U.S. Army Special Forces Handbook Read online

  U.S. Army Special Forces Handbook

  Department of the Army

  Copyright © 2008 by Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 555 Eighth Avenue, Suite 903, New York, NY 10018.

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  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  United States. Dept. of the Army.

  U.S. Army Special Forces handbook/Department of the Army.

  p. cm.

  Includes index.

  9781602391260

  1. United States. Army. Special Forces—Handbooks, manuals, etc.

  2. Special forces (Military science)—Handbooks, manuals, etc. I. Title.

  UA34.S64U52 2008

  356’.160973—dc22

  2008000567

  Printed in China

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  CHAPTER 1 - GENERAL

  CHAPTER 2 - TACTICS

  CHAPTER 3 - DEMOLITIONS

  CHAPTER 4 - AIR OPERATIONS

  CHAPTER 5 - WEAPONS

  CHAPTER 6 - COMMUNICATION

  CHAPTER 7 - FIRST AID

  CHAPTER 8 - SURVIVAL

  CHAPTER 9 - MISCELLANEOUS

  Special Forces Prayer

  CHAPTER 1

  GENERAL

  I. MISSION OF SPECIAL FORCES:

  To plan and conduct unconventional warfare operations in areas not under friendly control.

  To organize, equip, train, and direct indigenous forces in the conduct of guerrilla warfare.

  To train, advise, and assist indigenous forces in the conduct of counterinsurgency and counterguerrilla operations in support of U.S. combat war objectives.

  To perform such other special forces missions as may be directed or as may be inherent in or essential to the primary mission of guerrilla warfare.

  II. UNCONVENTIONAL WARFARE IS COMPOSED OF THE INTERRELATED FIELDS OF:

  Guerrilla warfare.

  Evasion and escape.

  Subversion against hostile states.

  III. MISSIONS OF GUERRILLA FORCES:

  Primary: Interdict enemy lines of communication.

  Interdict enemy installations and centers of war production, and conduct other offensive operations in support of conventional military operations.

  Supporting Tasks: Intelligence.

  Psychological warfare.

  Evasion and escape.

  Subversion against hostile states.

  ORGANIZATION OF SFG AND SFOB

  Figure 1.

  IV. COMPOSITION OF OPERATIONAL DETACHMENTS:

  Operational Detachment A: POSITION RANK/GRADE

  CO Captain

  XO Lt.

  OP SGT E-8

  INTEL SGT E-7

  LT WPNS LDR E-7

  HV WPNS LDR E-7

  MED SP E-7

  ASST. MED SP E-6

  RAD OP SUPV E-7

  RAD OP E-5

  DML SGT E-6

  CMBT DML SP E-5

  Operational Detachment B: CO Major

  XO Captain

  SMAJ E-9

  S1 Captain

  S2 Captain

  S3 Captain

  S4 Captain

  PREV MED SP E-7

  ADM SUPV E-6

  INTEL SGT E-8

  OP SGT E-8

  SUPPLY SGT E-7

  ASST SUPPLY SGT E-6

  LT WPNS LDR E-7

  HV WPNS LDR E-7

  DML SGT E-7

  CMBT DML E-5

  MEDICAL SP E-7

  RAD OP SUPV E-7

  RAD OPR (4) E-5

  Operational Detachment C: CO Lt Col

  XO Major

  SMAJ E-9

  S1 Captain

  S2 Captain

  S3 Captain

  S4 Captain

  ADM SUPV E-6

  INTEL SGT E-8

  OP SGT E-8

  SUPPLY SGT E-8

  ASST SUPPLY SGT E-7

  RAD OP SUPV E-7

  RAD OP (4) E-5

  RAD REPAIRMAN E-4

  CHAPTER 2

  TACTICS

  I. ESTIMATE OF THE SITUATION

  1. MISSION:

  Mission assigned and analysis thereof to include sequence of task(s) to be performed and the purpose.

  2. SITUATION AND COURSES OF ACTION:

  Considerations affecting possible courses of action. Characteristics of the area of operation: weather, terrain, other.

  Relative combat power: enemy situation and friendly situation.

  Enemy capabilities.

  Own courses of action: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How as appropriate.

  3. ANALYSIS:

  Select enemy capabilities.

  List advantages and disadvantages. Course of action vs enemy capabilities.

  Course of action vs enemy capabilities.

  4. COMPARISON:

  Review and summary of advantages and disadvantages.

  Determination of significant advantages and disadvantages.

  5. RECOMMENDATION/DECISION:

  Formal statement of the course of action recommended/adopted.

