SOF vs. SOF-like
SOF vs. SOF-like
by Brigadier General Bennet S. Sacolick
Small Wars Journal
SOF vs. SOF-like (Full PDF Article)
Recently, there has been significant discussion regarding the need for America’s conventional military forces to be more like Special Forces or SOF-like”. I completely endorse this proposition, assuming it is not a knee-jerk reaction to our current conflicts but a conclusion drawn from our potential 21st century adversaries. There have been numerous forecasts describing our future environment- an environment without any peer, or near-peer competitors, one in which our most likely threats will resort to an alternative to conventional military confrontation such as irregular warfare.
Special Operations Forces are specifically trained and equipped to conduct irregular warfare, so I can’t argue with our leadership when they propose the requirement for additional small combat and advisory teams along the Special Forces model. Neither can I quarrel with the need for additional troops who are culturally adept and comfortable working outside the conventional structures of the Army or Marine Corps. Joint Forces Command recently created a Joint Irregular Warfare Center, headed by a retired Special Operations officer (Navy SEAL), to guide their efforts in shifting general purpose force capabilities more towards a Special Operations Forces approach to fighting. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff reinforced the necessity for more SOF-like forces when he said, “the one requirement that jumps off the page is the requirement for all services to be SOF-like–to be netted, to be much more flexible, adaptive, faster, lethal, and precise”.
From my vantage point, that of a career Special Operations officer, I thought it would be helpful to describe the complexities associated with creating those Special Operation Forces and the unique role they are prepared to play in the execution of an American foreign policy predicated upon Global Engagement. I chose Special Forces, commonly referred to as Green Berets, as a representative example of SOF because they represent the largest single component assigned to the United States Special Operations Command.
