The 1st Special Forces Group is a U.S. Army Special Forces
unit subordinate to the United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) and the Special
Operations Command, Pacific (SOCPAC). The group was activated on 24 June 1957
at Camp Drake, Japan. It was among the first groups of the Special Forces to be
officially formed. The group is responsible for operations in the Pacific.
Currently, the First Battalion is stationed at Okinawa while the 2d, 3d, and
4th Battalions are stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington with a 4th
Battalion standing up in the summer of 2009. 1st Special Forces Group holds the
distinction of having the first, Captain Harry Cramer killed 21 October 1957,
and last, SGT Fred Mick killed 12 October 1972, Special Forces men killed in Vietnam,
as well as the first man, SFC Nathan Chapman killed 4 January 2002, in
Afghanistan. Captain Cramer's name was left off the Vietnam Memorial when it
was opened in 1982 due to the secretive nature of his mission and that the
extent of America's involvement in Southeast Asia was not known in 1957.
However, his son appealed to the National Parks Service and in 1983 Captain
Cramer's name was added to the Memorial.
Throughout 2003–2004, the 1st SFG (A) deployed many soldiers
in support of OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM and OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM in
Afghanistan. By November 2004 the unit deployed an entire battalion to
Afghanistan as part of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-
Afghanistan (CJSOTF-A).
Today, 1st SFG (A) continues to support the Global War on
Terrorism with operations in the Philippines, Iraq and Afghanistan as well as
maintaining US security relationships with partner nations throughout the Pacific.
The 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) – abbreviated 3rd
SFG(A) and often called simply "3rd Group" – is a U.S. Army Special
Forces (SF) unit active in the Vietnam Era (1963–69) and reactivated in 1990.
It is subordinate of the United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) and the
United States Special Operations Command Central (USSOCCENT or SOCCENT). Its
area of operations (AO) is now Sub-Saharan Africa. 3rd Group was first
activated on 5 December 1963 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The four colors of
the quadrants of 3rd Group's distinctive unit flash derive from the flashes of
the pre-existing SF units from which members were initially drawn. These colors
are (clockwise from upper left): yellow (1st SFG (A)), red (7th SFG (A)), black
(5th SFG (A)), and white (Special Forces Training Group (A)).
3rd Group had a Mideast and Africa orientation during the
1960s. It also supported 5th Group operations in Vietnam, losing the 403rd Army
Security Agency Special Operations Detachment and the 19th PSYOP Company to 5th
Group in 1966. With the "vietnamization" of the conflict in Southeast
Asia, 3rd Group was deactivated in 1969 and members transferred back to various
other SF groups. 3rd Group was reactivated in 1990 and, until the mid '90s, was
given responsibility for the Caribbean as well as the western part of Africa.
At the outbreak of the Persian Gulf War (August 1990), 3rd Group had only one
functioning battalion (1st BN). This battalion deployed to Dhahran, Saudi
Arabia, for three months, during which time it sent detachments forward into
denied areas of Iraq and Kuwait for reconnaissance and sabotage missions.
Ultimately, in late February 1991, it was given the mission of securing and
occupying the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait City. The 2nd BN and 3rd BN of 3rd Group
were reactivated in 1991 and 1992, respectively. 3rd Group took part in the
restoration of democracy in Haiti in 1994. Since the mid 2000s 3rd Group's area
of responsibility has primarily been Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia.
The 5th Special Forces Group is a United States Army Special
Forces unit that was activated on 21 September 1961 during the Cold War. It is
subordinate to USCENTCOM and SOCCENT. The 5th SFG was first deployed as a
battlefield advisory group for the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). By
February 1965, it was deployed as a mainstay battle force once the war was in
full swing.
The 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) added to its combat
history during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. In August 1990 the
Group was called upon to conduct operations in Southwest Asia in response to
the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. During this crisis the Army's First Special
Operations Task Force, (ARSOTF), consisting of elements of the 5th Special
Forces Group (Airborne) comprising 106 special operations teams performing
missions of support to coalition
warfare; conducting foreign internal defense missions with the Saudi Arabian
Army, performing special reconnaissance, border surveillance, direct action,
combat search and rescue missions; and advising and assisting a pan-Arab
equivalent force larger than six U.S. divisions, as well as conducting
civil-military operations training and liaison with the Kuwaitis. By 13
September 2001, the 5th Special Forces Group was ordered to stand up a forward
headquarters to conduct operations in Afghanistan. On 19 October, Operational
Detachment Alpha 555, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) was the first of
several 5th Group teams to infiltrate into Afghanistan, and work with the
Northern Alliance to bring down the Taliban government. During Operation Iraqi
Freedom 5th SFG(A) assisted in the capture of Saddam Hussein, and were deployed
throughout Iraq as part of Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force –
Arabian Peninsula (CJSOTF-AP). They were responsible for the capture of many
terrorist leaders in Iraq. The Tom Clancy's "Ghost Recon" series
features U.S. Special Forces Group 5, 1st Battalion, Delta Company, known in
the games as "The Ghosts."
