The Special Forces / Operator Advisor In Instruction, Photographs And Film

Introduction To Chapter 1 - SPECIAL FORCES  ADVISOR’S REFERENCE BOOK - October 2001:


PURPOSE

This Reference book is intended to provide a problem solving ready reference for SF soldiers assigned as advisors or liaisons.  It is a practical aid for use in training for, planning, and conducting these missions.  It provides introductory material and tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP).  The Reference book should be used with appropriate doctrinal and training publications as a tool for professional development and training of SF soldiers, mission planning, or during mission performance.

SCOPE

This Reference book is limited to basic information and specific techniques useful to SF soldiers in the roles of advisors or liaisons.  It is not a comprehensive reference book or training guide for any specific doctrinal mission.  When applied appropriately, the information and techniques are applicable to relationships with foreign or U.S. counterparts.  


SPECIAL FORCES AS ADVISORS AND LIAISONS

Special Forces (SF) doctrine does not classify  “advisor”,  “combat advisory assistance” or “cross-cultural liaison” as primary missions.  Instead, these roles are derivative of, or have evolved from, the capabilities SF soldiers developed as part of the traditional primary missions of UW, FID and multilateral DA and SR.  All of these primary doctrinal missions require SF soldiers to function as advisors or liaisons.  From the SF soldier’s UW role as a combat advisor to indigenous or surrogate forces; to his role when supporting FID; to the advisor/liaison functions required for a Special Operations Command and Control Element (SOCCE) in support of conventional forces; to providing coalition partners with Special Forces Liaison Elements (SFLEs); the number of occasions when SF soldiers now perform as advisors and/or in a liaisons has continually grown and gained visibility.  

The success SF has enjoyed as advisors and liaisons is directly attributable to the cross-cultural skills demanded by the primary SF missions.  The capability of SF soldiers to perform effectively as advisors and liaison personnel in multinational, joint, interagency, and interdependent environments represents an increasingly important and unique contribution.  As such, it is likely that SF will act in these roles with increasing frequency.  The following sections provide an overview of the development of SF as advisors and liaisons through UW, COIN, FID, and Coalition Warfare, describing the peculiarities of each mission or environment.


CONTENTS:

Chapter 1: SPECIAL FORCES  ADVISOR’S REFERENCE BOOK - October 2001

Chapter 2: Model Design For Military Advisors 

Chapter 3: Advising Indigenous Forces:  American Advisors In Korea, Vietnam, And El Salvador 

Chapter 4: PHOTOGRAPHS - Special Forces In Iraq

Chapter 5: HISTORIC SPECIAL FORCES FILM

a. Special Operation Forces (Color, 1984) 

b. Special Forces Advisor (B&W, 1960s)

c. Special Forces Combat Patrol (Color, Silent, 1964)

d. Special Forces - Narrated By Henry Fonda (B&W, 1960s)

e. Special Forces Air Operations - Landing Zone Operations  (Color, 1969)