B-teams

[Kav]

How often do SF companies or B tesm deploy?
Not as often as ODAs I know. but to they always remain state-side?

Kav

[Tracy]

B-Teams are the only other TACTICAL unit in SF. They're designed to deploy into the boonies for C3I of multiple A-Teams in same AO.

Generally Speaking, if an A-Team goes down range, a B-Team will go with them or go to a forward location as an advanced operating base (AOB) to support as necessary.

[Kav]

Tracy

Thank you for your reply. What's the difference between the AOB and the SFOB? Is the latter a battalion-level base? Can you tell me a bit about what goes on B-team when they deploy? Would they perform a similar mission as the A-team, but working with higher echelons? From what I remember reading in _From OSS To Green Berets_, COL Banks says that in UW, the B-teams were designed to A-teams at a regional level in the occupied territories. Is this still the case?

Thanks
Kav

[Jeff Rambo]

Kav,

I just wanted to let you know that was a very good question. It's very rarely that I see someone posting questions (in regards to ANYTHING "netwide" per se)in order to learn about the functions of a particular person, place or thing (whatever the case may be) that also does research on the matter themselves.

And it wasn't even a "Do guyz on da A-Teams shoot mo' peeps dan the guyz on da B-Teemz?" type of question ... lol

Atleast someone still wants to learn, wish I could say the same for Mr. SeaAirLand ...

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w/ Regards,
Jeff Rambo

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I Want A Four Man Team On A Midnight Run ...

[Whatever]

Kav:

1. An SFOB is conducted at Group level. An FOB is a forward operational base conducted at Battalion level. An AOB is conducted at the B Team level.

2. Doctrinal B Team missions include (but are not limited to) conducting an ISOFAC (Isolation Facility) SOCCE (Special Operations Command and Control Element and AOB).

3. Good questions.

MW

[LRSC Grunt]

What is SF ISOFAC like in comparison to a LRS ISOFAC? Ive always wondered how you guys conducted mission planning as it compairs to us.


Please Email me the answer..Opsec

[Kav]

Thanks for the kudos, that means a lot coming from two people that I know have real-world experience. I do ask some dumb questions sometimes, but try to avoid those.

Who cares who bust mo caps on peeps azz! In most SF missions, if you're opening a can o' fight-fire, then you've already done something totally wrong. Or, that's the way I see it. But you need to have the fire-power to get your team out in one piece.

I'm curious about this, because everyone always talks about ODAs, and of course, they're the basis of SF. But from what I read in COL Bank's book, B-teams and maybe C-teams would have a tactical role in a UW mission--depending on the size of the mission, I guess. Who leads the B team: the company commander (MAJ?), XO (CPT?), the team chief?

Thanks again,
Kav

[Whatever]

1. The ODB (B-Team) is commanded by a Major but the Company Sergeant Major (in my experience) is the HMFIC. ODBs have a tactical role in AOB/SOCCE operations-mission and situation dictate.

2. C Detachments do not have a tactical role in SF operations (unless the FOB is overrun).

MW

[Jeff Rambo]

Kav, My real world experience consists of waking up every day ... :-)

Just so Whatever's acro doesn't go over anyone's head ...

HMFIC = Head Mutha F()C#3R IN CHARGE

- Yout

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w/ Regards,
Jeff Rambo

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I Want A Four Man Team On A Midnight Run ...

[E19]

KAV,

The current organization of SF is not the same as it was in Col Bank's time, or as it was during the Vietnam era. Back then the C-Detatchment was an operational detatchment.

[Whatever]

1. Sorry about the acronyms.

2. JR-Thanks for watching my six.

Mike (staff pogue) W.

[Kav]

Aren't the senior NCOs always the HMFICs? :-)

E19, thanks for clearing that up. I knew that the structure of SF groups had changed-- making them more conventional, it seems to me--but I didn't know that the C-det was no longer a tactical unit. Of course, without the threat of a Soviet roll-over of Europe, there's really no UW senario in the foreseeable future that would require a multi-battalion SF commitment.

