Behind Enemy Lines

Recruitment

Home

 

Among the OSS were agents who specialized in sabotage and paramilitary operations, forming Operational Groups (OGs). The OGs were uniformed personnel designed as hard-hitting units (the forerunners of the Green Berets). They received  training in: parachuting, demolitions, weapons, radio communications, special hand-to-hand fighting techniques and basic survival skills that would enable them to live off the land . 

The OSS recruited for the OGs from the ranks of already commissioned soldiers who volunteered for “hazardous mission” duty behind the lines, and could speak the language of the enemy-held countries. General Donovan realized that the most suitable recruits would come from the families of immigrants. Therefore, the Italian agents (Company A) were recruited from among recently-immigrated Italian-American soldiers.