U.S. Army Special Operations

History

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First Special Service Force

Welcome to the ARSOF History article page.

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WORLD WAR II
A Normandy Surprise

WWII, Rangers

A Normandy Surprise

USASOC leadership visits Normandy to participate in the commemoration of the 79th anniversary of D-Day

Bona Fides

WWII, Legacy

Bona Fides

Documents forged for 2LT Herbert R. Brucker

Donald D. Blackburn

WWII, Special Forces

Donald D. Blackburn

World War II Guerrilla Leader & Special Operations Plank Holder

Camp Mackall

WWII, Special Forces, Civil Affairs, Psyop

Camp Mackall

A History of Training

The OSS

WWII, Legacy

The OSS

A Primer on the Special Operations Branches and Detachments of the Office of Strategic Services

Key West

WWII, Special Forces

Key West

Home of ARSOF Underwater Operations

Airborne Signal

WWII, Legacy-sup

Airborne Signal

The 112th (Special Operations) Signal Battalion in World War II

Prisoner for a Day

WWII, Legacy

Prisoner for a Day

A First Special Force Soldier's Short-lived POW Experience

Of Mules and Men

WWII, Legacy

Of Mules and Men

The 612th and 613th Field Artillery Battalions (Pack) in Burma

KOREAN WAR
CCRAK

Korean War, Special Forces, Legacy

CCRAK

The Combined Command for Reconnaissance Activities, Korea

A Combat First

Korean War, Special Forces

A Combat First

Army SF Soldiers in Korea, 1953-1955

Closing Acts

Korean War, Legacy

Closing Acts

The Special Warfare Campaign at the End of the Korean War

Escape & Evasion

Korean War, Legacy

Escape & Evasion

West Coast Aircrew Recovery and the Guerrilla-Held Islands

One Guerrilla's Fight

Korean War, Special Forces, Legacy

One Guerrilla's Fight

Operating Behind Enemy Lines in the Korean War

Working with what you have

Korean War, Special Forces, Legacy

Working with what you have

The Challenges of Guerrilla Warfare on the Korean East Coast, 1951-1953

<i>Radio Pusan</i>

Korean War, Psyop

Radio Pusan

“The Voice of South Korea.”

Flying High

Korean War, Psyop

Flying High

The 4th MRBC Antenna Riggers

Full Spectrum

Korean War, Psyop

Full Spectrum

Strategic Psywar 1952: UN Psywar Aligns with Allied Bombing Campaign in Korea

Full Spectrum

Korean War, Psyop

Full Spectrum

Contrasts in Independence, March 1st and Plan PATRIOT

Full Spectrum

Korean War, Psyop

Full Spectrum

FEAF’s Humanitarian Bombing Campaign in Korea

Rebuilding Psywar

Korean War, Psyop

Rebuilding Psywar

The Psychological Warfare Division, the Office of the Chief of Psychological Warfare, and the Psywar School at Fort Riley, 1950-1951

From a Standing Start

Korean War, Civil Affairs

From a Standing Start

U.S. Army Psychological Warfare and Civil Affairs in the Korean War

Dick Zayac

Korean War, Psyop

Dick Zayac

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

The Ganders

Korean War, Psyop

The Ganders

1st Radio Broadcasting and Leaflet Group Conducts PSYWAR in Korea, Pt II

The Ganders

Korean War, Psyop

The Ganders

Strategic PSYWAR in the Far East Part I: Introduction and Movement to the Far East

Catch as Catch Can

Korean War, Special Forces

Catch as Catch Can

Special Forces and Line Crossers in the Korean War

COLD WAR
You Have Arrived

Cold War, Special Forces

“You Have Arrived”

1st Special Operations Command and the Birth of Modern ARSOF

From Hangar to Housing

Cold War, Civil Affairs

From Hangar to Housing

Providing Shelter for Displaced Civilians in Panama during Operation JUST CAUSE

Almost a Footnote

Cold War, ARSOF Support

Almost a Footnote

The Special Operations Support Battalion, 1986-1989

Averting Disaster

Cold War, Civil Affairs

Averting Disaster

Company D, 96th Civil Affairs Battalion at the Balboa High School Displaced Civilians Facility

Absolute Confidence

Cold War, Special Forces, ARSOF Aviation

Absolute Confidence

The 617th SOAD and 3rd Battalion, 7th SFG in Panama, 1989–1990

A Tale of Two Teams

Cold War, Rangers, Psyop

A Tale of Two Teams

Tactical Loudspeaker Support in Operation JUST CAUSE

Shoot & Salute

Cold War, Special Forces, Psyop

Shoot & Salute

U.S. Army Special Warfare in Laos, Part I

Psyche

Cold War, Psyop

Psyche

The 301st Radio Broadcasting and Leaflet Group, Part II

Psyche

Cold War, Psyop

Psyche

The 301st Radio Broadcasting and Leaflet Group, Part I

Introduction

Cold War, Special Forces

Introduction

Special Forces in Bolivia

The 1960s

Cold War, Special Forces

The 1960s

A Decade of Revolution

Che Guevarra

Cold War, Special Forces

Che Guevarra

A False idol for Revolutionaries

Che’s Posse

Cold War, Special Forces

Che’s Posse

Divided, Attrited, and Trapped

Field Sanitation

Cold War, Special Forces

Field Sanitation

Practicing Medicine, and Civic Action in Bolivia

The Aftermath

Cold War, Special Forces

The Aftermath

Che, the Late 1960s, and the Bolovian Mission

San Miguel

Cold War, Special Forces

San Miguel

The Attack on El Bosque

Colombia

Cold War, Special Forces

Colombia

A Special Relationship

U.S. Forces

Cold War, Special Forces

U.S. Forces

The Major Command Structure

OPATT to PATT

Cold War, Special Forces

OPATT to PATT

El Salvador to Colombia and the Formation of the Planning and Assistance Training Teams

