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THE MISSIONS
Counterproliferation: Seize, recover, disable, render ineffective or destroy weapons of mass destruction.

Counterterrorism: Provide counterterrorist and antiterrorist capabilities to detect, deter and/or respond to terrorist threats. Note: In the military, Counter-terrorism and anti-terrorism are not the same thing. Counter-terrorism is the actions taken after a terrorist action has begun. Anti-terrorism are measures taken to keep terrorist actions from occurring in the first place.

Foreign Internal Defense: Work with host nations to assist in organizing and training military forces. Work in an advisory/assistance role.

Special Reconnaissance: Deep surveillance/reconnaissance missions well behind enemy lines or into denied areas.

Direct Action: Short-duration raids, strikes, attacks, etc. to capture, recover, damage or destroy enemy personnel, material or sites.

Psychological Operations: Weaken enemy resolve to continue operations and weaken morale or induce/reinforce friendly attitudes/morale.

Civil Affairs: assist/advise friendly host nations on maintaining infrastructure (repair roads, dig wells, train police, etc.) and assist commanders in establishing and maintaining relations in combat zones.

Unconventional Warfare: Organize, train and assist guerrilla forces Information Operations: Attacks on enemy information-systems and defense of friendly ones.

Coalition Support: Assist multinational operating forces, coordinate between national forces and aid in communications, operations and training.

Humanitarian Assistance: Assist relief organizations in providing aid in natural or man-made disasters and war zones.

Security Assistance: Assist in training, development, etc. in DoD security programs and training.

Combat Search and Rescue: Penetrate combat zones/air defense networks to rescue pilots and deny downed technology to enemies.

Humanitarian Demining Operations: provide training to host nations in reducing or eliminating threats posed to noncombatants by mines/explosive devices.

Counterdrug Activities: Assist or train host nation's counterdrug forces to monitor and counter drug trafficking.

Special Activities: Conduct actions abroad in support of national policy that keeps the role of the US secret.

Peace Operations: Assist peacekeeping operations and forces.



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RULES
Occupational Templates

The number in parenthesis is the minimum a member of that unit must have in that skill. If you want to run with the big boys, well, you got to pay the cost.... Where "Hand to Hand Combat (30)" is listed, the character must devote 30 skill points among Fist/Punch, Grapple, Kick, and/or Knife. These minimum skills reflect the groups' basic training and advanced skills. Many individuals will have scores that exceed these considerably. Most of these groups are not special because they can hit a fly at 1000 yards with a rifle or are martial arts experts; their true worth is not as super soldiers, but as special soldiers who can act with decisiveness and professionalism.
Customization of these templates should occur to take into account a PC's background, other military training and experiences. These templates only reflect the training program of the unit in question.
Special Operations troops must be intelligent, strong-willed, educated, coordinated and physically fit. Characters should have STR, CON, INT, and POW of at least 12 and EDU of at least 15. There are no requirements for SIZ or APP.
Ranger: Demolitions (25), Hide (40), Navigation/Land (50), Parachuting (25), Spot Hidden (50), Special Operations, Rifle (40), Machine Gun, Electronics (25-Commo Gear), Sneak (40), Hand to Hand combat skills (30)

Special Forces: Bargain, Demolitions (25), Hide (30), Navigation/Land (50), Parachuting (25), Special Operations, Other Language (25), Fast Talk, Persuade, Sneak (30), Rifle (30), Submachine Gun (30), plus the following based on specialty:

Officer: Military Science (50)
Intelligence/Operations: Intelligence, Intelligence Analysis, Photography
Weapons: All Firearms Skills (30), plus Mechanical Repair (40)
Communications: Cryptography, Electronics (40), Mechanical Repair, Electrical Repair (30)
Engineer: Demolitions (40), Architecture, Carpentry, Mechanical Repair
Medical: First Aid (60), Medicine (35), Surgery (20), Pharmacy
SFOD-Delta Operator: Demolitions (30), Disguise, Drive Auto, Electronics, Parachuting (50), SCUBA (25), Special Operations, Sneak (40), Spot Hidden, Navigation/Land (60), Hide (40), Rifle/Submachine Gun (60), Pistol (50), Shotgun (50)

Security Force Guard: Spot Hidden, Special Operations, Rifle (30), Shotgun (45), Pistol (45), Listen, Mechanical Repair, Psychology

FAST Trooper: Same as Security Force Guard, above, plus Submachine Gun (45)

