7th special forces group (airborne) “lo que sea - cuando sea - donde sea”

7/30/2019 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Lo Que Sea - Cuando Sea - Donde Sea

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7th Special Forces

Group (Airborne)

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Area of Responsibility:The 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Area ofResponsibility (AOR) includes the land mass of LatinAmerica south of Mexico; the waters adjacent to CentralAmerica and South America; the Caribbean Sea, its 13island nations, European and U.S. territories; the Gulf ofMexico; and a portion of the Atlantic Ocean. It encompasses32 countries (19 in Central and South America and 13 inthe Caribbean) and covers about 15.6 million square miles.

The region represents about one-sixth of the landmass ofthe world assigned to regional unied commands. The 7thSpecial Forces Group (Airborne) also supports the missionsin Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Special Forces Mission:Organize, equip, train, validate and prepare forces fordeployment to conduct worldwide special operations, across

the range of military operations, in support of regionalcombatant commanders, American ambassadors, and otheragencies as directed.

Mission and Area of Responsibility


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Mission and Area of Responsibility


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Unconventional Warfare (UW):Green Berets have long employedthe use of Unconventional Warfareto train and lead forces in enemy-held or controlled territory. GeenBerets are the only US Militaryunit trained to conduct UW. UnlikeDirect Action, which is generally a

quick campaign, UW can last for months or even years. UW

missions give the U.S. Army time to enter a country covertlyand build relationships with local militia or natives, who aretaught a variety of tactics including subversion, sabotage,intelligence collection and unconventional assisted recovery,which can be employed against the enemy. By using UWtraining, the Army can possibly prevent larger conventionalattacks. Because of the deep roots set up by UW missions,other Special Forces tactics, like Direct Action or Special

Reconnaissance, can be launched quickly and seamlessly.

Foreign Internal Defense (FID):Foreign Internal Defense is training and advising the militaryforces of a friendly nation to help themselves prevent ordefeat insurgency. Green Berets will almost always conducttheir combat missions alongside the indigenous or local

forces that they have trained. FID campaigns are employedduring times of peace to helpnations prepare for unwanted orunwarranted attacks by enemies.Green Berets organize, assistand train the military and nationaldefense forces of foreign nations.Green Berets have been used

over time to assist nations,especially during the Cold War, to

stop Communist advancement. Recently, however, GreenBerets have trained foreign governments to deal with drugwar- lords and trafckers as well as the growing threat ofterrorist groups within their borders.

Special Forces Missions


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Special Reconnaissance:Going behindEnemy Lineswithout detectionis the name of thegame for SpecialReconnaissance.Often times, beforethe U.S. Army

makes a strategicstrike against an adversary, Green Berets are sent behindenemy lines to uncover information about the enemy. Theseintelligence- gathering activities monitor as much about theenemys movement and operations as possible and areconsidered by many to be the most important Green Beretmission. Special Reconnaissance missions generally takeplace before any movement by our military. Without that vital

information, U.S. Army Soldiers might be caught off guardand unprepared when entering enemy territory.

Direct Action:Direct Action missionsare short duration strikesthat are used whenGreen Berets need toseize, capture, recoveror destroy enemyweapons and informationor recover designatedpersonnel or material. Inmany instances, GreenBerets are in and out

before the enemy has time to know what hit them. Many ofthese actions are quick-strike missions, usually involving araid or ambush on an enemy camp. Often, Green Berets useDirect Action to remove high level enemy leaders or otherimportant target.

Special Forces Missions


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HALO & SCUBA

High Altitude Low Opening (HALO)HALO describes a method of delivering personnel,equipment and supplies from an aircraft at high altitude

via free-fall parachuteinsertion. HALO is alsoknown as Military FreeFall (MFF). In the HALOtechnique the parachutistopens his parachute at a

low altitude after free-fallingfor a period of time. In atypical HALO insertion the

Soldiers are dispatched from an altitude between 10,000and 25,000 feet. This high altitude and quiet delivery systemallows for Soldiers to be dropped far behind enemy lineswith minimum chance of detection. Special Forces First usedHALO in Vietnam to support air inltration to conduct special

reconnaissance in area controlled by enemy forces. MFFschool is a four week course taught at Fort Bragg, NorthCarolina and Yuma Proving Grounds, Arizona.

Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus(SCUBA)Scuba teams specialize in underwater and on boat methods

of inltration. The SCUBASoldiers of Special Forcesgive an added resource forany mission that may needto incorporate water bornecapabilities. SCUBA Soldierscan conduct reconnaissance,underwater recovery of

equipment, assault ships andclear water obstacles for future missions. Soldiers mustcomplete rigorous training and be extremely condent inthemselves and their equipment before being able to beassigned to a SCUBA team. To become SCUBA qualiedthe SF Soldier must attend the Combat Divers QualicationCourse (CDQC), a six week course at Key West, Fl.


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Organizational Structure


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The 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Structure:The 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) is commandedby a Colonel,who is assistedby a GroupCommandSergeant Major.The group iscomprised of

ve battalions,four SpecialForcesBattalions andone GroupSupport Battalion. The Group Support Battalion has assetsto support the Group headquarters and below with additionallogistical, intelligence, medical, and signal support Soldiers.

The Battalion:The Special Forces Battalion is commanded by a LieutenantColonel, who is assisted by a Battalion Command SergeantMajor. The Battalion has four companies. Among thesecompanies are three Special Forces Companies (A Co., BCo., and C Co.) and one support company composed of

support Soldiers which include communications, mechanics,riggers, cooks, intelligence, personnel services, chaplain,legal and more.

The Company:A Special Forces company is commanded by a Major, whois assisted by a Company Sergeant Major. The companyhas six Operational Detachment Alphas. Among these

are ODAs specializing in Military Free Fall, combat diving,and mountain operations. In addition to the six ODAs,the company headquarters is known as an OperationalDetachment Bravo (ODB), or B-Team. The B-Team iscomposed of 11-13 Soldiers and supports the A-Teams withlogistical, communications, and intelligence support.

Unit Breakdown


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Unit Breakdown

The Operational Detachment Alpha:The basic Special

Forces organizationbuilding block is the12 man team calledthe OperationalDetachment Alpha(ODA) also knownas the A-Team.Each man on the

ODA has a specicspecialty. The ODAis led by a Captain,with a Warrant Ofcer as second in command. TheSenior NCO on the detachment is the Team Sergeant,who is usually a Master Sergeant. The rest of the teamconsists of one Operations and Intelligence Sergeant,two Weapons Sergeants, two Engineer Sergeants, two

Medical Sergeants, and two Communications Sergeants.With two each o fthespecialty sergeants, a 12man team can split intotwo six-man elements ifneeded.

Special Forces WeaponsSergeants, called

18Bs, are the weaponsspecialists. Theyrecapable of operatingand maintaining a widevariety of U.S., Allied andother foreign weaponry.18B tasks includemaintaining prociency

with all foreign high-density light and heavyweapons; selectingweapons placements andsites; assigning targetsand areas of re.


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Special ForcesEngineering

Sergeants, called18Cs, are specialistsacross a wide rangeof engineeringdisciplines. 18Ctasks include workingin demolitions,explosives, land and

water navigationduties, eld fortication, bridging, rigging, reconnaissanceand sabotage operations.

Special Forces Medical Sergeants, called 18Ds, areconsidered to be the nest rst-response/ trauma medicaltechnicians in the world. Though theyre primarily trainedwith an emphasis on trauma medicine, they also haveworking knowledge of dentistry, veterinary care, publicsanitation, water quality and optometry.

