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What is the primary mission of Special Forces Association? The national-level Special Forces Association serves as the voice for the Special Forces Community; Perpetuates Special Forces traditions and brotherhood; Advances the Public Image of Special Forces and promotes the general welfare of the Special Forces Community. The Association was founded in 1964 and was initially called the Decade Association. The SFA is a non-profit veterans’ fraternal organization, and it originally served as a means for longstanding members of the Special Forces Community to maintain fellowship and camaraderie. Over the years, the mission of the SFA expanded and adapted as demands on the Soldiers and their interests changed. We now support the Soldiers and Families of Special Forces through family events, by providing funding and assistance to Wounded Warriors and Gold Star Families and collect memorabilia and personal accounts of veterans to preserve Special Forces heritage and traditions. The SFA, Emerald Coast Chapter VII, unifies the Special Forces Community of the Emerald Coast in order to steward a network of people, organizations and capabilities to provide support, camaraderie and growth opportunities for Special Forces Veterans. We promote the
general welfare of membership through local representation and community engagement and educate new generations of Soldiers and the public on the history and traditions of Special Forces. We commemorate the fallen and we provide social and recreational activities to unite the SF Community across generations. SFA Chapter VII is a Member-Run Veteran’s Service Organization with three volunteer Chapter Officers providing oversight and direction. How long has SFA Chapter VII been around? Chapter VII of the Special Forces Association has, throughout its history, represented those Special Forces units that worked in Central and South America. It began as a community of Special Forces Soldiers stationed in Panama Canal Zone in the 1960s. In 1990, the majority of the Special Forces Soldiers in the Canal Zone returned to Ft. Bragg, but the Chapter stayed in support of those that remained in Panama including Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion 7th Group (C/3/7) and the SF Soldiers assigned to the Jungle Operations Training Center at Ft. Sherman. As US forces left Panama in 1999, so did the last of the SF units, who moved to Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Puerto Rico. Again, Chapter VII moved
with their members, and continued to be the focal point of camaraderie for the SF Soldiers of C/3/7 and Special Operations Command– South who were moved to the island. Chapter VII was closed down in 2003 when the units returned to the US mainland, and members were assigned to other local Chapters. The Congressionally mandated move of 7th SFG from Fort Bragg to Eglin AFB eight years later created a need for a new organization to support the Special Forces Regiment. Chapter VII was thus revived in 2010 with 15 charter members. The Chapter now encompasses Okaloosa, Walton, and Escambia Counties with over 300 members. Our mission extends far beyond our members and SFA Chapter VII supports the thousands of SF Soldiers who call Northwest Florida home. The overwhelming majority of our members live in Niceville, Crestview, Fort Walton Beach, and Destin, but our membership base spans the Florida Panhandle. We also have a substantial number of members in the Tampa area with others scattered across the US– with some even living overseas! How many chapters are there? SFA has 85 Chapters. New chapters are incorporated under SFA National when a need and sufficient interest are demonstrated to merit a new independent August 2021 | 67
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