Who We Serve
Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF) is committed to providing scholarship grants to over 1500 children. These are children of over 1,226 Special Operations Personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty. 15 Special Operations personnel who have lost their spouse while they were actively serving, and 24 Medal of Honor recipients.
To date, 481 have graduated college with support from SOWF. Entering 2023, 184 students are currently enrolled in post-secondary schools, and 84% of our 2022 high school students are attending post-secondary education.
USSOCOM Facts
The following information has been taken from the United States Special Operations Command Fact Book 2022
U.S. Army Special Operations Command
Employing approximately 35,000, USASOC is home to:
- Special Forces (Green Berets)
- Rangers
- Special Operations Aviators
- Civil Affairs Soldiers
- Military Information Support Operators
- Sustainment Soldiers
Naval Special Warfare Command
Employing approximately 10,500, NAVSPECWARCOM is home to:
- Sea, Air, Land (SEALs)
- Special Warfare Combatant Craft (SWCC) Crew
- Enablers such as mobile communications teams, tactical cryptological support, and explosive ordinance disposal (EOD) specialists
Air Force Special Operations Command
Employing approximately 16,800, AFSOC is home to:
- Special Tactics Airmen
- Combat Controllers
- Pararescuemen or PJs
- Special Operations Weather Team
- Tactical Air Control Party
- Special Operations Surgical Team
- Special Operations Aviators
- Support Air Commandos
Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command
Employing approximately 3,500, MARSOC is home to:
- Critical Skills Operators/Special Operations Officers
- Special Operations Independent Duty Corpsmen
- Special Operations Capabilities Specialists
- Combat Service Support Specialists
U.S. Army Special Operations Command
USASOC
Established in 1989. It mans, trains, equips, educates, organizes, sustains, and supports forces to conduct special operations across the full range of military operations and spectrum of conflict in support of joint force commanders and interagency partners, to meet theater and national objectives.
Visit USASOC website
Naval Special Warfare Command
NAVSPECWARCOM
Established in 1987. It mans, trains, equips, educates, deploys, resources, and sustains forces to conduct direct action and special reconnaissance, support advise-and-assist programs, and build partner capability, in or out of the maritime environment, by employing tailored capabilities in support of military commanders, chiefs of mission, interagency, and foreign partners and allies.
Visit NAVSPECWARCOM website
Air Force Special Operations Command
AFSOC
Established in 1990, its mission is to provide our nation's specialized airpower capability across the spectrum of conflict. Any place, any time, anywhere.
Visit AFSOC website
Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command
MARSOC
Established in 2006, Marine Raiders leverage their robust mission command and fused operations and intelligence down to the team level to succeed in distributed environments, and enable partners at the tactical and operational levels of war. MARSOC provides supported commanders with full-spectrum special operations capabilities to combat complex transregional problems.
Visit MARSOC website
SOF Truths
- Humans are more important than hardware
- Quality is better than quantity
- Special Operations Forces cannot be mass produced
- Competent Special Operations Forces cannot be created after emergencies occur
- Most special operations require non-SOF support
Introduction to SOF Operators
- Is married, with at least two children
- Average age is 29 years-old for enlisted; 34 years-old for officers
- Has 8 years experience in the general purpose forces
- Receives cultural and language training
- Has attended multiple advanced tactical schools
- Enjoys games which require problem solving (like chess)
- Is well educated and likely to have a college degree
- Is a “thinking athlete” and has participated in sports such as water polo, track, wrestling or football
Meet a Quiet Professional on SOFSpoken Podcast
A retired Navy SEAL, Severely Wounded Warrior, NY Times Best Selling author, Veteran Advocate, Business Leader, & Acclaimed leadership & Resilience Speaker, Jason Redman has overcome extreme adversity and defied the odds multiple times. Shot twice in the arm and once in the face, as well as receiving multiple rounds to his helmet and body armor during a fierce gunfight and battle in Iraq, Jason walks the talk in his Overcome Mindset approach. Jason motivates and inspires audiences across the country with his remarkable journey of leadership, redemption, and building a relentless Overcome Mindset
