Protecting Our Colonies and settlements
 The Mission of the Special Forces.

During times of peace each colonial Special Forces Batallion answers to the Colonial Governor and Lieutenant Governor.

During planetary emergencies, however, the Colonial Governor reserves the right to mobilize the SF, putting them in active duty status. While active, the Special Forces units answer directly to the SF Field Marshall or Commander of the theatre in which they are operating and, ultimately, to the President of the Temporal Federation.

Even when not active, the SF has an active obligation (or mission.) That mission is to maintain properly trained and equipped units, available for prompt mobilization for war, national emergency, or as otherwise needed.

When active, The Special Forces is a partner with the Timefleet in fulfilling the military needs of the Temporal Federation.

Types of Peacetime missions the Special Forces might be involved in:

• Maintaining Law and order when extra security is needed.
• Smuggling Interdiction
• Humanitarian and civil assistance missions designed to foster goodwill and improve relations between the citizens. A typical civil assistant exercise consists of engineer construction projects and medical readiness training exercises.
• Engineers focus on building schools and clinics, as well as road improvements and water wells.
• Medical specialists provide routine surgery and treatment that would otherwise be unavailable to many remote settlements.

The Special Operations War-time mission of the Special Forces:

Special Operations is characterized by the use of small units with unique ability to conduct military actions that are beyond the capability of conventional military forces. SF are superbly trained in all environments, and are the master’s of land and sea based Special Operations. SF are required to utilize a combination of specialized training, equipment, and tactics in completion of Special Operation missions on both Gibraltar and all planetary colonies.

A tactical force with strategic impact, Special Forces mission specialty areas include unconventional warfare, direct action, combating terrorism, special reconnaissance, planetary internal defense, information warfare, security assistance, counter-drug operations, personnel recovery and hydrographic reconnaissance. Although Special Forces personnel comprise less than ten percent of the United Temporal Federation of Planets personnel, they offer big dividends on a small investment.

Special Forces proven ability to operate across the spectrum of conflict and in operations other than war in a controlled manner, and their ability to provide real time intelligence and eyes on target, offer decision makers immediate and virtually unlimited options in the face of rapidly changing crises around the many worlds of the UTFP.