View Full Version : Why Decentralization, Not Consolidation, Is the Future of U.S. Army Special Forces
An article below with a number of embedded links to additional material and discussions that may be of interest to some in this group.
Operationally Detached: Why Decentralization, Not Consolidation, Is the Future of U.S. Army Special Forces
by Maurice "Duc" DuClos
Small Wars Journal
06.17.2026 at 06:00am
https://smallwarsjournal.com/2026/06/17/operationally-detached-why-decentralization-not-consolidation-is-the-future-of-u-s-army-special-forces/
SF needs to get rid of language like "the enterprise" and "episodic engagement"
:D
My first Team Sergeant was the Junior Bravo on 574 for the invasion. All of my early mentors were in that Group of Guys that on a random Tuesday in September were all out doing what we all were. Within a couple of days little groups of guys that could do anything did just that. That mindset is what was waning when I retired. Too much focus on widgets and do-dads or funding or camo-patterns…… The “Draw Down” that has been going on seems to have helped right the ship with regard to mindset, because on the next random day of the week that the balloon goes up, the do-dads, gizmos, and thing-a-ma-bobs won’t matter. The Guys that can DO Anything are what will win the day.
There, summed up the article in less than a paragraph of poorly written diatribe……
For all the Mission Command talk our military does, very little is actually practiced anymore. Doctrinally speaking centralized command with distributed control, and decentralized execution is nothing new but actually convincing senior leaders to abide by that doctrine is an uphill battle.
x/S
My first Team Sergeant was the Junior Bravo on 574 for the invasion. All of my early mentors were in that Group of Guys that on a random Tuesday in September were all out doing what we all were. Within a couple of days little groups of guys that could do anything did just that. That mindset is what was waning when I retired. Too much focus on widgets and do-dads or funding or camo-patterns…… The “Draw Down” that has been going on seems to have helped right the ship with regard to mindset, because on the next random day of the week that the balloon goes up, the do-dads, gizmos, and thing-a-ma-bobs won’t matter. The Guys that can DO Anything are what will win the day.
There, summed up the article in less than a paragraph of poorly written diatribe……
Clap, clap, clap, Amen.