[Shamrock-DW]

"I was unaware that SOCOM was dedicated solely to counterinsurgency, which evidently means 'not killing terrorists'."

SOCOM units are very adept at "killing terrorists".  The problem is the Army knows how to conduct counterinsurgency with finesse and not with a truck full of hammers.  It takes years to understand and develop good counterinsurgency fighters...something interloping units have not yet picked up on.  

"I was unaware that SOCOM was dedicated solely to counterinsurgency, which evidently means 'not killing terrorists'."

SOCOM units are very adept at "killing terrorists".  The problem is the Army knows how to conduct counterinsurgency with finesse and not with a truck full of hammers.  It takes years to understand and develop good counterinsurgency fighters...something interloping units have not yet picked up on.  

[madconservative]

I do realize the nuance when dealing with counterinsurgency. But the army asked the “interlopers” to come there, and gave them the use of the Nightstalkers for air. The inter-branch political crap is exactly the problem in this situation. My point is that your assertion overstated your case. SOCOM was not founded, and has never been dedicated solely to counterinsurgency efforts (for which it has almost exclusively failed). This is admittedly the domain of the Green Berets. But the Green Berets are not a kinetic force. Need to take an airfield? Don’t call them. Need to perform amphibious assault? Look elsewhere. Need to train indigenous forces? Bingo. But that is not the whole of special operations.

I love the army. All of the military in my family has been Army. I was in Army ROTC prior to deciding not to join the military. But the Army’s tactics are not exactly working in spades.