TC 31-29, Special Forces Operational Techniques is a United States Army Training Circular, written in 1988 and published in the late Cold War era. This manual is arguably one of the finest “how-to” books for Special Forces operations, covering advanced urban warfare and counterterrorism, tactical single-channel radio communications, infiltration, arms and equipment caching, special reconnaissance, land navigation, and combat immediate action drills.
This 216-page book is a useful reference for Special Forces commanders, staff officers, and personnel responsible for SF training and operations. The TC discusses operational techniques in consonance with doctrine outlined in FM 31-21, which may be used by SF Soldiers conducting unconventional warfare (UW) or counterinsurgency operations.
This manual is a must-have for any SF historian, student, or enthusiast. It is an important document for the study of the SF sniper and the tactics and techniques of this vital Special Forces weaponry. Presented in Special Operations Press’ distinctive woodland camouflage cover, this ’80s or ’90s-era publication is printed in easy-to-read 6 x 9, perfect-bound paperback format. Proudly printed in the USA! This is a rare and valuable United States Army training document for any collection. As with all our artifacts, this item is guaranteed to be original, as described.
What are Special Forces Operational Techniques?
Special Forces Operational Techniques are the methods used by Special Operations Forces to conduct their missions. These techniques are designed to reduce risk to the mission and the force. They include intelligence, psychological considerations, infiltration, air operations, amphibious operations, communications, logistics, demolitions, Special Forces field maneuvers, medical aspects, and other techniques.
The United States Department of Defense defines special operations as “operations conducted in hostile, denied or politically sensitive environments to achieve military, diplomatic, informational and/or economic objectives employing military capabilities for which there is no broad conventional force requirement.” These operations can be conducted independently or in conjunction with the operations of conventional forces or other government agencies.
As the National Defense Strategy emphasizes, America’s security environment is rapidly changing. Special operations forces need to be prepared for the challenges they may face in the future. This includes the return of strategic competition with China and Russia, as demonstrated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
To prepare for these changes, civilian and military leaders of the Special Operations community have issued a new Vision and Strategy to guide the force into the future. Using a mix of strategy, tactics, technology, and exercise, the document sets out what they believe are the key qualities that will help special operations forces succeed in the future.
According to Army officials, the underlying idea behind the new strategy is to increase the effectiveness of special operations forces’ abilities in the contested and complex world security environment. This will allow special operations forces to meet modern combat operations’ demands while minimizing risks to the mission and the force.
In addition, the new vision and strategy also calls for a focus on deep and multi-domain operations. These operations are intended to shape future close operations and protect rear operations while providing a platform for special operations forces to perform large-scale combat actions against peer adversaries.
The United States Army has been implementing this concept for years by participating in various exercises that simulate a wide range of combat situations, ranging from low-intensity to high-intensity conflicts. In the past decade, these large-scale training and simulation events have increased a number of special operations forces’ capabilities.