When the military has difficult and dangerous missions to perform, they call upon special forces teams. These elite combat forces stay in a constant state of readiness to strike anywhere in the world on a moment's notice. Special forces team members conduct offensive raids, demolitions, intelligence, search and rescue, and other missions from aboard aircraft, helicopters, ships, or submarines. Due to the wide variety of missions, special forces team members are trained swimmers, parachutists, and survival experts, in addition to being combat trained.
What They Do
Special forces team members in the military perform some or all of the following duties:
- Carry out demolition raids against enemy military targets, such as bridges, railroads, and fuel depots
- Clear mine fields, both underwater and on land
- Conduct missions to gather intelligence information on enemy military forces
- Conduct offensive raids or invasions of enemy territories
- Destroy enemy ships in coastal areas, using underwater explosives
Helpful Attributes
Helpful attributes include:
- Ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- Ability to work as a team member
- Readiness to accept a challenge and face danger
Training Provided
Job training consists of formal classroom training and practice exercises. Additional training occurs on the job. Basic skills are kept sharp through frequent practice exercises under simulated mission conditions. Course content typically includes:
- Physical conditioning, parachuting, swimming, and scuba diving
- Using land warfare weapons and communications devices
- Explosives handling and disposal
Work Environment
Because special forces team members must be prepared to go anywhere in the world, they train and work in all climates, weather conditions, and settings. They may dive from submarines or small underwater craft. Special forces team members may also be exposed to harsh temperatures, often without protection, during missions in enemy-controlled areas. Most of the time, however, they work and train on military bases, ships, or submarines.
Civilian Counterparts
Although the job of special forces team members has no equivalent in civilian life, training in explosives, bomb disposal, scuba diving, and swimming may be helpful in such civilian jobs as blaster, police bomb disposal specialist, diver, or swimming instructor. The discipline and dependability of special forces are assets in many civilian occupations.
