Specialties
Counterterrorism (CT) refers to offensive actions taken to prevent, deter, and respond to terrorism. This is a highly-specialized mission requiring unique resources and equipment. Certain SOF Forces from the Navy, Army, and Air Force are dedicated full-time to this mission with worldwide responsibility. They maintain a high-state of readiness and deploy overseas at a moment’s notice. CT activities include recovery of hostages or sensitive materials that could be used for Weapons of Mass Destruction. It includes attacks on terrorist organizations, specifically targets of strategic importance.
Foreign Internal Defense (FID) refers to the active assistance by U.S. military and civilian government agencies to aid a foreign country in its efforts to fight subversion, law-lessness or insurgency. The Navy SEALs primary contribution to this interagency activity is to train, advise and assist the host nation’s maritime military/paramilitary forces. The SEALs develop their maritime capabilities, and instruct them in tactical operations on their rivers and coastline. SEALs also exercise foreign language, area and cultural knowledge, advanced medical, weapons and explosives skills as part of their participation in FID.
Unconventional Warfare (UW) refers to long-duration, covert (actions never acknowledged) or clandestine (results are visible) military/paramilitary operations conducted by indigenous (local) or surrogate (foreign hired) forces overseas. Navy SEALs, other U.S. SOF and certain government agencies organize, train, equip and support these forces to varying degrees to achieve U.S. strategic objectives. UW includes guerilla warfare and other small-unit covert or clandestine direct operations, as well as indirect operations such as sabotage, subversion, intelligence activities, and Escape and Evasion. These operations can focus on political, psychological, or military objectives, as required.
Special Reconnaissance (SR) (i.e., that which can best be done by humans on the ground with “eyes on target” instead of by satellite or drone) is conducted to collect information on the capabilities, intentions and activities of an enemy. It is also conducted to provide vital weather, hydrographic, and geographic information on a specific target or denied area. Pre-strike, it is done for target acquisition; post-strike to assess the battle damage the U.S. has inflicted against targets of strategic or operational importance. It may also be conducted to assess chemical, biological, residual nuclear or environmental hazards in a denied area. SR supplements our other national and technical intelligence sources with unique and time-sensitive information that can only be provided by a man literally “on-the-ground.”
Psychological Operations (PSYOP) are those information operations that are conducted to influence the emotions, motives, objective reasoning, and ultimately the decision- making of foreign governments, organizations, groups and individuals. Selected information or indicators are distributed by a wide variety of means such as radio, media, or leaflets dropped by aircraft. These clandestine SOF operations, often not traceable back to the U.S., are designed to influence, confuse, or misdirect an enemy. They can successfully deceive an enemy into taking alternative actions that may save the U.S. valuable resources and, more importantly, lives.
In 1991, at the start of Operation Desert Storm, a Navy SEAL Lieutenant led a beach deception operation in advance of the first U.S.-led Iraq invasion. Leading five enlisted swimmers into shallow water off a Kuwaiti Beach, he planted explosives which, when detonated later, simulated the beginning of an amphibious landing. This diversion operation tied down a sizeable portion of an Iraqi division, preventing their deployment against the main allied attack far inland. General Schwarzkopf later sent the SEALs a message that said, "Enemy forces moving to beach. Allied forces going behind them. You have saved the lives of many of our fellow soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines. Bravo Zulu."
Civil Affairs Operations (CAO) are conducted by specifically-trained and equipped SOF units. They capitalize on our relations with foreign military forces, government organizations, and the civilian populace to positively influence them to facilitate our military operations and achieve U.S. national objectives. CA operations may be conducted in friendly, neutral, or hostile areas before, during or after military operations. Often, they involve our military forces performing functions such as providing electricity, fresh water, or security, that are normally the responsibility of the local government. Navy SEALs are involved in CA only to the extent that they provide medics to assist the civilian population.
Information Operations (IO) are actions taken to affect an enemy’s technological and information systems such as computers, command and control, and sophisticated weapons systems, while defending our own information and systems. All of the following SOF missions support IO: DA, SR, and PSYOP.
Counterproliferation (CP) of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) refers to the actions taken to seize, destroy, render safe, capture, or recover WMD. Navy SEALs and other SOF provide unique capabilities to monitor and support foreign countries’ living up to their agreements in arms control treaties. When directed, Navy SEALs and other SOF can conduct SR and DA missions to locate and intercept sea, land, or air shipments and employment of dangerous materials
