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5th Special Forces Group (United States)
Encyclopedia
The 5th Special Forces Group is a United States Army Special Forces unit that was activated on 21 September 1961 during the Cold War
.
, Montana. During World War II, the 1st Special Service Force was disbanded on 5 December 1944 in Villeneuve-Loubet, France.
5th Group was constituted on 15 April 1960, concurrently consolidated with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion (activated 1 September 1943). The consolidated unit was redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 5th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces. Organic elements were constituted on 8 September 1961. 5th Group was reactivated 21 September 1961 at Fort Bragg
, North Carolina.
On 1 October 2005, the unit was redesignated as the 5th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces Regiment.
begin activating special forces units in anticipation of their insurgency combat expertise in 1961. The 5th Special Forces Group was amongst those units activated in 1961, and while attending training at the Special Warfare Center, Kennedy visited the units and personally approved the distinctive Special Force's Green Beret. 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 group mostly operated behind enemy lines with either other Special Forces groups or South Vietnam
ese special forces. They were specialized in combating both regular and irregular units of the Vietnam People's Army
, and other communist bloc insurgents. They used unconventional and conventional warfare, and were some of the last soldiers the United States pulled out of Vietnam
.
In June 1969 the killing of a suspected double agent Thai Khac Chuyen, and the attempt to cover it up, led to the arrest in July of seven officers and one non-commissioned officer of the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) including the new commander, Colonel Robert B. Rheault
in what became known as the “Green Beret Affair”. Mr. Chuyen was working with the 5th on Project GAMMA
when he underwent some ten days of rigorous interrogation and solitary confinement before being shot and dumped into the sea. National newspapers and television picked up the story which became another lightning rod for anti-war feeling. Finally in September 1969 Secretary of the Army Stanley Resor announced that all charges would be dropped since the CIA, which may have had some involvement, refused to make its personnel available as witnesses.
In April 1970, 5th SFG began reducing its number of personnel in Vietnam. Later in November and December, further reductions in personnel and extraction of companies ensued, ending in a complete withdrawal of the group by March. On 5 March 1971, 5th SFG returned to Fort Bragg. During their time in Vietnam, members of the unit earned 19 Medals of Honor, making it the most prominently decorated unit for its size in that conflict. Members of the unit continued to conduct intelligence operations in Southeast Asia until the collapse of the South Vietnamese government on 29 April 1975.
[plus nine more when counting Military Assistance Command, Vietnam - Studies and Observations Group (MAC-V SOG)], the nation's highest award for conspicuous gallantry and exceptional heroism under fire:
* Awarded posthumously
*Note
Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG) was a joint unconventional warfare task force created by the Joint Chiefs of Staff as a subsidiary command of the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV). The unit would eventually consist primarily of personnel from the United States Army Special Forces, and also from the United States Navy SEALs, the United States Air Force, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Special Activities Division, and elements of the United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance units. The Studies and Observations Group was in fact controlled by the Special Assistant for Counterinsurgency and Special Activities (SACSA) and his staff at the Pentagon. After 1967 administrative support was provided by HQ 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, Vietnam; SOG was never assigned to HQ 5th SFG (Abn).
In addition men of the Special Forces earned the following number of awards:
The 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, earned the following unit awards in the Vietnam War:
United States Army Special Forces campaign participation credits number fourteen (see Campaign Participation Credit below) for the Vietnam War and range from 15 March 1962 to 31 December 1970.
, Kentucky
Col (now MG ret.) Harley C. Davis, Commander of the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), and Command Sgt. Maj. Joseph Dennison on 16 June 1988 at its new home at Fort Campbell, KY.
The UNSSM
for service with the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Assistance to Afghanistan (UNOCHA) was awarded to 5th Group soldiers who participated in this operation.
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. The border surveillance mission assigned the 5th Special Forces was among the most vital in providing "ground truth" to the US and Pan-Arab Forces. New military relationships were forged between the US and the Arab dictatorships which continue their importance today.
General Norman Schwarzkopf described the Special Forces as "the eyes and ears" of the conventional forces and the "glue that held the coalition together."
