Who We Are

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.

For the most part, the SOA is composed of U.S. Army Special Forces personnel but, also includes USAF Air Commandos/FAC's, Navy Seals, Marine Raider and Force Recon personnel and veterans of other elite military organizations who were an integral part of Special Operations.
The specific and primary purposes of the SOA are:
a. To unite fraternally all veterans who have or are now conducting or supporting classified "Special Operations" deep in hostile enemy territory or have been assigned to military units which conducted such operations; and,
b. To perpetuate the Special Operations "esprit de corps"; and,
c. To commemorate fittingly the memory of those who have given their lives in defense of the Free World and to those who served in Special Operations units and are still unaccounted for as POW/MIA through the management of the SOA George C. Morton Memorial Scholarship Grant Fund. Since 1983, over $415,500 has been awarded or committed thus far to 130 deserving young scholars.

The Special Operations Association is recognized by the Department of Defense and by the IRS as a non-profit veterans organization, 501 (c) (19), operating on tax deductible donations, (EIN # 74-2619854). Annual membership dues are $30 U.S. Lifetime membership fee is $500 U.S. 70-years or over, Lifetime fees are $300. U.S. The organization has no meetings other than its annual reunion. The primary organizational correspondence is the Pre-Reunion Packet (PRP) and the Special Operations Association Reunion After-Action Report, (SOAR AAR).

Revised: 02 May 2007