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

Submitted by Keith Lembke (Afghanistan), Mar 30, 2014 at 07:17

Policy will eventually drive force structure. Can anyone really tell me what our policy is going to be in ten years? In 72 we left Vietnam saying we would never do that again, a sentiment codified by Bush Sr. In 92 we became the world's police force enforcing the Western progressive rules of law on the rest of the world. All of a sudden in 2001 we find ourselves in the middle of two insurgencies. Through every phase the roles and means have changed - the SOF community taking anything they could get for force structure growth. Ironic also that we continue to preach that our strength lies in our ability to fight with our allies even though the clear majority of the last five wars have been paid for by the US. Iraq, in fact was unilateral. Afghanistan was heavily US funded and manned - though we did launder a lot of money to modernize a lot of other armies in return for their mostly limited involvement.

The fact is our national interests will drive the military requirements - the SOF being used extensively for "hyper" conventional operations since the counter drug money flowed in the 90s. With a reduced conventional force structure - they will continue to be used in that fashion. Hopefully we never fight a really good enemy someday who will force us into a war of attrition because that is the danger of this strategy. Forever is a very long time.

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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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