This is good to know information for any commander or staff officer. CF was so wrapped up in getting the cultural thing correct they knew nothing about swarming, AQI/IAI strategy which was coupled to their fighting tactics and the interrelationships between the various insurgent groups. Secondly critical thinking ie asking all those points you mentioned above used to be the core of a SF that was based in the world of UW or what you refer to as SW. Information Briefing Format II. That globalization is adding echelons of wealth concentration doesn't necessarily mean something "new" is happening. The human domain![vi] This conversation happened, supposedly, in the context of a discussion about the Armys Seventh Warfighting Function (WfF), which as a concept is still being worked, but would add a function to the Armys list of those six things it must now do to theoretically maximize combat power. Commanders, assisted by their staffs, integrate numerous processes and activities within their headquarters and across the force through the command and control functions. machines to improve warfighting capability across the spectrum of military operations. These two occurrences arguably have brought Special Operations to a level similar to the rest of DoD wherein the most important priority among the hierarchy is the growth of the bureaucracy. I have even gone so far as to suggest that in knowing oneself (specifically one's political objective) one can: b. That is, we in the Army believe, like the Political Scientist David Easton, "that in order for [military] science to become scientifically mature, it need[s] to internalize scientific principles and methods and focus on the empirically observable behavior of political actors.". Combat Power is, in and of itself, an abstraction, but the military has given this abstraction a formula to make it more real and quantitative, theoretically taking the ambiguity out of assembling functions together for the making of war and allowing a more checklist-like approach. Indeed, impressions have not changed much since the age of the Spanish explorers, who, despite 555 intentions of conquest, were also mystified by the cryptic civilizations of Mesoamerica and South America. They learn what that outpost will do by looking at that outpost, which if I get it right, is sort of RantCorp's point. For purposes of the definition, the term enemy includes the entire range of threats and the term terrain includes weather. Plus, there has been less friendly fire incidents. It is noteworthy that within the ARSOF 2022 vision and related efforts, LTG Charles T. Cleveland, the commander of USASOC, calls for testing and experimentation of new and different operational planning constructs specifically with respect to Special Warfare. I submit that art has a place in war, although many of us military types are a little uncomfortable about the word. These cookies do not store any personal information. The protection warfighting function is the related tasks and systems that preserve the force so the commander can apply maximum combat power to accomplish the mission (ADP 3-0). 25: More Chinese Ferry Tales: China's Use of Civilian Shipping in Military Activities, 2021-2022, Hospital Ships: A Vital Asset for SOUTHCOM and South American Navies, The Goshen Massacre and the Specter of Cartel Spillover Into the US, Dangerous Alliances: Russias Strategic Inroads in Latin America, Year Ahead Emerging Technologies and the Collection of Battlefield Evidence, How Does Matter Matter In International Conflict and Security? What is the Seventh WfF? Therefore many in SOF will call a Special Forces (SF) Group a tactical level organization. New York: The New Press. Agree with you that a deeper problem (THE problem?) Is human domain the same concept that we used when we sent human terrain teams into both Iraq and AFG on six digit salaries---what did they miss or fail to accomplish. The job, during this lull, seems to be related more to "building friends and influencing people" and building "trust" and building the capacity of local military, police and intelligence forces. If I am to do artestry, then I must at least know what is the subject matter. So when the terrorists attacked civilian targets, they were indeed attacking what they saw as legitimate targets, something that we in the West have disagreed with. If everybody and his brother and sister knows -- before we even hit the ground -- that our objective is to undermine and eliminate the population's way of life and governance, and to convince/coerce the population into a way of life and governance which is alien its history, its culture and its view of "the good life" (to wit: its very nature), then how exactly is one, in such an environment, going to be able to: a. Obviously I would give the M1E multiplier a greater weight than most but I dare suggest that seeing, smelling, hearing and even touching, talking and drinking tea with personnel within the target perimeter will boost your chances each and every day. advise/assist, sabotage) are no longer the realm of SOF. -- was to undermine and eliminate the way of life and way of governance (communism) of our great power rivals and to replace these with ways of life and governance which were more similar to our own. without the aid of references STATE the seven warfighting functions (yall should study this one hard) Terms in this set (8) Command and Control. The intelligence warfighting function tasks facilitate the commanders visualization and understanding of the threat and other relevant aspects of the operational environment. [xxxviii] This implies activities wholly encompassed by the concept of the human domain. SOF) and careful selection of the particularly bright and competent who receive specialized training, but the capabilities being supported are hardly anything but conventional. I also always wondered how much OPSINTEL was being compromised on a daily basis by these activities. These tasks are; The purpose of the Int WFF is to know what is happening. Russia and Ukraine battle daily in the sky. It is focused on supporting the force during the operation, and is therefore closely tied to Logistics (see NZDDP 4.0). In short, before the concept found its way into doctrine, the early design advocates raised suspicions that the hierarchical technical rationality within the military and specifically found within the planning for and execution of OIF was an insufficient approach for the current operational environment. [xvi] This approach to reality basically posits that all things in this world can be understood by scientific experimentation. I think there needs to be some re-evaluation about these issues. Commanders integrate and synchronize these capabilities with other WFF to accomplish objectives and missions. The Spaniards were forced to retreat from the city, but they soon regrouped and besieged the Aztec capital. Certainly our formidable advantage in hardware and men will readdress this disadvantage considerably but will it boost our prospects a thousand fold? You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Personally, I disagree. Within Internalized Social Change, the social anthropological method of Participatory Observation is closest to the function of what SOF, and others acting within the Human Domain would be involved with: one would literally be involved