Note the required reporting (if the bill passes into law with the language in the house bill). Seems to me the HASC is giving SOCOM all the funding requested but is also asking for some detailed explanation of command relationships and support to the geographic combatant commanders as if they really want the Global SOF Network spelled out for them in detail. Furthermore, the review and assessment of the organization, missions, and authorities can be interpreted in a number of ways but perhaps it is time for a thorough assessment of SOF some 26 years after Nunn-Cohen. I think the HASC wants an azimuth check of SOF (despite the fact that everyone is enamored with SOF these days). It will be interesting to do a detailed analysis of the language to determine the real intent of the committee.
But perhaps someone could explain to Mr. Bennett that there will never, ever be 70,000 commandos in the US military. I think if you add together every SOF "operator" in a ground tactical billet (in Special Forces, SEALs/Naval Special Warfare, MARSOC, the Ranger Regiment, Special Tactics Teams, Combat Control Teams, and the Special Mission Units) you might have a total of 10,000 "of the most lethal killers." There is no way that the operational force is going to grow by another 10,000 "commandos" (and we should note that the only commandos we have in SOF are the Air Commandos of the Air Force Special Operations Command – nonie of our US SOF whether Rangers, SF, SELAS, or MARSOC go by the name commando).
Excerpts:
The legislation also would require Pentagon brass to "review and assess the organization, missions, and authorities related to U.S. special operations forces and U.S. Special Operations Command and to provide a report to the congressional defense committees."
If enacted in the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act later this year, that report would have to spell out all "policy and civilian oversight structures for special operations forces within the Department of Defense.
Notably, the legislation would require the report to cover "current and future special operations peculiar requirements of the commanders of the geographic combatant commands, theater special operations commands, and command relationships between United States Special Operations Command and the geographic combatant commands."
V/R
Dave
HASC Panel Adopts Administration's Special Ops Budget Request
By JOHN T. BENNETT
Posted: Wednesday May 22, 2013
Posted: Wednesday May 22, 2013
Legislation approved Wednesday by a US House subcommittee fully supports the Obama administration's plan to budget special operations forces for more than $12 billion in 2014.
Moments before the House Armed Services intelligence, emerging threats and capabilities subpanel approved its part of the full panel's 2014 Pentagon policy bill, Chairman Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, said the legislation fully funds the administration's special operations request.
In its military budget request, delivered to Congress in April, the White House proposed spending $12.4 billion on America's elite commandos next fiscal year. If enacted by Congress, that would make special ops one of the few parts of the Pentagon's annual budget expected to grow during the sequestration era.
The $12.4 billion would help grow the ranks of the nation's most-lethal killers by 10,000, to a force over just over 70,000 commandos.
Subcommittee leaders said they authorized the administration's funding level because special operators are taking on a larger role in U.S. military operations, a trend they expect will expand in coming years.
(Continued at the link below)
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