1. Theater Special Operations Commands
Welcome to the Introduction to Special Operations Forces course lesson on Theater Special Operations Commands (TSOCs). In this lesson we will look at the history of the Theater Special Operations Command along with its roles and functions. We will also discuss the command and control relationships and responsibilities of the TSOCs.
Special Operations Command Pacific
Camp Smith, Hawaii
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2. Theater Special Operations Commands
Tactical operations conducted using either direct or indirect methods to achieve strategic or operational level objectives.
This is the last lesson in the Introduction to Special Operations Forces course but an extremely important one.
Now that you understand what Special Operations are, who conducts them, and their capabilities we now need to look at the employment of special operations forces in support of national objectives and strategies. Key to the employment of U.S. Special Operations Forces is the Theater Special Operations Commands (TSOCs).
TSOCs provide or maintain a SOF chain- of-command for special operations forces permanently assigned in a geographic combatant commanders’ area of responsibility or are deployed into the theater from the continental United States on a temporary basis to conduct operations.
As we discussed in our second lesson, SOF Command Relationships, the TSOCs are the employers of the U.S. SOF for operations. As such, a more in-depth understanding of the TSOC is essential to understanding the employment of U.S. Special Operations Forces.
TSOCs employ SOF in their respective theaters in support of the theater commanders operations and objectives.

3. COMBATANT COMMAND SOCS AND JSOTFS
Special Operations Team
COMBATANT COMMAND SOCS AND JSOTFS
SERVICE / FUNCTIONAL
COMPONENTS
SUBUNIFIED COMMAND
INTER
AGENCY
USASOC
NAVSPECWARCOM
AFSOC
MARSOC
JSOU
JSOC
SOCSOUTH
SOCAFRICA
SOCCENT
SOCPAC
SOCEUR
SOCKOR
SOCOM
NORTHCOM J32 SOD
ASD SO/LIC
COORDINATING
JSOTFs and JFSOCCs
You should remember the organizations depicted here as the SOF team from our second lesson. So far we have discussed and looked at the roles of the USSOCOM and SOCOM’s service component and functional commands on the left side of the slide. We now want to focus on the commands on the right side of the slide.

4. TSOC Areas of Responsibility
SOCEUR
Stuttgart, Germany
USEUCOM
USNORTHCOM
SOCKOR
Camp Kim, Seoul, Korea
USCENTCOM
SOCCENT
MacDill AFB, Florida
USAFRICOM
SOCAFRICA
Stuttgart, Germany
USSOUTHCOM
SOCSOUTH
Homestead AFB, Florida
USPACOM
SOCPAC
Camp Smith, Hawaii
USPACOM
There are currently six Theater Special Operations Commands. Special Operations Command South is located at Homestead AFB, Florida, Special Operations Command Africa located in Stuttgart Germany, Special Operations Command Central at MacDill AFB, Florida, Special Operations Command Pacific at Camp Smith, Hawaii, Special Operations Command Europe is also located in Germany, and Special Operations Command Korea is in Yongson, Korea.
Technically, Special Operations Command Korea is a functional command for special operations subordinate to the United States Forces Korea which is a sub-unified command subordinate to United States Pacific Command. However the commander, of the USSOCOM treats Special Operations Command Korea the same as the Theater Special Operations Commands.
Due to the dynamics of the geographic region, Northern Command (NORTHCOM) is responsible for primarily North America; NORTHCOM does not have a Theater Special Operations Command. Instead, NORTHCOM has a Special Operations Division, specifically the J32, within the J3 Directorate that is responsible for the Special Operations requirements in the NORTHCOM area of responsibility. The NORTHCOM headquarters is located at Peterson AFB, Colorado.

5. TSOC History Came into formal existence beginning in 1983.
Prior to 1983 existed under varying names, for example
Support Operations Command Europe established January 1955.
Joint Unconventional Warfare Task Force Pacific established November 1965
October 1983, JCS approves a common name for all theater special operations headquarters.
Theater special operations commands came into formal existence between 1983 and However, the concept of a command for Special Operations within the geographic combatant commands goes back much further.
As an example, Support Operations Command Europe was established on 22nd of January, This headquarters provided peacetime planning and operational control of special operations forces during unconventional warfare in the USEUCOM area of responsibility. To clarify its role the headquarters was redesignated Special Operations Task Force Europe on 1st of September, In the Pacific, Joint Unconventional Warfare Task Force Pacific was established on 1st of November, 1965, to provide unconventional warfare support for operations in Southeast Asia for the Pacific Command. Joint Unconventional Warfare Task Force Pacific was disestablished in 1969, and its functions were transferred to the PACOM staff and subordinate commands. However, after the unsuccessful attempts to first rescue U.S. prisoners of war at Son Tay in 1970, and then the Mayaguez incident to recover the crew of a U.S. merchant ship in 1975, it became clear that there was an increasing need for special operations planning and coordination in the Pacific. As a result, a special operations staff within the CINCPAC Operations Directorate was established in May 1976.
The debate over what to call the theater-level special operations organizations first began in 1983 between the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the unified commands. At the time each of the then five unified commands had a different name for their special operations component. In October, 1983, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, J3, approved a common, more descriptive and pronounceable name, Special Operations Command.

