Every mission that the National Guard Special Forces conducts is arduous, hazardous and sensitive in nature. The primary mission of Special Forces is to clandestinely train and lead small foreign populations in unconventional warfare. Specifically, there are five types of missions Special Forces performs:

UNCONVENTIONAL WARFARE (UW)
Special Forces Soldiers are experts in guerrilla warfare and training foreign resistance forces in the tactics of subversion, sabotage, intelligence collection and unconventional recovery. A typical UW mission can last months or even years. Additionally, these missions allow conventional U.S. forces to enter a country covertly and build relationships with the local populace.

DIRECT ACTION (DA)
DA missions are quick-duration strikes to seize, capture, recover or destroy enemy weapons and information or to recover designated personnel or material. Other purposes of DA missions include removing an enemy that is gaining power and influence in a foreign nation, and protecting American nationals or Soldiers held in foreign countries.

FOREIGN INTERNAL DEFENSE (FID)
These missions are launched when a foreign nation requests help to end lawlessness or protect itself from rogue enemy nations during war or at peacetime. Special Forces organizes, assists and trains foreign militaries in protecting their citizens.

SPECIAL RECONNAISSANCE (SR)
Before conventional U.S. Army forces strike an enemy, Special Forces is often sent in behind enemy lines to assess troop and weapons strengths and overall operations. These covert, fact-finding operations uncover needed information about the enemy. The success of the following conventional force is often contingent on these missions.

COUNTERTERRORISM (CT)
Special Forces conducts offensive strikes to prevent, deter, pre-empt and respond to terrorism. The covert capabilities of Special Forces Soldiers allow them to conduct these missions in areas where conventional forces cannot operate.