10th Special Forces Group
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| 10th Special Forces Group | |
|---|---|
 10th Special Forces Group beret flash |
|
| Active | 19 June 1952 - Present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | U.S. Army |
| Garrison/HQ | Fort Carson |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Colonel Aaron Bank |
The 10th Special Forces Group was formed on June 19th, 1952, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, with Colonel Aaron Bank in command. By the end of the month, the group had 122 officers and men assigned to the unit. Many were former OSS, Ranger, and Airborne troopers during World War II. The group's mission was to conduct partisan warfare behind Soviet lines in the event of a Soviet invasion of Europe.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Early Cold War
On 10 November, 1953, the 10th SFG was split in half, with one half deployed to Bad Tölz and Lenggries West Germany, and the other half remaining in Fort Bragg, which formed the 77th Special Forces Group. In August 1956, 10th Group was relocated to West Berlin, under the 7761 Army Unit (which came to be known as 39th SFOD).
The green beret was authorized for wear by COL Eckman, the Group commander, in 1954, and it became group policy. By 1955, every soldier in the unit wore a green beret as part of the uniform. However, the Department of the Army did not recognize the beret as headgear.
The 10th SFG encountered publicity for the first time in 1955 when the New York Times published two articles about the unit, describing them as a "liberation" force designed to fight behind enemy lines. Pictures showed soldiers of the group wearing their berets, with their faces blacked out to conceal their identity.
[edit] 1960s
The A teams of 10th Group began exchange training with unconventional forces in friendly countries, including England, Germany, France, Norway, Spain, Italy, and Greece. This training taught 10th Group soldiers how to subsist on native food, and built valuable rapport with the host nation forces.
In the summer of 1960, 10th Group deployed to the newly independent Congo, to evacuate Americans and Europeans to Leopoldville, where there would be a larger evacuation, led by Belgian paratroopers. The group evacuated 239 civilians without a single casualty in only nine days.
As the United States became more and more involved in Vietnam, counter-insurgency became the primary focus of the Special Forces, rather than the traditional unconventional warfare. While 10th SFG was never deployed to Vietnam, the soldiers and officers assigned to it did rotate through the country as part of different special forces groups.
During the Vietnam War, detachments of 10th Group began training Middle Eastern special warfare forces. In Jordan, B Detachment established the first airborne school. King Hussein attended the graduation parachute jump. In 1963, Company C of 10th Group trained 350 officers and NCOs of a guerrilla force fighting the socialist government in Yemen. Detachments also traveled to Iran to train the Iranian Special Forces, along with Kurdish tribesmen in the mountains of Iran. A Teams also trained Turkish and Pakistani special forces.
In 1968, the 10th Special Forces Group, minus the 1st Battalion, was transferred to Fort Devens, Massachusetts. 1st Battalion remained in Bad Tölz, Germany. Following the military cuts after the end of the Vietnam War, operational deployments decreased in both number and frequency. However 10th Group still deployed frequently to Europe to train with NATO allies.
[edit] Reagan Years
From 11 May 1983 to 25 October 1985, 10th Group deployed 17 Mobile Training Teams to Lebanon, to support the Lebanese Army. The Group created a training program for over 5,000 officers, NCOs, and soldiers, which included basic training sites, unit training, unit combined arms live fire training, and urban live fire training. The entry of the Syrian Army into Lebanon ended the program prematurely.
An MTT from the 1st Battalion, Bad Tolz, Germany deployed to Somalia for four months to conduct disaster relief operations in June 1985. In 1986, a detachment of 10th Group trained the nucleus of the Nigerian Airborne forces
[edit] Persian Gulf War
Following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, an MTT deployed to Kuwait to train the Saudi Arabian National Guard. During the Battle of Khafji, the MTT accompanies the SANG forces into battle, coordinated troop movements, called in airstrikes, and assisted with artillery fire support.
[edit] Post Cold War
During Operation Restore Hope, 10th Group deployed a Coalition Support Team to support the 1st Belgian Para-Commando Battalion. In addition to supporting the Para-Commando unit, the CST assisted the 10th Mountain Division, and provided security for meetings with Somali leaders. Following the ethnic conflict in Rwanda, 10th Group deployed to Entebbe airfield, Uganda. The group assisted the displaced persons in returning to their homes.
On September 2, 1994, 2nd Battalion, 10th SFG transferred to Fort Carson, Colorado, followed by 3rd Battalion on July 20, 1995. The group headquarters moved to Fort Carson on September 15, 1995, ending a 27 year presence in Massachusetts.
[edit] Subordinate Units
- HHC
- 1st Battalion
- 2nd Battalion
- 3rd Battalion
