15 Elite Military Units That Operate Outside the Spotlight

Some elite military units are famous far beyond the battlefield. The U.S. Navy SEALs, Britain's Special Air Service, and Delta Force have become familiar names through news coverage, books, movies, and high-profile operations. But many of the world's most specialized forces operate with far less public attention, even though they train for missions that demand extreme discipline, secrecy, and precision.

These units are often built for highly specific jobs: counterterrorism, hostage rescue, long-range reconnaissance, mountain warfare, maritime raids, intelligence gathering, cyber operations, and unconventional missions that regular forces are not designed to handle. Their work can involve small teams, difficult terrain, classified objectives, and fast-moving crises where mistakes carry enormous consequences. Public information about some of these groups is limited by design, which is part of why many remain unfamiliar outside military circles.

Tempo is looking at 15 elite military units that are not household names but still play important roles in national defense and global security. Some are known for unusual training demands, some for specialized missions, and others for combat histories that rarely get the same attention as better-known special operations forces. Together, they show how modern militaries rely not only on size and firepower, but on small, highly trained units designed for the missions most people never see.

First established in 1944, the "Ghost Army" of the United States was better known as the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops. It was the responsibility of this group to conduct operations to deceive German forces using tactics like recorded sounds of military movements that could be heard over 15 miles away. The Allies also built mock military installations to fool Germany into thinking Allied attacks were coming from a different location on the British coast.

In the unfortunate situation that Operation Sea Lion had been successful and the German Army had conquered the UK, Prime Minister Winston Churchill was ready. Setting up Auxiliary Units known as the "Underground Army," more than 3,500 members of this group were recruited in small teams to disrupt and conduct a form of guerrilla warfare against any invading German force.

For most people, the CIA is made up of individual spies and secretive members, but this isn't the whole story. The CIA Special Activities Center or Special Operations Group (SOG) is responsible for some of the United States most covert and secret missions. Ultimately, this group is arguably the most covert military force in the United States.

With a unit name of Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman group, it's not at all surprising that many people aren't aware it exists. Just saying the name itself is a mouthful, but this group is composed of highly trained individuals who excel in emergency care on the battlefield. In addition, any member of this unit is also highly trained in tactical training, so they can be embedded with all Marine Recon units.

For a leader who was generally concerned about height, King Frederick William I of Prussia decided he needed a specialized military unit. As a result, the Potsdam Giants were formed after Frederick came to power in 1713. These exceptionally tall soldiers were fed well, lived good lives, and were considered some of the highest-paid members of the Prussian military.

Over a few decades in the 20th century, the work of the 6594th Test Group of the US Air Force was classified, and its work wasn't made public. However, in the 1990s, their work was declassified, and it was learned that the group was responsible for picking up film canisters that had been sent from America's spy satellites after capturing pictures of the Russians and other Communist nations.

The whole thought of mounted-cavalry units still existing in the world might seem like a dream, but it's not, at least not in India. There is one unit that still exists, known as the 61st Cavalry, which still rides horses as a modern-day military unit. Established in 1953, the work of the 61st Cavalry has been mostly ceremonial, but it also saw combat during Operation Parakram on the India-Pakistan border in 2001.

One of the most secretive units in the entire US military, "The Activity," also known as Intelligence Support Activity, is a secretive unit that is part of the US Army. It's the role of this group to provide human intelligence to America's most elite special forces groups before they go on a mission. This group operates in civilian attire and works on some of the most high-profile and high-stakes military missions.

A Nepalese military unit that was initially composed of soldiers native to the region, the Gurkhas were renowned for their skill and fighting abilities in the early 18th century. During the Anglo-Nepalese War between 1814 and 1816, the Gurkhas were initially enemies of the British, but after the war, it was the British who recruited these soldiers into their East Indian fighting units.

During World War 2, it was the job of a special US military unit known as "The Monuments Men" to seek out essential artifacts that Germany might have destroyed if captured. This group took part in different mission planning to help identify areas of importance that should not be targeted in the event of any Allied attack on a region. The unit was initially established in 1943 and was officially disbanded just three years later.

Stationed in West Berlin from 1956 to 1984, little was known to the public at the time about the 39th Special Forces Operational Detachment. This group was formed with one purpose: to operate behind enemy lines using elite tradecraft to keep West Berlin safe from communist incursion. At its height, it's believed no more than 90 men served in this unit, many from unique backgrounds who spoke multiple foreign languages.

While the name "Delta Force" isn't a complete unknown to most Americans, this is a unit that has gone to great lengths to keep much of its role and unit members secret. Often going by the nickname "The Unit," this group was formed sometime in the 1970s. Delta Force is undoubtedly considered one of, if not the, premier special forces group in the world.

A joint United Kingdom, United States special forces operations task force, Task Force 88, was initially formed in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in 2001. This "hunter-killer" group specializes in covert counter-terrorism missions, often looking to eliminate high-value targets. The unit was comprised of some of the best members of Delta Force, SEAL Team Six, and the British SAS.

The only religious military unit to ever officially be part of the US armed forces, the Mormon Battalion was made up of approximately 500 men, women, and children. Serving between 1846 and 1847 during the Mexican-American War, this group marched over 2,000 miles from Iowa to San Diego and participated in at least three separate engagements, including the Capture of Tucson in 1846.

While the 101st Airborne Division, or the "Screaming Eagles," is one of the best-known US military units, there are some secrets most people still don't know about. This includes the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment from World War 2, otherwise known as the Filthy 143. Composed of just 18 paratroopers, it was their job to go behind enemy lines after D-Day to blow up or secure bridges.