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Delta Force
Also known as Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta or Combat
Applications Group (CAG)
Country = UNITED STATES
Delta Force
The US Army Delta Force, a top US special forces team, has been known
throughout the years by a number of names including 1st Special
Operational Detachment-Delta, Combat Applications Group and Army
Compartmented Elements. Their main missions include counter-terrorism
with involvement in hostage rescue, capture and elimination of
terrorist forces and intelligence gathering regarding any terrorist
threat. Additional assignments can include guarding VIPs and
unconventional warfare. Delta Force is based out of Ft. Bragg, NC.
The Delta Force is one of two military outfits in the United States
charged with counterterrorist operations. Like the other, the Navy's
Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU), Delta Force can deploy at a
moment's notice. But unlike DEVGRU, Delta Force doesn't officially
exist.
In the 1970s, the world began to see an outbreak of extremism. Groups
like Germany's Red Army Faction and the Palestinian Liberation
Organization introduced new words into the global vocabulary -- words
like terrorism and hijacking. As a response to the sudden and
widespread emergence of terrorist ideologies, United States Army
Colonel Charles Beckwith proposed that the government create a small,
skilled tactical team capable of responding with quick and deadly force
to terrorist activities [source: SOC].
In 1977, Beckwith assembled the force and recruited from the Green
Berets, the Army Rangers and the Airborne divisions. Beckwith created a
grueling training course based on that of the British Special Air
Service (SAS) -- an elite commando unit capable of carrying out highly
specialized missions. Beckwith spent a year in an exchange program with
the SAS and was inspired by his experience [source: SOC]. He used the
group as a model, and today Delta Force and SAS still serve
side-by-side and exchange members in their cross-training programs. In
1996, Delta Force operators and SAS members stormed the home of the
Japanese ambassador to rescue him from hostage-takers in Lima, Peru.
Delta Force recruits are selected based on the special skills they
possess, like exceptional marksmanship. It's reputed that Delta Force
recruits must show 100 percent accuracy in shooting from 600 yards, and
90 percent accuracy at 1,000 yards [source: VFW Magazine]. Beckwith
also created a 40-mile hike as an endurance test to separate the truly
capable from those who had simply managed to remain in training to that
point. This method is taken directly from the SAS.
Delta Force holds nationwide recruitment drives several months out of
the year, culminating in two selection processes, one in the spring and
one in the fall. Following the monthlong selection process, recruits
who make it through move on to the training process, which is believed
to last six months.
Delta Force is separated into three combat squadrons -- A, B and C --
along with a support squadron, signal squadron, aviation platoon and a
"funny platoon" -- the intelligence-gathering outfit of the Delta
Force, rumored to be the only special operations platoon to include
women.
The combat squadrons are composed of smaller units called troops, which
specialize in airborne, ground or water insertion much like the Green
Berets. Ultimately, troops can be split into small mission teams of up
to 12 men and as few as one.
Coming from military backgrounds, recruits are already trained to kill,
but as Delta Force operators, they become trained killers. As
counterterrorist operatives, Delta Force members are trained in the art
of hostage rescue in closed spaces. When they rescue hostages, the
hostage-takers are rarely left alive. It was Beckwith who mandated the
simple two-tap method of dealing with terrorists -- two shots go into
each terrorist [source: VFW Magazine]. In stark contrast to movie or TV
representations, Delta Force operators don't spare those who may come
back to fight them again.
Delta Force Selction And Training
Delta Force recruits are selected based on the special skills they
possess, like exceptional marksmanship. It's reputed that Delta Force
recruits must show 100 percent accuracy in shooting from 600 yards, and
90 percent accuracy at 1,000 yards [source: VFW Magazine]. Beckwith
also created a 40-mile hike as an endurance test to separate the truly
capable from those who had simply managed to remain in training to that
point. This method is taken directly from the SAS.
The selection process for the US Army Delta Force is rigid with most of
the recruits coming from the Special Forces Groups and the 75th Ranger
Regiment. The recruits must undergo a number of physically
challenging tests which increase in difficulty throughout this portion
of the program. Next they will undergo a series of mental challenges.
