By Fiona G. Holter, USAICoE Staff Historian, October 13, 2022.

On 14 October 1993, CWO3 Michael Durant, a pilot with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR), was released by Somali insurgents after being held captive for eleven days following the crash of his MH-60L Blackhawk. The Blackhawk, Super 64, was the second helicopter shot down in the Battle of Mogadishu after a high-risk raid by Task Force (TF) Ranger to capture two high value, Somali National Alliance (SNA) assets.

After successfully completing a high-risk raid to capture high-value SNA assets in the Habr Gedir sector of Mogadishu on 3 October, TF Ranger—a team of Army Special Operations Forces (SOF) and support elements—was faced with a new mission after enemy insurgents shot down Super 61, a Blackhawk piloted by CWO4 Clifton “Elvis” Wolcott and CWO3 Donovan “Bull” Briley, who were providing air support to the mission. As TF Ranger saw the helicopter crash, they diverted their resources to secure the crash site and rescue the crew.

As ground troops raced clan militias to the Super 61 crash site, in what became a baited ambush, Super 64, a second Blackhawk piloted by CWO3 Durant was shot down approximately twelve minutes later. A Quick Reaction Force (QRF) comprised of infantry from 2d Battalion, 14th Infantry and 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry were deployed as combat support as well as search and rescue. Supported by Pakistani tanks and Malaysian armored personnel carriers, the QRF teams eventually secured the Super 61 crash site, retrieved the dead and wounded, and provided support to elements of TF Ranger as they redeployed to safety. However, by the time they reached the Super 64 crash site, the crew was missing.

In the aftermath of the Battle of Mogadishu, casualties totaled thirteen dead, eighty-two wounded, and six missing. Lt. Col. (later Col.) James T. Faust, the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) J-2 Chief of Intelligence Operations, TF Ranger, explained that with six missing soldiers, TF Ranger quickly shifted their mission. He said, “everything we built for TF Ranger intelligence focused on Aideed and his infrastructure;” now their mission was to build a new collection plan, combining the efforts of human and signal intelligence and surveillance systems to find the soldiers missing in action.

Within a couple of days, HUMINT sources reported Somali insurgents were dragging dead American soldiers through the streets, which was later confirmed by CNN footage. They also recovered a soldier whose body was left at a roadblock within the city. Eventually, five of the missing were located and declared dead; however, the search for Durant continued.

Maj. Gen. (then Capt.) Robert Walters, the Assistant S-2, 1st Battalion, 160th SOAR, which deployed with TF Ranger, explained that after other search methods failed, the S-2 shop reached out to Durant’s wife for a list of his favorite songs, “divided the city into quadrants and then put speakers on [their] helicopters and played his favorite song, a different one in each of the four quadrants.” He explained their hope was Durant would hear the song and mention it in a Red Cross message, helping them narrow down the search. Unfortunately, none of Durant’s messages were mailed but, on 14 October 1993, after being held captive for eleven days, he was released to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The events of 3-4 October 1993 prompted withdrawal of U.S. forces from Somalia. According to CWO4 (Retired) Gregory Peterson, a senior civilian analyst at JSOC at the time of the raid, “While the common legacy of TF Ranger is the casualties associated with the October raid, that operation survives today as [a] hallmark of surgical Special Operations units.”

Overall, it was a costly learning experience and one that also demonstrated the courage of SOF Soldiers who earned two Medals of Honor. In 2021, the Army and Congress approved upgrades for sixty awards for valor in the Battle of Mogadishu, including fifty-eight new Silver Stars and two Distinguished Flying Crosses.

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This story by Fiona G. Holter was first published on October 12, 2022 by the U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence and posted by the Defense Visual Information Distribution System. DVIDS content is in the public domain.

Photo: Crew of Super 64, September 1993. From left: Winn Mahuron, Tommy Field, Bill Cleveland, Ray Frank, and Mike Durant. The crew served with TF Ranger in Operation Gothic Serpent in Somalia. Photo by Maj. Robin Cox.

Read more about “Operation Gothic Serpent” and the Battle of Mogadishu, SOF News, July 18, 2020.

The Army announced on March 25, 2021, that Maj. Gen. Richard E. Angle will be the next commander of the 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He is currently serving as the deputy commander of Joint Special Operations Command at FBNC.

He was posted to JSOC in November 2019. Prior to that he served as the Deputy Commanding General (Operations) of the United States Army Cyber Command at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

His military career began at the United States Military Academy at West Point – where he graduated in 1991 and became an infantry officer. His first assignment was at the platoon level with the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany.

