The
United States Army Special Forces, known as the
Green Berets because of their distinctive service headgear, are a
special operations force tasked with five primary missions:
unconventional warfare (the original and most important mission of Special Forces),
foreign internal defense,
special reconnaissance,
direct action, and
counter-terrorism. The first two emphasize language, cultural, and training skills in working with foreign troops. Other duties include combat
search and rescue (CSAR),
counter-narcotics,
counter-proliferation,
hostage rescue,
humanitarian assistance, humanitarian
demining,
information operations,
peacekeeping,
psychological operations, security assistance, and
manhunts; other components of the
United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) or other U.S. government activities may also specialize in these secondary areas. Many of their operational techniques are
classified, but some nonfiction works and doctrinal manuals are available.