US Army Rangers

History

The United States Army Rangers are elite members of the United States Army. Rangers have served in recognized U.S. Army Ranger units or have graduated from the U.S. Army's Ranger School. The term "Ranger" was first used in North America in the early 17th century and was also drawn from Rogers' Rangers. Since Major Robert Rogers organized nine Ranger companies in the American colonies in 1751, early American light infantry units called "Rangers" were employed during the French and Indian Wars, the American Revolution, the War of 1812, and the American Civil War. It was in World War II that the modern Rangers were born, authorized by General George C. Marshall in 1942. The six battalions of the modern Rangers were employed in wars in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq, and saw action in several conflicts, such as those in Panama and Grenada. Of the current active Ranger battalions, two, the 1st and the 2nd, have been in service since reactivation in 1974. The 3rd Ranger Battalion and the headquarters of the 75th Ranger Regiment were reactivated in 1984.

The 75th Ranger Regiment is now a special operations combat formation within the U.S. Army Special Operation Command (USASOC). The Ranger Regiment traces its lineage to three of six battalions raised in WWII, and to the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) — known as “Merrill's Marauders”, and then reflagged as the 475th Infantry, then as the 75th Infantry.

The Ranger Training Brigade (RTB)—headquartered at Fort Benning, GA—is an organization under the U.S. Army's Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), and is separate from the 75th Ranger Regiment. It has been in service under various names and Army departments since World War II. The RTB administrates Ranger School. Successful completion of this 61-day course is required to become Ranger qualified and to wear the Ranger Tab. 

 After September 11, the United States began its War on Terror with the invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001. Special Operations Units such as the Rangers, along with some CIA officers were the first US Forces on Afghan soil during Operation Enduring Freedom. This was the first large Ranger operation since Somalia in 1993. The Rangers met with success during the invasion and, along with the other US Special Operations forces, played an integral part in overthrowing the Taliban government. They were also in the biggest firefight of Operation Anaconda in 2002 at Takur Ghar.

In 2003, when the United States invaded Iraq, the Rangers were among those sent in. During the beginning of the war, they faced some of Iraq's elite Republican Guard units. One of their notable achievements in Iraq was the rescue of American POW Private-First-Class Jessica Lynch. Throughout the War on Terror, the 75th Ranger Regiment has been one of the few units to have members continuously deployed

Rangers Maps

Highrise 
Invasion
Skidrown
Terminal

Task Force 141

History

Task Force 141's operators are drawn from the special operations forces of Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, although the majority of its operators appear to be either American or British. The specific units that contribute operators to Task Force 141 are unknown. However, it is likely that American operators are drawn from the various USSOCOM units, and Joseph Allen is known to have originated from the 75th Ranger Regiment. Likewise, British operators are known to come from the Special Air Service and likely the Special Boat Service as well. Operators from Canada and Australia are most likely drawn from the Canadian Special Operations Regiment (CSOR), Joint Task Force 2 and other commando units from CANSOFCOM and the Australian Special Air Service Regiment, respectively.

During the events of Modern Warfare 2, the commanding officer of Task Force 141 appears to be Lieutenant General Shepherd, a U.S. Army officer who spearheads the Task Force's operations. Additionally, British officers of the Special Air Service (and possibly Special Boat Service) such as Captain John "Soap" MacTavish and Lieutenant Simon "Ghost" Riley serve as leaders during field missions. After his liberation from a Russian gulag, Captain John Price of the Special Air Service also apparently serves as a field commander.

Task Force 141 has at least eighty-five known members, leading to speculation that it is a company-sized formation.
 

Task Force 141 Maps

Afghan
Derail
Estate
Favela
Quarry
Rundown
Rust
Scrapyard
Underpass
Wasteland

US Navy Seals

History

The United States Navy Sea, Air and Land (SEAL) Teams (commonly known as the Navy SEALs) are the Navy's elite principal special operations force. SEAL teams are trained and have been deployed in a wide variety of missions, including direct action and special reconnaissance operations, unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, hostage rescue, counter-terrorism, and other missions. Without exception, all SEALs are male members of either the Navy or the Coast Guard.