After graduating from the Infantry Officer Advanced Course and the Special Forces Qualification Course, Angle was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), where he commanded a Special Forces Operational Detachment and served as the battalion assistant operations officer.  He later commanded 1st Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), in Okinawa, Japan.

Angle graduated from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and was assigned to the United States Army Office of Military Support in Washington, D.C.  While assigned to this unit, he served as a troop commander, squadron operations officer, unit operations officer, squadron commander, and unit commander. 

His staff assignments include tours as military assistant to the Secretary of the Army; as Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Special Operations Command; and as Deputy Commanding General, 1st Special Forces Command.  He has participated in contingency and combat operations in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, the Horn of Africa, and the Philippines.

Angle has earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from West Point, a master’s in business administration from Webster University, and a master’s in national resource strategy from the National Defense University’s Eisenhower School. 

His awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit (one bronze oak leaf cluster); the Bronze Star Medal; the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (one bronze oak leaf cluster); the Meritorious Service Medal (one bronze oak leaf cluster); the Joint Service Commendation Medal; the Army Commendation Medal; the Army Achievement Medal; the Combat Infantryman Badge; the Expert Infantryman Badge; the Master Parachutist Badge; the Military Free Fall Parachutist Badge; the Ranger Tab; the Special Forces Tab; the Pathfinder Badge and the Army Staff Identification Badge.

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Information from official Army biography.

By Paul D. LeFavor.

Operation Restore Hope was a US initiative conducted under the umbrella of the United Nations-sanctioned multinational force which operated in Somalia between December 1992 and March 1995. The operation was tasked with carrying out United Nations Security Council Resolution 794: to create a protected environment for conducting humanitarian operations in the southern half of Somalia. Throughout Operation Restore Hope, ODAs from 5th and 10th SF Groups conducted a multitude of stability operations.

During UNOSOM II, the second phase of the UN mission in Somalia, General Aidid, a renegade Somali warlord, had killed and injured several soldiers using improvised bombs. In response, President Clinton approved the proposal to deploy a special task force, TF Ranger, composed of 400 U.S. Army Rangers and 1st SFOD-Delta commandos. Operation Gothic Serpent, conducted from August to October 1993, was launched with the primary mission of capturing warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid.

On the afternoon of 3 October 1993, informed that two leaders of Aidid’s clan were at a residence in central Mogadishu, TF Ranger sent 19 aircraft, 12 vehicles, and 160 men to kill or capture them. The two Somali leaders were quickly captured, however armed militiamen and civilians converged on the target area from all over the city. When two MH-60 Black Hawk helicopters were shot down, ground forces converged to their locations to recover the personnel. The ensuing battle to get to the downed helicopters turned out to be the most intensive close combat the U.S. troops had engaged in since the Vietnam War.

During the raid, MSG Gary Gordon and SFC Randall Shughart, a sniper/observer team with Task Force Ranger, provided precision and suppressive fire from helicopters above the two helicopter crash sites. Learning that no ground forces were available to rescue one of the downed aircrews and aware that a growing number of enemy were closing in on the site, Gordon and Shughart volunteered to be inserted to protect their critically wounded comrades. After their third request they were inserted one hundred meters south of the downed chopper. Armed with only their personal weapons, the two commandos fought their way to the downed fliers through intense small arms fire, a maze of shanties and shacks, and the enemy converging on the site.

After Gordon and Shughart pulled the wounded from the wreckage, they established a perimeter, put themselves in the most dangerous position, and fought off a series of attacks. The two commandos continued to protect their comrades until they had depleted their ammunition and were themselves fatally wounded. Their actions saved the life of CW3 Michael Durant. Gary Gordon and Randall Shughart were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for their valiant efforts.

In the end, 18 U.S. troops on the rescue convoy were killed, while estimates of Somali fatalities are around 1,000 militiamen killed during the battle. Although the mission’s objective of capturing Aidid’s associates was accomplished, on October 7 in a nationwide television address, President Clinton effectively ended the US proactive policy in Somalia and called for the withdrawal of all US forces no later than March 31, 1994.

