Internet Anagram Server = I, rearrangement servant = Isn’t rearrangement rave?

¹

Dormitory = Dirty Room

Eleven plus two = Twelve plus one
(BTW, this anagram has 13 letters!)

Dictionary = Indicatory

Schoolmaster = The classroom

Hatred = Red hat

Elvis = Lives

Listen = Silent

Clint Eastwood = Old West Action

Conversationalists = Conservationalists

(the longest one-word anagram in English – 18 letters)

London Tube map, anagrammed by Barry Heck

Madam Curie = Radium came

A telephone girl = Repeating “Hello”

Western Union = No Wire Unsent

The countryside = No city dust here

Evangelist = Evil’s Agent

Astronomers = Moon starers = No more stars

Postmaster = Stamp Store

A telescope = To see place

The eyes = They see

The ears = Hear set

The cockroach = Cook, catch her

Waitress = A stew, Sir?

The centenarians = I can hear ten “tens”

Desperation = A rope ends it

I run to escape ~ a persecution

The Morse code = Here come dots

The meaning of life = The fine game of nil

Slot Machines = Cash lost in ’em

Conversation = Voices rant on

Disraeli = I lead, Sir

Clothespins = So let’s pinch

Mr. Mojo risin’ = Jim Morrison
From the Doors song, “L.A. Woman”

The Great New York Rapid Transit Tunnel = Giant work in street, partly underneath

Florence Nightingale = Flit on Cheering Angel = Nigel, Fetch an Iron Leg

MacDonalds = Clam and sod

Darling I love you = Leaving your idol = Avoiding our yell

Butterfly = Flutter-by

Heavy Rain? = Hire a navy!

Tom Cruise = So I’m cuter

Animosity = Is no amity

Mother-in-law = Woman Hitler

Father-in-law = Near halfwit

Funeral = Real fun

Protectionism = Cite no imports = Nice to imports

A domesticated animal = Docile, as a man tamed it

The railroad train = Hi! I rattle and roar

The Hilton = Hint: Hotel

A rolling stone gathers no moss = Stroller on go, amasses nothing

Sunshine and Shadow = Show in sun and shade

The check is in the mail = Claim “Heck, I sent it (heh)”

The United States Bureau of Fisheries = I raise the bass to feed us in the future

Snooze alarms = Alas! No more Zs

Vacation times = I’m not as active
Mike Gillis

Software = Swear oft

Metathesis = It’s the same
Fred Domino

Sycophant = Acts phony
Stephen Jones

Silicon Graphics = A long chip crisis = Can logic ship, sir? = Gosh, sir, I can clip!

Alec Guinness = Genuine class
Dick Cavett

The detectives = Detect thieves

The hospital ambulance = A cab, I hustle to help man

Semolina = Is no meal

The United States of America = Attaineth its cause, freedom

Christmas tree = Search, Set, Trim

A gentleman = Elegant man

Presbyterians = Best in prayers = Britney Spears

The public art galleries = Large picture halls, I bet

A decimal point = I’m a dot in place

The earthquakes = That queer shake

Salman Rushdie = Read, shun Islam

Martin Scorsese = Screen is a storm

Barbie doll = I’ll bare bod = Babe I’d roll = Liberal bod

Student Information Processing Board = Computation transgression forbidden
MIT

Statue of Liberty = Built to stay free

Mel Gibson = Bong smile

Admirer = Married

Indomitableness = Endless ambition

New York Times = Monkeys write = Monkey writes
Andrew Glines

Television programming = Permeating living rooms
Dan

David Letterman = Nerd amid late TV

Howard Stern = Retard shown

Contradiction = Accord not in it
E. Tyron

Debit card = Bad credit
Mike Morton

Naturalist = A trails nut

Internet routers = Reorient net ruts
Kevin Dorner

Church of Scientology = Rich-chosen goofy cult
Kevin Dorner

Movie summaries:

The Maltese Falcon = Sam, locate left hen

The Shining = Highest inn

It’s a Wonderful Life = Wife, I lost real fund

The Shawshank Redemption = Tim taken, showed harsh pen

Kevin Dorner

Mummy = My Mum
Chris Dean

God save us all = Salvaged soul
Dawn Amos

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz = Cwm fjord bank glyphs vext quiz
Pangram

“Be Like Water” = We break tile
Ozan Sarikaya (a well-known quotation attributed to martial-arts expert Bruce Lee)

Just because some of us can read and write and do a little math, that doesn’t mean we deserve to conquer the universe. = A masquerade can cover a sense of what is real to deceive us; to be unjaded and not lost, we must, then, determine truth.
Cory Calhoun (Quotation by Kurt Vonnegut)

There is only one thing worse than being talked about and that is not being talked about = Wilde died broken, beaten ‘n’ total nut. Hate being sunk in that rotten gaol. Shh, gay is taboo.
Larry Brash (Quotation by Oscar Wilde)

To be or not to be: that is the question, whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune = In one of the Bard’s best-thought-of tragedies, our insistent hero, Hamlet, queries on two fronts about how life turns rotten.
Cory Calhoun (Quotation from Hamlet by Shakespeare)

William Shakespeare = Willie makes a phrase
Donald Griffith

US Presidents

Tuesday, November Third = Many Voted, Bush Retired
The election of Clinton over incumbent Bush Sr.

