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Thursday, August 14, 2014

Delta Force Training

Delta Force Training
Delta Force is one of the best combat forces in the country without a doubt. Delta Force training is so good that the Pentagon itself has classified some sections of the training as 'classified and covert' operations. 
                      
                                                                                   

Victorious Mission
The Delta Force, which primarily focuses on anti-terrorism, recently captured Ahmed Abu Khattala, a Libyan commander, during the weekend of June 14 to June 15, 2014. This was done in a covert mission in Libya with the help of the FBI on the grounds of suspicion of being a part of the 2012 Benghazi attack on the American diplomatic mission at Benghazi.

The 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (1st SFOD-D) or Delta Force was formed after certain terrorist incidents in the 1970s, which led the government of the United States to form an anti-terrorist group. Ideally, not much is supposed to be known about this organization, as it is involved in highly secretive and important missions. A lot has been written about it, though the Pentagon takes up all possible efforts to protect its secrecy and classification. Only a small and sufficient amount of information is available on the training of this combat force, and what is available is through some writings and books. Since this is highly classified information, it is safer that we do not try to know more than what we are required to know about this organization, or else it could possibly be treated as a criminal offense.

Books

There are several books about the Delta Force, such as Inside Delta Force by Eric Haney, Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War by Mark Robert Bowden, and Charles Alvin Beckwith's Delta Force, which give us some measured information.

Note: Being an elite division, there are very less photographs of the deltas. A very popular Iraq invasion photograph titled 'Uday and Qusay's last stand' (Saddam Hussein's sons) shows men from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, standing with their backs to the
camera
, watching as a large house in Mosul, Iraq burns down. The two men in the foremost row wearing much different MICH helmets are reportedly Delta members. Know that this fact may be incorrect.

Vital Information

• Several people connote the Delta Force as the 'special forces'. The Department of Defense tags it to be the Combat Applications Group. This force is headed by the U.S. Special Operations Command and the Joint Special Operations Command. This force is a de facto member of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command.

• The total size of the force is about 800 to 1,000 members, though the exact number is kept confidential.

• The force is divided into 11 divisions; 3 among these are direct operation groups, which can be deployed very quickly. The remaining are the recon, intelligence, and logistics battalions.

• The headquarters, command, and garrison of the Delta Force is at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The career opportunities here are classified, but enormous. This group is the best special combat group.

Trainee Requirements

Being an elite group, the Delta Force places some very specified and tough requirements for recruitment. Within the United States Armed Forces (USAF), soldiers and officers who have been trained in any of the elite special forces are given a recruitment notice. In some cases, the recruitment notice for 1st SFOD-D is given to a group of people or specifically to some officers of the elite special forces. The common requirements that are stated by the Delta Force include the following:

• The Basic (Army Basic Training), Advance (Infantry Advanced Individual Training), and Airborne training (Special Operations Preparation Course and Special Forces Assessment and Selection program) is a standard among all special forces members.

• Secondly, the recruit should have served as a Captain or Major.

• The recruit also should have 2 years of active service in any branch and a 12-month successful command.

• The recruit also needs to pass some specified Army Physical Fitness Tests (APFT) and identity screening procedures.

Commonly, the notifications of 1st SFOD-D are given to officers and some soldiers of the United States Army Special Forces (The Green Beret), Navy SEALs, United States Army Rangers, 75th Ranger Regiment (Rangers), the legendary United States Naval Special Warfare Development Groupor or "DEVGRU", and 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Night Stalkers). Thus, if you want to get into the Delta Force, you will have to become a member of any of the aforementioned forces, which in itself is a very tough task. The notifications of the training program and recruitment roll out in April and October every year. There is neither any training for civilians, nor there is an entry.

Selection

The first task that is put forth in front of the recruits is to pass the Special Forces Qualification Course (SFQC). This course is a three-tier course, which includes individual skills, MOS qualification, and collective training.

• Individual training involves physical fitness and arms training. This might act as a revision and further education for most of the recruits, and it runs for 40 days.

• The MOS is a 65-day program and involves the training for mission planning cycle.

• The collective training is provided for 38 days and includes Special Operations (SO) classes, Direct Action (DA) Isolation, Isolation training, Unconventional Warfare, and Air Operations.

Next, the recruits undergo Language Training and Survival Evasion Resistance Escape training. They also undergo a battery of tests conducted by eminent psychologists. This phase is a formal training phase.

Actual Training

After the first phase is over, the recruited officers are put through the Operator Training Course for 6 months. The coursework involves the following:

• Marksmanship and Sniper Training: This training is provided to sharpen the reflexes of the trigger finger. The Delta Force also uses different firearms than the regular army. Hence, this is a place for the recruits to get in touch with highly sophisticated weapons such as Heckler & Koch HK416, Barrett M82A1, AK-47 (series), and FN SCAR.

• Demolition Training: This part involves the training for demolition and use of produced or improvised explosives. Unconventional and infiltration warfare techniques are also provided in this phase.

• Trade Craft: CIA and FBI provide the 'James Bond' training in this phase, as the Delta Force often acts as the executioner arm of such agencies. Joint exercises and combat training for better performance are often conducted during this phase.

• Executive Protection: This part of the training is provided for the force as it is often deployed for the diplomat, officer, and VIP protection.

Note that recruits are often asked to leave as a result of incompetency. When you plan to join the Delta Force or undergo training, you have signed up for the riskiest military job. You need to be the best special force member just to get selected. And once you do, you will be performing all the duties you can for your country. Combined with hard work, presence of mind, loyalty, dedication, and sincerity, this job is one that is fulfilling in every way, as it gives you a chance to serve your country.

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