Order Code RS21048
Updated April 17, 2006
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS WebJune 28, 2007
U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF):
Background and Issues for Congress
Andrew Feickert
Specialist in National Defense
Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
Summary
Special Operations Forces (SOF) play a significant role in U.S. military operations
and the Administration has given U.S. SOF forces greater responsibility for planning
and conducting worldwide counterterrorism operations. The 2006 Quadrennial Defense
Review (QDR) has called for a 15% increase in special operations forces beginning in
FY2007. Proposals to elevate the command of the Joint Special Operations Command
(JSOC) and the realignment of civil affairs, psychological operations (psyops) and
combat search and rescue (CSAR) functions out from under the control of the U.S.
Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), has raised concerns that SOF is perhaps
becoming too focused on immediate versus long-term results. This report will be
and
conducting worldwide counterterrorism operations. Recent leadership changes, the
availability of SOF special mission unit (SMU) forces, and circumstances surrounding
a Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC) incident in Afghanistan might be
issues for congressional consideration. This report will be updated as events warrant.
Background
Overview. Special Operations Forces (SOF) are small, elite military units with
special training and equipment that can infiltrate into hostile territory through land, sea,
or air to conduct a variety of operations, many of them classified. SOF personnel undergo
rigorous selection and lengthy, specialized training. The U.S. Special Operations
Command (USSOCOM) oversees the training, doctrine, and equipping of all U.S. SOF
units.
Command Structures. In 1986, Congress (P.L. 99-661) expressed concern for
the status of
SOF within overall U.S. defense planning and passed measures to strengthen
(P.L. 99-661) to
strengthen its position. These actions included the establishment of USSOCOM as a new unified
unified command. USSOCOM is headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa,
FL. The
Commander of USSOCOM is a four-star officer who may be from any service.
Commander, USSOCOM reports directly to the Secretary of Defense, although an
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict
(SO/LICASD/SOLIC) provides immediate civilian oversight over many USSOCOM activities.
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress
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Army Special Operations Forces.1 U.S. Army SOF (ARSOF) include 26,000
soldiers from the Active Army, National Guard, and Army Reserve who are organized
into Special Forces units, Ranger units, special operations aviation units, civil affairs
units, psychological operations units, and special operations support units. ARSOF
Headquarters and other resources, such as the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center
and School, are located at Fort Bragg, NC. Five active Special Forces Groups (Airborne)
are stationed at Fort Bragg and at Fort Lewis, WA, Fort Campbell, KY, and Fort Carson,
CO. Special Forces soldiers — also known as the Green Berets — are trained in various
skills, including foreign languages, that allow teams to operate independently in
designated regions of the world. Two Army National Guard SF groups are headquartered
in Utah and Alabama. An elite airborne light infantry unit, the 75th Ranger Regiment, is
headquartered at Fort Benning, GA and consists of three battalions specializing in direct
action operations. Army special operations aviation units, including the 160th Special
Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) at Fort Campbell, KY, feature pilots trained
to fly the most sophisticated Army rotary-wing aircraft in the harshest environments, day
or night, and in adverse weather.
The most frequently deployed SOF assets are civil affairs (CA) units, which provide
experts in every area of civil government to help administer civilian affairs in the theater.
The 96th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne) is the only active CA unit; all other CA units
reside in four Army Reserve Civil Affairs Commands located in Pensacola, FL, Mountain
View, CA, Riverdale, MD, and Bronx, NY. Psychological operations units disseminate
information to large foreign audiences through mass media. The active duty 4th
Psychological Operations Group (Airborne) is stationed at Fort Bragg, and two Army
Reserve groups are located in Cleveland, OH, and at Moffett Federal Airfield, CA.
