Special Operations Forces

This monograph examines the role of the special operations forces as a component of the United States Army war fighting system described by FM 100-5, Operations, as AirLand Battle Doctrine. The impetus for this monograph was a lack of recent literary effort examining the relationship between special operations forces and major military operations and campaigns on the mid and high intensity battlefield. The lack of recent interest by military writers coupled with minimal SOF play in the war games developed at the Combined Arms Center for use by the School of Advanced Military Studies, and a demonstrated lack of understanding of the role of special operations forces as a supporting arm in the global war scenarios played by SAMS students, dictates the need for an examination of this subject. The monograph explores the theoretical basis for the integration of SOF into campaign plans, establishes a historical basis for the link between SOF operations and the major efforts of conventional forces in the main battle area, and explores current joint and US Army doctrine for incorporation of SOF into campaign plans for mid- and high-intensity battle. The study concludes that both a theoretical and a historical basis exist for the integration of SOF into campaign plans to support the efforts of major conventional forces on the mid- and high-intensity battlefield. However integration has not been the focus of efforts for improving SOF capabilities in recent years, while the doctrine in FM 100-5 calls for integration and TRADOC PAM 525-34, OPERATIONAL CONCEPT FOR THE EMPLOYMENT OF ARMY SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES, outlines the roles and missions for ARSOF, the educational system has largely ignored the issue. Planners, commanders and staffs must be educated to incorporate SOF into campaign plans. SOF commanders must establish close working relationships with the commanders and staffs to insure maximum integration is achieved, so that the desired synergistic effect of all arms bat