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Army Green Berets
Specializing in counter-terrorism, direct action, foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance and unconventional warfare, the Green Berets are the US Army’s elite Special Forces soldiers.

The Green Berets were initially formed with the approval of President John F. Kennedy, and later became renowned for their bold fighting behind enemy lines in Vietnam . What makes the Green Berets successful is not only the rigorous physical testing and intense training, but their in-depth knowledge of world events and foreign policy.

Each group of the Special Force is made up of an Operational Detachment Alpha (ADA)—a unit of 12 men. The Green Beret team structure normally includes two Weapons Sergeants, two Communications Sergeants, two Medical Sergeants and two Engineering Sergeants. In addition, the team usually has a Commander, Assistant Commander (Warrant Officer), Operations/Intelligence Sergeant and Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC), but the precise makeup of the ADA unit varies with the nature of each mission.

Night Stalkers

The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment are better known as the Night Stalkers for their expertise in flying missions through the dark of night. As an unparalleled aviation defense squad, Night Stalkers control some of the most highly modified and sophisticated aircraft the world over to assist other Special Forces get in and out of highly volatile regions undetected.

The need for an elite unit of aviation specialists emerged after the 1980 failed rescue attempt in Iran . By 1993, Night Stalkers and their capabilities were made public to the world after one of their Blackhawk helicopters was shot down over Mogadishu , Somalia . The Night Stalker pilot became a prisoner of war for 11 days—living only, he later claimed, because of his elite survival training as a Night Stalker.

Headquartered in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Night Stalkers conduct missions that include any and all elements of attack, assault, and reconnaissance. Its highly specialized, covert activities are usually conducted by expert pilots who need little notice to zoom into target areas with high speeds, low altitudes and utter authority.

Israeli Sayerot

Sayerot encompass the largest category of Israeli Special Forces, reconnaissance and anti-terrorism specialists that boast an unparalleled ability to conduct stealthy, covert missions.

Sayerot commandos are assigned to distinct brigades, but work effectively as a team or alone: deep-penetration forces conduct individual missions both inside Israel 's borders and throughout the world. The meticulous screening process used by the Israelis ensures that the Sayerot provide the most extraordinary counter-terrorism fighting the country has to offer.

The Sayerot are best known for their 1976 raid on the airport at Entebbe , where they successfully freed 100 Air France passengers held hostage in a Ugandan airport by PLO terrorists. The successful operation showcased the Sayerot's ability to counter terror, conduct superior reconnaissance, quickly gather intelligence, and operate under the most intense timeline.

Sayerot troops' highly specialized training includes mastering a variety of skills: free-fall parachuting; long-haul driving, scuba diving, and the use of specialized weapons. The range of abilities ensures the ultra-secretive unit is prepared for any assignment, anywhere in the world, anytime.

A Company, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment

American soldiers first employed Ranger tactics in 1670, but it wasn't until the French and Indian War in the mid-1700s that Ranger techniques and methods of operations became the basis of a permanent, organized fighting force. For 300 years the Army Rangers, the toughest, most elite fighting unit, have been employed to handle some of the most difficult and deadly operations of all time from the Revolutionary war to the War on Terror.

Part of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), the 75th Ranger Regiment has 30,000 Special Force operators and is the US Army's premiere airfield seizure and raid unit. Rangers are known for their superiority in all light infantry skills and specialized mission tactics: movement to contact, ambush, reconnaissance, air assaults, and rapid defense. Rangers penetrate hostile ground by land, sea, or air with lightning-quick speed and unparalleled talent.

One Ranger Battalion is on Ready Reaction Force (RRF), continuous alert, whereby its men are prepared to mobilize and fight in any location around the globe within 18 hours. The battalion, command, and control of one Ranger rifle company are deployable in as few as 9 hours. All three battalions specialize in clandestine operations such as raids, "snatch" operations, hostage rescue, and enemy incapacitation.

