TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online
News Blog Search
Most Recent Entries
- How come the poll results don’t match?
- Q Poll: Mack has long lead in primary, ties Nelson in general matchup
- Mack campaign retracts Fortuno endorsement quotes
- Coburn backs LeMieux, answering Mack’s Fortuno
- Q Poll: Romney has significant lead in Florida
- Storm The Swarm: SOCCENT deputy chief asks for technology to stop threat of Iranian small boats
- Nelson disses Obama on Castro daughter
- Hoyer to campaign with Ehrlich
- Mack dumbest speaker in Congress? It’s complicated
- Guetzloe sentenced for not filing tax returns
- Mack asks feds to investigate LeMieux appointment
- Pentagon Reports Deaths of 7 Troops This Week in Support of Operation Enduring Freedom
- Mack demands investigation of LeMieux appointment
- Ross backs Mack
- LeMieux wins East Hillsborough GOP straw poll
More
- Breaking News
- Command Post Tampa
- Fact Finders - Databay Blog
- Guestbook: Remembering The Fallen Soldiers
- Fresh Squeezed Politics
- RNC 2012: The Road to Tampa
- Political Safari
Monthly Archives
|
Former Special Ops Gen. Worries U.S. Special Operations Command May Be Victim of Own Success
Posted Aug 21, 2011 by Howard Altman
Updated Aug 21, 2011 at 05:08 PM
The world economy spiraling toward what some say may be another recession, or worse.
The U.S. economy is a mess.
Congress and the White House are bitterly divided over what to do about it and everyone looking for ways to cut the budget.
Given all these circumstances, will Special Forces be a victim of their own success.
In a Roll Call piece, Retired Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin, who served in the Delta Force and as commanding general, U.S. Army Special Forces Command (Airborne), argues that is a distinct possibility.
When looking at a success-per-dollar ratio, Special Ops forces offer a huge ROI. But Boykin is arguing that asking U.S. Special Operations Command to do too much is akin to killing the Golden Goose.
It is vital for civilian policymakers to understand that while special operations forces have a unique role with special capabilities, they are not “Jacks of all trades.”
Special operations forces are inexpensive in part because they does not have to maintain a large infrastructure. The various services provide critical support to SOF units. Few SOF operations are executed without some level of support from conventional units. For example, a Naval aircraft carrier used as a launch platform for special operations forces aviation and personnel is irreplaceable. The operation to rescue American hostages in Iran in 1980 depended on the USS Nimitz .
More importantly, special operations forces are not suited for dealing with many of the future’s threats. The emerging nuclear threats posed by Iran and North Korea will dictate modernization of strategic defense systems. Cyber attacks must be dealt with using unique capabilities that do not reside in special operations forces.
Myriad other serious threats will be countered only by Defense Department elements that are organized, trained and equipped for that mission.
The nation and our lawmakers need to look ahead at future threats and build our military forces to meet and overcome those threats.
Post a comment
Members:(Requires free registration.)
Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.
ADVERTISEMENT
Advertisement
TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online ©2010 Media General Communications Holdings, LLC. A Media General company. Member Agreement | Privacy Statement | Work With Us
Reader Comments