Special Forces Stretched Thin By Two Wars

Baltimore Sun ^ | September 24, 2006 | David Wood

[RDTF]

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/bal-te.special24sep24,0,3228806.story

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- So many of America's special operations commandos have been thrown into combat in Iraq and Afghanistan that only a handful of the elite troops are available for the quiet but critical work of training local security forces and stabilizing governments elsewhere -- raising worries about al-Qaida and related terrorist groups expanding in other parts of the world.

The demand for Army Green Berets, Navy SEALs and other highly trained units in battle, which senior military commanders expect will last for the foreseeable future, is a tough problem for the military and for its relatively small and overstretched special operations forces centered here in a bustling wartime headquarters.

In Iraq, they are hunting down and capturing or killing insurgents and training and directing local units in that fight. But doing so drains people and resources from work elsewhere on which ultimate success or failure in the war on terrorism depends, senior officers said.

-snip-

He said the insurgencies in Iraq and Afghanistan had forced SOCOM to dedicate "more of our force than we'd like" to the fight there -- almost 6,000 of the 7,000 special forces currently deployed worldwide. "We have to kill or capture certain terrorists, disrupt their terrorist networks, and there is an urgency to that," said Olson, the Navy's senior-most SEAL.

The consequence, he added, is that "we are underrepresented globally."

Best known for their unique war-fighting skills, special forces personnel also conduct quieter missions aimed at bolstering stability across the Third World, primarily by helping train and guide local security forces, working on development and helping to strengthen and legitimize local governments -- steps deemed critical in alleviating conditions in which extremism can thrive and denying terrorists sanctuary where local governments are ineffective.

-snip-

[RDTF]

ping

[dighton]

The situation will grow worse by the day, right through November 7th.

[Steel Wolf]

So many of America's special operations commandos have been thrown into combat in Iraq and Afghanistan that only a handful of the elite troops are available for the quiet but critical work of training local security forces and stabilizing governments elsewhere -- raising worries about al-Qaida and related terrorist groups expanding in other parts of the world.

Robbing Peter to pay Paul. It's good that these guys are helping out with the door kicking, but at the end of the day, that's not going to win the war on terror. Building capable host nation troops who can defend and protect their own country from terrorists will.

[Prince Caspian]

Exactly. I don't know of anyone that operates with the luxury of unlimited resources.

[MNJohnnie]

You cannot just snap your fingers and create SOF. Takes time and effort. That effort is currently being put in. The Seals, for example are are currently operating in larger forces then they have ever done. Congress has also passed some expanded pay scales to keep SOF Operators from being lured away so easily by Private Military Contractors.

Here is a historic example of what happens when you try to expand too fast and sacrifice quality for quantity.

http://books.google.com/books?id=35tsY4Wa274C&dq=expansion+of+the+US+Special+Forces&pg=PA158&ots=xUZjpbKt61&sig=5aKkn7ahYjXrc6GVEywQxRNulfE&prev=http://www.google.com/search%3Fhl%3Den%26lr%3D%26rls%3DPCTA%252CPCTA%253A2006-32%252CPCTA%253Aen%26q%3Dexpansion%2Bof%2Bthe%2BUS%2BSpecial%2BForces%26btnG%3DSearch&sa=X&oi=print&ct=result&cd=1

[Strategerist]

In the specific case of Special Forces, there is indeed a legitimate shortage - biggest problem is that they simply can make so much more money out of the military working for private security firms - the military at large has always had a weird relationship with Special Forces, they've always had enemies, and they've always been REALLY reluctant to pay them a lot more than regular forces, especially if that means some Delta Force enlisted man ends up making more than an officer in the regular forces...

But they really have to do it. They're spending too much money to train these people and then losing them.

[MNJohnnie]

Building capable host nation troops who can defend and protect their own country from terrorists will.

Which is exactly the mission the Green Berets are suppose to be doing.

[SandRat]

Even though the "HE" doing all the talking is cited as the Deputy SOCOM Commander, something just doesn't seem quite right in this story.

