Operational interoperability, the ability of units to provide services to and accept services from other units or forces and to use the services so exchanged to enable them to operate effectively together, is critical and central to effective joint...
Special Forces (SF) has several characteristics that distinguish it from other forces in the U. S. military. Among these characteristics are a high level of maturity, a broader experience level, and regional orientation. Because of these...
Since the end of the “Cold War” in 1989, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has had a reduction in its ability to perform its tenet missions: Foreign Intelligence Collection, Covert Action, and Counter Intelligence. This is primarily due to...
The emphasis on special operations and specifically unconventional warfare (UW) has grown significantly since the end of the Gulf War. The contemporary operational environment (COE) in which the U.S. military operates today is dictating this...
Given the fact that Special Forces detachments cause effects at the strategic and operational levels of war in the GWOT, it is imperative that SF detachment commanders are adequately prepared to develop a comprehensive understanding of the...
TRADOC is redesigning its commissioned officer Intermediate Level Education (ILE) program to allow every active duty Army major to attend a resident CGSOC. The redesign changes the curriculum focus from terminal and enabling learning objectives to...
This monograph examines the doctrinal mission focus of U.S. Army Special Forces to determine if it is appropriate to prepare the force to meet the requirements of the post-Cold War environment. The study suggests that current doctrine, largely...
The American people expect the military to win future engagements with greater efficiency to reduce costs. Our National Military Strategy, Joint Vision 2010, and other keystone joint publications seek to answer their expectation by espousing...
The Sunni tribal uprising against Al Qaeda in Iraq, known as the Anbar Awakening, was the decisive event in the counterinsurgency campaign in Iraq. To capitalize on discontent between the Sunni population and Al Qaeda, U.S. commanders on the ground...
In response to today’s dynamic nonlinear operating environment, the United States Air Force Security Forces is executing a dramatic transformation of its Doctrine, Organization, Training, Materiel, Leadership, Personnel, and Facilities. These...
The purpose of this research was to identify the SOF unique educational requirements for SF Officers attending CGSC's ILE. This question came to the forefront at the Command and General Staff College when the United States Army Special Operations...
This study investigates the contributions made by the U.S. Army Special Forces (SF) during the Persian Gulf conflict. Particular emphasis is placed on each mission performed by the SF during operations DESERT SHIELD/ DESERT STORM. Emphasis is...
This research examines the Special Forces recruiting methodologies for the twenty-first century. The analysis highlights the origins of the U.S. Army Special Forces from 1952 to the establishment of the Special Forces as a separate combat arms...
United States Army Special Forces (SF) has played a critical role in prosecuting the Global War on Terror. Their ability to wage unconventional warfare remains their trademark. Operations in Afghanistan and northern Iraq demonstrated SF's ability...
The central question of this study is whether the U.S. Army provides adequate training for Special Forces soldiers to make ethical decisions on the battlefield. The value of this study is that it may have an impact on future Special Forces...
Special Forces forward operational bases (FOB) are essential for mission and contingency planning as well as for the preparation, infiltration and exfiltration of Operational Detachment Alphas (ODA). Therefore, the defense of this command and...
Our nation is at war, but this war is unlike any we have ever fought. It is a war fought without formal declaration and without concrete resolution. Our adversaries are willing to circumvent our military forces by striking directly against the U.S....
This thesis focuses on the impact of character in Special Forces (SF), or its lack thereof, through the historical analysis of various warrior sects and key historical figures. This research then contrasts current perceptions of character within SF...
The current task organization of Army Special Forces was developed fifty years ago to execute missions in a very specific operational environment against a threat that was simple to template. In the twenty-first century this organization is no...