Special Forces vs special operations forces — what’s the difference?
Yes, there is a difference. No, Navy SEALs are not Special Forces.
BY JOSHUA SKOVLUND | PUBLISHED OCT 4, 2023 7:00 AM EDT
CULTURE
special operations forces vs special forces
Special Forces means something different than what Special Operations Forces. They all do cool guy stuff, but they don't have the same missions.
Special operations forces (SOF) and Special Forces have been confused for years. Despite news agencies having more access to information about the military than ever before, they often screw up the difference between ‘special operations,’ ‘SOF,’ ‘operators,’ and ‘Special Forces.’
For decades, images of operators entering compounds in the middle of the night to silently take out a terrorist leader or engage in intense battles in the mountains of Afghanistan have appeared on America’s televisions, social media feeds, and newspapers, and we understand that it can be confusing to tell these highly trained service members apart. Each term means something different though. A few are all-encompassing while others are not — like Special Forces. So who’s who?
Special operations forces
Special operations forces (SOF), or more simply referred to as special operations, refers to all units assigned under the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), which includes U.S. Naval Special Warfare, Air Force Special Operations Command, Army Special Operations Command, and Marine Special Operations Command.
https://taskandpurpose.com/culture/special-forces-vs-special-operations-forces/
