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Special Forces detachments are trained to operate in diverse
environmental conditions - desert, jungle, mountain, and other
types of terrain and climate. Some of the harshest environments
can be found in the arctic and mountaineous areas of the world.
There are a number of schools and courses that prepare SFODAs
for operations in
mountaineous and
winter conditions. Some train DoD members
from all branches while others are organic to the Special
Forces groups (especially 10th SFG).
10th Special Forces Group has traditionally conducted
training in moutainous and cold weather conditions. Through the
1950s to the early 1990s this training was conducted at Fort
Devens, MA, Fort Drum, NY, in the mountains of Vermont, New
Hampshire, and Maine, and in the mountainous and cold weather
regions of Europe. After 10th SFG moved to Fort Carson,
Colorado in the mid-1990s it continued winter warfare training
in Colorado, Alaska, and other western states.
Older Special Forces veterans who served with 10th Special
Forces Group most likely have fond memories of
Mickey Mouse boots, White Star skiis, and arkeo sleds.
Top Photo: Green Berets with 1st Special
Forces Group (Airborne) practice self-recovery from a glacial
crevasse during Valor United 20, an arctic warfare training
exercise in Seward, Alaska. During the September 2020 exercise,
Special Forces soldiers developed their patrolling and survival
skills in some of the most unforgiving terrain in the U.S. Key
focus areas for the training were arctic, alpine and glacier
movement, crevasse rescue, and long-range high-frequency
communications. In addition to training, the 1st SFG (A) team
assisted 212th Rescue Squadron with wilderness search and rescue
operations. Photo by Sgt. Kayla Hocker, 1st Special Forces
Group, 15 Oct 2020.
References:
Thesis, Winter is Coming: Ensuring U.S. Special Forces
Are Prepared to Fight and Win in a Cold Weather Environment,
by Andrew M. Wade, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey,
California, December 2018, PDF, 61 pages.
https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/1069770.pdf
ATP 3-90.97, Mountain Warfare and Cold Weather
Operations, Department of the Army, Apri 2016.
https://fas.org/irp/doddir/army/atp3-90-97.pdf
Special Report 93-12, On Winter Warfare, by George
K. Swinzow, US Army Corps of Engineers, June 1992. Posted on
DTIC.mil. A history of winter warfare through the ages.
https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a270031.pdf
Study No. 23, Training for Mountain and Winter Warfare,
Headquarters Army Ground Forces, 1946.
https://history.army.mil/books/agf/agf23.htm
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