I am an American mother with a son who started out in Army moved to 82nd Airborne (which included service in Gulf War 1), then transferred into Special Forces (with 2 tours in Afghanistan). I understand that Special Forces is a distinct entity, but in general I have also though of special forces as including the 82nd, Green Berets, Seals, Delta Force, etc. So, do we know if he was saying Special Forces, or special forces since he was not reading from a script or applying for a job?
Special Forces is a tab issued by the Army. To earn it you have either successfully completed SF trading or you have fought in a SF unit for a minimum of 120 days. Airborne and Ranger schools do not qualify you to wear the SF tab unless you have met the requirements above. Seals do not pass out Special Forces tabs. They have their own unique way of issuing their own tab that involves pain.