1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (SFOD-D) "Delta Force"

One of the two elite counterterrorist forces in the US arsenal, Delta Force is feared worldwide for its phenomenally lethal skills - the product of constant, intense training, including hours of shooting practice each day. Formed in 1977 by US Army Colonel Charles "Chargin' Charlie" Beckwith, the force is modeled after the British SAS. They are experts in all-weather combat and are noted for "double-tapping," firing two shots in rapid succession at their targets to take them down quickly and effectively. Delta is so secret that the Army still denies its existence. The only force in the military on a war footing year round, the operators of Delta, or "D boys," train in the arctic, the desert, and practice raiding mock-ups of office buildings and even borrowed aircraft. In order to graduate, each operator must go through a legendarily intense selection and training process which culminates with a live fire drill in a darkened room with their own teammates playing the role of hostages.

Headquartered in a former prison complex in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Delta has fought in Grenada, Honduras, Panama, both Iraq wars, and many other places you will never hear about. After 9/11, Delta Force began training with Nuclear Emergency Support Teams (NEST teams) from the Department of Energy to do coordinated searches of population centers in case a terrorist nuclear bomb was discovered on US soil. And they are rumored to have conducted drills with Israeli counter terror units to prepare for an ugly, bloody Easter-egg-style hunt for nuclear weapons in Pakistan if the regime there collapses.

SEALs

Tracing their history to the legendary frogmen of World War II, SEALs are specially trained to strike from and return to the sea -- to clandestinely approach a target larger forces could never get near, gather intelligence, and if necessary, destroy it. Armed with a variety of small arms, including 9mm MP5-series submachine guns and Mossberg shotguns, the SEAL's deployed four teams into the Afghan theater right after 9/11. They did recon for a possible amphibious landing in Pakistan , helped to seal off the Taliban from weapons shipments by sea, and marked and guarded the airfield that would become Camp Rhino so that the Marines could land.

They also worked with members of the Amry's Delta Force as part of "Task Force 11," responsible for hunting down members of the Taliban and Al Qaeda leadership." Two months before Anaconda began, they located a massive Al Qaeda cave complex in eastern Afghanistan . They found almost one million pounds of ammunition and equipment, which they destroyed (though some of the enemy vehicles discovered were so large they had to be bombed by Navy aircraft.) It was also an important intelligence victory, as they found office space brimming with invaluable documents. One month later, the SEALs captured Taliban Mullah Khairullah Kahirkhawa in February, working with Danish Special Forces and using intel from a Predator.

The full extent of their involvement might not be known for many years, but already the SEALs have a clear place in the history of Enduring Freedom.

First Marine Expeditionary Force

With a total membership of 45,000, the Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) is the principle Marine Corps fighting unit. The largest and most powerful Marine Air Ground Task Force, the MEF is always ready for combat operations in nearly any environment with little advanced warning. Urban warfare and terrorist response is their specialty.

By combining air, ground, and logistical support elements, the force uses total domination to exploit its enemy's weaknesses. The MEF's crushing offensive lineup includes battalions of reconnaissance, surveillance, artillery, tank, anti-aircraft, engineering, light-armored, aircraft, and support.

First activated in 1969 in Camp Pendleton , California , "The Magnificent Bastards"of the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment have fought battles in numerous countries and provided a pivotal role in major conflicts since WWI, including Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in Southwest Asia , Operation Restore Hope in Somalia , and presently, Operation Vigilant Resolve in Iraq .

The British Special Air Service

The SAS has been engaged in Special Operations for more than 60 years, representing the world's oldest Special Forces unit. The SAS set the standard for the elite US Delta Force.

SAS troops have an unparalleled level of training in counterterrorist and hostage rescue operations. They've been extensively involved in antiterrorist operations across the globe, particularly in Northern Ireland . With extensive experience and grueling training, the SAS is the collaborator of choice to aid countries fighting terrorism. The SAS have trained the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team and schooled other terrorism fighting units from a slew of countries, including France , Germany , Spain , Australia and New Zealand .

First formed in 1941 to operate behind enemy lines in North Africa , the SAS began as a unit with a handful of specialists who demonstrated skills in reconnaissance and the ability to operate covertly behind enemy lines. Today, the SAS participates in large-scale counterterrorism operations all over the world. The SAS was employed in Operation Desert Storm to infiltrate Iraq and secretly locate Scud missile sites, and the SAS were sent to assist the Peruvian government during a lengthy hostage crisis.