  OPERATION ORDER

  Task Organization: Includes the task subdivisions or tactical components comprising the command and reflects the unit of organization for combat.

  1. SITUATION:

  Enemy Forces: situation, capabilities. Indications.

  Friendly Forces: missions and locations of higher adjacent, supporting and reinforcing units.

  Attachments and Detachments: units attached to or detached from the unit issuing the order, for the operation concerned. Effective time of attachment or detachment is indicated when other than the time of the order.

  2. MISSION:

  Based on the order of the next higher headquarters and the commander’s analysis of his mission, this paragraph contains a clear, concise statement of task(s) to be accomplished by the unit issuing the order and its purpose.

  3. EXECUTION:

  Concept of Operations.

  Tactical mission of unit.

  Coordinating Instruction: Tactical instructions and details of coordination applicable to two or more elements of the command.

  4. ADMINISTRATION AND LOGISTICS:

  Matters concerning supply, transportation, service, labor, medical evacuation and hospitalization, personnel, civil affairs and miscellaneous.

  5. COMMAND AND SIGNAL:

  Signal instructions and Information.

  Command post and location of the commander.

  ANNEXES:

  Operation overlay.

  Fire support plan.

  DISTRIBUTION:

  II. PATROL LEADER’S ORDER

  1. SITUATION:

  Enemy forces: Weather, terrain, identification, location, activity, strength.

  Friendly Forces: Mission of next higher unit, location and planned actions of units on right and left, fire support available for patrol, mission and routes of other patrols.

  Attachments and Detachments.

  2. MISSION:

  What the patrol is going to accomplish?

&
nbsp; 3. EXECUTION:

  (Subparagraph for each subordinate unit.)

  Concept of operation.

  Specific duties of elements, teams, and individuals.

  Coordinating instructions: Time of departure and return.

  Formation and order of movement.

  Route and alternate route of return.

  Identification techniques used when departing and reentering the friendly area(s).

  Rallying points and action at rallying points.

  Location and actions at mission support sites.

  Actions on enemy contact.

  Actions at danger areas.

  Actions at objective.

  Rehearsals and inspections.

  Debriefing.

  4. ADMINISTRATION AND LOGISTICS:

  Rations.

  Arms and ammunition.

  Uniform and equipment. (State which member will carry and use.)

  Method of handling wounded and prisoners.

  5. COMMAND AND SIGNAL:

  Signal. Signals to be used within the patrol.

  Communication with higher headquarters—radio call signs, primary and alternate frequencies, times to report and special code to be used.

  Challenge and password.

  Command: Chain of command.

  Location of patrol leader and assistant patrol leader Information.

  III. PATROL WARNING ORDER

  The patrol warning order should consist of the following items of information.

  A brief statement of the enemy and friendly situation.

  Mission of the patrol.

  General instructions. General and special organization.

  Uniform and equipment common to all, to include identification and camouflage measures.

  Weapons, ammunition, and equipment each member will carry.

  Who will accompany patrol leader on reconnaisance and who will supervise patrol members’ preparation during patrol leader’s absence.

  Instructions for obtaining rations, water, weapons, ammunition and equipment.

  The chain of command.

  A time schedule for the patrol’s guidance. At a minimum, include meal times and the time, place, and uniform for receiving the patrol leader’s order.

  IV. TROOP LEADING PROCEDURE

  Begin planning: Study terrain from map, sketch or aerial photo for: Critical terrain features.

  Observation and fields of fire.

  Cover and concealment.

  Obstacles.

  Avenues of approach.

  Make quick estimate of situation (thorough as time permits).

  Make preliminary plan.

  Arrange for: Movement of unit (where, when, how).

  Reconnaissance (select route, schedule, persons to take along, use of subordinates).

  Issue of order (notify subordinate leaders of time and place).

  Coordination (adjacent and supporting units).

  Make reconnaissance (examine the ground-see la above, if necessary changes preliminary plan).

  Complete plan (receive recommendations, complete estimates, change preliminary plan as necessary, prepare order).

  Issue order (include orientation on terrain if possible).

  Supervise.

  THE GUERRILLA BASE

  Figure 1.

  ORGANIZATION OF A RAID FORCE

  Figure 2. An example of the organization for movement of a raid force.

  Figure 3.

  CONDUCT OF A RAID

  Figure 4.

