special:BookSources/978-984-90253-1-3"><bdi>978-984-90253-1-3</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%AF%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A7%E0%A7%87+%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%9C%E0%A6%B0+%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BC%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0+%E0%A6%93+%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0+%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BC%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%97%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4+%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BC&rft.pages=78&rft.pub=Pratham%C4%81+prak%C4%81%C5%9Bana&rft.date=2013&rft.isbn=978-984-90253-1-3&rft.aulast=Islam&rft.aufirst=Zahirul&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-46"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-46">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFGavshon1971" class="citation news cs1"><a href="/wiki/Arthur_Gavshon" title="Arthur Gavshon">Gavshon, Arthur L.</a> (14 July 1971). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OiIiAAAAIBAJ&pg=2259%2C1813795">"Experts Cite Remedial Measures for East Pakistan"</a>. <i>The Day</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">31 May</span> 2013</span>. <q>In a secret report, the 10-man [World Bank] mission discreetly but unmistakably urges the military ruler of that South Asian land to remove – as a first step – some of his West Pakistani troops who stand accused of terrorizing the population. [...] Other suggested moves [...]:<br /> – Appointment of a civilian administrator for the eastern province.</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=The+Day&rft.atitle=Experts+Cite+Remedial+Measures+for+East+Pakistan&rft.date=1971-07-14&rft.aulast=Gavshon&rft.aufirst=Arthur+L.&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnewspapers%3Fid%3DOiIiAAAAIBAJ%26pg%3D2259%252C1813795&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-47"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-47">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation news cs1">"3 Power Plants Bombed By East Pakistan Rebels". <i>Morning Record</i>. 22 July 1971.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Morning+Record&rft.atitle=3+Power+Plants+Bombed+By+East+Pakistan+Rebels&rft.date=1971-07-22&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-48"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-48">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation news cs1">"Pakistan Rebels Bomb Plant". <i>The Daily News</i>. 22 October 1971.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=The+Daily+News&rft.atitle=Pakistan+Rebels+Bomb+Plant&rft.date=1971-10-22&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-gwu1-49"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-gwu1_49-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB63/doc2.pdf"><i>10th Anniversary History</i></a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. United States Special Operations Command. 16 April 1987.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=10th+Anniversary+History&rft.pub=United+States+Special+Operations+Command&rft.date=1987-04-16&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fnsarchive2.gwu.edu%2FNSAEBB%2FNSAEBB63%2Fdoc2.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-50"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-50">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150924103332/http://www.socom.mil/Documents/2012_SOCOM_POSTURE_STATEMENT.pdf">"POSTURE STATEMENT OF ADMIRAL WILLIAM H. McRAVEN, USN COMMANDER, UNITED STATES SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND BEFORE THE 112th CONGRESS SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE MARCH 6, 2012"</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. <a href="/wiki/United_States_Special_Operations_Command" title="United States Special Operations Command">United States Special Operations Command</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.socom.mil/Documents/2012_SOCOM_POSTURE_STATEMENT.pdf">the original</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span> on 24 September 2015<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">3 August</span> 2015</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=POSTURE+STATEMENT+OF+ADMIRAL+WILLIAM+H.+McRAVEN%2C+USN+COMMANDER%2C+UNITED+STATES+SPECIAL+OPERATIONS+COMMAND+BEFORE+THE+112th+CONGRESS+SENATE+ARMED+SERVICES+COMMITTEE+MARCH+6%2C+2012&rft.pub=United+States+Special+Operations+Command&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.socom.mil%2FDocuments%2F2012_SOCOM_POSTURE_STATEMENT.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-51"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-51">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150923180327/http://www.ausa.org/publications/armymagazine/archive/2014/Documents/12December14/Carafano_December2014.pdf">"Special Operations for the 21st Century: Starting Over"</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. <a href="/wiki/Association_of_the_United_States_Army" title="Association of the United States Army">Association of the United States Army</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.ausa.org/publications/armymagazine/archive/2014/Documents/12December14/Carafano_December2014.pdf">the original</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span> on 23 September 2015<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">3 August</span> 2015</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Special+Operations+for+the+21st+Century%3A+Starting+Over&rft.pub=Association+of+the+United+States+Army&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ausa.org%2Fpublications%2Farmymagazine%2Farchive%2F2014%2FDocuments%2F12December14%2FCarafano_December2014.