Trained by the U.S. Army in the 1960s, the Iranian 65th Airborne Special Forces Brigade holds onto at least one relic of that past. The green beret. The specialized unit conducts psychological operations, hostage rescue, unconventional warfare, and counterterrorism training missions within the Islamic Republic and outside it. Nicknamed the “powerful ghosts” for once taking out two buildings near Tehran in under two hours, the formidable force operates today as advisers to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s presence in Syria.
A vigorous training regimen includes endurance and survival in environments like desert, jungle, and mountain, plus freefall training and parachute skills. It’s very similar to the Green Beret training it received when it was established in 1959 as part of the Imperial Iran Special Forces.
Italian Navy Operational Raiders Group – Comando Subacquei ed Incursori COMSUBIN
The Naval Operational Raiders Group (GOI) is a badass Italian force that invented special-ops divisions like Navy Seals way back when the SEALs were just pups. It was also the first special-ops force to use frogman techniques. COMSUBIN, Italian for Diver and Raider Command Group is an elite force that proved its chops in WWI. They were the first to use human torpedoes as well.
In WWI, astoundingly, they sunk the Austrian-Hungarian Battleship Viribus Untis, in part, by using human torpedoes. That 1918 victory brought special naval diving groups into naval forces worldwide. More recently, the group has performed specialized de-mining operations in the Persian Gulf, Albania, and the former Yugoslavia.
Serbia’s Special Brigade –72nd Reconnaissance Commando Battalion
Formed in 1992 and headquartered in Pančevo, the 72nd Reconnaissance Commando Battalion of Serbia is also known as the 72 Special Brigade. It includes a counterterrorism unit that has been called the “Hawks” Battalion. The Special Brigade primarily conducts reconnaissance and demolition missions.
Training is intensive. The commandos need to be competent in tactical, fire, and physical training. Included are martial arts, parachuting, diving, climbing, swimming, rescue, and weapons training. They use a range of weaponry from sniper rifles to grenade launchers. Armor-piercing rocket systems and silencers or suppressors are also employed.
Syria’s 15th Special Forces Division
The 15th Specials Forces Division has the unique distinction of being identified in 2011 by Human Rights Watch. (The 14th division made the watchlist too, incidentally.) It is a branch of the Syrian Armed Forces headed by Major General Ghassan Al Yasmina and based in the As-Suwayda Governorate. Though made up of light infantry units, they are trained for special-ops missions in air assault and airborne operations.
The unit is loyal to President Assad in the Syrian Civil War. Earlier this year, a commander of the 15th Special Forces Division was assasinated. Brigadier General Jamal Al-Ahmad may have been taken out by a sleeper cell of the Free Syrian Army (FSA).
The Iraqi Special Operations Forces
The Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF) were formed by American coalition forces after the 2003 U.S. Iraq invasion. Under the direction of the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service (CTB), the ISOF is made up of three brigades. Commando forces were recruited from Shia, Kurd and Sunni fighters. By November 2005, 1,440 men had been trained. The 1st, known as the Golden Division, has a Special Warfare Center and School.
Iraqi special operations troops were first built in the 1950s as the first royal special units of Queen Alia Forces. It was made up of Sunni and Shia Arabs and other Iraqis. They were trained for special missions inside Iraq, and abroad during times of war.