Air Force Special Operations Forces.2 The Air Force Special Operations
Command (AFSOC) includes about 10,000 active and reserve personnel, of which about
22% are stationed overseas. AFSOC is headquartered at Hurlburt Field, FL, which is also
the home of most of AFSOC’s active units, including the 16th Special Operations Wing,
the 720th Special Tactics Group, the 18th Flight Test Squadron, and the U.S. Air Force
Special Operations School. The 352nd Special Operations Group is at RAF Mildenhall,
England, and the 353rd Special Operations Group, is at Kadena Air Base, Japan. Reserve
AFSOC components include the 193rd Special Operations Wing, Air National Guard
stationed at Harrisburg, PA, the 280th Combat Communications Squadron, Air National
Guard stationed at Dothan, AL, and the 919th Special Operations Wing, Air Force
Reserve stationed at Duke Field, FL. AFSOC’s three active-duty flying units are
composed of more than 100 fixed and rotary-wing aircraft. The V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor
aircraft, a Marine Corps priority, is also being developed for AFSOC. If procured, SOF
CV-22s will conduct long-range vertical takeoff and landing infiltration, exfiltration, and
resupply missions.
1
Information in this section was taken from General Bryan Brown, “U.S. Army Special
Operations: Focusing on People — Humans are More Important than Hardware,” Army, Oct.
2001, pp. 157-162.
2
For additional information on Air Force SOF units, see Robert Wall, “Conflict Could Test
Special Ops Improvements,” Aviation Week & Space Technology, Oct. 1, 2001, p. 30.
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Special Operations Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Squadron.3 The Air
Force is currently standing up a special operations Predator UAV squadron at Indian
Springs Auxiliary Field, NV. The squadron will initially consist of 24 MQ-1 aircraft but
could eventually add the larger MQ-9 Predator B when the aircraft completes
development. The Air Force has not announced a specific timetable for the completion
of the stand up of the AFSOC Predator squadron. The Air Force was formally tasked to
stand up this squadron in the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review.4
Naval Special Operations Forces.5 The Naval Special Warfare Command
(NSWC) is located in Coronado, CA. The major operational components of NSWC
include Naval Special Warfare Groups 1 and 3 stationed in San Diego, CA, and Naval
Special Warfare Groups 2 and 4 in Norfolk, VA. These components deploy SEAL Teams,
SEAL Delivery Vehicle Teams, and Special Boat Teams worldwide to meet the training,
exercise, contingency and wartime requirements of theater commanders. NSWC has
approximately 5,400 total active-duty personnel — including 2,450 SEALs and 600
Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen (SWCC) — as well as a 1,200-person reserve
component of approximately 325 SEALs, 125 SWCC and 775 support personnel. SEALs
are considered the best-trained combat swimmers in the world, and can be deployed
covertly from submarines or from sea-based aircraft.
Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC).6 On November 1, 2005,
DOD announced the creation of the Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC)
as a component of USSOCOM. MARSOC will consist of three subordinate units — the
Marine Special Operations Regiment, the Foreign Military Training Unit, and the Special
Operations Support Group — totaling approximately 2,600 Marines. MARSOC
Headquarters, the Foreign Military Training Unit, and the Special Operations Support
Group will be stationed at Camp Lejeune, NC. The Marine Special Operations Regiment
will also have its headquarters at Camp Lejeune and will have an element stationed at
Camp Pendleton, CA. An activation date for MARSOC and its subordinate units has not
yet been determined but MARSOC officials will reportedly deploy six Foreign Military
Training Units and one special operations company this summer.7 USSOCOM and the
Marine Corps were formally tasked to stand up MARSOC in the 2006 Quadrennial
Defense Review (QDR).8
3
Information in this section is from Bruce Rolfsen, “Spec Ops Predators,” Armed Forces Journal,
July 2005, pp. 18-19.
4
Department of Defense, Quadrennial Defense review Report, February 6, 2006, p. 5.
5
Information in this section is from the U.S. Naval Special Warfare Command’s Official website,
[https://www.navsoc.navy.mil/], accessed on May 26, 2005.
6
Information in this section is taken from DOD Press Release No. 1127-05, dated Nov. 1, 2005,
Subject: Secretary of Defense Approves Marine Special Operations Command; Donna Miles,
“Marine Corps to Join U.S. Special Operations Command,” American Forces Press Service, Nov.