It is only then a recruit is told whether he has been selected to enter
into the 6-month Operator Training Course.
This intense phase of training consists of a number of courses.
Students are first trained to be excellent marksman first with
stationery targets and then moving targets. Once they have become
proficient, they are challenged in what is known as a "shooting house"
where they are assigned to clear the rooms inside of all enemy targets.
Students are challenged individually and then perform the task again
and again, each time adding a team member (up to a total of four).
Once the group(s) has successfully cleared the house, hostages are
added among the enemy targets.
Students are also taught to break various types of locks and how to
build bombs from easily accessed common materials. They are also
taught espionage skills and specialized driving techniques using
advanced driving courses and a variety of vehicles. They are further
instructed on how to use the vehicle(s) as both a defensive and an
offensive weapon.
Delta Force units cross-train with similar units from other Allied
countries. They have also assisted in the training of other US
counter-terrorism groups such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation's
Hostage Rescue Team. The US Army Delta Force is an extremely versatile
organization and is said to remain on standby in order for immediate
response to any terrorist threat situation.
Delta Force ORGANISATION AND STRUCTURE
Delta Force is separated into three combat squadrons -- A, B and C --
along with a support squadron, signal squadron, aviation platoon and a
"funny platoon" -- the intelligence-gathering outfit of the Delta
Force, rumored to be the only special operations platoon to include
women.
The combat squadrons are composed of smaller units called troops, which
specialize in airborne, ground or water insertion much like the Green
Berets. Ultimately, troops can be split into small mission teams of up
to 12 men and as few as one.
Coming from military backgrounds, recruits are already trained to kill,
but as Delta Force operators, they become trained killers. As
counterterrorist operatives, Delta Force members are trained in the art
of hostage rescue in closed spaces. When they rescue hostages, the
hostage-takers are rarely left alive. It was Beckwith who mandated the
simple two-tap method of dealing with terrorists -- two shots go into
each terrorist [source: VFW Magazine]. In stark contrast to movie or TV
representations, Delta Force operators don't spare those who may come
back to fight them again.
Delta Force History
In the 1970s, the world began to see an outbreak of extremism. Groups
like Germany's Red Army Faction and the Palestinian Liberation
Organization introduced new words into the global vocabulary -- words
like terrorism and hijacking. As a response to the sudden and
widespread emergence of terrorist ideologies, United States Army
Colonel Charles Beckwith proposed that the government create a small,
skilled tactical team capable of responding with quick and deadly force
to terrorist activities [source: SOC].
In 1977, Beckwith assembled the force and recruited from the Green
Berets, the Army Rangers and the Airborne divisions. Beckwith created a
grueling training course based on that of the British Special Air
Service (SAS) -- an elite commando unit capable of carrying out highly
specialized missions. Beckwith spent a year in an exchange program with
the SAS and was inspired by his experience [source: SOC]. He used the
group as a model, and today Delta Force and SAS still serve
side-by-side and exchange members in their cross-training programs. In
1996, Delta Force operators and SAS members stormed the home of the
Japanese ambassador to rescue him from hostage-takers in Lima, Peru.
Delta Force Weapons
At its training facility, known in some circles as the "House of
Horrors," Delta Force is believed to work tirelessly, honing its
skills. Its facility is believed to include buses, trains and even a
passenger airliner for staging hostage-rescue scenarios. The group
refines its training in close-quarters combat, and since its members
are also required to be excellent marksmen, they also practice shooting
regularly.
The arsenal available to the Delta Force is said to be limitless. The
very best weaponry the world has to offer is at its fingertips, and
much of its arms are heavily customized. The force is believed to favor
submachine guns made by Heckler and Koch, the German arms manufacturer.
Specifically, the group is thought to prize the H&K M4 and MP5 as light
weapons, along with the company's PSG1 7.62mm sniper rifle [source:
Forces-Speciales]. They've also been known to use American manufacturer
Browning's M82A1 .50-caliber sniper rifle for long-range targets up to
1,750 yards [source: Tekawiz].