Who makes up the ODB? How long for the Maj and SGM stay on a team? I've read here that captains only spend aobut 18 months on an ODA, is command time at company level about the same? Are there chiefs on the ODB?

Thanks again
Kav

[Jeff Rambo]

Whatever, no problem - anytime.

Kav, while it isn't the answer to your question, this C&P might help you ....
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SPECIAL FORCES BATTALION SUPPORT COMPANY

The Battalion Support Company. The battalion support company provides intelligence support, combat service support, and signal support to the forward operational base and deployed Special Forces teams.

The support company commander commands all personnel and elements assigned or attached to the company. When an FOB is established by the battalion, the support company commander serves as SPTCEN Director.

The Military Intelligence (MI) Detachment. The MI detachment organization and mission are similar to the Group MI detachment with five exceptions:


a. The battalion MI detachment has a more limited capability than the group and may depend on mission requirements or group technical assistance.

b. The battalion MI detachment has three organic support operations teams A (SOTs A). These teams deploy with Special Forces Operational Detachments "Alpha" (SFODs A) to provide signals intelligence (SIGINT) and electronic warfare support.

c. When authorized, the counterintelligence team (CI) conducts active CI operations.

d. The MI detachment contains no organic interrogation teams.

e. The MI detachment commander works for the battalion commander under supervision of the battalion intelligence officer (S2).

The Battalion Service Detachment. The battalion service detachment provides:


a. Unit-level supply.

b. Services element in a specified operational area.

c. Maintenance services for the battalion.
The Battalion Signal Detachment. The battalion signal detachment provides the communication means between the Special Forces Operating Base (SFOB), Forward Operating Base (FOB), and deployed SFOD. If no FOB is established, the deployed SFOD A can communicate directly to the SFOB.

SPECIAL FORCES GROUP SUPPORT COMPANY

The Group Support Company. The group support company provides intelligence support, combat service support, and signal support to the SFOB and its deployed Special Forces teams.


The Support Company. The support company commander commands all personnel and elements assigned or attached to the company. His company provides routine administrative and logistic support to the support center (SPTCEN) and signal center (SIGCEN).

The Military Intelligence Detachment. The military intelligence detachment provides all-source intelligence collection management, analysis, production, and dissemination in support of group-level situation and target development.

The Service Detachment. The service detachment performs unit-level supply, services, and maintenance functions for the group HHC, support company, and their attached elements.

The Signal Detachment. The signal detachment installs, operates, and maintains secure SFOB radio communications with the forward operating bases and deployed Special Forces teams. It also installs, operates, and maintains continuous internal SFOB communications.

The Medical Section. Then medical section provides health service support to the SFOB.

The Personnel Section. The personnel section collocates with the supporting military personnel office and performs personnel management functions for the group.




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w/ Regards,
Jeff Rambo

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I Want A Four Man Team On A Midnight Run ...

[Whatever]

KAV:

1. The ODB commander usually has 18-30 months of command time-This varies according to the organization, the command climate and the commander.

2. TO&E includes:

CDR: Major
XO: Captain
Tech: CW2 or CW3-180A
SGM: The "Smaj" tryant king of the company
Ops: Master Sergeant/E-8 18Z
Intel: E-7 18F
Comms: 18E: one each E-7 and one each E-6 wirehead
Medic: 18D: one E-6 sodomite
Supply: 92Y2S-nothing is to good for the troops and nothing is what they'll get

Past manning supported an Admin Guy

This is all open (unclas) stuff-manning requirements are fluid and change at the whim of Special Forces Command (USASFC(A))

[Jeff Rambo]

For all those that read Whatever's last post ... if you can't write, PURDY PURDY (LOL @ THE RANGERS) PLEASE DON'T TRY TO GO 18F ... since they tend to have to write a lot ...

OP orders & plans, supporting annexes, security plans, fragmentary orders etc.

- Out

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w/ Regards,
Jeff Rambo

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I Want A Four Man Team On A Midnight Run ...

[This message has been edited by Jeff Rambo (edited 09-21-2000).]