in participatory action, observation, learning, and influencing- the emphasis being on participatory: meaning that one would be influenced just as much as the other being observed. [x] U.S. Army, TRADOC Pamphlet 525-3-0, The U.S. Army Capstone Concept, 19 DEC 2012, 15-16. The Human Factor: The Enduring Relevance of Protecting Civilians in Future Wars. is one of education- great point. I believe the system works but I would like to hear your opinion. DA to a degree was also carried out by the National Police/PRU teams that were led by SF personnel during the Phoenix program. The endurance of Army forces is primarily a function of their sustainment. The following passage describes the characteristics of the Maya, Inca, and Aztec cultures of Central and South America. We must introduce at least our SOF soldiers to the concepts of the critical realist[i] philosophy and to the practice of forming multi-paradigmatic views. And understand that the enemy (government or population, as the case may be), will not, as was thought, be waiting with roses. The Human domain that is needed ie how does the enemy think, act, function and communicates with the local population is strangely missing from the discussion being pushed by say the ACoS. Original content is published under aCreative Commons Licenseper ourTerms of Use. When I was able to get a BCT to change their behavior every single day ---then we started getting a changed battlefield as we were forcing the insurgent to delay or stop planned attacks until they figured out why we suddenly changed---plain old fashioned UW that has not changed much in the last 100 years. Our adversaries are using . E. Pre-Columbian cultures did not use plants for decoration. [xxxvi] This is because, if anything, surgical strike missions are very limited in time and scope and their objectives are clear and unambiguous. Regardless, they are a formulaic-like approach linked linearly to the Armys concept of how it intends to fight and/or influence and win the nations wars or keep wars from happening. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. In fact, I would go even further and submit that without a fundamental cultural shift within SOF, to include our growing hierarchical structure, we will fail to be any better at human domain activities than we are in Afghanistan today. Rifles thru to MLRSs, pickups to MBTs, mini UAVs to Predators and helicopters to strategic bombers. I think you have made many valid points and more importantly direct personal observations based on your experiences. Instead it would encourage critical and creative thinking, demand a multi-framed approach at the most fundamental of levels, and require learning-in-action or reflective practice. If our adversaries had that capability our TTPs in Afghanistan would have to rapidly and drastically change. We want to act within the human domain without fundamentally offering anything really different in the way of a philosophical approach to our operations, instead largely unconsciously assuming the militarys technically rational approach and its related deterministic and physical domain tools will serve us just as well. The requirements necessary for success within the human domain, however, are not the requirements that the institution is currently working towards. It is about endurance, freedom of action, and extending the operational reach. We will do all of this while we continue down a path that relegates us to being little better than our conventional brethren in terms of operational and strategic prowess. The open-ended nature of part two however, puts you in a big 'ol pickle. To ex-ecute any of the warfighting functions effectively requires determination, while the object in war is to impose our will on our enemy. Hard data, coming from scientific research, confirm the expression that once seemed outlandish: today 1 percent of the species exploits the other 99 percent. But rather the wholistic meaning that an educated person has studied the full range of human knowledge and has (formally or informally) developed the ability to be informed by that knowledge as they apply it in their endeavors, be they economic or professional. [xxv] As headquarters become more systematic, process-driven, and assisted by technology, however, most units above the tactical level are forced into a technically rational way of operating and thus largely cannot apply a critical realist mindset to operations. We must also firmly ground and continuously educate them in critical and creative thinking. I must add that many would say that Special Operations is a separate Army Warfighting Function. We caught a break and rolled the entire team including their leader who I spent hours with---now the story takes a typical turn if one has been trained in UW as one would recognize exactly the same team processes we ran in SF in the 60s/70s. Additionally, I do believe that sudying the society/culture you will be operating in is important but if you spend to much time on that and neglect the warfighting side you start to get into an area of diminishing returns. I'd say that the art of the sublime would help us in that we would not shy away from admitting these things. As Behavioralism was influenced by Comteon Positivism- it is logical that we are Positivists- that is, we believe if we just gather enough data, the answers to all of life's complex problems will become obvious to us. I say for the most part because the education and personnel systems these individuals fall under are all less than desired, largely beholden to the conventional forces systems and with respect to education- are a lower priority within USSOCOM. [xiv] See COL Gian Gentiles many articles on-line criticizing COIN doctrine and the Surge Narrative in Iraq. RantCorp---lack of observation skills by the Force is also another problem-especially from our side--there are a number of basic infantry skill sets that have largely disappeared that no one seems to recognize. There are no platoon outposts there. But destroying the physical tools of war does not eliminate the reasons people fight. This positivist[xviii] philosophy would be bad if we simply believed it consciously. The exercise of authority and direction by a properly designated commander over assigned and attached forces in the accomplishment of the mission. LTG Cleveland calls for the establish[ment of] a Special Operations Campaign, Design and Theory Office at SWCS which will partner with the School of Advanced Military Studies and other advanced schools for military operational art as well as Develop ARSOF concepts, [and] validate through robust experimentation., [xxxi] Paparone, Christopher and Reed, George, The Reflective Military Practioner: How Military Professionals Think in Action, Military Review, MAR 2008, 66. Doctrine and the term terrain includes weather like to hear your opinion ourTerms of Use, pickups MBTs! Xiv ] see COL Gian Gentiles many articles on-line criticizing COIN doctrine and the Surge Narrative Iraq... Continuously educate them in critical and creative thinking, 19 DEC 2012, 15-16 personnel... That Special operations is a separate Army warfighting function tasks facilitate the commanders and... Away from admitting these things: the Enduring Relevance of Protecting Civilians in Future Wars will on enemy. 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