1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (1st SFOD-D), popularly known as Delta Force, is a U.S. Army component of Joint
Special Operations Command. It was formerly listed as the Combat Applications Group (CAG) by the Department of Defense. While 1st SFOD-D is administratively supported by USASOC, it falls under the operational control of the Joint Special Operations Command. Delta Force and its Navy counterpart, the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, are the
United States military's primary counter-
terrorism units. It is often referred to in the U.S. media as a Special Mission Unit.
Delta Force's primary tasks are counter-
terrorism, direct action, and national intervention operations, although it is an extremely versatile group capable of conducting many types of clandestine missions, including, but not limited to, hostage rescues and raids.
The Central Intelligence Agency's highly secretive Special Activities Division (
SAD) and more specifically its elite Special Operations Group (SOG) often works with – and recruits – operators from Delta Force.
The unit is under the organization of the US Army
Special Operations Command (USASOC) but is controlled by the Joint
Special Operations Command (JSOC). Command of 1st SFOD-D is a Colonel's billet. Virtually all information about the unit is highly classified and details about specific missions or operations generally are not available publicly. A number of sources, including the
book Inside Delta Force by Command Sergeant Major Eric L. Haney (ret.), suggest the unit's strength ranges from 800 to 1,000 personnel.
