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WHERE UNCONVENTIONAL WARFARE BEGAN

T he term guerilla comes from the Spanish word, Guerilla, meaning “little war” and is defined as a small band of determined

men, who dare to attack a larger enemy force. The history of the world is replete with many examples of guerillas conducting unconventional warfare against a larger, better equipped military force. The Special Forces Groups draw their lineage from these multiple examples of unconventional warriors. The United States has numerous examples throughout its 200 year history, starting with the formation of the country during the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, Indian Wars, and many so called “brush-fire” wars and conflicts from the early 1900s.

During the American Revolutionary War, the thirteen colonies, having only a rag-tag army, were obliged to utilize hit and run tactics against the more conventional British forces. Lieutenant Colonel Francis Marion, the famed "Swamp Fox" attained his niche in American history with lightening strikes against the, better-equipped, British forces in the Central Atlantic Coastal region. Marion raised havoc with the British Regulars and would often persuade them to join his own group following their capture. Marion fully understood and implemented the principle that guerrillas, to ensure any measure of success, must have the support of the local populace.

Colonel John Singleton Mosby, perhaps the most successful and colorful guerrilla leader of the American Civil War, contributed much

to the American guerrilla warfare doctrine. One of the most important effects of his tactics was to force the Union army to divert as many as fifty thousand troops to counter his movements. His greatest strength, in 1865, numbered no more than eight companies.

The westward expansion of the nation caused the U.S. Army to move further west and establish new forts to help protect the new settlements and the building of the railroad across the country. This expansion immediately caused conflicts with the nomadic plains Indian tribes. These tribes used guerilla tactics to fight against other Indian tribes, settlers, and the U.S. Army Calvary units. The lack of awareness of the Indians tactics, language, and life style, saw the formation of the Indian Scouts. The Indian Scouts were native cavalry units used to track, lead, and fight against opposing Indian tribes. The Scouts utilized crossed arrows as their insignia to show they were employed by the U.S. Army.

The Office of Strategic Service (OSS) was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. It was a wartime intelligence agency, and the predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The OSS formed on June 13, 1942, in order to coordinate espionage activities behind enemy lines for the government of the United States and the Armed Forces. The unit was commanded by Colonel William J. Donovan, who by the end of the war, attained the rank of Major General. Colonel Donovan conducted the first military organized effort in modern unconventional warfare. Among other activities, the OSS helped arm, train and supply resistance

Colonel John Singleton Mosby (seated center) and his group of guerrillas

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movements, including Mao Zedong's Red Army in China, the Viet Minh in French Indochina, in areas occupied by the Axis powers during World War II. While the OSS focused their activities in the European Mediterranean and China-Burma theaters, another effort was taking place in the Philippine Islands. At the onset of the Japanese invasion, Major Russell Volkman and Captain Donald D. Blackburn elected to escape into Irogot territory of central Luzon to avoid capture. There they helped establish an effective Guerrilla force that eventually aided in the liberation of the Philippines. The Philippine Scouts helped with the liberation of captured U.S Service members from Cabuaatan Prisoner of War camp.

THE DARBY'S RANGERS

A fter the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, Major General Russell P. Hartle, commander of the 34th Infantry Division, shortly

deployed with the division to Northern Ireland in January 1942. General Hartle chose Captain Darby to organize and train a new elite commando unit, modeled off the British Special Operations Executive. Darby received a promotion to Major, and the official activation of the first United States Army Ranger Battalion took place on July 9, 1942.

Major Darby went into action with his Rangers spearheading the Center Task Force as a part of Operation Torch under the command of Major General Lloyd Fredendan during the November 8, 1942, North Africa Invasion. Darby’s unit executed a number of successful night attacks. They landed at Arzew, Algeria, near Oran, where Major Darby served as the military mayor of the city for several months until he and his troops were sent to the Tunisian Front.

Near the close of the Tunisian Campaign, Major Darby set about training and expanding the Rangers into three battalions. On July 10th, 1943, the 1st, 3rd and 4th Ranger Battalions spearheaded the invasion into Sicily. The three Ranger Battalions were the first to land during the invasion of Italy on September 9th,1943. Early in the morning of 22 January 1944, they landed unopposed in the harbor of Anzio. They had control from the moment they landed. On January 30th, 1944, the 1st and 3rd Battalions however, suffered severe casualties in the battle for Cisterna, Italy, and were consolidated with the 1st Special Service

Force. The 4th Battalion suffered heavy losses and now alone made up the Ranger force.

THE FIRST SPECIAL SERVICE FORCE

T he 1st Special Service Force (1st SSF) was organized in 1942, as a joint American-Canadian special experimental fighting unit. They

trained at Fort Harrison near Helena, Montana in the United States; the 1st SSF was designated to be a swift attacking mobile snow force. Its creation, based on the British idea of "Mastery of the Snows", organized and trained to conduct commando raids against Nazi Germany's fledgling nuclear weapons capability in the Scandinavian region of occupied Europe. Although the original mission of snow operations was scrapped, the group was retained as a special tactical unit. The formation's patch was a red spearhead with the words USA written horizontally and CANADA written vertically. The branch of service insignia was the crossed arrows formerly worn by the U.S. Army Indian Scouts. The unit wore red, white, and blue piping on their garrison cap and on their breast oval behind their parachutist wings. Members of the unit also wore a red, white, and blue fouragere, lanyard, or shoulder cord made out of parachute shroud lines. The volunteers for the 1800-man force consisted primarily of enlisted men recruited by advertising at Army posts, stating that preference was to be given to men previously employed as lumberjacks, forest rangers, hunters, game wardens, and the like. Many of the American troops were drawn, in part, from the three Ranger Battalions then in existence. The 1st Special Service Force was officially activated on July 20th, 1942, under the command of LTC Robert T. Frederick. Much feared for their fighting prowess, the moniker "The Black Devils" was adopted after the discovery of the personal diary of a German officer referring to "die schwarzen Teufeln (the Black Devils)." With blackened faces, small units would often overwhelm German defenders without firing a shot, and then disappear into the night. Force members received rigorous and intensive training in stealth tactics, hand-to-hand combat, the use of explosives, parachuting, amphibious warfare, rock-climbing, mountain warfare, and as snow ski troops. From the outset, the 1st Special Service Force was armed with a variety of non-standard or limited-issue weapons, such as the M1941 Johnson machine gun. The Johnson LMG in particular helped greatly increase the firepower of the unit and was highly regarded by those who used it in combat.

Captain Darby The Black Devils

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LTC Frederick himself participated in the design of a fighting knife made exclusively for the Force called the V-42 combat knife, a derivative of the Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife.