6. Geographic Combatant Cdr
TSOC Description
Leon Panetta
Secretary of
Defense
Theater SOC
Army
Geographic Combatant Cdr
Air Force
Navy
Marines
A TSOC is a subordinate unified command established by the geographic combatant commander with the approval of the Secretary of Defense. The commander of a TSOC works for and answers to the establishing authority or more specifically the geographic combatant command, not the USSOCOM commander.
TSOC headquarters vary in size from theater to theater. With the exception of Special Operations Command Central, which has surged over the past decade while conducting operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, a TSOC will be authorized to have somewhere between personnel.
A subordinate unified command established by a combatant commander to plan, coordinate, conduct, and support joint special operations within the joint force commander’s assigned operational area.

7. TSOC Primary Role
The TSOC is the primary means by which the geographic combatant commander exercises command and control over Special Operations Forces permanently assigned to the theater as well as other Special Operations Forces deployed into the theater from the continental United States or another geographic combatant command. The TSOC ensures that a Special Operations chain-of-command is maintained for all SOF deployed outside the continental United States. Additionally, it is the primary theater organization capable of performing broad continuous missions uniquely suited to SOF capabilities.

8. Joint Force Commander Authority to plan and conduct joint operations
- Includes the authority to establish subordinate Joint Tasks
The commander of a TSOC has three principle roles:
First, as a commander of a sub-unified command he is a joint force commander. He has the authority to plan and conduct joint operations as assigned by the geographic combatant commander and he exercises operational control (OPCON) over assigned and normally attached forces. This would include any conventional forces assigned to the command to perform specific functions. Additionally, in his role as a joint force commander he has the authority to establish subordinate Joint Task Forces (JTFs).

9. Senior SOF Commander in Theater
Advises the geographic combatant commander and service component commanders on employment of SOF
Develop recommendations for assignment and deployment of SOF in theater.
Develop and execute SOF operations in theater plans and estimates.
Second, the TSOC commander is the senior SOF advisor in the theater. In this capacity he advises the geographic combatant commander as well as the service component commanders from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines on the proper employment of Special Operations Forces. Doctrinally, it is recommended that the geographic combatant commander appoint the TSOC commander as a special staff officer on the Theater Staff. In this case he would be duel-hatted as both a joint SOF commander and special staff officer on the Combatant Command Staff.

10. Joint Force Special Operations Component Commander
THEATER COMPONENT COMMANDS
ARMY
COMMANDER
AIR FORCE
SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES
MARINE
NAVY
JOINT TASK FORCE
COMBATANT COMMANDER
JOINT FORCE
LAND
COMPONENT
(JFLCC)
MARITIME
(JFMCC)
AIR
(JFACC)
SPECIAL
OPERATIONS
(JFSOCC)
JOINT
CIVIL-MILITARY
OPERATIONS TASK
FORCE (JCMOTF)
PSYCHOLOGICAL
FORCE (JPOTF)
SOLE
CORPS/MEF
SOCCE
JSOTF
NAVSOF
AFSOF
ARSOF
NSWTG
AFSOC
ARSOTF
JSOACC
ADMIN/LOGISTICS
OPERATIONAL CONTROL
LIAISON
MARSOF
MSOC
Finally, when designated by the geographic combatant commander, the TSOC commander will function as a Joint Force Special Operations Component commander. This is normal when a geographic combatant commander establishes functional component commands for operations.
In this notional structure the combatant commander has established a Joint Task Force with subordinate joint maritime, land and air components as well as a Joint SOF component.
The Joint Force Special Operations Component Command has subordinate SOF service components for Marines, Navy, Air Force, and Army SOF. Note that in this example AFSOF has been designated as the Joint Special Operations Air Component (JSOAC). We will discuss the JSOAC in the next slide.

11. Joint Special Operations Air Component
The term JSOAC collectively refers to the commander, staff, and assets of a special operations functional air component of a subordinate unified command, a joint force Special Operations commander or a Joint Special Operations Task Force (JSOTF). The Joint Special Operations Air Component Command is responsible for the centralized planning, direction, and execution of joint Special Operations air activities and for coordinating conventional air support for the Special Operations Forces with the joint force commander’s designated Joint Force Air Component Commander (JFACC). The Joint Special Operations Air Component commander will normally be the commander with the preponderance of air assets and/or the greatest ability to plan, coordinate, allocate, task, control, and support the assigned or supporting air assets. A Joint Special Operations Air Component may be subordinate to a single JSOTF or tasked to support multiple JSOTFs within a Joint Force Special Operations Command. A Joint Special Operations Air Component Command may be a standing organization or can be formed in response to a contingency or other operation.
JSOAC Mission
Centralized planning, direction, and execution of Joint Special Operations air activities.

