7th Group Move to Eglin

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A quick blurb from the AF website about moving 7th Group to Eglin AFB in Florida. Y'all have fun with the move! :eek:

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123125197

11/21/2008 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Air Force officials signed a record of decision that begins the process for the Army's 7th Special Forces Group to beddown at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The group will be located west of Duke Field and the range will be on the east and west side.
 
Hopefully it'll be a good time. I've heard mixed things. I know the area though, and there really isn't a whole lot there. You've got to drive a bit, but it's nice. We shall see. ;)
 
Hasn't this been in the pipe for awhile now? I swear I heard about this a few years back.
 
Hasn't this been in the pipe for awhile now? I swear I heard about this a few years back.

Yes it has. The decision to move them was made in either 05 or 06 as part of the BRAC. That was the same time that 3ACR found out they were moving to Hood, and 4ID to Carson. There was a bit of talk at NAVSCOLEOD about where Group would take up residence. IIRC, some of the students were worried that we were going to lose some of our training area to them, but that was, and is, not the case. Word around the school was that Group was supposed to start moving in during 2008. So this sounds about right.

On my way to school every morning, I would drive by where they are going to be moving in at. It's pretty nice, can't see shit from the road, besides the sign that says "Welcome to Duke Field". I had heard someone say that there was a PJ unit there, but they were going to have to move to make room for 7th. As I am not Air Force, I couldn't tell you if that was true or not.
 
Duke Field hosts the AFRES 919th SOW (which becomes a part of AFSOC when activated). The Wiki link shows an Active Duty Air Control Squadron (think of a ground-based AWACS) there but other sources have it at Eglin. The ACS probably uses the ranges at Duke Field, but that is just a guess.

Duke also has a bit of a SOF background in that the Doolittle Raiders were trained there as well as the demo flights Operation Credible Sport. The accident at Duke is about 1:45 into the clip below.

http://www.919sow.afrc.af.mil/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Field

[YOUTUBE]fSFjhWw4DNo[/YOUTUBE]
 
Whats gonna take the space of 7th Group in Bragg? Growing up around 7th its kinda hard to imagine it not being there. I wonder if it will be there when I get back to Bragg in 2010ish.
 
We were briefed on the move last year. Supposed to be done 2011.
Team-rooms are being built with team input. Team rooms will have garage-type exterior doors for load-outs ( if you haven't done it, you have no idea how important this is.) and the ranges are practically right out the back door.
 
I like the area, driving an hour to a beach is shorted then the drive from Bragg to Mrytle Beach SC.

Destin is a little touristy for me, but FWB and Crestview were pretty nice.
 
So does anyone actually have any factual info about the move GOING to happen or is this all speculation and hearsay? Im tired of reading about, I heard it from a friend, or I know a guy who said...... If someone does have good intel and doesnt feel like posting in the open, please send me a PM. I have a vested interest in this possible move.
 
We were briefed on the move last year. Supposed to be done 2011.
Team-rooms are being built with team input. Team rooms will have garage-type exterior doors for load-outs ( if you haven't done it, you have no idea how important this is.) and the ranges are practically right out the back door.

It's good that someone thought of that vs the Bragg buildings.
 
It's good that someone thought of that vs the Bragg buildings.
The Group area on Bragg was originally designed as classrooms/ed. center, hence the inadequacy.

Just hope that when the new group area is designed and built, it doesn't get taken over by another command...:doh:
 
I still remember the nightmares of hauling gear in and out of those team rooms, then trying to build up pallets just right and move them around the sidewalks with the forklifts and drive'em to Pope and back. It sounds like it's gonna be nice for your support guys now. And I'm sure Eglin will only grow by your presence.
 
Lucky guys, a lot of them will retire right there and the entire community will be impacted. Years ago it was rumoured that the 75th RR was going to consolidate all 3 battalions and the HQ there. That would have been sweet.
 
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