Delta Force is believed to have worked directly with Heckler and Koch
to develop the new 416 model, a carbine that fires 5.56mm rounds, as a
replacement for the M4. High-performance submachine guns and
high-powered sniper rifles alone do not make a successful Delta Force
mission. In addition to its weaponry and extensive training, Delta
Force also requires a lift. In many cases, operators rely on their
squadron's aviation platoon. These platoons are composed of aircraft
that are painted and outfitted to look like civilian helicopters. These
aircraft are even said to have made-up civilian-class registration
numbers on them.
In missions where it must appear that the United States government,
military or federal agencies have no official involvement, the Delta
Force aviation platoon serves the battle squadrons well. Operators
invading in civilian clothes, in what looks to be civilian aircraft,
create a tremendous amount of plausible deniability. After all, these
people could just as easily be overzealous citizens or employees of a
private security firm (a job that many former Delta Force operators
take after retirement).
In special cases, the Delta Force calls in the Night Stalkers.
Officially referred to as the 160th Special Operations Aviation
Regiment (SOAR), this group of highly trained pilots flies Blackhawk
and Little Bird helicopters close to the ground to deliver special
operations forces like the Delta Force to its insertion areas. The
Night Stalkers use night vision equipment, flying without lights in
black helicopters at night. They pride themselves on being able to get
to any destination within plus or minus 30 seconds of their stated time
frame.
Delta Force Operations
he group's first assignment came shortly after its formation, guarding
the Pan-American Games in Puerto Rico in 1979 [source: SOC]. While that
detail reportedly went smoothly, its next operation -- Eagle Claw --
failed. The objective of the operation, to rescue 66 American hostages
at the embassy in Tehran, Iran, wasn't completed. A helicopter carrying
Delta Force and other special operations team members crashed, killing
eight and ending the operation. Following that, control of Delta Force
was taken out of the hands of traditional special operations command
[source: VFW Magazine]. Exactly where it was placed, however, remains a
mystery.
Delta Force carried out at least one notable textbook operation, based
on exactly what the group was formed to do -- rescue hostages in tight
spaces. The force boarded a hijacked Indonesian passenger plane in
1980, rescuing the hostages and killing all four hijackers. This wasn't
the last time they were called out to handle a hostage situation on an
airliner. In other similar scenarios, including hijacked airliners in
Algiers, Kuwait, and Cyprus, the Delta Force found themselves blocked
from carrying out operations by local authorities [source: SOC].
Being activated -- only to find upon arrival that it wasn't needed or
wanted -- would prove to be a pattern for Delta Force. In the early
1980s, for example, Delta Force was tapped to carry out operations to
rescue American POWs in Vietnam. Each mission was scrapped, however,
after a private American citizen staged his own publicized missions
[source: SOC].
While its primary role is to carry out counterterrorist operations,
Delta Force also serves other functions -- essentially any type of
mission that requires quick and deadly skill from a small group. The
group is reported to carry out operations on behalf of other branches
of the military and agencies, like the CIA's shadowy Special Activities
Staff [source: SpecWarNet].
Delta Force has participated overtly alongside the military in major
invasions carried out by the United States. In Grenada, during
Operation Urgent Fury, it stormed a prison to release hostages [source:
Military.com]. And in Panama, as part of Operation Just Cause, the
group rescued an American CIA operative and helped capture president
Manuel Noriega [source: Army.com].
Perhaps its most widely known operation is the "Great Scud Hunt" during
Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Delta Force operators infiltrated
hundreds of miles into Iraq, finding Iraqi Scud missiles, acquiring
them as targets for American fighter jets and killing Scud-launching
crews [source: Global Securty.net]. Members also served as bodyguards
for General Norman Schwarzkopf during Desert Storm in Iraq [source:
SpecWarNet]. Serving as bodyguards is a role Delta Force apparently
continues today, as photos of reported Delta Force operators guarding
Afghani president Hamid Karzai have emerged.
