Their lineage dates back to include more than 200 years of unconventional warfare history, with notable predecessors including the American Revolutionary War 'Swamp Fox' Francis Marion, Benjamin Forsyth in the War of 1812, Frederick Funston of the Philippine–American War, the WWII OSS Jedburgh Teams, OSS Detachment 101 in Burma, the Alamo Scouts, Colt Terry of the Korean War, and Vietnam War United States Army Special Forces officer Richard J. Since their establishment in 1952, Special Forces soldiers have operated in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, North Vietnam, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Colombia, Panama, Haiti, Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, 1st Gulf War, Afghanistan, Iraq, the Philippines, Syria, Yemen, Niger and, in an FID role, East Africa.

The remaining cadre at Fort Bragg formed the 77th Special Forces Group, which in May 1960 was reorganized and designated as today's 7th Special Forces Group. The 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) was split, with the cadre that kept the designation 10th SFG deployed to Bad Tölz, Germany, in September 1953. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School. Aaron Bank, soon after the establishment of the Psychological Warfare School, which ultimately became today's John F. In June 1952, the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) was formed under Col. McClure chose former OSS member Colonel Aaron Bank as Operations Branch Chief of the Special Operations Division of the Psychological Warfare Staff (OCPW) in the Pentagon.

Volckmann used their wartime experience to formulate the doctrine of unconventional warfare that became the cornerstone of the Special Forces. Although the OSS was not an Army organization, many Army personnel were assigned to the OSS and later used their experiences to influence the forming of Special Forces.ĭuring the Korean War, individuals such as former Philippine guerrilla commanders Col. Army Special Forces traces its roots as the Army's premier proponent of unconventional warfare from purpose-formed special operations units like the Alamo Scouts, Philippine guerrillas, First Special Service Force, and the Operational Groups (OGs) of the Office of Strategic Services.

Kathy mcclure us navy war college