The Big List of Elite units

[Dominique]

I'm putting together a list of "elite" recon, military and law enforcement special operations units, that can be used in a modern game of Recon. I'll be adding units to the list as I get motivated.

US

Air Force

720th Special Tactics Group (720th STG)
- Combat Control/Special Tactics Officers (CCT/STO)
- Pararescue/Combat Rescue Officers (PJ/CRO)
- Special Operations Weather Teams (SOWT)
- Special Tactics Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (TACP/ALO)
10th Combat Weather Squadron (SOWT)
17th Air Support Operations Squadron (Special Tactics JTACs)
21st, 22nd, 23rd Special Tactics Squadrons (STS)
6th Special Operations Squadron - Combat Aviation Advisers (CAA)
AFSOC Special Operations Squadrons

Army

Long Range Surveillance Companies (LRSC)
Pathfinders
75th Ranger Regiment
- 75th Ranger Regiment, Regimental Reconnaissance Company (RRC)
US Army Special Forces
- Commander's In-Extremis Force (CIF)
Special Operations Team - Alpha (SOT-A)
Chemical Reconnaissance Detachments (CRD)
160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR)

USMC

Scout Sniper Platoons
Air and Naval Gunfire Liaison Companies (ANGLICO)
Radio Reconnaissance Platoons (RRP)
Recon Battalions
Recon Battalion Deep Recon Platoons (DRP)
Force Reconnaissance Companies
MARSOC
- Marine Special Operations Companies (MSOC)
- Marine Special Operations Support Group (MSOSG)
- Marine Special Operations Intelligence Battalion (MSOIB)

Special Operations Combat Medics (SOCM) (US Navy Corpsman assigned to MARSOC)
Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman (SARC) (USN Corpsman assigned to Marine Recon Battalions & Force Recon Companies)

USN

SEALs & SEAL Delivery Vehicle Teams (SDVT)
Special Boat Teams (SBT)
USN EOD Teams
Riverine Squadrons (RIVRON)

Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC)
Army Skills Evaluation Detachment (USASED) - Recruits for Special Mission Units
1st Special Forces Operational Detachment - DELTA/Combat Applications Group (CAG)/Combined Arms Group
Intelligence Support Activity (ISA) - Operates under various cover names. The latest being the Mission Support Activity (MSA)
Flight Concepts Division (FCD)
Naval Special Warfare Development Group (NAVSPECWARDEVGRU/NSWDG/DEVGRU)
- Four "Trident" Squadrons - Blue, Gold, Red, Silver; A Recce Squadron - Black, and a boat unit - Gray Squadron.
724th Special Tactics Group (724th STG)
Aviation Tactics and Evaluation Group (AVTEG) - JSOC aviation component.
66th Air Operations Squadron (AOS)
Det 1 66 AOS
427th Special Operations Squadron (Pope AFB - Non Standard Aviation)
19th Intelligence Squadron
Joint Communications Unit (JCU) - JSOC's communication unit
Joint Communications Integration Element
Joint Medical Augmentation Unit (JMAU)
JSOC Intelligence Brigade (JIB)
Targeting and Analysis Center (TAAC)
Special Operations Logistics Support Element (SOLSE)
JSOC Campaign Support Group

CIA(Also known as Other Governmental Agency, or OGA)
Special Activities Division (SAD)

US Federal Law Enforcement

FBI Hostage Rescue Team (HRT)
DEA Foreign-Deployed Advisory and Support Teams (FAST)
US Marshals Service (USMS) Special Operations Group (SOG)
US Border Patrol Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC)

UK

United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF):
22 SAS
Special Boat Service (SBS)
Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR)
Special Forces Support Group (SFSG)
18 (UKSF) Special Forces Signals Regiment
Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing (JSFAW)

UK Special Forces Reserve - UKSF (R)
21 SAS
23 SAS
SBS (R)

Defence Human Intelligence (HUMINT) Unit (DHU)

The Increment

Parachute Regiment Pathfinder Platoon

3 Commando Brigade, Brigade Patrol Troop (BPT)

148 Commando Forward Observation Battery
Honourable Artillery Company (HAC)
4/73 Special Observation Post Battery

Parachute Regiment Patrol Platoons

Royal Marine Recce Troops

Royal Air Force (RAF) Regiment Tactical Air Control Parties (TACP)