Following its initial training period in Montana, the 1st SSF relocated to Camp Bradford, Vermont, on April 15th, 1943, and to Fort Ethan Allen, Vermont, on May 23rd, 1943. On July 4th, 1943, it arrived at the San Francisco Port of Embarkation, and on July 10th sailed for the Aleutian Islands. On August 15th, 1943, the 1st SSF was part of the invasion force of the island of Kiska, but after the island was found evacuated, they re-embarked and returned to Fort Ethan Allen, arriving September 9th.

EUROPEAN THEATER OF CONFLICT

A scheduled operation code named "Project Plough," a mission to parachute into German-held Norway to knock out strategic

targets such as hydroelectric power plants. The plan had to be abandoned, but in October of 1943, the commander of the U.S. Fifth Army, Lt. Gen. Mark W. Clark, brought the 1st Special Service Force to Italy where its members demonstrated the value of their unique skills and training. The Devil's Brigade arrived in Casablanca in French Algeria in November 1943 and quickly moved to the Italian front arriving at Naples on November 19th, 1943 and immediately went into the line with the U.S. 36th Infantry Division. At Monte la Difensa, near which was located the ancient town of Rocca d'Evandro (about 10 miles southeast of Cassino) and was part of the Bernhardt Line Defenses on the Camino hill mass, between December 3rd and December 6th, 1943, they immediately earned a reputation for being able to take impenetrable objectives when no one else could. Here, in the dead of winter, the 1st Special Service Force wiped out a strategic enemy defensive position that sat high atop a mountain surrounded by steep cliffs. Previously, American and British forces had suffered many casualties in futile attempts to take the important target. The 1st SSF immediately continued its attack, assaulting Monte la Remetanea from December 6th to December 9th. They captured Monte Sambúcaro on

December 25th, and assaulted Monte Vischiataro on January 8th, 1944. During the mountain campaign, the 1st SSF suffered 77% casualties. The 1st SSF was successful, and this incident was the basis for the 1968 motion picture titled "The Devil's Brigade." Withdrawn from the mountains in January, and on February 1st, was landed at the beachhead created by Operation Shingle at Anzio, south of Rome, replacing the 1st and 3rd Ranger Battalions which had been decimated at Cisterna. Their task was to hold and raid from the right-hand flank of the beachhead marked by the Mussolini Canal/Pontine Marshes. Shortly after the 1st SSF took over the Mussolini Canal sector, German units pulled back up to a half-mile to avoid their aggressive patrols. It was at Anzio that the Germans dubbed the 1st Special Service Force the "Devil's Brigade." The 1st SSF fought for 99 days without relief. It was also at Anzio that the 1st SSF used their trademark stickers; during night patrols Soldiers would carry stickers depicting the unit patch and a slogan written in German: "Das dicke Ende kommt noch," said to translate to "The Worst is yet to Come", placing these stickers on German corpses and fortifications. Canadian and American members of the 1st Special Force who lost their lives are buried near the beach in the Commonwealth Anzio War Cemetery and the American Cemetery in Nettuno, just east of Anzio. When the 5th Army breakout offensive began on May 25th, 1944, the 1st SSF was sent against Monte Arrestino, and attacked Rocca Massima on May 27th. The 1st SSF was given the assignment of capturing seven bridges in the city to prevent their demolition by the withdrawing Wehrmacht. During the night of June 4th, members of the 1st SSF entered Rome. They are among the Allied units who claim to be the first to enter Rome. After they secured the bridges, they quickly moved north in pursuit of the retreating Germans. On August 14th, 1944, the 1st SSF landed at Îles d'Hyères during "Operation Dragoon", the invasion of southern France. On August 22nd, it was attached to the 1st Airborne Task Force, a provisional Seventh Army Airborne Division, and later made part of the Task Force. On September 7, it moved with the 1st Airborne Task Force to defensive positions on the Franco-Italian border. During the war, the 1800-man unit accounted for some 12,000 German casualties, captured some 7,000 prisoners, and sustained an attrition rate of over 600%. The 1st SSF, a unique military unit that never failed to achieve its objective, was disbanded December

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5, 1944 in a field near Villeneuve-Loubet. Villeneuve-Loubet holds a special place in the history of the Force, not only because the unit was broken up there, but also because it is one of the villages that the 1st SSF had the hardest time capturing in southern France.

THE 77th SPECIAL FORCES GROUP (AIRBORNE) LEGACY

I n 1952, Col. Aaron Bank created another elite unit using the training, strategies, and the lessons learned from missions of the

Devil's Brigade and the Office of Strategic Services Jedburgh teams. The 10th Special Forces Group became the Army's first unconventional warfare unit to be organized as an integral part of the United States Military System. Colonel Bank, is often referred to as the "founder of Special Forces" and was the first commander of the Special Forces

Unit (10th SFG).

In September 1953, the 77th Special Forces Group was activated at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The unit's first commander was Lieutenant Colonel Jack T. Shannon and the motto was "Anything, Any Time, Any Place, Any How". Lieutenant Frank J. Dallas was the first executive officer. The officers and men, for the 77th, were drawn from the 10th Special Forces Group that was preparing for an overseas

assignment in Bad Tolz, Germany. Colonel Edson D. Raff became the second commander of the 77th Special Forces Group on November 23rd, 1954. Colonel Raff wanted something to enhance the units twaining Esprit de Corp. He chose the Green Beret, modeled off the berets color from, the famous British Royal Marine Commando Units. Captain Dallas found a source for the berets. The Ft. Bragg Exchange sold the first version of the beret for less than $2.00. The 77th Special Forces Group's first public appearance with the new beret was participating with a large contingent in the retirement review for Lieutenant General Joseph P. Cleland. The trend was skepticism, even opposition to the beret by "higher headquarters" who understandably wanted to know who authorized the wearing of the beret. Col Raff, never short on courage, stood up to the new XVIII Airborne Corps Commander, Lt. Gen. Paul D. Adams, who demanded to know the authority for adopting the beret. On December 18th, 1954, Col. Raff succeeded to the command of the Psychological Warfare Center, which included the PSY War Board. Col. Raff designated the beret as a troop-test item and blithely continued to wear it in spite of the XVIII Airborne Corps. Soon, the 10th and 1st Special Forces Groups saw the beret and adopted it. In 1956, the 82nd Airborne Division requested to DA to wear red berets, but was turned down. They presented the argument that Special Forces were wearing green berets. The 77th Special Forces Group was ordered to give up the beret. The 10th and 1st Special Forces Group continued to wear the beret.

In 1956, Captain John W. Frye, designed the arrow-shaped patch which is still worn by all the Special Forces Groups. The unit shoulder insignia, a blue patch, featuring an upturned knife and three jagged lightning bolts, was approved by the Department of the Army, and was pictured in the Army Times newspaper. The knife was issued during World War II to the 1st Special Service Force, and the lightning bolts represent Special Forces infiltration capabilities of air, land and sea.