During the period of 2 August 1990 – 30 November 1995, selected members were awarded the Southwest Asia Service Medal
, Saudi Arabia Kuwait Liberation Medal, Kuwaiti Kuwait Liberation Medal, National Defense Service Medal
and the Valorous Unit Award
reference General Orders 14
for participating in the following activities between December 95 – 18 March 2003 in SW Asia:
Selected members awarded the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
and the United Nations Medal
.
for participating in the following operations between 1 April 1995 – 31 January 2000, Operations: UNMIH, USFORHAITI; USSPTGP-HAITI and/or the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
and the United Nations Medal
(Haiti) for the period 16 September 1994 – 31 March 1995,for Operation UPHOLD DEMOCRACY
Major Mark E. Mitchell
of the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in Operation Enduring Freedom was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
for gallantry in November 2001 at Qala-i-Jang Fortress, Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan.
, and is currently deployed throughout Iraq as part of Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Arabian Peninsula (CJSOTF-AP) and joined with various National Guard support groups from many different states: Virginia, Texas, Louisiana, and New York, etc. They are responsible for the capture of many terrorist leaders in Iraq.
World War II: *Aleutian Islands
; *Naples
-Foggia
; *Anzio
; *Rome-Arno; *Southern France (with arrowhead); *Rhineland
Vietnam: *Advisory; *Defense; *Counteroffensive; *Counteroffensive, Phase II; *Counteroffensive, Phase III; *Tet Counteroffensive; *Counteroffensive, Phase IV; *Counteroffensive, Phase V; *Counteroffensive, Phase VI; *Tet 69/Counteroffensive; *Summer-Fall 1969; *Winter-Spring 1970; *Sanctuary Counteroffensive; *Counteroffensive, Phase VII
Southwest Asia: *Defense of Saudi Arabia; *Liberation and Defense of Kuwait; *Cease-Fire
War on Terrorism
: To be determined
Decorations
1st Battalion additionally entitled to:
2d Battalion additionally entitled to:
3d Battalion additionally entitled to:
starring John Wayne
. Wayne's character, Colonel Mike Kirby, was based on United States Army Captain (later Major) Larry Alan Thorne
.
Colonel Walter E. Kurtz was the Operations Officer for the 5th Special Forces Group in the film Apocalypse Now
(1979). Which is totally fictitious as the Group operations officer would normally be a major or lieutenant colonel, but never a colonel.
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."
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
.
Unit history
Constituted 5 July 1942 in the Army of the United States as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 1st Battalion, Third Regiment, 1st Special Service Force, a combined Canadian-American organization. It was activated four days later on 9 July at Fort William Henry HarrisonFort William Henry Harrison
Fort William Henry Harrison is the Montana National Guard training facility.-History:Fort William Henry Harrison was authorized by a Congressional act of 12 May 1892 which was intended to establish, as a part of a greater consolidation program, concentrations of troops in a few larger...
, Montana. During World War II, the 1st Special Service Force was disbanded on 5 December 1944 in Villeneuve-Loubet, France.
5th Group was constituted on 15 April 1960, concurrently consolidated with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion (activated 1 September 1943). The consolidated unit was redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 5th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces. Organic elements were constituted on 8 September 1961. 5th Group was reactivated 21 September 1961 at Fort Bragg
Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate...
, North Carolina.
On 1 October 2005, the unit was redesignated as the 5th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces Regiment.
Vietnam War service
Fearing the growing threat of the Viet Cong insurgency to the Vietnamese government, President John F. KennedyJohn F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
begin activating special forces units in anticipation of their insurgency combat expertise in 1961. The 5th Special Forces Group was amongst those units activated in 1961, and while attending training at the Special Warfare Center, Kennedy visited the units and personally approved the distinctive Special Force's Green Beret. The 5th SFG was first deployed as a battlefield advisory group for the Army of the Republic of Vietnam
Army of the Republic of Vietnam
The Army of the Republic of Viet Nam , sometimes parsimoniously referred to as the South Vietnamese Army , was the land-based military forces of the Republic of Vietnam , which existed from October 26, 1955 until the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975...