Why shouldn’t America go re-elect President Clinton in Ninety-Six? = He has a prime or cunning tendency to wildly solicit Internet sex
Cory Calhoun

Mr. William Jefferson Clinton, former President of these United States of America = Monica flirts. Wife sees hot jism from cad land on fat intern, set to rule free empire
Joe Kline

Spiro Agnew = Grow a spine = Grow a penis

William Clinton = I’m it, an ill clown

William Jefferson Clinton = Firm clean fellow. Joint? Sin!
William Schmidt

William Jefferson Clinton = Jail Mrs. Clinton: felon wife
Ward Hardman

George Herbert Walker Bush = Huge berserk rebel warthog

George Bush = He bugs Gore

Ronald Wilson Reagan = No, darlings, no ERA law
Mike Morton [ERA: Equal Rights Amendment]

Ronald Reagan = A darn long era

Thomas Jefferson = O, short name’s Jeff
Dennis R. Ridley

Long Works of Anagramming:

Anthem For Doomed Youth
by Wilfred Owen

Jason Lofts

Cool Hand Luke Anagram

“Captain, Road Prison: What we’ve got here is failure to communicate. Some men you just can’t reach. So you get what we had here last week, which is the way he wants it… well, he gets it.”
=
We see America’s anti-hero flip it — where? At The Man! Tut! Luke vows not getting it — rams his way. Cool Hand split — wee gutsy hare! Ram out! Wow! Cheetah cojones! Why, he aces with a deuce!

Dennis R. Ridley

The top twelve all-time absolute worst people in history, ranked by the wisdom of the crowd

Maurice Goddard

The Curse of the Ring (from The Lord of the Rings)

Michael J. Mateyka

Inscription (from The Lord of the Rings)

Ennyn Durin Aran Moria. Pedo mellon a minno. Im Narvi hain echant. Celebrimbor o Eregion teithant i thiw hin. = I’m main entrance into Dwarven hall. I’m iron; no enemy, human or hobbit, can enter. Thing in pool, I hear in air. Die. = Hi, human idiot. I am main entrance into Dwarven hall. I’m iron; no enemy can enter, nor bribe. I hear thing in pool.

Doug Yanega

Washington Crossing the Delaware
A hard, howling, tossing water scene.
Strong tide was washing hero clean.
“How cold!” Weather stings as in anger.
O Silent night shows war ace danger!
The cold waters swashing on in rage.
Redcoats warn slow his hint engage.
When star general’s action wish’d “Go!”
He saw his ragged continentals row.
Ah, he stands – sailor crew went going.
And so this general watches rowing.
He hastens – winter again grows cold.
A wet crew gain Hessian stronghold.
George can’t lose war with’s hands in;
He’s astern – so go alight, crew, and win!

David Shulman (Every line of this sonnet is an anagram of its title)

Cory Calhoun

More:

• Information Superhighway by Mike Morton
• Chronological story of OJ Simpson
• A short story by Daniel Cohen

Leroy Newton Gingrich =
Yon Right-winger Clone
Lingering, once worthy
I negligent, horny, crow
Grow incoherent, lying

Movie Reviews

Hook = Oh, OK

Raiders of the Lost Ark = Ford, the Real Star, is OK

The Towering Inferno = Not Worth Fire Engine

GAMES Magazine

Prince of Tides = PS. I cried often

The Silence of the Lambs = The con bites male flesh

Philip Silverman

Gentleman’s Agreement = Men entangle, stem rage

Taysir Jabr

Motion picture ‘From Russia with love’= True mush of virile patriot in Moscow

Pinchas Aronas

Coming To America = A cinematic groom

Leo Mackillop (Eddie Murphy film about him finding a bride)

Tony Blair, MP = I’m Tory plan B

Virginia Bottomley = I’m an evil Tory bigot

Margaret Thatcher = A charm tart, get her!

Twenty thousand leagues under the sea = Huge water tale stuns. End had you tense.

E.L. Benfer

The end of the world is nigh! = Down this hole, frightened!

Donald L. Holmes

The best things in life are free = Nail-biting refreshes the feet

Donald L. Holmes

“That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” Neil A. Armstrong = A thin man ran; makes a large stride; left planet, pins flag on moon! On to Mars!

