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News/Features
Special Operations success hinges on people, partnerships
by David Vergun
DOD News
Talented, well trained and motivated people are key to a highly effective and capable special operations force. The other key to its success is partnerships across industry, academia and with allies and partners, the commander of U.S. Special Forces Command said.
As a result of the experiences and lessons learned during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan over the last two decades, special operations forces are “battle tested and probably one of the most credible, integrated, capable forces that we’ve ever had,” Army Gen. Richard D. Clarke said yesterday at the 2021 Aspen Security Forum in Washington, D.C.
Although the focus has shifted to Great Power competition, particularly with China, the lessons learned from counterinsurgency operations need to be retained because the threat to the homeland will not dissipate, he said.
“The counterterrorism mission is going to remain. There’s still going to be folks that want to come into our country, especially folks that would, if they had the opportunity, take a shot at the United States. I’m not saying the next 9/11 is around the corner, but I do think that we always have to be vigilant and be prepared,” he said, adding that the Defense Department did a great job adding the “irregular warfare annex” to the National Defense Strategy.
Undermining the confidence of potential adversaries is a particularly useful role of special operations forces, Clarke said. Information operations play a part in that, along with building resistance networks.
“Building resistance networks means that we want an adversary to think that behind every rock is an IED [improvised explosive device] and up in every tree is a sniper, that if you were willing to attack this country, you’re going to be fighting all the way through,” he said, mentioning the Baltic nations as one of many examples employing this strategy.
Although special operations forces make up just 2 percent of the Joint
Photo by Army Spc. Jason Johnston
Soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), jump out of a C-130 Hercules aircraft over a drop zone in Germany, March 17, 2015.
See SPECIAL OPS, Page 12
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