The Galactic Republic Special Operations Command (GRSOC) was a combatant command of the Grand Army of the Republic, responsible for providing a special operations capability to the Republic Army during the Clone Wars. Responsible for the command and control of all Republic special operations forces, it was principally tasked with conducting advance force operations in the hostile or denied battlespace in order to support conventional Republic forces. Its secondary responsibilities also included counterterrorism and unconventional warfare. It served as a unified headquarters that commanded, trained, and had operational control (OPCON) of all of the various Commando, Advanced Reconnaissance Commando, Covert Operations, Assassin, and Shadow units of the Republic Army. The Special Operations Command was a legion-sized command with integrated combat, support, and command elements organic to its organization. By official mandate, it was commanded by a three-star general officer of the Army, a High Jedi General provided by the Headquarters, Jedi Council.
The Galactic Republic Special Operations Command was formally activated in 22 BBY in response to the outbreak of the Clone Wars, and throughout the savage three-year conflict, its Special Operations Forces were instrumental in securing key and decisive Republic victories. However, after Empire Day in 19 BBY and the official declaration of galactic ceasefire, the Galactic Republic Special Operations Command was deactivated and re-activated as the Galactic Empire Special Operations Command, which became the principal special operations and counterterrorism military apparatus of the Galactic Empire.
Organization[]
The Galactic Republic Special Operations Command was principally formed around a brigade-sized unit, the 1st Special Operations Brigade, which contained all Clone Commando units of the Grand Army of the Republic.
It also contained the 1st Unconventional Warfare Regiment, the 1st Special Operations School, the 2nd Special Operations School, the 1st Advanced Reconnaissance Battalion, the 11th Naval Special Warfare Commando Group, the 1st Special Task Reconnaissance Company, and the 1st Paramilitary Operations Company.
- 1st Special Operations Brigade: Brigade-sized formation comprised largely of Clone Commandos, commanded by a one-star Jedi General (known as the Director of Special Forces). Contained the majority of the operational capability of the Special Operations Command, and principally conducted direct action and special reconnaissance for advance force operations.
- 1st Unconventional Warfare Regiment: Regiment-sized formation comprised largely of non-clone specialists, commanded by a senior clone commander. Conducted unconventional warfare, such as electronic warfare, cyber warfare, psychological warfare, and irregular warfare.
- 1st Special Operations School: Regiment-sized formation comprised of mostly non-clone instructors and support staff, commanded by a clone regimental commander and stationed at Tipoca City Military Complex. Conducted the Special Forces Indoctrination Course and performed basic screening of Special Forces candidates and basic special operations training.
- 2nd Special Operations School: Regiment-sized formation comprised of mostly non-clone instructors and support staff, commanded by a clone regimental commander and stationed at Centax-1. Conducted advanced special operations training, including clone specialist training and the final stages of Advanced Reconnaissance Commando training.
- 1st Advanced Reconnaissance Battalion: Battalion-sized formation comprised of Advanced Reconnaissance Commandos, commanded by a senior clone commander. Conducted advanced special operations, including counterterrorism, recovery of sensitive personnel (hostage rescue), and assassination of High-Value Targets.
- 11th Naval Special Warfare Commando Group: Battalion-sized formation comprised of Clone Commandos, commanded by a clone regimental commander. Conducted spaceborne special operations, including the vessel boarding, search, and seizure (VBSS) of suspicious civilian craft, and when forward deployed, the boarding and sabotage of Separatist warships and space stations.
- Special Operations Headquarters: Battalion-sized formation that exercised command and control over the entire Galactic Republic Special Operations Command. Headquartered at the Forn Dodonna Special Warfare Center, Coruscant and commanded by a three-star Senior Jedi General, known as the Commander-in-Chief, Special Operations Command (CINCSOCOM).
- 1st Special Task Reconnaissance Company: Company-sized formation comprised of Clone Commandos, Advanced Reconnaissance Commandos, and Shadow Troopers. Conducted special reconnaissance of sensitive, high-priority targets in advance force operations in order to support Republic commanders.
- 1st Paramilitary Operations Company: Company-sized formation comprised of Shadow Troopers and Clone Assassins, and Covert Operations Troopers. Conducted special activities and paramilitary operations, such as assassination of High-Value Targets and irregular warfare.
Order of Battle of the Galactic Republic Special Operations Command, circa 19 BBY
1st Special Operations Brigade[]
Five Clone Commandos, reconnaissance operators of the 1st Special Operations Brigade, 7th Commando Group (Desert), pose before an AT-TE walker while forward-deployed on the arid world of Tatooine.
