The SOA, established in December 1977 is a Veteran’s fraternal organization of past and present American and Allied military special operations in a combat environment. The group includes veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Panama, Grenada, the Balkans, Somalia as well as those from our most recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Membership is limited to Free World forces who supported or personally participated in missions deep inside hostile territory in a combat capacity.
Military Assistance Command Vietnam - Studies and Observation Group MACV-SOG (Military Assistance Command, Vietnam - Studies and Observation Group) was an unconventional warfare task force engaged in highly classified operations throughout Southeast Asia. The U.S. Army's Special Forces (Green Berets), Air Force Combat Controllers, Navy SEALs and other units channeled personnel into MACV-SOG through Special Operations Augmentation (SOA), which provided their "cover" while under secret orders to MACV-SOG. The teams performed deep penetration missions of strategic reconnaissance and interdiction which were called, depending on the time frame, "Shining Brass" or "Prairie Fire" missions.