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This article is an excerpt from US Army Small Unit Tactics Handbook, by Paul D. LeFavor, 2015, pages 104-105. Re-posted with permission from Blacksmith Publishing, Fayetteville, NC. US Army Small Unit Tactics Handbook is available at Amazon.com. Paul D. LeFavor is a retired Special Forces Master Sergeant who served in several overseas conflicts and continues to provide training to special operations forces as a contractor. Image derived from CIA maps and a video by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The Joint Special Operations University (JSOU) has released a new publication entitled Re-Evaluating Special Operations Forces-Led Counterterrorism Efforts. The 20-page report by Barnett S. Koven ” . . . posits that kinetic counterterrorism (CT) actions undertaken by the state to kill, capture, or otherwise disrupt terrorist groups are ineffective in isolation.”

The report on SOF-led CT efforts argues that while kinetic actions may work in the immediate term, they have little long-term effect on the ability of terrorist groups to operate. Dr. Koven’s research suggests that successful counterterrorism approaches require sequenced kinetic and non-kinetic approaches.

Barnett Koven is an adjunct faculty member of the Joint Special Operations University. He is also a researcher at the University of Maryland’s National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Response to Terrorism (START).

Counterterrorism is one of the 12 core U.S. Special Operations Command activities. Currently, according to the author, the US government has a preference for kinetic responses to terrorism. Koven believes that rigorous evaluations of the effectiveness of kinetic approaches to CT are lacking.

His paper provides an evaluation of U.S. SOF CT efforts. The first section provides a review of current studies on CT, the second introduces the research hypotheses, and the third on methodology. The results are then presented and discussed in the fourth section and the conclusion is within the fifth and last section.

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Re-Evaluating Special Operations Forces-Led Counterterrorism Efforts, by Barnett S. Koven, Joint Special Operations University (JSOU), Occasional Paper, March 2020.
https://jsou.libguides.com/ld.php?content_id=53631174

Sergeant Leandro Jasso died on Saturday, November 24, 2018 in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was killed as a result of wounds sustained from small arms fire while engaging enemy forces.

Editorial Note: A subsequent Resolute Support news release dated November 27, 2018 states that “An initial review indicates Sgt. Jasso was likely accidentally shot by our Afghan partner force. There are no indications that he was shot intentionally.”

Jasso, age 25, was from Leavenworth, Washington. He was assigned to Company A, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. He was engaged in combat operations in Khash Rod district, Nimroz province. Upon being wounded he was immediately treated and medically evacuated to a medical treatment facility in Garmsir district, Helmand province, where he died of his wounds.

SGT Jasso enlisted in the U.S. Army in August 2012. He completed Basic Combat Training, One Station Unit Training as an infantryman and Basic Airborne Course at Fort Benning, Georgia. Following initial training he was assigned to 2nd Ranger Battalion, where he served as an Assistant Machine Gunner, Automatic Rifleman and Grenadier.

SGT Jasso’s military education includes the Basic Leader Course and U.S. Army Ranger Course. His awards and decorations include:

• Army Achievement Medal
• Army Good Conduct Medal
• National Defense Service Medal
• Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
• Army Service Ribbon
• NATO Medal
• Ranger Tab
• Combat Infantryman’s Badge
• Expert Infantryman’s Badge
• Expert Rifle Marksmanship Badge.

SGT Jasso deployed twice before in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. At the time of his death SGT Jasso was serving as a team leader on his third deployment to Afghanistan.

Jasso was an Eagle Scout who also played on school soccer, wrestling, and football teams. He came from the small town of Leavenworth in central Washington.

News Reports:

“Sgt. Leandro A.S. Jasso was ‘charismatic,’ ‘wonderful kid,’, friends, mentors recall”, Stars and Stripes, November 26, 2018.

“DOD Identifies Army Casualty”,  DoD, November 25, 2018.

“U.S. Service Member Killed in Afghanistan”, Resolute Support Mission, November 24, 2018.

Photo: Provided by USASOC.

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]]> 9221 https://sof.news/sof/crs-report-us-sof-oct-2018/ Tue, 06 Nov 2018 06:00:25 +0000 http://www.sof.news/?p=8966 The Congressional Research Service (CRS) has updated its U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF): Background and Issues for Congress report. The latest pub is dated October 29, 2018, (CRS RS21048). This 13-page CRS report on US SOF covers a variety of topics [...]]]>

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) has updated its U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF): Background and Issues for Congress report. The latest pub is dated October 29, 2018, (CRS RS21048).

