12th Special Forces Group

U.S. Army Special Forces

12th SFG Flash insignia
Active 19 June 1952 – 15 September 1995
Country United States United States of America
Branch United States Army
Type Special forces
Role

Primary tasks:

  • Unconventional warfare
  • Foreign internal defense
  • Special reconnaissance
  • Direct action
  • Hostage rescue
  • Counter-terrorism

Other roles:

  • Counterproliferation
  • Information operations
  • Humanitarian missions
Size ~5,500 active duty
Part of United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM)
United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC)
Nickname Green Berets, Quiet Professionals,[1] Soldier-Diplomats, Snake Eaters
Motto De oppresso liber
(U.S. Army's translation: "To Liberate the Oppressed")
Engagements Vietnam War
Operation Urgent Fury
Operation Just Cause
Gulf War
Operation Enduring Freedom
Iraq War
Afghanistan War

The 12th Special Forces Group (Airborne) was constituted 5 July 1942 in the United States Army as the 6th Company, 2d Battalion, First Regiment, 1st Special Service Force, a joint Canadian-American organization.

History

The Regimental Insignia of the Special Forces.

Activated 9 July 1942 at Fort William Henry Harrison, Montana.

Disbanded 6 January 1945 in France.

Reconstituted 15 April 1960 in Regular Army; concurrently, Consolidated with Company C, 2d Infantry Battalion and consolidated unit designated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 12th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces.

Withdrawn 14 December 1969 from the Regular Army and allotted to the Army Reserve (organic elements concurrently constituted).

Group activated 24 March 1961 with Headquarters at Chicago, Illinois.

Location of Headquarters changed 19 January 1964 to Oak Park, Illinois; changed 1 September 1970 to Arlington Heights, Illinois.

The Group was inactivated, along with the 11th Special Forces Group, on 15 September 1995.[2]

Many members of the 12th SFG transferred to 20th SFG following the group's inactivation.

References

  1. ↑ "Doug Stanton: The Quiet Professionals: The Untold Story of U.S. Special Forces in Afghanistan". Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
  2. ↑ 12th Special Forces Group from GlobalSecurity.org

External links