De Oppresso Liber
Cal Guard's Green Berets
Story and photos by U.S. Army Sgt. Marla Ogden
California Military Department Public Affairs
Photo support from Sgt. Ricardo Da Costa and Sgt. Ronnell Coaster
Marketing, California Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention
Dec. 13, 2023
Los Alamitos, Calif. —Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group operates within the California Military Department’s Army National Guard as a small tight-knit team of highly trained and qualified professionals.
The U.S. Army Special Forces, commonly known as Green Berets, is comprised of elite individuals, meticulously chosen and extensively trained.
Their expertise spans seven distinct doctrinal missions: Unconventional Warfare, Foreign Internal Defense, Special Reconnaissance, Direct Action, Combatting Terrorism, Counter-proliferation, and Information Operations.
Renowned for their exceptional skills and unconventional tactics, they represent the pinnacle of excellence.
"A National Guard Special Forces Soldier brings more value to the Special Forces regiment because we don’t just have one particular skill set."
As a Special Forces unit in the National Guard, they have the qualifications to address a spectrum of operations on global, national, and state levels, including homeland threats, responding to disasters, and executing search and rescue operations.
These Citizen Soldier guerrilla warfare experts uphold the same rigorous standards as their active-duty counterparts. Additionally, they dedicate significant time away from their civilian jobs to attend mandatory schools, some lasting up to a year, ensuring well-honed expertise in their specialized roles.
U.S. Army Master Sgt. George Duran, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group operations sergeant , emphasized that being a Green Beret in the National Guard demands an uncommon degree of dedication and skill.
“We’re consistently improving and sharpening our skills to not only meet the traditional active-duty training requirements but U.S. Special Operations Command requirements, or USSOCOM as well,” he explained. “So, we have to hit a third standard above regular Army, all while being a reservist.”
Duran said that while sustaining their standards is more challenging in the Guard, it hones their discipline to maximize readiness.
“After being on active duty, I believe now that a National Guard Special Forces Soldier brings more value to the Special Forces regiment because we don’t just have one particular skill set; we have multiple skills outside our MOS that we bring to the table,” Duran explained.
With any mission they tackle, the Soldiers of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group embody professionalism, demonstrating the ability to navigate and overcome diverse battlefield challenges. Through their collective efforts, they not only conquer the tasks at hand but also cultivate unity, forging unbreakable bonds that strengthen their effectiveness as a team.
Individually selected and specially trained.
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