Special Forces Communications Sergeants, called 18Es,operate every kind of communications gear out there, fromencrypted satellite communications systems to old-style,high-frequency Morse Code systems. They also have

serious computer/ networking skills.Support Soldiers:No unit would be able to function without a host of supportfrom non-combatarms Soldiers. TheseSoldiers come from avariety of specialties

and provideeverything frombeans to bullets inorder to maintain theGreen Beret in theeld. These Soldiersare usually assigned

Unit Breakdown


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to the supportCo. or HHC

and providethe followingsupport:

The S1 section,or the personnelsection, is

responsiblefor all theadministrativeactions andprocessing of all personnel, nance, and awards actions.

The S2 section, or Intelligence section, is responsible forall intelligence briengs and gathering of intelligence.

The S3 section, or Operations, conducts all planning,coordination and training.

The S4 section, or Logistics, handles all nancialbudgeting, transportation planning and allocation of funds.

The S6 section, or Communications and Electronics, areresponsible for all communications systems, networks and

security of those networks.The Judge Advocate General (JAG) Ofce is the Groupslegal counsel. They handle all legal matters such as, butnot limited to, power of attorneys and wills.

The Chaplains are the spiritual counselor for the Soldiersand their families. They provide worship service andfamily counseling among many other social duties.

The Motor pool or Maintenance Section ensures that allthe vehicles, generators and any other mechanical deviceis fully serviceable and ready for use.

The Property Book Ofcer (PBO) ensures that allequipment from battalion level to the team level is properlyaccounted for.

Unit Breakdown


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Unit Breakdown

The Family BusinessThe Family Businessis a term used in the 7thSpecial Forces Group

(Airborne) to describethe bond between theSoldiers, their Familiesand the community.They are one big family,responsible for and toeach other as a family.

The unit cannot function without this bond. The Soldiersneed the support of their Families and the communitywhen they are on training missions or deployed. The

Families need the supportof the community whentheir Soldiers are away.The community needsthe Soldiers and their

Families to be active inthe community as they area part of that community.Without the FamilyBusiness, the 7th Special

Forces Group (Airborne) cannot accomplish their mission.

The Public Affairs Ofce (PAO) is responsible forpreparing information relative to unit participation activities

that affect the community. They eld media queries andinteract with news agencies.

Each section is headed by a staff ofcer who coordinatesthe planning and training of each section to ensure thatthe battalions operations continue. Without the hardwork and dedication of these Soldiers and the services

they provide, the group would not be able to complete itsmission.


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Uniforms

Special Forces Distinctive Unit InsigniaOn a wreath of thecolors (argent andsable), two arrowssaltirewise argent.The crest is the crossedarrow collar (branch)insignia of the FirstSpecial Service Force

(a joint World War IIAmerican-Canadiancommando unitorganized in 1942),changed from gold tosilver for harmony withthe shield and to makea difference from collar

insignia. The motto morefully translated means To Free the Oppressed.

Description:A silver colored metal and enamel device 1 1/8 inches (2.86cm) in height consisting of a pair of silver arrows in saltire,points up and surmounted at their junction by a silver daggerwith black handle point up; all over and between a black

motto scroll arcing to base and inscribed DE OPPRESSOLIBER in silver letters.

Symbolism:The crest is the crossed arrow collar insignia (insignia ofbranch) of the First Special Force, World War II. The motto istranslated as To Free the Oppressed.

Background:The distinctive unit insignia was approved on 8 July 1960.The insignia of the 1st Special Forces was authorized tobe worn by personnel of the U.S. Army Special ForcesCommand (Airborne) and its subordinate units on 7 March1991.


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Shoulder SleeveInsigniaDesigned by Captain JohnW. Frye of the Original 10thSpecial Forces Group thathad forward deployed toBad Tolz.

Background:

The shoulder sleeveinsignia was originallyapproved on 22 August1955. It was amended toadd an airborne tab on 20November 1958.

Description:

On a teal blue arrowhead3 1/8 inches (7.94cm)in height and 2 inches(5.08cm) in width, point up, a yellow dagger, its bladesurmounted by three yellow lightning ashes, bendwisein pale, all inset 1/8 inch (.32cm) from the edge of thearrowhead. On a tab placed 3/16 (.48cm) inch above theinsignia, the word AIRBORNE in yellow letters on a blackbackground.

