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The Green Beret was originally unauthorised for wear by the U.S. Army. However, in 1961, President John F. Kennedy authorised them for use by the Special Forces. Preparing for an October 12 visit to the Special Warfare Center at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the President sent word to the center's commander, Brigadier General William P. Yarborough, for all Special Forces soldiers to wear the beret as part of the event. The President felt that since they had a special mission, Special Forces should have something to set them apart from the rest. In 1962, he called the Green Beret "a symbol of excellence, a badge of courage, a mark of distinction in the fight for freedom." Aside from the well-recognised beret, Special Forces Operatives are also known for their more informal attire than other members of the U.S. Military.

Nam Dong, Lang Vei, Dak To, A Shau, Plei Mei - these are just some of the places Special Forces troops have fought and died for during their stay in South Vietnam. It is a stay that began in June 1956 when the original 16 members of the 14th Special Forces Operational Detachment entered Vietnam to train a cadre of indigenous Vietnamese Special Forces teams. In that same year, on October 21, the first American soldier died in Vietnam - Captain Harry G. Cramer Jr. of the 14th SFOD.

But fighting in remote areas of Vietnam - publicity to the contrary - isn't the only mission of the Special Forces. They are also responsible for training thousands of Vietnam's ethnic tribesmen in the techniques of guerrilla warfare. They are taking the Montagnards, the Nungs, the Cao Dei and others and molding them into the 60,000-strong Civil Irregular Defense Group (CIDG). CIDG troops are to became the Special Forces' most valuable ally in battles fought in faraway corners of Vietnam, out of reach of conventional back-up forces. Other missions include civic-action projects, in which Special Forces troops build schools, hospitals and government buildings, provide medical care to civilians and dredged canals. This is the flip side of the vicious battles, the part of the war designed to win the hear and minds of a distant and different people. But although the Special Forces drew the allegiance of civilians almost everywhere they went, the war as a whole is not as successful.

A completely new recruit to the United States Army, who has signed on for the Special Forces, starts his training in Fort Benning, Georgia. This consists of basic training and Infantry training combined in a 14-week course. After graduation, he moves to Airborne training, which lasts for 3 weeks. Upon graduation from Airborne school the potential Special Forces Soldier is next shipped to Fort Bragg, North Carolina for Phase I, Special Forces Assessment & Selection (SFAS), an evaluation which lasts twenty four days. If the potential recruit makes it past this stage, he usually returns to his previous unit to await a class date to begin the Special Forces Qualification Course ("Q Course"). Afterwards, recruits usually attend the Primary Leadership Development Course/Basic Non-Commissioned Officer's Course at Camp Mackall before officially beginning Phase II, a five-week block of instruction in Small Unit Tactics. The recruit then ships back to Fort Bragg for Phase III of the Q course, where he trains within one of five specialities within Special Forces, those being: 18A, Detachment Commander; 18B, SF Weapons Sergeant; 18C, SF Engineer Sergeant; 18D, SF Medical Sergeant; and 18E, SF Communications Sergeant. 18A-C and E training courses are 14 weeks long, the 18D training course is 46 weeks long. Upon graduation the soldier attends Robin Sage, a large-scale unconventional warfare exercise (Phase IV) and language school (Phase V) before being awarded the Special Forces tab.

Soldiers who successfully complete SFAS and who are not already Airborne qualified will be assigned a class date to attend Basic Airborne School at Ft. Benning, Georgia prior to reporting to Ft. Bragg.

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