About This Career

Special forces officers advise Commanders on all aspects of special operations. They are experienced subject matter experts in unconventional warfare and operations, fusing intelligence and planning at all levels across the operational continuum. They must have detailed knowledge of geography, economy, political structure, armed forces, and history.

This career is part of the Government and Public Administration cluster National Security pathway.

A person in this career:

• Plans, controls, and executes defense and strike operations, strategic reconnaissance, unconventional warfare, and other special operations
• Detects and identifies chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosives
• Leads personnel in intelligence collection and dissemination
• Ensures teams are organized, trained, and equipped to perform missions involving hostage rescue, counterterrorism, security force assistance, and countering weapons of mass destruction
• Maintains effective lines of communication with foreign officers, soldiers, and civilians
• Demonstrates advanced language capabilities and cultural familiarity
• Ensures safety standard compliance in special weapons test, maintenance, and repair operations
• Develops pre-mission analysis, reports, and correspondence, as well as policy and guidance
• Performs airborne, diving, and demolition operations
• Conducts studies of potential operational areas, acquiring detailed knowledge of their geography, economy, political structure, armed forces, and history

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
• Conditions are very hot (above 90 F) or very cold (under 32 F)
• Exposed to conditions such as high voltage electricity, combustibles, explosives, and chemicals more than once a month
• Exposed to hazardous situations involving possible injury such as cuts, bites, stings, and minor burns more than once a month
• Work in this occupation requires being outside most of the time
• Work in this occupation involves use of special protective items such as a breathing apparatus, safety harness, full protection suit, or radiation protection

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Identifying color and seeing differences in color, including shades and brightness
• Moving the arms, legs and torso together when the whole body is in motion
• Judging how far away an object is, or which of several objects is closer or farther away
• Using muscles repeatedly or over time without tiring
• Short periods of running, jumping, or throwing
• Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching
• Seeing clearly at a distance
• Detecting sounds and hearing the differences between sounds of different pitch and loudness
• Seeing clearly up close
• Seeing clearly in low light conditions
• Seeing objects or movement to one's side when looking forward
• Being able to tell the direction from which a sound is coming
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person
• Exerting oneself physically over long periods of time without getting out of breath

Work Hours and Travel

• Irregular hours
• Overnight travel