Special Ops Forces: An Important Weapon in Global War on Terror
by Senator Mel Martinez
For decades, the threat of terrorism has been real for the United States and our interests. At no point in time was the threat we face any more real than during the attacks on New York and our nation’s capital on September 11, 2001.
Since that fateful day, the United States has fought to wage the global war on terror on our terms and off our soil— keeping our homeland safe from attack and the terrorists on the run. On the front lines of this historic operation are some of the United States’ finest warriors, including those who make up the United States Special Operations Command of the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines. These elite groups have clandestinely played an integral role in preventing attacks and delivering swift justice to our enemies.
As a member of the Senate Armed Services committee, I know the successes these forces have yielded in the current fight abroad. They keep our nation safe and contribute tremendously to the security of our interests overseas. They are also a source of pride to the select few who call themselves members of the United States special forces.
My state has the privilege of being the home to USSOCOM, which is headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. Fla., is also home to Air Force Special Operations Command, which is a command nearly 13,000 strong of activeduty, Reserve, Air National Guard and civilians who support USSOCOM and provide specially trained Air Force Special Operations Forces for worldwide deployment. The command operates under the leadership of Lieutenant General Donald Wurster at Hurlburt Field.
In light of the tremendous role these programs play in national security, in July, I joined my colleague Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR) in establishing the Senate Special Operations Forces Caucus to recognize the importance of our special forces and broaden the support they receive in Congress. The caucus consists of a bipartisan group of senators who are dedicated to supporting the SOF and ensuring the four branches of the military have the funding necessary to utilize these highly-specialized soldiers to their fullest potential.
Many Members of Congress have ties to SOF operations—whether they have encountered special operations soldiers, sailors, airmen or Marines—on their travels to Afghanistan and Iraq, from the military installations in or near their districts, or from the defense contractors who supply the needed equipment for the SOF community. By creating the SOF Caucus in the U.S. Senate, it is my hope we can send a sound message to our SOF operators that there is a strong advocate for their interests within both chambers of Congress.
In the coming months, Congress will consider the President’s Fiscal Year 2009 budget request, which contains $5.7 billion in funding for USSOCOM. More than half of this amount—$3.7 billion—is for operations and maintenance with $1.5 billion for special operations research, development, test and evaluation.
In addition to the President’ budget request, Congress is also considering the Fiscal Year 2009 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 5658). Currently, the House Armed Services Committee’s version of the act sets aside $5.9 billion to fulfill eight of USSOCOM’s 10 unfunded priorities, which include improved surveillance capabilities, personal protection gear, aircraft countermeasures, radios and night imagers. The Senate Armed Services Committee version of the bill fully funds President Bush’s request for $5.7 billion. It also adds an additional $20 million for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and tracking technologies.
Increased funding for SOF will go a long way in helping to expand the programs’ capabilities and ensure they remain the powerful force that they are today. In asymmetric wars such as the global war on terror, these elite forces can be highly effective in engaging an everchanging enemy, which is why Congress should continue providing USSOCOM with every tool at our military’s disposal. Increasing our military’s capabilities is essential given the recent turn of events in the global war on terror. After changing strategies in Iraq in the early months of 2007, our military has engineered through the surge a remarkable turnaround that has helped to bring greater stability to the Iraqi people and to the region.
Under General David Petraeus’ direction, our forces launched an unprecedented counter-insurgency effort against al-Qaeda, Sunni extremists, and Shiite militias. Our military also increased efforts to train Iraq police and military forces; allowing them to defend their fragile coalition government and further prevent deadly terrorist attacks. Iraq’s Security Forces now number more than 478,000 and they include Iraqis of all ethnicities and faiths—Kurds, Sunnis and Shias.
They also include the “Sons of Iraq”—a grassroots movement of concerned Iraqi citizens, 100,000 members strong. The group was formed to encourage Iraqi citizens to report violent acts committed by terrorists, and has since become a vital ally in our coalition’s security efforts.
In May, while providing testimony to Congress, General Petraeus reported security incidents in Iraq are at the lowest level in more than four years. Additionally, both General Petraeus and Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker have noted the “degree of durability” in the gains made through the surge. In light of this remarkable progress, President Bush announced in July the formal end to the surge and a continuation of the “return on success” policy. Starting in late July, the five combat brigades and three Marine units sent to Iraq at the start of the surge began to withdraw. Additionally, the President announced a reduction in the length of combat tours in Iraq to 12 months instead of 15 months.
In Congress, we must continue to ensure our military has the tools it needs to complete the mission and bring our soldiers home as swiftly and safely as possible. These tools are some of the best money can buy. They include heavily-armored mine resistant ambush protected vehicles and IED detection devices, which have helped to minimize damage and enable our soldiers to survive attacks they may not have otherwise survived in previous conflicts. They also include unmanned aerial vehicles that today are patrolling the skies of Bagdad and the mountains of Afghanistan.
Despite the recent progress in Iraq, the global war on terror is far from being won. As our military continues to provide safety and stability to Iraq, signs clearly show the enemy has once again trained its sights on Afghanistan.
Violence has increased in Afghanistan in recent months, which has underscored the need for NATO to strengthen security efforts and consolidate the gains our forces made in late 2001 and 2002.
The road ahead in Afghanistan must involve broad coalition support, a renewed commitment from European Allies, and a strengthened unified command with NATO leading the charge. It also hinges on increased support from neighboring states such as Pakistan.
On behalf of the Bush Administration, Admiral Mike Mullen has visited Pakistan four times in recent months seeking a greater commitment from Pakistani political and military leaders. As a neighbor and an influential actor in the region’s affairs, increased support from Pakistan is critical to our coalition’s future prospects of keeping Afghanistan’s control out of al-Qaeda’s hands. Our next President will need to improve upon these efforts to ensure Pakistan is fully committed to improving the situation in Afghanistan.
Moving forward, our military will continue to use programs such as SOF to its fullest advantage. Each day, our nation faces serious dangers from the far reaches of our world, and fortunately, we have the support of the highly-trained men and women who make up our nation’s special forces. As aenator, I will continue to do all I can advocate on behalf of our special forces to ensure they can continue defending the American people. ♦