U.S. Army Special Forces

U.S. Army Special Forces Command (Airborne) has evolved through a spirited heritage - spanning three centuries and threading itself through numerous organizations.
     Its soldiers trace their lineage to the 1st Special Service Force (Devil 's Brigade) and derive their heritage from elements of the Office of Strategic Services (Jedburghs, Operational Groups and Detachment IO 1).
     Special Forces soldiers have earned the title of "Quiet Professional." They have been involved in peacetime operations and armed conflicts around the world over the past five decades.
     In addition to service in Vietnam, Special Forces were recently employed in Panama during Operation Just Cause and during Operations Desert Shield and Storm.
    Desert Storm Commander, Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, described Special Forces as the "eyes and ears" of conventional forces and as the "glue that held coalition forces together."
     Special Forces soldiers continue to serve at home and abroad providing humanitarian assistance and assisting with foreign internal defense in friendly foreign nations. Recent humanitarian assistance missions include Promote Liberty, Provide Comfort, Sea Angel, Guantanamo, Cuba, Hurricane Andrew, and Restore Hope. They continue to willingly undertake difficult missions in order to help those who are less fortunate. They are quiet professionals, living by their motto "De Oppresso Liber" - To Free the Oppressed.
     On November 27, 1990, the U.S. Army 1st Special Operations Command was redesignated the U.S. Army Special Forces Command (Airborne). Its mission: to train, validate, and prepare Special Forces units to deploy and execute operational requirements for the war-fighting commanders-in-chief.
     Special Forces Command exercises command and control over five active component groups. Additionally, it exercises training oversight of two Army National Guards groups.
Each Special Forces Group is regionally oriented to support one of the war fighting commanders-in-chief (CINCs). Special Forces soldiers routinely deploy in support of the CINCs of U.S. European Command, U.S. Atlantic Command, U.S. Pacific Command, U.S. Southern Command and the U.S. Central Command

Their official motto is De opresso liber ("To liberate the oppressed").

The Green Beret was originally unauthorized for wear by the U.S. Army. It was legitimized by President John F. Kennedy who encouraged the wearing of the beret by the Special Forces. Preparing for an October 12, 1961 visit to the Special Warfare Center at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the President sent word to the center's commander, Brigadier General William P. Yarborough, for all Special Forces soldiers to wear the beret as part of the event. The President felt that since they had a special mission, Special Forces should have something to set them apart from the rest. In 1962, he called the Green Beret "a symbol of excellence, a badge of courage, a mark of distinction in the fight for freedom."

The #1 hit song "Ballad of the Green Berets" and the book The Green Berets are in reference to this elite force.

U.S. Army Special Forces is divided into five Active Duty Special Forces Groups(SFG). Each Active Duty SFG has a specific regional focus. The Special Forces soldiers assigned to these groups receive intensive language and cultural training for countries within their regional responsibility

1st Special Forces Group - 1st battalion stationed in Okinawa, the 2nd and 3rd battalions headquartered at Fort Lewis, WA. 1st Group has responsibility for the Pacific.

3rd Special Forces Group - headquartered at Fort Bragg, NC. 3rd Group has responsibility for all of Africa except for the eastern Horn of Africa.

5th Special Forces Group - headquartered at Fort Campbell, KY. 5th Group has responsibility for the Middle East, Persian Gulf, Central Asia and the Horn of Africa.

7th Special Forces Group - headquartered at Fort Bragg, NC. 7th Group has responsibility for Latin and Central America as well as the Caribbean.

10th Special Forces Group - 1st battalion stationed near Stuttgart, Germany, and the 2nd and 3rd Battalions headquartered at Fort Carson, CO. 10th Group has responsibility for Europe, mainly Central and Eastern, the Balkans, Turkey, Israel and Lebanon.

19th and 20th Special Forces Group - the two National Guard groups for the Special Forces.


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		U.S. Army Special Forces Command (Airborne) has evolved through a spirited heritage - spanning three centuries and threading itself through numerous organizations. Its soldiers trace their lineage to the 1st Special Service Force (Devil 's Brigade) and derive their heritage from elements of the Office of Strategic Services (Jedburghs, Operational Groups and Detachment IO 1). Special Forces soldiers have earned the title of "Quiet Professional." They have been involved in peacetime operations and armed conflicts around the world over the past five decades. In addition to service in Vietnam, Special Forces were recently employed in Panama during Operation Just Cause and during Operations Desert Shield and Storm. Desert Storm Commander, Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, described Special Forces as the "eyes and ears" of conventional forces and as the "glue that held coalition forces together." Special Forces soldiers continue to serve at home and abroad providing humanitarian assistance and assisting with foreign internal defense in friendly foreign nations. Recent humanitarian assistance missions include Promote Liberty, Provide Comfort, Sea Angel, Guantanamo, Cuba, Hurricane Andrew, and Restore Hope. They continue to willingly undertake difficult missions in order to help those who are less fortunate. They are quiet professionals, living by their motto "De Oppresso Liber" - To Free the Oppressed. On November 27, 1990, the U.S. Army 1st Special Operations Command was redesignated the U.S. Army Special Forces Command (Airborne). Its mission: to train, validate, and prepare Special Forces units to deploy and execute operational requirements for the war-fighting commanders-in-chief. Special Forces Command exercises command and control over five active component groups. Additionally, it exercises training oversight of two Army National Guards groups. Each Special Forces Group is regionally oriented to support one of the war fighting commanders-in-chief (CINCs). Special Forces soldiers routinely deploy in support of the CINCs of U.S. European Command, U.S. Atlantic Command, U.S. Pacific Command, U.S. Southern Command and the U.S. Central Command Their official motto is De opresso liber ("To liberate the oppressed"). The Green Beret was originally unauthorized for wear by the U.S. Army. It was legitimized by President John F. Kennedy who encouraged the wearing of the beret by the Special Forces. Preparing for an October 12, 1961 visit to the Special Warfare Center at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the President sent word to the center's commander, Brigadier General William P. Yarborough, for all Special Forces soldiers to wear the beret as part of the event. The President felt that since they had a special mission, Special Forces should have something to set them apart from the rest. In 1962, he called the Green Beret "a symbol of excellence, a badge of courage, a mark of distinction in the fight for freedom." The #1 hit song "Ballad of the Green Berets" and the book The Green Berets are in reference to this elite force. U.S. Army Special Forces is divided into five Active Duty Special Forces Groups(SFG). Each Active Duty SFG has a specific regional focus. The Special Forces soldiers assigned to these groups receive intensive language and cultural training for countries within their regional responsibility 1st Special Forces Group - 1st battalion stationed in Okinawa, the 2nd and 3rd battalions headquartered at Fort Lewis, WA. 1st Group has responsibility for the Pacific. 3rd Special Forces Group - headquartered at Fort Bragg, NC. 3rd Group has responsibility for all of Africa except for the eastern Horn of Africa. 5th Special Forces Group - headquartered at Fort Campbell, KY. 5th Group has responsibility for the Middle East, Persian Gulf, Central Asia and the Horn of Africa. 7th Special Forces Group - headquartered at Fort Bragg, NC. 7th Group has responsibility for Latin and Central America as well as the Caribbean. 10th Special Forces Group - 1st battalion stationed near Stuttgart, Germany, and the 2nd and 3rd Battalions headquartered at Fort Carson, CO. 10th Group has responsibility for Europe, mainly Central and Eastern, the Balkans, Turkey, Israel and Lebanon. 19th and 20th Special Forces Group - the two National Guard groups for the Special Forces.