8th SFG Poster

[SFpanama]

As a 8th SFG vet, I wanted to make a poster commemorating the 8th Group. I made this for my own and a few of my pals enjoyment, back in 2006. I thought that maybe some of you may enjoy it as well.
Click the link for the full size version (1881x2363, 1.27 MB).
Click the thumb for a downsized version (398x500, 173 KB).

http://www.imagebam.com/image/aa60b94639897

[NousDefionsDoc]

That's great Brother! Excellent work. Many thanks.

[QRQ 30]

Great! I thought you borrowed the SCUBA jump picture from my site but now remember the Group photographer gave me a set of prints.:lifter

[SF_BHT]

Nice work on the poster.

[SFpanama]

Thanks fellas. Glad you enjoyed it. Here's one of a series of posters I made with different Group flashes.

[C46thVA]

Nice work! I was wondering what the phrase "Special Action Force" meant?? Does this this pertain to a specific mission or task assigned to the Group? It sounds good anyway...

JDW

[QRQ 30]

Nice work! I was wondering what the phrase "Special Action Force" meant?? Does this this pertain to a specific mission or task assigned to the Group? It sounds good anyway...

JDW

I believe the proper name is:"Security Action Force." Each major Theater Command had one.

[C46thVA]

ARRGH !! Failure to use search function... Moving out, drawing fire

JDW

[SFpanama]

Nice work! I was wondering what the phrase "Special Action Force" meant?? Does this this pertain to a specific mission or task assigned to the Group? It sounds good anyway...

JDW

According to the "Historical Supplement, Special Action Force Latin America, 8th Special Forces Group", printed by the 9th Psychological Operations Battalion and currently in my possession, the "Special Action Force Mission" was as follows:

1. To advise, train, and assist Latin American military forces in counterinsurgency activities.

2. To develop, organize, and equip, train and direct native forces in the conduct of guerrilla warfare.

3. To support the U.S. Armed Forces Southern Command contingency plans.

4. To assist Southern Command in developing plans to use the Special Action Force under varying conditions.

5. To accomplish civic action projects.

[GaretTrooper]

That was our mission but the phrase Special Action Force (SAF) ment the Special forces Group was augmented with additional assets.
The 8th SFGA was the only SAF ever fully staffed.
We had:
A Medical Co, 355th Med I believe.
A Phycological Operations company (they also printed the SAFLAN news letter)
A Civil Affairs company
An MP company
An Aviation company but no planes
An Engineer company
An ASA company (Army Security Agency for those too young to remember)
There may have been one or two others but my memory fails me.
Perhaps SFpanama's book has some data.

Our full title was:
8th Special Forces Group Abn, Special Action Force Latin america, 1st Special Forces

[SFpanama]

That was our mission but the phrase Special Action Force (SAF) ment the Special forces Group was augmented with additional assets.

Indeed. See my previous post here:

http://www.professionalsoldiers.com/forums/showpost.php?p=205137&postcount=8

John

[ZonieDiver]

Great! I thought you borrowed the SCUBA jump picture from my site but now remember the Group photographer gave me a set of prints.:lifter

QRQ 30,

Thanks for the great website. Though my time in 8th SFG was short, my time in Panama wasn't. Great duty! I loved the picture of Cpt Abbott, from whom I took a NAUI scuba class in the Ft. Gulick pool in prep for Scuba School - which never happened due to being reassigned out of Group after deactivation.

Tom

[UWOA (RIP)]

I believe the proper name is:"Security Action Force." Each major Theater Command had one.

Yes, the manual talks about a special action force(i.e. group augmented by other non-SF units), but the sign leading into the 8th SFGA area on Fort Gulick leveraged the term into "Security Assistance Force (sic) for Latin America. I chuckled every time I saw the sign when I was driving to work from married housing on Fort Davis.

[ZonieDiver]

Yes, the manual talks about a special action force(i.e. group augmented by other non-SF units), but the sign leading into the 8th SFGA area on Fort Gulick leveraged the term into "Security Assistance Force (sic) for Latin America. I chuckled every time I saw the sign when I was driving to work from married housing on Fort Davis.

