STRUCTURE 

With an allocated strength of more than 25,000 Soldiers, USASOC 
commands both active-duty and Army Reserve special operations 
forces. The command also provides oversight of Army National 
Guard special operations forces’ readiness, organization, 
training and employment in coordination with the National Guard 
Bureau and state adjutants general.

USASOC controls six major subordinate elements, which in turn 
train and maintain forces for deployment by USSOCOM to combatant 
command theaters worldwide. 

USASOC’s major subordinate commands include the 
U.S. Army Special Forces Command (Airborne), 

the U.S. Army Civil Affairs and 
Psychological Operations Command (Airborne), 
and the 
U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School,
U. S. Army Special Operations Forces University 
all located at Fort Bragg, NC

Its major subordinate units include the 
75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning, GA, 

the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) at Fort Campbell, KY, 
and the U.S. Army Special Operations Support Command (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, NC.

    Special Forces Branch Established 09 Apr 87 (G.O. 35)
    Special Forces Tab                17 Jun 83 (AR 672-5-1)
    Special Forces Beret              05 Oct 61 (AR 672-5-1)
    1st SF GROUP 
      Activated:                      24 Jun 57 (Okinawa)
      Inactivated                     28 Jun 74
      Reactivated                     04 Sep 84
      1 Bn Torii Station Japan        
      Activated                       19 Oct 84
      2 and 3 Bn (Fort Lewis)         
      Activated                       04 Mar 85
    3rd SF Group 
      Activated                            1963
      Inactivated                          1969
      Reactivated                     29 Jun 90
      1 Bn                            
      Activated                       02 Jul 90
      2 Bn                            
      Activated                       16 Oct 91
      3 Bn                            
      Activated                       16 Oct 92
    5th SF Group 
      Activated                       21 Sep 61
      Transferred to Fort Campbell    15 Aug 86
    6th SF Group
      Activated:                           1963
      Inactivated:                         1971
    7th SF Group                      06 Jun 60
      Activated(from 77th Group)      25 Sep 53
    8th SF Group 
      Activated                       01 Apr 63
      Inactivated                          1972
    10th SF Group
      Activated                       19 Jun 52
      Transferred to Fort Carson. CO       1995
    11th SF Group:
      Activated                            1961
      Inactivated                     15 Sep 94
    12th SF Group:
      Activated                            1961
      Inactivated                     15 Sep 94
    l9th SF Group:
      Activated                            1961
    2Oth SF Group
      Activated                            1961
    4 Psycholgical Operations Group                             
      Activated                       07 Nov 67
    9 Psycholgical Operations Battalion 
      Activated                            1984
    96 Civil Affairs Battalion            
      Activated                          Dec 74
     96th Headquarters and 
     Headquarters Detachment
     of Military Government           
      Activated                       26 Aug 45
    1/75 Rangers                      
      Activated                       28 Jan 74 (Ft. Benning, GA)
      Transferred to Fort Stewart, GA 01 Jul 74
    2/75 Rangers                      
      Activated                       01 Oct 74 (Ft. Lewis, WA)
    3/75 Rangers                         
      Activated                          Oct 84 (Ft. Benning, GA)
    Ranger Black Beret                     1975
    Ranger Tan Beret                14 Jun 2001
    Ranger Regiment 
      Activated                       01 Jul 84 (Ft. Benning, GA)
    160th Special Operations
    Aviation Regiment 
      Activated                       17 May 90
    (TF 160 Redesignated a Group)     16 Oct 86
    TF 160 assigned to 1st SOCOM      16 Jan 85
    3/160th 
     Activated                        16 Sep 89
    160th Aviation Battalion 
     Activated                           Apr 82
    13th Support Battalion
     Activated                        02 Jun 86
     Redisignated as
    528TH Special Operations
    Support Battalion                 16 May 87
    112th Signal Bn 
     Activated                        17 Sep 86
    CMF 18 established                01 Oct 84
    US Army Special Operations
    Command
     Activated                        01 Dec 89
    1st SOCOM (Prov.) 
     Activated                        01 Oct 82
    1st SOCOM 
     Activated                        01 Oct 83
   US Army Special Forces Command
     Activated                        27 Nov 90
   US Army Civil Affairs and
   Psychological Operations Command 
     Activated                        27 Nov 90
   Rowe Facility Dedicated            08 Feb 90
   3/7th Returns from Panama             Aug 90
   USASOIC (PROV) 
     Activated                        18 Nov 91
     Inactivated                      31 Jan 95
    SWCS Comes under USASOC           20 Jun 90 (eff. 1 Dec 89)
    USACAPOC (and USASOC) gain
     full C2 of USAR                  01 Oct 91
   Civil Affairs School
     Charlottesville                  01 May 42
     Fort Gordon                      27 Oct 55
     Transferred to Fort Bragg             1971
   PSYWAR Center Formed (Bragg)       20 Oct 52
   G.O. 39 (activates USASOC)         21 Dec 89 (eff. 1 Dec 89)
   G.O. 8 (rescinds G.O. 39)          20 Jun 90 (eff. 1 Dec 89)
   Branch color, SF                   "Bottle Green" 
                                   or "Jungle Green"
   US Army John F. Kennedy
   Special Warfare Center and School 
     Activated                        15 May 86
   1st Special Warfare Training Group 
     Activated                        15 Jun 89
   US Army Special Warfare Center     01 Jan 57
   US Army JFK Center for Special
     Warfare (Airborne)               
     Activated                        01 Jun 64
     USA JFK Center for Military       
     Assistance
     Activated                        08 May 69
    USA Institute for Military        
    Assistance 
     Activated                        16 MAY 69
   1st SW Training Bn Activated       01 Apr 83
   Military Government units
     officially redesignated
     Civil Affairs units              26 May 59 (95 CA Gp)
     (Units earlier called themselves
     Civil Affairs/Mil Gov (CAMG)
   3/160th Activated                  16 Sep 89
   160th AVN Bn activated                Apr 82
   Special Operations Support Command
       (SOSCOM) Activated             08 Dec 95