Invasion
In the immediate aftermath of September 11 attacks Navy SEALs quickly dispatched to Camp Doha and those already aboard US Naval vessels in the Persian Gulf and surrounding waters began conducting VBSS operations against ships suspected of having ties to or even carrying al Qaeda operatives. SEAL Teams 3 and 8 also began rotating into Oman from the United States and staging on the island of Masirah for operations in Afghanistan. One of the SEALs' immediate concerns was a lack of adequate organic land mobility platforms to conduct Special reconnaissance (SR) missions in the rough, landlocked terrain of Afghanistan. After borrowing and retrofitting Humvees from the Army Rangers also staging on Masirah, the SEALs inserted into Afghanistan to conduct the SR of what would become Camp Rhino as part of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). These early stages of OEF were commanded by a fellow SEAL, Rear Admiral Albert Calland.

 
Task Force K-Bar SEALs at one of the entrances to the Zhawar Kili cave complex.The SR mission in the region of Camp Rhino lasted for four days, after which two United States Air Force Combat Control Teams made a nighttime HALO jump to assist the SEALs in guiding in Marines from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit who seized control of the area and established a Forward operating base. While at Camp Rhino the CIA passed on intelligence from a Predator drone operating in the Paktia province that Taliban Mullah Khirullah Said Wali Khairkhwa was spotted leaving a building by vehicle convoy. SEALs and Danish Jægerkorpset commandos boarded Air Force Pave Low helicopters and seized Khairkha on the road less than two hours later. The SEALs continued to perform reconnaissance operations for the Marines until leaving after having spent 45 days on the ground.

 
Task Force K-Bar SEALs searching munitions found in the Zhawar Kili cave complex.Subsequent SEAL operations during the invasion of Afghanistan were conducted within Task Force K-Bar, a joint special operations unit of Army Special Forces, United States Air Force Special Tactics Teams, and special operations forces from Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Denmark, Norway, and Turkey, under the command of Navy SEAL Captain Robert Harward. Task Force K-Bar conducted combat operations in the massive cave complexes at Zhawar Kili, the city of Kandahar and surrounding territory, the town of Prata Ghar and hundreds of miles of rough terrain in southern and eastern Afghanistan. Over the course of six months Task Force K-Bar killed or captured over 200 Taliban and al Qaeda fighters, and destroyed tens of thousands of pounds of weapons and ordnance.

Navy SEALs participated extensively in Operation Anaconda. During insertion AB1 Neil Roberts was thrown from his helicopter when it took fire from entrenched al Qaeda fighters. Roberts was eventually killed after engaging and fighting dozens of enemies for almost an hour. Several SEALs were wounded in a rescue attempt and their Air Force Combat Controller, Technical Sergeant John Chapman was killed. Attempts to rescue the stranded SEAL also led to the deaths of several US Army Rangers and an Air Force Pararescueman acting as a Quick Reaction Force.

SEALs were present at the Battle of Qala-i-Jangi alongside their counterparts from the British Special Boat Service. Chief Petty Officer Stephen Bass was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions during the battle.

Iraq War
Main article: Iraq War
Al Faw and Iraqi oil infrastructure
 
US military security personnel on the Al Basrah Oil Terminal after its captureSeveral days before the beginning of the invasion of Iraq two SDV teams were launched from Mark V Special Operations Craft in the Persian Gulf. Their objectives were the hydrographic reconnaissance of the Al Basrah (MABOT) and Khawr Al Amaya (KAAOT) Oil Terminals. After swimming under the terminals and securing their Mark 8 mod 1's the SDV SEALs spent several hours taking pictures and surveying Iraqi activity on both platforms before returning to their boats.

On March 20, 2003 the Navy SEALs launched what is the largest single SEAL operation in history from US Naval vessels, Ras al-Qulayah Naval Base and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait as part of a mixed force of US Navy SEALs, Polish GROM and British Royal Marines. Their targets were not only the MABOT and KAAOT platforms but their respective onshore petroleum pumping locks and the Al Faw port and refinery. Each force was to be inserted via helicopter or boat on the perimeter of the targets and then assault the main facilities. The first attacks occurred at the pumping locks for each offshore terminal. At MABOT's pumping lock the team's landing zone was covered in concertina wire that was unreported by their intelligence and so the SEALs and Royal Marines were forced to hover several feet off the ground. The Royal Marines, lead by a Provost Sergeant, were the first off the helicopter followed by the SEALs and all immediately became entangled in the obstacles. In this exposed position the SEALs and Marines began taking fire from the platform's garrison. The landing at the KAAOT pumping lock ran into similar problems with their landing zone but, both teams at both locations regrouped and successfully assaulted the pumping locks taking the main buildings and several occupied bunkers. After securing the facility an Iraqi armored vehicle approached the SEAL's position. Their embedded Air Force Combat Controller coordinated with an Air Force A-10 and destroyed the vehicle. In total five Iraqis were killed and sixteen captured.