[CaptRon]

It's ONE war.

[balch3]

Stories about SpecOps stretched thin and Army units being extended, generals criticizing Rummy before a RAT "committee." This is a complete coincidence and has nothing to do with the election being a month away /sarcasm.

[RDTF]

I did a crappy job editing this post - struggling with the word limit.

All-
Clicking on the link offers more info and explains how the special ops teams work around the world, etc.

[CWOJackson]

"Even though the "HE" doing all the talking is cited as the Deputy SOCOM Commander, something just doesn't seem quite right in this story."

There has always been an uneasy relationship between the regular Army and Special Forces. This has the appearance of Special Forces trying an end run around their bosses to try and grow their strength.

[letsgonova19087]

I am reminded of the Casey/Santorum debate on Russert a few weeks back...

The entire program, Casey's only substantail point was that we needed to "increase the number of special forces". What I thought reading this article was the same thing I thought when I heard him say that...

You don't "create" Special Forces by increasing a budget or allocating funds. If I understand correctly, the reason we have so few special forces is because they're, well, SPECIAL FORCES! What is the statistic? For every 100 men that try out to be a SEAL, its only what like 6 that make it correct? These units have very high admissions standards, and to hear Casey talk about it you would think he thought he could just add a few million bucks to the budget and fix the problem.

[GSlob]

Well, given that the current war is going to last for a generation or two [unless we decide to cut it short and go massively nuclear], there is enough time for training the special operations people - but not in incremental numbers. Why not aim for, say, quintupling?

[Brilliant]

Remember when the Clinton admin bragged that "their" military could fight two major wars at once? Now they claim that we can't even fight these two piddly wars at once.

[Steel Wolf]

Well, given that the current war is going to last for a generation or two [unless we decide to cut it short and go massively nuclear], there is enough time for training the special operations people - but not in incremental numbers. Why not aim for, say, quintupling?

The problem there is simple: it's hard to get special operations people in great numbers.

For one, not many people are cut out for it.

Those that are tend to be mature, stable and smart, and don't care for 'big Army' rules. The more that Special Operations falls under 'big Army', the less they're going to like it.

And, when someone from Blackwater or another contacting firm comes knocking with a $150k a year offer to do a very similar job, what is your motivation to stay in and be treated like a chump for half the money? Patriotism? Sure, those guys are patriotic, but they're not suckers.

If you want to build and retain a large Special Operations community, you're going to need to make them a separate service altogether, treat them like adults, and pay them what they're worth. Until then, increasing their numbers simply isn't going to happen.

[StarCMC]

The thing that annoys me about these "stories" is that not one source is named by name (unless it's in the part I can't see without registering.) "Senior officials said" IMO can mean the same thing as "Oh gee I think I'll make something up!" Especially considering the truthfulness of the media as shown by Flat Fatima, the smoking battle scenes and such. And they think we should just believe what they print because....???

[CWOJackson]

At least Mapes could back her story up with documents.

[StarCMC]

LOL!!!

[Whiterabbit3188]

Lets look at a timeline for creating a Army SF soldier.

We now have a new policy that allows soldiers to go straight tru into the 18 Series(Special Forces MOS) from the street.

So a guy can go through basic(8 weeks), then AIT(5 weeks) Airborne School(3 Weeks).

Now he is going to go through train up for selection thats about 2 months. Then selection thats 3 weeks, if selected.

Now its time for MOS training. Phase two is 4 weeks, Mos training depending on Medic, Commo, Wpns, Engineer, could be from 4 months to a year long.

Then Robin Sage, thats 5 weeks of joy.

Next is Language or SERE school if he is Language Qualified. Language is 4 to 6 months. SERE is almost 3 Weeks.

He gets his Beret, then he is off to a Group.

There are plenty of other debates we can have on the other policies, but no debate on it takes time to create a SF soldier.

[Allegra]

And they think we should just believe what they print because....???

Because so many idiots actually do believe them.

It's sad, isn't it?