I believe it had to do with the DTG... the "Special Action Force" became the "Security Assistance Force" at some point. It sounds more 'cuddly'!

[UWOA (RIP)]

That was our mission but the phrase Special Action Force (SAF) ment the Special forces Group was augmented with additional assets.
The 8th SFGA was the only SAF ever fully staffed.
We had:
A Medical Co, 355th Med I believe.
A Phycological Operations company (they also printed the SAFLAN news letter)
A Civil Affairs company
An MP company
An Aviation company but no planes
An Engineer company
An ASA company (Army Security Agency for those too young to remember)
There may have been one or two others but my memory fails me.
Perhaps SFpanama's book has some data.

Our full title was:
8th Special Forces Group Abn, Special Action Force Latin america, 1st Special Forces

There was also an MI unit on the second floor over the post office which was across from the parade field.

[UWOA (RIP)]

I believe it had to do with the DTG... the "Special Action Force" became the "Security Assistance Force" at some point. It sounds more 'cuddly'!

Roger that!

[jkirkthomas]

That MI unit ran the POW camp at Sherman for an E&E excercise we did in early '69. When I escaped and told what they were doing to us, the next night some guys from Co A went out there, busted the place up, released all the prisoners, beat the shit out of the MI folks who were there, and the problem came to a screeching halt. I seem to remember that several of the interrogators were out of the CZ and back in the States within 24 hrs because it was feared that someone would try to kill them. I think I would cheerfully have killed the guy who interrogated me in the water pit. Years later I heard he had retired and was working for the 66th MI Detachment in Munich. I considered going over there and "discussing" it with him but never did. Fun times.

[UWOA (RIP)]

As a 8th SFG vet, I wanted to make a poster commemorating the 8th Group. I made this for my own and a few of my pals enjoyment, back in 2006. I thought that maybe some of you may enjoy it as well.
Click the link for the full size version (1881x2363, 1.27 MB).
Click the thumb for a downsized version (398x500, 173 KB).

http://www.imagebam.com/image/aa60b94639897

I think the pic to the right of the "De Oppresso Liber" is of Gatun DZ if I'm not mistaken. I went back to the CZ in '97 and the DZ sign was still up although Fort Davis and Gulick (now called Panal) were closed. The pic of Company A reminds me ... the volleyball net on the backside of the building was still standing (I remember playing 'jungle rules' games there in '73. Across from Company A and the PX snack bar was a camouflage painted building used by the Guardia Nacional during hostilities, it's was still pock marked with 50 cal holes as was the old Officer's Club (I wonder why the O Club .... (grin).

Also, in '97 they were rehabbing Davis to serve as a center for counter-drug activities ....

[China Lee]

I was in 8th Gp, when we were reduced to one company. The group developed a concept of a Team to go into Central or South America in the event a situation happened. There were three teams, 1 on call, 1 in tng, and 1 off. The on duty team studied latest area studies on selected countries. The concept was that if any situation happened, the team was to jump in try to gather all Americans and move them to pick up point, then move to a concealed location and await further orders.

The teams went to the first SERE course run by 5th Gp. at Egland AFB.

[UWOA (RIP)]

I was in 8th Gp, when we were reduced to one company. The group developed a concept of a Team to go into Central or South America in the event a situation happened. There were three teams, 1 on call, 1 in tng, and 1 off. The on duty team studied latest area studies on selected countries. The concept was that if any situation happened, the team was to jump in try to gather all Americans and move them to pick up point, then move to a concealed location and await further orders.

The teams went to the first SERE course run by 5th Gp. at Egland AFB.

If this is your first post you're gonna catch some flak .... you need to adhere to the board's rules for where you make your first post.

That said ...

That had to be before 1972 because there were two companies A and B when I arrived at Ft. Gulick in May. Company A had the SCUBA school and Company B had the Airborne school.

[CAROLYN GILGEN]

Nice work John and nice to hear from you recently that you are doing so well.