All Special Forces units wear distinctive colored flashes on their berets indicating specific Groups. The first 7th SFG flash, a solid red flash, was designated and accepted for wear by the members of the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne). This flash is still utilized today by members of the Group.

THE AWARDING OF THE GREEN BERET

O n October 12th, 1961, President John F. Kennedy visited Ft. Bragg. The Special Forces troops, led by General William P.

Yarborough, wore green berets to greet the Commander-in-Chief. The nine-year controversy over the beret finally ended. President Kennedy encouraged the wearing of the Green Beret by Special Forces Soldiers. He felt that since they had a special mission, Special Forces should have something to set them apart from the rest. Col. Raff was credited by Lieutenant General Yarborough as the "father" of the

Green Beret". President John F. Kennedy, who was immensely impressed with the Green Berets, expressed in his closing remarks “I am sure that the Green Beret will be a mark of distinction in the trying times ahead”. This personal recognition of Special Forces by President Kennedy will always remain one of the Regiments greatest honors.

THE FORMATION OF THE 7th SPECIAL FORCES GROUP (AIRBORNE)

T he 77th Special Forces Group (Airborne) was numerically re-designated the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in June 1960,

when the U.S. Army activated the 1st Special Forces, a parent organization combining the three existing Special Forces Groups (1st,

LTG Yarborough and President Kennedy

During a visit at Ft. Bragg, NC

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7th, 10th) into a single unit under the Army's Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS). The newly created 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) assumed the heritage and honors of the 1st Special Service Force unit of World War II. In addition to wartime honors of the 1st SSF, the 1st SF Regiment received the colors and lineage of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th Ranger Battalions, all winning prominence during WWII. The current 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) colors have six streamers from WWII (Aleutian Islands, Naples-Foffia, Anzio, Rome-Arno, Southern France with arrowhead, Rhineland). On October 6th, 1960, the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), at a review on the main post parade field, marched under the battle honored colors of its predecessors. Major General (Retired) Robert F. Frederick, wartime commander of the 1st Special Service Force, made the presentation of the colors of the 1st Special Service Force to the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne). Colonel Irwin A. Edwards, commander for the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), accepted the colors for the Group on behalf of the 1st Special Forces.

THE CORNERSTONE OF SPECIAL FORCES

T he 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) is referred to as the building block from which Special Forces expanded during the

administration of President John F. Kennedy. Throughout the early 1960's, the request for Mobile Training Teams far exceeded the US military capability; therefore, the 7th SFG(A) was called upon to assist in the organization and activation of similar units. Operational missions for the Group came even before its re-designation, at the request of the Chief, USMAAF, and Republic of Vietnam. The organization of detachments was not geared for the detailed, prolonged and specialized operation, so they reorganized as Mobile Training Teams (MTT). The year 1961, found the Group deeply involved in the training and preparation for missions of its detachments around the world. The world’s situation placed increased emphasis on the use of Special Forces units in cold war operations. This situation resulted in considerable acceleration of activities, particularly within the 7th SFG(A). The Group received mission instructions directing it to prepare Mobile Training Teams for many areas of the world. A new language program was initiated with the ultimate objective of having every man in the Group attain at least survival fluency in two foreign languages. Special Forces training achievements included a cross-training program completed by 350 personnel. The accelerated role of Special Forces was emphasized by the visit of President Kennedy on October 2nd, 1961. Other summer activities of the Group included the testing of tropical clothing and equipment in Panama and the establishment of the Advanced Special Forces Medical School at Fort Bragg. As the effectiveness and importance of Special Forces became more apparent, the 7th SFG(A) was called upon again to furnish cadre for the new 5th SFG(A). By direction of the Third Army General Order No. 198, September 19th, 1961, Companies E and F of the 7th SFG(A) were deactivated, and a total of 12 officers and 167 enlisted men from the Group were assigned to the 5th SFG(A) at Fort Bragg. The rapid expansion of Special Forces, created extremely acute shortages of trained personnel; replacements were drawn from the 7th SFG(A) to support the 1st SFG(A) and 10th SFG(A).

SPECIAL FORCES INVOLVEMENT IN LAOS/VIETNAM

N ew communist pressures, in the country of Laos, prompted that government to request military assistance from the United

States. The 7th SFG(A) was given its most important assignment to date. The information concerning the deployment of the 7th SFG(A) to

that country still remains classified. It can be said however, that the 7th SFG(A) furnished detachments operating in the country until the withdrawal of Special Forces ODAs in October 1962. In April 1961, detachments of the 7th SFG(A), operating under the command of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Laos, were deployed from the lowlands of the Mekong River to the nearly inaccessible highlands of Northern and Central Laos. Their mission was to advise and train the regular Laotian Forces and tribal irregulars in the conduct of conventional and Guerrilla warfare against the Communist forces of Pathet Lao. The Detachments discovered one of their most useful attributes was establishing rapport with Laotian unit commanders. Whenever possible, the detachment lived in or near the quarters of the local commander. Detachment members studied the Laotian language and became familiar with local customs. The established rapport resulted in many Special Forces Soldiers being presented with ivory images of Buddha by Laotian commanders, an act; which by their customs is a great honor. In the accomplishment of their mission, detachments were deployed initially into the Laotian capital city of Vientiane. Subsequently, all Special Forces units in Laos were placed under the command of “White Star Mobile Training Team” (WSMTT). The 7th SFG(A) provided 107 personnel for this new mission. The operation would be commanded by LTC Author “Bull” Simons, who later would become the commander for the 8th SFG(A). On July 23rd, 1962, the “Declaration of the Neutrality of Laos” was signed by fourteen nations. By virtue of this declaration, US Special Forces in Laos were ordered to withdraw from the country no later than October 6th, 1962. In 1963, the Group was deeply involved in the all-out fight against communist insurgents in the Republic of Vietnam. The members of the detachments in that far-off land were tasked to advise and train civilian irregular groups and tribal minority forces in fighting the Viet Cong. Some of the involvement in Southeast Asia

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remains classified. In 1966, the 7th SFG(A) became more active than any other time in its duty history. The Group was assigned the mission of providing a Program of Instruction for all personnel alerted for Vietnam. Colonel Joseph J. Jackson became the Deputy Commander for the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Center for Special Warfare on October 6th, 1966. Lieutenant Colonel William N. Jackson assumed command of the 7th SFG(A).

