As butler1850 said, Delta is an Army force so the SEAL TEAM SIX wouldn’t go there. They were renamed to Navy DEVGRU (Special Warfare Development Group), along with some other support personell. They recruit from other SEAL teams as well as the Navy at large and are considered to be the official Navy equivalents of Delta.
I was half joking about the Marines (although I hadn’t actually heard about the new unit). Several Marines have almost taken offense at the idea of an “elite” Marine unit. (The Hoo-ah was something I added, however. 
)
Delta Force is not an Army group. It is a COMFOR unit, only administered (and principally populated by) the U.S. Army. Delta is headquarted from Ft. Bragg.
Anyone from the U.S. military (not Coasties) can be in Delta, and all are invitees - not enlistees. You gotta be asked to join, a “don’t call us, we’ll call you” kind of system.
Delta typically has 70% Army, 20% Navy (SeAL), and 10% Marines/AirForce. The percentages change with the invitation process.
Other Notes:
Each branch actually has several specialized units, some of which never get thought of as “elite”, but whose brave members perform incredibly dangerous missions out of sight of the public eye. Some examples:
Army 10th Mountain Division
Army 82nd and 101st Airborne
Navy SpecWar (not SeAL)
Navy MIUWU (Mobile Inshore Undersea Warfare Unit)
Navy SWIC (Special Warfare Insertion Craft) Units
Navy Divers
Navy/Army EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) units
Marine Snipers - Arguably the best trigger pullers in the world
I guarantee you all of these units train very hard, and you should be respectful of anyone you meet from them. Delta, SeAL, Ranger, Green Beret - those that we normally think of - they’re a more highly trained version of the same personality. They are not “Rambo”, and are typically a highly motivated person who truly wants to make a difference in the world - sometimes by blowing shit up.
Please keep in mind, like all warriors throughout time, these tales must be taken with a LARGE grain of salt.
They do make for an entertaining read though.
Although it would be neat if they did need some commando-type unit: the USPHS Excessive Antibiotic Prescription Suppression Force, perhaps… and the NOAA Corps Deep Sea Submersible Stryofoam Cup Immersion Team!
Just on a side note, I know some NOAA Corps officers, and in general they seem to be quite good at what they do - I don’t think cerberus was implying that they were the opposite of elite, but I just wanted to be sure no one took it to mean that.
What Cohen’s foes often failed to appreciate is, that anyone who does what he does for a living and manages to live to old age must be very, very good at it.
Your information is inaccurate. The US SFOD-D (Delta or “CAG”) routinely puts out memos inviting any interested person to volunteer. Yes, there is an assessment and Selection Process once a person volunteers, but that does not mean that a person must first be asked to pursue a position in that unit. They have never asked me anything or shown any interest in me. But if I so desired, I could submit an application next week and be sent through their selection process. That process is a combination of evaluations and physical and mental tests and trials. Some of it is “hush-hush”, but everyone knows there is a hellascious land navigation course involved - and it’s reportedly even more brutal than the STAR Course at the regular Special Forces selection.
There are rumors about units higher than Delta, that actually ARE “invite only”. But these are very black op shit. That’s where you start getting on the thin line between military and CIA and shit like that. There’s nothing official on anything “invite only” in the Army. And anyone who knows about the group would deny it’s existance. Delta is not that group…
What about the Salvation Army??? Do they have an elite unit? They should!!!
Opined bigurn
Even a hard core anti-nationalist Canuck like myself would beg to differ and call these guys “the best trigger pullers”.
They stand alone in the dark and freeezing cold for hours on end next to a cauldron of money. All the while they ring a thunderous bell to draw attention to themselves, as if to dare any would be thieves and muggers to make their move. They are the very definition of badass, and I dare say that they are elite as they exist now.
Don’t think this has been linked yet but here is the web page for the United States Army Special Operations Command: link
Although several of the units listed there wouldn’t be considered “elite military units” in a combat infantryman sense. Although SOAR pilots are definitely elite pilots.
The United States Army Special Forces are probably the best popular equivalent of other branch’s elite units, as they specialize in more unconventional warfare typically involving small teams.
The United States Army Rangers on the other hand perform traditional infantry tasks as well as special operations tasks. The rangers are a good bit different from Delta Force in that regard because there are 3 battalions in the 75th Ranger Regiment meaning it can be a true combat force in a traditional infantry combat situation. While Delta Force is much smaller (I don’t know the exact number, and I don’t believe it’s published, not sure) and designed for much more specialized and small-scale encounters.
The best popular example I can give is Black Hawk Down the movie demonstrates how the rangers were responsible for getting Delta Force into the building for their mission which was a more specialized close-combat bag and grab sort of thing.
I wouldn’t call Delta Force (aka Combat Applications Group AKA 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta) the Army equivalent as it isn’t exclusively an Army outfit. Although the situation is fairly convoluted and “Special Forces” units fall under so many different commands it’s almost ridiculous.
For example Delta Force can fall under direct command of the U.S. Special Operations Command which can have direct command over any unit in the SOC of any of the branches.
Special Operations Forces (being any force that can ultimately be under USSOCOM) include the Army Rangers, the US Army Special Forces, Navy SEALs etc.
What confuses things is “Special Operations Forces” isn’t synonymous with U.S. Army Special Forces (aka the Green Berets.)
And then add in the confusion that if you attend and complete certain types of training in the Army you get to wear that tab forever and the tab just signifies the training you’ve received. For example if you graduate from the U.S. Army Ranger School you get to wear the “RANGER” tab on your uniform. And if you want to call yourself an “Army Ranger” to impress civilian girls or something you could get away with it easy enough. But if you try to pass that off within the Army and especially to a real Ranger who is assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment (and thus wears the Ranger Scroll) you’d be laughed at. And at the same time it’s actually possible to be in the 75th Ranger Regiment and have not yet completed U.S. Army Ranger School and thus not have the Ranger tab.
I was going to chime in with the same response. When I was on active duty I received at least 3 “invitations” to try out for Delta Force. These came by mail to my unit. I had no special qualifications other than that my GT score was high on my ASVAB. They need to pull potential applicants from a large pool since so few will make it through or even apply. I never even thought about it since there was no way I’d pass the swim test during the qualification course. That and the fact that I knew too many people who came back from the SF Q-course on crutches.
“Elite” is not “special operations”. Army Rangers are also elite units but while part of US SOCOM, they fullfull a very different mission from Special Forces and SEALS. For one, Marines and Rangers opperate in much larger units than special operations units.
I am respectful of any personality who wants to make a difference in the world by blowing shit up. I may not respect them, but I will damn sure be respectful, lest I become a target.
Um , did you read that part where I said purple ?
Declan
Hi Guys
http://www.stuff.themutual.net/index.htm
Take a look at the British SAS, I dont know if you know of them? anyway these guys go undercover, create insurgency movements you name it.
These guys are selected from the regular Brit army and are to put it politely…animals!
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Richard “rogue warrior” Marcenko had the utmost respect for Grenzschutzgruppe-9 (GSG-9), Germany’s elite group. Here’s a link
You can read about SAS and selection with Andy McNab’s books. Bravo Two Zero details his behind the lines work in gulf war 1 and Immediate Action is more biographical, with a link here.
Unsuccessful at finding the link for another ex-SAS author that wrote an autobiography. Selection is fucking tough.
Considering how the book ends for Marcinko, and his version of events, I took a teaspoon.
I would very much like to know how the story told by a certain young Lieutenant (who later becomes an admiral commanding SEAL forces) compares to the one told by Marcinko about getting a Lieutenant drunk and to agree to go through BUD/S.
Doug,
No problem. Most of the guys I know only want you to be free to have, and express, an opinion in an open society. Your ability to not respect them reflects a free society, and is their highest aim.
Oh yeah, and if you hear a big bang and see a bright flash, and some guy yells “Getdown, getdown, getdown!”, get down and lie still. Immediately. Thus avoiding the appearance of a target that you are concerned about.
They deserve the same sort of respect that one would give to an artist or surgeon… They’ve all taken great time and effort to learn skills and develop them, skills that not everyone has.
I wouldn’t do surgery.
I don’t assume my pictures should hang in the louvre.
And I don’t try to kill badguys from 1000 yards away.
While they may have skills you don’t approve of, and do things you may feel are distasteful, human history has always had warriors, and always will.
The fact that the best warriors the most powerful nation on Earth may have started life as your neighbor, and may go on to be your neighbor again, is an amazing and wonderful thing.