SPECIAL FORCES IN CRISIS

SOF magazine ^ | une 28 2008 | General James A. Guest, USA

[LegendHasIt]

...the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School is not even “a pygmy in the lineup of TRADOC schools.” JFKSWCS is missing from the TRADOC listing of branch centers and schools altogether. It is an orphan, with neither guidance nor funding from the U. S. Army organization designed to support it. ***Snip**** ...senior Army leaders have crippled Special Forces doctrine, organization, training, material acquisition, leadership development, personnel management, facilities, and maintenance. “Center and School” is becoming a hollow title; SWCS is being degraded to the equivalent of Ranger School....

[LegendHasIt]

I knew that this was going to happen when President Bush put Gates in at SecDef. A pedestrian, conventional thinker... a 'globalist'; He is bound and determined to cripple our ability to do the things that we are going to have to do to fight terrorism.

[LegendHasIt]

You might also be interested in Gen. Guest’s article from a month ago; The Demise of the Green Berets:
http://www.sofmag.com/news/permalink1/2008/3/29/1830336365248.html

[PeteB570]

Both from Guest. Most I know would use it for bathroom wipe.

[sinanju]

Incredible that the old straight-leg war against SF goes on unabated after their recent performance.

[sinanju]

Interesting site, by the way, previous experience a few years back convinced me SOF wasn’t very web-friendly. That has obviously changed.

I gotta buy an online subscription.

[RetiredArmy]

A lot of senior officers are jealous of special opps. They think they are too independent, too glamorous, etc. They despise them for their special status. I knew of officers during my time in the Army who openly voiced displeasure with the “special” way that special opps folks are treated, promotions, etc.

[LegendHasIt]

Yep. I do have some firsthand knowledge of that.

[SVTCobra03]

One of the long term liberal/socialist/Marxist goals for the liberal fascist police state in America is to destroy the Army Special Forces for the same reason that the Soviets annihilated the Polish officer corps in the Katyn Forest in WWII. They do not want a cadre of SF that would serve as trainers and leaders of the Resistance.

[maine-iac7]

Gates,

I'm glad to hear someone else doesn't like Gates = I despise the man.

He leaves our troops to twist in the wind while he spends months parlaying with NATO - who sends him packing time and again.

And more months to by without our troops in Afghanstan having the supplies and troops it needs....nor often, air cover - or delayed time between the call for and the arrival - etc etc...

Ah, but now they say 'maybe by the end of the year' we can send more troops.

That's little comfort to the units that are under an average of 3 firefights a day - day in, day out - 15 months at a time.

I really do not like this Gates = and right now, I'm not very fond on Mullen.

too damn many fiddle players at the Pentagon

[razorback-bert]

ping

[SuziQ]

Where is this John F. Kennedy school located?

My nephew was an Apache Longbow pilot, but topped out at Captain, because if he'd been promoted past that, he wouldn't have been able to fly anymore. He decided to go back to train for Special Forces, and is in command of a group in Iraq right now.

[LegendHasIt]

Primarily; Ft Bragg, North Carolina

[PeteB570]

Good bit out at Camp MacKall / Rowe .

But you knew that.

:-)

47s bank over my house turning in on final to Simmons AAF.

[cva66snipe]

The last Sec of Def fit for the job and did it right was Cap. Since then not a single one has came even close. Same old Johnson/Nixon/Ford/Carter era mistakes and the names sound darn familiar too. Jan 89 began our military downturn and nothing is being done to stop it.

[LegendHasIt]

Well, I could have mentioned YPGAZ and KWFL as well...

But then I'd have had to kill everyone, including myself. ;-)

I always thought that was a silly saying.....

[norton]

Think you nailed it - but other 'special' operations elements (not SF) are into the training and organizing thing these days as well.
However, as I understand it, their path to that role is different and the goals are more conventional than I was taught.

Another thought - are 'they' still pissed over old (?) ties with the agency that shall not be named?

(A few years back, my introduction to a new VP began with his asking me about military experience, followed with my telling him it included assignment with Special Forces, then his glowing description of dropping the tail ramp and taxiing while troopers burned out on their ATVs, dune buggies, scooters and such...
and then...
my very respectful and subdued...WHAT?

All of which was an improvement over the seventies, when I mentioned SF and someone asked what instrument I played.)

[LegendHasIt]

Rumsfeld was the best boss I ever had... (his first time around, anyway; I can’t speak of the last time around, although I’d have been glad to have gone back to work for him if he needed an old, slow cripple for anything. Really, he is the only one that ever acually “got” the whole idea of SpecOps use in the ‘big picture’.

I wasn’t a big fan of Weinberger, although he didn’t suck as bad as some. But I can see how you Carrier guys might have thought he was the best thing since Brasso and Nevr Dull. ;-)

[cva66snipe]

I wasn’t a big fan of Weinberger, although he didn’t suck as bad as some. But I can see how you Carrier guys might have thought he was the best thing since Brasso and Nevr Dull. ;-)

LOL I wasn't active duty under Cap I was already out. But when I was in Ford then {Mr Peanut was POTUS} MIlitary was a mess in early 1977 and Jimmy as bad as he was didn't cause that mess although he did little to help it either.

Jimmy did somehow Navy wise manage to do one thing right that did make a huge difference though. I started noticing significant improvements in late 79-80 when I got out. I credit it to the new SECNAV who came in about mid 1979.

[Whispering Smith]

“...the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School is not even “a pygmy in the lineup of TRADOC schools.” JFKSWCS is missing from the TRADOC listing of branch centers and schools altogether. It is an orphan, with neither guidance nor funding from the U. S. Army organization designed to support it. ***Snip**** ...senior Army leaders have crippled Special Forces doctrine, organization, training, material acquisition, leadership development, personnel management, facilities, and maintenance. “Center and School” is becoming a hollow title; SWCS is being degraded to the equivalent of Ranger School....”
Is it possible we are looking at a budget base transfer which took this center out from under US Army sponsorship and transfered it to SOF Claimant?

[SuziQ]

I believe that’s where Alexander trained. I know my brother mentioned going down there for his graduation.