Teal Blue Arrow

Arrow:Stealth and Field Crafts of the Indian Scouts

Teal Blue:US Army Branch Assigned 3 1/8 inches (7.94cm) in heightand 2 inches (5.08cm) in width

Symbolism:The arrowhead alludes to the American Indians basic skillsin which Special Forces personnel are trained to a highdegree.

Shoulder Sleeve Insignia


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Fighting KnifeAdapted from the Unit Knife of the First Special Service

Force. Uniquely designed V 42 Fighting Knife by Case forthe First Special Service Force.

Symbolism:The dagger represents the unconventional nature of SpecialForces operations.

Description:A yellow dagger, its blade surmounted by three yellowlightning ashes, bendwise in pale, all inset 1/8 inch (.32cm)from the edge of the arrowhead.

Three Lightning Bolts Methods of Inltration:Land Sea Air

Descriptions:Three yellow lightning ashes, bendwise in pale, all inset 1/8inch (.32cm) from the edge of the arrowhead.

Symbolism:The three lightning ashes, their ability to strike rapidly.

The Shoulder Sleeve Insignia


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History of the 77th Special Forces GroupAnything, Any Time, Any Place, Any How

Activated 16 September 1953 atFort Bragg, North CarolinaFormed with personnel notforward based with 10th SpecialForces Group to Bad Tolz,Germany. The rst Commander

was LTC Jack T. Shannon Therst Executive Ofcer was LtFrank J. DallasConsolidated 20 May 1960 with7th Special Forces Group at FortBragg, North Carolina

When the 10th Special Forces

Group departed for its overseas assignment at Bad Tolz,Germany, the men who were not required to go remained atFort Bragg, North Carolina and formed the 77th SF Group.The commander was LTC Jack T. Shannon. The executiveofcer was Lieutenant Frank J. Dallas and the motto wasAnything, Any Time, Any Place, Any How.

In 1956, Captain John W. Frye designed the arrow-shaped patch which is still worn by the Green Berets. Theblue patch, featuring an upturned knife and three jagged

lightning bolts, was approved bythe Department of the Army andwas pictured in the Army Timesnewspaper. The knife was issuedduring World War II to the First

Special Service Force, a predecessorunit, and the lightning bolts representSpecial Forces inltration by air, by

land and by water.The next commander was Colonel Edson Duncan Raff, acolorful combat veteran whose service during World War

Unit History


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II was highly praised by General Eisenhower. The Colonelencouraged the wearing of the beret, but it was not given

ofcial sanction until ve years later. The green beretreceived the approval of President John F. Kennedy after hisvisit to the Special Warfare Center (a title adopted in 1956)on 12 October 1961. The Special Forces troopers, led byGeneral William P. Yarborough, wore berets to greet theircommander-in-chief, and the nine-year controversy over theheadgear came to an end.

The 77th Group carried out a rigorous training and sportsprogram. The men began a post judo club which by 1955had 125 members. Fifty Green Berets began a club calledthe ParaDivers. Typical of the membership in the 77thwas a private from Poland, a corporal from Shanghai and aprivate from Finland. A large number of displaced Europeansjoined the U.S. Army under the Lodge Act, and added an

enviable foreign language capability to the group. ColonelGustav J. Gillert, Jr., became the group adjutant when Lt.Dallas went overseas with the 10th SF Group. Maj. GeneralF.W. Farrell, 82nd Airborne Division commander, once tolda Special Forces class, Conventional warfare is outmoded,and we must prepare ourselves for the unconventional inany future conict. His words were similar to the views heldby the famed General Orde C. Wingate, another advocatefor special warfare.

The 77th was not destined to move overseas as a unit. Themen remained headquartered at the Special Warfare Center,and in June 1960 became members of the 7th SpecialForces Group (Airborne).

