EVOLVE OR DIE: ARMY SPECIAL OPERATIONS INTEGRATION AS A CATALYST FOR NECESSARY CHANGE
Eric Hoelscher and Siamak Tundra Naficy | 06.05.24
Evolve or Die: Army Special Operations Integration as a Catalyst for Necessary Change
One of the most fundamental truths is that for any entity to thrive, it must be well suited to its surroundings. Should its environment change, an organism’s continued survival and reproduction is dependent on its ability to adapt in stride with these changes. Many species rewrite the rules of engagement to survive within a rapidly changing world, while the ones that don’t risk extinction. Facing the consequences of human overfishing and habitat degradation, orcas, for example, have ingeniously adapted their hunting techniques to the new environment. They now target great white sharks using swarm tactics and an uncanny knowledge of shark biology to stun their peer competitors. They have also developed other new tactics like sending waves onto icebergs, washing sea lions off the ice and into the ocean for an easier meal. In a critical period of crashing food populations in dynamic ecosystems, these maritime geniuses teach us an important lesson—you don’t assert your spot in the food chain by resisting necessary change.
In the wild, it’s evolve or die. For human organizations, it’s no different—a fundamental reality that underpins recent Department of Defense–directed force structure cuts and the implementation of 1st Special Forces Command’s integration policy. This integration policy—which will subordinate regionally aligned psychological operations and civil affairs battalions to Special Forces groups with the same regional focus—seeks to better match the command’s force structure with the shifting demands of contemporary warfare to ensure it remains agile, adaptive, and, most importantly, effective in the information domain. This has sparked ongoing debates with some information professionals viewing these developments as a threat to the importance and long-term survival of US Army psychological operations. But this interpretation misunderstands the dynamics at play: integration is an opportunity for Army psychological operations to evolve toward a stronger position within the broader special operations enterprise. The proposed cuts and integration efforts aren’t harbingers of decline, but rather potential catalysts for necessary adaptation and advancement. Instead of perceiving integration as a threat to its autonomy or identity, the Army’s psychological operations professionals should see this as an opportunity to enhance the branch’s effectiveness and subsequently increase its prominence in irregular warfare.
https://mwi.westpoint.edu/evolve-or-die-army-special-operations-integration-as-a-catalyst-for-necessary-change/