The 1st Special Operations Brigade, commanded by a one-star Jedi General (known as the “Director Special Forces”), was the major battle formation of the Republic Special Operations Command. It principally conducted direct action and special reconnaissance operations, providing the Long Range Strike and Long Range Surveillance mission capabilities organic to the Special Operations Command.
The 1st Special Operations Brigade was comprised of a Brigade Headquarters on Coruscant and a total of ten Commando Groups. Each Comamando Group was a battalion-sized formation consisting of approximately five hundred Clone Commandos. The ten Commando Groups were subordinated under two regiment-sized formations, Regional Command Forward and Regional Command Central, each of which controlled five Commando Groups.
The ten Commando Groups of the 1st Special Operations Brigade were:
- Regional Command CENTRAL
Central Regional Command Headquarters Company, Headquarters: Coruscant- 1st Commando Group (Airborne), Headquarters: Coruscant
- 2nd Commando Group (Airborne), Headquarters: Bilbringi
- 3rd Commando Group (Airborne), Headquarters: Duro
- 4th Commando Group (Airborne), Headquarters: Kuat
- 5th Commando Support Group, Headquarters: Coruscant
- Regional Command FORWARD
- Forward Regional Command Headquarters Company, Headquarters: Kamino
- 6th Commando Group (Jungle), Headquarters: Kashyyyk
- 7th Commando Group (Desert), Headquarters: Geonosis
- 8th Commando Group (Amphibious), Headquarters: Kamino
- 9th Commando Group (Amphibious), Headquarters: Mon Calamari
- 10th Commando Support Group, Headquarters: Kamino
All ten Commando Groups were airborne-qualified and orbital-qualified, capable of clandestinely infiltrating their targets via parachuting or orbital drop. However, certain Commando Groups were trained in additional special warfare techniques. One group, the 6th Commando Group, was stationed on Kashyyyk and was specially trained for jungle warfare. Another group, the 7th Commando Group, was stationed on Geonosis and was specially trained for mobility operations and desert warfare. Two groups, the 8th and 9th Commando Groups, were stationed on Kamino and Mon Calamari, respectively, and were specially trained for amphibious and underwater warfare and sabotage. Finally, two other groups, the 5th and 10th, were designated as Commando Support Groups. Instead of being tasked with direct combat, the 5th and 10th Commando Support Groups provided logistical, signals, and medical support to the eight other Commando Groups, sustaining them in the field and enabling them to operate. An eleventh Commando Group was originally assigned to the Brigade, but later specialized and was detached.
Although all ten Commando Groups were nominally stationed at Republic worlds, they were often attached to the forward-most Republic battlegroups participating in combat operations against the Separatists. However, when rotated from the frontlines for further training or for medical recuperation, Commando Group members would return to their “home base” worlds back in Republic space.
Training[]
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Two Clone Commandos of the 1st Special Operations Brigade, 9th Commando Group (Amphibious) conduct underwater operations with closed-circuit SCUBA equipment during the Battle of Mon Calamari.
Clone Commandos were by far the most prevalent type of Republic Special Forces soldier, and other types of special operations forces, such as the Advanced Reconnaissance forces, were not part of the 1st Special Operations Brigade. All Commandos were required to attend the 1st Special Operations School, on Kamino, undergoing the Special Forces Indoctrination Course, where they would undergo psychological fortification, small unit combat training, reconnaissance training, airborne training, urban warfare training, and close-quarters battle training. Graduates from the Special Forces Indoctrination Course were certified as Special Operations Capable, earning the designator of “Special Forces” and becoming known as Clone Commandos.
Certain Clone Commandos would also attend the smaller 2nd Special Operations School on Centax-1, one of Coruscant’s moons, and there, could undergo advanced or specialist training, such as engineer training or combat medic training. Members of the 5th and 10th Commando Support Group were required to attend the 2nd Special Operations School in order to attain their training in either logistics, medical, or signals operations.
Members of the 6th, 7th, 8th, or 9th Commando Groups, assigned to Regional Command Forward, were also required to report for additional training at their “home base” worlds—Kashyyyk, Geonosis, Kamino, and Mon Calamari, respectively—where they would learn either jungle, desert, or amphibious warfare in the hostile environments of those worlds.
The successes jungle warfare commandos of the 6th Commando Group, stationed on Kashyyyk, eventually inspired the creation of the clone swamp troopers amongst the line infantry, conventional clone troopers trained for jungle and swamp warfare. The amphibious and underwater commandos of the 8th and 9th Commando Groups similarly inspired the creation of the clone SCUBA troopers, conventional clone forces trained for underwater operations. While specially qualified for warfare in unconventional environments, neither the clone swamp troopers or the clone SCUBA troopers were Special Operations Capable.
