8TH SFGA

The 8th Special Forces Group (Airborne), or 8th SFGA, was activated in 1963 at Fort Gulick in the Panama Canal Zone. It was established as part of the U.S. Army’s effort to strengthen special operations capabilities in Latin America during the Cold War. The unit specialized in unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, and counterinsurgency, frequently conducting training and advisory missions with allied forces throughout Central and South America. In 1972, the 8th SFGA was inactivated, with many of its personnel and responsibilities transferred to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group.