U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF): Background and Issues for Congress

Abstract

Special Operations Forces (SOF) play a significant role in U.S. military operations and the Administration has given U.S. SOF forces greater responsibility for planning and conducting worldwide counterterrorism operations. The Department of Defense (DoD) is presently examining options for creating a dedicated Marine Corps special operations unit. A recently approved a series of retention bonuses for selected SOF noncommissioned officers (NCOs) and warrant officers is currently being offered in an attempt to keep senior SOF personnel in service longer. DoD is reportedly also considering transferring some Civil Affairs units from the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) to conventional forces. This report will be updated as events warrant.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 09, 2005
Accession Number
ADA476657

Entities

People

  • Andrew Feickert

Organizations

  • Library of Congress

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Active Duty
  • Air Force
  • Aircraft Equipment
  • Civil Affairs
  • Department Of Defense
  • Governments
  • Green Berets
  • National Guard
  • National Security
  • Psychological Operations
  • Rotary Wing Aircraft
  • Seal Teams
  • Special Forces
  • Special Operations Forces
  • Tilt Rotor Aircraft
  • United States Special Operations Command
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • Irregular Warfare and Special Operations Cyberspace Operations against Adversarial Threats.
  • Military Leadership and Professional Education.

Technology Areas

  • Fully Networked C3
  • Fully Networked C3 - Command and Control