Commando Group Organization[]
Each battalion-sized Commando Group was comprised of a Headquarters Company and four Commando Companies. The Headquarters Company contained the Group Commanding Officer, a Regimental Commander, as well as his staff officers and specialists. Each Commando Company was comprised of a Headquarters Troop and four Commando Troops. The Headquarters Troop contained the Company Commanding Officer, a Commander, as well as his staff. Each Commando Troop was commanded by a Major, and comprised of five Squads, each with four Commandos. The four-man Squad was the fundamental unit of action in the field for the Republic Special Forces, and was comprised of a team commander, a Captain, and three enlisted specialists, including a senior noncommissioned officer that served as the team senior sergeant.
When deployed abroad in combat operations, each Commando Group was typically attached with a support unit from either the 5th or 10th Commando Support Group, in order to provide logistical, medical, and signals responsibilities, and also was attached with a support unit from the 1st Unconventional Warfare Regiment, in order to provide an unconventional warfare capability.
Mission Capabilities[]
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Three Clone Commandos of the 1st Special Operations Brigade, 6th Commando Group (Jungle) perform a fast-rope insertion through the jungle canopy while forward-deployed on Tiss'sharl.
The 1st Special Operations Brigade performed advance force operations—that is, infiltrating hostile worlds prior to the arrival of conventional Army forces, and performing covert reconnaissance in order to collect intelligence for the arriving Republic commanders, and also conducting direct action missions to destabilize and subvert Separatist forces prior to the assault of friendly forces.
In their special reconnaissance operations, generally known as “Long Range Surveillance”, Commandos clandestinely collected intelligence on the strength and positions of Separatist forces, the nature of the terrain and meteorological conditions, identified anti-orbital and anti-aircraft weapons that could attack the arriving Republic Navy forces upon their arrival, and also demarcated suitable landing zones that could be used to land conventional clone forces for the upcoming invasion (initial terminal guidance).
In their direct action operations, generally known as “Long Range Strike”, Commandos prepared the battlespace for the upcoming arrival of conventional forces by performing short and violent raids against critical, vulnerable Separatist targets such as command and control facilities, droid broadcast control centers, droid manufacturing and repair foundries, and anti-orbital or anti-aircraft guns that could impede the orbital or atmospheric assault of Republic Navy vessels. Commandos also conducted interdiction operations, destroying bridges, tunnels, and maglev tracks used to transport Separatist droids and war machines. Commandos were also equipped to conduct assassination operations to terminate organic Separatist commanding officers, although this was not in their primary mission. After the assault by conventional Republic forces began, in addition to the above direct action missions, Commandos also conducted combat search and rescue in order to search for and rescue the clone aircrews of downed Republic Navy warships, fighters, or gunships. Commando units could also provide forward air control and joint fires observation to conventional clone forces, directing Republic orbital, air, and artillery fires onto Separatist targets when no other fire observation specialists were available.
The primary missions of the Commandos of the 1st Special Operations Brigade were Long Range Surveillance and Long Range Strike in advance force operations to precede the assault of conventional forces on hostile worlds. Typically, Commando forces were almost never used in mass battles against the Separatists, as the strengths of the Commandos laid in their small unit combat tactics, their stealth, and their high mobility. Commitment to massive battles against Separatist armor and artillery made Commandos as susceptible to casualties as less-trained conventional clone infantry forces, and was considered a tremendous waste of their special training, experience, and unique equipment. Thus, during major battles, Commando forces often were assigned only to special operations, such as Delta Squad’s attempted assassination of Sun Fac during the Battle of Geonosis and Ion Team’s sabotage of Separatist shield generators during the Battle of Murkhana. While not used directly in massive “set-piece” battles against the Separatists, Commando units were sometimes attached to conventional clone infantry units as snipers or forward air controllers, thus acting as force multipliers to the units with which they were aligned.
The Commando forces of the 1st Special Operations Brigade were considered the elite clone forces of the Grand Army of the Republic, and the 1st Special Operations Brigade was the most-decorated unit of its size of the Clone Wars, earning numerous commendations for valor under fire. Although the first Commandos were trained from birth by the brutal Cuy’val Dar cadre on Kamino at the 1st Special Operations School prior to the outbreak of the Clone Wars, after the war began, further Commando candidates were selected from elite infantry units such as the Galactic Marines or the 41st Elite Legion, and attended an accelerated crash training course in order to replace Commando casualties amongst the 1st Special Operations Brigade.
Specially-qualified Commando units were also sometimes detached from the 1st Special Operations Brigade to undergo clandestine Republic Intelligence missions, such as Delta Team’s hostage rescue mission on Kashyyyk to rescue Tarfful. Other Commando forces were even selected for Advanced Reconnaissance Commando training, and were reassigned from the 1st Special Operations Brigade to the elite Advanced Reconnaissance Commando Battalion.