1, 2005; and Christian Lowe, “U.S. Marine Corps to Create Special Operations Unit,” Defense
News, Nov. 1, 2005.
7
Copley News Service, “Marine Corps Force Deploys in Summer,” San Diego Union Tribune,
March 16, 2006.
8
Department of Defense, Quadrennial Defense Review Report, February 6, 2006, p. 5.
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Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). According to DOD, the JSOC
is “a joint headquarters designed to study special operations requirements and techniques;
ensure interoperability and equipment standardization; plan and conduct joint special
operations exercises and training; and develop joint special operations tactics.”9 While
not official acknowledged by DOD or USSOCOM, JSOC, which is headquartered at
Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina, is widely believed to command and control what
are described as the military’s three special missions units - the Army’s Delta Force , the
Navy’s SEAL Team Six, a joint unit allegedly designed to conduct clandestine
operations, as well as the 75th Ranger Regiment, the 160th Special Operations Aviation
Regiment and the Air Force’s 24th Special Tactics Squadron.10 JSOC’s primary mission
is believed to be identifying and destroying terrorists and terror cells worldwide.
Current Topics
Global War on Terror. Special operations forces continue to operate in Iraq and
Afghanistan where they are actively pursuing key insurgents. U.S. SOF continue their
involvement in the Philippines and Colombia where their role is strictly limited to
training the armed forces of those respective countries in counterterror and
counterinsurgency tactics. U.S. SOF are also involved in operations in the Horn of Africa
region as part of Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) where the
focus of U.S. activities is training regional militaries.
Quadrennial Defense Review and Proposed SOF Expansion. In addition
to standing up an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle squadron and the Marine Corps Special
Operations Command, the 2006 QDR calls for the following initiatives to begin in
FY2007:
!
An overall increase of SOF by 15%;
!
Increase in the number of Army Special Forces battalions by one- third;
!
An increase in SEAL team manning and the development of a riverine
warfare capability; and
!
Expansion of Psychological Operations and Civil Affairs units by 3, 700
personnel - a 33% increase.11
According to analysts, such a proposed expansion of Army SOF would lead to an
increase from 15 to 20 active duty battalions, creating approximately 90 additional ATeams.12
9
USSOCOM Website [http://www.socom.mil/components/components.htm], accessed April 4,
2006.
10
Sean D. Naylor, “JSOC to Become Three-Star Command,” Army Times, February 13, 2006.
11
Ibid.
12
Reuters, “Pentagon Plans Major Increase in Special Forces,” New York Times on the Web,
(continued...)
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Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) to Become a Three-Star
Reports suggest that DOD will accept an independent report’s
Command.13
recommendation to make the commander of JSOC a three-star (Lieutenant General or
Vice Admiral) versus its current two-star (Major General or Rear Admiral (Upper Half))
billet. The report was allegedly commissioned by the Secretary of Defense in October
2005 after meeting with USSOCOM leadership and then reportedly expressing a “lack of
confidence” in USSOCOM’s assessment of its capabilities, having been told by
USSOCOM officials that despite a substantial commitment of funds, that USSOCOM’s
capabilities were “declining.” An additional recommendation from the independent
committee chaired by retired Army General Wayne Downing (a former USSOCOM and
JSOC commander) to temporarily remove JSOC from USSOCOM and have it report
directly to the Secretary of Defense was reportedly opposed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff
and therefore not implemented.
Civil Affairs/Psychological Operations Shifted out of USSOCOM.14 One
report suggests that the majority of Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations forces will
be shifted from USSOCOM to the conventional Army. This reorganization, under
discussion for more than a year, was reportedly ordered by the Secretary of Defense and
plans for implementing this change are to be presented to him by this Spring. Under this
new arrangement, reserve component civil affairs and psyops units will have an
association with active Army brigade combat teams for training and deployment purposes.
USSOCOM will retain active duty civil affairs and psychological operations units under
its command.
Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) to Move to Air Combat Command.15
According to one report, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General T. Michael Moseley,
has decided to move the Air Force’s HC-130 and HH-60 rescue aircraft, along with its
rescue officers and pararescue troops - also known as PJs - from the Air Force Special
Operations Command (AFSOC) to the Air Combat Command (ACC). This move,
supposedly based on lessons learned from Afghanistan and Iraq, is intended speed the
ability to dispatch aircraft and rescue specialists to search for and retrieve downed air
crews. General Moseley suggested that combat search and rescue, under previous
command arrangements, was not always on the top of USSOCOM’s list of priorities and
that CSAR assets were often used on SOF-type missions and not always available to
conduct search and rescue operations.
12
(...continued)
January 24, 2006.
13
Information in this section is from Sean D. Naylor’s, “JSOC to Become Three-Star Command,”
Army Times, February 13, 2006 and SpecOps Beset by Command Confusion, Army Times, March
3, 2006.
14
Information in this section is from Joshua Kucera, “Civil Affairs, Psyops Shift Away from
SOCOM,” Jane’s Defense Weekly, March 22, 2006.
15
Information in this section is from John T. Bennett, “Moseley: Move to ACC Will Elevate
CSAR to “Primary Mission’ Status,” InsideDefense.com, February 27, 2006.
CRS-6
Issues for Congress
Is QDR-Mandated SOF Growth Achieveable? Congress may decide to
examine the feasability of the QDR-mandated 15% increase in SOF forces, perhaps
focusing on the proposed growth of Army Special Forces, Navy SEALs, and
psychological warfare and civil affairs personnel. Volunteers for Army Special Forces
and Navy SEALs, in particular, are subjected to rigorous assessment and selection
regimens that traditionally yield only a handful of men selected to serve in these units around a 20% pass rate in the case of SEAL Basic Underwater Demolition (BUD)
Training.16 In order to meet a growing requirement, USSOCOM has “overhauled” its
accession schools, increasing the number of training cadre and number of classes to
increase candidate throughput while allegedly “maintaining the same high standards.”17
USSOCOM’s goal for producing 750 enlisted Green Beret graduates per year starting in
FY2006 was exceeded a year early as in FY2005, 790 new enlisted Green Berets
successfully completed assessment and qualification training. USSOCOM notes that for
the first few years of this initiative, additional SOF soldiers will be used to fill existing
vacancies in Army Special Forces units but that USSOCOM is “now postured for
additional future growth.”18
While USSOCOM may be graduating additional operators from its qualification
courses, working against this increase is the continued attrition of SOF personnel due to
retirement as well as those who voluntarily separate from the service. While retention is
a significant focus for USSOCOM, little is known about how many SOF personnel of all
ranks are leaving the service and a significant increase in these numbers could preclude
any meaningful growth for USSOCOM forces.
JSOC’s Increasing Role and Loss of Civil Affairs, Psyops, and Combat
Search and Rescue Capabilities. Congress might act to review the implications of
JSOC’s increasing role in special operations as well as the loss of civil affairs, psyops,
and combat search and rescue capabilities. While proponents suggest that these and other
changes will better enable USSOCOM to focus on intelligence gathering and direct action
missions against individual terrorists and terror cells, others are concerned that by
marginalizing the role of civil affairs, psyops, and training foreign militaries, that
USSOCOM may not be optimally suited for fighting both the “long war” on terror as well
as the insurgency in Iraq. Some USSOCOM officials suggest that while direct action
missions may “show effect immediately” that they can be detrimental in an insurgency,
whereas civil affairs, psyops and special forces participating in foreign internal defense,
information operations, and civil-military operations historically tend to be more effective
in long-running counterinsurgency campaigns.19
16
United States Special Operations Command, Posture Statement 2006, p. 15.
17
Ibid.
18
Ibid.
