Who's who in U.S. Special Operations Forces.

• Position: Unconventional Warriors

U.S. special operations forces consist of approximately 45,000 Army, Navy and Air Force commandos. That represents about 1.3 percent of all U.S. military personnel. The U.S. Special Operations Command receives nearly 1.3 percent of the nation's defense budget. The SOCOM budget for 2002 is $4.2 billion. That includes $409 million for equipment procurement and $1.5 billion for operations and maintenance.

Army Special Operations

Rangers (Airborne): The Rangers are a special operations response strike force that primarily conducts direct action missions. They are expert infantrymen--the principal airfield seizure-and-raid unit in the U.S. Army. A Ranger unit is proficient in all light infantry skills, focusing on mission-essential tasks that include movement to contact, ambush, reconnaissance, airborne, air assault, night operations and hasty defense.

Each battalion in the Ranger Regiment can deploy anywhere in the world within 18 hours.

The 75th Ranger Regiment, headquartered at Fort Benning, Ga., is composed of three battalions, and is the premier light-infantry unit of the U.S. Army. The three Ranger battalions that comprise the 75th Ranger Regiment are geographically dispersed:

* 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.

* 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Ft. Lewis, Wash.

* 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Ft. Banning.

Special Forces: The U.S. Army Special Forces (the operators who wear the Green Beret) are trained to perform extended operations in extremely remote and hostile territory.

Special Forces soldiers have extensive expertise in intelligence, communications, weapons, medical aid, engineering, explosives, and use these skills to conduct operations that are characterized by their motto "De Oppresso Liber"--To Free the Oppressed.

Special Forces are divided into five groups (1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th and 10th) in the Regular Army and two (19th and 20th) in the National Guard, each with a specific regional focus.

Other special operations forces missions include counter-proliferation, information operations, combat search and rescue, counterdrug activities, security assistance, humanitarian assistance, humanitarian demming and special activities

Delta Farce: Although not officially identified by the Defense Department, the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment Delta (SFOD-D), or Delta Force, is known as the nation's foremost counter-terrorist strike force. Delta (also referred to as Combat Applications Group) is reported to train extensively in CQB (Close Quarters Battle), including airplane, bus and train scenarios.

160th SOAR "The Night Stalkers": The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment [Airborne) provides aviation support to Army special operations forces. The regiment consists of modified OH-6 light...