U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF): Background and Issues for Congress Page: 2 of 13
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U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF): Background and Issues for Congress
Summary
Special Operations Forces (SOF) play a significant role in U.S. military operations and, in recent
years, have been given greater responsibility for planning and conducting worldwide
counterterrorism operations. U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has about 70,000
Active Duty, National Guard, and reserve personnel from all four services and Department of
Defense (DOD) civilians assigned to its headquarters, its four service component commands, and
eight subunified commands.
In 2013, based on a request from USSOCOM (with the concurrence of Geographic and
Functional Combatant Commanders and the Military Service Chiefs and Secretaries), the
Secretary of Defense assigned command of the Theater Special Operations Commands (TSOCs)
to USSOCOM. USSOCOM now has the responsibility to organize, train, and equip TSOCs.
While USSOCOM is now responsible for the organizing, training, and equipping of TSOCs, the
Geographic Combatant Commands will continue to have operational control over the TSOCs.
Because the TSOCs are now classified as subunified commands, the services are responsible to
provide non-SOF support to the TSOCs in the same manner in which they provide support to the
Geographic Combatant Command headquarters.
The current Unified Command Plan (UCP) stipulates USSOCOM responsibility for
synchronizing planning for global operations to combat terrorist networks. This focus on planning
limits its ability to conduct activities designed to deter emerging threats, build relationships with
foreign militaries, and potentially develop greater access to foreign militaries. USSOCOM is
proposing changes that would, in addition to current responsibilities, include the responsibility for
synchronizing the planning, coordination, deployment, and, when directed, the employment of
special operations forces globally and will do so with the approval of the Geographic Combatant
Commanders, the services and, as directed, appropriate U.S. government agencies. Further, the
proposed changes would give broader responsibility to USSOCOM beyond counterterrorism
activities, to include activities against other threat networks. In August 2016, the Obama
Administration assigned USSOCOM the leading role in coordinating DOD's efforts to counter
WMDs, a mission previously assigned to U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM).
Potential issues for Congress include the overuse of U.S. SOF and readiness implications and
USSOCOM and countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD).Congressional Research Service
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Feickert, Andrew. U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF): Background and Issues for Congress, report, April 20, 2018; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1213169/m1/2/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.