3rd Special Forces Group (United States)

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3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne)
De Oppresso Liber"
EngagementsVietnam War

Gulf War
Operation Uphold Democracy

War on Terror

Insignia
Former 3rd SFG(A) recognition bar, worn by non-special operations qualified soldiers—in lieu of a beret flash—from the 1960s to 1984[1]
1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) shoulder sleeve insignia, worn by all 1st SFC(A) units
U.S. Special Forces Groups
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1st Special Forces Group 5th Special Forces Group

The 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) – abbreviated 3rd SFG(A) and often simply called 3rd Group – is an active duty

Afghanistan
.

History

1960s

Special Forces Group organization in the Vietnam Era

3rd Group was first activated on 5 December 1963 at

Son Tay Raid (1970) and subsequently helped plan the Saigon evacuation (30 April 1975), becoming the last SF soldier to leave the country.[5]

1990s

The 3rd Special Forces Group was reactivated in 1990. Its AO initially consisted of the Caribbean and West Africa. New group members were drawn primarily from the 5th SFG(A). At the outbreak of the Gulf War, 3rd Group's only functioning battalion (1st BN) was deployed to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, for three months. Its A-Teams carried out reconnaissance and sabotage missions into denied areas of Iraq and Kuwait.[6] In February 1991, 3rd Group was tasked with the mission of securing and occupying the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait City.[7] The 2nd BN and 3rd BN of 3rd Group were reactivated in 1991 and 1992, respectively. 3rd Group also took part in the restoration of democracy in Haiti in 1994.[8] In the late '90s, 3rd Group helped train forces in Senegal, Uganda, Malawi, Mali, Ethiopia, and Trinidad and Tobago, among others.[9]

2000s

In the fall of 2000, the 3rd SFG(A) was involved in training and stabilization efforts in West Africa, dubbed "Operation Focus Relief" by the State Department; the training mission was geared towards combating the Revolutionary United Front.[9]

Since

John F. Mulholland, Jr., stated:[10]

As we have listened to these incredible tales, I am truly at a loss for words to do justice to what we have heard here, where do we get such men? … There is no finer fighting man on the face of the earth than the American soldier. And there is no finer American soldier than our Green Berets. If you saw what you heard today in a movie, you would shake your head and say, "That didn’t happen." But it does, every day.

Members of the 3rd SFG were involved in the

173rd Airborne Brigade's artillery component, On 5 April, they moved into position to seize the intersection and then on 6 April they ran into Iraqi Army forces and the Battle of Debecka Pass ensued, resulting in an American and Peshmerga victory. The Special Forces secured the crossroads and endured two days of Iraqi artillery fire before moving into Kirkuk to secure the oil facilities to prevent their destruction by Iraqi forces.[11]

2010s

In October 2010, Staff Sergeant Robert James Miller was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. On 25 January 2008, Miller's team was ambushed during a combat reconnaissance patrol in Kunar Province near the Pakistan border. Miller's commander was seriously wounded within the first minutes of the attack. Wounded and under intense enemy fire, Miller pushed forward and laid down suppressive fire on multiple insurgent positions, which allowed his wounded commander to be pulled out of the line of fire and his teammates to safely reach cover. Miller single-handedly eliminated multiple insurgents before succumbing to his wounds.[12]

The 1st Battalion, 3rd SFG(A) were awarded the Canadian

CEFCOM Commander Lieutenant-General Stuart Beare, on behalf of the Governor General of Canada. The 1st Battalion, 3rd SFG(A) is the first non-Canadian unit, and seventh overall, to receive this honour.[13]
The citation read:

During August and September 2006, the 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), United States Army, displayed extraordinary heroism and outstanding combat ability while battling insurgents in support of a Canadian-led operation in Afghanistan. After completing their initial objectives, they willingly engaged a much larger force to secure the Canadian Battle Group’s flank and prevent the enemy from staging an effective counter-offensive. Outnumbered and facing a well-prepared enemy, they were relentless in their assault and eventually captured the position after days of intense fighting.

On 4 October 2017, 12 soldiers from the 3rd SFG and 30 Nigerien soldiers

Islamic State in the Greater Sahara. During the battle, four Americans and four Nigeriens were killed.[14]

In 2023, a social media post drew attention for a

USASOC spokesperson, "The use of symbols and patches depicting historic images of hate are not tolerated and a clear violation of our values," and that "We are aware of the situation and looking into the matter further."[19]

Organization

Current structure of the 3rd SFG(A)

Notable officers and soldiers

SSG Robert James Miller

References

  1. OCLC 813846700
    . Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  2. ^ "ARSOF Fact Book 2018". United States Army Special Operations Command. 2018. Archived from the original on 18 March 2021.
  3. ^ Naylor, Sean D. (27 August 2009). "SOCom directive announces major changes". Army Times. Archived from the original on 1 July 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  4. OCLC 22921374
    .
  5. ^ Kellar, Brad (23 April 2011). "Local war hero's final journey". Herald-Banner. Archived from the original on 25 August 2022.
  6. ^ Smith, R. Jeffrey (4 March 1991). "U.S. Special Forces Carried Out Sabotage, Rescues Deep in Iraq". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022.
  7. ^ Diaz, Tom (20 March 1991). "Special Forces Busy in Kuwait". The Washington Times. p. 1.
  8. OCLC 45893701
    .
  9. ^ a b "3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces Regiment". GlobalSecurity.org. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  10. ^ Jennings, Patrick (20 May 2010). "Danger Close: ODA 3336 in the Shok Valley". Defense Media Network. Archived from the original on 8 February 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  11. OCLC 176894746
    .
  12. ^ "Medal of Honor Official Narrative". US Army. Archived from the original on 3 December 2021. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  13. ^ Salloum, A.E.; Butler, Marcus (29 May 2012). "U.S. Army unit receives Commander-in-Chief Unit Commendation for Operation MEDUSA". National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces. Archived from the original on 17 September 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  14. ^ Hartmann, Margaret (19 October 2017). "What We Know About the Niger Attack That Left 4 U.S. Soldiers Dead". New York. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  15. ^ a b Winkie, Davis (27 March 2024). "The roots of this unofficial Nazi-inspired Army Green Beret logo". Army Times. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  16. ^ "Hate Symbol - Totenkopf". www.adl.org. Anti-Defamation League. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  17. ^ Nieberg, Patty. "Army investigating Nazi imagery on Special Forces patch posted online". Task and Purpose.
  18. ^ Winkie, Davis. "The 3rd Group Roots of the Unofficial Nazi Inspired Green Beret Logo". Army Times.
  19. ^ a b Beynon, Steve. "Picture of Special Forces Soldier Wearing Nazi Patch Triggers Army Investigation". Military.com.
  20. ^ Winkie, Davis. "Army investigating social media post showing Nazi symbol". Military Times.
  21. ^ Thoesen, Richard. "Transcript of Jeffrey McDonald's Article 32 Investigation Hearing, 1970, Vol. 12" (Interview). Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. MSC: "I came to know Captain McDonald when he reported to the 3rd Special Forces Group. I was his sponsor… In the latter part of August… 1969…"

External links

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