(ARVN). By February 1965, it was deployed as a mainstay battle force once the war was in full swing. The group mostly operated behind enemy lines with either other Special Forces groups or 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...
ese special forces. They were specialized in combating both regular and irregular units of the Vietnam People's Army
Vietnam People's Army
The Vietnam People's Army is the armed forces of Vietnam. The VPA includes: the Vietnamese People's Ground Forces , the Vietnam People's Navy , the Vietnam People's Air Force, and the Vietnam Marine Police.During the French Indochina War , the VPA was often referred to as the Việt...
, and other communist bloc insurgents. They used unconventional and conventional warfare, and were some of the last soldiers the United States pulled out of 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 –...
.
In June 1969 the killing of a suspected double agent Thai Khac Chuyen, and the attempt to cover it up, led to the arrest in July of seven officers and one non-commissioned officer of the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) including the new commander, Colonel Robert B. Rheault
Robert B. Rheault
Robert B. Rheault is a retired colonel in the U.S. Army Special Forces who served as commander of the First Special Forces Group in Okinawa, and the Fifth Special Forces Group in Vietnam from May to July 1969...
in what became known as the “Green Beret Affair”. Mr. Chuyen was working with the 5th on Project GAMMA
Project GAMMA
Project GAMMA was the name given to Detachment B-57, Company E , 5th Special Forces Group , 1st Special Forces, U. S. Army in Vietnam from 1966 to 1970. It was responsible for covert intelligence collection operations in Cambodia....
when he underwent some ten days of rigorous interrogation and solitary confinement before being shot and dumped into the sea. National newspapers and television picked up the story which became another lightning rod for anti-war feeling. Finally in September 1969 Secretary of the Army Stanley Resor announced that all charges would be dropped since the CIA, which may have had some involvement, refused to make its personnel available as witnesses.
In April 1970, 5th SFG began reducing its number of personnel in Vietnam. Later in November and December, further reductions in personnel and extraction of companies ensued, ending in a complete withdrawal of the group by March. On 5 March 1971, 5th SFG returned to Fort Bragg. During their time in Vietnam, members of the unit earned 19 Medals of Honor, making it the most prominently decorated unit for its size in that conflict. Members of the unit continued to conduct intelligence operations in Southeast Asia until the collapse of the South Vietnamese government on 29 April 1975.
5th Special Forces Group Honors during the Vietnam War
The awards that the men of the 5th Special Forces Group earned in the course of the ten years that were served in Vietnam speak for themselves. Thirteen men received the Medal of HonorMedal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
[plus nine more when counting Military Assistance Command, Vietnam - Studies and Observations Group (MAC-V SOG)], the nation's highest award for conspicuous gallantry and exceptional heroism under fire:
- Sergeant First ClassSergeant First ClassSergeant First Class is the seventh enlisted rank in the U.S. Army, above Staff Sergeant and below Master Sergeant and First Sergeant, and is the first senior non-commissioned officer rank...
Eugene Ashley, Jr.Eugene Ashley, Jr.Eugene Ashley, Jr. was a United States Army Special Forces soldier and a recipient of America's highest military decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War.-Biography:...
* - Sergeant Gary B. BeikirchGary B. BeikirchGary Burnell Beikirch is a former United States Army soldier who received the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in the Vietnam War...
- Master Sergeant Roy P. BenavidezRoy BenavidezRaul Perez Benavidez was a member of the Studies and Observations Group of the United States Army. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions in combat near Lộc Ninh, South Vietnam on May 2, 1968....
, CCC actually not with 5th Group but with MAC-V SOG - Sergeant First Class William M. BryantWilliam Maud BryantWilliam Maud Bryant was a United States Army Special Forces soldier and a recipient of America's highest military decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War.-Biography:...
* - Sergeant Brian L. BukerBrian L. Buker-External links:...
* - Master Sergeant Charles E. Hosking, Jr.Charles Ernest Hosking, Jr.- External links :...
* - First Lieutenant Loren Hagen* Team Leader RT Kansas, CCN/TF1AE actually not with 5th Group but with MAC-V SOG
- Sergeant First Class (later Colonel) Robert L. HowardRobert L. HowardRobert Lewis Howard was a highly decorated United States Army soldier and Medal of Honor recipient of the Vietnam War. He was wounded 14 times over 54 months of combat, was awarded 8 Purple Hearts, 4 Bronze Stars, and was nominated for the Medal of Honor three separate times...
actually not with 5th Group but with MAC-V SOG - Specialist Five John J. KedenburgJohn J. KedenburgJohn James Kedenburg was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War.-Biography:...
