[26] As the U.S. became involved in Southeast Asia, it was realized that specialists trained to lead guerrillas could also help defend against hostile guerrillas, so SF acquired the additional mission of Foreign Internal Defense (FID), working with Host Nation (HN) forces in a spectrum of counter-guerrilla activities from indirect support to combat command.

[27] Special Forces personnel qualify both in advanced military skills and the regional languages and cultures of defined parts of the world.

To enhance their DA capability, specific units were created with a focus on the direct action side of special operations.

[29][30][31][32] SF team members work closely together and rely on one another under isolated circumstances for long periods of time, both during extended deployments and in garrison.

The 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) was then split with the cadre that kept the designation 10th SFG deployed to Bad Tölz, Germany, in September 1953.

[36] Since their establishment in 1952, Special Forces soldiers have operated in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, North Vietnam, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Colombia, Panama, Haiti, Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, 1st Gulf War, Afghanistan, Iraq, the Philippines, Syria, Yemen, Niger and, in a FID role, East Africa.

Additional groups were formed in 1961 and 1962 after President John F. Kennedy visited the Special Forces at Fort Bragg in 1961.

The Special Forces soldiers assigned to these groups receive intensive language and cultural training for countries within their regional area of responsibility.

[50] Due to the increased need for Special Forces soldiers in the War on Terror, all groups—including those of the National Guard (19th and 20th SFGs)—have been deployed outside of their areas of operation, particularly to Iraq and Afghanistan.

A recently released report showed Special Forces as perhaps the most deployed SOF under USSOCOM, with many soldiers, regardless of group, serving up to 75% of their careers overseas, almost all of which had been to Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Special Forces Operational Detachment C or C-detachment (SFODC) is responsible for a theater or a major subcomponent, which can provide command and control of up to 18 SFODAs, three SFODB, or a mixture of the two.

Subordinate to it is the Special Forces Operational Detachment Bs or B-detachments (SFODB), which can provide command and control for six SFODAs.

As such, it is a command and control unit with operations, training, signals, and logistic support responsibilities to its three subordinate line companies.

There are an additional 20–30 SF personnel who fill key positions in operations, logistics, intelligence, communications, and medical.

[55][56] Each ODA specializes in an infiltration skill or a particular mission-set (e.g. military free fall (HALO), combat diving, mountain warfare, maritime operations, etc.).

This organization facilitates 6-man "split team" operations, redundancy, and mentoring between a senior NCO and their junior assistant.

The length of the Q Course changes depending on the applicant's primary job field within Special Forces and their assigned foreign language capability, but will usually last between 55 and 95 weeks.

Wilder, a former military intelligence officer, was ultimately allowed to wear the Special Forces Tab when it was created in 1983, and continued to do so over her 28-year career until she retired as a lieutenant colonel.

[62][63][64][65][66][67] U.S. Army Special Forces adopted the green beret unofficially in 1954 after searching for headgear that would set them visually apart.

Members of the 77th SFG began searching through their accumulated berets and settled on the rifle green color from Captain Miguel de la Peña's collection; since 1942 the British Commandos had permeated the use of green on berets of specialist forces, and many current international military organisations followed this practice.

Captain Frank Dallas had the new beret designed and produced in small numbers for the members of the 10th & 77th Special Forces Groups.

[77] Their new headdress was first worn at a retirement parade at Fort Bragg on 12 June 1955 for Major General Joseph P. Cleland, the now-former commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps.

In 1962, he called the green beret "a symbol of excellence, a badge of courage, a mark of distinction in the fight for freedom.

People were sneaking around wearing [them] when conventional forces weren't in the area and it was sort of a cat and mouse game.

The dagger represents the unconventional nature of Special Forces operations, and the three lightning flashes, their ability to strike rapidly by Sea, Air or Land."

Both are teal blue with yellow border trim and letters and are worn above or below ribbons or medals on the Army Service Uniform.

[85][86][87] Award eligibility:[85][86] During the Vietnam War, the Green Berets of the 5th Special Forces Group wanted camouflage clothing to be made in Tigerstripe.

So they contracted with Vietnamese and other Southeast Asian producers to make fatigues and other items such as boonie hats using tigerstripe fabric.

[88] During the Green Berets' missions in other nations, they would use Ground Mobility Vehicle (GMV)-S Humvees made by AM General for various uses.

[55] The media and popular culture frequently misapply the term to Navy SEALs and other members of the U.S. Special Operations Forces.