This 13-page CRS report on US SOF covers a variety of topics relating to U.S. special operations forces. Topics covered include:

• Background of US SOF
• Command Structures and Components
• Theater Special Operations Commands (TSOCs)
• USSOCOM Responsibilities
• Army Special Operations Command (USASOC)
• Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC)
• Naval Special Warfare Command (NSW)
• Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC)
• Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC)
• Potential Issues for Congress
• The Future of USSOCOM and US SOF

You can read or download the CRS report on US SOF at the link below:

https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/RS/RS21048

The newest commander of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) is Lieutenant General Scott Howell. He is an Air Force officer and rotary wing pilot with deep experience in the special operations community. Howell is the first Air Force officer to command JSOC. Previous commanders were Green Berets, Rangers, or SEALs.

Howell entered the military in May of 1987 as a Second Lieutenant after graduation from the U.S. Air Force Academy. His first assignment after flight training was with the 37th Air Rescue Squadron at Fairfield AFB, Washington.

Howell is a very experienced special operations aviator who has broad experience in joint special operations commands and assignments. He has had a number of staff positions within the Air Force special operations organization and attended a number of professional education schools and course. Some of his assignments are listed below:

• Vice Commander, HQs USSOCOM, Washington, D.C.
• CG SOJTF-A / NSOCC-A, Afghanistan
• Director of Operations, AFSOC, Hurlburt Field
• Deputy Director for SO/CT (J37), Joint Staff
• Deputy CG SOJTF-A / NSOCC-A, Afghanistan
• Special Assistant to CG USSOCOM
• Commander Aviation Tactics Evaluation Group (AvTEG)
• Commander 20th Special Operations Squadron

References:

Biography of Lieutenant General Scott A. Howell, USAF
www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/558245/brigadier-general-scott-a-howell/

SOF News Update 20180312 – 2003 JSOC raid into Iraq, intel in corporate world, some great SF photos, USSOCOM and ‘hard problems’, Britain’s WWII GW, conflict in Mali, Kurds shifting focus to invading Turkish forces, MQ-1 Predator to retire, 10th SFGA dietitian, Green Berets and their weapons, ‘own the night’, SERE, early SF history, USAF Reserve CSAR, and more.

Podcast – 2003 JSOC raid in Iraq. Modern War Institute’s The Spear presents a 30-minute podcast on a special operations mission into Iraq. Col. Phil Ryan, the commander of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment tells the story. In 2003, Ryan was a pilot in the unit when it entered Iraq at the very beginning of the invasion of Iraq. Listen to “Podcast: The Spear – a 2003 Helicopter Mission Deep into Iraq”, Modern War Institute at West Point, March 7, 2018.

Solving ‘Hard Problems’ for USSOCOM. The Special Operations Forces Acquisition, Technology & Logistics (SOF AT&L) organization within the U.S. Special Operations Command is seeking assistance to solve ‘hard problems’ in areas that are of critical importance to the success of mission accomplishment. These areas are small unit dominance, mission assured communications, and signature management. Read more about SOF Hard Problems.

Green Berets and Their Weapons. There are several military occupational specialities (MOS) on a Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha (SFODA). Two members of the team are ‘weapons men’. These guys have the most fun. See “Watch Green Berets demonstrate a lot of cool firepower”, We Are the Mighty, March 8, 2018.

MQ-1 Predator Has Seen Its Time. The Air Force is phasing out the famed Predator UAV. Read more by Joe Chapa, a major in the U.S. Air Force. Read “The Sunset of the Predator: Reflections on the End of an Era”, War on the Rocks, March 9, 2018.

SERE: “. . . the biggest mental challenge . . .” Tom McCollum left the 82nd to go through Special Forces training. Then he hit SERE training. (Fayetteville Observer, Mar 11, 2018).

Britain’s WWII Guerrilla Warfare History. Historian Giles Milton is interviewed about his book Churchill’s Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Churchill recognized the changing nature of war and allowed a team of independent-minded operatives to operate in the new environment. Read “The Secret History of Britain’s WWII Guerrilla Warfare”, Military.com, March 8, 2018.

USAF Reserve CSAR Units Feeling the Pinch. The burgeoning economy and increase in air travel are prompting the commercial airlines to offer very attractive packages to active duty Air Force navigators and pilots. The USAF reserve units are also being affected. Read “Reserve Rescue Aircrews to Air Force: Don’t Forget About Us”, Military.com, March 10, 2018.

Early SF History. I was at a fundraising event this past Saturday night talking with a SSG from Special Forces who was manning a static display. One of my friends with me had served with the 77th SFG in the early days. The SSG had no clue there was a 77th and had no real idea on the history of Special Forces beyond what has happened since 9/11. I spent about 10 minutes bringing him up to date. By coincidence I bumped into this article on the Internet! “Becoming Special Forces”, Paraglide, March 8, 2018.

