Positions Filled by Special Forces Captains & Majors

• Detachment Commander
• Headquarters and Headquarters Company Commander
• Staff Officer
• Executive Officer
• Exchange Officer
• Advisor
• Instructor/Writer

Exercises command, control, training management, tactical employment, and property accountability for one Special Forces Operational Detachment A - the "A" Team. He commands, advises, or assists up to battalion-sized indigenous forces, and is proficient in specialized military skills needed to operate in all physical environments and the cultural awareness, regional expertise, and language skills for mission deployment.

He is proficient in those tasks that support the detachment's mission essential task list (METL), and is familiar with each of the five doctrinal Special Forces missions and civil-military activities as part of a joint, combined, or unilateral force across the entire operational continuum (but concentrates more heavily on those tasks that support the doctrinal missions assigned in the unit METL). Plans and conducts operations in permissive, semi-permissive, and non-permissive or politically sensitive areas worldwide, often as the senior U.S. Government representative.

Headquarters Company Commander

Commander of the headquarters company of a forward deployed Special Forces battalion actively engaged in counterinsurgency operations. He is responsible for the command and control of motor, mess, arms room, and nuclear, biological, and chemical operations. He's also responsible for the conduct, discipline, morale, welfare, training, and administration of all assigned personnel.

Responsible for the security and administration of the battalion consolidated arms room. Serves as special staff advisor to the battalion commander and executive officer, and serves as forward operational base commandant upon deployment. Also serves as food service officer.

Staff Officer

Responsible for staff planning, coordination, and support at all levels of command. Acts as a staff planner for the Special Forces Operational Detachment B - the "B" Team - to support training missions and world deployments.

At the Special Forces Operational Detachment C level - the "C" Team - he serves as a principal staff officer to assist in planning and support to the commander and operational teams. The staff officer ensures the commander has the necessary information to arrive at a decision that is doctrinally correct and tactically sound.

Executive Officer

This function under the new TO&E is filled by the Team Technical Officer a SF Warrant Officer Position.

Exchange Officer

Serves as the exchange instructor to allied forces. Has the responsibility to train assistance instructors, organizes the training schedule, coordinates with the allied school for training areas and materials, supervises the instruction, and serves as safety officer during all instruction given in his area of expertise. He advises and assists the commander and operations officer (S3) in training development and doctrine. He technically reviews new training literature developed at the allied training schools.

Advisor

Serves as the focal point for all U.S. agencies providing fiscal and material assistance to the military and civilian populations. Lives and works in a low intensity, counterinsurgency, hostile environment to provide assistance to commanders and staff in all aspects of combat operations, including defense, fire support, logistics, intelligence, psychological operations, civil-military operations, and small unit tactics.

Instructor/Writer

Assists the organization in determining what needs to be accomplished through managing, planning, coordinating, and conducting front-end analysis of training requirements. Analyzes performance deficiencies and validates what training and training aids must be developed or obtained to accomplish their missions. Designs, develops, and writes programs needed to carry out training of military and civilian instructors, training developers and managers, and motivation-incentive programs for both military and civilians.

Performs as the doctrine training literature developer and review officer for the command. Develops capstone doctrine, principles, tactics, techniques, and procedures for critical special operations mission activities, and integrates such into Army and joint doctrinal and training literature. Institutes latest major command guidance, doctrine, and philosophy and methodology in coordination with other directorates. Supervises and instructs training development courses.

Gunnery Network - SOF