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1235681985">.mw-parser-output .side-box{margin:4px 0;box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #aaa;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em;background-color:var(--background-color-interactive-subtle,#f8f9fa);display:flow-root}.mw-parser-output .side-box-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output .side-box-text{padding:0.25em 0.9em}.mw-parser-output .side-box-image{padding:2px 0 2px 0.9em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .side-box-imageright{padding:2px 0.9em 2px 0;text-align:center}@media(min-width:500px){.mw-parser-output .side-box-flex{display:flex;align-items:center}.mw-parser-output .side-box-text{flex:1;min-width:0}}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .side-box{width:238px}.mw-parser-output .side-box-right{clear:right;float:right;margin-left:1em}.mw-parser-output .side-box-left{margin-right:1em}}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1237033735">@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .sistersitebox{display:none!important}}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .sistersitebox img[src*="Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg"]{background-color:white}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sistersitebox img[src*="Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg"]{background-color:white}}</style><div class="side-box side-box-right plainlinks sistersitebox"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1126788409">.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul{line-height:inherit;list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol li,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul li{margin-bottom:0}</style> <div class="side-box-flex"> <div class="side-box-image"><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="30" height="40" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/45px-Commons-logo.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/59px-Commons-logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1024" data-file-height="1376" /></span></span></div> <div class="side-box-text plainlist">Wikimedia Commons has media related to <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Special_forces" class="extiw" title="commons:Category:Special forces">Special forces</a></span>.</div></div> </div> <ul><li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFBellamy2011" class="citation book cs1">Bellamy, Chris (2011). <i>The Gurkhas: Special Force</i>. UK: Hachette. p. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=WNumN3xIQRYC&pg=PT115">115</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781848545151" title="Special:BookSources/9781848545151"><bdi>9781848545151</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Gurkhas%3A+Special+Force&rft.place=UK&rft.pages=115&rft.pub=Hachette&rft.date=2011&rft.isbn=9781848545151&rft.aulast=Bellamy&rft.aufirst=Chris&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li>Breuer, William B. (2001). <i>Daring missions of World War II</i>. John Wiley and Sons. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-471-40419-4" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-471-40419-4">978-0-471-40419-4</a>.</li> <li>Clemente Ramos, Julián. 1994. "La Extremadura musulmana (1142–1248): Organización defensiva y sociedad". <i>Anuario de estudios medievales</i>, 24:647–701. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.academia.edu/12042601/_La_Extremadura_musulmana_1142_1248_Organizaci%C3%B3n_defensiva_y_sociedad_24_1994_647_701">Web</a>.</li> <li>Haskew, Michael E (2007). <i>Encyclopaedia of Elite Forces in the Second World War</i>. Barnsley: Pen and Sword. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-84415-577-4" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-84415-577-4">978-1-84415-577-4</a>.</li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHorner1989" class="citation book cs1">Horner, David (1989). <i>SAS: Phantoms of the Jungle: A History of the Australian Special Air Service</i> (1st ed.). St Leonards: Allen & Unwin. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-86373-007-9" title="Special:BookSources/1-86373-007-9"><bdi>1-86373-007-9</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=SAS%3A+Phantoms+of+the+Jungle%3A+A+History+of+the+Australian+Special+Air+Service&rft.place=St+Leonards&rft.edition=1st&rft.pub=Allen+%26+Unwin&rft.date=1989&rft.isbn=1-86373-007-9&rft.aulast=Horner&rft.aufirst=David&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li>Molinari, Andrea (2007). <i>Desert Raiders: Axis and Allied Special Forces 1940–43</i>. Osprey Publishing. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-84603-006-2" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-84603-006-2">978-1-84603-006-2</a>.</li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFOtway1990" class="citation book cs1">Otway, Lieutenant-Colonel T.B.H. (1990). <i>The Second World War 1939–1945 Army – Airborne Forces</i>. Imperial War Museum. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-901627-57-7" title="Special:BookSources/0-901627-57-7"><bdi>0-901627-57-7</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Second+World+War+1939%E2%80%931945+Army+%E2%80%93+Airborne+Forces&rft.pub=Imperial+War+Museum&rft.date=1990&rft.isbn=0-901627-57-7&rft.aulast=Otway&rft.aufirst=Lieutenant-Colonel+T.B.H.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFThomas1983" class="citation journal cs1">Thomas, David (October 1983). "The Importance of Commando Operations in Modern Warfare 1939–82". <i>Journal of Contemporary History</i>. <b>18</b> (4): 689–717. <a href="/wiki/JSTOR_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="JSTOR (identifier)">JSTOR</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/260308">260308</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Journal+of+Contemporary+History&rft.atitle=The+Importance+of+Commando+Operations+in+Modern+Warfare+1939%E2%80%9382&rft.volume=18&rft.issue=4&rft.pages=689-717&rft.date=1983-10&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jstor.org%2Fstable%2F260308%23id-name%3DJSTOR&rft.aulast=Thomas&rft.aufirst=David&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecial+forces" class="Z3988"></span></li></ul> <div class="navbox-styles"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ul{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist .mw-empty-li{display:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dt::after{content:": "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li::after{content:" · ";font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li:last-child::after{content:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:first-child::before{content:" (";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:last-child::after{content:")";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol{counter-reset:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li{counter-increment:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li::before{content:" "counter(listitem)"\a0 "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li ol>li:first-child::before{content:" ("counter(listitem)"\a0 "}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236075235">.mw-parser-output .navbox{box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #a2a9b1;width:100%;clear:both;font-size:88%;text-align:center;padding:1px;margin:1em auto 0}.mw-parser-output .navbox .navbox{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .navbox+.navbox,.mw-parser-output .navbox+.navbox-styles+.navbox{margin-top:-1px}.mw-parser-output .navbox-inner,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup{width:100%}.mw-parser-output .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-title,.mw-parser-output .navbox-abovebelow{padding:0.25em 1em;line-height:1.5em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .navbox-group{white-space:nowrap;text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .navbox,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup{background-color:#fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-list{line-height:1.5em;border-color:#fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-list-with-group{text-align:left;border-left-width:2px;border-left-style:solid}.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-group,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-image,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-list{border-top:2px solid #fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-title{background-color:#ccf}.mw-parser-output .navbox-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-title{background-color:#ddf}.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-abovebelow{background-color:#e6e6ff}.mw-parser-output .navbox-even{background-color:#f7f7f7}.mw-parser-output .navbox-odd{background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td dl,.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td ol,.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td ul,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist ul{padding:0.125em 0}.mw-parser-output .navbox .navbar{display:block;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .navbox-title .navbar{float:left;text-align:left;margin-right:0.5em}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .navbox-image img{max-width:none!important}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .navbox{display:none!important}}</style></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Military_branches" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks hlist mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239400231">.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar a>span,.mw-parser-output .navbar a>abbr{text-decoration:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-full{font-size:114%;margin:0 7em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-mini{font-size:114%;margin:0 4em}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}}@media print{.