Steve Krakowski

Do an angry hit = Tonya Harding

Tim DeLaney

Grace ‘n any rink = Nancy Kerrigan

Tim DeLaney

Vegetarianism = Grains vie meat

Nirmal Raj

Pre-natal = Parental = Paternal

Name is Anu Garg = Anagram Genius

Eric Shackle

Anu Garg = Anurag G.

Harshal Madhavapeddi (Anu is a shortened version of the name Anurag)

The anagrammatist group = As I’m Mr. Anu Garg at the top!

Adie Pena

Get numerous anagrams = Or, Anu Garg’s amusement

Anu’s bag is a rareness of magical grammar = Garg’s business: miracle of anagram-arama

‘The most welcomed, most enduring piece of daily mass e-mail in cyberspace’ = Hey, come by! Meet all-time wildest spiced anagram finder’s coupe in Cosmos!

Dennis R. Ridley

www.wordsmith.org/anagram = Grammar was downright wow!

John Crowe

Anu Garg’s “The Anagram Times” = Sharing a ragtag amusement

Dharam Khalsa

Anu Garg’s “The Anagram Times” = He emits as “gargantuan” ‘gram = See, a “gargantuan ‘gramsmith”!

Jason Lofts

Anagrams Never Lie… = Reveals a renaming

Did you discover a gem of an anagram which you think belongs here? Email it to (words AT wordsmith.org).

What’s New | Awards & Articles | Site Map
Anagrams Found

© 2014 Wordsmith

The Black Swan legend is a fascinating tale that has captured the imagination of many cultures throughout history. In various mythologies and folklore, the black swan is often seen as a symbol of mystery, transformation, and unexpected events. The legend of the black swan has been used to convey the idea that even the most improbable or unforeseen occurrences can still take place, challenging conventional wisdom and expectations. This enigmatic bird represents the beauty and power of the unknown, reminding us that life is full of surprises and possibilities beyond our imagination.

The black swan symbolizes transformation in various cultural contexts due to its unique characteristics and associations. One example of how the black swan represents transformation is through its color. In many cultures, black is often associated with mystery, darkness, and the unknown. The black swan’s coloration can be seen as a metaphor for undergoing a profound change or transition, emerging from darkness into a new phase of life or existence.

Additionally, the black swan’s ability to adapt and thrive in diverse environments symbolizes resilience and transformation. Despite its dark plumage, the black swan is known for its elegance, grace, and ability to navigate different waters with ease. This adaptability and resilience can serve as a powerful symbol for individuals going through personal growth or transformation, reminding them of their capacity to overcome challenges and emerge stronger.

Furthermore, the black swan’s presence in mythology and folklore often represents the unexpected or the miraculous. Its appearance can signal a turning point or a moment of profound change, challenging perceptions and expanding possibilities. By embodying the element of surprise and the unknown, the black swan inspires individuals to embrace transformation and welcome new beginnings in their lives.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the special operations force. For other uses, see Delta Force (disambiguation).

1st Special Forces Operational Detachment–Delta (Airborne)
USASOC‘s shoulder sleeve insignia worn by Delta operators, depicting the historical Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife inside the outline of an arrowhead
Founded	19 November 1977; 47 years ago
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army
Type	Special mission unit
Role	Special operations Counterterrorism
Size	Classified[1] see below
Part of	Joint Special Operations Command U.S. Army Special Operations Command
Headquarters	Fort Bragg, North Carolina, U.S.
Nickname(s)	“The Unit”, Combat Applications Group (CAG), Task Force Green, “D’Boys”[2]
Engagements	Operation Eagle ClawOperation Urgent FuryOperation Just CauseOperation Acid GambitPersian Gulf WarColombian Drug WarSomali Civil WarOperation Restore HopeOperation Gothic SerpentOperation Uphold Democracy[3]Yugoslav WarsNATO intervention in BosniaKosovo WarGlobal War on TerrorismOperation Enduring FreedomBattle of Tora BoraInsurgency in Jammu and Kashmir[4]Iraq WarOperation Juniper ShieldOperation Inherent Resolve[5]Operation Kayla Mueller2012 Benghazi attack[6][7]Mexican drug war[8]Operation Black Swan
Decorations	Presidential Unit Citation Joint Meritorious Unit Award Valorous Unit Award
Commanders
Current commander	Classified
Notable commanders	Charles Alvin Beckwith William F. Garrison William G. Boykin Peter J. Schoomaker Eldon A. Bargewell Gary L. Harrell Bennet S. Sacolick Austin S. Miller Mark J. O’Neil James Jarrard Christopher T. Donahue
Insignia
USASOC Distinctive Unit Insignia

The 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment–Delta (1st SFOD-D), also known as Delta Force, Combat Applications Group (CAG), or within Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) as Task Force Green,^[2] is a special operations force of the United States Army under the operational control of JSOC. The unit’s missions primarily involve counterterrorism, hostage rescue, direct action, and special reconnaissance, often against high-value targets.