19
Sean Naylor, “More Than Door Kickers,” Armed Forces Journal, April 7, 2006
Recent Leadership Changes. On April 4, 2007, the White House announced
that the President had nominated Michael G. Vickers to be the new ASD/SOLIC. Prior
to his nomination, Mr. Vickers had served as director for strategic studies at the Center
for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment in Washington, DC. Mr. Vickers also reportedly
CRS-2
had previous service in U.S. Army Special Forces and in the CIA.1 On May 10, 2007,
the Secretary of Defense announced that Navy Vice Admiral (VADM) Eric T. Olson,
deputy commander USSOCOM, had been nominated for appointment to the grade of
Admiral (ADM) and selected to serve USSOCOM commander.2 If approved by the
Senate, ADM Olson, a Navy SEAL, will be the first naval officer to command
USSOCOM and will replace retiring Army General Bryan “Doug” Brown, who has
served as USSOCOM commander since September 2003.
Army Lieutenant General Stanley McCrystal, the commander of the Joint Special
Operations Command (JSOC) — a unit believed to be conducting classified
counterterrorism operations worldwide — will reportedly remain in Iraq for an additional
year at the request of Army General David Petraeus, commander of U.S. military forces
in Iraq.3 LTG McCrystal, who was supposed to relinquish command of JSOC as part of
normal assignment rotation, has been credited with heading up counterterror efforts in
Iraq that have resulted killing a number of Al Qaeda leaders and other key insurgents.
Army Special Operations Forces.4 U.S. Army SOF (ARSOF) include
approximately 30,000 soldiers from the Active Army, National Guard, and Army Reserve
who are organized into Special Forces, Ranger, and special operations aviation units,
along with civil affairs units, psychological operations units, and special operations
support units. ARSOF Headquarters and other resources, such as the John F. Kennedy
Special Warfare Center and School, are located at Fort Bragg, NC. Five active Special
Forces (SF) Groups (Airborne) are stationed at Fort Bragg and at Fort Lewis, WA, Fort
Campbell, KY, and Fort Carson, CO. Special Forces soldiers — also known as the Green
Berets — are trained in various skills, including foreign languages, that allow teams to
operate independently throughout the world. Two Army National Guard SF groups are
headquartered in Utah and Alabama. An elite airborne light infantry unit specializing in
direct action operations5, the 75th Ranger Regiment, is headquartered at Fort Benning, GA
and consists of three battalions. Army special operations aviation units, including the
160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) at Fort Campbell, KY, feature
pilots trained to fly the most sophisticated Army rotary-wing aircraft in the harshest
environments, day or night, and in adverse weather.
1
Elaine M. Grossman, “Bush’s Special Ops Pick Sees Post-Surge Strategy Coming Soon to Iraq,”
InsideDefense.com, June 14, 2007.
2
U.S. Department of Defense News Release No. 562-07, May 10, 2007.
3
Rowan Scarborough, “Joint Special Operations Commander to Stay in Iraq,” Washington
Examiner, June 4, 2007.
4
Information in this section was taken from General Bryan Brown, “U.S. Army Special
Operations: Focusing on People — Humans are More Important than Hardware,” Army, October
2001, pp. 157-162.
5
Direct action operations are short-duration strikes and other small-scale offensive actions
conducted as a special operation in hostile, denied, or politically sensitive environments and
which employ specialized military capabilities to seize, destroy, capture, exploit, recover, or
damage designated targets. Direct action differs from conventional offensive actions in the level
of physical and political risk, operational techniques, and the degree of discriminate and precise
use of force to achieve specific objectives.
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Some of the most frequently deployed SOF assets are civil affairs (CA) units, which
provide experts in every area of civil government to help administer civilian affairs in
operational theaters. The recently activated 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (Airborne) is the
only active CA unit, and plans call for the brigade to expand from one to four battalions
by 2009.6 All other CA units reside in the Reserves and are affiliated with conventional
Army units. Psychological operations units disseminate information to large foreign
audiences through mass media. The active duty 4th Psychological Operations (PSYOPS)
Group (Airborne) is stationed at Fort Bragg, and two Army Reserve PSYOPS groups
work with conventional Army units.