1st Unconventional Warfare Regiment[]
A non-clone slicer recruited by the 1st Unconventional Warfare Regiment, Aurek Battalion performs electronic warfare to disrupt Separatist droid communications while forward-deployed on Mygeeto.
The 1st Unconventional Warfare Regiment provided an unconventional warfare capability to the Galactic Republic Special Operations Command, allowing Special Forces units to conduct the electronic warfare, cyber warfare, psychological warfare, and civil affairs missions. The 1st Unconventional Warfare Regiment was commanded by a senior clone commander, and was comprised of a Headquarters Company on Coruscant, and three battalions, Aurek Battalion (electronic warfare and cyber warfare), Besh Battalion (psychological warfare), and Cresh Battalion (civil affairs).
Aurek Battalion provided mobile jamming of Separatist droid control frequencies and communications channels, preventing Separatist commanders from controlling and communicating with their droid troops, and also conducted jamming of enemy sensor nodes and anti-aircraft guns, preventing Separatists from detecting or attacking Republic Navy fighters on bombing runs. It also conducted signals intelligence collection, determining the location of droid forces and Separatist vehicles by their electronic signatures from afar and also intercepting Separatist communications channels and decrypting their communiqués. Additionally, Aurek Battalion conducted cyber warfare, crashing enemy supercomputers, wireless networks, and control nodes, additionally impeding the ability of Separatist commanders to control their droid forces.
Besh Battalion conducted psychological operations against organic Separatist-aligned forces, such as the indigenous guerillas of New Plympto, by conducting loudspeaker and pamphlet distribution operations in order to demoralize guerilla forces and encourage them to surrender. Additionally, Besh Battalion conducted psychological warfare against Separatist civilians on the homeworlds of C.I.S. constituents, setting up a Republic “shadowfeed” to encourage Separatist civilians to withdraw their support of the war and to rebel against their leaders.
Cresh Battalion conducted civil affairs and civil-military operations, conducting the clandestine recruitment of pro-Republic guerillas on Separatist worlds (irregular warfare), providing humanitarian assistance to civilian populations on which Republic combat operations were being conducted, and preventing civilian rebellion on worlds occupied by the Republic (counterinsurgency).
The 1st Unconventional Warfare Regiment did not operate all of its three battalions independently; rather, small units from each of the three battalions were combined into small integrated task forces that accompanied Commando and Advanced Reconnaissance Commando teams in the field, providing mobile electronic/warfare warfare and signals intelligence collection capabilities to Commando teams in the field. While 1st Unconventional Warfare Regiment personnel were not tasked with frontline battle, they were required to undergo the Special Forces Indoctrination School such that they were able to be attached to Commando units on combat operations, and were capable of defending themselves.
1st Special Operations School and 2nd Special Operations School[]
The 1st Special Operations School and 2nd Special Operations School served as the primary and secondary military training institutions for Special Forces personnel of the Galactic Republic Special Operations Command.
The 1st Special Operations School, stationed on Kamino and based around one hundred Cuy’val Dar instructors, ran the Special Forces Indoctrination Course, indoctrinating and training Clone Commando candidates for special operations. The Special Forces Indoctrination Course performed extreme psychological indoctrination of prospective Commandos, using physical and mental torture techniques to shatter their psyches and to reform them into efficient, remorseless killers with disregard for pain or for friendly or civilian casualties. It also taught Commando candidates in small unit battle tactics, reconnaissance tactics, airborne and orbital insertion, and close quarters battle, and ensured proficiency in several Republic small arms weapons systems. Graduation from the Special Forces Indoctrination Course led to the conference of the “Special Operations Capable” designator and certified that clone trooper as a “clone commando” ready for immediate assignment and deployment with the 1st Special Operations Brigade.
The 2nd Special Operations School, stationed on Centax-1, a moon of Coruscant, provided secondary special operations training to select Commando graduates of the 1st Special Operations School. Commando specialists, such as demolition experts, designated sharpshooters, and combat medical specialists, were required to attend the 2nd Special Operations School, where they underwent additional training for their specialty. The 2nd Special Operations School also performed additional Advanced Reconnaissance Commando training for ARC troopers, Naval Special Warfare personnel, and other elite Special Operations Forces.
Both the 1st and 2nd Special Operations Schools in their entirety, including instructors and support personnel, were regiment-sized formations.
1st Advanced Reconnaissance Commando Battalion[]
Advanced Reconnaissance Commando assets, though rare, undertook sensitive reconnaissance and counterterrorism unsuitable for other Special Forces units.