The 6th Special Forces Group (Airborne) or 6th SFG
(ABN)(also 6SFGA) has been active from 1963 to 1971. It was based at Ft. Bragg,
North Carolina and assigned to Southwest Asia (Iraq, Iran, etc.) and Southeast
Asia. Many of the 103 original Son Tay raider volunteers were from 6SFGA.
The 7th Special Forces Group, an operational unit of the
United States Army Special Forces, was activated on 20 May 1960. It traces its
lineage to the 1st Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Special Service Force. It is
subordinate to USSOUTHCOM and SOCSOUTH. Its main mission is to conduct
guerrilla operations and train friendly governments' armed forces in Central
and South America. 7th Special Forces Group participated in Operation Urgent
Fury in Grenada in 1983, as well as in Operation Just Cause in Panama in 1989.
Since early 2002, the 7th SFG has deployed almost nonstop in support of
Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. 7th SFG along with the 3rd Special
Forces Group are the two SFGs responsible for conducting operations in
Afghanistan. The Group has also deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom
numerous times, but not as often as Afghanistan. The 7th SFG has lost more SF
soldiers in the Global War on Terrorism than any other SFG.
The 8th Special Forces Group of the United States Army was
established in 1963 at Fort Gulick, Panama Canal Zone. The primary mission of
the 8th Special Forces Group (Airborne) [(SFG(A)] was counter-insurgency
training for the armies of Latin America. Some training was performed under the
sponsorship of the School of the Americas, also located at Fort Gulick.
In May 1962, the advance party from Company D, 7th SFG(A)
departed from Ft. Bragg, NC to Fort Gulick, Panama, at that time in the Panama
Canal Zone, to establish the 8th SFG(A). Three months later, in August 1962,
Major Melvin J. Sowards, Commander of Company D, 7th SFG(A) moved the main body
of the company to the Canal Zone. They would be followed by augmentation
detachments. Upon their arrival, the basic organization of the Special Action
Force (SAF) was completed and Lieutenant Colonel Sawyer assumed command. The
legendary Lieutenant Colonel Arthur D. Simons, aka "Bull", then took
command of Company D, 7th SFG(A) 18 January 1963 and LTC Sawyer became the
Executive Officer. On 12 April 1963, under the command of LTC Simons, the SAF
elements of the 7th SFG(A) were officially redesignated, as authorized by the
Department of the Army and the 8th SFG(A) was activated.
The 8th's full designation was 8th Special Forces Group
(ABN), Special Action Force (SAF), Latin America. The 8th was the US Army's
only full SAF. In addition to the two line Special Forces companies, the SAF
included a Military Intelligence detachment, a Medical detachment, a Military
Police detachment, an Engineer detachment, an Army Security Agency detachment,
and a Psychological Operations battalion.
Special Forces at this time didn't use designators like
"battalion". A Special Forces company (which later became a
battalion) was commanded by a Lt. Colonel and was designated as a "C"
team. The 8th had 2 "C" teams. Each "C" team had 3
"B" teams and each "B" team had 5 "A" teams. The
8th SAF also operated the NCO Academy, Airborne School and Underwater
Operations School for the US Army Southern Command (USARSO). They also provided
support for the Jungle Warfare School at Fort Sherman, later renamed the Jungle
Operations Training Center to be politically correct.
The 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) (10th SFG(A) or 10th
Group) is an active duty United States Army Special Forces (SF) Group. The 10th
Group is responsible for operations within the EUCOM area of responsibility, as
part of the Special Operations Command, Europe (SOCEUR). 10th Group has also
been involved in parts of Africa and the Middle East. In 2009, as part of a new
SOCOM directive, the group is now also responsible for operations within the
AFRICOM area of responsibility.
10th SFG(A) was formed on 19 June 1952, at Fort Bragg, North
Carolina, under the command of Colonel Aaron Bank. The group was split in 1953,
with one half being sent to Germany, while the other half remained at Fort
Bragg to form the core of the 77th Special Forces Group. In 1968, the majority
of the unit transferred to Fort Devens, Massachusetts, with the exception of
1st Battalion, which remained in Germany. Between 1994 and 1995, 10th SFG(A)
moved to Fort Carson, Colorado, which remains its current home.
