19th Special Forces Group (United States)

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19th Special Forces Group

19th SFG Flash insignia
Active 1 May 1961-Present
Country United States of America
Branch United States Army National Guard
Role Special Operations
Part of Utah Army National Guard
Garrison/HQ Draper, Utah

The 19th Special Forces Group is one of two National Guard groups of the United States Army Special Forces. Headquartered in Draper, Utah, with detachments in Washington, West Virginia, Ohio, Rhode Island, Colorado, California and Texas. The 19th SFG has responsibility over Southeast Asia (shared with 5th SFG), as well as the Pacific (shared with 1st SFG). [1][2][3]


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[edit] History

19th Group, SFC Mark Moody with M60 machine gun in Afghanistan Mar 3, 2004
19th Group, SFC Mark Moody with M60 machine gun in Afghanistan Mar 3, 2004

Activated on May 1, 1961 in Salt Lake City, Utah, the soldiers of the 19th SFG received their parachuting instruction at Fort Benning until the mid 1970s when the idea was born for a cost effective course to be taught for the 19th SFG, and other western U.S. based military components, in the western territory of the country. In keeping with the rigorous high standards of the Airborne, the Aerial Fire Depot, a Smokejumper base founded around 1940 in Missoula, Montana, was selected as the site, and the first course was completed there in May, 1978. The group, headquartered in Utah, draws soldiers from more than a dozen states across the country and is deployed in support of Special Operations in various places around the world. Their official motto is De Oppresso Liber (Latin: "To Liberate the Oppressed"), a reference to one of their primary missions to train and assist foreign indigenous forces.

[edit] Activation

On November 13, 2002, the following units of the 19th SFG were called to active duty:

  • A Company, 1st Bn SFG - Fort Lewis, Washington
  • C Company and Support Company, 2nd Bn/19th SFG - Kenova, West Virginia
  • B Company, C Company, and Support Company 1st Bn/19th SFG - Utah
  • A Company, 2nd Bn/19th SFG - Rhode Island
  • B Company, 2nd Bn/19th SFG - Ohio
  • A Company, B Company, C Company and Support Company from the 5th Bn/19th SFG - Colorado

[edit] See also

[edit] External Links

[edit] References

  1. ^ FM 3-05: Army Special Operations Forces, US Department of the Army, September 2006, <http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/army/fm3-05.pdf> 
  2. ^ FM 3-05.102 Army Special Forces Intelligence (2001-07).
  3. ^ Joint Chiefs of Staff (1993), Joint Publication 3-05.5: Special Operations Targeting and Mission Planning Procedures, <http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/jel/new_pubs/jp3_05_5.pdf>. Retrieved on 13 November 2007