United States Special Operations Forces (): Organizational Structure and National Security Considerations

Key Chapter Title List

1. Overview
2. Command Structure and Component Units
3. Authorities Granted to U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) under Title X
4. Additional Responsibilities of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM)
5. Core Activities of U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF)
6. Organizational Structure of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM)
7. Theater Special Operations Commands (TSOCs)
8. Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC)
9. U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC)
10. Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC)
11. Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC)
12. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC)
13. Congressional Considerations
14. Government's National Security Priorities
15. Army Special Operations Forces (SOF) Force Structure Reduction
16. Congressional and Department of Defense Response to Announced Army Special Operations Forces (ARSOF) Reductions
17. Air Force Special Operations Power Projection Wing and Air Force Reorganization Pause

Document Introduction

This report is based on a thematic study updated by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) on February 18, 2025, aiming to provide legislators with comprehensive background and policy analysis on U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF). The report focuses on the evolution, organizational structure, statutory authorities, and challenges faced by U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) within the defense system since its authorization by Public Law 99-661 in 1986, within the current geopolitical environment. As a key reference for defense planning and resource allocation, the report's content strictly relies on publicly available official documents, congressional testimonies, Department of Defense memoranda, and military unit deployment information, providing an authoritative and timely analytical foundation for professional readers.

The report first systematically outlines USSOCOM's organizational structure and command system. As a functional combatant command headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, USSOCOM commands approximately 70,000 active-duty, reserve, and civilian personnel. Its core components include four service component commands: U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC), Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC), Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), and Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC). Furthermore, the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), as its subordinate sub-unified command, is responsible for preparing and executing special operations targeting threats to the homeland and overseas interests. The report elaborates on the functions of the seven globally distributed Theater Special Operations Commands (TSOCs), their respective geographic combatant commands, and their support responsibilities undertaken by the services as "Combatant Command Service Agencies" (CCSAs), outlining a clear picture of the global special operations command and control network.

Regarding authorities and responsibilities, the report, based on Title 10, U.S. Code, Section 167, clarifies the USSOCOM Commander's broad powers in special operations strategy, doctrine, budgeting, equipment acquisition, force training, and readiness. Beyond the core "organize, train, equip" responsibilities, USSOCOM has been assigned additional missions such as synchronizing the Department of Defense's global counterterrorism planning, serving as the primary lead for Security Force Assistance (SFA), and deploying transregional Military Information Support Operations (MISO) capabilities. The report summarizes eleven core activities of U.S. Special Operations Forces, covering direct action, special reconnaissance, unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, counterterrorism, countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, etc., reflecting the diversity and strategic nature of its mission scope.

The final section of the report focuses on analyzing several key issues currently of concern to Congress. First, the report explores the potential impacts of two Trump administration executive orders on USSOCOM: one concerning clarifying the military's role in protecting U.S. territorial integrity, which may involve USSOCOM's mission and resource allocation in border security; the other designating foreign drug cartels as terrorist organizations, raising questions about the potential role USSOCOM might play in the counterterrorism domain. Second, the report delves into the controversy sparked by the Army's plan to reduce approximately 3,000 Special Operations Forces personnel (ARSOF), including the policy interplay between Congress attempting to block the reduction through legislation and the Department of Defense's insistence on adjustments to optimize resources and address great power competition. Finally, the report tracks the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) plan to establish a third Power Projection Wing at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base as part of its reorganization, and the uncertainty brought about by the Secretary of Defense's order in February 2025 to pause all Air Force planning actions for "re-optimizing for great power competition."

With its detailed primary source materials, clear structural organization, and precise grasp of cutting-edge policy debates, this report provides an indispensable professional reference for defense researchers, policy analysts, and geopolitical observers to understand the current status, institutional operations, and future direction of U.S. Special Operations Forces.