A Brief History of
Special Operations Forces

1. 8 Dec 95 -
   1. U.S. Army Special Operations Support Command formally activated at Fort Bragg, N.C.
2. 15 Sep 95 -
   1. 11th and 12th Special Forces Group (Airborne) (U.S. Army Reserve) inactivated.
3. 1 Sep 94 -
   1. 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) uncases colors at Fort Carson, Col., completing the move from Fort Devens, Mass.
4. 27 Nov 90 -
   1. 1st Special Operations Command (Airborne) and U.S. Army Reserve Special Operations Command redesignated as U.S. Army Special Forces Command (Airborne) and U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne), respectively.
5. 29 Jun 90 -
   1. 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) activated at Fort Bragg, N.C.
6. 16 May 90 -
   1. 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) formally activated a Fort Campbell, Ky.
7. 1 Dec 89 -
   1. U.S. Army Special Operations Command activated as the 16th major Army command.
8. 10 Jun 88 -
   1. Headquarters, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) moved from Fort Bragg to Fort Campbell, Ky.
9. 30 Sep 87 -
   1. 2nd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) moved from Fort Bragg to Fort Campbell.
10. 9 Apr 87 -
    1. Special Forces Branch established for officers.
11. 16 Oct 86 -
    1. Task Force 160 redesignated the 160th Special Operations Aviation Group.
12. 17 Sep 86 -
    1. 112th Special Operations Signal Battalion (Airborne) formally activated at Bragg.
13. 2 Jun 86 -
    1. 528th Special Operations Support Battalion (Airborne) activated as the 13th Support Battalion at Fort Bragg.
14. 16 Jan 85 -
    1. TF 160 transferred from 101st Airborne Division to 1st SOCOM.
15. 19 Oct 84 -
    1. 1st Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) activated at Torii Station Japan.
16. 3 Oct 84 -
    1. 3rd Battalion, and Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 75th Ranger Regiment activated at Fort Benning, Ga.
17. 1 Oct 84 -
    1. Special Forces established as a separate Army Career Field for enlisted soldiers.
18. 18 Apr 84 -
    1. 1st SOCOM Augmentation Detachment activated to streamline peacetime command and control of USAR SOF units.
19. 4 Mar 84 -
    1. 2nd and 3rd Battalions, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) activated at Fort Lewis, Wa.
20. 1 Oct 83 -
    1. 1st Special Operations Command (Airborne) activated.
21. 21 Jul 83 -
    1. U.S. Army Institute for Military Assistance renamed U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School.
22. 1 Oct 82 -
    1. 1st Special Operations Command (Airborne) provisionally activated at Bragg.
23. Dec 74 -
    1. 96th Civil Affairs Battalion constituted at Bragg from assets of the 95th Civil Affairs Group deactivated at Fort Lee, Va.
24. 1 Oct 74 -
    1. 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment activated at Fort Lewis, Wa.
25. 1 Jul 74 -
    1. 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment moves to Fort Steward (Hunter Army Airfield), Ga.
26. 28 Jan 74
    1. - 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment activated at Fort Benning.
27. 15 Sep 71 -
    1. U.S. Army Civil Affairs School assigned to U.S. Army Institute for Military Assistance and moves to Fort Bragg from Fort Gordon, Ga.
28. 10 Jan 69 -
    1. U.S. Army Special Warfare School becomes the U.S. Army Institute for Military Assistance.
29. 1 Dec 67 -
    1. 4th Psychological Operations Group organized in Vietnam from 6th PSYOPS Battalion elements.
30. 7 Nov 67 -
    1. Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Psychological Operations Group constituted into the Regular Army.
31. 21 Sep 61 -
    1. 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) founded at Fort Bragg; first commander, Col. Aaron Bank.
32. 10 Dec 56 -
    1. U.S. Army Psychological Warfare Center renamed the U.S. Army Special Warfare School.
33. 19 Jun 52 -
    1. 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) activated by Col.. Aaron Bank at Fort Bragg, N.C.
34. 10 Apr 52 -
    1. U.S. Army Psychological Warfare Center established at Fort Bragg.
35. 26 Aug 45 -
    1. 96th Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, Military Government Group activated.
36. 20 Sep 45 -
    1. OSS inactivated by Executive Order (signed by President Truman)
37. 9 Jul 42 -
    1. 1st Special Service Force, a joint Canadian-American venture, formed at Fort William Henry Harrison, Mont.
38. 19 Jun 42 -
    1. 1st Ranger Battalion (Darby's Rangers) activated in Carrickfergus, Ireland.
39. 12 Jun 42 -
    1. OSS established from Office of the Coordinator of Information.