It is inaccurate to state that the Army Special Forces, also known as the Green Berets, are a Tier 1 unit. Tier 1 units carry out the most sensitive and complex missions. Tier 2 units, on the other hand, provide support to Tier 1 units and include units such as the 24th Special Operations Squadron, the Intelligence Support Activity, and the Ranger Recon Company.
The Army Special Forces and other units like the SEALs, Marine Raiders, and Air Force Combat Search and Rescue teams are classified as Tier 3 units within the special operations commands of their respective services. However, when a Tier 3 unit is attached to the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) to support a mission, it is temporarily reclassified as a Tier 2 unit.
Special mission units are considered Tier 1 units and fall under the command and control of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) of the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). These units are responsible for carrying out highly classified and sensitive missions and tasks related to unconventional warfare, counter-terrorism, direct action, special reconnaissance, and black operations.
US Military Tier 1 Components
So far, only four SMUs have been publicly disclosed:
- The Army’s 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment – Delta
- The Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment: Regimental Reconnaissance Company
- The Navy’s Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU)
- The Air Force’s 24th Special Tactics Squadron (24 STS)
There is a common belief that the term “Tier 1” refers to the level of government funding allocated to special operations units classified as such. Tier 1 units indeed receive more funding than conventional units and “white” special operations forces (SOF) units, which do not typically conduct classified or covert operations.
This is incorrect. The 75th Ranger Regiment is NOT Tier-1. Its considered
Tier-2 along with the Army’s 160th SOAR, USMC Raiders (aka MARSOC), Navy SEALs (ie Teams 1, 3, 7, 11, 13), USAF 21st STS, and the Army’s SFGs (ie 1, 3, 5, 7, 10 etc) known as “Green Berets.”
There are only 3 Tier-1 units (not including the CIA’s SOG:
1. DEVGRU (form. known as SEAL Team 6)
2. Army’s 1st SFOD-Delta (DELTA FORCE)
3. USAF’s 24th STS (Special Tactics Squad)
There are apparently Tier-3 units, though I don’t know much about it.
It’s wrong to assume that higher budgets are why one tier is higher than another. However, a Tier-1 unit will absolutely have higher budgets than Tier-2 units…but it’s the intense training, operational capacity, specialization, secrecy, and competitive exclusivity, and organizational integration into USSOCOM & JSOC that help determine the tiers.
He didn’t say the 75th Ranger Regiment is considered Tier 1, he said the 75th Ranger Regiment’s Regimental Reconnaissance Company is considered Tier 1.
Detail. It’s all in the detail.
All this Tier 1 level talk going around! I’ll take the SF “Gren Berets” such as (ODA) 595 Horse Soldiers and put them up with any Tier 1 Unit lmao..
whether it’s dem boys from dam neck devgru team 6 gold red rainbow silver pink squadron jk whatever……….cag delta or the unit whatever u wanna call them…..there all bad ass respect them all and their sacrifices theve made and still continue to make for this fucked up country and thank them for their service