As JSOC sought to fill the gaps in its knowledge of the Quds Force’s reach into Iraq and the Levant, it was able to draw heavily on intelligence from another country that paid close attention to the militant Shi’ite threat in the Middle East: Israel. JSOC had access to Israeli intelligence because in the middle of the decade, Delta established a ce

JSOC finally elbowed its way into the war after Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s forces began firing Scud missiles into Israel on January 17, 1991. Fearful that Israel would retaliate militarily, thus breaking apart the fragile coalition of Arab and European states lined up against Saddam, Defense Secretary Dick Cheney and Chairman of the Joint Chie

Unconventional warfare – The use of proxy forces to foment rebellion against an enemy state. In the U.S. military, this is a primary mission of Special Forces

6 – The attack, or gunship, version of the two-pilot Little Bird helicopter used exclusively by 1st Battalion of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.

Trident – The Trident was the SEAL Team 6 equivalent of Delta’s Aztec squadron. It was so named because of the Naval Special Warfare insignia of an eagle clutching a trident.

Wescam ball – A gyro-stabilized camera in a spherical mounting fixed to the underside of an aircraft, the Wescam ball tracked targets and sent live video back to the JOC. Used primarily by Delta’s Echo Squadron

Airborne – In the military, this word is normally used to describe parachute troops and missions.

The Army of Northern Virginia – One of many nicknames for the Army intelligence unit that began its life in 1980 as the Field Operations Group, and was known for much of the 1980s as the Intelligence Support Activity. Other cover names and nicknames down through the years have included the Tactical Coordination Detachment, the U.S. Army Office of M

AFO – Advance force operations, the name given to low-visibility missions conducted by JSOC operators to prepare for possible future combat operations. The concept was pioneered by Delta’s Operational Support Troop, before becoming the name of a cell on the JSOC staff. AFO missions are sometimes described as “operational preparation of the battlefi