IV 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 255 
Commemorating the 30th anniversary of United States Special Operations 
Command. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 6, 2017 
Ms. CASTOR of Florida (for herself, Mr. JONES, Mr. PETERS, and Mr. WALZ) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on Armed Services 
RESOLUTION 
Commemorating the 30th anniversary of United States 
Special Operations Command. 
Whereas April 16, 2017, is the 30th anniversary of the 
United 
States 
Special 
Operations 
Command 
(USSOCOM) headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base 
in Tampa, Florida; 
Whereas, on April 16, 1987, Congress required the establish-
ment of a Special Operations Command, which was to be 
an elite fighting force drawn from all of the branches of 
the Armed Forces; 
Whereas as a headquarters organization, USSOCOM com-
prises four service-component commands, consisting of 
the United States Army Special Operations Command, 
United States Naval Special Warfare Command, United 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:08 Apr 07, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR255.IH
HR255
lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
•HRES 255 IH 
States Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Com-
mand, and United States Air Force Special Operations 
Command, and includes various sub-unified commands; 
Whereas each service-component command has sub-compo-
nent commands consisting of— 
(1) Army Special Forces (Green Berets), Rangers, 
Special Operations Aviation, Civil Affairs, Military Infor-
mation Support Operations; 
(2) Navy SEALS and Special Warfare Combatant- 
Craft Crewmen; 
(3) Air Force Commandos and Special Tactics Air-
men; 
(4) Marine Raiders; and 
(5) other Joint Special Operations Forces; 
Whereas USSOCOM protects and defends the United States 
in a variety of ways, including direct action, special re-
connaissance, unconventional warfare, foreign internal 
defense, civil affairs operations, counterterrorism, mili-
tary information support operations, counter-proliferation 
of weapons of mass destruction, security force assistance, 
counterinsurgency, hostage rescue and recovery, foreign 
humanitarian assistance, and other missions as assigned; 
Whereas USSOCOM has an unequaled ability to analyze and 
respond to terrorist threats and USSOCOM has led 
many successful missions globally; 
Whereas many USSOCOM missions are classified, so the 
American people may never know the details and extent 
of the bravery of Special Operations Forces, but a sample 
of missions provide a glimpse into the bravery and talents 
of these members of the Armed Forces: 
(1) on May 2, 2011, Osama bin Laden was killed in 
a special operations mission in Pakistan, for which the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:08 Apr 07, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR255.IH
HR255
lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
•HRES 255 IH 
outstanding men and women in America’s intelligence 
and Armed Forces, especially those from SOCOM, re-
mained focused on bringing Osama bin Laden to justice, 
and on May 2, 2011, justice was done; 
(2) on April 12, 2009, the Maersk Alabama was res-
cued unharmed in a special operations mission in the In-
dian Ocean, after a five-day standoff between the United 
States Navy and Somalian pirates; 
(3) on April 1, 2003, Jessica Lynch, a United States 
Army clerk taken prisoner for nine days in Iraq, was res-
cued by Special Operations Forces during a night raid in 
the hospital where she was being held; 
(4) on December 13, 2003, in Operation Red Dawn, 
Special Operations Forces captured deposed Iraqi presi-
dent Saddam Hussein, who was hiding in a spider hole; 
(5) on January 17, 1991, as Operation Desert 
Storm began, Special Operations Forces slipped hundreds 
of miles into Iraq to identify Iraqi Scud missiles as tar-
gets for American fighter jets; and 
(6) on December 20, 1989, in Operation Just Cause 
and Operation Nifty Package, Special Operations Forces 
ventured into Panama to bring its then President Manuel 
Noriega to justice for drug-trafficking; 
Whereas approximately 70,000 Regular component, National 
Guard, and reserve component personnel from all four 
services and Department of Defense civilians are assigned 
to USSOCOM headquarters in Tampa, its four service- 
component commands, and eight sub-unified commands; 
Whereas the heroism, skill, and patriotism of USSOCOM 
personnel and their families are without parallel; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:08 Apr 07, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR255.IH
HR255
lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS