AFSOC Turning to a New Heading
U.S. AIR FORCE SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND (AFSOC) has roots going back more than 75 years, to the Air Commandos of World War II. Since then, it has faced conflicts, changes in national strategy, and the rise and fall of threats. In 2018, the new “National Defense Strategy” (NDS) made readiness for great power conflict the top priority. Yet at the same time, as AFSOC Commander Lt. Gen. Marshall B. “Brad” Webb said in Washington on Sept. 17, 2018, “The NDS stresses that we must maintain irregular warfare as a core competence.” On Oct. 29, 2018, the Department of Defense (DOD) and U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) announced that they would jointly carry out two congressionally mandated reviews to “find the right balance between continuing to challenge terrorist organizations while simultaneously addressing growing irregular warfare threats posed by nation-states.” The events of 2018 will shape the future of AFSOC for decades to come. 34
Special Operations Outlook
U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO BY MASTER SGT. JOSEPH SWAFFORD
BY DAVID C. ISBY