CUBA

I n the difficult fight for Cuba during the Kennedy years, 7th SFG(A) was an active player in the training of indigenous forces. On March

15th, 1961, three 7th SFG(A) detachments went into isolation and were given intensive Spanish language training, with no indication of their mission. A mere four days later, the three teams departed Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina for an unknown destination. Only upon arrival in Guatemala did they learn that they would be training the Cuban Exile Forces Brigade 2506 for the CIA-led invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs. One team trained a light Armor unit, one an Infantry unit, and the third an Airborne Infantry unit. The 7th SFG(A) Soldiers lived in the jungle with their Cuban counterparts and were supposed to accompany them in the invasion. Trust was key, particularly as the Light Armor unit would only see their tanks for the first time on the transport ship en route to Cuba, and the Airborne Infantry had no towers or planes, so their first real airborne operation would be during their first combat jump.

The Bay of Pigs ended in disaster. Despite the 7th SFG(A)s courageous efforts, Cuban regular forces moved armor and attack aircraft into the fight too fast for the under-resourced operation to have any chance at success. After three days of intense fighting, Brigade 2506 members were captured, and many of them executed. On April 14th, 1962, 60 wounded and sick prisoners were freed and returned to the U.S. Later that year, Cuban Prime Minister Fidel Castro and James B. Donovan, a U.S. lawyer, signed an agreement to exchange 1,113 prisoners for U.S. $53 million in food and medicine.

THE PRE-WAR YEARS

M embers of 7th SFG(A) conducted multiple demonstrations highlighted by a demonstration presented in the Spanish

language, to approximately 150 Latin American and U.S. Officers and dignitaries during the annual Conference of American Armies at Fort Amador, Canal Zone, Panama, July 16-20th, 1962. In the spring of 1962, the Group received directions to aid project 1-62, an Air Commando Demonstration at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. During April 25-26th and May 2-4th, the infiltration of the Groups two detachments was witnessed by President Kennedy, General Sweeney, Commanding General, Tactical Air Command, and General Curtis LeMay, Chief of Staff of the USAF. During 1962, the Group provided support for 13 major Army and Joint Service field exercises. 7th SFG(A) detachments conducted pre-exercise instruction in Guerrilla and counter-guerrilla techniques for participating conventional units. Some of the more publicized exercises were GREAT BEAR in Alaska, January to February, SWIFT STRIKE II in the Carolinas in August, and DEVIL ARROW in the Great Smokey Mountains in September. For the DEVIL ARROW, the members of the 22nd SAS (British) and 22nd Special Warfare Aviation Detachment supported the Group. Later in 1963, its commander, Colonel John Woodhouse, presented the regimental colors of Britain’s famed 22nd Special Air Service Regiment, flown in Battle over the sands of Africa and the Jungles of Malay, to the 7th SFG(A) as a memento of the 22nd’s participation with the Group. During August, the Group provided training support to Special Forces Reserve and National Guard units. In the last quarter of the year, elements of Company A, journeyed to Alaska to advise and conduct the yearly training for the 1st Battalion, Eskimo Scouts, Alaska National Guard. Throughout the year, the Group was responsible for more than 60 demonstrations for visiting groups, high-ranking officials of the United States military and civilian agencies, as well as allied dignitaries. Late in 1963, the addition of Company E (Signal) and Company F (Aviation), capability greatly increased the Group’s ability to meet future commitments. In November 22nd, 1963, after the untimely passing of President Kennedy, close members of the Kennedy family requested that Green Berets participate in the Honor Guard for his funeral. Forty-six Green Berets traveled to Washington, D.C. on the following day. Twenty of them would come from the 7th SFG(A). Sergeant Major Francis Ruddy would start a tradition when he removed his own Green Beret and placed it solemnly upon the President’s grave.

SON TAY RAID

I n North Vietnam, several members

of the 7th SFG(A) brought their skill set to a different challenge. By the spring of 1970, more than 350 U.S. pilots were held prisoner by North Vietnam. In May 1970, reconnaissance photographs revealed the existence of two prison camps west of Hanoi. At Son Tay, one photograph identified a large letter "K" drawn in the dirt, the code for "come get us." Col Blackburn, former commander of the 7th SFG(A), was responsible for suggesting to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to send Special Forces to raid a

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POW camp and attempt to free the American prisoners in Vietnam. The mission was commanded by LTC Arthur D. “Bull” Simons, former commander of the 8th SFG(A) in Panama from 1962-1964.

A full scale replica of the compound was constructed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, where the select group of SF Soldiers trained at night. The mock compound was dismantled during the day to elude detection by Soviet satellites. On November 20th, 1970, Simons told the 59 men selected for the operation: "We are going to rescue 70

American prisoners of war, maybe more, from a camp called Son Tay.

This is something American prisoners have a right to expect from their fellow soldiers." Speed was of the essence: the raiders had less than 30 minutes to complete their mission or risk facing North Vietnamese reinforcements. The Son Tay Raid was complete in 27 minutes, and Simons did not lose a single man. Due to an intelligence failure, however, the raiders were not notified that the prisoners had been moved a few months earlier, and as a consequence, no prisoners could be rescued. Nonetheless, the Son Tay Raid forced the North Vietnamese to consolidate all of the prisoners into a few central compounds in Hanoi, resulting in a boost in the prisoners morale and improved treatment. Prisoners were also heartened to know that a rescue effort had been attempted. For their actions in the Son Tay Raid, former 7th SFG(A) member, LTC Simons was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. 7th SFG(A) had 14 Soldiers who participated in “Operation Kingpin” better known as “The Son Tay Raid”. 7th SFG(A) had six Soldiers who were awarded the Silver Star for their actions during the daring raid.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

T he most significant 7th SFG(A) mission of 1965 was the selection, training, and movement of Operational Detachments Alpha to

the strife torn Dominican Republic. The United States, along with five other member countries (Brazil, Honduras, Costa Rica, Paraguay, and Nicaragua) of the OAS responded with conventional forces. A need for experienced counter-insurgency specialists prompted the arrival of 7th

Special Forces Group Detachments. The specifics of the mission remain classified, but overall success was aided with the men of 7th SFG(A). Colonel Joseph S. Jackson took command of the Group in August of 1965 and was the commander for the operations in the Dominican Republic. After more than a year in the Dominican

Republic, the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Task Force returned to Fort Bragg.