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:none!important}}</style><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Military_branches" title="Template:Military branches"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Military_branches" title="Template talk:Military branches"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Military_branches" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Military branches"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Military_branches" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/Military_branches" class="mw-redirect" title="Military branches">Military branches</a></div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Airborne_forces" title="Airborne forces">Airborne forces</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Air_force" title="Air force">Air force</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Army" title="Army">Army</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Anti-aircraft_warfare" title="Anti-aircraft warfare">Air defence</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Border_guard" title="Border guard">Border guard</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Coast_guard" title="Coast guard">Coast guard</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gendarmerie" title="Gendarmerie">Gendarmerie</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Marines" title="Marines">Marines</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Missile_defence" class="mw-redirect" title="Missile defence">Missile defence</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Military_police" title="Military police">Military police</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Militia" title="Militia">Militia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Navy" title="Navy">Navy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Public_Force" title="Public Force">Public Force</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Security_forces" title="Security forces">Security forces</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Space_force" title="Space force">Space force</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Special forces</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236075235"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1038841319">.mw-parser-output .tooltip-dotted{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}</style><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1038841319"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1038841319"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1038841319"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1038841319"></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox authority-control" aria-label="Navbox" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks hlist navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Help:Authority_control" title="Help:Authority control">Authority control databases</a>: National <span class="mw-valign-text-top noprint" typeof="mw:File/Frameless"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q234497#identifiers" title="Edit this at Wikidata"><img alt="Edit this at Wikidata" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8a/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg/10px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png" decoding="async" width="10" height="10" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8a/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg/15px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8a/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg/20px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="20" data-file-height="20" /></a></span></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"><ul><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://d-nb.info/gnd/4548177-5">Germany</a></span></li><li><span class="uid"><span class="rt-commentedText tooltip tooltip-dotted" title="Special forces (Military science)"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://id.loc.gov/authorities/sh85126376">United States</a></span></span></li><li><span class="uid"><span class="rt-commentedText tooltip tooltip-dotted" title="Forces spéciales (science militaire)"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb123043493">France</a></span></span></li><li><span class="uid"><span class="rt-commentedText tooltip tooltip-dotted" title="Forces spéciales (science militaire)"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://data.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb123043493">BnF data</a></span></span></li><li><span class="uid"><span class="rt-commentedText tooltip tooltip-dotted" title="speciální jednotky (vojenství)"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://aleph.nkp.cz/F/?func=find-c&local_base=aut&ccl_term=ica=ph125893&CON_LNG=ENG">Czech Republic</a></span></span></li><li><span class="uid"><span class="rt-commentedText tooltip tooltip-dotted" title="Fuerzas armadas especiales"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://catalogo.bne.es/uhtbin/authoritybrowse.cgi?action=display&authority_id=XX530310">Spain</a></span></span></li><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://olduli.nli.org.il/F/?func=find-b&local_base=NLX10&find_code=UID&request=987007565727805171">Israel</a></span></li></ul></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div>    </div><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?type=1x1&useformat=desktop" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special_forces&oldid=1258916286">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special_forces&oldid=1258916286</a>"</div></div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="/wiki/Help:Category" title="Help:Category">Categories</a>: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Special_forces" title="Category:Special forces">Special forces</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Combat_occupations" title="Category:Combat occupations">Combat occupations</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Counterterrorism" title="Category:Counterterrorism">Counterterrorism</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Types_of_military_forces" title="Category:Types