Air Force Special Operations Forces.7 The Air Force Special Operations
Command (AFSOC) includes about 13,000 active and reserve personnel. AFSOC is
headquartered at Hurlburt Field, FL, along with the 720th Special Tactics Group, the 18th
Flight Test Squadron, and the U.S. Air Force Special Operations School. The 16th Special
Operations Wing (SOW), is expected to relocate from Hurlburt Field to Cannon Air Force
Base (AFB), NM by October 2007.8 AFSOC plans to activate the 1st SOW at Hurlburt
Field using elements of the 16th SOW.9 The 352nd Special Operations Group is at RAF
Mildenhall, England, and the 353rd Special Operations Group, is at Kadena Air Base,
Japan. Reserve AFSOC components include the 193rd Special Operations Wing, Air
National Guard, stationed at Harrisburg, PA, the 280th Combat Communications
Squadron, Air National Guard, stationed at Dothan, AL, and the 919th Special Operations
Wing, Air Force Reserve, stationed at Duke Field, FL. AFSOC’s three active-duty flying
units are composed of more than 100 fixed and rotary-wing aircraft.
AFSOC Operational Requirements.10 AFSOC commander Air Force LTG
Michael Wooley, noting that AFSOC plans to grow from 13,000 to 15,000 personnel by
the end of FY2013, cites the need for both new and additional aircraft as well as time to
train with existing and future aircraft as areas of major concern. Although AFSOC has
stood up the 3rd Special Operations Squadron, consisting of six Predator unmanned aerial
vehicles (UAVs), USSOCOM leadership suggests that they could use “dozens more.”
AFSOC is presently preparing to stand up its first CV-22 tilt rotor squadron, which is
expected to be combat ready sometime in 2009. USSOCOM plans to replace its entire
fleet of HH-53 Pave Low helicopters over the next two years with CV-22s, but not on a
one-for-one basis as USSOCOM presently plans to procure only 50 CV-22s by 2017. In
6
Kevin Maurer, “Newly Formed 95th Civil Affairs Brigade Activates,” Fayetteville Times,
August 18, 2006.
7
For additional information on Air Force SOF units, see Robert Wall, “Conflict Could Test
Special Ops Improvements,” Aviation Week & Space Technology, October 1, 2001, p. 30.
8
Michael Sirak, “Air Force Assigns Special Operations Wing to Cannon Air Force Base,”
Defense Daily, June 22, 2006.
9
Ibid.
10
Information in this section is taken from Je DiMascio, “Olson: SOCOM Could Use Dozens of
Additional UAVs,” Defense Daily, April 25, 2007; Ann Roosevelt, “U.S.SOCOM Commander
Details Aviation Needs,” Defense Daily, May 17, 2007; Michael Sirak, “Wooley: Training
Proficiency, Need for New Aircraft AFSOC’s Biggest Concerns,” Defense Daily, May 11, 2007;
and David A. Fulghum, “USAF Special Ops Growing in Personnel and Equipment,” Aerospace
Daily & Defense Report, May 14, 2007.
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addition, USSOCOM would like to increase the size of its MC-130 fleet to 61 aircraft to
accommodate the growth of Army and Marine Corps special operations forces. AFSOC
has also indicated that it would like to replace its eight AC-130H and 13 AC-130U
gunships by 2020 with a new gunship. AFSOC leadership has also voiced concern that
because special operations aircraft are being used so heavily that they are not as available
for training as they should be, thereby adversely impacting on aircrew training.
Naval Special Operations Forces.11 The Naval Special Warfare Command
(NSWC) is located in Coronado, CA. NWSC is organized around eight SEAL Teams
and two SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV) Teams. Two of these eight SEAL Teams are
deployed at any given time, with each SEAL Team consisting of six SEAL platoons each,
consisting of two officers and 16 enlisted personnel. The major operational components
of NSWC include Naval Special Warfare Groups One and Three stationed in San
Diego, CA, and Naval Special Warfare Groups Two and Four in Norfolk, VA. These
components deploy SEAL Teams, SEAL Delivery Vehicle Teams, and Special Boat
Teams worldwide to meet the training, exercise, contingency and wartime requirements
of theater commanders. NSWC has approximately 5,400 total active-duty personnel —
including 2,450 SEALs and 600 Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen (SWCC) —
as well as a 1,200-person reserve component of approximately 325 SEALs, 125 SWCC
and 775 support personnel. SEALs are considered the best-trained combat swimmers in
the world, and can be deployed covertly from submarines or from sea-based aircraft.
Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC).12 On November 1, 2005,
DOD announced the creation of the Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC)
as a component of USSOCOM. MARSOC consists of three subordinate units — the
Marine Special Operations Regiment, the Foreign Military Training Unit, and the Special
Operations Support Group — totaling approximately 2,600 Marines. MARSOC
Headquarters, the Foreign Military Training Unit, and the Special Operations Support
Group are stationed at Camp Lejeune, NC. The Marine Special Operations Regiment has
its headquarters at Camp Lejeune and has an element stationed at Camp Pendleton, CA.
MARSOC has reportedly deployed Foreign Military Training Teams to Africa and South
America and two Marine Special Operations Battalions have been activated — one on
each coast.13
Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). According to DOD, the JSOC
is “a joint headquarters designed to study special operations requirements and techniques;
ensure interoperability and equipment standardization; plan and conduct joint special
11
Information in this section is from the U.S. Naval Special Warfare Command’s Official
website, [https://www.navsoc.navy.mil/], accessed on March 6, 2007.
12
Information in this section is taken from DOD Press Release No. 1127-05, dated November 1,
2005, Subject: Secretary of Defense Approves Marine Special Operations Command; Donna
Miles, “Marine Corps to Join U.S. Special Operations Command,” American Forces Press
Service, November 1, 2005; and Christian Lowe, “U.S. Marine Corps to Create Special
Operations Unit,” Defense News, November 1, 2005.
13
Statement by General Bryan D. Brown, Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command,
before the House Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities, “Current
Manning, Equipping, and Readiness Challenges Facing Special Operations Forces,” January 31,
2007, p. 4.
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operations exercises and training; and develop joint special operations tactics.”14 While
not official acknowledged by DOD or USSOCOM, JSOC, which is headquartered at
Pope Air Force Base, NC, is widely believed to command and control what are described
as the military’s three special missions units — the Army’s Delta Force, the Navy’s SEAL
Team Six, a joint unit allegedly designed to conduct clandestine operations, as well as
the 75th Ranger Regiment, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and the Air
Force’s 24th Special Tactics Squadron.15 JSOC’s primary mission is believed to be
identifying and destroying terrorists and terror cells worldwide.
USOCOM Budget
FY2008 Budget Request. USSOCOM requested $3.28 billion for Operations &
Maintenance (O&M); $374 million for Research, Development, Test & Evaluation
(RDT&E); $1.83 billion for Procurement; and $652 million for Military Construction
(MILCON) for FY2008.16 USSOCOM also reportedly had $391 million in “unfunded
requirements for FY2008, including such items as body armor, laser range finders,
advanced night vision devices, and weapons.17
Recent Congressional Action.18 The House Armed Services Committee
(HASC) recommended fully funding USSOCOM’s $6.2 billion budget request and
recommended that USSOCOM “place a greater emphasis on unconventional techniques
and irregular warfare.” Toward this end, the HASC has recommended a number of
initiatives to “empower USSOCOM and improve its ability to face current security
challenges.” The HASC plans to update PL 99-661 to reflect USSOCOM’s planning,
synchronizing, and executing roles as a supported combatant command in the war on
terror. The HASC also wants to update and expand the Special Operations Activity list
in law, elevating unconventional warfare as USSOCOM's primary activity and deemphasizing direct actions activities. The HASC also hopes to improve USSOCOM’s
acquisition authorities and its funding authority to facilitate cooperation between foreign
special forces and U.S. SOF. The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) also
recommended fully funding USSOCOM's budget request and added an additional $124
million to meet unfunded requirements for Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Proof (MRAP)
vehicles. The SASC also directed the DOD Comptroller General to review the
reorganization of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy as it pertains
to the ASD/SOLIC office. The SASC also added more than $25 million to meet critical
language and cultural awareness training requirements and for a variety of science and
technology programs.
