ARSOF Patch Legacy

ARSOF Lineage or Legacy

Which is the Right Word?

By Jared M. Tracy, PhD

Published April 2023

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When discussing past Army Special Operations Forces (ARSOF) units and functions, words like “lineage” and “legacy” are frequently used interchangeably. Both words signify a connection between present-day units and historical predecessors that contributed to their identity, culture, and esprit de corps. But do the words “lineage” and “legacy” mean the same thing? This short article will clarify the meaning and appropriate usage of each word as they relate to historic relationships between ARSOF units.

The USA-CANADA arrowhead patch of the World War II First Special Service Force inspired the insignia for those of both Army Special Forces and the U.S. Army Special Operations Command.
The USA-CANADA arrowhead patch of the World War II First Special Service Force inspired the insignia for those of both Army Special Forces and the U.S. Army Special Operations Command.

Army Regulation (AR) 870-5: Military History: Responsibilities, Policies, and Procedures (September 2021) defines “lineage” as: “The line of descent of an MTOE [Modified Table of Organization and Equipment] unit from its origin, stated in terms of events that have changed its status.”1 Based on this regulatory definition, lineage is an official connection between specific TOE Army units, as recognized by the Department of the Army and managed by the U.S. Army Center of Military History (CMH).2 Therefore, as a general rule, official Army lineage does not apply to or include:

  • Table of Distribution and Allowances (TDA) organizations (see “TOE and TDA Units” article)

  • Non-Army organizations (such as sister services, joint commands, or other government agencies)

  • Mission-specific programs, task forces, or non-units

In some cases, a unit’s lineage begins with its initial constitution and continues to the present day under the same designation. An example of this is the 4th Psychological Operations (PSYOP) Group (POG), a current unit whose lineage begins with its own constitution on 7 November 1967.3 In other cases, the Army assigns a newly activated unit a lineage to a historic TOE unit based on similar functions or name. For example, when the 7th PSYOP Battalion (POB) was activated on 16 October 2011, CMH assigned it lineage to the World War II-era 3rd Mobile Radio Broadcasting Company, a tactical PSYOP unit constituted on 24 December 1943.4

The 7th POB Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Lee H. Evans, and 4th POG Command Sergeant Major (CSM), CSM Fernan Castelo, unfurl the battalion'’'s colors at the October 2011 ceremony marking its activation
The 7th POB Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Lee H. Evans (second from left), and 4th POG Command Sergeant Major (CSM), CSM Fernan Castelo (third from left), unfurl the battalion’s colors at the October 2011 ceremony marking its activation, as 4th POG Commander, Colonel Reginald Bostick (left), looks on. As the streamers on the guidon in this photo show, the 7th POB assumed campaign participation credit for its WWII-era lineage unit, the 3rd Mobile Radio Broadcasting Company. The WWII uniforms of the color guard demonstrate the battalion’s commitment to its heritage.

When a unit is assigned lineage to a past TOE unit, it carries with it the honors and campaign credits earned by that predecessor unit. For instance, the World War II-era First Special Service Force (FSSF) is the original parent lineage unit for all Special Forces Groups (SFGs). Therefore, all SFGs now carry the campaign participation credit (CPC) of the specific FSSF element to which they are connected by lineage. For example, the 1st SFG was activated in 1957, but it assumed the lineage of 2nd Company, 1st Battalion, First Regiment, FSSF, so it is entitled to CPC for the Aleutian Islands, Naples-Foggia, Anzio, Rome-Arno, Southern France (with arrowhead), and Rhineland campaigns from World War II.5

“Legacy” is an unofficial term which conveys a current unit’s identification with non-lineal predecessors. This can be based on similar names, functions, or a symbolic connection. Units often recognize certain organizations as part of their legacy for their real or perceived impact on their development, capabilities, identity, and/or esprit de corps. One key legacy element for modern SOF is the World War II Office of Strategic Services (OSS), a joint intelligence and unconventional warfare service that was independent of the Army. Veterans of and lessons learned from the OSS unquestionably contributed to ARSOF training, capabilities, and culture in the post-World War II era, making the OSS an enduring part of the SOF legacy. However, by regulation, the OSS cannot be in the official lineage of any ARSOF TOE unit because it was not an Army organization.6

The legacy connection between the OSS and modern SOF is ever-present, as the USSOCOM shoulder sleeve insignia bears unmistakable resemblance to the OSS patch from WWII.
Attended by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin, III, (left) and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General (GEN) Mark A. Milley, U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) hosts a change of command ceremony on 30 August 2022 in which GEN Richard D. Clarke (right) relinquished command to GEN Bryan P. Fenton (second from right). The legacy connection between the OSS and modern SOF is ever-present, as the USSOCOM shoulder sleeve insignia bears unmistakable resemblance to the OSS patch from WWII.
OSS patch from the CIA Museum
OSS patch from the CIA Museum

Unlike lineage, the Army does not prescribe criteria for what constitutes a legacy organization; rather, that is often decided by individual units or unit members. Units may modify their views of what (or who) their legacy is based on evolving missions, designations, or organizational structure. A unit’s lineal predecessors are always part of its legacy, but the inverse is not always true. Below is a chart depicting select U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) units, their original parent lineage units, and some non-lineage organizations which are generally considered part of their legacies. The list of legacy units is not exhaustive and remains subject to change.

