Special Operations Command South
Special Operations Command South (SOCSOUTH) located at Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla., is a sub-unified command operationally assigned to U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM). It is a joint (military members from all four services) Special Operations headquarters that plans and executes special operations in Central & South America and the Caribbean, principally employing Special Operations Forces provided by U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and the Services' Special Operations Forces (SOF) component commands. The headquarters staff of military, DoD civilian employees and contractors is comprised of more than 200 personnel.
SOCSOUTH has two assigned or attached subordinate commands, 112th Signal Detachment SOCSOUTH and Joint Special Operations Air Component - South while maintaining additional command and control nodes forward in the USSOUTH area of responsibility.
Special Operations encompass the use of small units in direct or indirect military actions that are focused on strategic or operational objectives. They require units with combinations of specialized personnel, equipment, training, and tactics that exceed the routine capabilities of conventional military forces. Special Operations Forces (SOF) are units that are formally designated by the Secretary of Defense to conduct special operations. SOCSOUTH is the focal point for SOF operating in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility.
Mission Statement
SOCSOUTH plans and coordinates Special Operations to find and fix threats and enable the Interagency, Intelligence Community, and Partner Nations to counter threats to US interests, maintain regional stability and compete in a complex environment. On order, SOCSOUTH employs special operations for contingency and crisis response.
Vision
SOCSOUTH competes in a complex environment to challenge and counter evolving threats and respond rapidly to emerging crisis and ensure a secure AOR.
Area of Focus
Its area of responsibility includes 31 countries and 16 areas of Special Sovereignty and divides its area of focus into four regions:
Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Montser-rat, Netherlands Antilles, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turks and Caicos Islands.
Central America: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.
Andean Ridge: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
Southern Cone: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
Major Engagements
Fused Response: An annual exercise designed to improve time-sensitive crisis action planning and joint integration with partner nation and government agencies.
Fuerzas Comando: A special operations skills competition and senior leader seminar designed to promote military-to-military relationships, interoperability, and regional security.
Panamax: A multinational combined/joint task force exercise designed to respond to any request from the governments of Panama and Colombia to protect and guarantee safe passage of traffic through the Panama Canal and ensure its neutrality.