10th Special Forces Group (United States)

10th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Beret Flash
Active19 June 1952 – present[1]
Country United States
Branch United States Army
TypeSpecial Forces
RolePrimary tasks:
  • Unconventional Warfare (UW)
  • Foreign Internal Defense (FID)
  • Direct Action (DA)
  • Counter-Insurgency (COIN)
  • Special Reconnaissance (SR)
  • Counter-Terrorism (CT)
  • Information Operations (IO)
  • Counterproliferation of WMD (CP)
  • Security Force Assistance (SFA)
Size4 battalions
Part of 1st Special Forces Command
Garrison/HQFort Carson, Colorado
Motto(s)"De oppresso liber"[2] (to free the oppressed)
Engagements
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Insignia
Background trimming
1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) Shoulder Sleeve Insignia, worn by all 1st SFC(A) units
Former 10th Special Forces Group Beret Badge, worn from 1955–1962[4]
Former 10th SFG(A) recognition bar, worn by non–special operations qualified soldiers in lieu of a beret flash from c. 1960s–1984[5]

The 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) (10th SFG (A), or 10th Group) is an active duty United States Army Special Forces (SF) Group. 10th Group is designed to deploy and execute nine doctrinal missions: unconventional warfare (UW), foreign internal defense (FID), direct action (DA), counterinsurgency, special reconnaissance, counterterrorism, information operations, counter-proliferation of weapon of mass destruction, and security force assistance.[6] 10th Group is responsible for operations within the EUCOM area of responsibility, as part of Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR).[7]

In 2009, as part of a new SOCOM directive, the group is now also responsible for operations within the AFRICOM area of responsibility.[8] 10th SFG(A) was deployed to Saudi Arabia in 1991 during the First Persian Gulf War, and has been heavily involved in the War on Terrorism, deploying to Georgia, North Africa, Afghanistan, and consistently to Iraq.

  1. ^ "10th SFG (A) History". United States Army Special Operations Command. Archived from the original on March 21, 2022. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  2. ^ "10th Special Forces Group (Airborne)". United States Army Special Operations Command. Archived from the original on June 21, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  3. ^ "Maryland Soldier Killed by Roadside Bomb in Afghanistan". NBC Washington. October 5, 2016. Archived from the original on January 5, 2022.
  4. ^ Sacquety, Troy J. (2009). "THE TROJAN HORSE BADGE Distinctive Identity for the 10th Special Forces Group". Veritas. Vol. 5, no. 4. ISSN 1553-9830. Archived from the original on December 17, 2021. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  5. ^ Rottman, Gordon L. (1985). US Army Special Forces, 1952-84. London: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1782004462. OCLC 813846700.
  6. ^ "ARSOF Fact Book 2018". United States Army Special Operations Command. 2018. Archived from the original on April 9, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  7. ^ "10th Special Forces Group (Airborne)". GlobalSecurity.org. Archived from the original on May 14, 2008. Retrieved May 10, 2008.
  8. ^ Naylor, Sean D. (August 28, 2009). "SOCom directive announces major changes" (PDF). Army Times. Archived from the original on March 8, 2017. Retrieved July 1, 2013.