<i>Plan Lazo</i>

Cold War, Special Forces

Plan Lazo

Evaluation and Execution

VIETNAM WAR
Office of Strategic Services (OSS)

VIETNAM WAR, GENERAL, MICROSITE

1,903 Days as a POW

COL James ‘Nick’ Rowe, POW Diary, 1963-1968

Special Forces Heroism during Tet Offensive

Vietnam War, Special Forces

Indomitable Valor

Special Forces Heroism during Tet Offensive

ARSOF in Vietnam

Vietnam War, Civil Affairs, Psyop, ARSOF Support

ARSOF in Vietnam

Aviation, Civil Affairs, and Psychological Operations Honored in USASOC Memorial Plaza

Battle Without Bullets

Vietnam War, Civil Affairs

Battle Without Bullets

The 41st Civil Affairs Company in Vietnam, Part I: 1965-1967

“Colonel Mike”

Vietnam War, Special Forces

“Colonel Mike”

The Origins of the MIKE Force in Vietnam

Training the Trainers

Vietnam War, Special Forces

Training the Trainers

Donald D. Blackburn and the 77th Special Forces Group (Airborne)

Biet Dong Quan

Vietnam War, Rangers

Biet Dong Quan

Vietnamese Rangers and their American Advisors

A Team Effort

Vietnam War, Special Forces

A Team Effort

The Montagnard Uprising of September 1964

A Team Effort

Vietnam War, Special Forces

A Team Effort

Special Forces in Vietnam (June-December 1964)

POST COLD WAR
Beyond the Numbers

Post-Cold War, ARSOF Support

Beyond the Numbers

The 528th Support Battalion in Operations DESERT SHIELD & DESERT STORM

POST 9/11
toe vs tda

Post-9/11, GENERAL

TOE vs. TDA

What is the Difference?

Salute to the ARSOF Fallen

Post-9/11, GENERAL

7,290 Days

A Salute to the ARSOF Fallen of the Post-9/11 Era

Strengthening the U.S.-Japan Partnership

Post-9/11, Special Forces

Silent Eagle 2011

Strengthening the U.S.-Japan Partnership

Form follows function

Post-9/11, Special Forces

Form follows function

A Brief Look at U.S. Army Standard Service Rifles and Squad Automatic Weapons since WWII

Total Immersion

Post-9/11, Psyop

Total Immersion

Language, Culture, and the Colombian Military

Night Stalker Ingenuity

Post-9/11, ARSOF Aviation

Night Stalker Ingenuity

Taking the ‘Bad Guy’ off the Battlefield without Black Helicopters

Victoria Ex Umbra

Post-9/11, Special Forces

Victoria Ex Umbra

Activating 4th Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne)

Task Force Viking

Post-9/11, Special Forces

Task Force Viking

Addition to the U.S. Army Special Operations Command Memorial Plaza

A Collective Effort

Post-9/11, Special Forces, Civil Affairs, Psyop

A Collective Effort

Army Special Operations Forces in Deh Rawod, Afghanistan

VALIANT 41

Post-9/11, ARSOF Aviation

VALIANT 41

160th SOAR in Combat in Iraq

Operation MEDUSA

Post-9/11, Special Forces

Operation MEDUSA

Regaining Control of Afghanistan’s Panjwayi Valley

Out of Turkey

Post-9/11, ARSOF Support

Out of Turkey

The 528th Special Operations Support Battalion

Afghan Ambush

Post-9/11, Special Forces

Afghan Ambush

ODA 744 in Afghanistan

Volare Optimos

Post-9/11, ARSOF Support

Volare Optimos

Honoring the Silent Professionals of Special Operations Aviation

HACC Baghdad

Post-9/11, Civil Affairs

HACC Baghdad

Civil Affairs in Action

ODA 542

Post-9/11, Special Forces

ODA 542

Working with the Free Iraqi Fighters

Team Tank

Post-9/11, Rangers

Team Tank

Armor in Support of Special Operations

Objective Beaver

Post-9/11, Rangers, ARSOF Support

Objective Beaver

The Search for the Elusive Smoking Gun

Reaching Out

Post-9/11, Psyop

Reaching Out

Psychological Operations in Operation IRAQI FREEDOM

Value Added

Post-9/11, Special Forces

Value Added

A/1/19th SFG in Iraq

From Leyte to the Levant

Post-9/11, ARSOF Support

From Leyte to the Levant

A Brief History of the 389th Military Intelligence Battalion (Airborne)