* actually not with 5th Group but with MAC-V SOG - Staff Sergeant (later Sergeant Major) Franklin D. MillerFranklin D. MillerFranklin Douglas "Doug" Miller was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War.-Biography:...
actually not with 5th Group but with MAC-V SOG - First Lieutenant George K. SislerGeorge K. SislerGeorge Kenton Sisler was a United States Army intelligence officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War.-Biography:...
* actually not with 5th Group but with MAC-V SOG - Second LieutenantSecond LieutenantSecond lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
(later Major) Charles Q. WilliamsCharles Q. WilliamsCharles Quincy Williams was a United States Army officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War.-Biography:... - Sergeant Gordon YntemaGordon Douglas YntemaGordon Douglas Yntema was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War.-Biography:...
* - Sergeant First Class Fred W. Zabitosky actually not with 5th Group but with MAC-V SOG
- Captain (later Colonel) Roger DonlonRoger DonlonRoger Hugh Charles Donlon is a retired United States Army officer who was the first man to receive the Medal of Honor in Vietnam, as well as the first member of the Special Forces so honored.-Biography:...
actually not with 5th Group but with 7th Group
*Note
Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG) was a joint unconventional warfare task force created by the Joint Chiefs of Staff as a subsidiary command of the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV). The unit would eventually consist primarily of personnel from the United States Army Special Forces, and also from the United States Navy SEALs, the United States Air Force, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Special Activities Division, and elements of the United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance units. The Studies and Observations Group was in fact controlled by the Special Assistant for Counterinsurgency and Special Activities (SACSA) and his staff at the Pentagon. After 1967 administrative support was provided by HQ 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, Vietnam; SOG was never assigned to HQ 5th SFG (Abn).
In addition men of the Special Forces earned the following number of awards:
- Distinguished Service CrossDistinguished Service Cross (United States)The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
60 - Distinguished Service MedalDistinguished Service Medal (United States)The Distinguished Service Medal is the highest non-valorous military and civilian decoration of the United States military which is issued for exceptionally meritorious service to the government of the United States in either a senior government service position or as a senior officer of the United...
1 - Silver StarSilver StarThe Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
815 - Legion of MeritLegion of MeritThe Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
235 - Distinguished Flying CrossDistinguished Flying Cross (United States)The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
46 - Soldier's MedalSoldier's MedalThe Soldier's Medal is a military award of the United States Army. It was introduced as Section 11 of the Air Corps Act, passed by the Congress of the United States on July 2, 1926...
232 - Bronze Star with V Device 3,074
- Bronze StarBronze Star MedalThe Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
10,160 - Purple HeartPurple HeartThe Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
2,658 - Air MedalAir MedalThe Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:...
with V Device 394 - Air Medal 4,527
- Army Commendation Medal with V Device 1,258
- Army Commendation Medal 5,650
The 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, earned the following unit awards in the Vietnam War:
- Presidential Unit Citation 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Vietnam, 1 November 1966 – 31 January 1968
- Meritorious Unit CitationMeritorious Unit CitationThe Meritorious Unit Citation is a collective group decoration awarded to members of Australian military units. It recognises sustained outstanding service in warlike operations...
5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Vietnam, 31 January – 31 December 1968 - Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm Detachment B-52, Project Delta, 15 May 1964 – 16 August 1968; Detachment A-322 (Soui Da), 18–25 August 1968; and 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1 October 1964 – 17 May 1969
- Valorous Unit AwardValorous Unit AwardThe Valorous Unit Award is the second highest unit decoration which may be bestowed upon a U.S. Army unit and is considered the unit equivalent of the Silver Star...
Detachment B-52, Project Delta, 4 March – 4 April 1968 - Vietnam Civic Action Medal 5th Special Forces Group, (Airborne), 1 January 1968 – 24 September 1970
- Navy Unit CommendationNavy Unit CommendationThe Navy Unit Commendation of the United States Navy is an award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944...
