Special Operations Forces: Expanding the Mid and High Intensity Battlefield

Abstract

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 was scenarios played by SAMS students, dictates the need for an examination of this subject. Teh 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.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 04, 1987
Accession Number
ADA187819

Entities

People

  • Richard A. Todd

Organizations

  • United States Army Command and General Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • C4I
  • Human Systems
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Amphibious Operations
  • Command And Control
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Doctrine
  • Governments
  • Green Berets
  • Lessons Learned
  • Military Force Levels
  • Military Organizations
  • Military Science
  • National Security
  • Second World War
  • Special Operations Forces
  • Students
  • United States
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Irregular Warfare and Special Operations Cyberspace Operations against Adversarial Threats.
  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Theoretical Analysis.