“I want to thank you and the entire brigade for your service and recognize your vital contributions to the fight in Afghanistan and around the world,” said Cleveland, addressing the soldiers of the brigade. “Your unit above all others has, over the longest period, had the highest [operational tempo]. That the unit has successfully sustained the workload, excelled in your missions overseas, and innovated so well back home is a testament to your dedication and commitment. To the great Civil Affairs soldiers and leaders, be proud of who you are, what you do, and who you do it with, for you are without equal – Sine Pari.”
4th/8th Military Information Support Groups (MISGs)
2014 saw the 4th MISG and 8th MISG move under Special Forces Command in a reorganization, where they will remain. In June, Col. Stuart P. Goldsmith took over the unit from Col. Robert A. Warburg, who had served as the commander since, 2012. Rogers, commander of SFC, presided over the change of command ceremony.
“The year ahead offers tremendous change, challenge, and opportunity,” Rogers said, as he addressed Goldsmith. “You bring a wealth of experience and knowledge and I am confident that MISOC is in the right hands. Welcome to the team.”
Pilots from the U.S. Army Special Operations Command Flight Company (UFC) conduct a C-27J training flight April 24, 2014. Four pilots went through the initial training and are now responsible for training additional UFC pilots. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Thaddius S. Dawkins II
The 4th and 8th cover the roles and missions that also are termed “Psychological Warfare Operations,” and are among the largest such units in the world today. While details of their organization, operations, and procedures must remain classified, the group did conduct one publicly acknowledged exercise in 2014. The group-level battle staff and planning exercise was conducted in the fall, in support of a Joint Information Support Task Force. 4th MISG commanders and staff tested their ability to track regional MISO assets in support of a hypothetical large-scale Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operation, including large-scale use of reach back assets. The exercise also tested the capabilities of the new USASOC Special Operations Mission Training Center (SOMTC) at Fort Bragg, which helps provide a fully integrated and objective-based training scenario for the participants.
528th Sustainment Brigade
Col. Daniel K. Rickleff, the commander of the 528th Sustainment Brigade, continued to command this most varietal of USASOC units throughout 2014. Nowhere else in the U.S. Army is there a sustainment unit commanded by an O-6, that has such a diverse set of roles and missions being accomplished by such a small group of soldiers. And in 2014, Rickleff had the pleasure of breaking ground for a new home for his brigade. Long based in World War II-era legacy buildings, the 528th broke ground for a new $27 million facility that will consolidate the entire unit into a single complex. In a ceremony held on Nov. 13, ground was broken for a 120,000-square-foot brigade headquarters off of Gruber Road. In addition to consolidating the many parts of the 528th scattered around the post, the new headquarters will also include a modernized maintenance facility to help keep USASOC’s 21st century array of equipment and vehicles up to date and in service.
“Today, we commemorate the groundbreaking of the brigade headquarters, Special Troops Battalion headquarters, and an adjoining maintenance facility,” Rickleff said of this notable beginning. “This marks a critical point in the brigade’s history as we currently redesign and reorganize the brigade to best support special operations forces globally and integrate under 1st Special Forces Command.”
This article first appeared in The Year in Special Operations 2015-2016 Edition.