# Special ops to ramp up training.



## Boondocksaint375 (Feb 11, 2008)

*Special ops to ramp up training*

U.S. special operations, the top command in fighting the global war on terrorism, is reorganizing itself to show more of its softer side. 

Realizing brute force must be tempered by outreach and diplomacy, Special Operations Command (SoCom) is shifting some personnel away from the battlefield and toward the training of foreign armies, who in theory would then be able to hold al Qaeda in check without U.S. military intervention. 

SoCom's main mission of attacking terrorists abroad in hours, not days, and for killing or capturing the enemy remains. But it hopes small teams of trainers sent today to North Africa, the Middle East or the Pacific will mean the U.S. would not have to send thousands of troops later to fight terrorists. 

"U.S. SoCom is expanding its capacity to perform FID across the components," said a SoCom statement in response to questions from The Washington Times. FID stands for the Foreign Internal Defense mission — a task performed by special operations for decades, but now getting new emphasis. 

Until now, Army Special Forces, better known as Green Berets, did virtually all such missions. Now, the Marine Corps have gotten involved, as well as Navy SEALs. 

"We have done some internal reorganization," said Maj. Cliff Gilmore, spokesman for Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC). "Certainly, the foreign international defense mission is a set of missions that is becoming more common, and there is a great demand for them." 

Adm. Eric Olson, who became chief of U.S. Special Operations Command last year, signaled a change last summer when he told Congress, "We know that we cannot kill or talk our way to victory ... Our actions must demonstrate our values and be convincing locally, regionally and — ultimately — globally." 

A few months later, Marine Maj. Gen. Dennis Hejlik, who heads the year-old MARSOC, convened an off-site conference with unit commanders. The result: Gen. Hejlik decided to reduce "direct action" personnel and shift them to the training mission. 

Plans for nine special operations companies of 120 Marines each, which focuses on combat missions, were reduced by one. Each company will now have 80 to 90 combatants. 

Gen. Hejlik shifted the billets to special operations advisory groups — the teams that deploy to such places as North Africa, the target of al Qaeda bombings, to teach counterinsurgency tactics. The number of those teams is going up from 24 to 30, and from 11 Marines each to 14. 

"A small team can have a profound effect, long-term," Maj. Gilmore said. "We've really been global with our small teams already. We're watching as we grow to make sure we grow in the right direction." The shift to a softer approach is not confined to MARSOC, which is based at Camp Lejeune, N.C. 

The command is adding five Army Green Beret battalions, as well as 200 trainers to the Air Force unit that specializes in foreign training. Navy SEALs, which for years concentrated on direct combat, are adding two training teams. 

"As the mission has evolved in Iraq and Afghanistan, the SEALs have become more involved in" foreign internal defense in U.S. Central Command countries than before, said the SoCom statement. 

Said a special ops veteran officer, "The SEALs have concentrated on direct action and strategic reconnaissance missions for the command. Many of the younger SEALs want to expand their role and to show what they can do in other special operations areas." The added personnel will allow commandos to go back to countries they had to exit because their services were needed in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, SoCom said. 

SoCom headquarters has added a new planning section, dubbed J-10, that is responsible for irregular warfare, which includes the foreign training mission. Its statement said the Marine reorganization was not ordered by Adm. Olson. 

After the September 11 terrorist attacks, then-Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld designated SoCom as the lead worldwide combatant. In 2003, he signed a secret order authorizing SoCom to devise a plan for attacking terrorists.


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## Snaquebite (Feb 11, 2008)

> "U.S. SoCom is expanding its capacity to perform FID across the components,"



Expanding capacity and expanding *Capability* are entirely different. Capability is the sum of expertise and capacity.


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## varsity (Feb 11, 2008)

> Until now, Army Special Forces, better known as Green Berets, did virtually all such missions. Now, the Marine Corps have gotten involved, as well as Navy SEALs.



The Frogs and Marines have a long way to go. Now, I'm not talking shit.  We do robin sage for a reason.  It's better training than I knew how to appreciate at the time.  If our other SOF brothers want to do this right, then they need to really invest the time for training.  It's not just teaching.  FID is much more complicated than it's definition initially implies.



> The command is adding five Army Green Beret battalions,



Yeah, we will see about that.  

Truths

    * Humans are more important than Hardware.


    * Quality is better than Quantity.


    * Special Operations Forces cannot be mass produced.


    * Competent Special Operations Forces cannot be created after emergencies occur.

Which one do you see being violated???


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## x SF med (Feb 11, 2008)

varsity said:


> ...
> Truths
> 
> * Humans are more important than Hardware.
> ...




two, three and four - IMHO - but, what do I know, I only did RS 2x, and hold 2 18 series MOSs.

