Photo By Sgt. David Cordova | Green Berets with 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) and U.S. Air Force...... read more read more
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FORT CARSON, Co. — Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) executed a joint operation with U.S. Air Force pararescuemen (PJs), combat controllers (CCTs) and the U.S. Army Security Force Assistance Brigade. The operation served as the culminating exercise in the Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat Course (SFAUC) for five Special Forces Operational Detachment Alphas (SFOD-A), validating team members on key skills relating to urban combat.
SFAUC kickstarted in the early 2000s and is conducted at the group level. All seven special forces groups run the course according to a Program of Instruction provided by the United States Army Special Operations Command. This specialized training empowers 10th SFG(A) to continue to go into the United States European Command area of responsibility as subject matter experts and train European allies in any of the Special Forces’ main doctrinal missions, including unconventional warfare and direct action.
The joint operation involved a mock village, where operators conducted a close-quarters battle (CQB) to capture or kill a high-value target (HVT). Air Force special operators used their unique skills in emergency medical care and aircraft control, which helped different military branches work together more effectively. Throughout the mission, CCTs stayed in constant contact with a U28-A Draco aircraft, an AH-64 Apache helicopter, and a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.
The commander of Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) said he was excited about the blossoming relationship with Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), commenting on their anticipated return to training with 10th SFG(A) in six months.
“I’m trying to establish that relationship [with Air Force special operations] for Bravo company,” said the company commander. “I think there is a lot of inherent goodness in joint operations like this and learning how the Air Force or even the Navy plans and executes operations.”
Joint training allows each organization to familiarize themselves with the other branches' tactics, techniques and procedures. With the founding of the United States Special Operations Command in 1987, Air Force and Army Special Operations have been more formally tied into joint missions, often deploying with each other in austere conditions.
In an operation of this magnitude, each entity's essential tasks are different. The Air Force PJs focused on emergency medical care and casualty evacuation of American citizens. The CCTs concentrated their efforts on air asset control, and the Special Forces detachments were engrossed with finding and seizing the HVT, while simultaneously clearing the village of any combatant threats.
A week before the operation commenced, a special forces detachment performed reconnaissance on the mock village. It gave them critical information that helped the company plan effectively. Afterwards, sniper teams provided covering fire and intelligence as the detachments moved through the objective.
The Operations Warrant Officer for Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), gave insight into why joint operations are so important in the modern combat environment.
“Prior to 9/11, every [military] entity was more compartmentalized, and we found out the hard way we can’t operate like that to be successful,” said the company warrant officer. “We emphasized conducting joint operations - especially in this modern day and age with large-scale combat operations.”
After successfully capturing the HVT, each SFOD-A successfully exfiltrated the village. Their Air Force counterparts encountered injured personnel and completed a successful medical evacuation. The company commander said he hopes the two branches will work more closely together the next time AFSOC visits Fort Carson. He wants to exchange tactics, including CQB and medical training. He explained that the teams were limited in how much information they could exchange due to time restrictions but seemed optimistic about future training opportunities.
On this mission and over the objective they practiced the same language: speed, precision and ruthless coordination - the ingredients of modern lethality.
| Date Taken: | 09.04.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.25.2025 17:16 |
| Story ID: | 549289 |
| Location: | COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 74 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Joint Training Strengthens Partnerships for Urban Combat, by SGT David Cordova, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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