ANASOC’s Team Leader Course. The Afghan National Army Special Operations Command conducts a six-week long Noncommissioned Officer’s Team Leader Course near Kabul. Read more (DVIDS, Feb 22, 2018).

‘Own the Night’ – Not as Much Now. As the U.S. continues to provide night vision goggles to our ‘partnered forces’ (in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere) the insurgents they fight will gradually attain night vision capability. One way this happens is when the insurgent capture the equipment in raids and ambushes. Another avenue is the corruption within these ‘partnered forces’ when the equipment is sold to insurgents. Still yet another way of attaining night vision capability is to buy commercial off-the-shelf night vision goggles. Read more in “How much longer will US and partner forces ‘own the night’ in combat?”, Army Times, March 11, 2018.

Conflict in Mali. The Tuareg militias are clashing with the Islamic State-loyal militants in northern Mali. The analysts at Threat Matrix of the Long War Journal provide info on the clashes. (March 8, 2018).

10th SFGA Dietitian. Kelsey Bailey, a Tactical Performance Dietitian for the Special Forces Group based in Colorado, says a good diet starts off at the grocery store. Read “Go Further With Food – Fort Carson Dietitian Leads Commissary Tour”, DVIDS, February 28, 2018.

Kurds of Syria Shifting Focus. Kurdish forces are shifting their focus to the Turkish invasion of Kurd-held areas of Syria. This means that the Kurds attention on the Islamic State fighters has lessened in order to confront the more immediate and severe threat from the north. One would think that the SF ODAs in Syria would get an opportunity to hit the weights; but I am sure the Bn CSM / S3 has them busy with other duties and missions. Read “Turkey’s war on Kurds unsettles fronts in northern Syria”, AP, March 9, 2018.

Afghan SOF Take Losses in Battle. At least 10 Afghan commandos (some news reports say more) were killed in an ambush in Farah province on March 9th. “Afghan special forces hit hard in deadly Taliban ambush”, FDD’s Long War Journal, March 10, 2018.

Afghan SOF Staying Busy. Maj Anthony Mayne, of NSOCC-A, provides a roll-up of recent Afghan SOF operations around Afghanistan. (DVIDS, Mar 9, 2018).

Intelligence in the Corporate World. The world of intelligence is not just for three-letter agencies of the U.S. government. Smart application of basic intelligence principles can enable business corporations to understand and adapt to a complex world of dynamically evolving threats and constantly evolving opportunities. Read “A CEO’s Brief Guide to Intelligence: Not Just for Three-Letter Agencies”, The Cipher Brief, March 9, 2018.

SF Photos – and Motivation for SFQC. View 30 great photographs from the 1st Special Forces Command Facebook and read some motivational passages targeting the candidate for Special Forces training. (The Chive, March 8, 2018).

SOF News Update 20171201 – Standards at SFQC slipping, Jaded Thunder exercise, former Navy SEAL running for Congress, abandoning the Kurds, STS in Faryab province, innish Winter War anniversary, U.S. advisors to accompany lower level Afghan units, UAE in Yemen, Niger approves armed drones, U.S. reps visit Tampa, Army cancels ICSR, Afghan SOF to double, AFCEA president comments on SOF, law aspects of hybrid war explained, female free diver trains up German SOF, and more.

Standards at SFQC Slipping? An anonymous email sent by an NCO working at Fort Bragg, NC has caused a great deal of discontent in the Special Forces community. The email, posted on the website of SOFREP, alleges that training standards have dropped significantly with in the Special Forces training pipeline. MG Kurt Sonnetag, the commander of the Special Warfare Center and School (SWCS), issued a quick response denying the contents of the email. Read more in “Army probes criticism of Green Beret training”, AP News,  November 30, 2017.

Jaded Thunder Exercise. The Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) brings in various aerial assets to teach its operators how to apply their deadly capabilities with finesse. Read “Jaded Thunder Exercise Trains Elite Troops to Call in Almost Any Sort of Fire Support”, The War Zone, November 30, 2017.

Abandoning the Kurds? The Kurds of Iraq and Syria proved themselves to be very dependable allies in the fight against the Islamic State. Now that the territorial expanse of ISIS has diminished what now? Will the U.S. stop supporting the Kurds? Turkey would surely welcome that prospect. Read more in “Has Trump Ditched the Kurdish Fighters Who Defeated ISIS? Maybe Not”,  The Daily Beast, November 28, 2017.

