20th Special Forces Group

The 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne) is an Army National Guard special forces unit based at the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport. Its area of responsibility is the 32-nation Southern Command, covering the Caribbean, Central America and South America. Its nearly 2,000 soldiers are commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Randall Zeegers.

The group was organized at the Homewood National Guard Armory on July 8, 1961. In 1963 the group moved to the Oporto National Guard Armory at 5601 Oporto-Madrid Boulevard, where it was headquartered until moving to a new armory at the airport in 2009.

The group has been activated for missions in Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Latin America.

Units

• Group Support Company, Jacksonville, Alabama
• Detachment 1, Group Support Company, Louisville, Kentucky
• Group Military Intelligence Detachement, Birmingham, Alabama
• 146th Weather Flight, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• 1st Battalion, Huntsville, Alabama
• 2nd Battalion, Jackson, Mississippi
• 3rd Battalion, Starke, Florida (Camp Blanding)

References

• Gordon, Tom (July 19, 2009) "Alabama Army Guard's 20th Special Forces Group changes commanders." Birmingham News

External links

• 20th Special Forces Group (ABN) at alguard.state.al.us
• 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at globalsecurity.org
• video of 20th SFG at YouTube.com