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Since the days of the Revolutionary War, Army Special Operations Forces (ARSOF) have been persistently irregular in their approach. Our organizations have always provided outsized impact to the larger Army and Joint Force. While the adversaries, threats, and locations have changed, this impact has endured. However, we have not updated our doctrine since 2014. Now, as we face new threats and challenges, this doctrine will guide our transformation.
Two recent essays published by the Center for the Study of Intelligence and Nontraditional Warfare at the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI) rekindle interest in a perennial debate about whether covert action, particularly paramilitary operations, and other capabilities related to irregular warfare should be the responsibility of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) or the Department of Defense (DoD).
By Dr. Ju Hyung Kim.
As the threat of simultaneous crises in East Asia looms larger—whether in the Taiwan Strait, the Korean Peninsula, or both—the likelihood that U.S. special operations forces (SOF) will be called upon to operate across national boundaries in compressed timelines is no ...
Long-term brain and head injuries have long been a concern for soldiers who absorb repeated shock waves in routine training with powerful weapons. A new Army study will examine how different exposures to firing .50 caliber rifles, the Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle and howitzer cannons impact soldier health. Researchers will also try to determine if factors like the type of job, medical history or sleep patterns put soldiers at higher risk for chronic health issues like those common among football players.
With Washington reportedly considering the withdrawal of 4,500 U.S. troops from South Korea, and contingency planning intensifying for a possible dual crisis in the Taiwan Strait and on the Korean Peninsula, serious questions are emerging about how to uphold deterrence against an increasingly unpredictable North Korea. As the United States redistributes military assets to counter China’s growing assertiveness, South Korea’s exposure to North Korean aggression could deepen. In this context, a sharpened focus on the U.S.-ROK joint decapitation capability—executed by elite special forces—is not only timely but essential.
As Israel’s campaign of strikes on Iran continues, a question emerges about whether some level of additional action may be required on the ground to meet the stated goal of preventing the regime in Tehran from being able to acquire nuclear weapons. Even if unique U.S. conventional strike capabilities are brought to bear, there could still be significant targeting challenges, especially if the Iranians move to disperse elements of their nuclear program.
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