Detachment B-52, Project Delta, 17 April – 17 June 1967 and 15 July – 17 August 1967 - Presidential Unit Citation, Navy Detachment A-101 (Lang Vei), Forward Operations Base 3 (Khe Sanh), and Command and Control (Da Nang), 20 January – 1 April 1968
- Presidential Unit Citation, Studies and Observations Group MACV-SOG (Covert multi service unit controlled by the Joint Chief of Staff) awarded April 2001, Command and Control North (CCN), South (CCS) and Central (CCC), Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
United States Army Special Forces campaign participation credits number fourteen (see Campaign Participation Credit below) for the Vietnam War and range from 15 March 1962 to 31 December 1970.
Unit Moves
The 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) remained at Fort Bragg until 10 June 1988, when the Group colors were cased at a ceremony marking its departure from Fort Bragg. The colors were officially uncased by Maj. Gen. Teddy G. Allen, Commander of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Fort CampbellFort Campbell
Fort Campbell is a United States Army installation located astraddle the Kentucky-Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Tennessee...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
Col (now MG ret.) Harley C. Davis, Commander of the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), and Command Sgt. Maj. Joseph Dennison on 16 June 1988 at its new home at Fort Campbell, KY.
Late Cold War
In 1989, through ‘Operation Salam’, demining training camps for Afghans were established at Risalpur and Quetta in Pakistan under UN auspices. From 1989–1995 a total of 17,055 mine clearance personnel were trained at these camps. Part of Operation Salam’s agenda was also to impart mine awareness to Afghan refugees to identify mines and undertake due precautions.The UNSSM
United Nations Special Service Medal
The United Nations Special Service Medal is presented to personnel with 90 days of service with a United Nations mission not covered by a specific United Nations Medal...
for service with the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Assistance to Afghanistan (UNOCHA) was awarded to 5th Group soldiers who participated in this operation.
Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm
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 a myriad of missions that spanned the scope of operations: support to coalition warfare; conducting foreign internal defenseForeign internal defense
Foreign internal defense is a term used by a number of Western militaries, including the United States, France and the United Kingdom, to describe an approach to combating actual or threatened insurgency in a foreign state called the Host Nation . The term counter-insurgency is more commonly used...
missions with the Saudi Arabian Army
Saudi Arabian Army
The Saudi Arabian Army , also called Royal Saudi Land Force . Is a branch of the Saudi Armed Forces. The total number of active troops is estimated to be 233,500The current Chief of the Saudi General Staff is Field Marshal Saleh Al-Muhaya....
, 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
Civil-military operations
Civil-military operations or CMO are activities of a military force to minimize civil interference on and maximize civil support for military operations to facilitate accomplishing the mission. CMO is conducted in conjunction with combat operations during wartime and becomes a central part of a...
training and liaison with the Kuwaitis. The border surveillance mission assigned the 5th Special Forces was among the most vital in providing "ground truth" to the US and Pan-Arab Forces. New military relationships were forged between the US and the Arab dictatorships which continue their importance today.
General Norman Schwarzkopf described the Special Forces as "the eyes and ears" of the conventional forces and the "glue that held the coalition together."
During the period of 2 August 1990 – 30 November 1995, selected members were awarded the Southwest Asia Service Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal
The Southwest Asia Service Medal is a military award of the United States armed forces which was created by order of President George H.W. Bush on March 12, 1991. The award is intended to recognize those military service members who performed duty during the years of the Persian Gulf War...
, Saudi Arabia Kuwait Liberation Medal, Kuwaiti Kuwait Liberation Medal, National Defense Service Medal
National Defense Service Medal
The National Defense Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States military originally commissioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower...
and the Valorous Unit Award
Valorous Unit Award
The Valorous Unit Award is the second highest unit decoration which may be bestowed upon a U.S. Army unit and is considered the unit equivalent of the Silver Star...
reference General Orders 14
Southwest Asia
Selected members of the unit are eligible to wear the Armed Forces Expeditionary MedalArmed Forces Expeditionary Medal
The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is a military award of the United States military, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John Kennedy...
for participating in the following activities between December 95 – 18 March 2003 in SW Asia:
- Operation Southern Watch
- Maritime Intercept Operation
- Operation Vigilant Sentinel
- Operation Northern Watch
- Operation Desert Thunder
- Operation Desert Fox
- Exercise Intrinsic Action
- Exercise Iris Gold
- Operation Desert Spring
Operation Restore Hope & United Shield
On 3 December 1992, U.N. Security Resolution 794 authorized the U.S. led intervention "to use all necessary means to establish a secure environment for humanitarian relief operations in Somalia as soon as possible."Selected members awarded the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is a military award of the United States military, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John Kennedy...
and the United Nations Medal
United Nations Medal
The term United Nations Medal refers to one of several international decorations which are issued by the United Nations to the various militaries of the world for participation in joint international military and police operations such as peacekeeping, humanitarian efforts, and disaster relief...
