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Activation ceremony for 4th Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)

news.soc.mil
04 August, 2008 04:02:00

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FORT CAMPBELL, KY — The 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) will activate a fourth line battalion on Aug. 8, marking the first such expansion of U.S. Army Special Forces in nearly two decades.

The ceremony will take place on Fort Campbell’s Gabriel Field at 10 a.m.

“Activation of the fourth battalion enables 5th Group to better sustain repeated back to back combat deployments,” said Col. Christopher Conner, 5th SFG(A) commander. “A fourth battalion relieves some of the stress our Soldiers and families face by providing more dwell time at home station between deployments.”

Operational experience over the last several years has validated the Special Forces mission sets, demonstrating their specific relevancy and application in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Fifth Group was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation for the initial invasion of Afghanistan, but currently focuses primarily on operations in Iraq.

NOTE TO MEDIA: Media interested in covering the activation ceremony should contact the 5th Group Public Affairs Officer no later than noon, August 7 at (931) 220-2229, or e-mail april.olsen@ahqb.soc.mil.