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FM 3-05.20. Special Forces Operations

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FM 3-05.20. Special Forces Operations FM 3-05.20 (FM 31-20) SPECIAL FORCES OPERATIONS June 2001 DISTRIBUTION RESTRICTION: Distribution authorized to U.S. Government agencies and their contractors only to protect technical or operational information from automatic dissemination under the International Exchange Program or by other means. This determination was made on 5 December 2003. Other requests for this document must be referred to Commander, United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, ATTN: AOJK-DT-SFD, Fort Bragg, North Carolina 28310-5000. DESTRUCTION NOTICE: Destroy by any method that must prevent disclosure of contents or reconstruction of the document. Headquarters, Department of the Army C1, FM 3-05.20 (FM 31-20) Change No. 1 Headquarters Department of the Army Washington, DC, 1 April 2004 SPECIAL FORCES OPERATIONS This change corrects the application of the 96-hour planning process in Special Forces operations. FM 3-05.20 (FM 31-20), 26 June 2001, is changed as follows: 1. New or changed material is identified by a vertical bar ( ) in the margin opposite the changed material. 2. File this transmittal sheet in front of the publication for reference purpose. 3. Remove old pages and insert new pages as indicated below: Remove old pages: Insert new pages: 6-1 through 6-18 6-1 through 6-19 C-3 and C-4 C-3 and C-4 Index-1 through Index-3 Index-1 through Index-3 DISTRIBUTION RESTRICTION: Distribution authorized to U.S. Government agencies and their contractors only to protect technical or operational information from automatic dissemination under the International Exchange Program or by other means. This determination was made on 5 December 2003. Other requests for this document must be referred to Commander, United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, ATTN: AOJK-DT-SFD, Fort Bragg, North Carolina 28310-5000. DESTRUCTION NOTICE: Destroy by any method that must prevent disclosure of contents or reconstruction of the document. C1, FM 3-05.20 (FM 31-20) 1 APRIL 2004 By Order of the Secretary of the Army: PETER J. SCHOOMAKER General, United States Army Chief of Staff Official: JOEL B. HUDSON Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army 0407104 DISTRIBUTION: Active Army, Army National Guard, and U. S. Army Reserve: To be distributed in accordance with the initial distribution number 110531, requirements for FM 3-05.20. This publication is available at Army Knowledge Online www.us.army.mil *FM 3-05.20 Field Manual Headquarters No. 3-05.20 Department of the Army Washington, DC, 26 June 2001 SPECIAL FORCES OPERATIONS Contents Page PREFACE ..................................................................................................................iv Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION TO SPECIAL FORCES .............................................................. 1-1 The Evolution of Special Forces.............................................................................. 1-1 Special Forces Applications in Today’s Environment.............................................. 1-4 Regional Orientation................................................................................................ 1-5 Core Competencies................................................................................................. 1-6 Role of Special Forces in National Security Strategy.............................................. 1-9 Overt, Low-Visibility, Covert, and Clandestine Operations.................................... 1-14 Special Forces and the Principles of War ............................................................. 1-15 Army Values .......................................................................................................... 1-18 Special Forces Core Values.................................................................................. 1-18 Army Special Operations Forces Truths ............................................................... 1-18 Special Operations Imperatives ............................................................................ 1-20 Special Operations Mission Criteria ...................................................................... 1-22 DISTRIBUTION RESTRICTION: Distribution authorized to U.S. Government agencies and their contractors only to protect technical or operational information from automatic dissemination under the International Exchange Program or by other means. This determination was made on 5 December 2003. Other requests for this document must be referred to Commander, United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, ATTN: AOJK-DT-SFD, Fort Bragg, North Carolina 28310-5000. DESTRUCTION NOTICE: Destroy by any method that must prevent disclosure of contents or reconstruction of the document. * This publication supersedes FM 31-20, 20 April 1990. i FM 3-05.20 Page Chapter 2 SPECIAL FORCES MISSIONS ...............................................................................2-1 Unconventional Warfare...........................................................................................2-1 Foreign Internal Defense ........................................................................................2-11 Direct Action ...........................................................................................................2-12 Special Reconnaissance ........................................................................................2-15 Combatting Terrorism.............................................................................................2-17 Counterproliferation ................................................................................................2-18 Information Operations...........................................................................................2-19 Collateral Activities .................................................................................................2-21 Multiple and Follow-On Missions............................................................................2-24 Special Forces Support for U.S. Tactical Operations.............................................2-24 Special Forces Operations in Rear Areas ..............................................................2-25 Force Protection .....................................................................................................2-26 Chapter 3 SPECIAL FORCES ORGANIZATION .....................................................................3-1 Special Forces Group (Airborne)..............................................................................3-1 Headquarters and Headquarters Company..............................................................3-1 Group Support Company........................................................................................3-10 Special Forces Battalion.........................................................................................3-17 Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment (SFODC) ........................3-17 Battalion Support Company....................................................................................3-23 Special Forces Company .......................................................................................3-25 Special Forces Operational Detachment A ............................................................3-28 Chapter 4 COMMAND AND CONTROL OF SPECIAL FORCES OPERATIONS ...................4-1 Command Environment............................................................................................4-1 United States Army Special Operations Command .................................................4-1 United States Army Special Forces Command (Airborne) .......................................4-2 Theater Special Operations Command ....................................................................4-2 Joint Special Operations Task Force .......................................................................4-3 Operational Bases ....................................................................................................4-4 Battle Staff ................................................................................................................4-5 Liaison and Coordination Operations .......................................................................4-5 Special Forces Command and Control During Stability Operations.........................4-6 Special Forces Command and Control During Contingency Operations .................4-8 Special Forces Command and Control of Conventional Forces ............................4-11 ii FM 3-05.20 Page Chapter 5 SPECIAL FORCES OPERATIONAL BASES ......................................................... 5-1 Base Location Considerations ................................................................................. 5-1 Base Organization.................................................................................................... 5-2 Alternate Bases........................................................................................................ 5-2 Base Displacement .................................................................................................. 5-2 Operations Center.................................................................................................... 5-2 Support Center......................................................................................................... 5-9 Signal Center ......................................................................................................... 5-12 Base Defense .......................................................................................................
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