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

Activation ceremony for 4th Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
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news.soc.mil on 04 August, 2008 04:02:00
 
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.