12. SOF Theater Engagement Activities
Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET)
Counter Narco-Terrorism (CNT)
Mobile Training Teams (MTTs)
Subject Matter Expert Exchange (SMEE)
Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA)
Joint Mobile Education Teams (JMET)
Humanitarian Civic Action Programs (HCAP)
Military Information Support Teams (MIST)
Special Operations Liaisons (SOLOs)
One of the primary responsibilities of the geographic combatant commands is to engage countries within its assigned area of responsibility. Given some of the attributes of SOF, such as low-visibility operations, language and cultural training expertise, small footprint, etcetera; the Theater Special Operations Command and Special Operations Forces are ideally suited for military to military engagement, and are normally a substantial part of the geographic combatant commands annual Theater Security Cooperation Plan. The Theater Special Operations Command and Special Operations Forces use a number of different activities to conduct and support theater engagement. Some of the more common activities and programs are:
• Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET)
• Counter Narco-Terrorism (CNT)
• Mobile Training Teams (MTTs)
• Subject Matter Expert Exchange (SMEE)
• Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA)
• Joint Mobile Education Teams (JMET)
• Humanitarian Civic Action Programs (HCAP)
• Military Information Support Teams (MIST)
• Special Operations Liaisons (SOLOs)
These programs are associated with a combination of funding, authorities, and capabilities. In the next few slides we will take a closer look at some of the SOF specific activities.

13. SOF Theater Engagement Activities
The Joint Combined Exchange Training program (JCET) is a congressional approved and USSOCOM funded program. JCETs are exercises designed to provide training opportunities for American Special Operations Forces by holding the training exercises in countries that the forces may one day have to operate in, as well as providing training opportunities for the armed forces of the host countries. The U.S. is not providing the host nation free training outside the security assistance realm. Although the host nation gets some training benefit, the emphasis of the JCET program is on providing U.S. SOF opportunities to train for their wartime missions, provide cultural and language emersion opportunities, and opportunities to cultivate and foster relationships with host nation counterparts and peers.
Joint Combined Exchange Training program (JCET)
The primary focus of the program is to improve unit and individual combat readiness of United States SOF.

14. SOF Theater Engagement Activities
Counter Narco-Terrorism (CNT)
Activities taken to detect, monitor, and counter the production, trafficking, and use of illegal drugs.
Counter Narco-Terrorism and Humanitarian Mine Actions are two other programs providing a means of funding and authorities that SOF forces can use to gain access to certain countries around the world. Counter Narco-Terrorism includes those active measures taken to detect, monitor, and counter the production, trafficking, and use of illegal drugs. Humanitarian Mine Actions include activities that strive to reduce the social, economic, and environmental impact of land mines, unexploded ordnance, and small arms ammunition also characterized as explosive remnants of war.
Humanitarian Mine Actions (HMA)
Activities that strive to reduce the social, economic, and environmental impact of land mines, unexploded ordnance, and small arms ammunition.

15. SOF Theater Engagement Activities
Humanitarian civic action programs (HCAPs) are programs and events that provide assistance to the local populace provided by predominantly U.S. forces in conjunction with military operations and exercises. This assistance is specifically authorized by Title 10, United States Code and funded under separate authorities. Some of the more common activities conducted or supported by SOF are medical, dental, and veterinarian HCAPs.
Humanitarian Civic Action Programs
Programs and events that provide assistance to a local populace. They include medical, dental, veterinarian and infrastructure construction.

16. SOF Theater Engagement Activities
Military Information Support Teams (MIST) are usually very small teams of two to three personnel. These teams deploy into a country at the request of the U.S. country team to support or convey selected information or messages to foreign audiences to influence their emotions, motives, objective reasoning, and ultimately the behavior of foreign governments, organizations, groups, and individuals. The goal is to induce or reinforce foreign attitudes and behavior favorable to the originator’s objectives.
Military Information Support Team (MIST)
A tailored element that can provide limited military information support operations support.

