Interestingly, the writers often have no idea what the unit designations actually refer to. Insofar as elite forces have a smaller average unit size and this is a desirable situation in a fictional work, that's another reason for this trope. For works based on Real Life, this focus can simply reflect historical Truth in Television, as is the case with Black Hawk Down and Band of Brothers.
Also, since special forces units consists of better trained soldiers with high qualifications and (usually) superior equipment, it's generally more believable for them to succeed. Presumably happens because of the Rule of Cool: famous units and battles are simply more " special". German foes, even late in the war when their quality units were mostly destroyed, are more likely to be SS Panzer divisions rather than poorly-trained and equipped Volkssturm. British units are more likely to be SAS or Paras (though curiously enough, the similarly exclusive - and more relatable to US audiences - Royal Marines don't get much love). This is particularly common in fiction set in World War II: If it is a US unit that is in focus, it is more likely to be Airborne, Marine Corps or Rangers than standard Army. Even in non-military fiction, if a film follows a character who is ex-military, 9 times out of 10 he'll have been "a marine" rather than army infantry or anything else. Military fiction will generally focus on units considered elite in some fashion, even if it is obvious that the regular units found in the same battle are just as much in the thick of it.
A common sardonic joke, Warhammer 40,000
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