HQ$History - United States Special Operations Command

“hub and spoke” concept of
employment, Operational
Detachment-Alpha teams (“Ateams”)
deployed initially to
the FOBs (the hubs) and then
farther out into the countryside
(the spokes). SF teams in these
villages became the only source
of law and order, and the villagers
called on SF captains,
sergeants, and warrant officers
to act as policemen, judges, and
juries for a wide variety of disputes.
A well thought out PSYOP
campaign orchestrated by the
JPOTF, prepared the way for
3rd SFG (A)’s expansion into
the countryside of Haiti. The PSYOP campaign,
conducted by elements of the 4th POG, stressed
that cooperating with U.S. forces and avoiding
bloody conflicts with the existing illegal regime
would lead to the reinstatement of the popular
Aristide and the establishment of a working
democracy. Using leaflets, radio broadcasts, and
airborne loudspeaker platforms, JPOTF soldiers
blanketed the countryside with their messages,
to great effect. In village after village, the
Haitians greeted SOF soldiers with open arms.
While Special Forces soldiers were gaining
control over the countryside, CA teams from the
96th CA BN, augmented by CA reservists,
assessed Haiti’s creaking infrastructure. The
PSYOP loudspeaker teams supported pacification efforts in Haiti by making
public announcements.
hope was that a new Haitian government,
assisted by U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID) and various non-governmental
organizations and private organizations,
would lift the country up from its endemic chaos
and poverty. U.S. soldiers from Company A,
96th CA BN conducted operation LIGHT
SWITCH in Jeremie, Cap Haitien, and other
northern cities and towns, restoring electricity
to those areas for the first time in years.
SOF operations were notable as a large-scale
peacekeeping mission. Even after the UN
Mission took over on 31 March 1995 (UPHOLD
DEMOCRACY became RESTORE DEMOCRA-
CY), SOF still performed this vital mission.
The peace and order
found in the Haitian countryside
were a remarkable
tribute to SOF, who fulfilled
all of their mission requirements
and more. In addition,
the PCs demonstrated
their versatility during both
SUPPORT DEMOCRACY
and UPHOLD DEMOCRA-
CY; they proved their usefulness
in coastal operations
and showed they could
support both SEALs and
Special Boat Unit operations.
Civil Affairs soldiers helped to rebuild Haiti—shown here
making a village’s well water drinkable.
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