The 1st Advanced Reconnaissance Commando Battalion was comprised of and had operational command of all Advanced Reconnaissance Commando (ARC) units of the Grand Army of the Republic. The 1st Advanced Reconnaissance Commando Battalion was originally established to conduct advanced special reconnaissance of particularly austere or well-defended targets. However, it was later tasked with deep-penetration raids and the assassination or capture of High-Value Targets.
The 1st Advanced Reconnaissance Commando Battalion was initially established in order to train clone commandos with further autonomy and leadership potential than the “standard” clone commandos of the 1st Special Operations Brigade, leading to the creation and training of twelve Null-class ARC operators. However, the resultant operators were deemed psychologically unstable, and a second Selection, Assessment, and Indoctrination round conducted at the 1st Special Operations School on Kamino created a hundred Alpha-class ARC operators with additional training and capabilities compared to standard Commando units. While initially comprised of one Null Platoon and one Alpha Company at the beginning of the Clone Wars, as the war progressed and the existing ARC troopers proved to be exceptionally well-suited for special operations, additional companies of ARC troopers were trained and activated, bringing the 1st Advanced Reconnaissance Commando Battalion to the strength of several companies. These later ARC Companies underwent secondary indoctrination and training at the 2nd Special Operations School on Centax-1.
Eventually, an “ARC Officer Conversion Course” was conducted at the 1st Special Operations School at Kamino by an ARC Captain (A-17 “Alpha”) in order to train conventional clone trooper commanders in special operations and elite light infantry doctrine and to bring back ARC combat experiences and tactics to other Army units. Graduates of the ARC Officer Conversion Course included CC-2224 “Cody” and CC-1004 “Gree”.
Though the Advanced Reconnaissance Commando units were initially activated and directed to conduct high-risk special reconnaissance to collect high-priority intelligence at the strategic and tactical levels to support senior Republic commanders, their warfighting skill led them to adopt a variety of other missions in the special operations continuum as the Clone Wars progressed. As Jedi and Clone Commando assets became rarer and more difficult to procure, ARC troopers were often called upon to prosecute high-risk special operations, such as hostage rescue or the assassination of Separatist commanders or politicians (High-Value Targets). Despite these challenges, Advanced Reconnaissance Commandos emerged as highly competent, capable of accomplishing and surviving the most treacherous and desperate special operations. Advanced Reconnaissance Commandos, due to their unique experiences, adopted an elitist culture that distinguished them from the “standard” Commando forces of the 1st Special Operations Brigade, creating a cell of elites amongst elites of the Special Operations Command. ARC operators were often known for their aggressive, reckless, and flamboyant attitudes, which befit their high-risk operations but further distanced themselves from Special Forces and conventional clone personnel.
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A Naval Special Warfare special operator of the 11th Naval Special Warfare Commando Group undergoing training in the Killing House with a miniaturized repeater for close-quarters shipboard combat.
The 11th Naval Special Warfare Commando Group, colloquially known as “Naval Special Warfare” (NavSpecWar), was a battalion-sized special operations force tasked with the vessel boarding, search, and seizure (VBSS) of suspicious cargo transports, the hostage rescue of hostages taken aboard spaceships, aircraft, and maritime vessels, and with the boarding and sabotage of Separatist space stations and capital warships. Formerly known as the 11th Commando Group, 1st Special Operations Brigade, it was formerly the eleventh Commando Group of the Republic Special Forces. However, it was reassigned from the Grand Army of the Republic to the Republic Navy, becoming permanently attached to Navy battlegroups to provide them with a spaceborne special operations capability to board and sabotage Separatist warships or to board and search suspicious vessels of interest.
Originally activated as the 11th Commando Group of Regional Command Central, 1st Special Operations Brigade, the 11th Commando Group was originally assigned to garrison at Kuat. However, during the unit’s training, a prevalent concern arose regarding the security of the Republic warships produced at Kuat Drive Yards, and that one day, that they might be boarded and hijacked. This encouraged the Galactic Republic Special Operations Command to develop a spaceborne special operations capability in order to defend friendly Republic Navy vessels from boarding and seizure—and conversely, to infiltrate and hijack Separatist capital ships.
In order to provide a counter-boarding capability for Navy battlegroups, the 11th Commando Group was specially detached from the 1st Special Operations Brigade and was reassigned to the Republic Navy, where it was re-designated as the 11th Naval Special Warfare Commando Group where its clone commandos trained on the internal defense of Republic warships. This training regimen was eventually extended such that Naval Special Warfare operators were capable of infiltrating Separatist warships while at dry dock or operating in deep space, boarding them, and then sabotaging them. By boarding and disabling Separatist warships during massive naval battles, Naval Special Warfare acted as a force multiplier to Republic Navy battlegroups by subverting hostile naval flotillas. Additionally, Naval Special Warfare operators were capable of boarding and disabling Separatist defensive space stations in orbit.
