Headquarters, United States Special Operations Command (Unclassified)

Command Vision

"To be the premier team of special warriors, thoroughly prepared, properly equipped, and highly motivated: at the right place, at the right time, facing the right adversary, leading the Global War on Terrorism, accomplishing the strategic objectives of the United States."

News Releases

The year 2007 will mark an important milestone for U.S. Special Operations Command because the command will be celebrating its 20th anniversary. Click here to visit the 20th Anniversary site.

SOF Week 2007 kicks off USSOCOM’s 20th anniversary commemoration
By Mike Bottoms, USSOCOM Public Affairs

The year 2007 will mark an important milestone for U.S. Special Operations Command because the command will be celebrating its 20th anniversary.

The command will hold SOF Week 2007 Apr. 23 – 27 to start the commemoration activities for the command’s 20th anniversary.

The theme for the 20th anniversary is “Proven, Vigilant, Prepared.” The theme honors the rich heritage of yesterday’s and today’s’ “Quiet Professionals” for their sacrifices on behalf of freedom and security of the United States.

“SOF Week is only one part of a year-long celebration commemorating SOCOM’s 20th anniversary” said Capt. Brent Gentsch, Director of the USSOCOM 20th Anniversary Task Force. “There will be events here in Tampa as well as Washington, D.C.”

The week will feature conferences such as the Commander’s Conference, Senior Enlisted Advisor’s Conference, and Retired SOF Senior Leader’s Conference. Other events include the SOF Medal of Honor Recognition Ceremony, a building dedication to be named the Special Operations Medal of Honor Hall, and ending with the USSOCOM 20th Anniversary Mess Night and SOCOM Day to wrap up the week.

Read the Full Story here.

1st Marine Special Operations Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps, Special Operations Command, activated during a ceremony at Camp Pendleton, October 26. 1st Force Reconnaissance Company deactivated during the same ceremony and three 1st Force Recon platoons transferred to 1st MSOB to form the core of two Marine Special Operations Companies. MARSOC photo.

1st MSOB activation marks evolution of 1st Force Recon Company
By MARSOC Public Affairs

U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command reached a new readiness milestone during the activation ceremony of the 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion, Oct. 26.

The 1st MSOB located at Camp Pendleton, Calif. is like its Camp Lejeune, N.C. counterpart, 2d MSOB. It will include several Marine special operations companies that will deploy with Marine Expeditionary Units to provide regional combatant commanders with a sea-based special operations capability for use in the Global War on Terrorism.

Activation of the 1st MSOB was a significant step forward for MARSOC and Marine integration into the Special Operations Forces, but it also marked the end of another chapter in Marine Corps history. 1st Force Reconnaissance Company cased its colors and deactivated during the same ceremony.

“Today is not about commanders,” said Lt. Col. George Smith, Jr., the outgoing commanding officer of 1st Force Recon. “It’s about the many Marines and Sailors who have served in this great company and those who will continue to serve with MARSOC.”

Read the Full Story here.

The Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) sits anchored off the coast of Jolo, Philippines, June 8, 2006. Mercy conducted a medical and humanitarian mission in the area as part of its five-month deployment to South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. Photo by Chief Petty Officer Edward Martens.

Defeating the idea: Unconventional Warfare in southern Philippines
By Command Sgt. Major William Eckert
Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines

A recent newspaper headline read: “Is the U.S. winning a war?” The headline wasn’t referring to Iraq or Afghanistan but rather to another front in the Global War on Terrorism — the Philippines. Unlike the other two conflicts, where American Soldiers are daily engaged in armed conflict, the war in the Philippines is one for peace and prosperity. The battle in the Philippines is a battle against an idea, and it is being waged by the Joint Special Operations Task Force — Philippines, or JSOTF-P.

The work by JSOTF - P has gained the attention of senior military leaders who believe its work may change the way the United States operates around the world. During the Pacific Area Special Operations Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii, in May, Maj. Gen. David Fridovich, commander of U.S. Special Operations Forces-Pacific noted, “We think there is a model here that’s worth showcasing. There’s another way of doing business. We’ve been doing it for four years with some decent results — not grand results, not flashy results, but some decent results. We think it’s worthwhile.”

Read the Full Story here.

Master Sgt. Willie Washington, (center) USSOCOM, leads the Operation One Voice formation to the Special Operations Forces Memorial, MacDill Air Force Base on Nov. 11. Operation One Voice culminated with a more than 625-mile run from Duluth, Ga., to Busch Gardens, Tampa, Fla. Photo by Mike Bottoms.

Operation One Voice: educating children of fallen SOF
By Mike Bottoms, USSOCOM Public Affairs

“One voice, two feet, 24 runners, more than 625 miles, 680 children, 576,000 heartbeats, 3.168 million feet equals one very loud voice honoring our veterans and supporting the children of fallen Special Operations Forces.”

So went the stated mission of Operation One Voice 2006.

Running teams from Georgia and Florida made up of Special Operations Forces, police, firefighters and civilians assembled to raise money for children of fallen SOF warriors. Operation One Voice is a year — long effort culminating in a more than 625 — mile relay run from Duluth, Ga., to the Georgia State Capitol, to Fort Benning, Ga., to the Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee and ending at Busch Gardens in Tampa, Fla., on Veteran’s Day.

“The Florida team had 19 runners with 11 from USSOCOM, five Tampa firemen and one gentleman from the Coast Guard,” said Capt. David Kaleel, deputy director, J9 Knowledge and Futures, and Florida team captain. “The Florida team had the night shift and we ran from midnight to noon with each runner running an hour at a time.”

Read the Full Story here.

A Special Operations Research and Development Element team member arrives at the checkpoint where biometric data was to be collected at Tactical Network Topography 07-1 held at Camp Roberts, Calif. SORSE teams field test new equipment during the exercise and give feedback based on their field and combat experience.

Experiment Tactical Network Toplogy: Experimenting with SOF’s future today
Story and photos by Mike Bottoms, USSOCOM Public Affairs

“Q,” the wizard of gadgetry from the fictional James Bond movies was always teaching the master spy how to use the latest technology before Bond went on his next mission.

In real life however, engineers who design technological tools for the battlefield rarely get to work face to face with the operators who use them.

The U.S. Special Operations Command/Naval Post Graduate School Field Experimentation Cooperative Tactical Network Topology experiment held quarterly at remote Camp Roberts, Calif., solves this dilemma by bringing together academic research of military graduate students, technological wizardry of industry leading civilian engineers and hands on wisdom of operators who test equipment in an austere field environment.

Specifically, the TNT exercise combines USSOCOM’s Knowledge and Futures Branch with Naval Post Graduate School faculty and students, scientists from industry, and the Special Operations Research and Support Element or SORSE from Fort Bragg, N.C., to test emerging science and technologies for the battlefield.

Read the Full Story here.