| 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne) | |
|---|---|
 19th SFG(A)beret flash | |
| Founded | 5 July 1942 |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army Army National Guard |
| Type | Special operations |
| Role |
|
| Size | 4 battalions |
| Part of |  1st Special Forces Command and various state national guard commands |
| Mottos | Anything, Any Place, Any Time |
| Engagements | World War II[2] |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | COL Brian Pazzaglia[5] |
| 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[6] |  |
| Background trimming |  |
| 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 | ||||
|
The19th Special Forces Group (Airborne) (19th SFG) (A) is one of twoNational Guard groups of theUnited States Army Special Forces. 19th Group—as it is sometimes 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 ofweapon of mass destruction, andsecurity force assistance.[7] Headquartered in Bluffdale, Utah, with detachments inWashington,West Virginia,Ohio,Rhode Island,Colorado,California andTexas, the 19th SFG(A) shares responsibility overSouthwest Asia with the5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), and thePacific with the1st Special Forces Group (Airborne).[8][9][10] Company A, 2nd Battalion is one of severalNational Guard units with colonial roots.
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 atFort William Henry Harrison, Montana, thendisbanded 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 atFort 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 the2003 invasion of Iraq, a company element from the 19th SFG was attached to TF Dagger as were several regular andNational Guard infantry companies to provide FOB security and to act as aQRF. 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 theI MEF; ODA 914 was divided into two elements, one supporting the3rd Infantry Division with ODA 916 and the other supportingBritish Forces; ODA 915 was attached to the101st Airborne Division; and ODA 912 was tasked with providingPSD for General Harrell, the commander of CFSOCC (Combined Forces Special Operations Component Command).[11]
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 sameSpecial 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 isDe 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, theHuffington Post reported that members of the 19th SFG were deployed toMorocco to take part inOperation Enduring Freedom – Trans Sahara.[3]
Green Berets from the 19th SFG took part in theWar in Afghanistan (2015–2021); A Company, 1st BTN, 19th SFG was deployed toAfghanistan in July 2015 and several members were decorated for their actions during December 2015 and January 2016.[12] On 5 January 2016, during a major operation assistingAfghan forces reclaiming territory held by theTaliban,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.[4][13]
Controversially, from June 1 to June 7, 2020, during theGeorge Floyd protests, members of the 19th SFG were deployed to Washington, DC and stationed outside theWhite House. Photos began to circulate of soldiers wearing the arrowhead patch and theSpecial 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.[14]
The structure of 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne) includes the following units:[15][16]
On13 November 2001, the following units of the 19th SFG were called to active duty:
Company A, 1st Bn/19th SFG participated in the 2003 invasion of Iraq
InApril 2007, the 5th Battalion of 19th SFG and troops from the 2nd Battalion were called toOperation Iraqi Freedom.
The unit came home with no deaths and very few minor injuries.
InApril 2007, the following units of the 19th SFG were called to active duty (Operation Iraqi Freedom V)
InSeptember 2008, the following units of the 19th SFG were called to active duty (Operation Enduring Freedom XIII)
Official US Army National Guard website of the 19th Special Forces Group (SFG) *[1]*