CANADA

Joint Task Force 2 (JTF-2)
Canadian Special Operations Regiment (CSOR)
427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron (SOAS)
Canadian Joint Incident Response Unit

Patrol Pathfinders

AUSTRALIA

Army

Special Air Service Regiment (SASR)
2 Commando Regiment
1 Commando Regiment (Army Reserve)
A Squadron 5th Aviation Regiment
Incident Response Regiment (IRR)
Tactical Assault Group East - TAG (E)
Tactical Assault Group West - TAG (W)

Navy

Clearance Diver Branch

[Anthar]

Law Enforcement: Texas Rangers, The German Stasi
Military: The French Foreign Legion, Imperial Russain Guard

Plus there is a nice list here:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_elite
and here:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_special_forces_units

[Dominique]

Law Enforcement: Texas Rangers, The German Stasi
Military: The French Foreign Legion, Imperial Russain Guard

Plus there is a nice list here:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_elite
and here:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_special_forces_units

I'm not sure the Texas Rangers or the Stasi would really fit into a modern Recon game.

[Dominique]

I listed the US, UK, Canadian, and Aussie units that I think fit the bill. If anyone's interested in units from other countries, say France, Israel, Germany, etc., let me know, and I'll list out there units too. Also, if you want additional info on the units, drop a not, and I'll post it here.

[Desert Rat]

Special Tactics Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs)

JTAC's are a 'qualification' within the USAF and is not an MOS. Most JTAC's are actually CCT guys.

Pathfinders

There are no Pathfinder units left in the Army and have not been any for a few decades.

75th Ranger Regiment, Regimental Reconnaissance Company

It's Regimental Reconnaissance Detachment because it is not a company sized element.

Special Operations Team -Alpha (SOT-A)

It's a far reach to call these guys an elite unit.

Check out http://www.specialoperations.com for a well put together list of US and foreign SOF units, both military and LEO's.

[Dominique]

Special Tactics Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs)

JTAC's are a 'qualification' within the USAF and is not an MOS. Most JTAC's are actually CCT guys.

Actually most CCT guys aren't JTAC's, but there are many of them that are JTAC qualified (they get a SOTAC qaulification), but all of the Tactical Air Command and Control Specialist (TACCS - the enlisted career field that man TACPs) assigned to work with SOF units are JTAC (they used to be called Enlisted Terminal Attack Controllers/ETAcs) qualified. AFSOC absorbed all off the TACP personnel that were supporting SOF, and consolidated most of them into the 17th Air Support Operations Squadron (17th ASOS), shich is now part of the 720th Special Tactics Group (the same group that controls CCT/STO, AFSOC PJs and CRO, and the SOWTs) but some of them are assigned to each US based Special Tactics Squadron (STT), and the 720th Special Tactics Group headquarters. And the Air Force just recently created an officer specialty field for TACP officers, that will allow them to crosstrain into the field, and stay therre for the rest of their careers.

Pathfinders

There are no Pathfinder units left in the Army and have not been any for a few decades.

Not quite true. While all of the Army Reserve Pathfinder Detachments, and NG Pathfinder Platoons went bye, bye (as well as some of the active duty units), the 101st has maintained a Pathfinder Company for years (it was part of it's Aviation Brigade). They now have two Companies, as they converted their LRSD to a Pathfinder Company a couple of years, back, and so did the 82nd.

75th Ranger Regiment, Regimental Reconnaissance Company

It's Regimental Reconnaissance Detachment because it is not a company sized element.

The RRD is now company sized, as it underwent and expansion (their still looking for NCOs with prior LRS experience). It' now part of the Ranger Special Troops Battalion (RSTB), and has been performing a lot of DA missions, and working with other SOF units in both Iraq and Afghanistan. They also made a couple of combat jumps including a HALO drop. Other changes to the 75th include a fourth rifle company per battalion (D. Company); the addition of a Ranger Support Company (E. Company); each battalion now has its own Recon Platoon (not to be confused with the RRC); the addition of the RSTB, and there's a company of Stryker's attached to the Regiment. They're also planning on forming a 4th Ranger Bn. , once they have sufficient manning to due so.

Special Operations Team -Alpha (SOT-A)

It's a far reach to call these guys an elite unit.