Enemy:

The Pasdaran

Formed in the wake of the 1979 Revolution, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or Pasdaran has become one of the most powerful groups in Iran . With more than 350,000 people and its own Navy built of Swedish-made speedboats with machine guns and RPG's, the Pasdaran has raided shipping lanes in the Gulf in the mid-80's and deployed nearly 1,000 people in Lebanon during the Israeli occupation.

In addition, the Pasdaran has always acted to keep watch on the regime's enemies, keep a check on the military, and operate worldwide as an intelligence and covert action force. And during the war with Iraq , it organized a large "people's militia" force to launch the bloody human wave attacks around areas like Basra .

Iranian Army:

In 2004, the Iranian Army had some 350,000 men among its ranks. That figure, like much about the Iranian armed forces, is an educated estimate. Iran 's force structure, order of battle, and unit identifications tend to shift in times of struggle, with brigades and divisions morphing into new units during times of war.

The Iranian Army is organized in four corps, including four armored divisions, six infantry divisions, two commando brigades, and an airborne brigade. Other, smaller independent formations are believed to be in operation, like the 23rd Special Forces Division, established in the early 90s, and the 55th Paratroop Division. The 23rd Special Forces Division is perhaps the most professional units in the Iranian Army, with 5,000 soldiers among its ranks.

The Iranian Army is also reported to have a coastal defense unit, several air defense groups, a handful of aviation units, and an unknown number of logistics and supply formations.

The Army's military academy is in Tehran , and an army training center is located in Shiraz , the same city where Iranian airborne and Special Forces train. By some estimates, the Iranian commando forces from the army are integrated into a force of some 30,000 soldiers who boast integrated helicopter lift and air assault capabilities.

Iranian Navy:

The Iranian Navy has about 14,500 troops. Bandar-e Abbas houses Iran 's naval headquarters, and its operations are organized on the Persian Gulf , the Caspian Sea and the Indian Ocean . The Iranian Navy has minesweeping and full coastal water defense capabilities.

The Navy has an airborne component, but it is tiny, consisting of an antisubmarine warfare and minesweeping helicopter squadron and transport battalion. The sparse fleet is testament to the major losses suffered since Iran 's 8-year-long war with Iraq .

Poor maintenance of Iran 's naval equipment and the lack of spare parts contributed to the demise of modern ships in the Iranian fleet. In an effort to boost the number of capable ships to thwart—or launch an attack, Iran called for the consolidation of all commercial and military ships. Iran and China negotiated a deal on 70-ton Chinese patrol boats with Styx anti-ship missiles, and a year later, Iran bought two Russian Kilo-class submarines and eight mini-submarines from North Korea .

By 2002, Iran acquired high-speed catamaran missile patrol boats from China , each fitted with anti-ship cruise missiles. Short-range anti-ship missiles for the patrol boats also were sold from China in the same year. The high-speed boats carry up to eight C-701 anti-ship cruise missiles, and a gun. There have also been reports of Iran possessing as many as 16 Sunburst anti-ship missile systems from the Ukraine .

A year later, reports surfaced that the Iranian Navy had successfully designed their own advanced gunboats, destroyers and missile launchers.

Iranian Air Force:

A total of 14 air bases are currently operational around Iran , playing host to about 150 aging American and Russian-made aircraft. Reportedly, serviceability for the crafts runs between 60 and 80 percent. The US embargos, designed to freeze Iran 's ability to attain the parts needed for repairs to their aircraft, are strikingly evident.

Iran 's Air Force was once the most highly capable in the developing world, but now includes just 14 RF-4E and five P-3F reconnaissance aircraft, and the Iranians suffer a severe limitation in their aerial refueling capability. The 100 Hawk missiles from the Shah's era are still around, joined with an untold number of newer, shorter-range Soviet- and Chinese-made missiles, which are scattered throughout the country.

Iran is reportedly shopping around for more modern fighters and surface-to-air missiles. Technological breakthroughs, such as airborne sensors, electronic warfare, command and control, and air defense integration, continue to elude the Iranians, but third-party purchasing has helped keep some of the Iranian fleet in service, and will undoubtedly thrust Iran back into good military standing if another country should turn its back on the US embargos.