| Special Operations Command, Pacific | |
|---|---|
 SOCPAC insignia | |
| Active | 1 November 1965 – present |
| Country |  United States of America |
| Type | Special Operations |
| Role | Provide fully capable Special Operations Forces to defend the United States and its interests and plan and synchronize operations against terrorist networks |
| Part of |  United States Special Operations Command United States Indo-Pacific Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Camp H. M. Smith |
| Color of berets (U.S. Army Personnel) | Tan Maroon Rifle green |
| Engagements | Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines |
| Commanders | |
| Commander | MGJeffrey A. VanAntwerp |
| Notable commanders | P. Gardner Howe, III |
| Insignia | |
| Distinctive unit insignia (U.S. Army personnel) |  |
| Beret flash (U.S. Army Personnel) |  |
| Shoulder Sleeve Insignia (U.S. Army Personnel) |  |
TheSpecial Operations Command Pacific, known asSOCPAC orUSSOCPAC, is a sub-unified command of theUnited States Department of Defense forspecial operations forces in theUnited States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) area of responsibility.
The Special Operations Center, Pacific Command was established 1 November 1965. Headquartered inOkinawa, the unit provided unconventional warfare task force support for operations in Southeast Asia. After these functions transferred to theCommander in Chief, Pacific Command (CINCPAC), the command dissolved on 1 July 1969. A special operations staff was established in the CINCPAC Operations Directorate on 15 May 1976, for planning and coordinating in-theater special operations.[1]
In October 1983, theU.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff established special operations commands in the Pacific and European Theaters. Special Operations Command, Pacific (SOCPAC) was activated on 1 November 1983 with only eighteen personnel. Six years later, on 28 December 1989, SOCPAC was assigned operational control of what is now the353d Special Operations Group and 1st Battalion,1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), which are located on Okinawa, Japan atKadena Air Base andTorii Station, respectively. On 8 July 1991, SOCPAC assumed control of Naval Special Warfare Task Unit-Pacific and a platoon ofUnited States Navy SEALs, based atApra Harbor inGuam. In early March 2001, SOCPAC established the Joint Special Operations Aviation Component. On 11 June 2001, SOCPAC gained control over E Company, 160th Special Operations Regiment (Airborne), which is based inDaegu in South Korea.[1]
As a subordinate unified command of theUnited States Indo-Pacific Command, SOCPAC units deploy throughout the Pacific. SOCPAC annually conducts small unit exchanges, joint and combined training events, and operational deployments throughout the Pacific. Units are used for counterdrug and humanitarian demining operations, training forces in countries such as Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. SOCPAC hosts an annual Pacific Area Special Operations Conference in Hawaii for over 200 U.S. and foreign delegates.[1]
The command can operate as a rapidly deployable Joint Task Force. In January 2002, SOCPAC deployed to the Southern Philippines as JTF 510, conducting counterterrorist operations with the Philippine Government underOperation Enduring Freedom. The force redeployed on 1 September 2002, leaving elements to form the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Peppery Philippines with theArmed Forces of the Philippines.[1]
The command is headquartered atCamp H. M. Smith in Hawaii.From 1995 to 1997 Air Force GeneralCharles R. Holland commanded SOCPAC.[2]From 2000 to 2003Donald C. Wurster was commander,[3]David P. Fridovich commanded from 2005 to 2007, and then Salvatore F. Cambria.[4]In June 2009 Rear AdmiralSean A. Pybus became commander of SOCPAC.[5]
From 2020 to 2021, under the leadership ofJonathan P. Braga, the command oversaw apropaganda campaign to spreaddisinformation about the Chinese-manufactured COVID-19 vaccineSinovac.[6]Reuters described the U.S. campaign as designed to "counter what it perceived as China’s growing influence in the Philippines".[6] A Pentagon spokesperson stated it was a response to "China'sCOVID diplomacy andpropaganda."[6] As part of the campaign, military personnel and contractors atMacDill Air Force Base operated hundreds of fake social media accounts which targeted the Philippines and later expanded to Central Asian and Middle Eastern countries.[6] The private defense contractor for the project wasGeneral Dynamics IT.[6]
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| United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) | ||||||||||||||||
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| United States Army USASOC |
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| United States Marine Corps MARSOC |
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| United States Navy NAVSPECWARCOM |
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| United States Air Force AFSOC |
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| Special mission units JSOC |
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| Theater Special Operations Commands | ||||||||||||||||
Source:SOCOM 2013 Fact Book | ||||||||||||||||