Studies and Observation Group

"Back in '64, the CIA gave up control of covert operations in South-East Asia... handed it over to the US military. From that, MAC,V-SOG's born."

- Frank Woods

The Studies and Observation Group (SOG) was a highly classified, multi-service United States special operations unit which conducted covert unconventional warfare operations prior to and during the Vietnam War.

The Studies and Observations Group was a joint unconventional warfare task force created on 24 January 1964 by the Joint Chiefs of Staff as a subsidiary command of the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV). The unit conducted strategic reconnaissance missions in the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam), the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam), Laos, and Cambodia; carried out the capture of enemy prisoners, rescued downed pilots, and conducted rescue operations to retrieve prisoners of war throughout Southeast Asia; and conducted clandestine agent team activities and psychological operations.

It was mainly composed of personnel from the United States Army Special Forces, the United States Navy SEALs, United States Air Force Combat Controllers, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Special Activities Division, and elements of the United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance units.

History
Established on 24 January 1964, the unit participated in most of the significant campaigns of the Vietnam War, including the Tonkin Gulf Incident which precipitated American involvement, Operation Steel Tiger, Operation Tiger Hound, the Tet Offensive, Operation Commando Hunt, the Cambodian Campaign, Operation Lam Son 719, and the Easter Offensive. The unit was formally disbanded and replaced by the Strategic Technical Directorate Assistance Team 158 on 1 May 1972.

Call of Duty: Black Ops
Call of Duty: Black Ops creator, Treyarch, consulted former SOG member Major John Plaster  (US Army-Ret.), who shared his stories and experiences from the Vietnam War. These "special" soldiers were apparently so privileged that they could request anything, from unusual or expensive equipment to immediate and integral support from any U.S. regular unit. Many of the SOG Operatives in Vietnam, and Laos use Tigerstripe combat uniforms, while SOG operatives in arctic areas use winter overwhites.

Known Operatives

 * Bowman
 * Hudson
 * Mason
 * Frank Woods
 * Swift
 * Weaver
 * Reznov (Returning from Call of Duty: World at War)
 * Brooks
 * Harris

Confirmed Weapons

 * CAR-15 Commando
 * M16A1
 * M1911
 * M202 Rocket Launcher
 * SPAS-12
 * Crossbow
 * AUG
 * Python
 * G11
 * MP5K

Trivia

 * A document, signed by former president John F. Kennedy, involving the SOG was found through transmissions of a Call of Duty: Black Ops teaser site: GKNOVA6.
 * The SOG was able to get prototype weaponry for their missions before their mass production (the AUG for example) due to their high status ranks during the Cold War.
 * Reznov is, apparently, the only SOG member in the game that is not American, however his role is currently unknown.
 * The Mascot of Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group our MACV-SOG is a "Old Blue".
 * MACV-SOG held Black Operations during the following missions: Tonkin Gulf, Operation Steel Tiger, Operation Tiger Hound, Tet Offensive, Operation Commando Hunt, Cambodian Incursion, Operation Lam Son 719, Operation Tailwind, and Easter Offensive.
 * MACV-SOG received Presidential Unit Citation decoration.
 * It appears as though the Studies and Observations Group featured in the game is a variation of it's real life counter part. Many of the types of black operations conducted by the Studies and Observations Group are alleged to be the purpose behind the Central Intelligence Agency's Special Operations Group (SOG) a subsidiary under the umbrella of the Special Activities Division (SAD). The Special Operations Group is often considered the highest echelon of covert military operations conducted by the U.S. Government, almost always under deniability. By design, SOG is equipped to carry out a variety of different missions ranging from unconventional warfare to "black propaganda" and the installation of new regimes in developing nations. Field operatives within SOG are known as Paramilitary Operations Officers, and are often recruited from all of the various elite branches within the U.S. Military Special Operations Forces (Navy SEALs, Army Special Forces, Army Rangers, Air Force Combat Controllers and Air Force Pararescuemen).