1st Special Forces Group (United States)
| 1st Special Forces Group | |
|---|---|
1st Special Forces Group beret flash
|
|
| Active | 24 June 1957 – 28 June 1974 4 September 1984 – present |
| Country |
 United States of America |
| Branch |
 United States Army
|
| Type | Special Operations Forces |
| Size | 4 Battalions: One at Torii Station, Okinawa, Japan, three in Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington |
| Part of |
 1st Special Forces Command
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| Garrison/HQ | Joint Base Lewis-McChord |
| Motto(s) | First in Asia |
| Engagements | |
| U.S. Special Forces Groups | |
|---|---|
| Previous | Next |
| 3rd Special Forces Group | |
The 1st Special Forces Group is a U.S. Army Special Forces unit that was activated on 24 June 1957 at Camp Drake, Japan.
It was among the first groups of the Special Forces to be officially formed. The group is responsible for operations in the Pacific. Currently, the First Battalion is stationed at Okinawa while the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Battalions are stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington with a 4th Battalion standing up in the summer of 2009.
1st Special Forces Group holds the distinction of having the first (Captain Harry Cramer killed 21 October 1957), and last (SGT Fred Mick killed 12 October 1972) Special Forces men killed in Vietnam. Captain Cramer's name was left off the Vietnam Memorial when it was opened in 1982 due to the secretive nature of his mission and that the extent of America's involvement in Southeast Asia was not known in 1957. However, his son appealed to the National Park Service, and in 1983 Captain Cramer's name was added to the Memorial.
Following the war in South Vietnam, and the withdrawal of American military forces in Southeast Asia, the emphasis on military actions shifted away from the Pacific theater and focused more on Europe and the NATO Allies. Special Forces, which had grown to a total of seven groups in 1963, faced severe cuts in the peacetime army, as a result 1st Group was De-activated 28 June 1974 at Ft. Bragg, NC. After a 10-year hiatus the need for an Asian unconventional warfare force was recognized and Alpha Company, 1st Battalion was reactivated at Fort Bragg on 15 March 1984. This company and the remainder of 1st Battalion were assembled and deployed to Torii Station, Okinawa during the spring and summer of 1984. The 2nd and 3rd Battalions, along with Headquarters and Service Company were officially reactivated 4 September 1984 at Fort Lewis, Washington.
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