The Conventional Military / Sof Chasm
SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES SPECIAL OPERATIONS US Army Photo 031209-A-3996M-042 US A patrol from the US 3rd Special Forces Group moving through a river bed, Afghanistan, December 2003. WHEN CULTURES COLLIDE: THE CONVENTIONAL MILITARY / SOF CHASM by Colonel Bernd Horn he ultimate legitimacy of Special Operations military. If they fail do so, they risk again becoming Forces (SOF) became evident in the aftermath constrained and marginalized at a time when they are of the terrorist attacks in the United States needed most. on 11 September 2001. The immediate reliance on SOF by political and military WHO ARE THESE SHADOW WARRIORS? Tdecision-makers to strike back at those responsible for the unprecedented attack signalled that SOF had pecial operations forces are generally defined by completed the transformation from a force of desperation Sjournalists as “the toughest, smartest, most secretive, to the force of choice. The road to that point had been fittest, best-equipped and consistently lethal killers a difficult one. Throughout their relatively short history, in the U.S. [or any other] military.”1 However, a more there have been constant themes – the competition for traditional definition, spawned from the SOF’s Second scarce resources, unorthodox concepts of discipline World War beginnings, describes them as forces that are and accountability, as well as divergent cultural and “specially selected, specially trained, specially equipped, philosophical methodologies of operation – that have and given special missions and support.”2 But this always been associated with the debate on special somewhat simplistic description has been eclipsed by operations forces. a more comprehensive and nuanced explanation that better captures their shadowy role in the international Ironically, the unique attributes and characteristics of security environment.
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