I asked Grok the question posed in the title since the Las Vegas bomber was an active member of the 10th Special Forces on leave from his posting in Germany.
The 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) (10th SFG (A)) is one of the United States Army’s Special Forces units with a multifaceted purpose, deeply rooted in its history and designed to fulfill various roles within the military’s special operations capabilities. Here’s an overview of its key purposes:
- Unconventional Warfare (UW): Initially, and perhaps most fundamentally, the 10th SFG was established to conduct unconventional warfare, particularly in the context of a potential Soviet invasion of Europe during the Cold War. This involves leading and training guerrilla forces behind enemy lines to disrupt operations, conduct sabotage, and support resistance movements.
- Foreign Internal Defense (FID): The group is tasked with assisting and training allied or partner nations’ military forces in counter-guerrilla activities, enhancing their capabilities to defend against internal threats, and building sustainable military structures that align with U.S. strategic interests.
- Direct Action (DA): This includes short-duration strikes and other small-scale offensive actions, like raids, ambushes, or precision destruction, targeting enemy forces or infrastructure.
- Counterinsurgency (COIN): The 10th SFG can be involved in operations to combat insurgent groups, focusing on both the military and the socio-political aspects of countering these threats.
- Special Reconnaissance (SR): Gathering intelligence through reconnaissance and surveillance in hostile, denied, or politically sensitive environments.
- Counterterrorism (CT): Specifically targeting terrorist organizations or cells, preventing attacks, and neutralizing threats.
- Information Operations (IO): Influencing, disrupting, corrupting, or usurping adversarial human and automated decision-making while protecting their own.
- Counterproliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD): Operations aimed at preventing the spread of WMD, including chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear weapons, through detection, interdiction, and destruction.
- Security Force Assistance (SFA): Helping to organize, train, equip, rebuild, and advise foreign security forces, often in the context of broader stability operations.
The 10th SFG (A) is responsible for operations within the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) area of responsibility and since 2009, also within the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) AOR. This strategic focus allows the group to specialize in European languages and cultural nuances, which aids in operations with allied forces in Europe and North Africa.
The group’s history, from its beginnings in 1952 to its current roles, showcases a commitment to readiness for a wide range of missions, from training allied forces to direct combat roles, all while maintaining a high level of physical fitness, operational readiness, and cultural adaptability.