The assault on the offshore platforms were carried out by SWCC manned rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIB) carrying the SEALs and SWCC manned Mk Vs carrying the GROM. The SEALs were assigned MABOT and GROM the KAAOT. Two days before the launch of the operation the Iraqis replaced the MABOT garrison with elite Republican Guard troops. With this last minute change in opposition in mind, and the added fear of the Republican Guard blowing up the platforms upon attack, the SEALs decided to change their plan to quickly take out all opposition before physically securing MABOT. Once the SEALs assaulted MABOT via RHIB the Republican Guard forces immediately began to surrender. The GROM on KAAOT encountered the same unwillingness by the Iraqis to fight allowing both platforms to be taken with no deaths. Subsequent inspection on MABOT showed that the Iraqi forces had not primed their explosives having been unwilling to destroy the facility.

The assault on the Iraqi positions on the Al Faw peninsula consisted of a DPV mounted SEAL force at the refinery and port with a larger force of US Marines from the 5th Regimental Combat Team of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force attacking Iraqi positions farther north in the Rumaila oil fields. Before the operation the SEALs raised objections that the ground looked unsuitable for DPV use but the faulty intelligence was assured by their attached intelligence liaison that the land on Al Faw would be hardpack. The teams went ahead and landed with their DPVs straight off the helicopters but their fears were confirmed when the oil soaked and muddy ground on the peninsula rendered their underpowered, rear wheel drive vehicles useless. Now on foot and surrounded by approximately 300 entrenched Iraqi soldiers and armored vehicles the SEALs relied on their Combat Controller to call in air strikes. In coordination with close air support the SEALs swept the entire facility on foot fighting through enemy positions until day break when they were relieved by the 42 Commando of the British Royal Marines. In total several hundred Iraqis were killed, 100 captured and all the armored vehicles destroyed.

 Mukarayin dam
Coalition military planners were concerned that retreating Iraqi forces would destroy the Mukatayin hydroelectric dam northeast of Baghdad in an attempt to slow advancing US troops. In addition to restricting the maneuver of Coalition forces the destruction of the dam would deny critical power needs to the surrounding area as well as cause massive flooding and loss of Iraqi civilian life. A mixed SEAL/GROM force was called in to seize the dam. This force was flown several hours by US Air Force MH-53 Pave Lows to the dam. The SEALs employed DPVs into blocking positions to defend against counter-attack and roving bands of Iranian bandits that had been crossing the border and raiding Iraqi towns. As in Al Faw the SEALs found their DPVs to be ineffective and this marked the last time they would employ them in Iraq.

The SEALs and GROM on foot fast roped out of their helicopters and immediately stormed the dam. The minimal Iraqi security forces on site surrendered, and with the exception of a GROM operator who broke an ankle during the insertion, the operation went off with no casualties. After several hours of searching the dam for remaining hostile forces or any explosives, the SEALs fully secured the dam and were later relieved by advancing elements of the US Army.

