The most recent bipartisan Commission on the National Defense Strategy Report issues stark warnings about the escalating global threats facing the U.S. and the world, along with several disruptive recommendations to address these challenges. Here are the recommendations we agree with most from a SOF perspective:
“As expected, smaller units can change faster than large ones: U.S. Special Operations Command’s (SOCOM’s) acquisition model outpaces that of the services.”
We agree, but there is still a long way to go to get the capabilities into the hands of warfighters, faster.
“The Israel-Hamas war demonstrates, the Iranian and violent extremist organization threats necessitate continued investments in special operations forces and security force assistance.”
We couldn’t agree more – that’s why we’ve advocated against the cuts to US Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) and maintaining a presence of Special Operations Forces (SOF) around the world, but especially in the Middle East, as it has been, and is becoming again, a breeding ground for radical terrorist organizations able to export terrorist operations.
“Consequently, Africa and Latin America are also regions where limited U.S. military assets—such as security force assistance brigades, civil affairs, special operations forces, and airlift—can have an outsize impact.”
Africa and Latin America do not get nearly enough attention from the United States. SOF offers outsized results as a force multiplier but can also facilitate other levers for the United States to pull through diplomacy, commerce, and cultural soft power. Adversarial nations are gaining power and influence without a robust American response. Special Operators, both past and present, have a much bigger role to play now and in the future in taking back that share of influence in Latin America and Africa.
We leave you with the final recommendation from the Commission regarding Special Operations which deserves to be quoted in its entirety:
“During the Global War on Terrorism, the special operations community was at the forefront of the U.S. military response. The strategic environment has shifted, but special operations forces remain an essential tool of military power, both for their contributions to the remaining threat from violent extremists and because special operations forces have a vital role in great power competition—particularly in building influence with allies and partners and countering grayzone threats.”
Therefore, the Commission recommends preserving the Special Operations Force structure and funding. However, we recommend that Army Special Forces, in particular, shift resources from counterterrorism and direct action to unconventional warfare, special reconnaissance, and foreign internal defense.
We will continue to advocate for these recommendations, as we have since our inception.
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