Snaque and Varsity - Brothers, I say x2!


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## Kurt V (Feb 11, 2008)

It's all about expanding the political power base and Admirals and Generals are not immune to it.


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## car (Feb 11, 2008)

varsity said:


> The Frogs and Marines have a long way to go. Now, I'm not talking shit.  We do robin sage for a reason.  It's better training than I knew how to appreciate at the time.  If our other SOF brothers want to do this right, then they need to really invest the time for training.  It's not just teaching.  FID is much more complicated than it's definition initially implies.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Who said this? Rumsfeld? Shinseki? Franks? I've seen them before.


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## 275ANGER! (Feb 11, 2008)

varsity said:


> Truths
> 
> * Humans are more important than Hardware.
> 
> ...



Now you see why I criticize Ranger Regiment for expanding another company.  We don't even do half of what you guys (SF) do and Regiment is tearin itself apart.  Now this was just a company per Battalion, can you imagine the affects of an addition of more than one Battalion?


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## x SF med (Feb 11, 2008)

car said:


> Who said this? Rumsfeld? Shinseki? Franks? I've seen them before.




car-
Those have been a mantra in SF for a long time, they may even go all the way back to COL Aaron Bank.  Powerful truths.


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## car (Feb 11, 2008)

x SF med said:


> car-
> Those have been a mantra in SF for a long time, they may even go all the way back to COL Aaron Bank.  Powerful truths.



RGR.  But I read it recently and just assumed (yeah, I knok) that the guy writing was the one who said it. :doh:

Thanks.


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## varsity (Feb 11, 2008)

x SF med said:


> car-
> Those have been a mantra in SF for a long time, they may even go all the way back to COL Aaron Bank.  Powerful truths.



Funny part is.  They still have those posted up at Mackall by the chow hall.  At least they did last time I was there.  Problem is, that you can hardly see em for all the special hand selected snake eaters in the way.


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## Snaquebite (Feb 11, 2008)

The _"SOF Truths"_ have been around since about the time _USASOC_ was formed in 1989.

There is also these imperatives to consider. 

*SOF Imperatives*

Understand the operational environment 
Recognize political implications 
Facilitate interagency activities 
Engage the threat discriminately 
Consider long-term effects 
Ensure legitimacy and credibility of Special Operations 
Anticipate and control psychological effects 
Apply capabilities indirectly 
Develop multiple options 
Ensure long-term sustainment 
Provide sufficient intelligence 
Balance security and synchronization 

Being able to accomplish those imperatives dosen't come from adding a few classes here and there to a training program.


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## 0699 (Feb 12, 2008)

It seems like Maj Gilmore hasn't been on here in a while.  Anyone know what's up?

I guess I'll have to go poke him with a sharp stick when I get home...


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## tigerstr (Feb 12, 2008)

Boondocksaint375 said:


> A few months later, Marine Maj. Gen. Dennis Hejlik, who heads the year-old MARSOC, convened an off-site conference with unit commanders. The result: Gen. Hejlik decided to reduce "direct action" personnel and shift them to the training mission.
> 
> Plans for nine special operations companies of 120 Marines each, which focuses on combat missions, were reduced by one. Each company will now have 80 to 90 combatants.
> 
> ...



Until now MSOCs were organised with a DASR platoon made up of ex- Force Recon Personel, and a Security Platoon made up of 40+ infantry MOS (03XX) soldiers probably trained in the style of SOTG courses for MEU(SOC) Security plts. (which in the past operated in conjuction with FR platoons for certain MEU(SOC) missions). 

So a MSOC looked like-permit me the expression- a permanent SEAL-RANGER "combination" something rather unusual for a force of this size, and probably very difficult to succesfully employ in some mission profiles, due to  uneven levels of training, maturity, and rank.

Now it looks like a MSOC will be made of 14-man DASR Teams (MSOTs) commanded by a captain (something in between current SEAL platoon strength and SF Detachement strength) while some personel from disbanded Security Platoons will be reorganised in  14 man Teams for the FID Mission.

It is not clear however if MSOCs will now be exclusively manned by Force Recon and 0321 personell.(excluding the so-called "enablers")  

If a MSOC is comprised by more than 3 DASR MSOTs and there are 8 MSOCs, numbers of FR/0321 personel needed, seem to be higher than before.

Information about training changes http://www.shadowspear.com/vb/showthread.php?p=131836#post131836 points to the direction of a common training regimen for the whole of MARSOC operators, probably with further specialisation later.

Major Gillmore of MARSOC already clarified some topics concering tour length in that thread.


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