In Rwanda in the 1990s, the Green Berets carried out operations to aide refugees caught in the crossfire of the civil war that was raging in the African nation. Once inside enemy territory, Green Berets identify disaffected groups, those people who are not happy with the current power structure or living conditions. These may be native tribes or communities who have been mistreated by the current power, minority populations or the former power structure itself. Although this is the official policy, once a government has been toppled, it’s almost inevitable that the conquering power must take some action to restore order and influence government. Once the United States is successful in defeating a foreign military, the toppled government leaves a power vacuum — put simply, there is no one in charge. There are two kinds of wartime tactics: conventional and unconventional, and a war may often see both kinds. There was no shouting. A certain danger revealed by the events at the turn of 69 and 70 CE in Germania and Gaul, was to keep auxiliary units close to the recruiting area and use locally-born officers. They may be required to conduct various operations for the duration of their time in the enemy’s rear area.

The role of the Green Berets during wartime is to penetrate this cell and create insurgencies from within enemy territory.This is highly dangerous work: Green Berets are often asked to operate on their own, for long periods of time. Democrats had a tough time getting elected in late 19th century and early 20th century, but Grover Cleveland was one president who broke that mold. In the early years of the 19th century, the ordnance profession played a key role in the burgeoning industrial revolution in America. Also included in the cohort are velites (120 in number), which previously only played an auxiliary role on the legion scale. The Green Berets also serve as leaders of Civil Affairs (CA) operations, which are usually composed of local political groups and non-government organizations — NGOs — like the Red Cross. This is called multiplying forces (expanding the number of troops fighting along with the United States against another military by recruiting native peoples), and the Green Berets are good at it. Green Berets consolidate these people — often from widely diverse backgrounds — into a fighting force of guerrilla armies. The guerrilla armies that the Green Berets amass behind enemy lines are trained, equipped and led by the Special Forces.

By creating a position directly responsible for government oversight and approval of special operations, the United States government not only gave the Special Forces more agility at carrying out its missions, but also created more accountability as well. All special forces groups, including the Green Berets, fall under the Special Operations Command (SOCOM). Since their inception, the Green Berets have always received training in Psychological Operations (PSYOPs) at the Psychological Warfare Center at Ft. In the operation designated Uphold Democracy Green Berets carried out PSYOPs, featuring leaflet drops and radio broadcasts from Aristide, and were able to convince Haitian citizens that “democratization” would be beneficial for their nation. Green Berets also serve as liaisons between the governments of those nations and the United States. Counterterrorist activities have also emerged as an important role the Green Berets play. During the Vietnam War, for example, a handful of Green Berets managed to aggregate a variety of indigenous tribes into a 60,000-member guerrilla army, the Civil Irregular Defense Force.

In the next section, we’ll learn about the Green Berets’ psychological operations. Another humanitarian role Green Berets play is countermine operations, where detachments travel to foreign nations to remove and dispose of unexploded ordnance. When Brigadier General Robert McClure helped found the Green Berets in 1952, he was aware that conventional tactics required psychological help. This means he may be tortured or killed on sight if found by enemy combatants, which makes his job even more dangerous. Even assuring an occupied population that the military means them no harm can have far-reaching effects on the outcome of a war. This may not always take place in the context of a war. These CA operations may entail getting food relief to starving people in villages after a war or making sure that medical supplies make it to disputed areas. The execution of Charles I in January 1649 merely served to galvanize Scottish (and Irish) support for the king’s son, Charles II, who was crowned king of the Scots at Scone, near Perth, on January 1, 1651. Ultimately, the defeat of a combined force of Irish Royalists and Confederates at the hands of English Parliamentarians after August 1649 prevented the Irishmen from serving alongside their Scottish and English allies in the third English Civil War.