 Navy Seals Maps

Karachi
Sub Base

Opfor

History

 An Opposing Force or OPFOR is a military unit tasked with representing an enemy, usually for training purposes in war game scenarios. The related concept of aggressor squadron is used by some air forces.
At a basic level, a unit might serve as an opposing force for a single scenario, differing from its 'opponents' only in the objectives it is given. However, major armies commonly maintain specialized groups trained to accurately emulate real-life enemies, to provide a more realistic experience for their training opponents. (To avoid the diplomatic ramifications of naming a real nation as a likely enemy, training scenarios often use fictionalized versions with different names but similar military characteristics to the expected real-world foes.)
Opposing forces can also coincide with Red Teaming activities. Once the Analytic Red Team develops adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) it will be the opposing force that makes use of those TTPs in wargames and exercises.
Some dedicated opposing forces may fight using the likely enemy's doctrine, weapons, and equipment. They may wear uniforms which resemble the likely enemy's, or one dissimilar to "friendly forces". Their vehicles may either be those operated by the likely enemy's, or may be modified to look like those. All these measures help to enhance training realism and provide useful lessons on how to fight this particular enemy.
Blank ammunition, smoke grenades, and artillery simulators are often used by both sides in the exercise to provide the fog of war caused by the noise and smoke of battle.
In addition, a simulation system such as the Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System (MILES) may be used. This system is attached to various weapons, and are zeroed to the sights of the weapon. When a blank round is fired, the system sends out a laser beam, which score "kills" or "injuries" on any soldier or vehicle in what would be the path of the weapon's projectile. These laser beams are detected by receivers on harnesses worn by the soldiers, or on the vehicle itself.
Alternatively, paintball weapons which look like real weapons, or simulation rounds such as plastic bullets may be used. Usually, controllers follow the training troops to help score additional kills, such as when a simulated grenade is thrown. They may do so with the MILES system using a controller gun. All these measures help to emphasize the importance of aimed fire, and taking cover. These concepts, while obvious, are often neglected in ordinary one-sided training exercises because the soldier does not suffer the consequences.

Opfor Maps

Afghan
Derail
Estate
Invasion
Karachi
Rust
Scarpyard

Spetsnaz

History

 Russian special purpose regiments or Spetsnaz, Specnaz (Russian: Voyska spetsialnogo naznacheniya, pronounced [spetsnaz]) is a general term for "special forces" in Russian, literally "special purpose units". Russian special forces (Spetsnaz) can refer to any élite or special purpose units under subordination of the Federal Security Service (FSB) or Internal Troops of Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the units controlled by the military intelligence service GRU.
Currently, the term is used as well to describe any special purpose units or task forces of other ministries (even the Emergency Situations Ministry special rescue unit) Foreign special forces are also commonly referred to as Spetsnaz on Russian television, for example "American Spetsnaz." Spetsnaz has trained the Republican guard of Syria, Iraq and Iran and they have been involved in training other special forces units across the world. Strictly speaking, all Spetsnaz units operated by the KGB/FSB were called OSNAZ, an acronym for [voiska] osobogo naznacheniya or "special purpose [detachments]".
These internal troop units originally were raised for internal use against counter-revolutionaries and other undesirables. There has always been a certain amount of shifting of personnel and units between both the GRU who control SPETSNAZ and the MVD with OSNAZ MVD and OSNAZ KGB or FSB, especially between the latter two. Today, OSNAZ is a term mainly used in connection with GRU-controlled COMINT, ELINT and radio-surveillance units within the Armed Forces. Spetsnaz carry out reconnaissance and social warfare missions in "peacetime" as well as in war. According to Vladimir Rezun, a GRU defector who used the pseudonym "Viktor Suvorov", there were 20 Spetsnaz brigades plus 41 separate companies. Thus, total strength of Spetsnaz forces in the 1980s could have been around 30,000 troops.
  

 Spetsnaz Maps  

Highrise
Skidrow
Sub Base
Terminal
Wasteland

Brazilian Militia

History

 The Brazilian Militia is an enemy faction in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. They reside in Rio De Janeiro where they come into conflict with Task Force 141. They are also a playable multiplayer faction. Their faction symbol is a blood-red hand print. Rather than a real, official militia, they are little more than a criminal gang, albeit a very large and well armed one, sporting a colorful mix of civilian garb and military hardware.

Unlike common gangs, the Militia one is very well armed and numbers in the hundreds. It is likely that they comprise the entire gangster population of Rio. Though not the most efficient soldiers, they are sufficiently well-equipped and well-led to prove a very serious threat to Task Force 141, using their numbers and their knowledge of the terrain to their advantage. Some think Alejandro Rojas, their main supplier, struck a deal of some sort with them, since they protected him when he was hunted down by the Task Force 141, or they may have thought that Task Force 141 is there for the simple mission of killing them.

Some mistake them to be allied with Vladimir Makarov and the Russian Ultranationalists, though that it is unlikely. Their only connection to them is through Rojas, who supplied Makarov the weapons for the terrorist attack in Russia. They use weapons built locally in Brazil, such as the FAL, and Russian weaponry such as the AK-47. They also use attack dogs. In battle they are deceptively formidable tacticians, and will frequently attempt to ambush or flank the player. But also at the same time, they blind fire frequently and run straight through fire to their deaths.

Brazilian Militia Maps

Favela
Quarry
Rundown
Underpass