Delta Force operators have been involved in missions that required
other skill sets. Members of the group infiltrated Libya in 1984,
installing surveillance equipment that allowed the United States to
keep tabs on militant training camps. From Libya, Delta is said to have
made its way to Chad, an African nation friendly to the United States.
There, operators trained the Chad military in the use of Stinger
missiles and other high-tech weapons supplied by the United States,
which was used by Chad to fire on Libyan planes [source: SOC]. A decade
later, Delta Force took part in the extensive hunts for Serbian war
criminals .
Delta Force Conclusion
Delta Force is often referred to as Special Forces Operational
Detachment-Delta. It's also known as the Combat Applications Group
(CAG). While it often draws its ranks from the Army Special Forces (the
Army Green Berets) and shares Fort Bragg, N.C., headquarters with them,
it isn't an Army Special Forces detachment. Delta Force is a unit unto
itself, composed of members from all branches of the military.
It must be said that neither the United States government nor the
military officially acknowledges the existence of Delta Force. It's
only in recent years that vague references by the government to the
group's existence have been allowed to go uncensored. These references
have turned up in transcripts from Congressional hearings and
biographies of high-ranking military leaders.
In 1993, Delta Force came under the microscope when its operators were
among those who fought and died in a failed operation to remove a
Somali warlord. And in Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada in 1983,
reports of two missions by Delta Force -- one failed and one successful
-- have become common knowledge.
The Pentagon tightly controls information about Delta Force and
publicly refuses to comment on the secretive unit and its activities.
Delta operators are granted an enormous amount of flexibility and
autonomy. To conceal their identities, they rarely wear a uniform and
usually wear civilian clothing both on or off duty. When military
uniforms are worn, they lack markings, surnames, or branch names.
Civilian hair styles and facial hair are allowed to enable the members
to blend in and avoid recognition as military personnel.
Also known as Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta or Combat
Applications Group (CAG)
Country = UNITED STATES
Delta Force
The US Army Delta Force, a top US special forces team, has been known
throughout the years by a number of names including 1st Special
Operational Detachment-Delta, Combat Applications Group and Army
Compartmented Elements. Their main missions include counter-terrorism
with involvement in hostage rescue, capture and elimination of
terrorist forces and intelligence gathering regarding any terrorist
threat. Additional assignments can include guarding VIPs and
unconventional warfare. Delta Force is based out of Ft. Bragg, NC.
The Delta Force is one of two military outfits in the United States
charged with counterterrorist operations. Like the other, the Navy's
Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU), Delta Force can deploy at a
moment's notice. But unlike DEVGRU, Delta Force doesn't officially
exist.
In the 1970s, the world began to see an outbreak of extremism. Groups
like Germany's Red Army Faction and the Palestinian Liberation
Organization introduced new words into the global vocabulary -- words
like terrorism and hijacking. As a response to the sudden and
widespread emergence of terrorist ideologies, United States Army
Colonel Charles Beckwith proposed that the government create a small,
skilled tactical team capable of responding with quick and deadly force
to terrorist activities [source: SOC].
In 1977, Beckwith assembled the force and recruited from the Green
Berets, the Army Rangers and the Airborne divisions. Beckwith created a
grueling training course based on that of the British Special Air
Service (SAS) -- an elite commando unit capable of carrying out highly
specialized missions. Beckwith spent a year in an exchange program with
the SAS and was inspired by his experience [source: SOC]. He used the
group as a model, and today Delta Force and SAS still serve
side-by-side and exchange members in their cross-training programs. In
1996, Delta Force operators and SAS members stormed the home of the
Japanese ambassador to rescue him from hostage-takers in Lima, Peru.
Delta Force recruits are selected based on the special skills they
possess, like exceptional marksmanship. It's reputed that Delta Force
recruits must show 100 percent accuracy in shooting from 600 yards, and
90 percent accuracy at 1,000 yards [source: VFW Magazine]. Beckwith
also created a 40-mile hike as an endurance test to separate the truly
capable from those who had simply managed to remain in training to that
point. This method is taken directly from the SAS.
