The 1991 Persian Gulf War

SOCCENT Special Operations Command

by David Nilsen and Greg Novak

    1st Battalion, 3d Special Forces Group (Airborne) (US Army)
      A Company, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) (US Army)

AFSOCCENT (Air Force Special Operations Command, Central Command)

    1st Special Operations Wing (USAF) At King Fahd Airport, Damman, Saudi Arabia, with helicopters forward-deployed to Al Jouf and Ar Ar, Saudi Arabia
    8th Special Operations Squadron: 1 MC-130E Combat Talon I
    9th Special Operations Squadron: 1 HC-130N/P Combat Shadow (tankers)
    20th Special Operations Squadron: 2 MH-53J Pave Low III (Enhanced)
    55th Special Operations Squadron: 2 MH-60G Pave Hawk
    71st Special Operations Squadron: 3 HH-3E
    Tactical Control of land-based US Navy Combat Search and Rescue assets:
      "Spike Det" (Consists of HCS-4 Det 1 Red Wolves and HCS-5 Det 1 Firehawks at Al Jouf, Saudi Arabia): 1 HH-60H

ARSOTF (Army Special Forces Task Force)

    5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) (US Army)
    3d Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (US Army) "Night Stalkers": 3MH-60A"Velcro Hawks"/ Enhanced Black Hawks, 2 MH-47E
    4th Squadron, 17th Air Cavalry: 4 OH-58D Prime Chance
    528th Special Operations Support Battalion
    112th Special Operations Signal Battalion

NSWTG (Naval Special Warfare Task Group)

    Naval Special Warfare Group One (US Navy)
    SEAL Team One (two platoons)
    SEAL Team Five (two platoons)
    Swimmer Delivery Vehicle Team One (oneplatoon)
    Special Boat Unit 12 (High Speed Boat Det and Rigid Inflatable Boat Detachment)
    Naval Special Warfare Development Group (High Speed Boat Detachment)
    Fast Attack Vehicle (FAV) Detachment
    Kuwaiti Navy (Istiqlal, Al Sanbouk) Kuwaiti Marines
    22nd SAS Regiment (British Army)
    Special Boat Squadron (Royal Marines)
      (Both the above UK units were not actually controlled by SOCCENT, but coordinated their operations with it and the JSOTF below, so are included here for convenience.)

Notes

1. SOCCENT was the Central Command component from the US Special Operations Command. It was responsible for "white" (as opposed to covert, or "black") special operations missions in the theater, such as combat search and rescue, special reconnaissance, and Coalition liaison and training.

2. One squadron of the 1st SOW, 16th SOS, was under operational control of AFCENT during Desert Storm-see its listing there.

3. Contrary to what might be popularly expected, the primary mission of Army Special Forces ("Green Berets") in Desert Shield and Storm was Coalition liaison and training in the form of 109 Coordination and Training Teams (C`17s). Because of their expertise in military training and languages, they were perfect for this role. Liaison, however, is too weak a word. These teams went into combat with each Arab battalion, as their presence allowed these forces to be integrated into the US-led coalition. They coordinated the combat actions of these units (which had never before participated in such large-scale operations), called in air support, and coordinated direct and artillery fires to prevent fratricide between the multinational forces. They also provided "ground truth" as to the Arab's training, combat effectiveness, location, etc., to the CINCCENT.

The CTTs trained all of the Arab forces in a wide variety of combat skills including obstacle breaching, and large-scale combined arms warfare. The Green Berets also reconstituted the Kuwaiti military by training five new Kuwaiti brigades which fought in the ground campaign, accompanied, of course, by their Special Forces advisors.

1st Battalion provided liaison teams for the Saudis, Kuwaiti, UAE, Qatari, Omani, and Bahraini forces. 2d Battalion did the same for the Egyptians and Syrians. 3d Battalion rebuilt the Kuwaiti Army and also trained and provided liaison teams for the Kuwaitis, Saudis, and French.

4. It has been reported that the 1st Battalion, 3d Special Forces Group was only sent into the theater in order to retake the US Embassy in Kuwait City, which had already been retaken twice, by advance Marine forces and by the 5th Special Forces Group operating with Coalition Arab Forces.

5. Half of the listed force of OH-58D Prime Chance aircraft of the 4-17th Cavalry operated aboard US Navy frigates during the war, notably USS Curts (FFG-38) and Nicholas (FFG-47).

6. Additional SEAL teams in theater were under the control of JSOTF (below) or NAVCENT (also below), which controlled the SEAL teams operating aboard US warships in support of the Maritime Interception Operations.

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© Copyright 1994 by Greg Novak.
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