Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO defines special operations as “military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, trained, and equipped forces, manned with selected personnel, using unconventional tactics, techniques, and modes of employment”.

In the past, we have argued for the formation of clandestine ecological special forces units as part of our strategy, Decisive Ecological Warfare. We believe this DEW strategy is one of the only chances we have for stopping runaway global warming and preserving some chance of a livable future.

We have also discussed some of the skills that these ecological special forces units would require.

The skills that differentiate special forces units from regular soldiers often fall into categories already possessed by people in the environmental movement. For example, wilderness survival, stealth and stalking, movement across rugged terrain, travel in winter conditions, emergency medicine, watercraft, ropework, robust physical fitness, and other outdoor skills are staples of special forces training. Many environmentalists already have these skills and capabilities.

Many of us, however, do not have the military-type skills possessed by special forces units. We must normalize training in these skills within our communities. As an aboveground organization, we at DGR are not engaged in DEW directly. Regardless, military-style training in firearms, small unit tactics, physical security, hand-to-hand combat, and other relevant skills will be useful for self-defense and community defense as society becomes increasingly fractured and unstable due to climate chaos, financial collapse, inequality, rising fascist movements, etc.

Participating in outdoor activities like hunting can also help us develop further competency with firearms, stalking, terrain analysis, survival skills, and so on—in addition to helping us deepen a spiritual and physical connection to the land that supports all life.