The first U.S. Army Reserve Special Forces unit in Southern California was
activated at Ft. MacArthur on 15 December, 1956. The unit was designated as
Detachment 7, 301st Special Forces Operational Detachment and commanded by 1LT Gene Frice.
The unit was located at 25th Street and Western, but also had elements located in
Anaheim, San Diego, and the Presidio of San Francisco.On 1 May, 1959 the unit was designated as the 314th Special Forces
Operational Detachment and the 315th Special Forces Operational Detachment. 1LT Jack
Trout commanded the 314th and 1LT Robert Jacobi commanded the 315th.
On 9 November, 1959 the two Operational
Detachments were joined and named Sub-Detachment 2, 313th Special Forces Operational
Detachment. 1LT Jack Trout assumed command.
On 3 April, 1961 the 313th Special Forces
Operational Detachment was designated to Detachment 1, Company B, 17th Special Forces
Group. The authorized strength of the unit was 8 officers and 28 enlisted men.
The flash of the 17th Special Forces Group was light blue with a white border.
On 15 June, 1963 the unit strength was
increased to 22 officers and 86 enlisted men. The unit authorized an administrative
detachment and operational detachments A-1, A-2, A-4, B, and C.
The unit was oficially designated as a
company on 31 January 1966 when the 17th Group was deactivated. Detachment 1 was
designated as Company A, 12th Special Forces Group. The unit was authorized 21
officers and 75 enlisted men. Company A was comprised of an administrative
detachment and operational detachments A-1, A-2, A-4, B-1, and C.
On 26 January, 1973 Company A was inactivated
and designated as Company C, 3rd Battalion, 12th Special Forces Group (C/3/12).
In 1974, C/3/12 moved from 25th and Western
to the main post at Ft. MacArthur.
In January, 1983 C/3/12 moved again to its
final location at the Armed Forces Reserve Center (AFRC) Los Alamitos.
The company in its last configuration was
comprised of a headquarters detachment, SFODB 1290, and six operational detachments
(ODA's): SFODA 1291, SFODA 1292, SFODA 1293, SFODA 1294, SFODA 1295, SFODA 1296.
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