Special Operations successes
found through lineage

USASOC PAO

Like many other military organizations, the rich history of Army Special Operations is communicated through the symbolism of its unit insignias. Many of these units trace their heritage back to World War II, and can be considered some of the most unique and specialized elements of any fighting force in the world. Army Special Operations Forces have developed into an integral part of the U.S. Army over the past six decades.
The youngest of all ARSOF elements is the U.S. Army Special Operations Command headquarters itself.

Officially forming in December 1989, the command adopted the insignia of a red spearhead with a black Fairbairn-Sykes dagger in the middle. The red spearhead is a tribute to the 1st Special Service Force, also known as “The Devil’s Brigade,” which was a joint American-Canadian commando unit operating in Italy and southern France during World War II. The unsheathed dagger has been a symbol of Army Special Operations since its inception, and it symbolizes the preparedness to conduct special missions at a moment’s notice. The Fairbairn-Sykes dagger was originally used by the Office of Strategic Services, a forerunner to Army Special Forces, and a modified version, the V-42 stiletto, was adopted by the FSSF. Surrounding the spearhead are gold wings representing ARSOF airborne and aviation missions, which are raised to show combat readiness. Below the wings the USASOC motto reads “Sine Pari,” Latin for “Without Equal.”

Army Special Forces is one of the oldest elements of ARSOF, drawing its origins from the 1st Special Service Force. The current SF insignia, which was worn by the FSSF, is of a V-42 stiletto used by the unit and crossed by two silver arrows. The crossed arrows were originally worn by the U.S. Army Indian Scouts in the 1800s, denoting the uniqueness of their special missions. Below the dagger is the SF motto “De Oppresso Liber,” or “To Free the Oppressed.” Although Army Special Forces finds its roots in the FSSF and OSS, the first modern Special Forces unit, the 10th Special Forces Group, was activated in 1952 and commanded by a former OSS officer, Col. Aaron Bank. This elite unit was comprised of veterans from the Devil’s Brigade, OSS, and other Parachute Infantry and guerrilla units from World War II.

Although the 75th Ranger Regiment was not officially stood up until 1986, it traces its direct lineage to the 75th Ranger Infantry Regiment formed during the Vietnam War. Don’t be fooled, however, as the Ranger heritage goes much further back, as early as the French and Indian War. Roger’s Rangers was a company of woodsmen warriors attached to the British Army during that time. Francis Marion, known as “The Swamp Fox,” is also credited in the lineage of the Rangers for his irregular methods of warfare during the Revolutionary War. The modern Ranger insignia is a shield of blue, white, red and green representing four of the original six teams of the 5307th Composite Unit, otherwise known as Merrill’s Marauders, a U.S. Army long-range penetration force which operated in Southeast Asia during World War II. On the shield is a sun, symbolizing the unit’s close work with Chinese forces during the Burma Campaign. A white star represents Burma and a lightning bolt is symbolic of the unit’s quick-strike characteristic behind enemy lines.

Army Special Operations would not be complete without the men and women which support the units at the tip of the spear. The latest change to the USASOC family is the 528th Sustainment Brigade, which was officially redesignated from the Sustainment Brigade in December 2008. Along with the new name, the unit received a new insignia – a golden shield with the unit’s motto “We Support to the Utmost.” The unit traces its heritage back to the 528th Support Battalion, which supported Special Operations during World War II. At the top of the insignia is a blue fleur-de-lis resting on two green mountains, representing France. Beneath this there are two red arrowheads rising out of water, symbolizing the unit’s two assault landings at Sicily and in Southern France.

Another fairly young component of ARSOF is the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, the Night Stalkers, which is slightly older than USASOC. After the tragic events of Operation Eagle Claw in the Iranian hostage rescue attempt of 1980, select units from the 101st Airborne Division were chosen for intensive aviation training. This unit resulted in Task Force 160, to which the current Night Stalkers directly trace their lineage. The insignia of the 160th SOAR is a blue shield with a silver winged centaur holding an upraised sword, and is prepared to strike. A golden moon is above the centaurs head symbolizing the unit’s nighttime operations. Below the centaur is the unit’s nickname, “Night Stalkers.”

The two remaining Special Operations units, the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade and the 4th Psychological Operations Group, began to gain increasing importance during the Korean War. The 95th CA Brigade’s insignia has a purple and golden globe resting on a white scroll with a representation of a golden Korean gate in the middle, signifying the unit’s three campaign awards for Korea. The globe and scroll, both containing the purple and white colors of CA, are symbolic of the unit’s worldwide responsibilities and civil and military laws. A red flash goes through the globe, denoting keenness in providing guidance and swift courageous action. Bordering the insignia is the organization’s motto “Advise, Support, Stabilize.”

The 4th POG, which traces its lineage back to the loudspeaker and leaflet companies of the Korean War, was utilized greatly in the Vietnam War. The golden color of the bamboo leaves, as well as the red color of the insignia are from the Vietnam flag and commemorate the group’s service in Vietnam. Three vertical stripes of gray, white and black represent the different types of psychological operations the group is responsible for. The three lightning bolts signify the three types of media the organization uses to disseminate their products – audio, visual and face-to-face. At the bottom of the insignia is the Latin phrase, “Verbum Vincet,” or “Words Conquer.”

Without the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School many of the previous units would have the expertly trained and skilled Soldiers to fulfill their missions. Although it has gone through several name changes, the school has been operating since 1952, when it was known as the Psychological Warfare School. In 1957 it became the U.S. Army Special Warfare School, to which the torch placed in the middle of the current school’s insignia pays tribute. The torch represents light, learning, liberty and truth. The Trojan horse on the insignia is a universal symbol of subversive activity, though it also represents the knight in a game of chess, which is the only piece capable of moving indirectly and striking an enemy behind its own lines. The three colors of the shield, like the 4th POG, are gray, white and black, representing the various natures of Special Operations missions. Below the shield is the school’s motto, “Veritas et Libertas,” Latin for “Truth and Freedom.” In 1963, the school was renamed in honor of the late President John F. Kennedy, whose support of ARSOF was well-known throughout the Special Operations community. It was Kennedy who authorized Special Forces Soldiers to wear the Green Beret in 1961.

Though many just see a unit patch or insignia as a way of identifying where a Soldier is serving, next time you see one consider all the history and heritage that it represents. The insignias of Army Special Operations serve as a permanent reminder of where the units have been and their capabilities for the future.

(Editor’s note: This is the final article of a four-part series highlighting the United States Army Special Operations Command.)