of military forces">Types of military forces</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Warfare_by_type" title="Category:Warfare by type">Warfare by type</a></li></ul></div><div id="mw-hidden-catlinks" class="mw-hidden-catlinks mw-hidden-cats-hidden">Hidden categories: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:CS1:_long_volume_value" title="Category:CS1: long volume value">CS1: long volume value</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:CS1_uses_Bengali-language_script_(bn)" title="Category:CS1 uses Bengali-language script (bn)">CS1 uses Bengali-language script (bn)</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:CS1_Bengali-language_sources_(bn)" title="Category:CS1 Bengali-language sources (bn)">CS1 Bengali-language sources (bn)</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_short_description" title="Category:Articles with short description">Articles with short description</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Short_description_matches_Wikidata" title="Category:Short description matches Wikidata">Short description matches Wikidata</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Wikipedia_indefinitely_semi-protected_pages" title="Category:Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages">Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_containing_Russian-language_text" title="Category:Articles containing Russian-language text">Articles containing Russian-language text</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:All_articles_with_unsourced_statements" title="Category:All articles with unsourced statements">All articles with unsourced statements</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_unsourced_statements_from_June_2016" title="Category:Articles with unsourced statements from June 2016">Articles with unsourced statements from June 2016</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_unsourced_statements_from_September_2022" title="Category:Articles with unsourced statements from September 2022">Articles with unsourced statements from September 2022</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_containing_Greek-language_text" title="Category:Articles containing Greek-language text">Articles containing Greek-language text</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_needing_additional_references_from_September_2021" title="Category:Articles needing additional references from September 2021">Articles needing additional references from September 2021</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:All_articles_needing_additional_references" title="Category:All articles needing additional references">All articles needing additional references</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_unsourced_quotes" title="Category:Articles with unsourced quotes">Articles with unsourced quotes</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_specifically_marked_weasel-worded_phrases_from_September_2020" title="Category:Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from September 2020">Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from September 2020</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_containing_explicitly_cited_English-language_text" title="Category:Articles containing explicitly cited English-language text">Articles containing explicitly cited English-language text</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_to_be_expanded_from_October_2023" title="Category:Articles to be expanded from October 2023">Articles to be expanded from October 2023</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:All_articles_to_be_expanded" title="Category:All articles to be expanded">All articles to be expanded</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_unsourced_statements_from_October_2023" title="Category:Articles with unsourced statements from October 2023">Articles with unsourced statements from October 2023</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Commons_category_link_from_Wikidata" title="Category:Commons category link from Wikidata">Commons category link from Wikidata</a></li></ul></div></div> </div> </main> </div> <div class="mw-footer-container"> <footer id="footer" class="mw-footer" > <ul id="footer-info"> <li id="footer-info-lastmod"> This page was last edited on 22 November 2024, at 09:58<span class="anonymous-show"> (UTC)</span>.</li> <li id="footer-info-copyright">Text is available under the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_4.0_International_License" title="Wikipedia:Text of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License</a>; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the <a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Terms_of_Use" class="extiw" title="foundation:Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Terms of Use">Terms of Use</a> and <a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy_policy" class="extiw" title="foundation:Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy policy">Privacy Policy</a>. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://wikimediafoundation.org/">Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.</a>, a non-profit organization.