One branch of the Polish Special Troops Command (DWS) is the JWK. Based in Lubilniec, they have a varied and wide skill set, comparable to the U.S. Army special forces like the Green Berets. Formed in 1961, it is Poland’s oldest special ops unit. Troops are trained for everything from air assault, helicopter and parachute operations to reconnaissance missions.
They are also trained for underwater and frogman attack missions. Recently the regiment provided support for NATO operations in the Kosovo conflict. Even more recently, troops deployed special reconnaissance missions in the War in Afghanistan.
The People’s Army of Vietnam – North Vietnamese Commandos, 41st Special Forces Battalion
The People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN) is from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam’s military force. We know it best as North Vietnam. These PAVN Special Forces are the 41st NVA Main Force Sapper Battalion. The NVA elite Sapper Battalion was so adept they infiltrated a top-secret American mountain top outpost during the Vietnam War.
What happened is, a U.S. troop battalion was stationed in Laos. It was a top-secret, illegal military camp. So secret, that for 30 years this story remained classified! Out of eighteen CIA and Air Force personnel, only six survived the North Vietnamese special forces’ sabotage. The raid went down on March 12, 1968. A nine-man Sapper commando squad backed up a 33-man platoon with guns, explosives, and rocket launchers. The U.S. troops never saw it coming.
The Italian 9th Parachutist Assault Regiment
This brazen regiment of the Italian Army was so formidable that Winston Churchill notably compared them to the apex predators of the Savannah. He said the 9th Parachutist Assault Regiment is “as fierce as lions.”
Known as the 9º Reggimento d’Assalto Paracadutisti in Italian, their motto is, “Della folgore l’impeto.” It means, literally, they are from the source of lightening. As powerful as Zeus, one can imagine. Training for the 9th Regiment takes at least two years where grueling exercises are conducted in the desert, woods, mountainous areas and wet terrains before enlistees can be full-fledged commandos. Today, the special ops forces are called the COFSI-Comando Operativo Forze Operazioni Speciali.
Triple Canopy
Triple Canopy is a private military company based in Reston, VA. The private security and risk management company is a defense contractor that was established by former U.S. Special Forces like Rangers, SEALs, and MARSOC. Founded in Chicago, the company employs at least 5,500 former special-ops soldiers, police officers and other former military personnel. Triple Crown has provided services for government and multination agencies worldwide. Some of its clients are NGOs, oil and gas businesses, mining companies, financial organizations, and telecommunication companies.
Triple Canopy opened up shop in 2003 during the start of the War on Terror. By 2004, it had become a significant force. At the helm, are former elite special operations Delta Force soldiers.
Syria’s 14th Special Forces Division
Out of the twelve special forces regiments in the Syrian military, the 14th Special Forces Division is the most formidable. The combat-ready al-Wahdat al-Khassa has a ferocious repute in the Arab world. Its tenacious commandos were trained in Lebanon while serving in the 1980s. At that time, it boasted the strength of about 15,000 elite commandos.
Trained in airborne and air assault operations, Syria’s elite fighters also serve as a light infantry force. The 14th Special Forces Division is commanded by President Bashar al-Assad directly and is preferred by the regime for its loyalty. By order of state intelligence, this special-op unit is often deployed to crush popular dissent and neutralize ringleaders.