At the end of World War II, the Army developed the concept of unconventional warfare, or UW, based largely on the experiences of Soldiers who had worked with resistance movements during the war. The concept was formally introduced into doctrine in 1955, specifically to convey a wider responsibility than simply working alongside guerrilla forces. UW is currently defined as activities conducted to enable a resistance movement or insurgency to coerce, disrupt or overthrow a government or occupying power by operating through or with an underground, auxiliary or guerrilla force in a denied area. From the beginning, UW has been a mission of Special Forces, and the JFK Special Warfare Center and School has been the proponent for UW training and doctrine. Our operating environment has been less constant since the 1950s, however. We no longer face the threat of major combat operations, as during World War II. The dominant form of warfare that now confronts the United States and will likely do so for the remainder of the 21st century is irregular warfare. The five components of irregular warfare - counter-terrorism, foreign internal defense, stability operations, counterinsurgency and UW - will increasingly involve all elements of the U.S. military and other elements of national power. UW thus presents a challenge to conventional forces and special-operations forces alike. This paper, although it is not doctrine, is intended to introduce a new generation of Soldiers to the concept, the history and the techniques of UW. It is intended to be the first in a series of papers published to inform readers and provoke thought on a number of topics that are of interest to members of the special-operations community and, in some cases, general-purpose forces as well.

At the end of World War II, the Army developed the concept of unconventional warfare, or UW, based largely on the experiences of Soldiers who had worked with resistance movements during the war. The concept was formally introduced into doctrine in 1955, specifically to convey a wider responsibility than simply working alongside guerrilla forces. UW is currently defined as: Activities conducted to enable a resistance movement or insurgency to coerce, disrupt or overthrow a government or occupying power by operating through or with an underground, auxiliary or guerrilla force in a denied area. From the beginning, UW has been a mission of Special Forces, and the JFK Special Warfare Center and School has been the proponent for UW training and doctrine. Our operating environment has been less constant since the 1950s, however. We no longer face the threat of major combat operations, as during World War II. The dominant form of warfare that now confronts the United States and will likely do so for the remainder of the 21st century is irregular warfare. The five components of irregular warfare -- counter-terrorism, foreign internal defense, stability operations, counterinsurgency and UW -- will increasingly involve all elements of the U.S. military and other elements of national power. UW thus presents a challenge to conventional forces and special-operations forces alike. This handbook, although it is not doctrine, is intended to introduce a new generation of Soldiers to the concept, the history and the techniques of UW. It is intended to be the first in a series of papers published to inform readers and provoke thought on a number of topics that are of interest to members of the special-operations community and, in some cases, general-purpose forces as well. This handbook is presented in easy to read 5x8 paperback format. For more like this, look for the distinctive OCP camouflage covers.

Unconventional warfare is a unique and important part of US Special Forces. Aimed at exploiting hostile forces' economic, psychological, and political vulnerabilities, its tenacious and brutal tactics infiltrate, erode, and exhaust the enemy from many angles. Special Forces personnel spreading subversion deep behind enemy lines must be prepared to navigate and survive bone-chillingly dangerous situations at any moment; knowing how to handle, improvise, and modify incendiary devices is a crucial component of their training. US Army Special Forces Guide to Unconventional Warfare: Devices and Techniques for Incendiaries surveys the multifaceted and varied design of incendiary systems. Intended for use by Army Special Forces in the field, this concise and informative manual covers a wide range of incendiary devices and materials, initiators, ignitors, improvised constructions and material sources, delay mechanisms, and just about anything else you'd need to know about turning a cigarette and a matchbox into a delay or a shoelace into a fuse.Technical information is also provided about incendiary materials such as napalm, gelled gasoline, fire fudge, sugar-chlorate, thermite, paraffin-sawdust, and more. Jam-packed with detailed information, The US Army Special Forces Guide to Unconventional Warfare is a fascinating read for the curious mind and a fascinating glimpse into the high-stakes, clandestine world of Special Forces ops.

The previously untold story of a Cold War spy unit, “one of the best examples of applied unconventional warfare in special operations history” (Small Wars Journal). It is a little-known fact that during the Cold War, two US Army Special Forces detachments were stationed far behind the Iron Curtain in West Berlin. The existence and missions of the two detachments were highly classified secrets. The massive armies of the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies posed a huge threat to the nations of Western Europe. US military planners decided they needed a plan to slow the expected juggernaut, if and when a war began. This plan was Special Forces Berlin. Their mission—should hostilities commence—was to wreak havoc behind enemy lines and buy time for vastly outnumbered NATO forces to conduct a breakout from the city. In reality, it was an ambitious and extremely dangerous mission, even suicidal. Highly trained and fluent in German, each of these one hundred soldiers and their successors was allocated a specific area. They were skilled in clandestine operations, sabotage, and intelligence tradecraft, and were able to act, if necessary, as independent operators, blending into the local population and working unseen in a city awash with spies looking for information on their every move. Special Forces Berlin left a legacy of a new type of soldier, expert in unconventional warfare, that was sought after for other deployments, including the attempted rescue of American hostages from Tehran in 1979. With the US government officially acknowledging their existence in 2014, their incredible story can now be told—by one of their own.

The first documented, systematic study of a truly revolutionary subject, this 1937 text remains the definitive guide to guerrilla warfare. It concisely explains unorthodox strategies that transform disadvantages into benefits.

A conceptual overview of all relevant topics of small unit tactics every Special Forces soldier ought to be familiar with in order to be effective on the today's battlefield. Learn about: the Heritage, Lineage and Legacy of the Army Special Forces; Leadership; Tactics; Combat and Reconnaissance Patrols; Planning; Close Quarter Battle; Counterinsurgency; Intro to SF Missions; Small Arms.