So Ranger and MFF qualified detachments, of electronic warfare, and SIGINT specialists aren't considered an elite force?

Check out http://www.specialoperations.com for a well put together list of US and foreign SOF units, both military and LEO's.

I used to be one of the primary writers for Special Operations.com (As well as SpecWarNet.com. SWATLink, and SWAT Digest), so I'm quite familiar with the site. But, a lot of the info on their hasn't been updated in years, which is why I started posting some updated info here.

[Desert Rat]

Please don't take this the wrong way as this is not meant to be an appendage measuring contest, rather a insiders view/opinion.

It has been my experience that while ETAC's may have at one time been involved with SOF during the early years of the GWoT, they have pretty much been run out because of the lack of training, experience, physical fitness and level of professionalism. If an ETAC showed up at my location, he would be send out on the same bird which sent him in. The only JTAC I want to see better be a CCT operator. He brings more to the table then the ability to control air space.

A long time friend of mine just recently left the 82d LRSD. To the best of my knowledge, while members may go to Pathfinder School, it is not a "Pathfinder" unit. With regards to the 101st, I do believe they too are a LRSD, but I will send an email to my brother to confirm and/or deny that one.

I still stand by my EW/SIGINT comment. Ask any Bat Boy, Ranger School does not make a Ranger, Regiment makes a Ranger. MFF, well that's just a means of going to work. To an outsider, Ranger School, MFF, CDQC, etc... are all the high-speed low-drag schools that everyone wants to make themselves cool. The truth is you can have all the qual's in the world and still be an oxygen thief. So by this logic if MFF makes one elite, a Rigger is one bad MoFo.

[Mercalocalypse]

Commander's In-Extremis Force (CIF)

Can anyone point me to some more info on these guys?

[Dominique]

Commander's In-Extremis Force (CIF)

Can anyone point me to some more info on these guys?

Nothing that's open source.

[Dominique]

Please don't take this the wrong way as this is not meant to be an appendage measuring contest, rather a insiders view/opinion.

It has been my experience that while ETAC's may have at one time been involved with SOF during the early years of the GWoT, they have pretty much been run out because of the lack of training, experience, physical fitness and level of professionalism. If an ETAC showed up at my location, he would be send out on the same bird which sent him in. The only JTAC I want to see better be a CCT operator. He brings more to the table then the ability to control air space.

A long time friend of mine just recently left the 82d LRSD. To the best of my knowledge, while members may go to Pathfinder School, it is not a "Pathfinder" unit. With regards to the 101st, I do believe they too are a LRSD, but I will send an email to my brother to confirm and/or deny that one.

I still stand by my EW/SIGINT comment. Ask any Bat Boy, Ranger School does not make a Ranger, Regiment makes a Ranger. MFF, well that's just a means of going to work. To an outsider, Ranger School, MFF, CDQC, etc... are all the high-speed low-drag schools that everyone wants to make themselves cool. The truth is you can have all the qual's in the world and still be an oxygen thief. So by this logic if MFF makes one elite, a Rigger is one bad MoFo.

Any word from your buddy on the 82nd's LRSD? From what I understand, it got disbanded. As far as the 101st goes, their LRSD went bye bye, and a second Pathfinder Co. was formed from the personnel. There's also another Pathfinder Company assigned to the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade. I'm not sure what TACPs you've worked with, but the guys we worked with, (14th ASOS) were GTO, as well as some guys from the Idaho Air National Guard.

[Arnie100]

Israel

Civilian

Yamam

IDF

Sayaret Matkal
Yehidat Shaldag
Sayaret Yahalom
Shayatet 13

Plus, the four infantry brigades also have their own sayaret:
Sayaret Tzanhanim
Sayaret Golani
Sayaret Nahal
Sayaret Givati

and there are more in the IDF...

Philippines

Army

1st Scout Ranger Regiment
1st Special Forces Regiment (Airborne)
Light Reaction Battalion

Navy

Naval Special Warfare Group

Marines

Marine Force Reconnaissance Battalion
Marine Scout Snipers

Air Force (thanks, Dominique)

710th Special Operations Wing (SPOW)

[Dominique]

Philippines

Army

1st Scout Ranger Regiment
1st Special Forces Regiment (Airborne)
Light Reaction Battalion

Navy

Naval Special Warfare Group (SWAG)

Marines

Marine Force Reconnaissance Battalion
Marine Scout Snipers

You can also add the PAF 710th Special Operations Wing (SPOW)

[Arnie100]

Dang, I forgot about them! Added to the list!