Recon Marine: Cartography, Spot Hidden (50), Navigation/Land (40), Boating (25), Demolitions (25), Hide (40), Sneak (40), Special Operations, Photography, Swim (40), Rifle (40), Submachine Gun (30)

Force Recon: Parachuting (25), SCUBA (25), Cartography, Spot Hidden (50), Navigation/Land (40), Boating (25), Demolitions (25), Hide (40), Sneak (40), Special Operations, Photography, Swim (40), Rifle (40), Submachine Gun (30)

ANGLICO: Use Force Recon, above, plus Electronics (30)

Scout/Sniper: Special Operations, Hide (50), Navigation/Land, Sneak (50), Spot Hidden (50), Track, Rifle (60), Swim

SEAL: Boating (25), Cartography, Hide, Sneak, Spot Hidden, Parachuting (25), SCUBA (40), Special Operations, Navigation/Land (35), Navigation/Sea, Air (35), Swim (45), Rifle (40), Submachine Gun (30), Pistol (30)

CCT: Parachuting (25), SCUBA (25), Special Operations, Navigation/Land, Navigation/Sea, Air (30), Swim (30), Climb, Spot Hidden, Electronics (30), Electrical Repair, Mechanical Repair

Pararescue: Use CCT, above, replacing Electronics, Electrical Repair and Mechanical Repair with First Aid (60), Medicine (35), Surgery (20) and Pharmacy

SO Meteorologist: Use CCT, above, and add Meteorology (45)

SOAR Pilot: Use the template in Delta Green. (Pilot Helicopter-50)

USAF SOC Pilot: Use the template in Delta Green. (Pilot Aircraft-50)



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New Skills

Special Operations (0%)

This "skill" is a special case. It is bought at a fixed cost of 50 Points. It represents the collection of Special Ops Skills that are not already covered but would be a waste of space to break down into individual skills. The character with this skill is allowed either a Know/Idea roll to represent this specialized training or can use it as a specialized sub-skill of another existing skill.
Some common uses and mechanics follow:
Rappelling: Can use Climb normally to represent the ability.
Fast Rope: Can use Climb normally to represent the ability.
Tactics (properly planning raids, ambushes, etc.): Can use Know roll. (This does not mean that the action itself is successful, that should be played out. It only allows the character to know the proper action for his character to take.)
Survival Skills: Can use Know Roll.
Area/Cultural/Military Knowledge of a foreign operating area: Allows a Know roll (keepers may wish to limit this to the unit's area specialty).
Forward Observing: Allows a Know Roll to accurately call in artillery support. An additional Luck roll is required for it to hit on the target. (Deviate the miss by how badly the roll fails; a 99-00 represents a "short" round on or near the team.)
Forward Aerial Observing: As Forward observing above but deals with Aircraft.
This list is by no means exclusive. The skill can be used for any such situation that arises.
Intelligence (0%)

As Special Operations above, this skill is bought for 50 Points and represents specialized training and knowledge of Intelligence Gathering and Intelligence operations. This skill would be bought/used by intelligence agents or military units trained in Intelligence. This will allow a Know or Idea Roll for a PC or character to know the standard operating protocol for their organization.
Other potential uses would include:
Vehicle Shadowing: use a Drive Auto roll to represent this ability.
Spot other intelligence operations: shadowing, dead-letter drops, and so on, with a Spot Hidden roll.
Area knowledge: allows knowledge of an area's culture and intelligence, military, and security apparatus, along with related issues at the Keeper's discretion. Use a Know or Idea Roll.
Special equipment useage: would represent special training with espionage equipment, such as cameras (Photography), communications (Electronics), bugs (Electronics or Electrical Repair), various chemicals of use to espionage (Chemistry), and others.
Allows the use of skills in special circumstances: Disguise, to avoid being spotted as an agent, Pharmacy, to apply the use of drugs such as "truth serums," and others.
This list is by no means exclusive. This skill can be used for any intelligence-related situation that would arise.
Intelligence Analysis (0%)

This Skill allows a character to analyze various incoming intelligence sources and formulate a coherent idea of the big picture. If successful, the roll will give the character as much information about the situation as allowed. The information may be lessened if sources are inaccurate or incomplete (Keeper's choice). Also, the information will only be as good as the amount received. Simple satellite pictures might show military movements or new constructions: their purpose could be determined, but not the owner's intent. With reports from agents and informants and the potential analysis grows. Failure indicates flawed information of some variety. The Keeper has the final say concerning the amount and quality of information.
This skill allows intelligence agents and military units trained in its use to gain informational research from intelligence sources much like research done with Library Use. It can also be used by Special Ops troops to analyze objects found during an operation for potential intelligence value to intelligence organizations.
Some examples of use:
Analyze satellite photos to determine troop movements, installations and so on.
Determine if papers found on prisoners or enemy dead have intelligence value.
Make judgements on the accuracy of HUMINT sources and determine what their reports might mean.
Interpret SIGINT messages for items of importance.
The above list is not exclusive.


