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1st Special Forces Group (United States)
Encyclopedia
The 1st Special Forces Group is a U.S. Army Special Forces unit that was activated on 24 June 1957 at Camp Drake, Japan.
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 Battalion
s 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 Park Service
, and in 1983 Captain Cramer's name was added to the Memorial.
Following the war in South Vietnam
, and the withdrawal of American military forces in Southeast Asia
, the emphasis on military actions shifted away from the Pacific theater and focused more on Europe
and the NATO allies. Special Forces, which had grown to a total of seven groups in 1963, faced severe cuts in the peacetime army, as a result 1st Group was De-activated 28 June 1974 at Ft. Bragg, NC. After a 10-year hiatus the need for an Asian unconventional warfare force was recognized and Alpha Company, 1st Battalion was reactivated at Fort Bragg on 15 March 1984. This company and the remainder of 1st Battalion were assembled and deployed to Torii Station
, Okinawa during the spring and summer of 1984. The 2nd and 3rd Battalions, along with Headquarters and Service Company were officially reactivated 4 September 1984 at Fort Lewis
, Washington.
Brought back to life as part of an overall growth in the support to U.S. strategic efforts in Asia, the unit focused on the Pacific Command
area of operations but were routinely deployed out of Asia to support unified commanders throughout the world. Unit members supported theater security engagement within the PACOM area of operations, contingency operations in Haiti, Central Asia, and Bosnia. Operational Detachments "Alphas" deployed to Haiti
to conduct Coalition Support Team missions in 1993–94 in support of U.S. Joint Task Force 190 and Multi-National Force operations supporting OPERATION UPHOLD DEMOCRACY. Additional ODAs conducted Humanitarian Demining Operations in Laos
, Thailand
, Cambodia
, and Vietnam
earning Humanitarian Service Medals for their efforts in both Laos and Thailand. Elements from the 1st SFG (A) conducted training with military units from newly created states from the former Soviet Union
that supported development of the Central Asian Battalion (CENTRASBAT), a regional peace keeping force in the mid-1990’s. By the end of the millennium, 1st SFG (A) soldiers had deployed in support of OPERATION JOINT GUARD.
Following the September 11 attacks, members of the 1st SFG (A) were quick to answer President George W. Bush
's call to action deploying individual soldiers to support OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM in Afghanistan and deploying back-to-back battalion rotations to the Republic of the Philippines. Starting in February 2002, elements of the 1st SFG (A) deployed to conduct unconventional warfare in the Southern Philippines by and with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in order to assist the Government of the Philippines (GOP) in the destruction of terrorist organizations and the separation of the population from the terrorist organizations.
Over the next three years, 1st SFG (A) members built an admirable record in the Philippines training six light infantry battalions, three light reaction companies from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), treating over 31,000 Filipinos in MEDCAP events, helping to professionalize the AFP and providing operations and intelligence fusion teams to actively assist the AFP in targeting terrorist cells. Due to its efforts, the Province of Basilan was no longer a haven for terrorists, and the AFP continues to make progress against terrorist groups in the Southern Philippines. For its tremendous efforts, the 1st SFG (A) was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation on 24 January 2004 for its outstanding meritorious performance in a difficult and challenging mission while supporting the Global War on Terrorism in Asia. 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.
Activated 9 July 1942 at Fort William Henry Harrison, Montana
Disbanded 5 December 1945 in Menton,France
Reconstituted 15 April 1960 in the Regular Army; concurrently consolidated with Company B, 1st Ranger Infantry Battalion (activated 19 June 1942), and consolidated unit redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces
Consolidated 30 September 1960 with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Special Forces Group (constituted 14 June 1957 in the Regular Army and activated 24 June 1957 in Japan), and consolidated unit designated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces (organic units concurrently constituted and activated 4 October 1960)
Group inactivated 28 June 1974 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Activated 4 September 1984 at Fort Lewis, Washington
(Former Company B, 1st Ranger Infantry Battalion, withdrawn 3 February 1986, consolidated with Company N, 75th Infantry, and consolidated unit redesignated as Company N, 75th Ranger Regiment – hereafter separate lineage)
World War II: Aleutian Islands*, Naples-Foggia*, Anzio*, Rome-Arno*, Southern France (with arrowhead)*, Rhineland*
Unit history
It was among the first groups of the Special ForcesUnited States Army Special Forces
The United States Army Special Forces, also known as the Green Berets because of their distinctive service headgear, are a special operations force tasked with six primary missions: unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, direct action, hostage rescue, and...
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 Battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
s are stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Joint Base Lewis-McChord is a United States military facility located south-southwest of Tacoma, Washington. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Joint Base Garrison, 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
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. 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 Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
, and in 1983 Captain Cramer's name was added to the Memorial.
Following the war in South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
, and the withdrawal of American military forces in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, the emphasis on military actions shifted away from the Pacific theater and focused more on Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the NATO allies. Special Forces, which had grown to a total of seven groups in 1963, faced severe cuts in the peacetime army, as a result 1st Group was De-activated 28 June 1974 at Ft. Bragg, NC. After a 10-year hiatus the need for an Asian unconventional warfare force was recognized and Alpha Company, 1st Battalion was reactivated at Fort Bragg on 15 March 1984. This company and the remainder of 1st Battalion were assembled and deployed to Torii Station
Torii Station
Torii Station is a United States Army facility located in Yomitan, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Home to the United States Army on Okinawa, 10th Support Group, along with the 1-1 ADA , 835th Trans BN, 247th MP DET, 505th QM BN, 83rd ORD BN,35th CSSB, 1-1 SFG, and the 58th SIG BN provide support to...