HONORARY GREEN BERETS

M artha COL Maggie Raye, August 27th,

1916 - October 19th, 1994, a singer and actress. She visited troops during WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. She was frocked as a Colonel in the U.S. Armed Forces by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965, she received the green beret the same year. She was self-taught as a nurse, and she was awarded the DSM by GEN Westmoreland for her work in MASH. At that time, her reputation was rapidly growing among veterans. We heard many stories about her from the Special Forces units in remote locations. When we would fly into almost any small SF camp, the guys would speak highly of her. She was their hero for sure. She had been traveling to Vietnam (I am told that she paid her own way) and spent weeks, and sometimes up to six months at a time in country. She kept this pace up for over nine years during the Vietnam War. She was not there just to entertain the troops, but engaged in nursing work wherever it was needed. She spent most of her time out in the field, or in the hospitals. She went to some of the most dangerous and remote locations in Nam. The story relates how Colonel Maggie, who was also a RN before going into the entertainment field, went to entertain and visit a very small Special Forces camp. (It could have been at Soc Trang, around the early part of 1967.) I was told that she and some clarinet player, had gone to the camp to entertain, but while they were there the NVA attacked the camp. Mortar rounds and small arms fire were incoming. It appeared that there was a full-scale assault on the base camp. It was uncertain if the camp would be able to hold off the assault. The camp medic was hit, and so with her being a nurse, she took over and began to assist with the treatment of the wounded who kept pouring into the aid station. She kept refusing any and all rescue missions. She spent hours putting her skills as a nurse, to use treating patients, and even assisting with surgery. She was in the operating room for 13 hours; she then went through the aid station talking with the wounded and making sure that they were okay. It was said that she worked without sleep or rest, until all the wounded were either treated, or evacuated out on a Huey (helicopter). She did not leave that camp until she was satisfied that all wounded were taken care of. "Colonel Maggie," Martha Raye, was an honorary member of the U.S. Army Special Forces. She received her prized Green Beret and the title of Colonel from President Lyndon B. Johnson. In 1993, Martha Raye was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her lifetime service to America. When she died a special exception to policy was made so that she could be buried in the military cemetery at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. She requested her honor guard to be Green Berets. The 7th SFG(A) assisted with the honors.

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SPREAD TO LATIN AMERICA

I n October 1962, termination of the Laos mission did not end Special Forces commitments to other friendly foreign governments.

7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) sent Mobile Training Teams to Guatemala, Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Dominican Republic, and Liberia at the request of each government. The Group having previously furnished trained personnel to the 1st and 5th SFG(A), it was not unexpected that the Group was again called upon to provide a cadre for yet another Group, the 8th SFG(A). In May of 1962, the 7th SFG(A) would send an advanced party from Company D to Ft. Gulick, Panama, with the main body arriving in August. The primary mission was counter-insurgency training for the armies of Latin America. Some training was performed under sponsorship of the School of Americas. In April of 1963, authorized by the Department of Army, Company D was re-designated the 8th Special Forces Group (Airborne), also known as “Special Action Force for Latin America”.

BOLIVIA

7 th SFG(A) conducted intensive instruction for Bolivian Army and

Air Force Officers in counterinsurgency techniques. The Bolivian government requested that the detachment remain for an additional six weeks to conduct instruction for Artillery officers and NCOs in the Bolivian NCO School. In the fall of 1967, the 8th SFG(A) trained and advised the Bolivian Ranger Battalion that captured and killed Che Guevara. On October 8th, 1967, the Bolivians encircled the area with 1800 Soldiers, and Guevara was wounded and taken prisoner while leading a detachment with Simeon Cuba Sarabia. Later that morning, the Bolivian President Rene Barrientos ordered that Guevara be executed.

LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION

I n 1971, Post-Vietnam, public opinion of the Army and the Army's morale were both low. 7th SFG(A) was selected to participate in a

unique venture that would serve as both a public relations initiative and a training exercise. The Army sent two ODAs from 5th and 7th SFG(A), a total of 22 personnel, to travel across the United States to the Pacific coast and back, retracing the route of Lewis and Clark's 1903 expedition. The trek started on May 13th, 1971, with a daytime MFF Jump into East Alton, Illinois. From there the group traveled, by river, to St. Louis, Missouri. The entire trek took over four months, and covered over 3,200 miles by boat and foot. The journey finished with a huge reception at the Astoria Yacht Club in Astoria, Oregon on September 5th, 1971 and epitomized 7th SFG(A)s endeavor to take on "Anything, Anytime, Anyplace"

POST WAR YEARS

I n the mid-1970s, with the Vietnam War winding down, the Army reduced its counterinsurgency and unconventional warfare

capabilities to focus on the conventional demands of NATO. As a result, the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), found itself divided between three Regional Commanders-in-Chief (CINC) (Pacific Command, Southern Command, and Atlantic Command) all with widely dispirited mission requirements. The Group's leadership had to adjust the battalions' mission and area orientations to account for this complex portfolio. The 1st Battalion, stationed at Fort Bragg, focused on Southeast Asia for its missions and area orientations; the 2nd Battalion, also at Fort Bragg, focused on Northeast Asia, largely Korea and China. The 8th SFG(A) deactivated in 1972 and was re-designated as 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne).

T he 3rd Battalion, stationed forward at Fort Gulick, Panama, focused on Latin America and the Caribbean. Support for

Alaskan contingencies was shared by the two CONUS-based Battalions as a corollary to 2nd Battalions winter warfare training in Alaska. The 3rd Battalion operated under the operational control and oversight of the Army Component Commander of SOUTHCOM, and had a closer collaborative relationship with their supported geographic CINC (SOUTHCOM), based in Quarry Heights, Panama. A Reduction In Force (RIF) hit the Special Forces community hard in the mid-1970s. On December 13th, 1973, the situation changed dramatically: U.S. SOF personnel were disengaged from actual field operations and forced to rely solely on indigenous forces. The growing realization that the clock was ticking for the South Vietnamese regime, MG Mike Healy, then Commander of the John F. Kennedy Center for

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Military Assistance (JFKCENMA), directed that 7th SFG(A) to provide a surge for the JCRC, in the event a national decision would direct a reactivation for either U.S. unilateral or combined recovery operations in Vietnam.

CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA

T he 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) was

scheduled for deactivation October 1st, 1980, but the decision was reversed after the briefings of growing threats in Central America. Throughout the 80s, 7th SFG(A) played a key role in supporting democratic governments of Central

America in their fight against communist insurgencies. Throughout the 1980s, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) played a critical advisory role for the El Salvadoran armed forces, which grew from a force of 12,000 to 55,000 men. The Group participated in a 55-man advisory role; spearheading counterinsurgency operations during the civil war in El Salvador against Cuban funded and trained Nicaraguan guerillas.

HONDURAS

I n March of 1988, President Ronald Regan launched Operation Golden

Pheasant. The Group once again was called to train Honduran military in counter-insurgency tactics and assisted the Honduran Military to resist and defeat an invasion from Nicaraguan Sandinistas, who wanted to overrun Contra rebel supply caches. The deployment evolved

into a live-fire training exercise, but the unit deployed ready to fight. This combined training caused the Sandinistas forces to withdraw.