10th Group began training with unconventional warfare groups
from friendly countries in the 1960s, beginning with NATO allies. The group has
also trained various components of the militaries of several Middle Eastern
countries, including Lebanon, Jordan, Yemen, Iran, as well as Kurdish
tribesmen. Units of the 10th SFG(A) have participated in humanitarian missions
to the Congo, Somalia, and Rwanda. 10th SFG(A) was deployed to Saudi Arabia in
1991 during the First Persian Gulf War. The 10th SFG has been heavily involved
in the War on Terrorism, deploying to Georgia, North Africa, Afghanistan, and
consistently to Iraq.
The 11th Special Forces Group (Airborne), US Army Reserve
was attached to the 97th Army Reserve Command at Fort Meade, Maryland. For a
number of years in the late 1960's, Miller Field, Staten Island, New York was
home to the headquarters of the Army's 11th Special Forces Group.
In November 1990, the Department of Defense developed budget
guidance that directed the inactivation of 3 Army National Guard and 3 Army
Reserve Special Forces battalions. The Department of Defense subsequently
rescinded the inactivation plans for the 3 Army Reserve battalions pending the
results of the Command's joint mission analysis. Conferees for the 1993
Department of Defense Appropriations Act included in their report the expectation
that the Army Special Operations Command would maintain existing Army National
Guard Special Operations units through Fiscal Year 1993 and rejected any plan
or initiative to expand the active component special operations forces to
replace these National Guard units. The conferees further noted that in the
Fiscal Year 1992 Defense Appropriations Act, Congress had limited any
conversion of National Guard missions to the active components. The Command's
analysis validated the need to inactivate the 6 battalions, in the 11th Special
Forces Group (US Army Reserve) and 19th Special Forces Group (Utah Army
National Guard). Instead, the 11th and 12th Special Forces Group (Airborne),
both US Army Reserve units, were inactivated on 15 September 1995.
12th Special Forces Group was a US Army Reserve unit. In
1981 Soldiers with 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group from Fort Bragg,
North Carolina, jumped into Fort McCoy from 3 US Air Force C-130 Hercules
aircraft. The 85 active-duty Green Berets were there to advise, assist and
evaluate the reservists from 12th Special Forces Group.
In November 1990, the Department of Defense developed budget
guidance that directed the inactivation of 3 Army National Guard and 3 Army
Reserve Special Forces battalions. The Department of Defense subsequently
rescinded the inactivation plans for the 3 Army Reserve battalions pending the
results of the Command's joint mission analysis. Conferees for the 1993
Department of Defense Appropriations Act included in their report the
expectation that the Army Special Operations Command would maintain existing
Army National Guard Special Operations units through Fiscal Year 1993 and
rejected any plan or initiative to expand the active component special
operations forces to replace these National Guard units. The conferees further
noted that in the Fiscal Year 1992 Defense Appropriations Act, Congress had
limited any conversion of National Guard missions to the active components. The
Command's analysis validated the need to inactivate the 6 battalions, in the
11th Special Forces Group (US Army Reserve) and 19th Special Forces Group (Utah
Army National Guard). Instead, the 11th and 12th Special Forces Group
(Airborne), both US Army Reserve units, were inactivated on 15 September 1995.
The 19th Special Forces Group is one of two National Guard
groups of the United States Army Special Forces. Headquartered in Draper, Utah,
with detachments in Washington, West Virginia, Ohio, Rhode Island, Colorado,
California and Texas, the 19th SFG shares responsibility over Southwest Asia
with the 5th Special Forces Group, and the Pacific with the 1st Special Forces
Group. It is subordinate to USCENTCOM and SOCCENT. In April 2007, the 5th Battalion
of 19th SFG and troops from the 2nd Battalion were called to Operation Iraqi
Freedom. On September 2008, several units of the 19ths SFG were called to
active duty (Operation Enduring Freedom XIII).
The 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne) or 20th SFG (ABN)
is one of two Army National Guard groups for the United States Army Special
Forces. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama (and is thus part of the
Alabama Army National Guard) and as part of the United States Southern Command
has an area of responsibility covering 32 countries, including Latin America
south of Mexico, the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the southwestern
Atlantic Ocean. The area is shared with the Eglin Air Force Base-based 7th
Special Forces Group, which is the active Special Forces group responsible for
the same region.
The 20th Special Forces Group has battalions from Alabama
(1st Battalion), Mississippi (2nd Battalion), and Florida (3rd Battalion), with
detachments in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina; Chicago, Illinois; Glen Arm,
Maryland; and Chicopee, Massachusetts. There is also a MI company located in
Louisville, Kentucky.
Following the start of the Global War on Terror the 20th has
been actively deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan.
The above information provided in part by Wikipedia, The
Institute of Heraldry, Global Security, and the official websites of the
corresponding units and formations.
