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 |
