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

Change No. 1

C1, FM 3-05.20 (FM 31-20)

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:

Official: JOEL B. HUDSON

Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army 0407104

PETER J. SCHOOMAKER

General, United States Army Chief of Staff

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 us.army.mil

Field Manual No. 3-05.20

*FM 3-05.20

Headquarters Department of the Army Washington, DC, 26 June 2001

SPECIAL FORCES OPERATIONS

Chapter 1

Contents

Page

PREFACE .................................................................................................................. iv 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

Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4

Page

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

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

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

Chapter 5

Page

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 ........................................................................................................ 5-15

Chapter 6

SPECIAL FORCES TARGETING AND MISSION PLANNING............................... 6-1 Joint Special Operations Targeting and Mission Planning Process......................... 6-1 Deliberate Targeting and Mission Planning ............................................................. 6-9

Chapter 7

SPECIAL FORCES SUPPORT AND SUSTAINMENT ........................................... 7-1 Army Service Component Command ...................................................................... 7-1 Army Special Operations Forces Combat Service Support Assets ......................... 7-2 Special Forces Logistics .......................................................................................... 7-6 Operational Projects ................................................................................................ 7-6 War Reserve Materiel .............................................................................................. 7-7 Host Nation Support................................................................................................. 7-7 Developed Theater Logistics ................................................................................... 7-7 Developed Theater Personnel Service Support..................................................... 7-11 Developed Theater Combat Health Support.......................................................... 7-12 Undeveloped Theater Combat Service Support .................................................... 7-13 Reconstitution ........................................................................................................ 7-15 Special Forces Operational Detachment Support and Sustainment ..................... 7-16

Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Appendix E Appendix F

SPECIAL OPERATIONS COORDINATION ELEMENT ......................................... A-1 SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND AND CONTROL ELEMENT....................... B-1 ARMY SPECIAL FORCES LIAISON ELEMENT ....................................................C-1 SPECIAL FORCES MISSION BRIEFBACK FORMAT...........................................D-1 SAMPLE GROUP OPERATION ORDER................................................................ E-1 SAMPLE BATTALION OPERATION ORDER ........................................................ F-1 GLOSSARY ................................................................................................. Glossary-1 BIBLIOGRAPHY.....................................................................................Bibliography-1 INDEX ............................................................................................................... Index-1

iii

Preface

Field Manual (FM) 3-05.20 is the keystone manual for Special Forces (SF) doctrine. It describes SF roles, missions, capabilities, organization, command and control (C2), employment, and sustainment operations across the operational continuum. This manual is a continuation of the doctrine established in Joint Publications (JPs) 3-05 series and FM 3-05, Army Special Operations Forces Doctrine (currently published as FM 100-25, Doctrine for Army Special Operations Forces). The tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP) publications for SF include FM 3-05.202, Special Forces Foreign Internal Defense Operations (currently published as FM 31-20-3, Foreign Internal Defense Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for Special Forces), and FM 3-05.204, Special Forces Special Reconnaissance Operations (currently published as FM 31-20-5, Special Reconnaissance Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for Special Forces). See Figure Preface-1, page v, for the Army special operations forces (ARSOF) doctrinal and training publications architecture. The focus of this manual is on the operational level of SF operations. The subordinate publications explain the how of SF operations. Although FM 3-05.20 focuses primarily on the SF group and battalion, it addresses SF units from the Special Forces operational detachment A (SFODA) to the United States Army Special Forces Command (Airborne) (USASFC[A]). Commanders and trainers should use this manual and other related publications in conjunction with theater mission letters, command guidance, unit missionessential task lists (METLs), and the Army Training and Evaluation Program (ARTEP) to plan and conduct mission-specific training. The key to ARSOF mission success is to plan and practice operations before executing an assigned mission. This manual contains numerous acronyms, abbreviations, and terms. Users should refer to the Glossary at the back of this manual for their meanings and definitions. The proponent of this manual is the United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School (USAJFKSWCS). Submit comments and recommended changes to Commander, USAJFKSWCS, ATTN: AOJK-DT-SFD, Fort Bragg, NC 28310-5000. Unless this publication states otherwise, masculine nouns and pronouns do not refer exclusively to men.

iv

FM 3-05.20

Figure Preface-1. ARSOF Doctrinal and Training Publications Architecture v

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