PANAMA

D ecember of 1989, brought Operation “JUST CAUSE” in Panama. TF BLACK was activated December 18th, 1989, under

the command of Colonel Robert C. "Jake" Jacobelly, who served as Commander of Special Operations Command SOUTH (SOCSOUTH). Before H-Hour, SOCSOUTH personnel and the headquarters unit of 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) moved to Albrook Air Force Base and together served as the core of Task Force (TF) BLACK staff.

PACORA RIVER BRIDGE

T he 3rd Battalion, 7th SFG(A), formed the core of TF BLACK and was reinforced by Company A, 1st Battalion, 7th SFG(A) from Ft.

Bragg, North Carolina. TF BLACK had five MH-60 helicopters from the 617th Special Operations Aviation Detachment and two UH-60 helicopters from the 1st Battalion, 228th Aviation Regiment. Air Force AC-130s from the 1st Special Operations Wing were available to provide fire support. At H-Hour, TF BLACK was tasked to perform two reconnaissance and surveillance missions. The first, conducted by a Special Forces team from Company B, 3rd Battalion, 7th SFG(A), was to observe the PDF's Battalion 2000 at Fort Cimarron. By the time the team was in place, however, Battalion 2000 had already left the fort. The second mission involved watching the 1st PDF Company at Tinajitas. These Special Forces did not see or hear anything except for two mortar rounds being fired early in the morning. Another reconnaissance mission was changed to direct action: seize and deny use of the Pacora River Bridge. The TF BLACK element, commanded by Major Kevin M. Higgins, consisted of 24 men from Company A, 3rd Battalion, 7th SFG(A), and three MH helicopters. The bridge was the best place to prevent PDF Battalion 2000 from moving out of Fort Cimarron to Panama City. At ten minutes after midnight, small arms fire broke out at Albrook AFB while the troops were preparing to load onto their helicopters. Higgins and his troops dashed to the waiting aircraft and departed under fire. After the helicopters landed, Major Higgins yelled orders to his men to move up the steep slope and establish the ambush positions by the road, but his men had already seized the initiative. The first man on the road looked straight into the headlights of the convoy's lead vehicle (which was already on the bridge) and fired a light anti-tank weapon. He missed, but the next two Special Forces Soldiers did not. The Special Forces gunners armed with squad automatic weapons (SAWs) opened up on the column with automatic weapons fire, and M203 gunners started firing grenades into the column. With the column halted, the Air Force Combat Controller contacted an AC-130 and directed fire onto the PDF column. The AC-130 responded with devastating fire, forcing the PDF soldiers out of the trucks, and this circling aircraft provided vital intelligence on enemy movements. A second AC-130 was called in, providing additional firepower and surveillance, and the Special

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Operations Forces successfully repelled all PDF attempts to cross the bridge or the river.

At daybreak, the reaction force arrived to reinforce Higgins' element. Major Higgins and his troops controlled the bridge while the reaction force under Major Gilberto Perez cleared the east side of the river. They captured 17 PDF members. The TF BLACK elements returned to Albrook AFB that evening. The fourth TF BLACK H-Hour mission was to take Panamanian TV Channel two off the air. The mission was given to Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) 785, commanded by CPT John M. Custer and augmented by technical experts. At 0050 on December 20th, the eighteen-man team fast roped from two helicopters near the TV broadcasting complex in the mountains northeast of Panama City. The PDF guards fled, the team took control of the complex, and the technical experts disabled the station. By 1500, the team had returned to base. The first three missions after H-Hour focused on stopping pro-Noriega radio broadcasts. After the invasion began, Radio Nacional's AM and FM stations began playing a recording of Manuel Noriega exhorting his followers to fight the Americans. Company C, 3rd Battalion, 7th SFG(A), commanded by Major David E. McCracken, got the mission to silence the radio broadcasts. Company C Soldiers deployed thirty-three Soldiers in three helicopters and arrived at the Controlaria building, the location of the transmitter and antenna, at 1850 on December 20th. The security element controlled traffic into and out of the target area. The assault teams fast roped onto the roof. One element blew up the electronic junction boxes controlling the antenna, and the rest of the assault force made its way to the 7th floor where they blew the AM station off the air. The assault teams could not find the FM transmitters. As soon as the force returned to Albrook AFB, they were briefed on their next target: the FM transmission antenna located on the outskirts of town. MAJ McCracken and his 19 men launched about 2015, and though conducted after dark with very little planning time, the mission went smoothly. By 2045, the Company C element had destroyed the FM antenna, silencing Radio Nacional. On December 21st, ODA 785 went back to the TV transmission tower it had disabled the day before and replaced its damaged components. About this time, pro-Noriega forces began intermittent radio broadcasts from this area. On December 24th, the rest of Company B, 3rd Battalion, 7th SFG(A) arrived to reinforce their teammates and to search for the phantom radio station. The large number of Spanish speakers in the company and their long experience in Panama helped them to gain the trust of the locals. On the 25th, local civilians led them to a cache site containing weapons, ammunition, and medical supplies. Following up on information received from Panamanians, a patrol found the PDF's radio transmission site and destroyed it on December 29th.

OPERATION PROMOTE LIBERTY

O ver the next six months, both 2nd and 3rd Battalions played key roles in “Operation Promote Liberty”, with their involvement

of the “Ma Bell” Panamanian cuartel takedowns, which transformed Panama from a military dictatorship supported by a corrupt military, into a legitimate democratic government, protected by a police force. The accomplishments of the Operational Detachments Alpha (ODA) setting up provincial local governments are considered to be one of the greatest Foreign Internal Defense (FID) / Information Operations (IO) successes in the history of Special Operations.

ANDEAN RIDGE ENGAGEMENTS

D uring the last half of the 80s, the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) became involved in counter narcotics operations in

the Andean Ridge countries of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. The purpose was to reduce the flow of drugs in the United States, and help control and reduce the violence that resulted from the flow of illegal and uncontrolled dollars into South America. During the late 1990s, 7th SFG(A) deployed to Colombia and trained the Colombian National Police and Military to combat the forces of the Ejercito Nacional de Liberacion (ELN) and the Fuerzas Armadas Revolutionaris de Colombia (FARC). Since 7th SFG(A) detachments’ involvement in the counter-drug training, the FARC and ELN numbers and influence within Colombia has diminished greatly.

OPERATION SAFE HAVEN

I n the summer 1994, 7th SFG(A) was involved in Operation “SAFE HAVEN” establishing

several camps for Cuban refugees on Empire Range, Panama, who sought refuge from Cuban oppression. 7th SFG(A) provided security for the refugees and helped quell riots on December 7th, 1994, because of their detentions in the camps and the rumors they were being returned to Cuba.

