May 10, 2013
From the crucible of more than a decade of continuous combat operations, Special Operations Forces (SOF) have emerged as one of the most cost-effective “weapons systems” in the U.S. military arsenal and a major source of strategic advantage for the nation. How can the United States capitalize on such development and extend the SOF’s strategic advantage well into the future?
On May 10, 2013, the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments released report Beyond the Ramparts: The Future of U.S. Special Operations Forces.
Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX), the Vice Chair of the House Armed Services Committee and the Chair of the HASC Subcommittee on Intelligence, Emerging Threats and Capabilities and Garry Reid, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations & Low-Intensity Conflict opened the event with introductory remarks.
The report’s co-authors: Jim Thomas, CSBA Vice President and Director of Studies and Chris Dougherty, CSBA Research Fellow then presented the insights from the study. Their presentation reviewed the key elements of SOF’s transformation since 9/11, outlined the national security challenges and related them to the future of the SOF mission. They also offered recommendations for reshaping SOF and identified new capabilities which require immediate investment and prioritization in the upcoming QDR.