Studies and Observation Group

"Back in '64, the CIA gave up control of covert operations in Southeast Asia, handed it over to the US Military. From that, MACV-SOG was born."

- Frank Woods

Military Assistance Command, Vietnam - Studies and Observation Group (also known as MACV-SOG or 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. It is one of the main playable factions in Call of Duty: Black Ops.

Call of Duty: Black Ops


S.O.G. makes their first appearance in the self-titled mission. According to Alex Mason's interrogator, Mason was picked to join the S.O.G. team lead by Frank Woods prior to the mission. During the mission, Woods briefs Mason (accompanied by Special Agent Hudson) on MACV-SOG's creation and purpose, when their base comes under attack by the NVA. The team decides to stay behind and aid the Marines in defending the base, which they do successfully.

The team travels to Hue City where they are given the objective of extracting a Soviet defector from the MACV compound. Mason and Woods are joined by fellow operative Joseph Bowman. Although the defector was killed, Mason acquires his dossier, and the team fight through the city to extraction via boat.

Later, Mason's and Woods' helicopter is shot down by Viet Cong. After escaping the crash and fighting Viet Cong on the river, Woods and Mason sneak into an enemy village where they stealthily kill guards and meet up with Bowman and other operatives. The two split up, with Woods working above water while Mason sets explosives underwater. After meeting up with Bowman and many other SOG operatives, the team detonates the explosives and proceeds to clear the village. The team encounters a "rat tunnel" and Mason and Swift enter to clear it out. Swift is killed, but Mason continued to clear the tunnel and escaped for extraction.

The SOG work with the US Army to attack Viet Cong villages, supporting from boats. Afterwards, they search for a downed Soviet plane which they believe carries Nova-6. Discovering the gas may have dissipated after the crash, they defend the plane from a Soviet attack, during which the team is captured.

The team is taken to a hidden cave in Laos and forced to play Russian Roulette. Bowman refuses, resulting in his death. Mason and Woods conceive an escape plan and escape the cave. They steal an enemy helicopter, and use it to wreak havoc on various Viet Cong settlements. After landing, Woods and Mason rescue POWs from Kravchenko's compound. The group fights their way to Kravchenko himself, which culminates in the death of Kravchenko. Woods dies with Kravchenko. Mason is apparently the only surviving member of SOG.

Known Operatives

 * Alex Mason
 * Frank Woods (K.I.A./Officially M.I.A.)
 * Joseph Bowman (K.I.A.)
 * Swift (K.I.A.)
 * Johnson (Black Ops) (K.I.A.)
 * Cpt. Patterson (DS)
 * Thomas Hayes (DS)
 * Michael Shaw (DS)
 * Ruiz (DS)

Multiplayer
In multiplayer, the SOG announcer is Bowman, voiced by Ice Cube. The MACV-SOG always combat the North Vietnamese Army

Weapons used

 * Commando
 * M16
 * M1911
 * M202 Rocket Launcher
 * SPAS-12
 * Python
 * M60
 * M14
 * China Lake
 * Stakeout
 * KS-23
 * WA2000
 * M72 LAW
 * CZ75
 * AK-47
 * Flamethrower (attachment)
 * M203
 * Masterkey

Trivia

 * Most of the SOG in the campaign wear their caps backwards like the PMC in modern warfare 3.
 * 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.
 * In the early beta mode, there was a different SOG announcer with a deeper voice.
 * SOG and the NVA are the only factions not to appear in any map packs.
 * On the zombies menu, one can find one of the screens depicting SOG zombies attacking and eating non-zombie SOG operatives, despite the fact that no maps were released that had SOG zombies.

Quotes
"Execute the mission."

- When the team starts a Team Deathmatch

"Suck it up, the war's not over!"

- When the SOG is defeated

"Get that son of a bitch out of here before I kill him myself!"

- SOG Faction Announcer in Hardcore modes, after a team killer is booted from the match


 * "Execute the mission"
 * "No Mistakes"
 * "Good Job Team, get ready for the next round"
 * "We lost the round but it's not over, get ready for the next round"
 * "Good Job team, evac is on the way"
 * "Suck it up! The war's not over!"
 * "Capture the Objective"
 * "Defend the Objective"
 * "Bomb aqcuired"
 * "They have the bomb"
 * "The enemy has the bomb"
 * "The bomb has been planted"
 * "Bomb defused"
 * "You're the only one left, finish the mission!"
 * "They have our flag"
 * "We have the enemy flag"
 * "They've dropped out flag"
 * "Enemy flag dropped"
 * "They've returned their flag"
 * "Our flag is back"
 * "Our flag has been returned"
 * They've captured our flag!"
 * "We've captured their flag!"
 * "Enemy Flag Captured"

Video
Video:Black Ops SOG full theme

SOG's full theme