What's so special about Special Operations? Published Nov. 3, 2006 By Col. Carroll Greene AFSOC Surgeon General Office HURLBURT FIELD,Fla -- Even before Desert Storm began, special operations teams, under cover of darkness, infiltrated Iraq to attack and destroy radar sites and other assets which could have threatened U.S. aircraft and blocked the advance of our forces. Special operations lawyers helped determine which targets could be attacked under international law and which could not. Cultural specialists helped determine the best targets for attack. Special operations finance and equipment development experts helped equip our teams with the most effective technology in the world. Chaplains spent the weeks and moments prior to battle ensuring that our troops were ready for the hostilities ahead. Special operations personnel teams sped the flow of troops, as well as information and support to families - so deployed troops could remain focused in battle. Water and sanitation experts ensured the health and safety of our forces. Every Air Force Specialty Code is critical to the training, equipment and delivery of special operations success. And, in the Global War on terror, special operations resources have become even more significant. As an AFSOC warrior, you are one of many specialists that put skilled, focused, motivated and potentially lethal forces in the fight. "Commando" is a term that describes a small military force that carries out important missions in high threat environments. Because these forces often operate behind enemy lines and in isolated conditions, they must often make critical decisions very quickly, without command advice or direction. So, these troops must be intelligent, mature, highly skilled, aware of the "big picture" and wise in their decisions. They must also have the passion and commitment for their mission that keeps them on track - even when senior leaders are not present. Special operations - is a term used to describe small unit actions carried out with speed, surprise and aggressiveness. And, because special operations are carried out by relatively small teams, every team member is critical to the success of the mission. Special operations teams cannot afford to lose the skills and energy of even one member. Through the shared expertise and energy of its members, the special operations team is able to achieve successes that larger conventional forces could not. During every conflict, small teams of specialists in personnel, finance, communications, airpower, weapons, logistics, life support, medicine, civil engineering, intelligence and other areas prepare air and ground operations to achieve mission success. AFSOC Warrior is another term we often use to describe those people who are smart, committed, mature, skilled - and who display the leadership and courage to make and enact wise decisions under pressure - both on and off duty. They recognize the critical importance of every team member and every AFSC. When our military service's special operations commands were formalized in the late 1980s, the US Congress affirmed four facts that we have long known. These four facts have become known as Special Operations Forces truths. - Humans are more important than hardware. - SOF cannot be mass produced. - Quality is better than quantity. - Competent SOF cannot be created after emergencies arise. These "truths" have not changed. The presence of smart, mature, courageous and skilled leaders in all AFSCs - at all levels of AFSOC - will always be the most crucial factor in our warfighting success.