Complete Idiot's Guide to the U.S. Special Ops Forces

by Cerasini, Marc

• ISBN13: 9780028643731
• ISBN10: 0028643739
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-04-01
• Publisher: DK Publishing, Inc.

Summary

The Complete Idiot's Guide® to the U.S. Special Forces tells the story from their murky beginnings in the Revolutionary War, through the violent guerilla campaigns in the American Civil War, to World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and the war on Afghanistan today. This book traces the origins of our modern special forces as well as their relationships to the CIA, the British SAS, and various foreign special forces units. This book offers readers a detailed history of modern special forces training and operations, as well as a glimpse inside the ranks of these elite soldiers--the best and brightest fighting men our nation has ever produced. Working with the author to ensure 100% accuracy is former Green Beret Russ Preston, who will also be writing the foreward.

Author Biography

Marc Cerasini, The New York Times best-selling author, has written more than 40 books

Table of Contents

Special Forces in History	p. 1
A Force to Reckon With	p. 3
What's so Special About Special Forces?	p. 4
America's First Special Forces Unit	p. 5
Rangers of the American Revolution	p. 7
Special Forces in the Civil War	p. 10
Special Forces Come of Age	p. 11
The Special Forces of World War II	p. 15
The 1st Ranger Battalion	p. 16
The Birth of the First Special Services Force	p. 20
Into the Jungle with America's New Elite	p. 20
Underwater Units and Amphibious Invasions	p. 23
Covert Operations in World War II	p. 29
Lieut. Col. Pete Ellis and Operation Plan 712	p. 30
"Wild Bill" Donovan, Coordinator of Information	p. 32
The Office of Strategic Services	p. 33
The U.S. Special Operations Command	p. 40
America's Models: Foreign Special Forces	p. 43
Winston Churchill's Special Operations Executive	p. 44
David Stirling's Special Air Service	p. 44
The British Special Boat Squadron	p. 48
The Fuhrer's Secret Warriors	p. 51
Foreign Special Forces Since World War II	p. 57
The Green Berets
When Counterinsurgency Was All the Rage	p. 61
Harry Truman's Postwar Purge	p. 62
Trouble in the East: The Malayan Emergency	p. 63
Col. Aaron Bank and the U.S. Special Forces	p. 65
Fade to Black: The Central Intelligence Agency	p. 68
The Green Berets at Their Finest Hour	p. 75
Trouble in Southeast Asia	p. 76
John F. Kennedy and the Green Berets	p. 77
Robin Moore Joins the Green Berets	p. 81
The Ballad and the Balladeer	p. 84
The Green Berets in Vietnam	p. 89
Kennedy Turns to the Special Forces	p. 90
The Civilian Irregular Defense Group	p. 92
The Achievements of Project Delta	p. 95
Project Omega and Project Sigma	p. 96
Incident in the Tonkin Gulf	p. 97
Endgame in Vietnam	p. 99
The Battle of Nam Dong	p. 100
The Other War	p. 101
Rogues and Snake Eaters	p. 102
The Rheault Incident	p. 103
Operation Kingpin: The Raid at Son Tay	p. 105
The Final Fate of the Indigs	p. 109
The Lean Years	p. 111
A New Battle for Survival	p. 112
Civic Action at Home: The SPARTAN Program	p. 113
Crisis Erupts in Iran	p. 114
Operation Just Cause: A Second Chance	p. 115
Special Forces in Panama	p. 116
Special Forces in the Persian Gulf War	p. 117
The U.S. Army Special Forces
The Coming of the U.S. Special Operations Command	p. 123
The Iranian Hostage Crisis	p. 124
The Nunn-Cohen Amendment	p. 125
The Structure of the U.S. Special Operations Command	p. 126
Introducing the U.S. Army Special Operations Command	p. 129
The "Six Pack"	p. 130
The Special Forces Command	p. 130
The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment	p. 132
The Special Operations Support Command	p. 137
The John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School	p. 137
The Civil Affairs/Psychological Operations Command	p. 138
The U.S. Army Special Forces Training Regimen	p. 139
Requirements for a Special Forces Recruit	p. 140
The Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course	p. 142
The Qualification Course	p. 144
More School, Then into the Field	p. 150
The Special Forces Creed	p. 150
The 75th Ranger Regiment	p. 153
"Rangers Lead the Way"	p. 154
The 75th Ranger Regiment Today	p. 155
The Structure of a Ranger Regiment	p. 157
The Ranger Training Brigade	p. 158
The Ranger Creed	p. 163
The U.S. Navy SEALs
Introducing the Navy SEALs	p. 167
The Origin of the Navy SEALs	p. 167
The SEALs in Action	p. 170
The "Brown Water Navy"	p. 175
The Navy SEALs Training Regimen	p. 179
Requirements for a Navy SEAL Candidate	p. 180
BUD/S Training	p. 181
Airborne-Qualified	p. 186
Probation	p. 187
Into the Sea, Air, Land Teams	p. 189
Group One and Group Two	p. 190
SEAL Teams in a Nutshell	p. 190
A Typical SEAL Mission	p. 193
The U.S. Air Force Special Operations
Introducing the U.S. Air Force Special Operations	p. 201
The Birth of the Air Force Special Ops	p. 202
The AFSOC Basic Mission Profiles	p. 202
The Precursors of the AFSOC	p. 204
The Decline and Rebirth of Air Force Special Operations	p. 210
The AFSOC Units	p. 212
The AFSOC Aircraft	p. 214
The Air Force Special Ops Training Regimen	p. 221
Into the Air Force Special Tactics Squadrons	p. 222
A Bit of History	p. 222
Special Tactics Squadron Training	p. 223
Pararescue Jumper Training	p. 226
Combat Controller Training	p. 228
The First Special Operational Detachment-Delta
Terror Is Their Business: Delta Force	p. 233
Terrorism on the Rise	p. 234
America Responds: Delta and Blue Light	p. 235
Delta in Action	p. 236
Into the Future	p. 241
The Delta Force Training Regimen	p. 243
Who Joins Delta?	p. 244
The Physical Trials	p. 244
The Interview	p. 245
Delta Training: Enter the SOT	p. 246
Appendixes
Special Forces Weapons	p. 251
Guide to Military Acronyms	p. 259
Further Reading and Viewing	p. 265
Glossary	p. 271
Index	p. 287
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