De Oppresso Liber Does Not Mean To Free the Oppressed, and Eight Other Things you Did Not

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De Oppresso Liber Does Not Mean To Free the

Oppressed, and Eight Other Things you Did Not
know About the Special Forces
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10/30/15 8:06 PM

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Special Forces soldiers are the subjects of
many movies and forms of entertainment.
They are viewed as an unstoppable force
throughout the world, taking on bad guys
and getting themselves out of impossible
situations. The term conjures up images of
Rambo and other fighting heroes.

Special Forces soldiers are certainly heroes, but with all the attention
they receive from Hollywood, it is not surprising that there is a great
deal of false information floating around about these elite soldiers.
Here are nine things you probably did not know about the United
States Army Special Forces.
1) They are not Green Berets. Green Berets are a type of hat that is
commonly associated with this unit of soldiers. The actual name for the
unit is Special Forces. The name probably originated from the hat

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De Oppresso Liber Does Not Mean To Free the Oppressed, and Eight Other Things you Did Not know About the Special Forces | No Surrender!

awarded to those who completed a grueling training under British

Commandos in World War II.
2) Along the same lines, only the United States Army Special Forces
are actually special forces. It is not an umbrella term for all elite
groups. For example, the Navy Seals are not also Special Forces. The
proper unifying term for all other groups would be Special Operations
Force. Each force has its own specialties where it excels.
3) The Special Forces are not just a group of guys who blow a lot of
stuff up. In fact, it is usually just the opposite. Special Forces train
specifically in language and cultural customs to be able to infiltrate the
countries they are going to. They often work with training foreign
troops and on tasks such as hostage rescue, peace-keeping, or
counter-terrorism.
4) Though the Special Forces were officially formed in 1952, they trace
their lineage back more than two hundred years to the Revolutionary
War. The legendary Francis Marion was one of the fathers of guerrilla
fighting and unconventional warfare, and he had great success against
the British as the Swamp Fox. They also have predecessors in the
Jedbough teams, who helped lead guerrilla fighting and resistance in
German occupied France.
5) The highly secretive, selective branches of the CIA, the Special
Activities Division and the Special Operations Group often recruit
soldiers from the Special Forces. These branches of the CIA often seek
to gain intelligence in hostile countries and conduct quasi-military
operations that the U.S. government does not want to be associated
with. This makes the highly trained Special Forces soldiers ideal
candidates for the job.
6) The Special Forces were originally formed as a part of the
Psychological Warfare Division. During World War II, the Psychological
Warfare Division was a joint effort between the United States and
England to distribute radio messages and pamphlets designed to lower
the morale of German soldiers.
7) Even within the Special Forces, soldiers are divided into specialized
groups. There are five active duty and two national guard Special
Forces groups. Each group has a particular region that they train
heavily for in terms of language and culture. In spite of the traditional
groupings, however, the War on Terror has called many Special Forces
solders to the Middle East to help with the war effort.
8) United States Army Special Forces soldiers will train continually over
the course of their careers, but in order to be admitted to the Special
Forces units, they must pass a four phase qualification course known
as the Q-Course. This portion of the training can last anywhere from 55
to 95 weeks. Should they manage to complete this training, soldiers
will have the opportunity to study everything from parachuting to
diving to sniper shooting.
9) The motto: De Oppresso Liber is thought to translate to To
Liberate the Oppressed. In actuality, the word liber is an adjective
free that could be translated a free man, and de oppresso would be

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De Oppresso Liber Does Not Mean To Free the Oppressed, and Eight Other Things you Did Not know About the Special Forces | No Surrender!

more an overwhelmed man. The phrase would therefore be more

accurately translated, from a caught man, a free man.
All those living in the United States owe a great deal of thanks to the
United States Army Special Forces, and all the military. These soldiers
endure a great deal of hardship to become an elite fighting force
protecting the United States from threats originating all over the world.
Serving all over the earth, they have shown themselves to be
exemplary leaders and a force to be reckoned with. Hopefully this
helped to clear up some misconceptions and teach you a bit about the
truth of the Army Special Forces.

10/30/15 8:06 PM

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POSTED BY DIGITAL ON SUNDAY, JUNE 17TH, 2012 AT 11:59 PM.

2 Responses to De Oppresso Liber Does Not Mean To Free the Oppressed,

and Eight Other Things you Did Not know About the Special Forces

Re: #8. As former Special Forces soldier, I want to point out

that, normally, a man is already Airborne qualified before
being admitted to the Q-Course. There are exceptions, but
they are rare. BTW, I was once the G-3 Training Officer at the
USAJFK Special Warfare Center.
LEFT BY THOMAS ON JUNE 4TH, 2015

An excellent descriptionj of differences and operations, thank

you. Im glad for the clarification and the history lesson. They
certainly dont teach this is high school. And with the advent
of Hollywood glorification, there is much that is missed, lost in
the translation or entirely left out about these unique groups
of soldiers/sailors.
LEFT BY LEIGH ON JUNE 5TH, 2015

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