Delta Force, along with the Intelligence Support Activity, and its Navy and Air Force counterparts, DEVGRU (SEAL Team 6) and the 24th Special Tactics Squadron, are the U.S. military’s tier one special mission units that are tasked with performing the most complex, covert, and dangerous missions directed by the president of the United States and the secretary of defense.^[9][10]

Most Delta Force operators and combat support members are selected from the Army Special Operations Command‘s 75th Ranger Regiment and U.S. Army Special Forces, though selection is open to other special operations and conventional units across the Army and other military branches.^[11][12]

History

[edit]

Delta Force was created in 1977 after numerous well-publicized terrorist incidents led the U.S. government to develop a full-time counter-terrorism unit.

Key military and government figures had already been briefed on this type of unit in the early 1960s. Charlie Beckwith, a Special Forces (Green Berets) officer and Vietnam War veteran, served as an exchange officer with the British Army‘s 22 Special Air Service Regiment during the Malayan Emergency. On his return, Beckwith presented a detailed report highlighting the U.S. Army’s vulnerability in not having a SAS-type unit. U.S. Army Special Forces in that period focused on unconventional warfare providing training and medical care to indigenous resistance fighters, but Beckwith recognized the need for “not only a force of teachers, but a force of doers”.^[13] He envisioned highly adaptable and completely autonomous small teams with a broad array of special skills for direct action and counter-terrorism missions. He briefed military and government figures, who were resistant to creating a new unit outside of Special Forces or changing existing methods.^[14]

Finally, in the mid-1970s, as the threat of terrorism grew, Pentagon and Army senior leaders appointed Beckwith to form the unit.^[15] Beckwith estimated that it would take 24 months to get his new unit mission ready. Beckwith’s estimate came from a conversation he had had earlier with Brigadier John Watts while in England in 1976. Watts had made it clear to Beckwith that it would take eighteen months to build a squadron, but advised him to tell Army leaders that it would take two years, and not to “let anyone talk (him) out of this.” To justify why it would take two years to build Delta, Beckwith and his staff drafted what they dubbed the “Robert Redford Paper,” which outlined its necessities and historical precedents for a four-phase selection/assessment process.^[16]

Delta Force was established on 19 November 1977, by Beckwith and Colonel Thomas Henry.^[17] In the meantime, Colonel Bob “Black Gloves” Mountel of the 5th Special Forces Group created a unit to bridge the short-term gap that existed until Delta was ready, dubbed Blue Light.^[18] The initial members of the unit were screened from volunteers and put through a specialized selection process in early 1978, involving a series of land navigation problems in mountainous terrain while carrying increasing weight. The purpose was to test candidates’ endurance, stamina, willingness to endure, and mental resolve. The first training course lasted from April to September 1978. Delta Force was certified as fully mission capable in fall 1979, right before the Iran hostage crisis.^[19]

On 4 November 1979, 52 American diplomats and citizens were taken captive and held in the U.S. embassy in Tehran, Iran. Delta Force was tasked to plan and execute Operation Eagle Claw, the effort to recover the hostages from the embassy by force on the nights of 24 and 25 April in 1980. The operation was aborted due to helicopter failures. The review commission that examined the failure found 23 problems with the operation, among them unexpected weather encountered by the aircraft, command-and-control problems between the multi-service component commanders, a collision between a helicopter and a ground-refueling tanker aircraft, and mechanical problems that reduced the number of available helicopters from eight to five (one fewer than the minimum desired) before the mission contingent could leave the trans-loading/refueling site.^[20][21]

After the failed operation, the U.S. government realized more changes were needed. The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), also known as the “Night Stalkers”, was created for special operations requiring air support. The Navy’s SEAL Team Six, an earlier incarnation of the current Naval Special Warfare Development Group, was created for maritime counter-terrorism operations. The Joint Special Operations Command was created for command and control of the military’s various counter-terrorism units.