Delta Force holds nationwide recruitment drives several months out of
the year, culminating in two selection processes, one in the spring and
one in the fall. Following the monthlong selection process, recruits
who make it through move on to the training process, which is believed
to last six months.
Delta Force is separated into three combat squadrons -- A, B and C --
along with a support squadron, signal squadron, aviation platoon and a
"funny platoon" -- the intelligence-gathering outfit of the Delta
Force, rumored to be the only special operations platoon to include
women.
The combat squadrons are composed of smaller units called troops, which
specialize in airborne, ground or water insertion much like the Green
Berets. Ultimately, troops can be split into small mission teams of up
to 12 men and as few as one.
Coming from military backgrounds, recruits are already trained to kill,
but as Delta Force operators, they become trained killers. As
counterterrorist operatives, Delta Force members are trained in the art
of hostage rescue in closed spaces. When they rescue hostages, the
hostage-takers are rarely left alive. It was Beckwith who mandated the
simple two-tap method of dealing with terrorists -- two shots go into
each terrorist [source: VFW Magazine]. In stark contrast to movie or TV
representations, Delta Force operators don't spare those who may come
back to fight them again.
Delta Force Selction And Training
Delta Force recruits are selected based on the special skills they
possess, like exceptional marksmanship. It's reputed that Delta Force
recruits must show 100 percent accuracy in shooting from 600 yards, and
90 percent accuracy at 1,000 yards [source: VFW Magazine]. Beckwith
also created a 40-mile hike as an endurance test to separate the truly
capable from those who had simply managed to remain in training to that
point. This method is taken directly from the SAS.
The selection process for the US Army Delta Force is rigid with most of
the recruits coming from the Special Forces Groups and the 75th Ranger
Regiment. The recruits must undergo a number of physically
challenging tests which increase in difficulty throughout this portion
of the program. Next they will undergo a series of mental challenges.
It is only then a recruit is told whether he has been selected to enter
into the 6-month Operator Training Course.
This intense phase of training consists of a number of courses.
Students are first trained to be excellent marksman first with
stationery targets and then moving targets. Once they have become
proficient, they are challenged in what is known as a "shooting house"
where they are assigned to clear the rooms inside of all enemy targets.
Students are challenged individually and then perform the task again
and again, each time adding a team member (up to a total of four).
Once the group(s) has successfully cleared the house, hostages are
added among the enemy targets.
Students are also taught to break various types of locks and how to
build bombs from easily accessed common materials. They are also
taught espionage skills and specialized driving techniques using
advanced driving courses and a variety of vehicles. They are further
instructed on how to use the vehicle(s) as both a defensive and an
offensive weapon.
Delta Force units cross-train with similar units from other Allied
countries. They have also assisted in the training of other US
counter-terrorism groups such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation's
Hostage Rescue Team. The US Army Delta Force is an extremely versatile
organization and is said to remain on standby in order for immediate
response to any terrorist threat situation.
Delta Force ORGANISATION AND STRUCTURE
Delta Force is separated into three combat squadrons -- A, B and C --
along with a support squadron, signal squadron, aviation platoon and a
"funny platoon" -- the intelligence-gathering outfit of the Delta
Force, rumored to be the only special operations platoon to include
women.
The combat squadrons are composed of smaller units called troops, which
specialize in airborne, ground or water insertion much like the Green
Berets. Ultimately, troops can be split into small mission teams of up
to 12 men and as few as one.
Coming from military backgrounds, recruits are already trained to kill,
but as Delta Force operators, they become trained killers. As
counterterrorist operatives, Delta Force members are trained in the art
of hostage rescue in closed spaces. When they rescue hostages, the
hostage-takers are rarely left alive. It was Beckwith who mandated the
simple two-tap method of dealing with terrorists -- two shots go into
each terrorist [source: VFW Magazine]. In stark contrast to movie or TV
representations, Delta Force operators don't spare those who may come
back to fight them again.
