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5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
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Original
Linage WW II 1st SSF "The Devil's Brigade"
On 5 March 1971, the
colors of the 5th Special Forces Group
were returned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina by a 94-man contingent led
by Col. Michael D. Healy, thereby terminating their official
Vietnam service.
30 Sep 87 - 2nd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
moved from Fort Bragg to Fort Campbell.10 Jun 88 - Headquarters, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) moved from Fort Bragg to Fort Campbell, Ky.
The 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) added to its
Combat History during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
In August 1990 the Group was called upon to conduct theater
operations in Southwest Asia in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.
During this crisis the Army's First Special Operations Task
Force, (ARSOTF), consisting of elements of the 5th Special Forces Group
(Airborne) comprising 106 special operations teams performing a myriad of
missions that spanned the scope of operations: support to coalition warfare;
conducting foreign internal defense missions with Saudi Arabian Land Forces,
performing special reconnaissance, border surveillance, direct action, combat
search and rescue missions; and advising and assisting a pan-Arab equivalent
force larger than six U.S. divisions, as well as conducting civil-military
operations training and liaison with the Kuwaitis.
In the words of the Centcom Commander, Gen. H. Norman
Schwarzkpf, "Special Forces were the eyes and ears on the ground."
The border surveillance mission assigned the 5th Special
Forces was among the most vital in providing "ground truth" to the
American and Pan Arab Forces.
A new chapter in coalition warfare was written while new
military relationships were forged which continue their importance today.
In August 1992, a full four months prior to the deployment of
major U.S. Forces, the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) were conducting
operations in the country of Somalia, again, providing "ground truth."
On 11 June 1993 Gen. Wayne A. Downing, Commander in Chief of
the U.S. Special Operations Command, presented the Valorous Unit Award to the
5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) for service during Operation Desert Storm
17January 1991 to 28 February 1991.
Today, 5th Special Forces Group teams are deploying throughout
Southwest Asia and Africa. Over the past two years, teams have trained in over
14 countries to include: Oman, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi
Arabia, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Jordan, Egypt, Ethiopia and Somalia.
The soldiers of the 5th Special Forces Group continue to live
the Special Forces motto: To liberate the oppressed.
If you would like more information about the Fifth Special
Forces Group (Airborne), contact the Fifth Special Forces Group (Airborne),
Public Affairs Office at Commercial: (270) 798-7896, DSN: 635-7896.
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Concealable/Take Down Urban Sniper Rifle (CUSR). The CUSR is a small and light sniper rifle that can be rapidly dissembled for concealed carry and rapidly reassembled by the operator to engage target. CUSR desired characteristics include accurate (1 Minute Of Angle at 300m), lightweight (12 lbs. Threshold, 8 lbs. Objective), fit in small case (12 in. x 20 in. Threshold, 12 in. x 16 in. Objective), and compatible with current suppressor or include suppressed barrel.Not to mention their everyday weapon:
Personnel Defense Weapon (PDW). The PDW is significantly smaller and lighter than the M4A1 with capabilities beyond any pistol. There are two types of interest, those based on an operator/unit armor modification to a M4A1 carbine and those based on a unique weapon design, both of which must fire standard 5.56mm X 45mm NATO ammunition. PDW desired characteristics include lightweight (6 lbs. Threshold, 5 lbs. Objective), concealable (18 in. Threshold, 16 in. Objective), effectively fired in its collapsed configuration, semi/full automatic, and rapidly employed from concealed carry.Some high-powered bullets would be nice:
.338 Lapua Magnum Anti-Materiel Ammunition. .338 Lapua magnum anti-materiel ammunition that would be fired from the Precision Sniper Rifle at ranges from 500m-1500m. Anti-materiel .338 Lapua desired characteristics include armor piercing capability to penetrate Level IV body armor (500m Threshold, 800m Objective), cinder block greater than 12 in., 10% Gel, and stop vehicle/small boat engines.As would kinder, gentler rounds:
Stopping/Disabling Individuals. Technologies that can stop/disable individuals for an extended duration, remain less lethal, and be useable on combatant and noncombatant individuals. The effect must immediately prohibit the individual’s ability to perform a useful function at ranges greater than 6 ft.Not to mention area-denial options:
Deny Area/Isolate Objective. Technologies that use less lethal payloads to prevent combatant and noncombatant individuals from entering a specific area for a specified period of time.We’ve got guided missiles … why not guided bullets?
Precision Guided Small Arms Munitions. Small unit organic munitions capable of delivering highly accurate kinetic effects on stationary, moving, soft targets, or the interior of hardened targets at ranges beyond crew served weapons effective range. Potential material approaches may include guided 40mm tube launched grenades; self-propelled, precision-guided, handheld grenades; guided 84mm Carl Gustav munitions; and handheld guided kinetically armed unmanned aerial systems.And boosted brainpower, via drugs or other means, would surely be an advantage:
Electroencephalography monitors for real-time measurement of brain activity and quantification of loading, applicable technologies to measure/quantify neurocognitive loading, technologies (i.e. nanotechnology/biotechnology) and neutraceutical and/or pharmacological enhancements to increase neuroperformance.Time lag in video games is a drag. Inside battlefield electronics, it can be deadly:
Decrease in latency of ground systems to less than one millisecond from external activity to viewing by Operator. Decrease in latency of ground systems to less than one millisecond from Operator activity to external action.Calling Google!
Heads up Display (HUD) technology for day or night operations that is low profile (e.g. form factor of eyeglasses/sunglasses), securely and wirelessly imports and exports FMV or data feeds, supports augmented reality, integrated sensors, is configurable with software applications (“apps”), offers or collects actionable battlefield information, and provides map displays with situational awareness data.Finally, a technology that would be hailed by civilians just as much as soldiers:
Through-wall imaging/sensing.“The intent,” the Special Ops command says, “is to accelerate the delivery of innovative capabilities to the SOF warfighter.” Developers are invited to submit five-page proposals, complete with cost and schedule estimates, before June 12 for possible Pentagon funding.
The
Army is building its own soldier network that has similar goals. For
vendors, SOCOM’s network presents more difficult problems because
special operators must be linked with outside organizations. 