Special Forces

Current Brigade-Level ARSOF Unit

1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th, 19th, and 20th Special Forces Groups (SFGs), 1st Special Forces Regiment

Original Parent Lineage Unit

First Special Service Force, 5 July 1942

Select Legacy Organizations

  • Elements of the OSS (Detachment 101, Operational Groups, Maritime Unit, specific units or programs in the Special Operations Branch) (World War II)
  • Philippine Guerrilla Advisors (WWII)
  • Alamo Scouts (WWII)
  • Eighth U.S. Army Guerrilla Command (Korean War)
  • 8240th Army Unit (Korean War)
  • UN Partisan Forces, Korea (Korean War)
  • UN Partisan Infantry, Korea (Korean War)
  • Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG) (Vietnam War)

Psychological Operations

Current Brigade-Level ARSOF Unit

4th POG

Original Parent Lineage Unit

Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC), 4th POG, 7 November 1967

Select Legacy Organizations

  • Psychologic Subsection, War Department (World War I)
  • Propaganda Section, G-2-D, American Expeditionary Forces (WWI)
  • OSS Morale Operations Branch (WWII)
  • 23rd Headquarters Special Troops “Ghost Army” (WWII)
  • “Ritchie Boys” (WWII)

Current Brigade-Level ARSOF Unit

8th POG

Original Parent Lineage Unit

HHC, 8th POG, 9 May 2013

Civil Affairs

Current Brigade-Level ARSOF Unit

95th Civil Affairs (CA) Brigade

Original Parent Lineage Unit

95th HHD, Military Government Group, 25 August 1945

Select Legacy Organizations

  • Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-1806)
  • Post-Mexican-American War Occupation
  • Post-Civil War Reconstruction
  • Army of Occupation (Post-WWI)
  • OSS Military Government and Civil Affairs activities (WWII)
  • Civil Affairs Division (WWII/Post-WWII)
  • European Civil Affairs Division (WWII)
  • Information Control Division (post-WWII)
  • Occupation of Germany/Japan (post-WWII)
  • UN Public Health and Welfare Detachment (Korean War)
  • UN Civil Assistance Command, Korea (Korean War)

Army Special Operations Aviation

Current Brigade-Level ARSOF Unit

160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR)

Original Parent Lineage Unit

160th Aviation Battalion, 1 April 1982

Select Legacy Organizations

  • Special Warfare Aviation Detachments (1960s)
  • 129th Aviation Company (Vietnam War)
  • 281st Assault Helicopter Company (Vietnam War)
  • “Guns-A Go-Go” (Vietnam War)

Rangers

Current Brigade-Level ARSOF Unit

75th Ranger Regiment

Original Parent Lineage Unit

1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Ranger Battalions, 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), better known as “Merrill’s Marauders,” and 475th Infantry (Long Range Penetration, Special), various dates (WWII)7

Select Legacy Organizations

  • Church’s Rangers (Colonial Era)
  • Rogers’ Rangers (Colonial Era)
  • Francis Marion, “Swamp Fox” (Revolutionary War)
  • MARS Task Force (WWII)
  • 1st Raider Company (Korean War)
  • Eighth Army Rangers (Korean War)
  • Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol Companies (Vietnam War)

ARSOF Support

Current Brigade-Level ARSOF Unit

528th Sustainment Brigade

Original Parent Lineage Unit

528th Quartermaster Service Battalion, 4 December 1942

Select Legacy Organizations

Service Battalion, First Special Service Force (WWII)

ENDNOTES

  1. Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA), Army Regulation (AR) 870-5: Military History: Responsibilities, Policies, and Procedures (Washington, DC: HQDA, 2021), 37. [return]
  2. U.S. Army Center of Military History (CMH), “Lineage and Honors Information,” n.d., https://history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lh.html#PR. [return]
  3. CMH, “Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Psychological Operations Group,” 5 July 2006, https://history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/psyop/004psgp.htm [return]
  4. CMH, “7th Psychological Operations Battalion,” 24 August 2021, https://history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/psyop/007psbn.htm. The 7th POB offers a unique example in that while it is the youngest active-duty PSYOP battalion in terms of its modern activation date, it is simultaneously one of the oldest battalions by virtue of its lineage to the 3rd MRBC from WWII. Roughly 65 years separated the inactivation of the 3rd MRBC from the activation of its lineage unit, the 7th POB. [return]
  5. CMH, “1st Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces Regiment,” 19 July 2021, https://history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/sf/001sfgp1sf.htm [return]
  6. General (GEN) Bryan P. Fenton, Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), recently reiterated the OSS legacy connection to modern SOF while explaining the unique skills traditionally required of special operators to accomplish a wide variety of complex missions. As the Department of Defense’s joint SOF command, USSOCOM has a strong claim to the OSS as part of its legacy. With that said, the OSS is the official lineal predecessor to the Central Intelligence Agency. Testimony of Christopher Maier, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict (ASD [SO/LIC]), and GEN Bryan P. Fenton, Commander, USSOCOM, before the House Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations, 9 March 2023, https://www.dvidshub.net/video/875967/special-operations-24-budget-table-with-house-subcommittee [return]
  7. Official lineages for the 75th Ranger Regiment and its subordinate battalions are more complex than usual for Army units, as evidenced by their lineages containing multiple annexes and parent units. CMH, “75th Ranger Regiment,” 27 April 2017, https://history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/inf/0075ra.htm [return]