8th Special Forces Group (Abn)

The 8th Special Forces Group (Airborne), or 8th SFG(A), was a United States Army Special Forces unit activated in 1963 at Fort Gulick, Panama Canal Zone. Its primary mission was to conduct unconventional warfare and counterinsurgency operations, especially throughout Latin America, as part of U.S. efforts to support allied nations during the Cold War. The group played a key role in training and advising Latin American military forces, notably through the U.S. Army School of the Americas. In 1972, the 8th SFG(A) was inactivated, with many of its personnel and responsibilities transferred to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group.