An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

What is AFSOC?

Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) provides Air Force special operations forces for worldwide deployment and assignment to regional unified commands. The command's Special Operations Forces (SOF) are composed of highly trained, rapidly deployable Airmen, conducting global special operations missions ranging from precision application of firepower to infiltration, exfiltration, resupply and refueling of SOF operational elements.

The special operations side of the Air Force. The Air Force side of Special Operations
 

Who Are Our Air Commandos

AFSOC, with a rich 30-year history, boasts a legacy of Air Commandos who have excelled in missions globally. Rooted in the motto "Any Place, Any Time, Anywhere," coined during WWII's Burma operations, our Air Commandos epitomize resilience and leadership. They continuously push boundaries, embodying the ethos that humans are more important than hardware. Fueled by a warrior spirit and tenacity, they drive towards innovative solutions, serving as community leaders and unit pillars. In AFSOC, teamwork is fundamental, defining our mission success and unit cohesion.

Priorities

America's Air Commandos - Ready to Fight Tonight - Pathfinders for Tomorrow

Vision

Peerless and Professional Air Commandos

Always Ready to Answer our Nation's Call

Unconventional Airpower... Any Place, Any Time, Anywhere

5 SOF Truths

People are more important than Hardware.

People – not equipment – make the critical difference. The right people, highly trained and working as a team, will accomplish the mission with the equipment available. On the other hand, the best equipment in the world cannot compensate for a lack of the right people.

Quality is better than quantity.

A small number of people, carefully selected, well trained, and well led, are preferable to larger numbers of troops, some of whom may not be up to the task.

Special Operations Forces cannot be mass produced.

It takes years to train operational units to the level of proficiency needed to accomplish difficult and specialized SOF missions. Intense training – both in SOF schools and units – is required to integrate competent individuals into fully capable units. This process cannot be hastened without degrading ultimate capability.

Competent Special Operations Forces cannot be created after emergencies occur.

Creation of competent, fully mission capable units takes time. Employment of fully capable special operations capability on short notice requires highly trained and constantly available SOF units in peacetime.

Most special operations require non-SOF support.

The operational effectiveness of our deployed forces cannot be, and never has been, achieved without being enabled by our joint service partners. The support Air Force, Army, Marine and Navy engineers, technicians, intelligence analysts, and the numerous other professions that contribute to SOF, have substantially increased our capabilities and effectiveness throughout the world.

Core SOF Careers

Who is AFSOC


Join Our Team