​THEATER SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND - SOCKOR

Commander - U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Tony D. Bauernfeind

Senior Enlisted Advisor - Master Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Timothy Boehmer

MISSION

SOCKOR plans and conducts Special Operations in support of the Commander of United States Forces/United Nations Commander/Combined Forces Commander in armistice, crisis and war. SOCKOR is a functional component command of United States Forces Korea, tasked to plan and conduct Special Operations in the Korean theater of operations.

COMMAND MISSION

Since its inception, SOCKOR continues to be the only theater SOC in which U.S. and host nation SOF are institutionally organized for combined operations. SOCKOR and Republic of Korea (ROK) Army Special Warfare Command (SWC) regularly train in their combined roles, while SOCKOR’s Special Forces Detachment acts as the liaison between ROK Special Forces and the U.S. Special Forces.

Area of Focus

In peacetime, SOCKOR is responsible for the planning, training, and execution of all U.S. SOF activities in Korea. The SOCKOR Commander serves as senior advisor to COMUSFK regarding all U.S. SOF issues. If the armistice fails, SOCKOR and ROK SWC will combine to establish the Combined Unconventional Warfare Task Force (CUWTF) under the Combined Forces Command. Under the current plan, when CUWTF is formed, the SOCKOR Commander becomes the CUWTF Deputy Commander. SOCKOR is then designated as the United Nations Command Special Operations Component under the United Nations Command, with the SOCKOR Commander as the Special Operations Component Commander.

MAJOR ENGAGEMENT

Foal Eagle is a bilateral series of annual, defense-driven training events intended to increase readiness, protect the region, and maintain stability on the Korean peninsula. It is a multinational, joint-service exercise focusing on tactical-based warfare throughout the peninsula of Korea.