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Skill Proficiency

The following skills should be considered to have a basic proficiency at 25%:
Boating
Demolitions
Parachuting (every additional 20 Points placed into the skill will allow an additional specialty: HALO, LALO, HAHO)
SCUBA
If used in their normal state, a skill roll is not made. Instead, make a Luck roll. If the Luck roll is successful, the skill is successful. If the roll is failed, the skill fails in some way. A roll of 99-00 represents a catastrophic failure.
For example, the PC has a 25% in Demolitions. Using the skill to place a standard package of assortment of explosives to destroy something, it would be a Luck roll. If failed, the charge may fail to blow, delay its explosion or so on. A 99-00 might represent it going off in the character's hand.
More advanced use of the skill will require a normal skill roll. Adverse conditions might also require a skill roll. Examples would include: boating in a heavy storm, HALO jumps, underwater demolitions, specialized SCUBA suits, and so on.


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Friction

A final rule to use in special operations is Friction. Simply put, Friction is the fancy, military term for Murphy's Law. Before a mission, make a Group Luck Roll (i.e., a Luck roll versus the Luck of the lowest member of the team). If it fails, something will go wrong on the mission. Some possibilities include:
Faulty intelligence (empty or stronger than expected).
Loss of supplies during infiltration (lost during jump or swamped boat, etc.).
Communications (or some other important piece of equipment) failure.
Unexpected premature enemy contact.


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OBSERVATIONS
Who is the best?

One of the things that many will ask is, "Who is the best?" The answer is, none of them is "the best." Every member of one of these units, both in America and around the world, is a professional. They receive training and gain experience that makes each one very special. In terms of being the best, this is like measuring sports teams. Armchair generals will scream for their "home teams" based on pride (and many times misconceptions from too many movies/books). With any success, they will point and shout about their team. With any defeat, many will scream that the unit is broken and needs major fixing.
Talk to almost anyone that is truly within the community. Most have served alongside members of the other units and have the highest respect for them. I've talked to SEALS and Force Recon men who have nothing but praise for the other. I've talked to SF men who thank God for their AF and SOAR comrades. It is usually the want-to-be who engages in this "best" thing.
Also, the training that each member undergoes is very similar. A Force Recon member will have many of the same skills as SEALs or SF: After a FR member has been through Marine Basic Training, School of Infantry, and Recon School, there will be next to no difference between him and a SEAL or so on. As anyone of these men advances through his career, they will undergo further training and experience that will refine them. With cross-training between units and schools, many will serve together and grow. The lines will blur. Who would be better, a USAF Pararescue or SF medical NCO? They receive almost identical training, and the Pararescue probably will get more real-world experience in his field dealing with more mundane ops such as aircraft crashes. Who would be better, a Marine NCO with 20 years under his belt, several real world deployments/actions, and a host of schools under his belt but never deployed with a SpecOps unit, or a 20-year old Ranger with a few months in his unit, with training but little experience? How would any of these units do their jobs properly without USAF, SOAR, SDV and so on?
Even looking at training provides little true insight, despite surface appearances. Looking at SEAL training, 26 weeks of intensive "fun," for example, doesn't show the real picture. Other training may seem shorter, so it must be lesser, right? Wrong. Units in the USMC and Army already have much of the basic skills taught to them that SEALs have to learn. In Rangers, SF and Recon, for example, they have already learned weapons handling, land navigation, tactics, and so on. The Navy men going into SEALs have to learn this and more. All these units have very tough selection and training, with none being truly better than any other.
Looking at missions doesn't provide the answer, either. Most of these units have specializations that they are very good at. But years of misuse and misunderstanding, coupled with changing world roles, have caused most units to learn the skills used by the others. Force Recon has been constantly misused, to the point that it just developed and accepted missions beyond its recon role. There are SCUBA-qualified SF teams that are easily the equal of SEAL divers. There are SEALs that are easily the equal of SF members when it comes to guerrilla warfare. It goes on and on. Even a failure in mission doesn't paint a picture of a lesser unit. When the SEALs failed at Paitilla Air Field in Panama, while attempting a large unit operation to take the area, it really doesn't say the unit was bad. Bad luck, misuse and a mission that they were not really trained to do is what hurt the operation, not a lack of individual skill or daring. The SEALs attempted a Ranger-type op that had never before been part of their bag of tricks. The mission may have failed, but lessons were learned and the force as a whole grew.
Even overseas, the distinctions are blurred. A third world nation's SpecOps might not have the money or fancy equipment others have. Still, when you get them in their backyard, they have many advantages to offset that.
Traditionally, the SAS was considered (and still is considered by many) to be the "best." At one time, when others SpecOps were in their infancy, this had merit. With the current degree of training, cross-training and experience, this is not the case. The current force is the equal of any other, neither better nor worse than their brothers are.
To be honest, many civilians could receive the exact same training, if they want to pursue it (and have the money). Parachuting and SCUBA courses are available. Firearms and fieldcraft schools exist. What really matters is the intensive training that is carried out under brutal conditions. This crams a great deal of information into a small package in a short period of time and allows effective deployment. It is not so much the training that is special, but the men. It is really a mixing of apples and oranges in many cases, and purely academic rambling to decide who is best. These are special men with special training and missions. They are all fantastic warriors in their own sense.
Roleplaying Notes