The initial success of the 11th Naval Special Warfare Commando Group encouraged Republic High Command to detach the 21st Nova Corps from the 4th Sector Army and to train them in spaceborne and amphibious tactics, thus leading to the formation of the “Galactic Marines”.
The 11th Naval Special Warfare Commando Group, being the proof-of-principle and predecessor of the much-larger Marines, was closely integrated with the Galactic Marines and frequently conducted operations with them. However, with time, the Galactic Marines also adopted other responsibilities, such as the extreme cold weather assault mission, allowing them to participate in surface campaigns such as those of Rhen Var and Mygeeto.
Though the 11th Naval Special Warfare Commando Group was nominally placed under the command of the Republic Navy, it was under the operational control (OPCON) of the Galactic Republic Special Operations Command, which is the directorate of the Grand Army of the Republic responsible for all special operations conducted by the Republic military. However, the 11th Naval Special Warfare Commando Group was detached into multiple, smaller units on the commando troop-level, and these troops were subsequently attached to and aligned with Republic Navy battlegroups on the front lines.
Due to their unconventional capability of being able to fight in space, Naval Special Warfare commandos were sometimes known as “spacetroopers”. Another nickname was the “marines”, in homage to the Galactic Marines whom they inspired.
Special Operations Headquarters[]
A Clone Commando, a hypercomm communications specialist attached to the Special Operations Headquarters, FTL Signals Company, communicates with the War Council Advisory Panel while stationed at the Forn Dodonna Special Warfare Center.
The Special Operations Headquarters, which exercised command and control over the entire Galactic Republic Special Operations Command and all of its Special Operations Forces. It was a battalion-sized command and control unit headquartered at the Forn Dodonna Special Warfare Center on Coruscant, in close proximity to both the Jedi Temple and the Senate Building. The battalion was comprised of three companies: a Command Company, a FTL Signals Company, and a Support Company.
Command Company[]
The Command Company contained a three-star Senior Jedi General known as the Commander-in-Chief, Special Operations Command (CINCSOCOM). The CINCSOCOM was provided by the Headquarters, Jedi Council and was appointed by the War Council Advisory Panel to provide a special operations capability to the Grand Army of the Republic. The CINCSOCOM was directly answerable to Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, and had operational control (OPCON) of all Republic Special Forces units and all Army and Jedi personnel designated as "Special Operations Capable".
The Special Operations Headquarters also contained the deputy commander of the Special Operations Command, known as the Deputy Commanding General of Operations, Special Operations Command (DCGOSOCOM), a two-star Jedi General who served as the assistant to the CINCSOCOM and was responsible for the day-to-day operational command of Republic Special Forces assets.
The Command Company, Special Operations Headquarters contained both the CINCSOCOM and the DCGOSOCOM, the two most senior Jedi Generals appointed at the Special Operations Command. Both the CINCSOCOM and DCGSOCOM were supported by an extensive staff of both clone and non-clone military officers and advisors that comprised the rest of the approximately hundred-strong Command Company. The entire staff was administered by the Chief-of-Staff, Special Operations Command, who was the interface between the staff officers and the CINCSOCOM and the DCGOSOCOM.
- Commander-in-Chief, Special Operations Command (CINCSOCOM): Three-star Senior Jedi General, commanding officer of the Special Operations Command.
- Deputy Commanding General of Operations, Special Operations Command (DCGOSOCOM): Two-star Jedi General, executive officer of the Special Operations Command and responsible for day-to-day command of major operations. Directly advised by a clone regimental commander, the Assistant Chief of Staff, Operations.
- Director, Special Forces (DSF): One-star Jedi General, commanding officer of the 1st Special Operations Brigade. Not nominally attached to the Special Operations Headquarters, instead attached to the 1st Special Operations Brigade. Third-in-command of the Special Operations Command.
The staff advisors included:
- Chief of Staff, Special Operations Command: Senior clone commander, responsible for efficiently conveying information between the commanding Jedi Generals of the Special Operations and the Assistant Chiefs of Staff. Fourth-in-command of the Special Operations Command.
- G1 Human Resources Officer (Assistant Chief of Staff, Human Resources/ACOFS HR): Clone trooper commander, responsible for all personnel administration and human resources involving Special Forces personnel, including detachments and reassignments. Directly answerable to the CINCSOCOM on all human resources matters related to Special Forces.
- G2 Operations Officer (Assistant Chief of Staff, Operations/ACOFS OPS): Clone regimental commander, responsible for day-to-day operations conducted by the Special Operations Command, serving as the clone advisor to the Deputy Commanding General of Operations. Directly answerable to the CINCSOCOM on all detailed operational procedure related to Special Forces.