, Okinawa during the spring and summer of 1984. The 2nd and 3rd Battalions, along with Headquarters and Service Company were officially reactivated 4 September 1984 at Fort Lewis
Fort Lewis
Joint Base Lewis-McChord is a United States military facility located south-southwest of Tacoma, Washington. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Joint Base Garrison, Joint Base Lewis-McChord....
, Washington.
Brought back to life as part of an overall growth in the support to U.S. strategic efforts in Asia, the unit focused on the Pacific Command
Pacific Command
Pacific Command may refer to:*United States Pacific Command*Pacific Command *Pacific Command is an informal name for the British Columbia and Yukon Territory branch of the Royal Canadian Legion...
area of operations but were routinely deployed out of Asia to support unified commanders throughout the world. Unit members supported theater security engagement within the PACOM area of operations, contingency operations in Haiti, Central Asia, and Bosnia. Operational Detachments "Alphas" deployed to Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
to conduct Coalition Support Team missions in 1993–94 in support of U.S. Joint Task Force 190 and Multi-National Force operations supporting OPERATION UPHOLD DEMOCRACY. Additional ODAs conducted Humanitarian Demining Operations in Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
, and Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
earning Humanitarian Service Medals for their efforts in both Laos and Thailand. Elements from the 1st SFG (A) conducted training with military units from newly created states from the former Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
that supported development of the Central Asian Battalion (CENTRASBAT), a regional peace keeping force in the mid-1990’s. By the end of the millennium, 1st SFG (A) soldiers had deployed in support of OPERATION JOINT GUARD.
Following the September 11 attacks, members of the 1st SFG (A) were quick to answer President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's call to action deploying individual soldiers to support OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM in Afghanistan and deploying back-to-back battalion rotations to the Republic of the Philippines. Starting in February 2002, elements of the 1st SFG (A) deployed to conduct unconventional warfare in the Southern Philippines by and with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in order to assist the Government of the Philippines (GOP) in the destruction of terrorist organizations and the separation of the population from the terrorist organizations.
Over the next three years, 1st SFG (A) members built an admirable record in the Philippines training six light infantry battalions, three light reaction companies from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), treating over 31,000 Filipinos in MEDCAP events, helping to professionalize the AFP and providing operations and intelligence fusion teams to actively assist the AFP in targeting terrorist cells. Due to its efforts, the Province of Basilan was no longer a haven for terrorists, and the AFP continues to make progress against terrorist groups in the Southern Philippines. For its tremendous efforts, the 1st SFG (A) was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation on 24 January 2004 for its outstanding meritorious performance in a difficult and challenging mission while supporting the Global War on Terrorism in Asia. 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.
Area of responsibility
The following is a list of countries in Asia that fall into the 1st Group Area of Responsibility:- Australia
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- Brunei
- Burma (Myanmar)
- Cambodia
- China
- Comoros
- Cook Islands
- Fiji
- India
- Indonesia
- Japan
- Kiribati
- Korea, Republic of
- Korea, North
- Laos
- Madagascar
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Marshall Islands, Republic of
- Mauritius
- Micronesia, Federated States of
- Nauru
- Nepal
- New Caledonia/French Polynesia (France)
- Niue
- New Zealand
- Palau, Republic of
- Papua New Guinea
- Philippines
- Russia
- Samoa
- Singapore
- Solomon Islands
- Sri Lanka
- Thailand
- Tonga
- Tuvalu
- Vanuatu
- Vietnam
Lineage
Constituted 5 July 1942 in the Army of the United States as the 2d Company, 1st Battalion, First Regiment, 1st Special Service Force, a combined Canadian-American organizationActivated 9 July 1942 at Fort William Henry Harrison, Montana
Disbanded 5 December 1945 in Menton,France
Reconstituted 15 April 1960 in the Regular Army; concurrently consolidated with Company B, 1st Ranger Infantry Battalion (activated 19 June 1942), and consolidated unit redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces
Consolidated 30 September 1960 with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Special Forces Group (constituted 14 June 1957 in the Regular Army and activated 24 June 1957 in Japan), and consolidated unit designated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces (organic units concurrently constituted and activated 4 October 1960)
Group inactivated 28 June 1974 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Activated 4 September 1984 at Fort Lewis, Washington
(Former Company B, 1st Ranger Infantry Battalion, withdrawn 3 February 1986, consolidated with Company N, 75th Infantry, and consolidated unit redesignated as Company N, 75th Ranger Regiment – hereafter separate lineage)
Campaign participation credit
* signifies Earned CreditWorld War II: Aleutian Islands*, Naples-Foggia*, Anzio*, Rome-Arno*, Southern France (with arrowhead)*, Rhineland*
Decorations
- Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for PACIFIC AREA 1972–1973*
- Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for ASIA 2002*
- Philippine Presidential Unit Citation for JULY-AUGUST 1972 *