Delta Force

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For the computer game, see Delta Force (computer game), and for the movie see The Delta Force (film)

1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (Airborne)
1st SFOD-D (A) Insignia
Active	1978
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army
Type	United States Special Operations Forces
Role	Versatile Special Operations Force, mainly trained for Counter-Terrorism.
Part of	United States Joint Special Operations Command
Garrison/HQ	Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Nickname	"Delta Force"
Battles/wars	Operation Eagle Claw Operation Urgent Fury Operation Just Cause Operation Desert Storm Operation Restore Hope Operation Gothic Serpent Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Iraqi Freedom 2003 invasion of Iraq Operation Vigilant Resolve

The 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (1st SFOD-D) —commonly known as Delta in the U.S. Army, Delta Force by civilians, and Combat Applications Group by the Department of Defense— is a Special Operations Force (SOF) and an integral element of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC).

Delta Force's primary tasks are counter-terrorism and national intervention operations, although it is an extremely versatile group capable of assuming many missions, including, but not limited to, rescuing hostages, raids, and killing covert enemy forces. Delta Force conducts missions like those attributed to the British Special Air Service (SAS), after which it was originally modeled.

1 Background
2 Overview
3 Organization
4 Recruitment and training
5 Operations
- 5.1 Delta Force in modern conflicts
6 Famous Delta Force operators
7 Delta Force in popular culture
8 See also
9 Bibliography
10 References
11 External links

[edit] Background

The unit was started by Colonel Charles Beckwith in 1977. Throughout its creation, the unit had the benefit of experience from the British SAS.

The unit took part in Operation Eagle Claw, the failed attempt to rescue American hostages from the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1980. The mission failed due to an overly complex plan, inadequate Special Operations Aviation training for the accompanying aircrews, a collision between a rescue helicopter and a refuelling tanker aircraft, and mechanical problems with the helicopters transporting the rescuers, caused by a severe sandstorm which clogged the engine intakes and reduced the pilots' visibility to nearly nothing.

After that debacle, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), also known as the "Nightstalkers", was founded and made responsible for the transporting of special forces personnel to and from Areas of Operation.

In 1999, writer Mark Bowden published the book Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War, which chronicles the events that surrounded the October 3, 1993 Battle of Mogadishu. The book, in a short brief, relates Delta Force's involvement in the operations that occurred before the events leading to the battle. The book was later turned into a film by director Ridley Scott in 2001.

1st SFOD-D has also participated in operations in a variety of foreign locations, including in Beirut, Lebanon and extensively in South America, fighting the Salvadorian revolutionary group Farabundo Marti National Liberation (FMLN) and assisting the CIA-funded Contras, in Nicaragua.

[edit] Overview

The Pentagon tightly controls information about Delta Force and publicly refuses to comment on the secretive unit and its activities.

Delta Force operators are granted an enormous amount of flexibility and autonomy, as with their Navy counterpart, DEVGRU. They reportedly do not maintain any general uniformed presence and civilian clothing is the norm on or off duty while at Ft. Bragg. This is done to conceal the identities of these "secret soldiers". Uniforms are rarely worn, if at all, with any markings, names, or branch names on them. Hair styles and facial hair are allowed to grow to civilian standards in order for the force to be able to blend in and not be immediately recognized as military personnel.

This special status that sets the force apart from the "regular army" is depicted quite accurately in the book Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden, and the film of the same name. The Army Rangers in the media, elite by their own right, have the standard "high and tight" haircuts, yet the Delta operators are seen to be sporting much longer styles with side burns, un-shaven faces, and non-military issue helmets (actually hockey helmets, more to protect from bumps and scrapes while entering buildings than against gunfire, as noted in the book) and hiking boots instead of standard issue combat boots.

Delta's unconventional nature also allows its operators to carry highly-customized weapons. Although their standard weapon of choice may be the M4 carbine, they also use the SOPMOD (Special Operations Peculiar Modification) kit on the M4, and it is not unusual to find them carrying foreign weapon systems that are often used by the enemy in the Area of Operations (AO).^{[citation needed]} This is either to help them "blend in" with the locals or to use local-style ammunition scavenged during the mission. Also, it has been noted in a popular weapons magazine that "Delta Force gives each member a stipend with which to purchase his own customized 1911 in (.45) caliber."^[1] Bowden records that one of the elite Delta Force soldiers, Sergeant First Class Randy Shughart, used an M14 in preference to the much more modern weapons of his colleagues. Haney, in fact, notes that Delta snipers frequently use the M14 rather than more specialized sniping rifles. Somewhat recently, Delta Force members worked with Heckler & Koch to come up with a better weapon than the M-4. The Heckler & Koch HK416 and HK417 are the result, and are considered by many to be the best carbines in the world.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Organization

According to the book Inside Delta Force by Command Sergeant Major Eric L. Haney (ret.), the smallest unit is a team, consisting of four to five members. Each team specializes in HALO/HAHO, SCUBA, or other skill groups. The next tier is the troop level, consisting of four to five teams. Finally, squadron level (there are four squadrons) consists of two troops (Assault and Sniper). Squadrons are broken down into troops and teams as needed to fit mission requirements.

