The Turmoil of Identity Crisis in Special Forces...

[Basenshukai]

I found this recorded podcast today and thought it was a good listen (or, read, if you opt for the transcript instead).

In essence, this is the result of a Duke University study (as part of thesis for a War College fellowship program at Chapel Hill - Duke U.) on the current culture and identity of the US Army Special Forces.

Here is the link to the podcast (34 minutes and 29 seconds long): https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/podcasts/sfcom-culture/

[Pete]

Long read - but pretty much all of what's in there has been talked about here - more that once.

[Basenshukai]

Long read - but pretty much all of what's in there has been talked about here - more that once.

If that's the case, I will leave it here for one more day and then delete the post. Thanks for the heads up.

[Pete]

Just saying that it's hard for the young guys to see it as that's all they've known.

The older guys see it but are not in it any more.

Technology has changed a lot of things. You can not run UW these days like you did it in the old days. It needs some serious updating.

[Trapper John]

Basunshukai- Thanks for posting. Very encouraging at least to this FOG/former SFBaby. :D

[Uman]

The study will be published as it won the War College award.

It has been briefed to our Command, USASOC, and USSOCOM is interested.

The formation of USSOCOM has done what it was supposed to do and stopped there. We have never failed in executing a CT/DA operation but we cannot put together an IW campaign or strategy. USSOCOM has stunted strategic thought to just thinking that one can cobble together a bunch of DA operations and call it a strategy. This did not work for the BEF with trench raiding in WWI, it has not worked for the IDF ever as they still have "to mow the lawn" ever so often as they say, so why would we think it would work for us. DA/CT is attacking the enemy and this is a very simplistic form of strategy instead of attacking the enemy's strategy, (VSO) which is a higher level of thinking. The 2019 Rand study on the competition between each branch and USSOCOM still cites the mental attitude of "We Do Raids" so there is still evidence of limited strategic thought.

The thesis on the ID crisis also dove tails into what Cleveland just published through Rand Corp.

https://www.rand.org/pubs/perspectives/PEA301-1.html

I am tired of losing. And our enemies know our weakness.

[Trapper John]

I need to give credit to our Brother Michael Mastin who originally posted this article on FB. I think this is the most seminal thinking on the subject since Clausewitz. I posted this here because I think it is essential for SF to recognize the changing manner and means of warfare as SF comes to grips with defining its identity. JMHO/YMMV :D

Yous MODs may want to put this in a separate thread. ;)

https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/commentary/sovereignty-and-new-total-war?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=ad_link&utm_campaign=MagFY2020&fbclid=IwAR0pF5utP1Lod67VNqUTi-7gYss9fcng4SN0a9x0gtnQUm6X-3pw7jpqbZ8

Oh, and Uman, I think this also dovetails nicely into Cleveland's article.

[Trapper John]

The study will be published as it won the War College award.

It has been briefed to our Command, USASOC, and USSOCOM is interested.

The formation of USSOCOM has done what it was supposed to do and stopped there. We have never failed in executing a CT/DA operation but we cannot put together an IW campaign or strategy. USSOCOM has stunted strategic thought to just thinking that one can cobble together a bunch of DA operations and call it a strategy. This did not work for the BEF with trench raiding in WWI, it has not worked for the IDF ever as they still have "to mow the lawn" ever so often as they say, so why would we think it would work for us. DA/CT is attacking the enemy and this is a very simplistic form of strategy instead of attacking the enemy's strategy, (VSO) which is a higher level of thinking. The 2019 Rand study on the competition between each branch and USSOCOM still cites the mental attitude of "We Do Raids" so there is still evidence of limited strategic thought.

The thesis on the ID crisis also dove tails into what Cleveland just published through Rand Corp.

https://www.rand.org/pubs/perspectives/PEA301-1.html

I am tired of losing. And our enemies know our weakness.

This is very concerning and portends a misalignment with the manner and means of warfare that is being conducted by our principal enemy, China! Uman said he is tired of losing. I say if USSOCOM doesn't wake up, then tighten up your web-gear and get prepared for bucket after bucket of Losing! Raids won't matter!

[Uman]

Thanks for the link Trapper.

There'll be a Defense Network Zoom type of meeting about the. ID crisis if anyone is interested.


https://summit.defenseinnovation.net/talks/is-there-an-identity-crisis-within-us-special-operations/