History of 5th Group

“I would like to thank you for your continued support to the Legion. Your generosity allows us to take care of the Soldiers and Families of the Unit in an unprecedented manner. Your continued support to the Group is inspiring and very much appreciated.”

– COL Jay Powers, former Commanding Officer, 5th Group

What Is 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)?

5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) is an elite U.S. Army Green Beret unit based at Fort Campbell, KY.

These exceptionally trained warriors have been at the forefront of combat operations since they led our nation’s response in Afghanistan after the attacks of 9/11.

Many of these selfless Warriors have had more than 20 combat deployments throughout the Middle and Near East, the areas of the globe for which 5th Group is responsible.

5th Group has now been deployed in combat longer than any other unit in U.S. military history, dating back to George Washington’s Continental Army.

The Families Serve Too

The families of these Green Berets, especially the spouses and children, have also borne a heavy burden during this war against terror.

They, too, serve our nation while their soldiers deploy repeatedly into harm’s way.

These Special Operators often deploy abroad on long-duration missions in remote, high-risk areas.

Mission success does not come without risk; they often endure casualties, yet these soldiers ask for nothing in return.

A verse from Barry Sadler’s The Ballad of the Green Berets amplifies the difficulty of entering this brotherhood:

“One-hundred men they’ll test today, only three win the Green Beret.”

These warriors choose not to talk about what they do. That is why they are called the “Quiet Professionals”.

Following the lineage of the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) reads much like a role-call on some of this nation’s most involved conflicts; Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Iraq, Somalia, Afghanistan, even going back to World War II.

The Soldiers featured in Doug Stanton’s “Horse Soldiers” book, and the movie, “12 Strong” were 5th Group Green Berets.

The Legion Fund will only share the most basic facts about 5th Group’s storied history.

Because such a high percentage of the Unit’s missions are secretive by nature, we have been cautioned not to compromise national assets or operational security by going deeper.

It is worth noting that many of the missions are classified, involving James Bond-type activities; every 5th Group Green Beret speaks at least one Mid-East language fluently, and some speak several.