Delta Force History
In the 1970s, the world began to see an outbreak of extremism. Groups
like Germany's Red Army Faction and the Palestinian Liberation
Organization introduced new words into the global vocabulary -- words
like terrorism and hijacking. As a response to the sudden and
widespread emergence of terrorist ideologies, United States Army
Colonel Charles Beckwith proposed that the government create a small,
skilled tactical team capable of responding with quick and deadly force
to terrorist activities [source: SOC].
In 1977, Beckwith assembled the force and recruited from the Green
Berets, the Army Rangers and the Airborne divisions. Beckwith created a
grueling training course based on that of the British Special Air
Service (SAS) -- an elite commando unit capable of carrying out highly
specialized missions. Beckwith spent a year in an exchange program with
the SAS and was inspired by his experience [source: SOC]. He used the
group as a model, and today Delta Force and SAS still serve
side-by-side and exchange members in their cross-training programs. In
1996, Delta Force operators and SAS members stormed the home of the
Japanese ambassador to rescue him from hostage-takers in Lima, Peru.
Delta Force Weapons
At its training facility, known in some circles as the "House of
Horrors," Delta Force is believed to work tirelessly, honing its
skills. Its facility is believed to include buses, trains and even a
passenger airliner for staging hostage-rescue scenarios. The group
refines its training in close-quarters combat, and since its members
are also required to be excellent marksmen, they also practice shooting
regularly.
The arsenal available to the Delta Force is said to be limitless. The
very best weaponry the world has to offer is at its fingertips, and
much of its arms are heavily customized. The force is believed to favor
submachine guns made by Heckler and Koch, the German arms manufacturer.
Specifically, the group is thought to prize the H&K M4 and MP5 as light
weapons, along with the company's PSG1 7.62mm sniper rifle [source:
Forces-Speciales]. They've also been known to use American manufacturer
Browning's M82A1 .50-caliber sniper rifle for long-range targets up to
1,750 yards [source: Tekawiz].
Delta Force is believed to have worked directly with Heckler and Koch
to develop the new 416 model, a carbine that fires 5.56mm rounds, as a
replacement for the M4. High-performance submachine guns and
high-powered sniper rifles alone do not make a successful Delta Force
mission. In addition to its weaponry and extensive training, Delta
Force also requires a lift. In many cases, operators rely on their
squadron's aviation platoon. These platoons are composed of aircraft
that are painted and outfitted to look like civilian helicopters. These
aircraft are even said to have made-up civilian-class registration
numbers on them.
In missions where it must appear that the United States government,
military or federal agencies have no official involvement, the Delta
Force aviation platoon serves the battle squadrons well. Operators
invading in civilian clothes, in what looks to be civilian aircraft,
create a tremendous amount of plausible deniability. After all, these
people could just as easily be overzealous citizens or employees of a
private security firm (a job that many former Delta Force operators
take after retirement).
In special cases, the Delta Force calls in the Night Stalkers.
Officially referred to as the 160th Special Operations Aviation
Regiment (SOAR), this group of highly trained pilots flies Blackhawk
and Little Bird helicopters close to the ground to deliver special
operations forces like the Delta Force to its insertion areas. The
Night Stalkers use night vision equipment, flying without lights in
black helicopters at night. They pride themselves on being able to get
to any destination within plus or minus 30 seconds of their stated time
frame.
Delta Force Operations
he group's first assignment came shortly after its formation, guarding
the Pan-American Games in Puerto Rico in 1979 [source: SOC]. While that
detail reportedly went smoothly, its next operation -- Eagle Claw --
failed. The objective of the operation, to rescue 66 American hostages
at the embassy in Tehran, Iran, wasn't completed. A helicopter carrying
Delta Force and other special operations team members crashed, killing
eight and ending the operation. Following that, control of Delta Force
was taken out of the hands of traditional special operations command
[source: VFW Magazine]. Exactly where it was placed, however, remains a
mystery.
