SFA Mission
The Special Forces Association is a non-profit 501(c)(19) Veteran Service Organization that has over 9,000 active members who belong to eighty five different Chapters located throughout the United States and eight countries around the world.

The Special Forces Association Serves as the Voice for the Special Forces (SF) Community; Perpetuates Special Forces Traditions and Brotherhood; Advances the Public Image of Special Forces and Promotes the General Welfare of the Special Forces Community.

SFA Membership
Membership is open to all past, present US Army Special Forces (Green Berets), Allies attached to Special Forces units, specialist in direct support to Special Forces units and Widows of SFA members.

Chapter VIII, SFA Description & Activities
This Hawaii-based Chapter was chartered in the 1960s and is composed of members of two SF Reserve Groups organized to support the US conflict in Vietnam. In recent years Chapter VIII has had between 85 and 120 members. We have members from all of America’s conflicts from World War II to the present conflicts in the Middle East. Ally members represent Australia (Vietnam) and Philippine Scouts (WWII.)

We hold monthly meetings at Oahu Veterans Center (OVC), are a standing member of the Oahu Veterans Council and actively participate in most Veteran Ceremonies held year round. Our annual commitments include:

1. College Scholarship for deserving students who are family members of present/past SFA members
2. Annual Awards to Deserving Cadets in Junior ROTC (high schools) and Senior (University of Hi Manoa) Programs
3. Hawaii Foodbank
4. The OVC General Fund
5. Leis & Wreathes for Veterans Graves and Cemeteries

You’ll find that many of the SEA chapters are named as a memorial to an Army Special Forces individual. Our namesake is MSG Earl Kalani.

MSG Earl Kalani, 14th SFOD and ODA-323. An original member of 1st SFG, was deployed in 1957 on the first SF mission to Vietnam. He served three more tours in RVN.

While stationed at Phu Bai in 1967, he was critically wounded when he shielded his captain’s body from an assassination attempt by a VC who had infiltrated the CIDG strike force.

MSG Kalani never recovered from the injury, despite several surgeries, and died of his wounds in 1974. He is buried at the National Cemetery of the Pacific (“The Punchbowl”) in Section T Site 260 on Oahu.

Kalani Street at Fort Lewis is named in his honor.