Colonel Aaron Bank

During World War II, 39-year old Aaron Bank enlisted in the U.S. Army as a Private in 1942. He graduated from Officer Candidate School and was commissioned as an Infantry 2LT. Assigned to a stateside Transportation Railroad Battalion due to his age, he volunteered for the Office of Strategic Service (OSS) in 1943. He served in Europe, commanding Jedburgh Team PACKARD, the aborted IRON CROSS mission, and Indochina Mercy Team RAVEN. During the Korean War, Bank served as Civil Affairs Officer, Executive Officer, and Deputy Commander for the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team. Reassigned to the Office of the Chief of Psychological Warfare in the Pentagon, COL Bank helped develop the basic doctrine and structure of Army Special Forces.

In 1952, he was selected to command the first Special Forces unit, the 10th Special Forces Group, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He deployed with the group to West Germany in late 1953, and commanded it until late 1954. In 1958 he retired after serving again on the Army Staff. COL Bank was selected as the first Honorary Colonel of the Special Forces Regiment in 1986, serving in that position until his death in 2004. Colonel Aaron Bank is an enduring symbol of Special Forces. Below is his quote from the 1956 10th Special Forces yearbook:

“Dedicated adherence to spartan standards, maintenance of continuous operational readiness for the conduct of multiple, complex missions; complete faith in the capability to execute those missions and the willing acceptance of hazards far beyond the normal call of duty have made the 10th Special Forces Group the unit with the greatest combat potential in the Armed Forces.”