via WGRZ.com
Obama also announced that he will decide soon on possible troop levels for a post-2014 residual force to be left in Afghanistan to keep training local security forces and conduct counterterrorism missions.This is beyond interesting and to me will be the first real test of SOCOM.
Let me put this out there (and yes...let the incoming begin...) SOCOM has been skating. More specifically we're seeing a duplication of effort for the simplest of all missions...and its not really a SOCOM mission. Ya see they're concentrating on raids.
A Boy Scout Troop can do a raid if its planned well enough with fabulous ISR assets.
And that my friends is the rub.
Conventional Forces have been doing the hard thing. Conducting counter insurgency ops...rebuilding schools...establishing relationships with the locals...patrolling areas to ensure stability.
Meanwhile Rangers, Special Forces, SEALs and MARSOC have all been doing raids, raids and nothing but raids.
A Counter Terrorism and Training mission should be a SOCOM only mission set.
Now we will learn everything we need to know about the organization. Either they're actually about the work of Soldiering or doing the Marine thing...or they're just a bunch of pretty boys with nice toys.
If done logically this should be interesting...but I don't think we'll see it. For all the arrogance and chest thumping, SOCOM members like to be real close to conventional forces. This will be the time for SOCOM to put up or shut up. Lets see if the Head Bull Frog steps up, refuses to ring the bell and pushes for Afghanistan 2015 to be a Special Ops Combatant Command...all SOCOM and nothing but SOCOM.