- G2 Assistant Operations Officer, Current Operations (ASST G2/CUR OPS): Clone trooper commander, responsible for observing and monitoring the status of all major current operations being undertaken by the Special Operations Command. Directly answerable to the ACOFS OPS regarding the status of any current operations that are underway.
- G2 Assistant Operations Officer, Forward Operations (ASST G2/FOR OPS): Clone trooper commander, forward-deployed with the 1st Special Operations Brigade and detached from the Special Operations Headquarters. Directly answers to the ACOFS OPS to provide first-hand assessments of the current forward operations partaken by Special Forces units on the battlefield.
- G2 Assistant Operations Officer, Air Operations (ASST G2/AIR OPS): Clone trooper commander of the Republic Navy, attached to the Special Operations Headquarters to advise on the proper usage of Navy gunships, starfighters, and capital warships to assist with Special Forces teams on the ground. Directly answers to the ACOFS OPS regarding the usage of aerial or orbital Navy assets and liaisons between the Navy and the Special Forces.
- G2 Assistant Operations Officer, Fire Support (ASST G2/FIRE SUP): Clone trooper commander, responsible for advising on the proper usage of fire support assets, such as SPHA-T artillery assets, to support Special Forces teams on the ground. Directly answers to the ACOFS OPS regarding the usage of artillery assets to support Special Forces operations.
- G3 Intelligence Officer (Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence): Clone regimental commander, responsible for the collection, analysis, and dissemination of pertinent strategic and tactical intelligence to advise on the planning of Special Forces missions and on the proper employment of Special Forces assets. Liaisons between the Republic Intelligence Service and the Special Forces. Directly answerable to the CINCSOCOM on all tactical intelligence matters.
- G4 Logistics Officer (Assistant Chief of Staff, Logistics): Clone trooper commander, responsible for logistical support of all Special Forces units, including their long-term sustenance in the field, and if need be, airdrop of supplies. Directly answerable to the CINCSOCOM on all logistical matters.
- G5 Plans Officer (Assistant Chief of Staff, Plans): Clone trooper commander, responsible for long-term strategic planning of the Special Operations Command and its operations. Aware of the operations undertaken by lateral units and higher headquarters, and of high-priority Separatist worlds and targets. Directly answerable to the CINCSOCOM on the long-term direction of the Special Operations Command.
Besides the Commander-in-Chief, the Deputy Commanding General, the Chief-of-Staff, and the various staff elements, the Command Company also controlled a handful of Special Operations Liaison Elements (SOLE). These liaisons were attached to the higher headquarters of conventional clone infantry units, such as the 41st Elite Corps, and advised them on the proper integration of Special Forces operations with the operations conducted by the line infantry.
FTL Signals Company and Support Company[]
The FTL Signals Company was a dedicated long-range communications unit responsible for relaying communications between the Special Operations Headquarters (on Coruscant) and to forward-deployed Special Forces units on distant battlefields. As such, it was capable of Faster-Than-Light (FTL) communications, and is equipped with multiple military hypercomm units to both transmit and receive long-range tactical signals. It was commanded by a clone trooper major and was divided into several separate hypercomm platoons, each of which supported a different sub-cell of the Command Company. It also contained a maintenance platoon capable of repair of damaged hypercomm equipment.
The Support Company provided medical, logistical, food, judiciary, and security support to the Command Company in order to enable its long-term residence at the Forn Dodonna Special Warfare Center. It contained a senior surgeon and a fully-trained medical staff capable of medical treatment of any of the Special Operations Headquarters' personnel, should they come under attack or fall ill. It also contained power droids that provided electricity to the various electrical equipment operated by the Special Operations Headquarters and trained dockhands and drivers that transported supplies to and fro the Forn Dodonna Special Warfare Center. It also contained a General Advocate of the Galactic Republic Judicial Department, who advised the Special Operations Headquarters on the legality of various special operations. Security for the Forn Dodonna Special Warfare Center was provided by clone shock troopers of the Homeworld Security Command.
1st Special Task Reconnaissance Company[]
Clone Commandos, specialized pathfinders of the 1st Special Task Reconnaissance Company, 4th Deep Reconnaissance Troop conduct special reconnaissance of the Kashyyyk jungles, aided by a local Wookiee scout.
- Main article: Surface Task Reconnaissance
The 1st Special Task Reconnaissance Company conducted clandestine reconnaissance in the deep battlespace in order to provide high-priority intelligence on Separatist targets to Republic Army formations of the Corps-scale. Capable of infiltrating Separatist worlds by covert means, such as by orbital insertion, parachuting, or by amphibious and underwater techniques, Special Task Reconnaissance assets were used to reconnoiter heavily-defended Separatist worlds prior to the insertion of any Special Forces or conventional forces, and to identify the strengths and positions of Separatist forces in order to advise Republic commanders of the feasibility of a planetary assault.