Organization and structure

[edit]

The unit is under the organization of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC), but is controlled by the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). Command of 1st SFOD-D is a colonel‘s billet. Virtually all information about the unit is highly classified and details about specific missions or operations generally are not available publicly. The unit is headquartered at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Delta Force’s structure is similar to the British 22 SAS Regiment, which inspired Delta’s formation. In Not a Good Day to Die: The Untold Story of Operation Anaconda, Army Times staff writer Sean Naylor describes Delta as having, at the time (in 2001), nearly 1,000 soldiers, of whom about 250 to 300 are trained to conduct direct action and hostage rescue operations. The rest are combat support and service support personnel who are among the very best in their fields.^[22]

Naylor further details Delta Force’s structure in his book Relentless Strike: The Secret History of Joint Special Operations Command. He describes a few formations in Delta, primarily the following operational elements:

• A Squadron
• B Squadron
• C Squadron
• D Squadron
• E Squadron^[23]
• G Squadron (advanced force operations (AFO), formerly known as Operational Support Troop (OST))^[24]
• Signal Squadron
• Combat Support Squadron
• Combat Development Directorate
• Selection and Training

A, B, C, and D Squadrons are sabre squadrons (assault). C Squadron was activated around 1990 and D Squadron in 2006. Combat Support Squadron was activated in 2005. E Squadron was activated in 1989 and is stationed separately in Fort Eustis, Virginia, where it is known as the Aviation Technology Office. An earlier forerunner of the unit was known as SeaSpray.

Within each squadron there are three troops: troops 1 and 2 (assault) and troop 3 (reconnaissance).^[22] Each squadron is led by a lieutenant colonel (O-5),^[25] executive officer and a command sergeant major (E-9). Troops are led by captains (O-3) or majors (O-4) and are assisted by sergeants major (E-9).^[26] Each troop has four teams, each one led by a team leader, a master sergeant (E-8) or sergeant first class (E-7), and an assistant team leader who can also have the same rank. Each team usually has five or six members.^[27][28]

Recruitment

[edit]

Since the 1990s, the Army has posted recruitment notices for the 1st SFOD-D.^[29][30] The Army, however, has never released an official fact sheet for the unit. The recruitment notices in Fort Bragg’s newspaper, Paraglide, refer to Delta Force by name, and label it “…the U.S. Army’s special operations unit organized for the conduct of missions requiring rapid response with surgical application of a wide variety of unique special operations skills…”.^[31] The notice states that applicants must be in the grade of E-4 through E-8, have at least two and a half years of service remaining in their enlistment, be 22 years or older, and have an Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery GT score of 110 or higher to attend a briefing to be considered for admission. Candidates must be airborne qualified or volunteer for airborne training. Officer candidates need to be O-3 or O-4. All candidates must be eligible for a security clearance level of “secret” and have not been convicted by court-martial or have disciplinary action noted in their official military personnel file under the provisions of Article 15 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

On 29 June 2006 during a session of the Committee on Armed Services, General Wayne Downing testified before the U.S. House of Representatives that “[t]he Delta Force is probably 70 percent Rangers who have come out of either a Ranger [to] Special Forces track or directly from [the] Ranger Regiment to Delta”.^[32]

Selection process

[edit]

Selection is held twice a year (late March to late April, and late September to late October) at Camp Dawson, West Virginia, and lasts four weeks. Eric Haney‘s book Inside Delta Force described the selection course and its inception in detail. Haney wrote that the course began with standard tests including push-ups, sit-ups, and a 2-mile (3.2 km) run, an inverted crawl and a 110-yard (330 ft; 100 m) swim fully dressed. The candidates were then put through a series of land navigation courses, one of which required them to travel 18 miles (29 km) at night while carrying a 40-pound (18 kg) rucksack. With every successive challenge, the distance to cover and the weight of the rucksack are increased, while less time is allotted. The final challenge was a 40-mile (64 km) march with a 45-pound (20 kg) rucksack over rough terrain that had to be completed in an unknown amount of time; this was also colloquially known as “The Long Walk”.^[33] Haney wrote that only the senior officer and NCO in charge of selection were allowed to see the set time limits, but all assessment and selection tasks and conditions were set by Delta training cadre.^[15][1]

The mental portion of the testing began with numerous psychological exams. Each candidate was then called to face a board of Delta instructors, unit psychologists, and the Delta commander, who asked the candidate a barrage of questions and then dissected every response and mannerism to exhaust the candidate mentally. The commander then approaches the candidate and informs him if he has been selected. Those who passed the screening process underwent an intense six-month Operator Training Course (OTC), to learn counter-terrorism and counter-intelligence techniques, and training with firearms and other weapons. Participants were allowed very little contact with friends and family for the duration.^[1]

In an interview, former Delta operator Paul Howe mentioned the high attrition rate of the Delta selection course. He said that out of his two classes of 120 applicants each, 12 to 14 completed the selection.^[34][35] Former Navy SEAL, DEVGRU and Delta operator Kevin Holland stated that in his selection class 120 candidates started, 16 passed and eight finished OTC.^[36]

The Central Intelligence Agency‘s secretive Special Activities Center (SAC) and more specifically its Special Operations Group (SOG), often works with – and recruits – former operators from Delta Force.^[37]

Training

[edit]

According to Eric Haney, the unit’s Operator Training Course is approximately six months long. While the course is constantly changing, the skills taught broadly include the following:

• Marksmanship:
  • The trainees shoot without aiming at stationary targets at close range until they gain almost complete accuracy, then progress to moving targets.
  • Once these shooting skills are perfected, trainees move to a shoot house and clear rooms of “enemy” targets – first one only, then two at a time, then three, and finally four. When all trainees can demonstrate the sufficient skill required, “hostages” are added to the mix.
• Demolitions and Breaching:
  • Trainees learn how to pick many different locks, including those on cars and safes.
  • Advanced demolition and bomb-making using common materials.
• Combined skills (the FBI, FAA, and other agencies were used to advise on the training of this portion of OTC):
  • The new Delta operators use demolition and marksmanship at the shoot house and other training facilities to train for hostage and counter-terrorist operations with assault and sniper troops working together. They practice terrorist or hostage situations in buildings, aircraft, and other settings.
  • All trainees learn how to set sniper positions around a building containing hostages. They learn the proper ways to set up a Tactical Operations Center (TOC) and communicate in an organized manner. Although Delta has specialized sniper troops, all members go through this training.
  • The students then go back to the shoot house and the “hostages” are replaced with other students and Delta Force members. Live ammunition is known to have been used in these exercises, to test the students, and build trust between one another.^[38]
• Tradecraft (during the first OTCs and Delta creation, CIA personnel were used to teach this portion of the training):
  • Students learn different espionage-related skills, such as dead drops, brief encounters, pickups, load and unload signals, danger and safe signals, surveillance and counter-surveillance.
• Executive Protection (during the first OTCs and creation of Delta, the U.S. State Department‘s Diplomatic Security Service and the United States Secret Service were consulted and advised Delta):
  • Students take an advanced driving course to learn to use a vehicle or many vehicles as defensive and offensive weapons.
  • They then learn techniques for VIP and diplomatic protection developed by the Secret Service and DSS.
• Culmination Exercise:
  • A final test requires the students to apply and dynamically adapt all of the skills that they have learned.

Delta Force trains with other foreign special operations units to improve tactics and increase relationships with them, including the Australian Special Air Service Regiment, the British Special Air Service, and Canada’s Joint Task Force 2.^[39][40][41]

Unit name

[edit]

In a 2010 article, Marc Ambinder reported that Army Compartmented Elements (ACE) was a new cover name for Delta Force.^[42] However, Ambinder subsequently wrote an e-book about JSOC in which he reported that the Army Compartmented Elements is a different unit from Delta.^[43][44]

In January 2022 it was reported that the name of the unit may have recently been changed to the 3rd Operational Support Group.^[45]

Secrecy

[edit]

The Department of Defense tightly controls information about Delta Force and usually refuses to comment publicly on the highly secretive unit and its activities, unless the unit is part of a major operation or a unit member has been killed. Delta operators are granted an enormous amount of flexibility and autonomy during military operations overseas.^[1] Relaxed grooming standards such as civilian hairstyles and facial hair are allowed to enable the members to blend in and avoid recognition as military personnel.^[35][1]

2023 Israel incident

During President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel, the White House accidentally published a photo of Delta Force operators with unblurred faces and tattoos, drawing scrutiny.^[46][47] The White House later issued an apology for the incident.^[48]

The term “operator”

[edit]

In Veritas, the Journal of Army Special Operations History, Charles H. Briscoe stated that “SF did not misappropriate the appellation. Unbeknownst to most members of the ARSOF (Army Special Operations Forces) community, that moniker was adopted by Special Forces in the mid to late 1950s.” He goes on to state that all qualified enlisted and officers in Special Forces had to “voluntarily subscribe to the provisions of the ‘Code of the Special Forces Operator’ and pledge themselves to its tenets by witnessed signature.”^[49]

Inside the United States special operations community, an operator is a Delta Force member who has completed selection and has finished OTC (Operator Training Course). “Operator” was used by Delta Force to distinguish between operators (assaulters and snipers) and combat support assigned to the unit.^[1]

Operations

[edit]

Main article: List of operations conducted by Delta Force

Most operations assigned to Delta are classified, but some details have become public knowledge. For service during Operation Urgent Fury, the United States’ invasion of Grenada, Delta was awarded the Joint Meritorious Unit Award. The unit was awarded the Valorous Unit Award for extraordinary heroism during the Modelo Prison hostage rescue mission and the capture of Manuel Noriega in December 1989 during Operation Just Cause in Panama. 1st SFOD-D operators from C Squadron were also involved in Operation Gothic Serpent in Somalia.

During Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, 1st SFOD-D was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for combat operations in Afghanistan from 4 October 2001 to 15 March 2002 and Iraq from 19 March 2003 to 13 December 2003.^[50]

On 26 October 2019, Delta operators accompanied by members of the 75th Ranger Regiment conducted a raid on the compound of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, leading to his death.^[51]

See also

[edit]

• List of Delta Force members

References

[edit]

1. ^ Jump up to:^{a b c d e f} Haney 2002.
2. ^ Jump up to:^a b Naylor 2015.
3. ^ Cawthorne 2008, p. 97.
4. ^ Smith, Michael (23 February 2002). “SAS joins Kashmir Hunt for bin Laden”. The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 11 June 2022.
5. ^ “US-Iraqi rescue operation ‘foils IS mass execution'”. BBC News. 22 October 2015. Archived from the original on 13 June 2022.
6. ^ Scarborough, Rowan (25 January 2014). “Delta Force commando who saved ‘numerous lives’ in Benghazi seige honored”. The Washington Times. Archived from the original on 13 June 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
7. ^ Harkins, Gina (29 April 2020). “A Delta Force Marine earned the Navy Cross in Benghazi”. We Are the Mighty. Archived from the original on 20 May 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
8. ^ Murphy, Jack (11 January 2016). “JSOC’s Secretive Delta Force Operators on the Ground for El Chapo Capture”. SOFREP News. Archived from the original on 5 June 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
9. ^ “In high demand, Air Force commandos must find new ways to cope with stress of duty”. The Gaffney Ledger. Gaffney, South Carolina. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
10. ^ updated, Marc Ambinder last (22 March 2013). “The most secret of secret units”. theweek. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
11. ^ “Special Operations/Delta Force”. Military.com. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
12. ^ “5 key differences between Delta Force and SEAL Team 6”. We Are the Mighty. Archived from the original on 22 November 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
13. ^ Beckwith & Knox 2000, p. 39.
14. ^ Lewis, Jon E., ed. (1997). The Handbook of the SAS And Elite Forces. How The Professionals Fight And Win. Robinson Publishing Ltd. p. 39 -Tactics And Techniques, American Army Special Forces. ISBN 1-85487-675-9.
15. ^ Jump up to:^a b Beckwith & Knox 2000.
16. ^ Beckwith & Knox 2000, p. 142-143.
17. ^ Goolsby, Denise (14 July 2016). “Palm Springs man was Army Delta Force co-creator”. The Desert Sun. Palm Springs, Cal. Archived from the original on 20 July 2022.
18. ^ Beckwith & Knox 2000, p. 131.
19. ^ Smith, Stew (9 July 2021). “Delta Force: Missions and History”. Military.com. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022.
20. ^ Bowden, Mark (May 2006). “The Desert One Debacle”. The Atlantic Monthly. Archived from the original on 19 May 2022.
21. ^ Gabriel 1985, p. 106–16.
22. ^ Jump up to:^a b Naylor 2006.
23. ^ Naylor 2015, p. 57.
24. ^ “1st Special Forces Operational Detachment – Delta (1st SFOD-D)”. special-ops.org. 21 March 2013.
25. ^ Naylor 2015, p. 73, 122, 201, 222, 476.
26. ^ Naylor 2015, p. 199, 476.
27. ^ Hookstead, David (17 January 2024). “Delta Force Selection For Officers is Insane”. youtube.com.
28. ^ Ryan, Shawn (20 March 2023). “Chris VanSant – Delta Force / Killing Off the “Deck of Cards” & Capturing Saddam”. youtube.com.
29. ^ “SFOD-D seeking new members” (PDF). Mountaineer. Fort Carson, CO. 16 January 2003. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 January 2004.
30. ^ “1st SFOD-Delta Recruiting”. Fort Campbell Courier. Fort Campbell, Kentucky. 10 February 2011. Archived from the original on 20 July 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
31. ^ “Fort Bragg’s newspaper Paraglide, recruitment notice for Delta Force”. Archived from the original on 11 June 2009. Retrieved 17 November 2009.
32. ^ “Assessing U.S. Special Operations Command’s Missions and Roles” (PDF). Federation of American Scientists. House Armed Services Committee. 29 June 2006. p. 22. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 June 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
33. ^ Satterly & Jackson 2019.
34. ^ : “Delta Force Tryouts”. Military.com. 18 July 2013. Retrieved 18 February 2014 – via YouTube. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine.
35. ^ Jump up to:^a b Bowden 1999, p. 35.
36. ^ “From SEAL Team 6 to Delta Force MSgt Kevin Holland A Story of Courage”. YouTube. 2 February 2022.
37. ^ Waller, Douglas (3 February 2003). “The CIA’s Secret Army: The CIA’s Secret Army”. Time. Archived from the original on 30 April 2009. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
38. ^ “The time Delta burned the barracks down”. wearethemighty.com. 1 August 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
39. ^ Atlamazoglou, Stavros (19 October 2021). “AUKUS security pact follows decades of special ops cooperation”. Business Insider. Archived from the original on 14 November 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
40. ^ Atlamazoglou, Stavros (3 February 2020). “Canadian soldier serving in a Tier 1 SOF unit kicked out of the military for theft”. SOFREP. Archived from the original on 9 May 2022. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
41. ^ Sof, Eric (15 May 2013). “Sayeret Matkal: A Israel’s Equivalent to the Delta Force”. Spec Ops Magazine. Archived from the original on 15 November 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
42. ^ Ambinder, Marc (12 October 2010). “Delta Force Gets a New Name”. The Atlantic. Archived from the original on 5 June 2022.
43. ^ Ambinder & Grady 2012, p. Emplacement 859.
44. ^ “Position Description shows that ACE is in fact not a part of Delta Force”. Gatha. 22 March 2021.
45. ^ Harp, Seth (4 January 2022). “She Asked the Army to Investigate a Rape Trial. They Fired Her”. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
46. ^ “Blundering White House shares identities of secret hostage rescue unit in Israel”. telegraph.co.uk. 20 October 2023.
47. ^ “White House faces backlash for accidentally revealing identities of US troops in Israel”. WION. 20 October 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
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49. ^ Briscoe, Charles H. (2018). “The Special Forces Operator”. Veritas. Vol. 14, no. 1. pp. 63–64. ISSN 1553-9830. Archived from the original on 17 December 2021.
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51. ^ Warrick, Joby; Nakashima, Ellen; Lamothe, Dan (30 October 2019). “Islamic State defector inside Baghdadi’s hideout critical to success of raid, officials say”. The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 30 October 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2019.

