Looking at the variety of special operations forces maintained by the US and comparing this to those fielded by other nations, there seems to be not only many more of your personnel (that is only to be expected of a larger country), but many more different types of units.
I offer as an example: the US maintains Special Forces, Navy Seals, CAG, DEVGRU, the Rangers and 160 SOAR, USAF PJs, USAF CCTs, USAF SOWTs and Marine Special Operations, as well as Coast Guard SOF, and SOF of various civil intelligence and domestic security & law enforcement agencies, such as SAD.
Whereas in the same equivalent organisation the UK maintains the Special Air Service, Special Boat Service, and Air Support group. Until very recently the UK did not deem it neccessary to maintain a Special Forces Support Group (equivalent role to your Rangers), preferring to use Para battalions or Royal Marines in this additional role when needed. Additionally the Special Reconnaissance Regiment has only just been formed, instead certain Intelligence Corps personnel were used.
Furthermore, looking at the British model, all these are becoming more and more streamlined and condensed into one organisation, known as United Kingdom Special Forces. The UKSF directorate was formed for increasing cooperation and indeed much of the selection and training is reputed to be carried out between both units.
In the American example, do the Coastguard and the Marine Corps and the Navy all require their own individual SOF? Do you really require to set 'DEVGRU' apart from the main body of your naval SOF? Would it not make sense to consolidate into one maritime SOF organisation at least? Likewise with the Army Special Forces, CAG, and USAF Special Tactics. Are all these organisations so dissimilar that they must all exist in this fashion that encourages friction and noncooperation? As an example, I believe the counter terrorism teams of UKSF are made up from regular members; there is no separate distinguishable entity that at least is common knowledge (after all I am not in the SOF community!). I also believe if RAF personnel wish to serve with UKSF (except as helo crews) they effectively are loaned to the SAS - there is no separate air force special forces; and why should there be? The RAF does maintain a combat search & rescue organisation, and a parachute company with an airfield seizure role, drawn from its own infantry force; but it does not require hundreds of 'Special Forces' and their own organisations to maintain this capability.
I think that the US has already conceded this point to an extent with the formation of an inter-service special operations command. However the image that I see is one of several factions within this loose umbrella, with units being created to satisfy some niche demand which may have been tackled by an existing unit or by an adhoc task force for that job only, but then these units become entrenched and touted by their respective service chiefs. Their particular niche may disappear and so they need to justify themselves; the result is a lot of organisations with a lot of overlap in common areas.
I'm not asking you to imagine one organisation only, with no distinctions or sub-organisations between say Army and Naval SOF (although interestingly enough that might be what UKSF ends up as), but at least a rationalisation of what is in place now seems to be in order for increased cooperation, commonality, utility & unity; and discourse.
I also respectfully ask, has the American great enthusiasm for SOF damaged the development of conventional forces at all? For instance, in fighting a particular problem you may raise an organisation or task force against it; whereas perhaps changing doctrine and operational level policies amongst your regular troops might have proved the better step. Additionally with so many SOF, you are pulling many of your best soldiers out of the regular forces. I understand wholly that you DO need units of the very finest standards for this type of work; but do you risk creating a culture where the best are taken out of the battalions and small unit leadership suffers for it?
Respectfully yours,
Dimitri
|