White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. (February 18, 2024): In this photo by Sergeant Benjamin Castro, a Soldier assigned to 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) marks a landing zone for a CH-47 Helicopter using an infrared laser after a nighttime raid on a village. The 3rd Special Forces are participating in Sage Eagle, an annual exercise to prepare these elite troops for real world missions.
Held on the sprawling White Sands facility, the training pushes soldiers to discover their personal leadership skills while being guided by Army Green Berets and active-duty Special Forces troops. Soldiers are taught how to react to ambushes and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), booby traps, and how to evacuate casualties. Troops practice clearing rooms, entering trenches, and providing convoy security while assaulting simulated villages.
The 3rd Special Forces specialize in unconventional warfare and counter insurgency operations and often work with foreign governments on their internal defense strategies. Today, they are primarily responsible for counter-terrorism efforts in Africa.
Annual events like Sage Eagle keep our elite special forces ready to deploy to defend American anywhere, anytime.