[Dominique]

It looks like 10th Mountain formed a Pathfinder unit within it's 10th Combat Aviation Brigade. The unit's made up of Infantry, Combat Engineers, and medics and has been operational in Iraq.

[TiekoSora]

It looks like 10th Mountain formed a Pathfinder unit within it's 10th Combat Aviation Brigade. The unit's made up of Infantry, Combat Engineers, and medics and has been operational in Iraq.

It's possible that the LRSD was reassigned to this new unit when they reorganized the support brigade. The LSRD when I was at Drum (94-00) was assigned to the 10th Military Intelligence Battalion, which was deactivated several years ago. While I know that the LRSD was still an active unit within the division, I do not know which parent unit to which they were attached.

I was in LSRD for all of one day in September 1994, but as we were ramping up for the Haiti mission, division refused to change my orders and I went instead to a line infantry battalion. I spent my six years at Drum with Triple Deuce.

[Dominique]

It looks like 10th Mountain formed a Pathfinder unit within it's 10th Combat Aviation Brigade. The unit's made up of Infantry, Combat Engineers, and medics and has been operational in Iraq.

It's possible that the LRSD was reassigned to this new unit when they reorganized the support brigade. The LSRD when I was at Drum (94-00) was assigned to the 10th Military Intelligence Battalion, which was deactivated several years ago. While I know that the LRSD was still an active unit within the division, I do not know which parent unit to which they were attached.

I was in LSRD for all of one day in September 1994, but as we were ramping up for the Haiti mission, division refused to change my orders and I went instead to a line infantry battalion. I spent my six years at Drum with Triple Deuce.

I truly despise Drum. It sucked much booty both times I've been there.

[Dominique]

I thought I heard that the UK disbanded the 2nd Para to b e reformed into a unit similar to the 75th.

What about Military SWAT units. I believe each base has one.

2 Para still has the standard parachute role, 1 Para is part of the SFSG. As far as military SWAT units go, their typically part of each branch's Military Police force. In the Army, they're called Special Reaction Teams (SRT), and are MPs. The Air Force has two types of units Emergency Service Teams (EST), and Tactical Response Force (TRF). Both are composed of Security Forces (Air Force MP/Security personnel), but have slightly different missions. ESTs typically handle things that would be handled by SWAT (hostages, barricaded suspects, active shooters, etc.), while TRF are specially Anti-terrorism units. They're organized to retake a nuke if or stop a terror attack. The Marines have SRT (same name as the Army), that are composed of MPs. The Navy calls their teams all sorts of names. I've seen them called SRT, SOT, or ERT. It varies.

Either way, all the services send their guys to a basic SRT course (SRT 1) run by the US Army MP school. SRT II is a Designated Marksman Course, also at the MP school. They also attend other civilian (TEES, Blackwater, Thunder Ranch, etc.) and military training courses (Combat Life Saver, Rappel Master, Sniper, Close Quarters Battle, CPEC, etc.).

[slade the sniper]

Any chance that anyone wants to do a skill package for any/each of these units? Most of the units would get one or two "new" skills, and add a bonus to a few other skills. I would say one to three new skills and about three to five skill bonuses...some prereqs could also be tacked on there (minimum stats, minimum skills, etc.) Just an idea...

For my games, I use the unit listings in the back of CoC: Delta Green and CoC:DG: Countdown... Pretty good stuff.

-STS

[Dominique]

Law Enforcement: Texas Rangers, The German Stasi
Military: The French Foreign Legion, Imperial Russain Guard

Plus there is a nice list here:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_elite
and here:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_special_forces_units

I'm not sure the Texas Rangers or the Stasi would really fit into a modern Recon game.

I was actually thinking it would be cool to do "historical" units in case someone would wish to do 1970's Rhodesia or 1980's Central America.

For Rhodesia you could use units the SAS, Selous Scouts, Rhodesian Light Infantry, or the Police Anti-Terrorism Unit (PATU).