The use of watercraft, increases in troop strength, and introduction of other tactics-deploying more soldiers to Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG) bases, distributing improved handbooks to commissioned and non-commissioned officers, etc.- allowed the 5th Special Warfare Group to take the fight to the enemy, capturing large swaths of territory in the Delta, making the 50 percent of the territory and CIDG bases that were previously too overrun with Viet Cong to enter safe enough to operate in, and mounting operations and establishing CIDG bases deep in Viet Cong territory. When used with armed helicopters, Patrol Air Cushion Vehicle hovercraft, and support from Air Force reconnaissance planes, Navy river patrol boats, and artillery, these watercraft enabled "telling victories over the Viet Cong" and turned the flood season into a tactical advantage for the United States. The extensive naval operations required an overhaul in tactics to allow the 5th Special Forces Group to best employ the speed and firepower of the Aircat airboats.
Navy and Air Force, the campaign was built around the use of some 400 watercraft, including 84 airboats, as well as helicopters, Navy warships, and civilian vessels. Conducted with the South Vietnamese Army, civilian irregulars, and the U.S. It launched a wide-ranging campaign against Viet Cong forces in the Mekong Delta in July 1967. The 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) was unique in the Vietnam War for its heavy usage of watercraft, particularly Hurricane Aircat airboats. On 23 March 2016, the 5th Special Forces Group once more changed over to the Vietnam-era flash. The unit's flash reverted to the plain black version on 16 January 1985. From 1970 to 1985, the variant flash was adopted by the entire Group, rather than just those serving in Vietnam. These colors symbolize the 1st and 7th SFG soldiers who served under 5th SFG during the Vietnam War. The group's personnel in Vietnam adopted a variant flash, which added diagonal yellow stripe with three narrow red over-stripes to the existing black background and white border. Cold War Vietnam War įrom 1961 to 1964, the group wore a black flash bordered in white, designed primarily to provide visibility against the Green Beret. On 1 October 2005, the unit was redesignated as the 5th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces Regiment. 5th Group was reactivated 21 September 1961 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Organic elements were constituted on 8 September 1961. The consolidated unit was redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 5th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces. During World War II, the 1st Special Service Force was disbanded on 5 December 1944 in Villeneuve-Loubet, France.ĥth Group was constituted on 15 April 1960, concurrently consolidated with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion (activated 1 September 1943). It was activated four days later on 9 July at Fort William Henry Harrison, Montana. The 5th SFG (A) traces its lineage to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Regiment, 1st Special Service Force, a combined Canadian-American organization which was constituted on 5 July 1942. The 5th SFG (A) and two of its battalions spend roughly six months out of every twelve deployed to Iraq as Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Arabian Peninsula. The 5th SFG (A) specializes in operations in the Middle East, Persian Gulf, Central Asia, and the Horn of Africa (HOA). As of 2016, the 5th SFG(A) is primarily responsible for operations within the CENTCOM area of responsibility as part of the Special Operations Command, Central ( SOCCENT). 5th Group-as it is sometime called-is designed to deploy and execute nine doctrinal missions: unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, direct action, counter-insurgency, special reconnaissance, counter-terrorism, information operations, counterproliferation of weapon of mass destruction, and security force assistance. The 5th SFG (A) saw extensive action in the Vietnam War and played a pivotal role in the early months of Operation Enduring Freedom. The 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) (5th SFG (A)) is one of the most decorated active duty United States Army Special Forces groups in the U.S.
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