Future of U.S. Special Operations Forces

Future of U.S. Special Operations Forces PDF Author: Linda Robinson
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description

Future of U.S. Special Operations Forces

Future of U.S. Special Operations Forces PDF Author: Linda Robinson
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description


The Future of U.S. Special Operations Forces

The Future of U.S. Special Operations Forces PDF Author: Linda Robinson
Publisher: Council on Foreign Relations Press
ISBN: 9780876095508
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 50

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Book Description
U.S. special operations forces are doing more things in more places than ever before. They are now active in some seventy countries and, since 2001, have seen their combined budget nearly quintuple -- a trend that seems likely to continue. As the United States seeks ways to tackle a range of security threats worldwide, shore up the resilience of its friends and allies against terrorist and criminal networks, and minimize need for large-scale military interventions, the importance of special operations forces will grow. Yet, the strategic vision for special operations forces has not kept pace with the growing demands for their skills. Most people -- and, indeed, many policymakers -- associate the special operations forces with secret nighttime raids like the one that targeted Osama bin Laden: tactical operations against a particular individual or group. The abilities of special operations forces, however, extend much further, into military training, information operations, civil affairs, and more. As the United States shifts its focus from war fighting to building and supporting its partners, the author argues, it will become critical to better define these strategic capabilities and ensure that special operations forces have the staffing and funding to succeed. The author further calls on the Pentagon to remove bureaucratic and operational obstacles to cooperation among the special operations forces of each service, and between special and conventional forces. She also recommends that all special operations forces commands work to develop a pipeline of talented, motivated officers with expertise in these issues, and that the role of civilian leadership in budget and operational oversight be reinforced.

One Hundred Victories

One Hundred Victories PDF Author: Linda Robinson
Publisher: PublicAffairs
ISBN: 1610391500
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 345

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Book Description
One Hundred Victories is a portrait of how -- after a decade of intensive combat operations -- special operations forces have become the go-to force for US military endeavors worldwide. Linda Robinson follows the evolution of special ops in Afghanistan, their longest deployment since Vietnam. She has lived in mud-walled compounds in the mountains and deserts of insurgent-dominated regions, and uses those experiences to show the gritty reality of the challenges the SOF face and the constant danger in which they operate. She witnessed special operators befriending villagers to help them secure their homes, and fighting off insurgents in the most dangerous safe havens even as they navigated a constant series of conflicts, crises, and other "meteors" from conventional forces, the CIA, and the Pakistanis -- not to mention weak links within their own ranks. They showed what a tiny band of warriors could do, and could not do, out on the wild frontiers of the next-generation wars. One Hundred Victories also includes the inside story of the dramatic November 2011 cross-border firefight with Pakistan, which sent the US commander into a fury and provoked an international crisis. It describes the murky world of armed factions operating along the world's longest disputed border, and the chaos and casualties that result when commanders with competing agendas cannot resolve their differences.

United States Special Operations Forces

United States Special Operations Forces PDF Author: Christopher J. Lamb
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 0231545223
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 490

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Book Description
In this book, two national-security experts put the exploits of America’s special operation forces in historical and strategic context. David Tucker and Christopher J. Lamb offer an incisive overview of America’s turbulent experience with special operations. Starting with in-depth interviews with special operators, the authors illustrate the diversity of modern special operations forces and the strategic value of their unique attributes. Despite longstanding and growing public fascination with special operators, these forces and their contribution to national security are poorly understood. With this book, Tucker and Lamb dispel common misconceptions and offer a penetrating analysis of how these unique and valuable forces can be employed to even better effect in the future. The book builds toward a comprehensive assessment of the strategic utility of special operations forces, which it then considers in light of the demands of future warfare. This second edition of United States Special Operations Forces, revised throughout to account for lessons learned in the twelve years since its first publication, includes two new case studies, one on High Value Target Teams and another on Village Stability Operations, and two new appendixes charting the evolution of special operation missions and the best literature on all aspects of U.S. special operation forces.