[CWOJackson]

I see "Senior Army Officials" have just spoken to ABC News saying they need an additional 60,000 troops.

The JCS must be working themselves to the point of exhaustion with all these interviews.

[StarCMC]

Everytime I see Jay Leno doing his street interviews it scares the heck out of me. There are some really, really stupid people in this country.

[Whiterabbit3188]

Oh yeah. Almost forgot. Clinton and his gang closed 11th and 12th reserve Groups.

So we only have 5 active Groups(1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 10th) and only Two NG(19th and 20th).

Not counting the Jedi's of course. Who are in a different Cat.

[RDTF]

That is a great breakdown - thanks

[Cogadh na Sith]

From the Baltimore Sun which has never missed advocating cutting military spending....

Bastards.

[GSlob]

Speaking broadly, Blackwater people are special forces, too - just a bit private. If one is to accept an arbitrary standard that top 3% [physically and mentally] would qualify for SF training, then given the country population of 1 million 18yrs old males, it is 30000 a year. Thus the theoretical maximum for SF [assuming 15-20 yrs service] is about 450-600000. Of course, there is no draft, but still it indicates that there is quite a room for enlargement.

[Steel Wolf]

Speaking broadly, Blackwater people are special forces, too - just a bit private. ... Of course, there is no draft, but still it indicates that there is quite a room for enlargement.

You can't draft Green Berets. People that don't want to make it won't. I agree with your assessment that the potential exists for a large SOF community, but it is still limited by the factors I mentioned above.

Speaking broadly, Blackwater is a private security contracting company, and not under the command of SOCOM, the Pentagon, or any other branch of government. They're very good, but they're not a military asset. There's no substitute for a military SOF community.

[lndrvr1972]

Where did this info come from? I know several people who are involved in special ops they say very opposite things. I have been told that the war in Iraq and Afghanistan has helped how we train our special soldiers. Typical BS from the general media...

[cookcounty]

"But they really have to do it. They're spending too much money to train these people and then losing them."

Pay them with large combat and hardship bonuses. If officers want to complain, they can sign up to live in a ditch in Awfulstinkystan like everybody else.

[Rocky Mountain High]

That's one part of their many types of missions.

[cookcounty]

"Next is Language or SERE school if he is Language Qualified. Language is 4 to 6 months. SERE is almost 3 Weeks."

With the high-demand Class III and IV languages (e.g., Arabic, etc.) it's more like 12 months of language school, and that is skimping.

[Whiterabbit3188]

yeah, however, the guys that go through only get 6 months at language school in Bragg. If they go to California, then it's 6 plus.

In reality, we get 'immersion' training.

[cookcounty]

"You can't draft Green Berets. People that don't want to make it won't."

Not entirely correct. I was talking to a retired SF last year and found we had a few things in common, including having been drafted into the Army in 1971. Some guys think one thing, but have a different view once in the military.

I was an anti-war anti-military nut, carrying the upside-down flag on main street, but when I got my draft notice, it just didn't seem right to me to skip out. So I went in, wearing my bad attitude on my shoulder. After awhile I realized that all the anti-military crap was mostly just that, --crap. I even considered staying in when they told me I should go to OCS.

When my son told me he wanted to sign up, I was not the least bit displeased. He's in Iraq again now (thanks for your prayers).

[cookcounty]

"yeah, however, the guys that go through only get 6 months at language school in Bragg. If they go to California, then it's 6 plus."

Thanks for the clarification. My son went to DLI early on, then decided he would step up to bigger things. I hadn't realized that the track is different for those that beeline into SF.

[Steel Wolf]

Not entirely correct. I was talking to a retired SF last year and found we had a few things in common, including having been drafted into the Army in 1971. Some guys think one thing, but have a different view once in the military.

Fair enough. I don't like the idea of a draft myself, but it seems to have done alright by many of the people who were drafted.

Once in, I think some people find that they adjust to military life just fine, and enjoy it. But Special Forces is it's own animal. I don't think you can try and push people into it the way you can the military in general.