April 4, 2019
Commando Mission-Creep: Time for Change in U.S. Special Operations Command?
Since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, the U.S. military's Special Operations Command has gained manpower and money as well as responsibility for an ever-wider range of missions. But now Congress is beginning to question, and push back against, the commando mission-creep.
by David Axe
Since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, the U.S. military's Special Operations Command has gained manpower and money as well as responsibility for an ever-wider range of missions.
But now Congress is beginning to question, and push back against, the commando mission-creep.
Special Operations Command's budget request for 2020 asks for $13.8 billion to fund 66,553 military personnel and 6,651 civilians. The request reflects 17 years of steady growth, the Congressional Research Service noted in a March 2019 report.
At present SOCOM is the lead agency for U.S. military counterterrorism operations and security-force assistance. The latter involves U.S. forces training foreign armies and other proxy forces.
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/commando-mission-creep-time-change-us-special-operations-command-50662