.
Operation Uphold Democracy
U.S. special operations forces played an essential role in establishing security and assuring de facto public administration in rural areas. Selected members of the unit are eligible the wear the Armed Forces Service MedalArmed Forces Service Medal
The Armed Forces Service Medal is a military award of the United States military which was created on January 11, 1996 by President Bill Clinton under...
for participating in the following operations between 1 April 1995 – 31 January 2000, Operations: UNMIH, USFORHAITI; USSPTGP-HAITI and/or the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is a military award of the United States military, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John Kennedy...
and the United Nations Medal
United Nations Medal
The term United Nations Medal refers to one of several international decorations which are issued by the United Nations to the various militaries of the world for participation in joint international military and police operations such as peacekeeping, humanitarian efforts, and disaster relief...
(Haiti) for the period 16 September 1994 – 31 March 1995,for Operation UPHOLD DEMOCRACY
Operation Enduring Freedom
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.Major Mark E. Mitchell
Mark E. Mitchell
Mark E. Mitchell was the first member of the United States Army to be awarded the Distinguished Service Cross during the War in Afghanistan , and was the first to received the award since the Vietnam War...
of the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in Operation Enduring Freedom was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
for gallantry in November 2001 at Qala-i-Jang Fortress, Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan.
Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn
During Operation Iraqi Freedom 5th SFG(A) assisted in the capture of Saddam HusseinSaddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
, and is currently deployed throughout Iraq as part of Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Arabian Peninsula (CJSOTF-AP) and joined with various National Guard support groups from many different states: Virginia, Texas, Louisiana, and New York, etc. They are responsible for the capture of many terrorist leaders in Iraq.
Subordinate units
- HHC
- 1st Battalion
- 2nd Battalion
- 3rd Battalion
- 4th Battalion
- Group Support Battalion
5th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces Regiment Honors
Campaign Participation CreditWorld War II: *Aleutian Islands
Battle of the Aleutian Islands
The Aleutian Islands Campaign was a struggle over the Aleutian Islands, part of Alaska, in the Pacific campaign of World War II starting on 3 June 1942. A small Japanese force occupied the islands of Attu and Kiska, but the remoteness of the islands and the difficulties of weather and terrain meant...
; *Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
-Foggia
Foggia
Foggia is a city and comune of Apulia, Italy, capital of the province of Foggia. Foggia is the main city of a plain called Tavoliere, also known as the "granary of Italy".-History:...
; *Anzio
Operation Shingle
Operation Shingle , during the Italian Campaign of World War II, was an Allied amphibious landing against Axis forces in the area of Anzio and Nettuno, Italy. The operation was commanded by Major General John P. Lucas and was intended to outflank German forces of the Winter Line and enable an...
