19th Special Forces Group
| 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne) | |
|---|---|
 19th SFG(A) beret flash | |
| Active | 1 May 1961 – present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army Army National Guard |
| Type | Special Forces |
| Role |
|
| Part of | Title 32: Utah Army National Guard Title 10: 1st Special Forces Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Draper, Utah |
| Motto(s) | Anything, Any Place, Any Time |
| Engagements | War on Terror |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | COL Larry L. Henry |
| Insignia | |
| Former 19th SFG(A) recognition bar, worn by non-special operations qualified soldiers—in lieu of a beret flash—from the 1960s to 1984[3] |  |
| 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) distinctive unit insignia, worn by all SFG(A)s and 1st SFC(A) |  |
| 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) shoulder sleeve insignia, worn by all 1st SFC(A) units | .png) |
| U.S. Special Forces Groups | ||||
|
The 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne) (19th SFG) (A) is one of two National Guard groups of the United States Army Special Forces. 19th 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.[4] Headquartered in Draper, Utah, with detachments in Washington, West Virginia, Ohio, Rhode Island, Colorado, California and Texas, the 19th SFG(A) shares responsibility over Southwest Asia with the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), and the Pacific with the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne).[5][6][7] Company A, 2nd Battalion is one of several National Guard units with colonial roots.
History
The parent unit was constituted on 5 July 1942 in the Army of the United States as the 1st Company, 1st Battalion, Third Regiment, 1st Special Service Force, a combined Canadian-American organization. This unit was activated on 9 July 1942 at Fort William Henry Harrison, Montana, then disbanded on 6 January 1945 in France.
19th Group was constituted on 15 April 1960 in the Regular Army as Headquarters, 19th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces. One year later, on 1 May 1961, the unit was allotted to the Army National Guard; 19th Group was concurrently organized from existing units in Utah with headquarters at Fort Douglas. Continuous reorganization developed over the next three decades, and by 1 September 1996, the unit consisted of elements from the Utah, California, Colorado, Ohio, Rhode Island, Washington, and West Virginia Army National Guards.
During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, a company element from the 19th SFG was attached to TF Dagger as were several regular and National Guard infantry companies to provide FOB security and to act as a QRF. As the prospect of war grew A company, 1st Battalion, 19th SFG, were tasked with liaison roles supporting conventional forces: ODA 911 and ODA 913 were to support the I MEF; ODA 914 was divided into two elements, one supporting the 3rd Infantry Division with ODA 916 and the other supporting British Forces; ODA 915 was attached to the 101st Airborne Division; and ODA 912 was tasked with providing PSD for General Harrell, the commander of CFSOCC (Combined Forces Special Operations Component Command).[8] p. 89
On 1 October 2005, 1st Special Forces was redesignated as the 1st Special Forces Regiment. Today's unit designation - Headquarters, 19th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces Regiment - was then established.
19th Group operators attend the same Special Forces selection and training as their active duty counterparts. The unit deploys elements to conduct special, irregular, and counterterrorist operations in various places around the world. Their official motto is De Oppresso Liber (Latin: "From oppressed [to] free"), a reference to one of their primary missions to train and assist foreign indigenous forces.
In September 2014, the Huffington post reported that members of the 19th SFG were deployed to Camp Ram Ram in Morocco to take part in Operation Enduring Freedom – Trans Sahara.[9]
Green Berets from the 19th SFG took part in the War in Afghanistan (2015–present); A Company, 1st BTN, 19th SFG was deployed to Afghanistan in July 2015 and several members were decorated for their actions during December 2015 and January 2016.[10] On 5 January 2016, during a major operation assisting Afghan forces reclaiming territory held by the Taliban. SSG Matthew McClintock of A Company, 1st BTN, 19th SFG was killed by small arms fire during an hours long battle in the Marjah district, Helmand Province.[11][12]
Controversially, from June 1 to June 7, 2020, during the George Floyd protests, members of the 19th SFG were deployed to Washington, DC and stationed outside the White House. Photos began to circulate of soldiers wearing the arrowhead patch and the Special Forces Tab. Questions rose as to why Special Forces soldiers were needed. On June 4, National Guard commanders made the decision to pull the Special Forces patches off the uniform in an attempt to avoid sending the wrong message.[13]
Structure
The structure of 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne) includes the following units:[14][15]
- Headquarters and Headquarters Company (UT ARNG) - Camp W.G. Williams, Riverton, Utah
- 1st Battalion
- Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment (UT ARNG) - Camp W.G. Williams, Riverton, Utah
- Company A (WA ARNG) - Buckley Armory, Buckley, Washington
- Company B (UT ARNG) - Camp W.G. Williams, Riverton, Utah
- Company C (TX ARNG) - Camp Bullis, San Antonio, Texas
- Support Company (UT ARNG) - Camp W.G. Williams, Riverton, Utah
- 2nd Battalion
- Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment (WV ARNG) - SGM Earl R. Biggs Memorial Armed Forces Reserve Center, Kenova, West Virginia
- Company A (RI ARNG) - Middletown Armory, Middletown, Rhode Island
- Company B (OH ARNG) - Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Columbus, Ohio
