Special Forces Command controls five active component groups and two Army National Guard groups. Each Special Forces Group is responsible for a certain part of the world. On November 27,1990, the U.S. Army 1st Special Operations Command was re-designated the U.S. Army Special Forces Command (Airborne). The mission of USASFC is to train, validate and prepare Special Forces units to deploy and execute operational requirements for the U.S. military’s regional commands.

Special Forces has five primary missions: Foreign Internal Defense, Unconventional Warfare, Special Reconnaissance, Direct Action and Counter-Terrorism. Because of these missions Special Forces is employed during peacetime, conflict, and war.

SF accomplishes it's main peacetime mission, foreign internal defense, by helping friendly developing nations, military and police forces improve their technical skills and human rights issues. They also assist with humanitarian and civic action projects.

Unconventional Warfare is comprised of military and paramilitary operations carried out in enemy held and controlled areas. This includes guerilla warfare, evasion and escape, sabotage, subversion, and other operations of a clandestine nature.

Special Forces conduct special reconnaissance behind hostile borders to provide theater commanders with intelligence regarding the enemy capabilities and actions, local populace, an terrain. They conduct these operations in support of strategic and operational objectives of conventional and non-conventional forces.

Direct Action includes short duration strikes and small scale offensive actions of an overt or covert nature. These missions are conducted to seize, damage, or destroy a target; or recover or capture personnel or material in support of strategic and operational objectives

Counter-terrorism includes any offensive measures taken to prevent, deter, or respond to terrorism. Special Forces are often employed to preempt or resolve terrorist incidents.

Special Forces allow the National Command Authorities more options in situations that involve, insurgency, terrorism, sabotage, and subversion that usually end up between completely diplomatic purposes and use of large conventional forces. Its small-sized units and self-sufficient nature give the United States with choices that do involve the risk of escalation associated with larger military efforts. This provides the decision makers with the ability to prevent conflict or limit its breadth. 

Even though they are a superior military force, SF do not need to use military force to accomplish a mission. Regional orientation, cross-cultural training, language skills, and knowledge of political context make them incomparable in the U.S. military. Armed with these skills, they can work just as effectively with civilian personnel as they do with other military factions to influence situations favorably toward U.S. national interests. 

The Special Operational Detachment A (SFOD A) or "A Team" is the basic Special Forces unit. It consists of a twelve man team that is designed to equip, train, advice, organize, and support indigenous military or paramilitary forces in unconventional warfare and internal defense. The detachment is comprised of a commander, executive officer, team sergeant, and specialists in operations(18F), weapons(18B), medical(18D), engineers(18C), and communications(18E). Every SF company has one A Team trained in free-fall parachuting and one trained in combat diving.

The "B Detachment" or SFOD B is the company headquarters. It is a multi-purpose command and control that can deploy SF teams by itself without the need for augmentation.

The "C Detachment" or SFOD C is the battalion command and control authority. It provides staff planning, supervision, and administration to the A and B Detachments. It also gives advice and staff assistance on employment of Special Forces units to the Joint Special Operations Task Force and other major military headquarters.