The 12th Special Forces Group (Airborne) was reconstituted from and consolidated with elements of the 1st Special Service Force that was activated in July 1942 and designated the 12th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces in April 1960. The Group was withdrawn from the Regular Army in December 1969 and allotted to the Army Reserves, where it joined the 11th Special Forces Group as the Army’s only two Reserve Special Forces Groups.
Budgetary constraints, brought on in part by the perception that the need for a large military no longer existed, led to the inactivation of both the 11th and 12th Special Forces Groups on 15 September 1995.
The design of the 12th Special Forces Groupr (Airborne) beret flash was approved on 11 January 1972. It borrows the three lightning flashes from the 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) Shoulder Sleeve Insignia, which represent the ability of Special Forces Soldiers to strike from any of three directions: air, land, or water.