Military Reviews Placing Special Ops on U.S. Soil
21 June Washington Examiner - Military Reviews Placing Special Ops on U.S. Soil by Rowen Scarbourgh.
Quote:
The U.S. military command in charge of protecting the homeland asked the Pentagon earlier this year for a contingent of special operations officers to help with domestic anti-terrorism missions.
Military sources told The Examiner that U.S. Northern Command, established at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado in 2002, requested its own special operations command similar to ones assigned to overseas war-fighting commands, such as U.S. Central Command.
A spokeswoman for NorthCom this week issued a statement to The Examiner saying, "This capability resides in every other geographical combatant command and would allow the commander of U.S. Northern Command to deploy these unique capabilities for homeland defense and civil support operations."
The request was approved six months ago by the then-commander of NorthCom, Adm. Timothy Keating, who has since moved to U.S. Pacific Command.
But now, the new NorthCom commander, Air Force Gen. Gene Renuart, is reviewing Keating's decision...
Slippery slope or jumping off a precipice...
Totally agree Troufion, that is a bad move and hopefully the review will trash the idea.
Sheesh. Every time I think we've done the dumbest thing in the world, somebody comes up with a new one... :o
The UK has a long history of Armed Forces
involvement in 'Support to the civil power' as do Canada and Mexico, Bill. We do not and we have traditionally avoided that with only rare exceptions -- such exceptions can and probably will occur in the future -- and my bet would be that most Americans want to keep it that way. I'd be even more willing to bet that the Armed Forces, mostly, will also want to keep it that way. Not to mention Congress...
Gangs are a problem, no question but a percentage of the public goes bonkers whenever the Cops crack down on them too hard (hard being in the eye of the beholder). Try to hit them with an Armed Forces direct action crew and the ACLU, the relatively far left element in Congress and the netroots crowd would froth at the mouth -- IOW, it would likley create more problems that it would solve.
The Cops, per se, are not overly oriented on the Terrorism bit; I've got two sons who are Cops, one on each coast. Their and neighboring departments get only peripherally and sporadically involved in the effort. The FBI and the other Federal LE agencies are another matter; they are too heavily involved to the detriment of their basic mission.
Lack of resources is not nearly as much a problem as is allocation of those resources (plus their 'public relations image' and concern for pandering to Congress). Instead of setting Cops (the Feds) to catch Terrorists we should have a dedicated anti-espionage and counter terror agency ala the UK MI5. The cultural, operational and ethical requirements for law enforcement work and for CE/CT operations are dramatically, almost diametrically different -- the cops are in all respects poorly equipped and trained for the job. We didn't do it right due to the politics involved so we'll have to live with what we have.
The FBI HRT is pretty capable in spite of some goofs and it can be expanded; most local and State Police have tactical response teams and some are quite good. There is adequate civil capability out there, it just isn't wisely organized and used and I expect that situation will improve as we move along, I know that efforts are underway to obtain such improvement.
Full disclosure. Though a former SF Intel guy, I am not a USSOCOM fan, I think it was almost as great a mistake as was the formation of DHS -- though I will give SOCOM credit for great R&D, super good and well executed equipment procurement and forward thinking in many respects and will acknowledge that much of my dislike revolves around the long existing bureaucratic parochialism engendered by the way Congress allocates funds and favors and the turf and ego battles that engenders. I mention that mostly to say that SOCOM will always look for other missions; means more money and more spaces. This Northern Command mission, IMO is a bad, really bad, idea...
John, while well aware of the legal precedents --
I believe I mentioned that we had used Federal Troops before (not least as Strike busters long after the Whiskey Rebellion - or the Civil War and its aftermath for that matter...) and stated we almost certainly would again -- I'm not sure that answers the problem.
Exceptions to any law are always possible and the JTF 6 use of ArNG SOF is not quite the same thing this proposal envisions.. I suspect most of us are also aware of the history and application of Posse Comitatus.
That said, I'm unsure how you can so categorically state that "these are the ground rules under which any discussion needs to take place." While they are fact, so to are facts that: Congress will have a say; Mr. and Mrs. America will have a say; DoD will have a say, OGA will have a say: JTF 6 will tell you it's a bad idea and, off the record, why and will remind you that placing armed Marines on the border did not go well (and Texas will tell you that they do not wish SF units employed in that role within the State); and more.
You say NorthCom should have a SOF organization * just like any other unified command. Does this mean that TransCom and Joint Force Command shoyld also have a SOF organization? :)
I believe you'll find that the Title 32 capability is not all encompassing in the LE and LE Assist roles; some States are cool with it, even automatically deputizing State activated Guard personnel; others are less happy with the idea. Further, the merging of Title 10 and Title 32 functions can get politically rather hairy. don't think it'll be that easy to sort out.