17. SOF Theater Engagement Activities
United Kingdom
Poland
Canada
Turkey
France
Jordan
Colombia
Kenya
The Special Operations Liaison Officer (SOLO) program assigns qualified Special Operations liaisons to specific priority countries to engage and coordinate with host nation special operations forces and commands. USSOCOM currently has SOLOs assigned in ten high priority countries on a permanent change of station and has a plan to create additional SOLOs over the next five years. USSOCOM provides the personnel billet and funds all the associated cost; however the Special Operations Liaison Officer normally works under the operational control of the TSOC.
Brazil
Australia
Special Operations Liaison Officers (SOLO)

18. TSOC Augmentation
SOD-E (WV)
SOCEUR
SOD-G(RI)
SOCOM/GWOT
SOD-P (WA)
SOCPAC
SOD-K (CO)
SOCKOR
SOD-J (MD)
SOCJFCOM
Army National Guard established regionally oriented Special Operations Detachments (SODs) to augment TSOCs and JSOTFs.
Provides stand-by JSOTF capability if needed.
Commanded by Army National Guard Colonel (O-6).
Seven SODs were authorized on 01 Oct 2002.
Pre-assigned to Theater SOC positions.
SOD-C (FL)
SOCCENT
Because the TSOCs are relatively small standing headquarters, they are frequently in need of augmentation to support crisis and contingency operations. One of the established sources for TSOC augmentation is the National Guard Special Operations detachments.
The Army National Guard began establishing these federally recognized Special Operations detachments (SODs) in Each of the seven Special Operations detachments is specifically aligned to one of the regional TSOCs and the USSOCOM headquarters.
These National Guard Special Operations detachments are authorized to have approximately 30 personnel and are commanded by colonels from the National Guard. The units are capable of providing trained, prepared, and equipped staff augmentation to their respective TSOC or a Joint Special Operations Task Forces.
SOD-S (MS)
SOCSOUTH

19. SOF RELATIONSHIPS PROVIDE EMPLOY PRODUCE HQ USSOCOM SUPPORT
COCOM RELATIONSHIP
USSOF
OPCON OF PROVIDED SOF UNITS
OPCON OF ASSIGNED SOF UNITS
Before we conclude this lesson on Theater Special Operations Commands, let us review the SOF command and control relationships that were presented earlier in the course.
Using the equilateral triangle again with the three corners representing USSOCOM, the service component commands and the Theater Special Operations Commands:
-SOCOM is the provider. SOCOM provides resources in the form of funding, U.S. Special Operations Forces peculiar equipment and manpower positions. The also provide policy, doctrine, advocacy, forces, intelligence support, logistics support, communications support, requirements validation, acquisition, and interface with the Joint Staff and services.
- The service components produce. They are responsible to produce the Special Operations Forces. They identify, recruit, access, train, and assign special operators personnel.
- Theater special operations commands employ the Special Operations Forces. They exercise OPCON of and employ any SOF that are permanently assigned to their theater. When additional CONUS based SOF are need the Theater Special Operations Commands receive ready, trained, and equipped SOF from the service components and employ them in operations and theater engagement activities and events.
- SOCOM exercises combatant command authority over the U.S. SOF service components.
- Service components exercise OPCON of all CONUS based U.S. SOF. Keep in mind that any U.S. SOF permanently assigned in a geographic combatant commander’s area of responsibility are under that commander’s combatant command authority.
- Theater special operations commands- are the employers of the U.S. Special Operations Forces. The geographic combatant commands are the war fighters; they are responsible for conducting military operations in their areas of responsibility.
- When a theater has need of U.S. SOF to conduct operations they will be deployed by the U.S. Special Operations Forces service components at the direction of USSOCOM; if approved and directed by the Secretary of Defense. Once the force deploys, OPCON of those forces will pass through the geographic combatant commander to the TSOC.
- Although OPCON is passed to the TSOC, the service component still has administrative authority or responsibility.
- USSOCOM has a supporting relationship to the TSOCs.
SERVICE COMPONENTS
THEATER SOCS
PRODUCE
ADCON AUTHORITY
EMPLOY

20. Geographic Combatant Cdr
Conclusion
TSOCs employ SOF in their respective theaters in support of the theater commanders operations and objectives.
3 Primary functions of the TSOC Commander
Plan and conduct joint operations
Senior SOF Adviser on the employment of SOF forces
Function as a JFSOCC
Theater SOC
Army
Geographic Combatant Cdr
Air Force
Navy
Marines
SOF theater engagement
National Guard Special Operations detachments
SOF command relationships
In this lesson we discussed the role of the Theater Special Operations Commands (TSOCs). We covered the history of the TSOC and defined it as a subordinate unified command established by the geographic combatant commander to conduct on going normal daily activities to include exercising command and control of SOF assigned or attached to the theater.
The Theater Special Operations Command commander has three primary functions:
Plan and conduct joint operations as assigned by the geographic combatant commander
Advise the geographic combatant commander and service component commanders on the proper employment of U.S. SOF.
Function as a Joint Force Special Operations Component commander
We identified some of the programs that SOF and the TSOCs use to support the Theater Security Cooperation Plans, established augmentation units, and finally we revisited the SOF relationships between USSOCOM, the service components, and the Theater Special Operations Commands.
Before moving to the next lesson you will need to complete the learning check on the primary lesson page.