Unconventional Warfare Command?
Support Grows for Standing up an Unconventional Warfare Command - Sean Naylor, Armed Forces Journal.
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An idea that wouldn't die may be getting a new lease on life. Despite years of the idea being shot down at the highest levels, there are again growing calls from inside and outside the military for the establishment of an "unconventional warfare command" that would oversee those special operations forces whose primary mission is not killing and capturing the enemy.
Recent leadership changes in Congress, the Defense Department and U.S. Special Operations Command have given supporters of the idea fresh hope that the PowerPoint slides might finally become reality.
At the core of the debate are the Army's Special Forces, who specialize in working "by, with and through" indigenous forces. They have long complained that they play second fiddle in U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) to those units that specialize in direct action, i.e. missions focused on capturing or killing enemies. SOCom gives direct-action units, particularly those that fall under Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), priority in resourcing, and it is from those units that most of SOCom's leadership is drawn, they say. Only by the creation of an unconventional warfare command will the special ops units that emphasize indirect action get a fair shake on the battlefield and inside the bureaucracy, their argument goes...
Nope, just another hamstrung command...
Let those soldiers do their job, unimpeded.
The SOCs and JSOCs are working, but not to full potential.
Why do we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing ? Back in 2004, DTIC thought we had a gap to bridge between operations and command. That never really went anywhere, but years later, we're back on the carousel.
Seems we're back at stashing all our special toys in one box, under one command, and no joy.
We don't need to reorganize, just fine tune and get off the micro management stool.
New organizational structure
An assuption for any unconventional warfare (UW) structure is that SOF are the resident experts and sole sorce of UW operations. This assumption may not be accurate and may lead military services in the wrong direction. In Iraq, SOF conduct direct action conventional operations primarily (not exclusively but the majority of their actions are capture/kill). UW is conducted by "conventional" forces. The complexity of operations and battlespace make direct action only one component of combat operations. A typical BCT or TF in Iraq conducts reconcilation with Sunni and Shia elements, civil support operations, governance support operations, economic development and reconstruction operations, security forces training and partnering, and direct action. These complex tasks require living with and intimately knowning and understanding Iraqs on a neighborhood basis.
SOF move into an AO they do not own, coduct a capture/kill operation and exfil. The consequences of their actions are not focused on them but on the "land" owner. This is not a criticism of the superb operations CF SOF do daily, simply a recognition that Iraq has unique envrons that allow conventional forces to conduct UW operations.
US forces do not need another command. What is needed is developing the tools and skills within conventional and special forces to operation in the dynamic complexity of current and future battlefields.
Heh. Thought that might get some attention...
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Originally Posted by
Uboat509
Good God, no. Transfering SF back to the regualar Army will only hamstring us. There is a huge difference in mind-set. No good can come from putting us back under big Army control.
SFC W
Having been there in another lifetime when the Groups did work for big Army, it isn't that bad. ;)
Parochialism exists today and the fact that you guys work for SOCOM possibly exacerbates the friction on the ground more than it would if you were all working for the same Commander...
There will always be conflict between the plodders and the hot-shots. Those, terms, by the way are not pejorative and not accurate but are merely hyperbolic usage to illustrate the perceptions of some people in each grouping.
That conflict is as old as warfare and is probably not going to go away.
Recall also that I -- and I know I'm not alone in this thought -- have bemoaned the fact that SF as a branch has eliminated to a too great extent the movement of Officers between big Army and the Groups. Both have suffered from that loss. :mad:
In any event, it's unlikely to happen. :(
Just in case, though, I'm using my chemistry set and am working on a Non Parochial Just Get the Job Done pill to be called Nopajugjodone... :wry:
I'll have to get back to you on that. My people
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Originally Posted by
Rob Thornton
it have one of those cool commercials like Cialis and Viagra? Or will it just have a tag that says..."continued use could make you more effective.... however if you turn purple for more then 2 missions see your branch rep for an assignment to the Pentagon":D
Best regards, Rob
are talking to Bob Dole's people... :D
On the side effects, the one you cite is a problem; the solution is to lengthen WesPac tours, expand Thule and reopen Several compounds up north in Korea...
Then use Jack Singlaub's solution to the Pentagon problem. ;)
Thought I better clarify something
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yep that would do it - if I sound off anymore Dave or Bill will accuse me of sounding like Stan
I hope everyone understands that was a harken back to days gone by (and a soldier's compliment) - while from what I know of Stan through SWC - I'd trade 100 guys for 10 Stans in any fight somebody was sending me to - I'd be a bit wary of accompanying Stan to say Pataya Beach, Thailand - I could see myself getting into trouble real fast - and having allot of explaining to do when I got back:D
Stan I think (from what I know of him through the site & the guys I know like him) is the guy you want next to you when somebody drops you off alone in some #### hole with 1000 lbs of the wrong stuff, and clock is ticking away while people who don't much like you are figuring out ways to make life miserable or end it. He will make his own luck, procure those things you need, find people who you can work with, provide the most common sense answers that have somehow eluded you, and keep you alive so the mission gets done. He is a professional, tactically and technically competent SNCO - he keeps us straight and focused.
But going on liberty/R&R - he'll also know where all the ladies and alcohol are at!
God bless Stan and all those like him!