That doesn't even get into the fact that SF has lost its way and probably shouldn't be helped to wander further; exempting1st Group, the others are all into direct action as opposed to IW. That is less due to national needs then to what SOCOM and the Groups want to do. I realize it's a lot more fun to kick in doors than it is to train Indigs and that it's easier to train door kickers than it is to train multi talented trainers but there is a question of role and mission diversion that may not be in the long term interest of the nation -- or of SF itself. Any way you cut it, normal direct action is not a SF mission.
* All the Unified Geographic Commands do have a SOF organization but it picks up operational elements only on order and generally for specific operations. Having a NorthCom Theater SOC to plan, coordinate and facilitate is a good thing, I totally agree. Having an assigned direct action capability is an entirely different thing and is IMO, a very bad idea.
Looks like we'er not so far apart
Ken--
Sorry about the shorthand lumping functional and geographic unified commands together. We really are only talking about the latter. We seem to be in agreement that a SOCNORTH for planning is a good idea. Do we differ on the SOC also being a C2 element if there were a special op in the AOR? I favor it. As far as SOF operational elements being assigned to SOCNORTH:
-I don't really see it happening unless we are talking about NG SOF and USAR PSYOP and Civil Affairs (which, I understand, are no longer SOF???). In fact, I expect that SOF, like most other forces would be OPCON as needed, which is OK by me.
-The idea for a SOCNORTH expressed in the article is for the typical SOC w/o assigned troops; unless there is more info elsewhere.
-I would never suggest that Congress not play - it set the posse comitatus rules and changed them, for better or worse. But it is the Congressionally written posse comitatus that, along with Art. II of the Constitution sets the prmary rules. Much of the discussion appeared to me to ignore that.
-The public plays in many ways not the least in elections but it generally does not give very coherent advice.
-DNI will have a say on intel matters and should.
-I note that you point out the tragic events that the Marines were involved in in JTF6. But I have not seen any complaints about SOF in general or SF in particular in JTF 6. Seems to me that SF brings a superb set of skills to the strat recon mission - see, report, but don't be seen.
-Title 32: state duty status. NG is under the command of the governor of the state and subject to state regs and laws regarding law enforcement. Granted that states differ. In and operational mission in Title 32 status the Guard can only be ordered to participate by the Governor.
I am not saying that it is a good idea to assign forces COCOM to Northcom, in fact, it probably is both impractical and simply unhelpful. But I have no objection for the use of SOF controlled by a SOCNORTH in an OPCON status. And, despite the difficulties, I think some creative use of NG in Title 32 status might be a good idea.
Cheers
JohnT
You're right and my apologies, I should've said
1st and 10th -- the poor 3rd, 5th and 7th are torn between both worlds (as are the 19th and 20th). My Francophone 3d Group Grandson in Law just got back from the 'Stan, did get to speak some French to the COS guys. :)
As to your comments on the Big Army versus SF, tell me about it -- hasn't changed since I left the 7th in another lifetime :(
I heard a rumor that the SO University is working up a better than the current effort to educate folks as they go through C&GS or its equivalents and all the War Colleges so they understand the SO piece a little better. If so, that will help but I don't guess there's much that can be done to eliminate the tendency toward parochialism...
Illegitimi non Carborundum, keep the Faith...
Don't much disagree, slapout 9...
I don't really have a problem with NorthCom having an SOF planning and coordinating element; I would very strongly suggest that it might be better not to call it "SOC North" just on PR grounds and I do believe it should not have any direct action elements assigned. Nor do I think it need to be anywhere near the size of the OCONUS Geographic Commands.
I was elsewhere when you went to Green Ramp but I did earlier go to CAAF to go to Little rock in '57 and to Green Ramp and then all the way to Mississippi in 62 to get Mr. Meredith in UMiss. Also went to Detroit in 68, and in a later life I worked occasioanl Garden Plot plans and a few disaster repsonses so I'm sorta familiar with the use of Federal troops in support of the old civil power.
I don't think lawsuits are a big concern, I know they are for local LE -- got two sons who are Cops but as you say, the Armed Forces aren't going to be a target other than as individuals until the law gets changed.
Re: The FBI HRT, Yeah, I can say Waco and I can say Ruby Ridge. Sometimes folks learn from their screwups, sometimes they don't. However, whether its the HRT, the Marshals, the USBP or ICE Reaction Force or the Wackenhut Team from Oak Ridge is immaterial to me as long as it is a civilian law enforcement agency.
My suspicion is that while USSOCOM might not care much; if deployed and used, the shooters would be identified as "Delta" or "SEAL" or "MARSOC" and that senior folks in all colors of uniforms on E-Ring in the five sided funny farm would not like that at all. Right now Congress polls in the pits, 14% and the Armed forces are high -- the service chiefs like it that way and they do not want too many people that work for them going around shooting fellow Americans regardless of their culpability.
A I also said, I agree Gangs are a big problem. I just don't agree on a military solution to them. Bad idea. Very bad idea.