"Besides sustainment of their occupational skills, SF personnel often have additional skill
sets, including Military Free Fall (MFF), Special Operations Target Interdiction Course (SOTIC),
combat diver, Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat (SFAUC), and jumpmaster—along with
one of the most significant additional skills, operations and intelligence training. These
advanced military occupational skills are required for at least two Soldiers in all Special Forces
detachments. According to regulations, each operational detachment will have a minimum of
three jumpmasters, two SOTIC (level 1) Soldiers, two Advanced Special Operations Techniques
ASOT (level III) Soldiers. Also, all SF Soldiers will be SFAUC and ASOT (level II) qualified. For
detachments designated as MFF or combat diver, there is the additional requirement for two
MFF jumpmasters or two dive supervisors and two dive medical officers respectively.
Additionally, each Special Forces detachment will have a qualified Air Movement Officer (AMO)
and a Soldier qualified in handling hazardous materials (HAZMAT). These are minimal
requirements for both the Guard and Active Duty Special Forces units. These additional
specialty skill sets require proficiency and sustainment training. Specialty skills are perishable,
so they require periodic requalification. Regulations do not allow specialty training to dominate a
training calendar year, so commanders must find a way to integrate this training into other
training requirements.
Besides the specialty training requirement for SF Soldiers, there is a requirement for
acquiring or sustaining other skills. All Soldiers are required to attend formal courses to aid in
their professional development, such as a Non-Commissioned Officer Course and possibly the
Operations and Intelligence Course. Language refresher and enhancement training is required
and tested annually. Regional Orientation training is a hallmark of Special Forces Soldiers.
Each Active Duty unit has the goal of deploying in theater once each fiscal year (FY); Guard SF
units have the goal of deploying every three years.
All SF members are required to have comprehensive Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical
training and to integrate this training into tactical training. Another area of special emphasis in
the Special Forces community is physical fitness. In SF, commanders are authorized to
establish fitness standards that exceed Army minimums and to conduct fitness programs
designed to increase their Soldiers’ fitness. With only scheduled monthly weekend drills for
ARNG SF and in view of all of the tasks that must be accomplished, physical fitness is largely
left to the individual."
- Excerpt from ARMY NATIONAL GUARD (ARNG) SPECIAL FORCES (SF) UNITS:
THE STANDARD AND THE FUTURE
Colonel John E. Smith
United States Army National Guard
sets, including Military Free Fall (MFF), Special Operations Target Interdiction Course (SOTIC),
combat diver, Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat (SFAUC), and jumpmaster—along with
one of the most significant additional skills, operations and intelligence training. These
advanced military occupational skills are required for at least two Soldiers in all Special Forces
detachments. According to regulations, each operational detachment will have a minimum of
three jumpmasters, two SOTIC (level 1) Soldiers, two Advanced Special Operations Techniques
ASOT (level III) Soldiers. Also, all SF Soldiers will be SFAUC and ASOT (level II) qualified. For
detachments designated as MFF or combat diver, there is the additional requirement for two
MFF jumpmasters or two dive supervisors and two dive medical officers respectively.
Additionally, each Special Forces detachment will have a qualified Air Movement Officer (AMO)
and a Soldier qualified in handling hazardous materials (HAZMAT). These are minimal
requirements for both the Guard and Active Duty Special Forces units. These additional
specialty skill sets require proficiency and sustainment training. Specialty skills are perishable,
so they require periodic requalification. Regulations do not allow specialty training to dominate a
training calendar year, so commanders must find a way to integrate this training into other
training requirements.
Besides the specialty training requirement for SF Soldiers, there is a requirement for
acquiring or sustaining other skills. All Soldiers are required to attend formal courses to aid in
their professional development, such as a Non-Commissioned Officer Course and possibly the
Operations and Intelligence Course. Language refresher and enhancement training is required
and tested annually. Regional Orientation training is a hallmark of Special Forces Soldiers.
Each Active Duty unit has the goal of deploying in theater once each fiscal year (FY); Guard SF
units have the goal of deploying every three years.
All SF members are required to have comprehensive Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical
training and to integrate this training into tactical training. Another area of special emphasis in
the Special Forces community is physical fitness. In SF, commanders are authorized to
establish fitness standards that exceed Army minimums and to conduct fitness programs
designed to increase their Soldiers’ fitness. With only scheduled monthly weekend drills for
ARNG SF and in view of all of the tasks that must be accomplished, physical fitness is largely
left to the individual."
- Excerpt from ARMY NATIONAL GUARD (ARNG) SPECIAL FORCES (SF) UNITS:
THE STANDARD AND THE FUTURE
Colonel John E. Smith
United States Army National Guard