Bibliography

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• Ambinder, Marc; Grady, D. B. (2012). The Command: Deep Inside the President’s Secret Army. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-118-34672-3.
• Beckwith, Charlie; Knox, Donald (2000) [1983]. Delta Force: The Army’s Elite Counterterrorist Unit (Paperback ed.). Avon Books. ISBN 978-0-380-80939-4.
• Bowden, Mark (1999). Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War. Atlantic Monthly Press. ISBN 978-0-87113-738-8. Archived.
• Bowden, Mark (2001). Killing Pablo : The Hunt for the World’s Greatest Outlaw (1st ed.). New York: Atlantic Monthly Press. ISBN 978-0871137838.
• Bowden, Mark (2006). Guests of the Ayatollah: The First Battle in America’s War with Militant Islam. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press. ISBN 978-0-87113-925-2. OCLC 62738726.
• Boykin, William G. (2008). Never Surrender : A Soldier’s Journey to the Crossroads of Faith and Freedom (1st ed.). New York: FaithWords. ISBN 978-0-446-59361-8. OCLC 882106240.
• Cawthorne, Nigel (2008). The Mammoth Book of Inside the Elite Forces. London: Robinson Publishing. ISBN 978-1845298210. OCLC 176894746.
• Fury, Dalton (2008). Kill Bin Laden : A Delta Force Commander’s Account of the Hunt for the World’s Most Wanted Man (1st ed.). New York: St. Martin’s Press. ISBN 9780312384395. OCLC 1035934309.
• Gabriel, Richard A. (1985). Military Incompetence: Why the American Military Doesn’t Win. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 978-0-374-52137-0.
• Griswold, Terry; Giangreco, D. M. (1992). Delta, America’s Elite Counterterrorist Force. Osceola, WI: Motorbooks International. ISBN 978-0879386153. OCLC 25549191.
• Haney, Eric L. (2002). Inside Delta Force. New York: Delacorte Press. ISBN 978-0385336031.
• National Geographic documentary: Road to Baghdad.
• Naylor, Sean (2006). Not a Good Day to Die: The Untold Story of Operation Anaconda. Berkley Books. ISBN 978-0-425-19609-0.
• Naylor, Sean (2015). Relentless Strike: The Secret History of Joint Special Operations Command. New York: St. Martin’s Griffin. ISBN 9781250014542. OCLC 908554550.
• Pushies, Fred (2002). U.S. Counterterrorist Forces. St. Paul, MN: MBI Pub. Co. ISBN 978-0760313633.
• Satterly, Tom; Jackson, Steve (2019). All Secure : A Special Operations Soldier’s Fight to Survive on the Battlefield and the Homefront (1st ed.). New York: Center Street. ISBN 978-1546076575. OCLC 1091687950.
• Schauer, Hartmut (2008). Delta Force (1st ed.). Stuttgart, DE: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 978-3-613-02958-3.
• Smith, Michael (2007). Killer Elite : The Inside Story of America’s Most Secret Special Operations Team] (1st ed.). New York: St. Martin’s Press. ISBN 978-0312362720.

External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (Airborne) (category)

• Military.com article on Delta Force Archived
• Special-ops.com article Archived
• Transcript of Sean Naylor’s speech to American Enterprise Institute Archived

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