SOCOM chief sees ‘renaissance’ for special forces amid great power competition, evolving warfare
By Michael Marrow on May 07, 2024 at 3:49 PM
SOF WEEK 2024 — The drawdown of US forces from the Middle East and pivot to great power competition could leave one with the impression that demand for special operations forces (SOF) is falling. But top officials from US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) argued today that troops under their command play an essential role in the US’s bid to outpace Russia and China, which they described as a harbinger for something of a revival.
“Strategic competition has been and absolutely is in SOF’s DNA. We’d offer that this era is a bit of a special ops renaissance,” SOCOM chief Gen. Bryan Fenton said at a keynote address at the SOF Week conference here in Tampa.
According to Command Sgt. Maj. Shane Shorter, SOCOM’s senior enlisted leader, the tempo for missions among SOCOM troops is actually rising. Sharing statistics with a mix of industry and government attendees, Shorter said that top officials informed SOCOM its missions “will be needed three times more in this decisive decade.
“In fact, the demand for SOF to support strategic competition has increased year-over-year by over 30 percent,” he continued. Additionally, crisis response events have increased over 150 percent, he said. Shorter didn’t specify quantities or timelines.
https://breakingdefense.com/2024/05/socom-chief-sees-renaissance-for-special-forces-amid-great-power-competition-evolving-warfare/?amp=1
