Detachment A also known as 7781 Army Unit, and 39th Special Forces Operational Detachment was a specialised unit within the 10th Special Forces Group founded in 1956 and based in Bad Tölz, West Germany later West Berlin.[1] It consisted of approximately 90 members and operated primarily in Berlin.[2]
| Detachment A | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1956–1984 |
| Disbanded | 1984 |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| Type | Special Forces |
| Role | Unconventional Warfare Underwater Operations |
| Size | 90 (reportedly) |
| Part of |  10th Special Forces Group |
| Garrison/HQ | Bad Tölz Later relocated to West Berlin |
| Engagements | Operation Eagle Claw (Preparation and Reconnaissance) |
History
editDetachment A was created in 1956 with the intent to conduct unconventional warfare (sabotage and training of potential anti-Soviet guerrillas) and stay-behind operations against the Soviet Union within Berlin should they have decided to invade while also on a larger scale, supporting the Supreme Allied Commander Europe in buying time for NATO to send more troops into the area.[3][4] It was originally based in Bad Tölz but was later relocated to West Berlin and placed within the Headquarters (HQ) Company of the 6th Infantry Regiment.[5][6]
In 1962 the unit was redesignated under the Berlin Brigade.[7]
The unit engaged in various types of training including that of parachuting, scuba diving, escape and evasion, Counterterrorism and other types of specialised espionage and counterintelligence training, training with partner agencies and nations such as the Central Intelligence Agency, the GSG 9, British Special Air Service and SEAL Team 2.[8][5]
In 1978 as part of a CIA operation, Detachment A was tasked to dig up cache sites for possible stay-behind operations and later also took part in the planning for Operation Eagle Claw, sending men into Iran and scouting key areas with the codename "storm cloud".[8][3][9]
Detachment A was deactivated between October and December 1984 with its existence only being declassified in 2014.[10][11]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "History – Detachment "A"". 2014-10-15. Retrieved 2023-12-03.
- ^ "This top secret Green Beret unit quietly won the Cold War". We Are The Mighty. 2021-07-11. Retrieved 2023-12-03.
- ^ a b "Intelligence in Public Media, Studies in Intelligence Vol 61, No. 2" (PDF). cia.gov. 2017.
- ^ Nye, David (23 July 2015). "The 6 Most-Secret Units in Military History". realcleardefense.com.
- ^ a b "This top secret Green Beret unit quietly won the Cold War". We Are The Mighty. 2021-07-11. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
- ^ "Detachment 'A' Special Forces Berlin reunion in Beaumont". theexaminer.com. 8 September 2022.
- ^ Holm, Debra (2021-11-01). "Detachment (A) Berlin Special Forces 1956–1984". Special Forces Chapter 78. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
- ^ a b Fratus, Matt (2022-01-26). "Detachment-A: How Special Forces Soldiers Operated Undercover in Cold War Berlin". Coffee or Die Magazine. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
- ^ Murphy, Jack (2017-02-08). "Detachment A: counter-terrorism and Operation Eagle Claw (Part 3)". SOFREP. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
- ^ "Detachment A recognized for Cold War efforts in commemorative stone laying ceremony". www.army.mil. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
- ^ "Detachment A: The Secret Cold War Green Beret Unit • Spotter Up". Spotter Up. 2023-10-17. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
- James Stejskal, Special Forces Berlin: Clandestine Cold War Operations of the US Army’s Elite, 1956–1990, (Casemate, 2017), 333 pp., notes, timelines, appendices, bibliography, index.