OPERATION SAFE BORDER

B etween January 1995 to 1997, fighting broke out between Ecuador and Peru, over minerals in the upper Cenepa Valley.

Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and the US all contributed to the Military Observer Mission Ecuador/Peru (MOMEP) to help observe and maintain the ceasefire between the two countries. Members of 7th SFG(A) supported Operation “SAFEBORDER” with

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Communications, Operations, Intelligence, and other support functions. The members of the Observer teams would fly out to outstations in Bagua, Peru, PV1, and Coangos, Ecuador to help monitor the cease-fire.

MEXICO

F rom April 1996 to September 1998, the

7th SFG(A) established a relationship with the Mexican Armed Forces by conducting the Mexican Training Initiative (MTI). This entailed members of the Mexican Special Forces coming to Ft. Bragg, NC. While at Ft. Bragg, they received intensive instruction on advanced skills training on reconnaissance, human rights, counter-narcotics, and marksmanship training from members of the 7th SFG(A). The 7th SFG(A) is till actively involved in training, advising, and assisting elements of the Mexican Armed Forces.

INVOLVEMENT IN COUNTER-NARCOTICS TRAINING

D uring the late 1990s, 7th SFG(A) deployed to Colombia, trained three Counter-Narcotics

Battalions, and assisted in the establishment of a Brigade Headquarters, with a primary task of combating the illicit growing of coca. These were the first units of their kind in Colombia, and each is known as “Batallón Anti Narcoticos” or BRACNA. These elements continue to be very successful against the narcotics industry, which thrived in Colombia prior to their inception. The early 1990s saw the 7th SFG(A) deployed to Colombia, training the Colombian National Police Jungla Comandos (Compania

Jungla Antinarcoticos), the premier national counter-narcotics interdiction unit. The Junglas have three Companies regionally oriented throughout Colombia. COL (R) Kevin Higgins, the first Jungla primary advisor, was the Company A, 3rd Bn, 7th SFG(A) Commander during the Panama invasion. Later, the 3/7 CDR who retired after serving as the MILGRP CDR.

THE FORMATION OF COLOMBIAN SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES

T he 7th SFG(A) was instrumental in the selection, training, development, professionalism and employment of Colombia’s

Special Operations Forces made up of the Agrupacion de Lanceros (AGLAN), Batalion de Operaciones Comando Aerotranportados (BACOA), Batalion de Operaciones Especiales (BAOPE), Batalion

Fuerzas Infanteria de Marina (BFIEM), Agrupacion de Fuerzas

Especiales Urbanas (AFEAU). The Group provided Operational Support Teams (OST) functions to many of Colombia’s SOF units; achieving many great successes through their training and advisory efforts. The development of Operational Support Teams in Colombia, deploying under Counter Narcotics Training and OEF-CCA

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authorities, used their Advise, and Assist authorities to help their Colombian COLSOF units deployed against the FARC. These

authorities helped lead to the deaths of several high level members of the FARC; Raul Reyes, Alfonso Cano, Jorge Briceno Suarez, and Mono Jojoy, were amongst some of the few.

HAITI

T he constant instability of

Haiti, caused multiple deployments of U.S. forces to provide stability, training, and humanitarian relief. Company C, 3rd Bn, 7th SFG(A) deployed to Haiti on three different occasions; in 2004, 2009, and 2010. The company conducted a variety of missions such as reconnaissance, direct action, civil reconnaissance, and humanitarian relief. Operation “SECURE TOMORROW” in 2004, assisted in the removal of then President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. The company conducted one direct action operation, capturing Annette Auguste, aka, So Anne, a Pro-Aristide supporter, senior Lavalas Party member, and instigating attacks. The company was awarded the Armed Forces Expeditionary and Humanitarian Service medals.

OPERATION WILLING SPIRIT

T he Group was one of the first SOF units involved in Operational “WILLING SPIRIT”. A five plus years search for the three

American SouthCom Reconnaissance System (SRS) contractors; Tom

Howe, Marc Gonsalves, Keith Stansell, held captive by the FARC. Members of Company C, 3rd Bn, 7th SFG(A), and Company B, 1st Bn, 7th SFG(A) conducted Sensitive Site Exploitation on FARC camps, searching for Proof of Life. Company C, 3rd Bn, 7th SFG(A) conducted multiple Full Mission Profiles, deployments to Colombia, and environmental training throughout the five years of their captivity. The ODAs performed the first Operational Support Team missions in Colombia, working with the Colombian Special Operations Forces. The three Americans were finally liberated in July 2008, during Operation “JAQUE”.

PERU

T he rise of the Sendero Luminoso (SL) once again saw the deployment of members of the 7th SFG(A) deploying to Peru to

train with Partner Nation forces. 1st Bn, 7th SFG(A) and members of Company C, 3rd Bn, 7th SFG(A) were responsible for the training of

the Fuerzas Especiales Conjuntos (FEC) and their higher headquarters the (CIOEC). Their efforts were responsible for a PERSOF operation to capture the number two of the SL, Comrade Artemio. Later, follow on operations were responsible for the capture of Alejandro Borda Casafranca, "Alipio" and Marin Quispe

Palomino "Gabriel", two top military commanders of the Maoist rebel group Shining Path. The 7th SFG(A) continues this training and operational relationship with the FEC and COIEC to this day.

GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR

O ct of 2001 four Soldiers from 7th SFG(A) were

attached to 5th SFG (A) and deployed on December 7th, 2001 as part of the initial invasion into Afghanistan. Since early 2002, the 7th SFG(A) has deployed continuously in support of Operation “ENDURING FREEDOM” in Afghanistan. Currently, 7th SFG(A)

along with the 3rd SFG(A) are the two Groups responsible for the command and control of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Afghanistan (CJSOTF-A) in Bagram Airbase, Afghanistan. The 7th SFG(A) has conducted thousands of joint US /

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Afghan raids, patrols, and civil missions over the past 12 years. The Soldiers of 7th SFG(A) are among the most decorated from the Global War on Terror. The Group continues to take the initiative in support of OEF in Afghanistan. The members of 7th SFG(A) from 2004 to 2011 had several Detachments support Operation IRAQI

FREEDOM; ODAs 741, 751, 763, 774, and 782 were the among the teams that rotated through the Special Forces Liaison Element (SFLE) mission with the Cuscatlan Battalion from the El Salvadorian Army. These missions included everything from Civil Military operations to Direct Action missions in Al Kut, Iraq. Company C, 3rd Bn, 7th SFG(A) is the only 7th SFG(A) Company to deploy to Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. The company conducted several rotations as the Crisis Response

Element (CRE) and Iraqi Counter Terrorism Force SOF advisors and conducted operations throughout Iraq. Company C, 3rd Bn, 7th SFG(A) assisted in the stand-up of the Emergency Response Unit (ERU), the Ministry of Interior Tier 1 Police Interdiction unit in 2006.

