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The 8th Special Forces Group was established in 1963. In May
1962 an element of 7th Special Forces Group traveled from Fort
Bragg, North Carolina to Fort Gulick, Panama Canal Zone to be
the nucleus of the soon to be formed 8th Special Forces Group.
On April 12, 1963 the 8th SFGA was formed. Special Force would maintain a
presence in Panama for many years.
The 8th Group consisted of two (possibly three) "C" teams -
company sized elements commanded by a LTC. Each "C" team had
three "B" teams; each "B" team had five "A" teams. There were a
total of 30 (or 45) "A" teams in the 8th Special Forces Group.
1.
Counterinsurgency Training Mission. One of
the primary missions of the 8th SFGA was to conduct COIN
training for the armies of Latin America. Some of the training
was performed in conjunction with the School of the Americas -
also located at Fort Gulick.
Special Action Force (SAF) Latin America.
The 8th SFGA formed the nucleaus of the Special Action Force
that conducted operations throughout Central and South America.
The SAF consisted of the 8th SFGA, an MI detachment, engineer
detachment, medical detachment, 550th Military Police Detachment
3., Civil Affairs (CA), Army
Security Agency (ASA) detachment, and a Psychological Operations
element (9th Psy War Co or Bn?.). 2.
Jungle Operations Training Center (JOTC).
The JOTC, formerly called the Jungle Warfare School, was heavily
staffed by members of 8th SFGA.
Capture of Che Gueverra. Members of 8th SFGA
were involved in the training of the Bolivian battalion that
captured the Cuban communist revolutionary. In June to September
of 1967 sixteen members of 8th SFGA trained the Bolivian 2nd
Ranger Battalion. Within a month of the completion of training
the 2nd Ranger Battalion captured Che Guevara.
https://www.specialforceshistory.info/events/che-guevara.html
"Soccer War". In 1969 war broke out between
Honduras and El Salvador for a few weeks. A small group of Green
Berets from the 8th SFGA was sent to Honduras to patrol the
border as a peace keeping force working for the Organization of
American States (OAS). 4.
8th SFGA Dis-established. In 1972 the 8th
SFGA was disbanded as part of the drawdown in the Army during
the last years of the Vietnam War and it was re-formed as 3rd
Battalion 7th Special Forces Group.
Websites about 8th Special Forces Group
8th Special Forces Group by Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8th_Special_Forces_Group_(United_States)
8th Special Forces Group by Special Forces Search Engine
www.groups.sfahq.com/8th_special_forces_group.htm
8th Special Forces Group Page by Military.com
http://unitpages.military.com/unitpages/unit.do?id=101293
Chapter 7 Special Forces Association.
www.sfa7.com/about/ch-history/
8th Group by Professional Soldiers
www.professionalsoldiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=625
8th Special Forces Group - QuickiWiki
www.quickiwiki.com/en/8th_Special_Forces_Group_(United_States)
Endnotes
1. Some sources state there were two "C" teams while others
indicate there were three "C" teams. A "C" team was a battalion
sized unit.
2. The unit designations of the various elements of the
Special Action Group are listed in the Professional Soldiers
forum at the link below. These include 9th Psychological
Battalion, 401st Army Security Agency Detachment, 146th Engineer
Detachment, 610th Military Intelligence Detachment, 255th
Medical Detachment, and the 550th Military Police Detachment.
www.professionalsoldiers.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-625.html
3. See Special Forces Military Police: the 550th Military
Police Detachment.
www.wood.army.mil/engrmag/PDFs/Fall%2008/Watson-SFMP.pdf
4. Read the personal history of Gerald Kelly, a Green Beret
sent to Honduras during the "Soccer War" border operation.
http://donmooreswartales.com/2010/09/13/gerald-kelly/
References
"History of the 8th Special Forces Group", SOFREP,
by John Friberg, July 9, 2016.
https://sofrep.com/news/8th-special-forces/
8th Special Forces Group, by Charles H. Briscoe,
PhD, Veritas, Vol. 4, No.1, 2008. Office of the Command
Historian, United States Special Operations Command.
https://arsof-history.org/articles/v4n1_el_salvador_airborne_sb_8th.html
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