; *Rome-Arno; *Southern France (with arrowhead); *Rhineland
Vietnam: *Advisory; *Defense; *Counteroffensive; *Counteroffensive, Phase II; *Counteroffensive, Phase III; *Tet Counteroffensive; *Counteroffensive, Phase IV; *Counteroffensive, Phase V; *Counteroffensive, Phase VI; *Tet 69/Counteroffensive; *Summer-Fall 1969; *Winter-Spring 1970; *Sanctuary Counteroffensive; *Counteroffensive, Phase VII
Southwest Asia: *Defense of Saudi Arabia; *Liberation and Defense of Kuwait; *Cease-Fire
War on Terrorism
War on Terrorism
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
: To be determined
Decorations
- Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for VIETNAM 1966–1968
- Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for AFGHANISTAN 2001–2002
- Valorous Unit Award for IRAQ-KUWAIT 1991
- Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for VIETNAM 1968
- Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1964–1969
- Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1969–1970
- Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal, First Class for VIETNAM 1968–1970
1st Battalion additionally entitled to:
- Army Superior Unit Award for 1992–1993
2d Battalion additionally entitled to:
- Army Superior Unit Award for 1992–1993
3d Battalion additionally entitled to:
- Army Superior Unit Award for 1992–1993
Commanders
- COL L. H. Schweiter September 1961 – July 1962
- COL L. E. Wills July 1962 – July 1963
- COL G. C. Morton September 1962 – November 1963
- COL T. Leonard November 1963 – July 1964
- COL H. F. Roye July 1964 – August 1964
- COL J. M. Spears August 1964 – July 1965
- COL W. A. McKean July 1965 – June 1966
- COL F. J. Kelly June 1966 – June 1967
- COL J. F. Ladd June 1967 – June 1968
- COL H. R. Aaron June 1968 – May 1969 (retired as Lieutenant General)
- LTC C. G. Ross (Acting) May 1969
- COL R. B. RheaultRobert B. RheaultRobert B. Rheault is a retired colonel in the U.S. Army Special Forces who served as commander of the First Special Forces Group in Okinawa, and the Fifth Special Forces Group in Vietnam from May to July 1969...
May 1969 – July 1969 - COL A. Lemberes July 1969 – August 1969
- COL M. D. Healy August 1969 – March 1971 (retired as Major General)
- COL J. B. Durst March 1971 – June 1972
- COL E. L. Keesling June 1972 – December 1973
- COL A. C. Harris December 1973 – August 1974
- COL R. Maladowitz August 1974 – February 1976
- COL C. L. Stearns February 1976 – June 1977
- COL R. A. Mountel June 1977 – December 1978
- COL G. W. McGovern December 1978 – December 1980
- COL H. E. Bynam June 1980 – December 1982
- COL J. A. Guest December 1982 – June 1985 (retired as Major General)
- COL L. W. Duggan June 1985 – June 1987
- COL H. C. Davis June 1987 – November 1989 (retired as Major General)
- COL J. W. Kraus November 1989 – August 1991
- COL K. R. Bowra August 1991 – August 1993 (retired as Major General)
- COL J. W. Noe August 1993 – August 1995
- COL T. M. Carlin August 1995 – August 1997
- COL D. P. Brownlee August 1997 – July 1999
- COL C. W. Paxton July 1999 – July 2001
- COL J. F. Mulholland July 2001 – July 2003 (active Lieutenant General)
- COL H. E. Pagan July 2003 – July 2005 (active Brigadier General)
- COL K. McDonnell July 2005 – July 2007
- COL C. E. Conner July 2007 – August 2009
- COL M. E. Mitchell August 2009 – August 2011
- COL S. E. Brower August 2011 – present
Pop culture
5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) was made popular by the movie The Green BeretsThe Green Berets (film)
The Green Berets is a 1968 war film featuring John Wayne, George Takei, David Janssen, Jim Hutton and Aldo Ray, nominally based on the eponymous 1965 book by Robin Moore, though the screenplay has little relation to the book....
starring John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
. Wayne's character, Colonel Mike Kirby, was based on United States Army Captain (later Major) Larry Alan Thorne
Lauri Törni
Lauri Allan Törni was a Finnish Army captain who led an infantry company in the Finnish Winter and Continuation Wars and moved to the United States after World War II...
.
Colonel Walter E. Kurtz was the Operations Officer for the 5th Special Forces Group in the film Apocalypse Now
Apocalypse Now
Apocalypse Now is a 1979 American war film set during the Vietnam War, produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The central character is US Army special operations officer Captain Benjamin L. Willard , of MACV-SOG, an assassin sent to kill the renegade and presumed insane Special Forces...
(1979). Which is totally fictitious as the Group operations officer would normally be a major or lieutenant colonel, but never a colonel.
The 'Tom Clancy's "Ghost Recon
Ghost Recon
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon is an American series of military tactical shooter video games created by Red Storm Entertainment, the game development studio founded in part by American author Tom Clancy....
"' series features U.S. Special Forces Group 5, 1st Battalion, Delta Company, known in the games as "The Ghosts."