CHAPTER ONE

SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND:

AMERICA’S FIT FIGHTING FORCE

In the cold dark of a starless night, a U.S. soldier crouches silently behind a wall. His heart beats like a kick drum as he waits for word to move forward. His breathing and concentration are controlled and steady. He is poised, ready to receive an order and carry it out with deadly force.

This is no actor in some action movie. This is a Special Operations soldier. A person trained to carry out difficult, dangerous missions nearly anywhere on Earth with a steady hand, a clear mind, and an iron will. The purpose of a Special Operations soldier is to protect the country against hidden and secretive enemies.

A soldier at Aberdeen Test Center aims an XM25 weapon system. This grenade launcher is capable of hitting targets behind cover or dug into the ground.

The United States has the world’s largest military force. The Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and Central Intelligence Agency all play rolls in defending the country against forces that would aim to harm the nation, its people, and its resources.

But within the military’s ranks are groups of highly skilled and specially trained individuals. They are the best of the best, and they comprise the U.S. Special Operations Command, or SOCOM.

The sheer size of the U.S. defense force, its annual budget, and its wide-reaching capabilities to influence international relations are part of what makes the United States a superpower nation.

LIFE IN THE MILITARY

The U.S. military relies on a specific chain of command to streamline nearly everything it does. There is little tolerance for individual or selfish action. All members operate according to a code of conduct. This means soldiers follow orders from superiors without question. The military operates this way in peacetime as well as during times of war.

Members of Special Operations Command are especially tough. They have to be able to deal with fatigue, discomfort, and even pain, all while working in harsh conditions without losing focus on their mission.

But it’s not just physical toughness that qualifies a soldier for special operations duty. The person’s strength has to be matched by smarts.

Soldiers applying for SOCOM units have to pass demanding physical tests to show strength, endurance, and a high level of physical fitness. These include swimming long distances in uniform, hiking with heavy loads at night, and distance running, all performed in a short amount of time.

WOMEN AND THE SPECIAL FORCES.

Women are a valuable part of the Special Operations Command. They have traditionally filled support roles like language interpreters, pilots, or medical staff, though they may soon see their range of responsibility, and their demand, increase. As of 2013, the U.S. military gave women clearance to serve in combat roles. This could open the door to women serving in the most elite Special Operations Command combat units like the Army’s Delta Force or the Navy’s SEALs, which remain all male. Overall, women make up about 14 percent of the 1.4 million people serving in the U.S. armed forces.