History

"The Originals" by Stuart Brown, used with permission.

 

 

The 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne): The 10th Special Forces Group is the oldest of the Special Forces Groups. It was originally organized on 20 June 1952, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and eventually moved to Bad Tolz, Germany, in the last summer of 1953. On 15 April 1960, it was reconstituted as a group under the parent 1st Special Forces. In June of 1968, the majority of the 10th Special Forces Group moved back to Fort Devens, Massachusetts, leaving one detachment in Bad Tolz. At that time it conducted training at Fort Devens and in parts of Western Europe.

The Special Forces guidons were first issued in December 1964. The teal blue and yellow colors indicate that Special Forces. is not assigned to any single branch of the Army. The crossed arrows were originally  authorized by the Secretary of War on 27 August 1942 for the lst Special Service Force. They indicate the straight and true method by which a Special Forces soldier strikes.

It may be said that the missions of the various groups vary in nature and scope. As extensions of the national policy, they remain flexible enough to react to changes as directed by the Department of the Army.