MESSAGE FROM
THE COMMAND HISTORIAN
Welcome to the first digital-only issue of Veritas. Faced with rising printing and distribution costs, we arrived at the difficult decision to transition our flagship publication, Veritas, to this format. By leveraging the ever-increasing content of our website we can reach a much broader audience with Army Special Operations Forces (ARSOF) history in a way that is both cost-effective and easily accessible. This new format is but the latest change for a publication with a long legacy. Produced by the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School (USAJFKSWCS) in the 1960s-1970s, Veritas was originally a monthly command newsletter. Resurrected by the USASOC History Office in 2005 as a historical journal, the next iteration of Veritas featured highly researched, in-depth, operational histories of ARSOF.
Beginning with this issue, Veritas will be an annual roll-up of writings produced over the preceding calendar year. Some of these will have been published on our website or on other platforms throughout the year. Others will be products produced specifically for the command. Veritas will still feature lengthier articles covering various facets of ARSOF’s rich history. One thing is a constant: we remain committed to providing the well-researched, high-quality content that our readers have come to expect.
An exciting initiative for the History Office in 2022, the implementation of a Unit Historical Officer (UHO) program, is explained in this issue. This program has the USASOC History Office working “by, with, and through” appointed UHOs at the battalion level and above to enhance historical collection and unit support. Other articles covering irregular warfare and the background of the Operational Detachment – Alpha structure, for example, began as USASOC-internal informational papers but have been reformatted here to give readers a behind-the-scenes view of recent priorities. Some articles represent longer-term research projects. “Triumph in the Desert” details a critical operation during the Cold War by the 160th Special Operations Aviation Group; “Building the Airplane in Flight” describes the deployment of Psychological Operations forces during the Persian Gulf War; and “SILENT EAGLE” highlights U.S. Army Special Forces (SF) training and inter-operability with a key partner force, representing an essential value-contribution of ARSOF.
This issue also features articles on the many key anniversaries we observed in 2022, including the 80th anniversary of the creation of the First Special Service Force and the 1st Ranger Battalion, and the 70th of the formal establishment of SF and the Psychological Warfare Center (today’s USAJFKSWCS). These events feed into the rich tapestry that is ARSOF history. Next year will enjoy its own ARSOF milestones, with associated supporting historical projects. We encourage everyone to keep an eye on our recently redesigned website for new content. Finally, a special thank you to our readers for your continued support. We are pleased that ARSOF history is getting out there like never before.
-SINE PARI