  CHAPTER 3

  DEMOLITIONS

  I. INTRODUCTION

  The following information pertaining to field engineering and demolitions is intended to supplement, but not to replace, that contained in FM 5-25, “Explosives and Demolitions,” and FM 5-34 “Engineer Field Data.” These field manuals, GTA 5-14, the Demolition Card and GTA 5-21, the Mine Card, are convenient references that should be obtained and used in conjunction with this section of the handbook.

  TABLE I. PRINCIPAL EXPLOSIVES OF THE WORLD.

  TABLE II. BASIC DEMOLITION FORMULAS.

  TABLE IIA. CHARACTERISTICS OF EXPLOSIVES.

  II. RAIL CUTS

  While single rail cuts have a harrassing or nuisance value, we will usually be concerned with cuts designed to derail a train. In order to insure the derailment of a modern locomotive it is necessary to remove a length of rail equal to the length of the fixed wheel base of the locomotive. The weight of a locomotive is counterbalanced in such a way that the removal of rail less than the length of the fixed wheelbase may not result in derailment.

  a. Twenty-foot gap Technique. World War II experience and related tests have established that a charge sufficient to remove 20 feet of rail will result in positive derailment of a locomotive under most operational situations. The most effective cut is on the outside rail of a curve. Where two or more tracks parallel, derailment should be made in such a manner that a train, when wrecked rounding a curve on the inside track, will obstruct all tracks. When derailment is attempted on a straight stretch of a multiple track line, attack should always be made on an inside rail. Note that in all cases only one of the two rails of a track is attacked.

  b. The Derailment Charge requires three quarter pounds of plastic explosive, either CS, C4 or their equivalent, to cut the standard rail (80 lbs. per yard). One-third of the standard issue plastic demolition block is a convenient unit of measure. A series of three, quarter-pound charges is arranged on the web of the rail as diagrammed in figure 1. The series of charges should not bridge a fishplate. One charge is placed directly over each tie on the selected 20 feet of rail. This will result in removing all rail, at least partially breaking the ties directly under the rail, and creating some minor cratering of the roadbed ballast. Standard center tie spacing is 22 1/2 inches; however, variations run from 18 inches on up to 3 feet. Lacking specific information on the tie spacing, the distance between prepared charges is based on 18 inch measurement which results in placing 15 of the three quarter pound charges for each derailment series on a continuous detonating cord main line. The detonating cord main line to which the individual charges are attached is 28 feet in length to provide approximately a foot tail at either end for quick attachment of a firing system. A triple roll knot for each three quarter pound charge is fixed on the main line as diagrammed in figure 2. These knots are arranged roughly on 18 inch center to coincide with the anticipated tie spacing. They are arranged to insure a snug continuous contact with the main line but loose enough to slide; thus making it possible to make on target adjustments for variations in tie spacing. The individual three quarter pound charges are firmly molded around each triple roll knot. They must be sufficiently wrapped to withstand the necessary rough handling in bringing them on target and to also insure that the charge and knot will slide as an integral unit.

  c. Firing Systems. A standard electric firing system is best for continuous and immediate control over initiating the charge. A standard nonelectric system may also be used and timed to insure that the charge explodes just in front of the train; however, both these systems require the presence of an agent at the scene of operations.

  All the military booby-trap firing devices can be used to initiate the charge through the movement of the oncoming train. Home made firing devices employing the mechanical principles of the military issue booby-traps can be employed. An electrical blasting cap system may be activated with a flashlight battery used as a simple, fieldimprovised switch that is closed by the movement of the train. In all cases the firing system is set up to initiate the charge immediately in front of the oncoming locomotive, not under the locomotive. Eighty pound or less rail (5 inches or less in height) takes 1/2 pound to cut. Over 80 pound rail (over 5 inches in height) takes 1 pound to cut.

  (With a jumper wire, provide a path for the electrical current passing through most rails. The wire that is normally between rails will be broken by this manual displacement.)

  d. Only plastic explosive should be used, either C3 or C4. Informat
ion has been developed for breaching reinforced concrete targets from 1 through 8 feet in thickness. For maximum effect, the charge should be placed a distance equal to the thickness of the target above the base (or above the ground level). Charges placed at the base of a slab will still work but in study they produced craters 23 percent smaller than those placed above the ground.

  Figure 1. Hasty derailment charge.

  Figure 2. Hasty derailment charge showing use of detonating cord.

  A charge should be constructed to be as close to square as possible to yield optimum results. Charges should be primed either from one corner or from the exact rear center. Close contact with the target is required for the best results. Do not deviate from the charge thickness indicated below. Use the M-37 kits as issued when possible to facilitate securing the charge in place. If it is necessary to cut the block, cut them with care so that the density of the explosive is not affected.