14
USSOCOM website [http://www.socom.mil/components/components.htm], accessed April 4,
2006.
15
Sean D. Naylor, “JSOC to Become Three-Star Command,” Army Times, February 13, 2006.
16
USSOCOM FY2008/FY2009 Budget Estimates, February 2007.
17
Jason Sherman, “SOCOM Requires Additional $391 Million in FY-08 for Body Armor,
Weapons,” InsideDefense.com, February 19, 2007.
18
Information in this section is taken from House Armed Services Committee Press Release,
“House Armed Services Committee Approves Fiscal Year 2008 Defense Authorization Bill,”
May 9, 2007 and Senate Armed Services Committee Press Release, “Senate Statement on the FY08 Defense Authorization Bill,” May 25, 2007.
CRS-6
Issues for Congress
Availability of JSOC Assets.19 Not unlike conventional Army and Marine
forces, JSOC special mission units, are reportedly being stressed by the high operational
tempo in Iraq and Afghanistan. In total, JSOC is believed to consist of 1,000 “operators”
and support and intelligence personnel. JSOC forces thought to be operating in Iraq
include about 120 Delta soldiers and an equal number of SEALs, augmented by about 800
Army Rangers. These forces reportedly conduct anywhere from six to a dozen raids every
day throughout Iraq against Al Qaeda and insurgent targets. While JSOC operations in
Iraq have been considered by some as highly effective, the focus on Iraq has supposedly
resulted in a significantly reduced JSOC presence in Afghanistan. JSOC reportedly had
once maintained a “robust” presence of 100 “operators” and a large contingent of Rangers
in Afghanistan, but demands in Iraq have decreased this force to about 30 SEALs and 100
Rangers. While some might consider this an inequitable distribution of JSOC forces,
circumstances in Afghanistan where many Al Qaeda targets operate in and out of Pakistan
likely result in fewer actionable opportunities for JSOC forces in Afghanistan than Iraq.
Some are nonetheless concerned that there are not enough uncommitted JSOC forces to
address other potential threats outside of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Investigation of MARSOC Forces Ordered to Leave Afghanistan.20 On
March 4, 2007, a MARSOC platoon in six High Mobility Multi Wheeled Vehicles
(HMMWVs) patrolling in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan responded to a suicide
bombing by firing on Afghans, resulting in more than 40 Afghans killed or wounded.
Believing the actions by the MARSOC platoon to be excessive, the U.S. commander in
Afghanistan ordered the entire MARSOC company to leave Afghanistan and subsequently
initiated an investigation into the incident. The results of the investigation, in addition
to establishing accountability, might also cover organizational, leadership, and training
deficiencies that might have contributed to the Marine’s actions on that day. Another issue
that might be examined is if the MARSOC company was deployed to Afghanistan earlier
than it should have been, owing to the recent creation of MARSOC. It is conceivable that
in an effort to relieve stress on special operations forces as well to demonstrate the
effectiveness of newly-created MARSOC units, that this unit was deployed into a
situation that it may not have had the experience, cultural awareness, or maturity to
handle. One potential result of this action might be that MARSOC units might not be
permitted back into Afghanistan by the Afghan government for the foreseeable future.
19
Information in this section is taken from Rowan Scarborough, “United States Terrorist Hunters
Stretched Thin,” Washington Examiner, May 27, 2007 and Thom Shanker, “Special Operations:
High Profile, But in Shadow,” New York Times, May 29, 2007.
20
Information in this section is taken from “U.S. Pulls Marines Out of Afghanistan,” New York
Times, March 23, 2007; Carlotta Gall, “Marine’s Actions in Afghanistan Called Excessive,” New
York Times, April 15, 2007; and Ann Scott Tyson and Josh White, “ Marines Killed Civilians,
U.S. Says,” Washington Post, April 15, 2007.