</li> </ul> <ul id="footer-places"> <li id="footer-places-privacy"><a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy_policy">Privacy policy</a></li> <li id="footer-places-about"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:About">About Wikipedia</a></li> <li id="footer-places-disclaimers"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:General_disclaimer">Disclaimers</a></li> <li id="footer-places-contact"><a href="//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contact_us">Contact Wikipedia</a></li> <li id="footer-places-wm-codeofconduct"><a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Universal_Code_of_Conduct">Code of Conduct</a></li> <li id="footer-places-developers"><a href="https://developer.wikimedia.org">Developers</a></li> <li id="footer-places-statslink"><a href="https://stats.wikimedia.org/#/en.wikipedia.org">Statistics</a></li> <li id="footer-places-cookiestatement"><a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Cookie_statement">Cookie statement</a></li> <li id="footer-places-mobileview"><a href="//en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special_forces&mobileaction=toggle_view_mobile" class="noprint stopMobileRedirectToggle">Mobile view</a></li> </ul> <ul id="footer-icons" class="noprint"> <li id="footer-copyrightico"><a href="https://wikimediafoundation.org/" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button--enabled"><img src="/static/images/footer/wikimedia-button.svg" width="84" height="29" alt="Wikimedia Foundation" loading="lazy"></a></li> <li id="footer-poweredbyico"><a href="https://www.mediawiki.org/" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button--enabled"><img src="/w/resources/assets/poweredby_mediawiki.svg" alt="Powered by MediaWiki" width="88" height="31" loading="lazy"></a></li> </ul> </footer> </div> </div> </div> <div class="vector-settings" id="p-dock-bottom"> <ul></ul> </div><script>(RLQ=window.RLQ||[]).push(function(){mw.config.set({"wgHostname":"mw-web.codfw.canary-556c5f94cd-hxb8z","wgBackendResponseTime":164,"wgPageParseReport":{"limitreport":{"cputime":"0.991","walltime":"1.203","ppvisitednodes":{"value":7813,"limit":1000000},"postexpandincludesize":{"value":139034,"limit":2097152},"templateargumentsize":{"value":12910,"limit":2097152},"expansiondepth":{"value":16,"limit":100},"expensivefunctioncount":{"value":23,"limit":500},"unstrip-depth":{"value":1,"limit":20},"unstrip-size":{"value":184445,"limit":5000000},"entityaccesscount":{"value":1,"limit":400},"timingprofile":["100.00% 1056.963 1 -total"," 26.71% 282.266 1 Template:Reflist"," 10.70% 113.111 12 Template:Citation_needed"," 10.66% 112.666 15 Template:Fix"," 9.25% 97.763 23 Template:Cite_book"," 9.14% 96.558 1 Template:Lang"," 8.28% 87.564 3 Template:Cite_journal"," 7.41% 78.338 1 Template:Military_branches"," 6.97% 73.666 1 Template:Navbox"," 5.71% 60.372 1 Template:Short_description"]},"scribunto":{"limitreport-timeusage":{"value":"0.640","limit":"10.000"},"limitreport-memusage":{"value":20071924,"limit":52428800},"limitreport-logs":"anchor_id_list = table#1 {\n [\"CITEREFBellamy2011\"] = 1,\n [\"CITEREFChristides\"] = 1,\n [\"CITEREFGavshon1971\"] = 1,\n [\"CITEREFGrenier2005\"] = 2,\n [\"CITEREFHarari2007\"] = 1,\n [\"CITEREFHaskew2007\"] = 1,\n [\"CITEREFHeadquarters,_Department_of_the_Army2019\"] = 1,\n [\"CITEREFHorner1989\"] = 1,\n [\"CITEREFIslam2013\"] = 2,\n [\"CITEREFJohn_Plaster2006\"] = 1,\n [\"CITEREFJoint_Chiefs_of_Staff_(JCS)2014\"] = 1,\n [\"CITEREFJose1972\"] = 1,\n [\"CITEREFJoslen1990\"] = 1,\n [\"CITEREFKaziewicz2016\"] = 1,\n [\"CITEREFMolinari2007\"] = 1,\n [\"CITEREFMoreman2006\"] = 1,\n [\"CITEREFMorisi2018\"] = 1,\n [\"CITEREFMosharraf2013\"] = 1,\n [\"CITEREFNorth_Atlantic_Treaty_Organization2013\"] = 2,\n [\"CITEREFOcampo2011\"] = 1,\n [\"CITEREFOtway1990\"] = 1,\n [\"CITEREFSawyer1993\"] = 1,\n [\"CITEREFShorttMcBride1981\"] = 1,\n [\"CITEREFThomas1983\"] = 1,\n [\"CITEREFThompson1994\"] = 1,\n [\"CITEREFTurnbull2003\"] = 1,\n [\"Ran08\"] = 1,\n}\ntemplate_list = table#1 {\n [\"Authority control\"] = 1,\n [\"By whom\"] = 1,\n [\"Citation needed\"] = 12,\n [\"Cite book\"] = 24,\n [\"Cite journal\"] = 3,\n [\"Cite news\"] = 3,\n [\"Cite quote\"] = 1,\n [\"Cite web\"] = 13,\n [\"Cn\"] = 1,\n [\"Commons category\"] = 1,\n [\"Convert\"] = 1,\n [\"Div col\"] = 1,\n [\"Div col end\"] = 1,\n [\"Expand section\"] = 1,\n [\"Harv\"] = 1,\n [\"ISBN\"] = 6,\n [\"Lang\"] = 1,\n [\"Langx\"] = 2,\n [\"Main\"] = 1,\n [\"Military branches\"] = 1,\n [\"Other uses\"] = 1,\n [\"Pp-semi-indef\"] = 1,\n [\"Redirect\"] = 2,\n [\"Reflist\"] = 1,\n [\"See also\"] = 1,\n [\"Sfn\"] = 1,\n [\"Short description\"] = 1,\n [\"TOC limit\"] = 1,\n [\"Unreferenced section\"] = 1,\n}\narticle_whitelist = table#1 {\n}\n"},"cachereport":{"origin":"mw-web.codfw.main-5c59558b9d-xss7q","timestamp":"20241130014331","ttl":2592000,"transientcontent":false}}});});</script> <script type="application/ld+json">{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"Article","name":"Special forces","url":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special_forces","sameAs":"http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q234497","mainEntity":"http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q234497","author":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Contributors to Wikimedia projects"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.wikimedia.org\/static\/images\/wmf-hor-googpub.png"}},"datePublished":"2002-06-11T06:41:15Z","dateModified":"2024-11-22T09:58:25Z","image":"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/3\/34\/A_joint_special_forces_team_moves_together_out_of_an_Air_Force_CV-22_Osprey_aircraft%2C_Feb._26%2C_2018.jpg","headline":"military units trained to conduct special operations"}</script> </body> </html>