In Not A Good Day To Die: The Untold Story Of Operation Anaconda, Army Times staff writer Sean Naylor describes Delta as having nearly 1,000 operators. Naylor wrote that only approximately 250 of those are operators trained to conduct direct action and reconnaissance missions. Those soldiers are divided into three squadrons—A, B, and C—with each squadron subdivided into three troops. Two are assault troops while a third troop specializes in reconnaissance and surveillance and is known as the "recce" troop. The remaining soldiers in Delta are highly trained specialists in mechanics, communications, intelligence, and other support activities, on top of a headquarters staff.

Naylor also wrote that Delta maintains an aviation platoon using aircraft painted in civilian schemes and with fake identification numbers, different from the aircraft of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) ^[2]. This aviation platoon allegedly uses as many as twelve AH-6 and MH-6 Little Birds^[3].

[edit] Recruitment and training

Most recruits come from the United States Army Special Forces (the Green Berets) and the 75th Ranger Regiment, but recruits may volunteer from any part of the army, including the Army National Guard and the United States Army Reserve.

Since the 1990s, the Army has posted recruitment notices for the 1st SFOD-D ^[4], which many believe refers to Delta Force. The Army, however, has never released an official fact sheet for the force.

Such recruits are usually men with skills such as proficiency in a foreign language or other desirable traits. The selection course begins with standard tests including: push-ups, sit-ups, and a three mile run. The recruits are then put through eighteen-mile, all-night land navigation courses while carrying a thirty-five pound rucksack. The rucksack's weight and the distance are increased and the time to complete the task is decreased with every march. The physical testing ends with a forty-mile march with a forty-five pound rucksack over very rough terrain which must be completed in an unknown amount of time. It is said that only the highest-ranking members of the Pentagon are allowed to see the set time limits, but all assessment and selection tasks and conditions are set by Delta training cadre. The mental portion of the testing begins with numerous psychological exams. The men then speak to the commander of Delta and others within the unit. If an individual is selected for Delta, then a 6 month training cycle/probation begins, starting with firearms accuracy and training with other types of munitions.

On many occasions, Delta Force will cross-train with similar units from allied countries such as the British SAS, the German KSK and the Israeli Sayeret Matkal and will even help train other U.S. counter-terrorism and national intervention units, such as the FBI's HRT.

[edit] Operations

Operation	Country	Year
Operation Eagle Claw	Iran	1980
Operation Urgent Fury	Grenada	1983
Operation Acid Gambit	Panama	1989
Operation Just Cause	Panama	1989
Operation Desert Shield	Iraq	1990
Operation Desert Storm	Iraq	1991
Operation Restore Hope	Somalia	1993
Operation Gothic Serpent (operation that led to the Battle of Mogadishu as seen in the 2001 movie Black Hawk Down ]	Somalia	1993
Operation Enduring Freedom	Afghanistan	2001
Operation Anaconda	Afghanistan	2002
Operation Iraqi Freedom	Iraq	2003
Operation Vigilant Resolve	Iraq	2004

[edit] Delta Force in modern conflicts

In his book Killing Pablo, Mark Bowden suggests that a Delta Force sniper may have eliminated Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. There is no hard evidence of this though and credit is generally attributed to Colombian security forces.

The force was also involved in the offensive against the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2002 ^[5]. Many observers strongly suspect that members of Delta Force made up one of two units involved in a raid on a residence belonging to Mullah Omar. According to the Pentagon, the level of resistance to that operation was minimal.

The Mullah was not present but some papers and computer disks were said to have been seized in the raid. Critics later alleged that the second unit was unnecessary, claiming that it was very large and uncoordinated. As a result, they say, the defenders were alerted early and the number of friendly casualties was in fact higher than reported. According to the book Shadow Wars by David Pugliese, Delta operators wanted a quiet insertion method which was denied as command opted for a combined Ranger assault. Taliban fighters apparently ambushed the team when they were extracting and several Delta operators were severely wounded.