LINEAGE AND HONORS

7 th SFG(A) draws its history, lineage and honors from many different sources. The foundation of its history is from the

formation of the U.S. Army Indian Scouts, the Ranger Battalions of WWII and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). The group has a rich history of participation in our nation’s campaigns, unit awards and individual valor awards.

CAMPAIGN PARTICIPATION CREDIT

World War II

*Aleutian Islands

*Naples-Foggia

*Anzio

*Rome-Arno

*Southern France (with arrowhead)

*Rhineland

Armed Forces Expeditionary

* Panama

* Haiti

War on Terrorism (Afghanistan)

*Consolidation I

UNIT AWARDS 7th Special Forces Group (A) entitled to:

- Joint Meritorious Unit Award (as CJSOTF-A from 1 Feb 06-1 Sep

06)

- Joint Meritorious Unit Award (as CJSOTF-A from 1 Apr 07-1

Nov 07)

2nd Battalion entitled to:

- Meritorious Unit Commendation, Streamer embroidered

AFGHANISTAN 2009-2010

3rd Battalion entitled to:

- Army Superior Unit Award, Streamer embroidered LATIN

AMERICA 1985-1986

Company A 3/7 entitled to:

- Meritorious Unit Commendation, Streamer embroidered

AFGHANISTAN 2006

Company C 3/7 entitled to:

- Army Superior Unit Award, Streamer embroidered 1994-1995

- Navy and Marine Corps Unit Commendation, (from Puerto Rico

1999 – 2003)

Group Support Company entitled to:

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- Meritorious Unit Commendations, Streamer embroidered

AFGHANISTAN 2004-

2005

VALOR AWARDS

C aptain Roger Donlon, serving as the

commanding officer of the U.S. Army Special Forces Detachment A-726 at Camp Nam Dong, when a reinforced Viet Cong battalion suddenly launched a full-scale, predawn attack on the camp. During the violent battle that ensued, lasting five hours and resulting in heavy casualties on both sides, Cpt. Donlon directed the defense operations in the midst of an enemy barrage of mortar shells, falling grenades, and extremely heavy gunfire. Upon the initial onslaught, he swiftly marshaled his forces and ordered the removal of the needed ammunition from a blazing building. He then dashed through a hail of small arms and exploding hand grenades to abort a breach of the main gate. En route to this position, he detected an enemy demolition team of three in the proximity of the main gate and quickly annihilated them. Although exposed to the intense grenade attack, he then succeeded in reaching a 60mm mortar position despite sustaining a severe stomach wound as he was within five yards of the gun pit. When he discovered that most of the men in this gun pit were also wounded, he completely disregarded his own injury, directed their withdrawal to a location 30 meters away, and again risked his life by remaining behind and covering the movement with the utmost effectiveness. Noticing that his team sergeant was unable to evacuate the gun pit he crawled toward him and, while dragging the fallen Soldier out of the gun pit, an enemy mortar exploded and inflicted a wound in Capt. Donlon's left shoulder. Although suffering from multiple wounds, he carried the abandoned 60mm mortar weapon to a new location 30 meters away where he found three wounded defenders. After administering first aid and encouragement to these men, he left the weapon with them, headed toward another position, and retrieved a 57mm recoilless rifle. Then with great courage and coolness under fire, he returned to the abandoned gun pit, evacuated ammunition for the two weapons, and while crawling and dragging the urgently needed ammunition, received a third wound on his leg by an enemy hand grenade. Despite his critical physical condition, he again crawled 175 meters to an 81mm mortar position and directed firing operations, which protected the seriously threatened east sector of the camp. He then moved to an eastern 60mm mortar position and upon determining that the vicious enemy assault had weakened, crawled back to the gun pit with the 60mm mortar, set it up for defensive operations, and turned it over to 2 defenders with minor wounds. Without hesitation, he left this sheltered position, and moved from position to position around the beleaguered perimeter while hurling hand grenades at the enemy and inspiring his men to extraordinary effort. As he bravely continued to move around the perimeter, a mortar shell exploded, wounding him in the face and body. As the long awaited daylight brought defeat to the enemy forces and their retreat back to the jungle leaving behind 54 of their dead, many weapons, and grenades, Capt. Donlon immediately reorganized his defenses and administered first aid to the wounded. His dynamic leadership, fortitude, and valiant efforts inspired not only the American personnel but the friendly Vietnamese defenders as well and

resulted in the successful defense of the camp. During the fierce nightlong battle MSG Gariel R. Alamo and SGT John L. Huston of detachment A-726, gave their lives on the defense of the camp. Seven other detachment members were wounded and Vietnamese casualties ran to fifty-seven killed and fifty-eight wounded. The battle of Nam Dong, would later become the key battle scene for the 1968 film “The Green Berets”. Captain Roger H. Donlon, was decorated by President Lyndon B. Johnson with the first Medal of Honor to be awarded for heroism in the cold war for his actions at Nam Dong, Viet Nam. MSG Gabriel R. Alamo and SGT John L. Huston were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross posthumously.

C OL Author “Bull” Simons “ was

awarded the Distinguished

Service Cross in 1971 for his

actions in Vietnam during the Son Tay Raid.

S taff Sergeant Gregory Allen Fronius, United States Army, was awarded the Silver Star (Posthumously)

for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving with the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), in El Salvador, on March 31st, 1987. On that date, pro-Cuban guerrillas of the Marxist group, Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front, launched a well-planned, early morning attack on the base camp at El Paraiso, El Salvador. SSG Fronius, an advisor serving at that base camp, rallied the defenses, his actions resulted in many casualties among the attacking forces, before he was mortally wounded.

D uring operations in El Salvador, SSG Terry W. Kownack, from

3rd BN, was also awarded the Silver Star.

I n addition, 7th SFG(A) Soldiers have been awarded one DSC, ten

SS and 16 BSMV during support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

One SFG(A) Soldier was awarded the BSMV while supporting

Operation Iraqi Freedom.

BRAC MANDATED MOVE

I n 2005, The Department of Defense recommended in its Base Re-alignment and Closure (BRAC) Recommendations that the 7th

Special Forces Group (Airborne) relocate to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. On October 14th, 2011, the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) conducted a ribbon cutting ceremony, establishing the units new home, in Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Since 2011, then 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) has continued operation throughout Central and South America, along with having deployed all four battalions to Afghanistan. The Group commanded the Combined Joint

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Special Operations Task Force- Afghanistan numerous times. In January 2012, the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) took command, once again, of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force- Afghanistan.

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