Special Operations Command ( Philippines ) The Special Operations Command of the Philippine Army is the Command that is responsible for planning conducting and supporting special operations for the Philippine Army . Currently , units under SOCOM are the Special Forces Regiment ( Airborne ) , First Scout Ranger Regiment and the Light Reaction Battalion . Unit Mission . The mission of SOCOM is to organize , train , equip and sustain special operation forces in the conduct of special operations in support of the Philippine Army ' s mission . Unit Core Capabilities . SOCOM forces are employed based on the following core capabilities : Unit History . The ASWABde SOCOM , PA traces its roots to the Army Special Warfare Brigade ( ASWABde ) that was organized in 1978 . The ASWABde was a first attempt to reign in the specialties of the Special Forces and the Scout Rangers , two army units that have among the most highly trained personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines , and structure their collective efforts into a highly effective army unit . Following the destabilization attempts of the late 1980s , ASWABde was deactivated and the Special Forces Regiment ( Airborne ) was placed directly under the control of Headquarters Philippine Army while the First Scout Ranger Regiment was unfilled . Re - organization during the 1990s Finding a new need to bring together the efforts of the two regiments , the reorganization of a command to control these elite units was brought up . Additionally , the re - organization and re - assignment of Operational Controls in various units of the AFP also affected the decision to re - establish a " Special Operations Command " . On 25 July 1995 , SOCOM was created at Fort Magsaysay , Nueva Ecija . The First Scout Ranger Regiment was stationed at Camp Tecson in San Miguel , Bulacan while the Special Forces Regiment ( Airborne ) was transferred to its traditional home at Fort Magsaysay . Sub - Commands . During its establishment as SOCOM in the mid - 90s it had three sub - commands , namely : the Special Forces Regiment ( Airborne ) that was tasked to plan for and conduct Unconventional Warfare Operations ; the First Scout Ranger Regiment that was tasked to conduct special reconnaissance and direct action operations against high value targets ; and , the Psy - Ops Group that was tasked to plan for and conduct psychological operations in designated areas . The Psy - Ops Group was later detached from SOCOM and was assigned to the Civil Military Operations Group , PA ( CMOG , PA ) . Currently , SOCOM is composed of three combat units with distinct capabilities that perform various missions in the conduct of special operations , namely : The Special Forces Regiment ( Airborne ) . The mission of this regiment is to organize , train , equip and provide rapidly deployable forces and conduct unconventional warfare in all types of operational environment in support of SOCOM ' s mission . The Special Forces specializes on the following : unconventional warfare , direct action ; special reconnaissance ; psychological warfare and mass base operations . The First Scout Ranger Regiment . The mission of this regiment is to organize , train , equip and provide rapidly deployable forces and conduct special operations in support of SOCOM ' s mission . It ’ s core capabilities are : direct action , jungle warfare , special reconnaissance , and sniping operations . The Light Reaction Battalion . The mission of this battalion is to conduct counter - terrorist operations in support of SOCOM ' s mission . LRB troops are skillfully trained on the following core capabilities : surgical close quarter battles and vertical insertion , hostage rescue and personnel recovery , elimination or capture of notorious terrorists , and target interdiction . Training . The Special Operations Command conducts three primary qualification courses to provide its personnel with the foundation of knowledge and skills on special operations . The Special Forces Operations Course is conducted to provide every Special Forces trooper the foundation on unconventional warfare and highly specialized combat skills . The Scout Ranger Course is heavy on direct action and jungle warfare operations that provides the ranger trooper knowledge and skills attuned to conducting jungle warfare operations . The Counter - Terrorist Course is conducted to provide SOCOM counter - terrorist troopers the necessary special combat skills utilizing modern small - arms weapon systems . All of the three courses mentioned will undergo actual combat test mission in priority conflict areas in the Philippines prior to the completion of the course . This serves as the Command ’ s performance evaluation of students prior to the confirmation of their qualification as a Special Forces paratrooper , Scout Ranger fighter or Counter - Terrorist operator . Other types of specialized training conducted by the command are as follows : Unit Seal and Symbolism . The unit seal of the Special Operations Command is a shield with a tierced bend to the dexter side . The colors are brown , yellow gold and black that is tiered one on top of the other in that order . A white arrow occupies the center of the shield with its tip towards the shield head . A black border occupies the perimenter of the shield . The symbolisms of the colors are as follows :