Navy Seals: Theory vs. Reality.

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to examine two books that advance alternate theories to explain the success or failure of special operations. The first book is Perilous Options: Special Operations as an Instrument of U.S. Foreign Policy, by Lucien S. Vandenbroucke. Vandeubroucke discusses recurrent problems with U.S. special operations and identifies what he believes are the causes of failure of such operations. The second book is Spec Ops, written by William H. McRaven. McRaven examines eight historic cases from around the globe and develops his theory on how to conduct successful special operations. From the analysis of three recent Navy SEAL special operations missions, both theories seem to provide a useful tool for thinking about the failure or success of special operations. Combining these theories provides a complete framework for senior planners and tacticians in formulating a plan for successfully conducting future special operations missions.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 1997
Accession Number
ADA342802

Entities

People

  • Brian W. Reeves

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • C4I
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Amphibious Operations
  • Combat Control Teams
  • Command And Control
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Department Of State
  • Foreign Policy
  • Lessons Learned
  • Military Science
  • Political Science
  • Reconnaissance
  • Remotely Piloted Vehicles
  • Seal Teams
  • Special Operations Forces
  • United States Central Command
  • United States Southern Command
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Irregular Warfare and Special Operations Cyberspace Operations against Adversarial Threats.
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Theoretical Analysis.