Change in Newsletter Frequency. The “SOF News” update will no longer be emailed out each day. After today the newsletter will only be sent out on Sunday mornings. This change is the result of a few factors; but primarily other responsibilities of the author that preclude a more active role. Postings will occur on the website on a daily basis; but the newsletter will only be emailed out on Sundays.
One Woman Remaining in MARSOC Training. The number of women in the current class for U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command assessment and selection course is now only one. The 19-day phase of assessment and selection began on August 11th. Should the female Marine pass this phase then she would move on to a second, more difficult assessment and selection phase. If she passes this second phase then she would attend the 9-month long MARSOC individual training course. Read more in “One Woman Remains in Marine Special Ops Training”, Military.com, August 16, 2016.
Philippine Army SF on the Offense. The Philippine Army’s Special Fores have seized a known stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf Group in Basilan province, Philippines in a series of military offensives this past week. Read a news report in Inquirer.net, August 16, 2016.
China’s Special Forces. The PLA Daily (as in People’s Liberation Army) has reported that the PLA commando units should regularly be deployed to protect the nation’s energy assets overseas and to assist in counterterrorism operations. Read more in a news report in South China Morning Post, August 14, 2016.
AFSOC receives two MC-130J’s. Lockheed Martin has delivered two additional MC-130J Commando II multi-mission combat transport / special operations tankers to the US Air Force. The A/C are assigned to the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) at Hurlburt Field, Florida. Read more in a news report by AirForce-Technology.com (August 16, 2016).
How to Make COIN Work. The United States military has a pretty good idea on how to do counterinsurgency. What it doesn’t know how to do is getting the host nation to do counterinsurgency. The U.S. has often found the local elites (usually folks running a corrupt government – as in Iraq, Afghanistan, or South Vietnam) to be more of a hindrance than a help. Probably one of the few exceptions is the U.S. involvement in El Salvador’s civil war. Read more in “Influencing Clients in Counterinsurgency: U.S. Involvement in El Salvador’s Civil War, 1979-92”, International Security, volume 41, issue 1, pages 99-146, Summer 2016.
U.S. Special Ops Airman found Dead. An airman with the 27th Special Operations Wing was found dead in his home in Clovis, New Mexico. read a news report in Air Force Times, August 16, 2016.