Delta Force carried out at least one notable textbook operation, based
on exactly what the group was formed to do -- rescue hostages in tight
spaces. The force boarded a hijacked Indonesian passenger plane in
1980, rescuing the hostages and killing all four hijackers. This wasn't
the last time they were called out to handle a hostage situation on an
airliner. In other similar scenarios, including hijacked airliners in
Algiers, Kuwait, and Cyprus, the Delta Force found themselves blocked
from carrying out operations by local authorities [source: SOC].
Being activated -- only to find upon arrival that it wasn't needed or
wanted -- would prove to be a pattern for Delta Force. In the early
1980s, for example, Delta Force was tapped to carry out operations to
rescue American POWs in Vietnam. Each mission was scrapped, however,
after a private American citizen staged his own publicized missions
[source: SOC].
While its primary role is to carry out counterterrorist operations,
Delta Force also serves other functions -- essentially any type of
mission that requires quick and deadly skill from a small group. The
group is reported to carry out operations on behalf of other branches
of the military and agencies, like the CIA's shadowy Special Activities
Staff [source: SpecWarNet].
Delta Force has participated overtly alongside the military in major
invasions carried out by the United States. In Grenada, during
Operation Urgent Fury, it stormed a prison to release hostages [source:
Military.com]. And in Panama, as part of Operation Just Cause, the
group rescued an American CIA operative and helped capture president
Manuel Noriega [source: Army.com].
Perhaps its most widely known operation is the "Great Scud Hunt" during
Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Delta Force operators infiltrated
hundreds of miles into Iraq, finding Iraqi Scud missiles, acquiring
them as targets for American fighter jets and killing Scud-launching
crews [source: Global Securty.net]. Members also served as bodyguards
for General Norman Schwarzkopf during Desert Storm in Iraq [source:
SpecWarNet]. Serving as bodyguards is a role Delta Force apparently
continues today, as photos of reported Delta Force operators guarding
Afghani president Hamid Karzai have emerged.
Delta Force operators have been involved in missions that required
other skill sets. Members of the group infiltrated Libya in 1984,
installing surveillance equipment that allowed the United States to
keep tabs on militant training camps. From Libya, Delta is said to have
made its way to Chad, an African nation friendly to the United States.
There, operators trained the Chad military in the use of Stinger
missiles and other high-tech weapons supplied by the United States,
which was used by Chad to fire on Libyan planes [source: SOC]. A decade
later, Delta Force took part in the extensive hunts for Serbian war
criminals .
Delta Force Conclusion
Delta Force is often referred to as Special Forces Operational
Detachment-Delta. It's also known as the Combat Applications Group
(CAG). While it often draws its ranks from the Army Special Forces (the
Army Green Berets) and shares Fort Bragg, N.C., headquarters with them,
it isn't an Army Special Forces detachment. Delta Force is a unit unto
itself, composed of members from all branches of the military.
It must be said that neither the United States government nor the
military officially acknowledges the existence of Delta Force. It's
only in recent years that vague references by the government to the
group's existence have been allowed to go uncensored. These references
have turned up in transcripts from Congressional hearings and
biographies of high-ranking military leaders.
In 1993, Delta Force came under the microscope when its operators were
among those who fought and died in a failed operation to remove a
Somali warlord. And in Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada in 1983,
reports of two missions by Delta Force -- one failed and one successful
-- have become common knowledge.
The Pentagon tightly controls information about Delta Force and
publicly refuses to comment on the secretive unit and its activities.
Delta operators are granted an enormous amount of flexibility and
autonomy. To conceal their identities, they rarely wear a uniform and
usually wear civilian clothing both on or off duty. When military
uniforms are worn, they lack markings, surnames, or branch names.
Civilian hair styles and facial hair are allowed to enable the members
to blend in and avoid recognition as military personnel.
but its not close on skill level to matkal and shayetet, its on same level as duvdevan and kinda maglan, btw the picture in shayetet 13 with man in grey uniform that is goin to right with desert camo on assault rifle is not from shayetet its contractor unit or something not from military there ware also adverstments in news papers of them few years ago that they train guards or something