Although the deep reconnaissance mission was originally assigned to the 1st Advanced Reconnaissance Commando Company, once ARC teams were deemed "too useful" for reconnaissance missions, the CINCSOCOM activated a new, dedicated company-sized special purpose unit dedicated for special reconnaissance tasks. The newly-activated Special Task Reconnaissance Company became a dedicated reconnaissance force for the entire Galactic Republic Special Operations Command, conducting reconnaissance of hardened or denied targets. Its members were drawn from elite Clone Commandos of the 1st Special Operations Brigade, as well as Advanced Reconnaissance Commandos and Shadow Troopers.
The 1st Special Task Reconnaissance Company was comprised of a Company Headquarters and five Deep Reconnaissance Troops, and was commanded by a clone trooper commander. Each Deep Reconnaissance Troop was comprised of five reconnaissance patrols, each consisting of four reconnaissance operators. Of the five reconnaissance patrols, one was a Command Team, and the four others were dedicated Reconnaissance Teams. The Deep Reconnaissance Troop was commanded by a clone trooper major, and individual reconnaissance patrols were commanded by a clone trooper captain.
Each four-man reconnaissance patrol contained a commanding officer, a captain, two reconnaissance specialists, and one signals specialist responsible for long-range communications between the patrol and Republic forces light-years away.
Special Task Reconnaissance conducted imagery reconnaissance of Separatist targets using macrobinoculars, as well as geographical reconnaissance of the terrain and meteorological conditions, and also, importantly, conducted signals intelligence collection, intercepting subspace Separatist transmissions and decrypting them to gather intelligence on Separatist troop movements and relaying them to higher headquarters. While capable of direct action, Special Task Reconnaissance assets were often not relegated to that mission, as their prized reconnaissance skills were deemed too valuable to commit to battle against Separatist forces.
The reconnaissance experts of the 1st Special Task Reconnaissance Company were often referred to as "pathfinders", and their motto was "Pathfinders — follow me!", in reference to their role as being the lead Republic forces that generally preceded the entry of any other clone infantry units.
Organization[]
The Galactic Republic Special Operations Command was principally comprised of two divisions, one major and one minor. Its larger subordinate organization was the 1st Republic Special Operations Brigade, the unified command for all Republic special operations forces comprised of clone troopers. Its smaller subordinate organization was the Special Task Group, a clandestine special forces unit operated by both the Special Operations Command and Republic Intelligence. While the Special Operations Brigade fulfilled the majority of special forces requirements in the deep and local battlespace during the Clone Wars, the Special Task Group prosecuted highly sensitive mission requirements in support of Republic Intelligence.
As per the order of battle of the Grand Army of the Republic, the Special Operations Brigade, which was comprised of approximately ten thousand soldiers and officers, was organized into twenty Commando Groups. Nineteen of the Commando Groups were designated as combatant organizations, and were known as "Special Forces Groups", such as the 3rd Special Forces Group. One Commando Group would serve as the special troops detachment for the Special Operations Brigade, known as the 1st Special Troops Battalion, and provided command & control, intelligence, communications, engineering, reconnaissance, and dedicated administration for the rest of the brigade to allow it to function on a galactic scale. Notably, two of the nine combatant Commando Groups would have dedicated responsibilities; the 3rd Special Forces Group would be permanently detached to the Republic Navy for naval special operations, and would be known as Naval Special Warfare. The 9th Special Forces Group would be specially qualified for airborne and heliborne operations, and would be renamed the 24th Airborne Brigade Special Forces Group and would be permanently attached to the 7th Sky Corps, 3rd Systems Army.
The combatant Commando Groups, as specified by the Order of Battle, would typically be comprised of approximately five hundred men each, would be commanded by Clone Commanders. Commando Groups were comprised of hundred-membered Companies led by either Majors or Captains. Companies were divided into five Troops comprised of twenty men each led by Lieutenants or Captains. The smallest unit of organization in the Special Operations Command was the individual commando team. While the Order of Battle dictated that each Commando Squad was comprised of four commandoes led by Sergeants, this was invariably flexible, with team size dictated by the mission at hand. Likewise, the severity or priority of a mission also dictated whether an NCO or an officer would lead an individual team.
Subordinate Units[]
The 24th Airborne Brigade Special Forces Group (SFG/24AbBg RSOC), Surface Task Reconnaissance (SR/1Bn RSOC), and Naval Special Warfare (NavSpecWar/3SFG RSOC) were notable special operations forces of the Republic, subordinated underneath the Republic Special Operations Command chain of command.