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Reader comment on item: The Worrisome Future of Special Operation Forces

Submitted by Mike (United States), Mar 24, 2014 at 18:51

Daniel,

Your experiences and the "turgid language" you encountered are an unfortunate by-product of a decade-plus of special operations primacy. When your value is "self-evident" and the mere mention of terrorism followed by a side-long glance at your Congressman results in a never-ending flow of money and support, intellectually rigourous strategic analysis bceomes unnecessary. When success is assessed by the number of terrorists killed or captured or other measures of performance such as numbers of operations conducted or countries "engaged," and no one questions the validity of those assessments, who needs true measures of effectiveness? Furthermore, strategy is subordinated to operations and doing is valued more than thinking. While this prejudice towards action may appeal to those people enamored with a few high-profile special operations missions, it doesn't justify an open Congressional checkbook particularly when everyone else's budget is decreasing...unless it can be tied to a greater US strategy. Therein lies the rub.

The development of sound special operations strategy and the underlying intellectual culture that supported it during the special operations lean years (the majority of the last 70+ years) have atrophied from lack of use. While you certainly can't create special operators overnight it takes even longer to cultivate strong (and critical) thinkers. The result is turgid language and a whole lot of models and diagrams that say both everything and nothing. The time when lots of action and hollow pieces of art and prose sufficed for strategy are over (see the latest Congresional push-back on SOCOM budget initiatives). It's time to think hard about what USSOCOM and the high-profile operations we've happily supported contribute to a long-term US foreign policy and military strategy. I think that's partly what this Operating Concept was intended to address. Unfortunately, SOCOM doesn't quite understand what they ARE trying to say or even who they are talking to (which probably doesn't matter anyway since no one would take the time away from the world-of-action to read anyway).

(BTW, I think you might find the same lack of intellectual rigor and solid strategic thought within our diplomatic corps, as well. When foreign policy is simple (It's great to be a hegemon!), why think too hard?)

Submitting....

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Reader comments (23) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
The very model of a modern major-general [31 words]ScepticApr 25, 2014 18:20214617
STRATEGIC APPRECIATION - 2.0 [178 words]Michael S.Apr 14, 2014 04:41214457
basic specops stuff, jargon optional [48 words]ed in texasMar 31, 2014 08:27214158
But.... [246 words]Keith LembkeMar 30, 2014 07:17214104
How Will They Do That? [82 words]Mark DMar 27, 2014 21:36214073
1Our Military has completely changed from the Vietnam days [43 words]Michael Hanni MorcosMar 27, 2014 14:13214058
You missed the Point [186 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
ToddMar 25, 2014 15:15214002
Barking up the wrong tree... [367 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
JohnMar 25, 2014 11:28213999
3The world looks bleaker by the minute [255 words]BellaMar 25, 2014 09:46213995
1OK I am perhaps not stupid [55 words]HugoMar 25, 2014 06:23213989
To be expected, I'm afraid... [362 words]MikeMar 24, 2014 18:51213981
SOF Operating Booklet [45 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
BaronMar 24, 2014 17:51213979
2Sorry. Not insane. [90 words]Doug MayfieldMar 24, 2014 17:24213978
Obfuscation is a scary tool [27 words]Harry SterlingMar 24, 2014 12:21213976
2.0 Graphic...is that for real or an Aghan war rug ? [11 words]Col. Skip BoothMar 24, 2014 10:26213975
2The worrisome future of the Special Operation forces....The World is upside down [38 words]AnneMar 24, 2014 09:54213974
The fault lies within us [214 words]John w. McGinleyMar 24, 2014 08:15213972
Plus ca change... [64 words]Dan SimonMar 24, 2014 01:13213960
more on DOD planning and attitudes [47 words]anonymous cowardMar 23, 2014 23:50213959
3Makes perfect sense, if you are an obamunist and want to... [147 words]Les LegatoMar 23, 2014 22:02213956
Easily Explained - A Logical Evolution [80 words]Gary MischMar 23, 2014 22:01213955
1You should be worried [73 words]Olive TreeMar 23, 2014 21:25213954
2Insane [1 words]Robin RosenblattMar 23, 2014 19:02213949

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