- Company C (WV ARNG) - Camp Dawson, Kingwood, West Virginia
- Support Company (WV ARNG) - SGM Earl R. Biggs Memorial Armed Forces Reserve Center, Kenova, West Virginia
- 5th Battalion
- Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment (CO ARNG) - Watkins Armory, Watkins, Colorado
- Company A (CA ARNG) - Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base, Los Alamitos, California
- Company B (CO ARNG) - Fort Carson Armory, Fort Carson, Colorado
- Company C (TX ARNG) - Camp Bullis, San Antonio, Texas
- Support Company (CO ARNG) - Watkins Armory, Watkins, Colorado
- Group Support Battalion
- Headquarters and Headquarters Company (UT ARNG) - John M. Browning Armory, Ogden, Utah
- Company A (UT ARNG) - John M. Browning Armory, Ogden, Utah
- Company B (UT ARNG) - John M. Browning Armory, Ogden, Utah
- Company C (UT ARNG) - Camp W.G. Williams, Riverton, Utah
- Company F (UT ARNG) - Camp W.G. Williams, Riverton, Utah
- Group Support Company (UT ARNG)
- Detachment 1 (WA ARNG)
- 197th Special Troops Support Company (TX ARNG) (aligned) - Camp Bullis, San Antonio, Texas
- 190th Chemical Detachment (MT ARNG) (aligned) - Fort William H. Harrison, Helena, Montana
Gallery
-
Soldiers from the 19th Group "Fast Roping" from an Air Force HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter at the Utah Test and Training Range in November 2007, during CSAR integration exercises. -
A 19th Group soldier on a Humvee provides security with a turret mounted M60 machine gun during a convoy stop in Asadabad, Afghanistan in 2004. An AT4 can be seen in the foreground. -
Slovenian and 5th Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group soldiers practice explosive breaching techniques during a three-week Joint Combined Exchange Training exercise in Slovenia. -
A soldier of from Company B, 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group instructs a Serbian soldier on the M240B -
Soldiers with 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group check their course with compasses during a foot patrol while training at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center, Indiana -
Utah National Guard soldiers from the 19th SFG in front of the White House on June 3, 2020
Mobilization
On 13 November 2001, the following units of the 19th SFG were called to active duty:
- A Company, 1st Bn/19th SFG—Fort Lewis, Washington
- B Company, C Company, and Support Company 1st Bn/19th SFG—Utah
- A Company, 2nd Bn/19th SFG—Rhode Island
- B Company, 2nd Bn/19th SFG—Ohio
- C Company and Support Company, 2nd Bn/19th SFG—Kenova, West Virginia
- A Company, B Company, C Company and Support Company from the 5th Bn/19th SFG—California & Colorado
Company A, 1st Bn/19th SFG participated in the 2003 invasion of Iraq
In April 2007, the 5th Battalion of 19th SFG and troops from the 2nd Battalion were called to Operation Iraqi Freedom.
- A Company (California National Guard)
- B Company (Colorado National Guard)
- 5th Bn/19th SFG Headquarters and Support Company, 5/19th
The unit came home with no deaths and very few minor injuries.
In April 2007, the following units of the 19th SFG were called to active duty (Operation Iraqi Freedom V)
- HHC, 19th SFG(A)—Utah
On September 2008, the following units of the 19th SFG were called to active duty (Operation Enduring Freedom XIII)
- A Company, 2nd Bn/19th SFG—Rhode Island
- B Company, 2nd Bn/19th SFG—Ohio
- C Company, 2nd Bn/19th SFG—Camp Dawson, West Virginia
- Support Company and HHC, 2nd Bn/19th SFG—Kenova, West Virginia
References
- ^ "Keeping Track of U.S.S Special Ops in Africa". Huffington post. 6 September 2016.
- ^ "Green Beret killed in Afghanistan was new father". Stars and Stripes. 7 January 2016.
- ^ US Army Special Forces 1952–84, Bloomsbury Publishing, by Gordon L. Rottman, dated 20 September 2012, ISBN 9781782004462, last accessed 29 March 2019
- ^ Army Special Operations Forces Fact Book 2018 Archived 19 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine, USASOC official website, dated 2018, last accessed 28 July 2019
- ^ FM 3-05: Army Special Operations Forces (PDF), US Department of the Army, September 2006, archived (PDF) from the original on 28 May 2008, retrieved 7 June 2008
- ^ "FM 3-05.102 Army Special Forces Intelligence" (PDF). July 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 May 2008. Retrieved 7 June 2008.
- ^ Joint Chiefs of Staff (1993), Joint Publication 3-05.5: Special Operations Targeting and Mission Planning Procedures (PDF), archived from the original (PDF) on 27 February 2008, retrieved 13 November 2007
- ^ Neville, Leigh (2015). Special Forces in the War on Terror. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1472807908.
- ^ "Keeping Track of U.S.S Special Ops in Africa". Huffington post. 6 September 2016.
- ^ "Green Berets honored with Silver Star and eight other valor awards". army times. 6 May 2016.
- ^ "Green Beret killed in Afghanistan was new father". Stars and Stripes. 7 January 2016.
- ^ "US servicemember killed in Helmand was part of major operation against Taliban". Stars and Stripes. 6 January 2016.
- ^ W.J. Hennigan (12 June 2020). "Inside a Special Forces Unit's Controversial Deployment to D.C." time.com. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- ^ "19th Special Forces Group (Airborne)". ut.ng.mil. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ CurrentOps.com. "19th Special Forces Group". currentops.com. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
External links
- "It All Starts Here" | SF and Recruiting Information page for the 19th Special Forces Group (A) in Utah
- "California and the Global War on Terrorism, Company A, 5th Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in Afghanistan". californiamilitaryhistory.org. The California State Military Museum. Archived from the original on 18 February 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
- The short film Big Picture: Silent Warriors is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive.