Command and Control of Special Operations Forces Missions in the US Northern Command Area of Responsibility
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Calhoun: The NPS Institutional Archive Theses and Dissertations Thesis Collection 2005-03 Command and control of Special Operations Forces missions in the US Northern Command Area of Responsibility McGregor, Otis W., III Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School http://hdl.handle.net/10945/2198 NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS COMMAND AND CONTROL OF SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES MISSIONS IN THE US NORTHERN COMMAND AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY by Otis W. McGregor III March 2005 Thesis Advisor: Christopher Bellavita Second Reader: Robert Simeral Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188) Washington DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY 2. REPORT DATE 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED March 2005 Master’s Thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE: 5. FUNDING NUMBERS Command and Control of Special Operations Forces Missions in the US Northern Command Area of Responsibility 6. AUTHOR Lieutenant Colonel Otis W. McGregor III 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS 8. PERFORMING Naval Postgraduate School ORGANIZATION REPORT Monterey, CA 93943-5000 NUMBER 9. SPONSORING /MONITORING AGENCY NAME AND ADDRESS 10. SPONSORING/MONITORING N/A AGENCY REPORT NUMBER 11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government. 12a. DISTRIBUTION / AVAILABILITY STATEMENT 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited 13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) The need for a well thought out, planned, and rehearsed command and control organization to conduct special operations in the US Northern Command Area of Responsibility is vital to success in defending the Homeland. Currently, USNORTHCOM does not have an apportioned or assigned command and control structure for the conduct of special operations. This thesis analyzes three courses of action to fulfill this requirement: use the current USNORTHCOM battle staff command structure including the integration of the Standing Joint Force Headquarters-North; rely on the newly formed US Special Operations Command’s Joint Task Force Structures; and establish a Theater Special Operations Command North assigned to USNORTHCOM. Through the conduct of analysis and research this thesis recommends that The Joint Staff direct the reorganization required to establish a Theater Special Operations Command North to exercise command and control of special operations forces conducting operations in the USNORTHCOM AOR. 14. SUBJECT TERMS Special Operations Forces (SOF), Homeland Security (HLS), Homeland 15. NUMBER OF Defense (HLD), US Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), Command and Control (C2), Joint Task PAGES Force (JTF), Joint Special Operations Task Force (JSOTF), Threat to Homeland, Posse Comitatus 111 16. PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY 18. SECURITY 19. SECURITY 20. LIMITATION CLASSIFICATION OF CLASSIFICATION OF THIS CLASSIFICATION OF OF ABSTRACT REPORT PAGE ABSTRACT Unclassified Unclassified Unclassified UL NSN 7540-01-280-5500 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2-89) Prescribed by ANSI Std. 239-18 i THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK ii Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited COMMAND AND CONTROL OF SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES MISSIONS IN THE US NORTHERN COMMAND AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY Otis W. McGregor III Lieutenant Colonel, United States Army B.S., Texas A&M University, 1987 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS IN SECURITY STUDIES (HOMELAND SECURITY AND DEFENSE) from the NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL March 2005 Author: Otis W. McGregor III Approved by: Christopher Bellavita Thesis Advisor Robert Simeral Second Reader/ CAPT (Ret) Douglas Porch Chairman, Department of National Security Affairs iii THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK iv ABSTRACT The need for a well thought out, planned, and rehearsed command and control organization to conduct special operations in the US Northern Command Area of Responsibility is vital to success in defending the Homeland. Currently, USNORTHCOM does not have an apportioned or assigned command and control structure for the conduct of special operations. This thesis analyzes three courses of action to fulfill this requirement: use the current USNORTHCOM battle staff command structure including the integration of the Standing Joint Force Headquarters-North; rely on the newly formed US Special Operations Command’s Joint Task Force Structures; and establish a Theater Special Operations Command North assigned to USNORTHCOM. Through the conduct of analysis and research this thesis recommends that The Joint Staff direct the reorganization required to establish a Theater Special Operations Command North to exercise command and control of special operations forces conducting operations in the USNORTHCOM AOR. v THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK vi TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................1 A. HOMELAND DEFENSE VIGNETTE..........................................................2 B. IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM..................................................................3 C. BACKGROUND ..............................................................................................7 1. Desert One ............................................................................................7 2. Holloway Commission .........................................................................9 3. Goldwater-Nichols Defense Act........................................................10 4. USSOCOM Organization..................................................................12 D. SPECIAL OPERATIONS MISSIONS ........................................................14 E. US NORTHERN COMMAND MISSIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES....................................................................................17 F. THESIS CONSTRUCT.................................................................................20 II. LITERATURE REVIEW AND METHODOLOGY..............................................23 A. RESEARCH QUESTION .............................................................................23 B. DISCUSSION .................................................................................................24 1. The Theory and Doctrine of Special Operations ............................25 2. The Theory and Doctrine of Homeland Security............................26 3. America's Historical Experience with Special Operations and Homeland Security.............................................................................27 4. The Spectrum of Threats USNORTHCOM Can Expect to Face..29 5. The Strategic and Political Environment in Which USNORTHCOM Operates ...............................................................31 C. METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................33 1. Eliminated Courses of Action ...........................................................33 2. Missions in the USNORTHCOM AOR............................................35 3. Attribute Definitions..........................................................................35 a. Responsiveness........................................................................35 b. Continuity of C2......................................................................36 c. Knowledge of the AOR............................................................36 d. Manpower Cost .......................................................................37 e. SOF Ability to Operate and Integrate with Interagency .......37 4. Conduct of Analysis of Courses of Action .......................................38 III. ANALYSIS .................................................................................................................39 A. INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................39 B. THREATS TO THE HOMELAND .............................................................40 C. MISSIONS......................................................................................................43 1. Homeland Security and Homeland Defense....................................43 2. USNORTHCOM Missions ................................................................46 3. USNORTHCOM Special Operations Missions...............................49 D. COURSE OF ACTION DESCRIPTION AND ANALYSIS......................52 1. USNORTHCOM Adaptive Joint Force Headquarters ..................52 vii 2. USNORTHCOM Adaptive Joint Force Headquarters Comparison to Attributes..................................................................56 a. Responsiveness........................................................................56 b. Continuity of C2......................................................................57