Embedded Behavioral Health in Army Special Operations Forces

Special Operations Forces (SOF) soldiers are a small but unique population in the Army. Within Army Special Operations are the Special Forces, or Green Berets, as they are commonly known. Carefully selected and rigorously trained to prepare them for their unique roles, Green Berets are among the most intelligent, capable, competent, adaptable, and resilient people to ever don the uniform. However, due to the nature of their work, Green Berets and other SOF soldiers are also among those most likely to be exposed to inordinate amounts of stress, loss, dangerous situations, and potentially traumatizing events such as combat. Providing quality, evidence-based behavioral health services to these soldiers is and will continue to be critical to support the success of these soldiers both on and off the battlefield. Critical to providing good care, is having a basic understanding of the assessment and selection, training, and culture of SOF soldiers. This chapter provider background information on these aspects of working with Special Operations Forces, identifies challenges in the delivery of BH care to this population, and discusses the personal experiences of one provider in this role with a Special Forces Unit.