Another note, for role-playing, regards the general attitude produced within these units. Note that these are broad generalizations, not applicable to every member if the unit.
SEALs tend to be the most elitist of the SpecOps. They tend to be the most clannish and aloof.
Marine Recon and the USAF ground elements (Pararescue, etc.) tend to be the most approachable. In FR, this tends to be because their belonging to Recon is played down. The USMC has always sort of had a love-hate relationship with the "elite within an elite." Most FR Marines play up the fact that they are Marines first, with a special job to do. In the USAF, this trend seems to be because of the non-SpecOps side of their work. These men do jobs every day that don't involve specops and it seems to dilute their elitism (not their skills, their attitudes).
Rangers hold a special pride in their unit and its history/tradition/discipline. This manifests itself in different ways for different men. They are all professional and carry themselves as such, sometimes clannish and proud, sometimes not.
SF has had an up and down history. All members consider themselves elite and professional. Being in the limelight the most has softened their accessibility. While still clannish, they have been trained to deal with people and have faced much public interest or scrutiny. This manifests as sort of limited trust/mistrust way of dealing with outsiders.
SpecOps pilots tend to have the same attitude as fighter jocks. They are "the best of the best top gun types." They have a sort of controlled recklessness that shows through.
As I have said, these are very broad generalizations. There are quiet SEALs and brash SFers. I have included the above for a general way of portraying members for role-playing.
Operations and Application

With the exception of certain elements of Delta, remember that SpecOps troops are NOT intelligence agents. They may gather battlefield intelligence but they are not trained for undercover intel ops. Sometimes, they are misused, however...
Forget the lone-wolves you see in the movies. SpecOps troops are trained to operate as part of a team. You will almost never see one deployed alone for anything. They will usually have at least one other trooper with them for any mission.
SpecOps troopers are almost never betrayed and left behind as shown in the movies. The only time this will happen is when they are operating in a Black Op in an area where the U.S. cannot send support. The team will be aware of this fact ahead of time, however.
Many areas of the world have been rumored to have been the target of special recon missions by these units. The other side of the Iron Curtain (when it existed), the Soviet Union, North Korea, Cuba, areas of the Middle East and so on are supposed to have been the target of missions.
While the practice has been discontinued, certain older members of Army Special Forces and Navy SEALs have received training in the use of ADMs (Atomic Demolition Munitions - "backpack nukes"). Older characters could have skills/experiences to reflect this. Detachment Delta, also, probably has specially trained teams to help deal with these munitions.
SpecOps members make great additions to Delta Green. Small teams can be formed on a relatively permanent basis with an exterior mission (such as Marcinko's "Red Cell") while really serving as a research team or strike force to support Delta Green. Forget what you saw in the movies or read in action books. These men (women are allowed only into Delta and some have gone through SF but only to be trainers then, not operators) have great amounts of mental stability (i.e., high SAN). That is a prerequisite. They are highly skilled and their abilities have been enhanced. Members of these units have intelligence and academic skills to rival their civilian counterparts. Many hold degrees and advanced degrees. The amount of planning and research that goes into their operations hones their research capabilities. In short, they have access to skills, equipment, resources, and contacts to enhance their personal network and Delta Green as a whole.