History of the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne)The 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) was rstconstituted as the 1st Company, 1st Battalion, 1st SpecialService Force on July 9, 1942 at Camp William Harrison,Montana. This specialized Canadian-United States unit wasorganized and trained to conduct commando raids againstNazi Germanys edging nuclear weapons capability in the

Unit History


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Scandinavian region of occupied Europe. However, the unitwas diverted to the campaign in the Aleutian Islands, wherethey were confronted by not only Japanese, but the brutalarctic climate.

Upon successful culmination of the Aleutian Campaign theSpecial Service Force was transferred to the Europeantheater where they fought with distinction in both southernFrance and Italy, where they earned the nickname of The

Devils Brigade. The Special Service Force was disbandedin France in 1945. It was reactivated on 25 September 1953at Fort Bragg as the 77th Special Forces. The 77th SpecialForces was redesignated as the 7th Special Forces Group(Airborne) on 20 May, 1960. In 2005, The Departmentof Defense recommended in its Base Re-alignment andClosure (BRAC) Recommendations that the 7th SFGrelocate to Eglin AFB, FL.

In 1960 the Group was recognized and designated asthe 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st SpecialForces. The Group colors carry six combat streamers fromWorld War II and one from Panama. In addition, the 3rd

Battalion is entitled to the ArmySuperior Unit Award Streamer,

embroidered LATIN AMERICA1985-1986.Although the 7th SpecialForces Group is not the oldestSpecial Forces Group on theactive roles, it is referred to asthe building block from whichSpecial Forces expanded during

the term of President JohnFitzgerald Kennedy. Throughoutthe early 1960s the requestfor Mobile Training Teams far

exceeded the US military capability, therefore the 7th SpecialForces Group was called upon to assist in the organizationand activation of other similar units. The 7th Special Forces

Unit History


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Group provided the cadre for the 3rd and the 6th SpecialForces Groups which were oriented on the Middle East and

Africa.

In 1961, the 7th Special Forces Group was given the missionof advising the South Vietnamese Army. The 7th Special

Forces Group was also activelyinvolved in Laos and Thailand.The rst Medal of Honor earned

in the Republic of South Vietnamwas awarded to Captain RogerDonlon, a member of the 7thSpecial Forces Group.

At the same time SpecialForces were expanding intoLatin America. In May 1962, the

advance party from CompanyD, 7th Special Forces Groupdeparted for Fort Gulick, PanamaCanal Zone, to establish what waslater designated the 8th Special

Forces Group, 1st Special Forces. The 8th Special ForcesGroup was deactivated in 1972 and the unit redesignated asthe 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group.

When President Reagan took ofcein 1980, communism was spreadingrapidly throughout Latin America.Nicaragua was controlled by aCommunist regime, and with thesupport of Cuba, they were working

hard to export their revolution to ElSalvador and Honduras. The 3rdBattalion, 7th Special Forces Groupdrafted the initial plan for US Militarytrainers in El Salvador that wasaccepted by SOUTHCOM and theReagan Administration.

Unit History


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Throughout the decade of the 80s, soldiers from the 7thSpecial Forces Group played a critical role in helping the

Salvadoran military grow form a constabulary force of12,000 to a counter-insurgency force of55,000 men underarms.

The 7th Special

Forces Groupalso played avery importantrole in preparing

the Honduran Military to resist and defeat an invasionfrom Nicaragua. The extensive 7th Special Forces Groupoperations throughout Honduras in the 80s not onlyprepared them for the threatened invasion, but also assisted

the Honduran forces in conducting their own counterinsurgency operations and ultimately defeating the Hondurancommunist-supported insurgency. One key to the successin El Salvador and Honduras was 7th SFGs ability toprofessionalize their NCO Corps.

During the last half of the 80s, the 7th Special Forces Groupbecame involved in counter narcotics operations in theAndean Ridge countries of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador,Peru, and Bolivia. The purpose was not only to reduce theow of drugs in the United States, but also to help controland reduce the violence that has resulted from the ow ofillegal and uncontrolled dollars into South America.From December 19, 1989 to January 31, 1990, elementsof the 7th Special Forces Group participated in Operation

Just Cause to restore democracy to Panama. On D-Dayand over the next ten days the 7th Special Forces Groupconducted many reconnaissance and Direct Action missionsin support of the operation and the Ma Bell Take downs ofve Panamanian cartels located in rural areas throughoutthe country.