Oppose Any Foe

Oppose Any Foe PDF Author: Mark Moyar
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 0465093019
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 442

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Book Description
The epic story of America's most elite warriors: the Special Operations Forces. Born as small appendages to the conventional armies of World War II, the Special Operations Forces have grown into a behemoth of 70,000 troops, including Navy SEALs, Army Special Forces, Special Operations Marines, Rangers, and Delta Force. Weaving together their triumphs and tribulations, acclaimed historian Mark Moyar introduces a colorful cast of military men, brimming with exceptional talent, courage and selflessness. In a nation where the military is the most popular institution, America's Special Operations Forces have become the most popular members of the military. Through nighttime raids on enemy compounds and combat advising of resistance movements, special operators have etched their names into the nation's registry of heroes. Yet the public knows little of the journey that they took to reach these heights, a journey that was neither easy nor glamorous. Fighting an uphill battle for most of their seventy-five year history, the Special Operations Forces slipped on many an occasion, and fell far on several. Presidents from Franklin Roosevelt to Barack Obama have enthusiastically championed Special Operations Forces, but their enthusiasm has often surpassed their understanding, resulting in misuse or overuse of the troops. Lacking clearly defined missions, Special Operations Forces have had to reinvent themselves time and again to prove their value in the face of fierce critics-many of them from the conventional military, which from the start opposed the segregation of talent in special units. Highlighting both the heroism of America's most elite soldiers and the controversies surrounding their meteoric growth, Oppose Any Foe presents the first comprehensive history of these special warriors and their daring missions. It is essential reading for anyone interested in America's military history-and the future of warfare.

US Special Operations Forces in Action

US Special Operations Forces in Action PDF Author: Thomas K. Adams
Publisher: Psychology Press
ISBN: 0714647950
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 398

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Book Description
This work argues for a shift in expectations for "unconventional warfare" with a greater willingness to accept lengthy commitments and incremental progress.

Into the Void

Into the Void PDF Author: James D. Kiras
Publisher: Hurst Publishers
ISBN: 1805262319
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 278

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Book Description
The moment in the sun for special operations sometimes appears to have passed, seemingly eclipsed by preparations for potential conflict under the guise of ‘great power’ competition, combined with failure in Afghanistan. Yet the war in Ukraine serves as a reminder that special operations play an even greater role today―before, during and presumably after conflict. The challenge remains dealing with current irregular and hybrid threats, at the same time as preparing for an uncertain future, as threats and technologies evolve at a dizzying pace. Focusing too much on the future of conventional warfare creates a void in national security discussions related to special operations. This book seeks to fill that gap, drawing on the expertise of scholars and practitioners in the field, from the Indo-Pacific, Europe and the United States, to answer what, if anything, special operations can or should seek to do, and how. The contributors explore such topics as proxies, non-state special forces, capabilities, innovation and transformation, artificial intelligence, and special operations in space and cyberspace. These chapters are united by their analysis that special operations will have future strategic and operational value, for allies and adversaries alike, provided that difficult choices are made in the present.

The Future of U.S. Special Operations Forces

The Future of U.S. Special Operations Forces PDF Author: United States. Congress. House. Committee on Armed Services. Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 72

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The Future of U.s. Special Operations Forces

The Future of U.s. Special Operations Forces PDF Author: United States Congress
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781977958358
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 96

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Book Description
The future of U.S. Special Operations Forces : hearing before the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities of the Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, second session, hearing held July 11, 2012.

The Future of U.s. Special Operations Forces

The Future of U.s. Special Operations Forces PDF Author: United States Congress
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781977958426
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 68

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Book Description
The future of U.S. Special Operations Forces : ten years after 9/11 and twenty-five years after Goldwater-Nichols : hearing before the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities of the Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, first session, hearing held September 22, 2011.