One of several operations in which Delta Force operators are thought to have played important roles was the 2003 invasion of Iraq^[6]. They allegedly entered Baghdad in advance, undercover with long hair and moustaches, along with SEALs from DEVGRU, guiding air strikes, building networks of informants while eavesdropping on and sabotaging Iraqi communication lines.

Delta Force has formed the core of the special strike unit which has been hunting individuals like Osama Bin Laden and others since the October 2001 beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom. It has been variously designated Task Force 11, in OEF, then Task Force 20, then seemingly Task Force 121, then after that Task Force 145 and Task Force 6-26 (not necessarily in that order).^{[citation needed]}

At least 11 soldiers assigned to Headquarters Company, U.S. Army Special Operations Command (a.k.a. Delta Force) have been killed in Iraq since 2003.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Famous Delta Force operators

Colonel Charles Beckwith
- Selected by President Jimmy Carter to organize and form a highly specialized counter-terrorism unit, known today as Delta Force ^[7].
Major Richard Meadows
- Key role in establishing Delta Force ^[8].
General Peter J. Schoomaker ^[9] ^[10] ^[11]
- 35th Chief of Staff of the United States Army. Commander of 1st SFOD-D from 1989–1992.
Major General David L. Grange
- Commanded C Company, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, in Desert One in 1980. Commanded a 1st SFOD-D squadron during the Invasion of Grenada. Deputy Commander of 1st SFOD-D under General Schoomaker.
Lieutenant General William G. Boykin
- Commander of 1st SFOD-D from 1992–1995. Commanding Officer of the 1st SFOD-D unit at the Battle of Mogadishu.
Master Sergeant Gary Gordon and Sergeant First Class Randall Shughart
- Medals of Honor, KIA in the October 3, 1993, during the Battle of Mogadishu.
Eric L. Haney, Command Sergeant Major, US Army (ret) ^[12]
- Self-proclaimed founding member of Delta Force who has sparked controversy in his post-Army career. Wrote the book Inside Delta Force: The Story of America's Elite Counter-terrorist Unit, upon which the television series The Unit is based ^[13] (and self-referenced in show credits). Many of Haney's specific mission claims are disputed by current and former SFOD members^[14], though there is no dispute as to his having served in Delta Force between 1979 and 1988.
Sergeant First Class Paul Howe
- The real life version of Delta Force Sergeant First Class Jeff Sanderson, played by William Fichtner in the film Black Hawk Down. Name changes were made in an attempt to keep the Delta Force operators anonymous.

[edit] Delta Force in popular culture

Delta Force is referenced to in many video games, and is often a playable force.
In the game Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction mercenary Chris Jacobs is an ex-Delta Force member
In the television series 24, agent Jack Bauer is noted to have previously been a member of Delta Force. Delta Force also serves an intregal part in the third season of the show.
In the novel Deception Point by Dan Brown, Delta Force plays a major antagonist role.
The television show The Unit is based on the book Inside Delta Force by the show's producer Eric Haney.
In the G.I. Joe comic book series by Larry Hama, the official name of the G.I. Joe Team is given as Special Counter-terrorist Group Delta.
In the movie Black Hawk Down by Ridley Scott, the Delta force and the US Army Rangers have to capture a Somalian warlord.
In the novel By Order of the President by W.E.B. Griffin, Delta Force plays a significant role.
In the novel The Day Before Midnight by Stephen Hunter, several major characters are Delta Force members. The leader of Delta Force in the novel is a man named Richard Puller, who bears many similarities to Charlie Beckwith.
The popular Delta Force series by NovaLogic centers around Delta Force operations, one of the more recent games being Delta Force: Black Hawk Down.
In several of the Vince Flynn novels, Delta Force works with CIA operative Mitch Rapp.

[edit] See also

[edit] Bibliography

Beckwith, Charles (1983). Delta Force
Haney, Eric. Inside Delta Force
Bowden, Mark (1999). Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War. Atlantic Monthly Press. Berkeley, California (USA). ISBN 0-87113-738-0 about operation Gothic Serpent
Bowden, Mark (2001). Killing Pablo: The Hunt for the World's Greatest Outlaw. ISBN 0-87113-783-6 about the hunt for Pablo Escobar
Naylor, Sean (2005). "Not a Good Day to Die: The Untold Story of Operation Anaconda", Penguin Group, New York about Operation Anaconda
Griswold, Terry. "DELTA, America's Elite Counterterrorist Force", ISBN 0-87938-615-0
Robinson, Linda, Masters of Chaos: The Secret History of the Special Forces
National Geographic Documentary: Road to Baghdad