Texas special operations units

Texas special operations units of the Texas Military Forces conduct special operations for the Texas Military Department via the Domestic Operations Command (DOMOPS) while under Title 32 command, and via United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM) while under Title 10 command.

History

Origins 
Established in 1823 and officially organized in 1835 by Stephen Austin and Moses Morrison, the Texas Rangers served as the first special operations unit of the Texas Military Department until 1935 when they were re-designated to the Texas Department of Public Safety as a State Bureau of Investigation. Their Special Operations Group was reestablished in 2011, consisting of six units. However, the Rangers did not begin conducting special operations until the Texas—Indian Wars via their Frontier Forces and Special Forces companies, among others.

The first special operations conducted by Texas Military Forces occurred during the Texas Revolution by ad-hoc units that executed reconnaissance, rescue, and demolition missions. They were primarily directed by Deaf Smith whom William Travis described as "the Bravest of the Brave in the cause of Texas" and Sam Houston as his "stay in my darkest hour...a man more brave, and honest, never lived". Smith was instrumental in advising Houston in the controversial strategy that mirrored Comanche guerrilla tactics in evasion and selective attacks against Santa Anna's forces. The strategy resulted in the Runaway Scrape, mutiny, and accusations of cowardice, but ultimately victory at the Battle of San Jacinto.

Notable missions 

 (1836) Battle of the Alamo
 Only unit to answer William Travis' letter. 
 Their sacrifice galvanized casus belli with battle cry "Remember the Alamo!"
 "Remember the Alamo" became the official motto of Texas from 1836-1930 and remains on the state seal.
 The Alamo is the number one tourist destination in Texas, a National Landmark, and UNESCO world heritage site.
 (1836) Vince's Bridge
 Cut-off the escape and prevented re-enforcements of Santa Anna's army - decisively ending the Texas Revolution.
 Featured on the state seal
 (1846) Battle of Palo Alto / Battle of Resaca de la Palma
 First major engagement of Mexican-American War, galvanized casus belli.
 (1847) Battle of Buena Vista
 Made clear the Mexican Army could not win the war, leading to Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
 (1859) Battle of Rio Grande City
 Largest engagement of the Cortina War
 (1916) Pancho Villa Expedition
 Largest manhunt in United States military history up to that date
 (2017) Hurricane Harvey
 Second most destructive natural disaster in American history with estimates up to $125 billion in damage.
 (2020) Operation Ready Sandman
 Largest, most destructive protest in American history with estimates up to 26 million citizens and $2 billion in damage.
 (2021–present) Operation Lone Star
 Largest deployment of Texas Military Forces since the American Civil War. Most expensive operation in Texas Military history, totaling $4 billion as of February 2023.

Current units

Texas Army National Guard 

 (Since 1989) Joint Counterdrug Task Force (Reconnaissance, Interdiction)
 (Since 1998) Homeland Response Force
 6th Civil Support Team (Weapons of Mass Destruction)
 (Since 2008) 19th Special Forces Group
 C Company, 1st Battalion
 A Company, 5th Battalion
 197th Special Troops Support Company
 (Since 2012) Special Operations Detachment - Africa, 71st Troop Command
 Deploys in CONUS and conducts Command and Control of Special Operations and sensitive interagency liaison missions in support of State and Federal Homeland Security Operations.
 (Since 2023) Texas Tactical Border Force
 Rapidly deployed to intercept and repel large groups of migrants trying to enter Texas illegally at border hotspots.

Texas State Guard 

 (Since 2020) 2nd Special Troops Battalion, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 6th Brigades
 A Company (Waterborne - Boat and Dive)
 B Company (Search and Rescue)
 C Company (Engineers)

Texas Air National Guard 

 (Since 2009) 147th Air Support Operations Squadron, 147th Attack Wing
 147th Tactical Air Control Party Specialists
 147th Joint Terminal Attack Controllers

Former Units

Texas Rangers 

 (1846-1848) Frontier Regiment (Reconnaissance and Guerilla Warfare during Mexican—American War).
 (1861-1865) State Troops
 (1870-1901) Frontier Forces
 (1874-1881) Special Forces

Texas Brigade 

 (1862-1864). Shock troops that received advanced training and equipment and conducted unconventional methods and tactics in direct action assaults. When the first units reached Virginia, Jefferson Davis purportedly greeted them by declaring: "Texans! The troops of other states have their reputations to gain, but the sons of the defenders of the Alamo have theirs to maintain.”

Texas Army National Guard 

 (2010-2012) Southwest Border Task Force

Texas State Guard 

 (2005-2015) Quick Response Team (QRT), 1st, 2nd, 4th, 8th, 19th, and 39th Regiments (Critical Infrastructure Protection, Search and Rescue)
 (2005-2019) C4I (Command, Control, Communications, Computing, and Intelligence) Detachment, 2nd, 4th, and 39th Regiments (Signals, Technology)

Texas Air National Guard 

 (Unknown-2017) 181st Weather Flight, 136th Airlift Wing.

Training centers 

 Special Warfare Training Detachment Airborne — Camp Bullis, Texas 
 TXSG Special Troops School — Canyon Lake, Texas

Special Forces Day 
Special Forces Day is an annual memorial holiday on June 28 that "honors the men and women who have served in the special operations forces..to be regularly observed by appropriate ceremonies." It was established on May 16, 2023, during the Eighty-eighth Texas Legislature in House Bill 2499 sponsored by Cecil Bell and Brandon Creighton.

Portrayal in media 

 2015: Texas Rising, a 10-hour miniseries based on the Texas Revolution. Depicts the Texas Rangers.

See also 

 Texas Task Force 1
 Texas Task Force 2
 Texas A&M Forest Service
 United States special operations forces
 List of military special forces units
 List of conflicts involving the Texas Military

References 

Texas Military Forces  
Texas Military Department