Unit History


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Over the next sixmonths, both 2nd and

3rd Battalions playedkey roles in OperationPromote Liberty, whichtransformed Panama froma military dictatorshipsupported by a corruptmilitary, into a legitimate

democratic government,protected by a police force. The accomplishments ofthe Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA)s setting upprovincial local governments are considered to be one ofthe greatest Foreign Internal Defense (FID)/InformationOperations (IO) successes in the history of SpecialOperations.

During the late 1990s, 7 SFG (A) also deployed to Colombiaand trained three Counter Narcotics Battalions and assistedin the establishment of a Brigade Headquarters. These werethe rst units of their kind in Colombia and each is knownas Batalln Anti Narcoticos or BRACNA. These elementscontinue to be very successful against the narcotics industrywhich thrived in Colombia prior to their inception. Since7th SFG (A) detachments involvement in the counter-drug training, the FARC numbers and inuence withinColombia has diminished greatly. From 2003 to 2008,7th SFG (A) worked tirelessly to nd and rescue three UScivilians captured by the FARC when the plane they weretraveling on crashed in the jungles of Colombia. For overhalf a decade, 7th SFG (A) kept ODAs ready to launch arescue on a moments notice. In 2008, they were rescued

during Operation Willing Spirit. 7th SFG (A) detachmentscontinue to rotate among various locations within Colombia,training various units in counter-guerrilla and counter-narcotics roles. 7th SFG (A) continues to be the drivingforce in partner nation training with all Special Forces unitsand Police units within Colombia.

Unit History


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Since early 2002,the 7th SFG has

deployed almostnonstop in supportof OperationEnduring Freedom inAfghanistan. Currently,7th SFG along withthe 3rd Special Forces

Group are the twoSFGs responsiblefor the command and control of the Combined Joint SpecialOperations Task Force Afghanistan (CJSOTF-A) in BagramAirbase, Afghanistan. 7th SFG (A) has conducted thousandsof joint US/Afghani raids, patrols, and civil missions over thepast eight years. The soldiers of 7th SFG (A) are amongsome of the highest decorated in the Global War on Terror.MSG Brendan OConner of ODA 765 (7235) was awarded theDistinguished Service Cross for his valorous actions underdirect enemy re during OEF VIII. 7th SFG (A) continues totake the initiative in support of the OEF in Afghanistan.

The Group has also deployedin support of Operation IraqiFreedom numerous times. From2004 to 2008, ODAs 741, 751,763, and 775 were the amongthe teams that rotated throughconducting the Special ForcesLiaison Element (SFLE) missionwith the Cuscatlan Battalion fromthe El Salvadorian Army. Thesemissions included everything fromCivil Military operations to DirectAction missions. In addition,C/3/7 conducted several rotationsas the Combat Reaction Element

Unit History


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(CRE) within multiple areas ofoperation in Iraq. 7th SFG (A)has also sent several Ofcersand NCOs to various countriesthroughout the CENTCOMAOR to support the GWOT.

Currently, 7th SFG (A)is actively working in the

Caribbean and CentralAmerica as part of theOEF-CCA campaign, is stillengaged in South America,and is still conducting combatoperations in Afghanistan. 7thSFG (A) has recently been

called on for emergency response to the earthquake in Haiti.7th SFG (A) continues to maintain the highest standard ofexcellence in every area throughout the world.

7th SFG(A) continuesto maintain the higheststandard of excellence

throughout the world.Over the past 50years, from Panama toAfghanistan, recoveryoperations to combatmissions, trainingindigenous forces to

exercising ingenuity,7th SFG(A) continuallyproves Anything,Anytime, Anyplace.


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7th special forces group (airborne) “lo que sea - cuando sea - donde sea”

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