U.S. House Reps visit Tampa. Members of the U.S. House of Representatives recently visited USSOCOM to learn about the command. (USSOCOM, Nov 2017).

Female Free Diver Trains up German SOF. A free diver champion has spent a considerable amount of time training up German special operations forces. (Deeper Blue, Nov 29, 2017).

Niger Approves Armed Drones. The government of Niger has given the go-ahead to the U.S. DoD to fly armed RPA within their borders. The drones will initially fly out of a Nigerien air base in Niamey and then, in time, from an air base in Agadez. The armed drones will likely provide a more responsive air support element to SOF teams operating in contested rural areas of Niger. (Reported by the NYTs).

Navy Lawyer Explains ‘Hybrid Warfare’. As only a lawyer can, Douglass Cantrell explains the use of hybrid warfare within the context of the use of force under international law. Read “Hybrid Warfare: Aggression and Coercion in the Gray Zone”, American Society of International Law, November 29, 2017.

Afghan SOF to Double. The Afghan government plans to double the size of it’s special operations forces. Afghanistan has SOF units within its Ministry of Defense as well as its Ministry of Interior. (Khaama Press, Dec 1, 2017).

Finnish Winter War Anniversary. On November 30, 1939 the Soviet Union invaded the small nation of Finland. The supposed quick victory by the Russians turned out to be a long grind. Allegedly the Finns would joke about the huge Russian invading armies – “They are so many, and our country is so small, where shall we find the room to bury them all?”.

UAE in Yemen. The United Arab Emirates have been playing a key role in stabilizing the Middle East. They are deeply involved in Somalia, Yemen, and other locations. In addition, they have been constant allies of the United States in Afghanistan – providing SOF units to work with U.S. SOF. An article by Bennett Seftel – deputy director of analysis at The Cipher Brief“UAE’s Share of the Task Fighting al Qaeda in Yemen” – provides an update about the UAE in Yemen. Read , The Cipher Brief, November 30, 2017.

Army Cancels ICSR. The Army’s Interim Combat Service Rifle is dead. The short-lived program has had its funds transferred to the Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW). Read more in “Army Cancels Short-Term Rifle Replacement Program”, Army Times, November 30, 2017.

President of AFCEA Comments on SOF. The president of the AFCEA, Lt. Gen. Robert M. Shea, USMC (Ret.), provides insight on the nature of SOF in today’s troubled times. Read “President’s Commentary: SOF Carries a Big Stick”, Signal, December 1, 2017.

STS in Faryab Province. Members of the AFSOC special tactics recently visited Faryab province, Afghanistan to discuss plans to increase airpower at airfields in the remote province. They conducted multiple airfield surveys along with Afghan counterparts. (USAF, Nov 30, 2017).

Advisors at Lower Echelons in Afghan Fight. U.S. General John Nicholson says that more U.S. troops will be deployed to lower level Afghan units as advisors. That will likely increase casualties. (NPR, Nov 28, 2017).

Nicholson Praises MoI’s NMUs. General John Nicholson, commander of Resolute Support in Afghanistan, offered praise for the Afghan police National Mission Units (NMUs) of the General Command Police Special Units (GCPSU). (Tolo News, Nov 30, 2017).

Former Navy SEAL is running for Congress. Dan Crenshaw of Texas is running for Congress. He fought in Afghanistan, Iraq, and deployed around the world. Now he wants to fight in the halls of Congress.
www.facebook.com/CrenshawforCongress/

PRISM Dec 2016 – The latest release of Prism Dec 2016 (Volume 6, No 3) is entitled “Special Operations in a Chaotic World”. The publication is from the Center for Complex Operations of the National Defense University. There are a number of interesting and informative articles in this issue – some are listed below:

“Special Operations Doctrine: Is it Needed?”

“Need Authorities for the Gray Zone”

“The Limits of Special Operations Forces”

“Regional Understanding and Unity of Effort”

“Context is King”

“Special Operations and Conventional Forces Integration, Interoperability, and Interdependence”

“Reaching Forwad in the War Against the Islamic State”

“Resistance Dynamics and Social Movement Theory”

“The SOF Experience in the Philippines and the Implications for Future Defense Strategy”

Also three book reviews, an interview with Stan McChrystal, and foreword by General Tony Thomas (COMUSSOCOM).

http://cco.ndu.edu/PRISM-6-3/