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Leozinho · 05-03-2006, 09:54

I didn't see this posted.

http://www.afji.com/story.php?F=1520947_0306

Another article by Sean Naylor.

MORE THAN DOOR-KICKERS

Special ops forces are misused as man-hunters, critics say

Here's an excerpt.

"So why are so many folks in the special ops community wearing such glum faces?

A major factor is a growing perception among special operators that in the Pentagon and, increasingly, U.S. Special Operations Command, senior leaders are only interested in missions and units that emphasize one set of special ops skills — namely, man-hunting and direct action, known colloquially as “door-kicking.” Direct action and man-hunting have long been the preserve — indeed, the raison d’être — of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) and its associated units: ... Direct action is also one of Army Special Forces’ “seven principal missions.”

What troubles many special operators, particularly those from the SF community, is that another six principal missions, as well as the contributions of the Army’s civil affairs and psychological operations units, are undervalued by their leaders. Those missions include unconventional warfare (fostering and promoting an insurgency, as the SF troops did with the Northern Alliance against the Taliban), foreign internal defense (helping a friendly government defeat an insurgency) and information operations. These are missions that, unlike direct action, place a high priority on Special Forces’ language skills and cultural awareness (each of the Army’s seven SF groups has a regional focus)."

05-03-2006, 09:54	#1
Leozinho Quiet Professional Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: No. Va Posts: 407	"More than Door-kickers" - article on SF being undervalued, misused I didn't see this posted. http://www.afji.com/story.php?F=1520947_0306 Another article by Sean Naylor. MORE THAN DOOR-KICKERS Special ops forces are misused as man-hunters, critics say Here's an excerpt. "So why are so many folks in the special ops community wearing such glum faces? A major factor is a growing perception among special operators that in the Pentagon and, increasingly, U.S. Special Operations Command, senior leaders are only interested in missions and units that emphasize one set of special ops skills — namely, man-hunting and direct action, known colloquially as “door-kicking.” Direct action and man-hunting have long been the preserve — indeed, the raison d’être — of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) and its associated units: ... Direct action is also one of Army Special Forces’ “seven principal missions.” What troubles many special operators, particularly those from the SF community, is that another six principal missions, as well as the contributions of the Army’s civil affairs and psychological operations units, are undervalued by their leaders. Those missions include unconventional warfare (fostering and promoting an insurgency, as the SF troops did with the Northern Alliance against the Taliban), foreign internal defense (helping a friendly government defeat an insurgency) and information operations. These are missions that, unlike direct action, place a high priority on Special Forces’ language skills and cultural awareness (each of the Army’s seven SF groups has a regional focus)."
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