Q&A: Major General Steven J. Hashem
Written by Jeff McKaughan
Developing and Integrating War Fighting
Capabilities for the Present and Future
Major General Steven J. Hashem
Director, USSOCOM Center for
Knowledge and Futures
Hashem is a native of Concord, N.H., and was commissioned in the Infantry upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1974. He served on active duty for more than 10 years in a variety of leadership and staff positions in Europe and the United States. Following his departure from active duty in 1985, he earned an M.A. in international relations (Russian/Soviet Studies) from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. in corporate policy and planning (strategic planning and finance) from the Wharton School.
Hashem began his reserve career in 1985 with an initial assignment to the 358th Civil Affairs Brigade. He held a number of positions of increasing responsibility in the brigade and its subordinate units to include brigade assistant plans and operations officer, battalion operations officer, battalion executive officer, and acting battalion commander. He was mobilized in 1991 for Operation Desert Storm, serving January to June 1991 as the civil affairs plans officer on the General Staff of the Army Central Command Headquarters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
From August 1993 to October 1996, he was assigned as commander, 404th Civil Affairs Battalion [FID/UW]. He was subsequently reassigned to the 358th Civil Affairs Brigade. Positions he held in the 358th included operations officer, operational planning team chief, assistant chief of staff G-3, and chief of staff. Hashem served from June 1998 to March 1999 in Bosnia-Herzegovina as part of Operation Joint Guard as the deputy commander for the Combined Joint Civil Military Task Force.
Hashem is a graduate of the Infantry and Civil Affairs Officer Advanced Courses, the Psychological Operations Officer’s Course, the Command and General Staff College, the United States Army War College and the National Defense University Capstone Course, and he has attended several executive leadership courses at Harvard University.
Awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, five awards of the Meritorious Service Medal, four awards of the Army Commendation Medal, the NATO Medal, Kuwaiti Liberation Medal, Berlin Occupation Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Ranger Tab, Parachutist’s Badge and Expert Infantryman’s Badge. In 1999, Hashem was selected as a Distinguished Member of the Civil Affairs Corps. Most recently, in 2007 he was named an honorary member of the Special Forces Association.
As a citizen-soldier, Hashem has been employed by Lockheed Martin for 22 years in various operations and business development positions.
Major General Hashem was interviewed by SOTECH Editor Jeff McKaughan.
Q: Good morning, General Hashem. Could you start by giving us an overview of what the mission and organization is of the USSOCOM Center for Knowledge and Futures?
A: SOKF’s mission is to develop and integrate war fighting capabilities for the present and future in order to train, organize and equip special operations forces to synchronize and execute global operations against terrorist networks and to deploy combat-ready forces to combatant commands. SOKF was formed in 2004 at the direction of the USSOCOM commander to consolidate functions relating to special operations forces’ current and future readiness. Our focus is primarily at the strategic level, providing oversight and policy guidance for the component commands. The directorate plays four key roles: combat developer, repository for joint SOF knowledge, custodian of the future and USSOCOM’s center of excellence for irregular warfare. The work of SOKF personnel impacts doctrine, education, language, joint training, exercises, lessons learned, management of Military Training and Planning Systems [MTPS], SOF and joint concept development, Title X wargaming, experimentation and futures integration, and other areas.
SOKF is composed of three major organizations: the Directorate of Joint Knowledge [J-7], the Directorate of Futures [J-9], and the Directorate of Irregular Warfare [J-10]. The J-7 was established as the staff entity responsible for Joint SOF training, doctrine, education, exercises and lessons learned. The core of J-7 staff came from existing manpower resources derived from other elements within the headquarters. The J-9 was established as the staff entity responsible for SOF transformation, concept development, experimentation, wargaming and joint integration. The basis of J-9 manpower resources came from the former Joint Experimentation Divisions and the Future Concepts Branch. The J-10, SOKF’s newest directorate, came online in October 2007. The J-10 was established as the staff entity responsible for coordinating IW concept implementation, strategy development, plans integration and a collaborative network of the DoD and other government agencies to facilitate United States government application of irregular strategies.
Our people wear many hats. We are trainers overseeing joint SOF training to ensure SOF warriors around the world remain the most competent and professional soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines on the battlefield. We are educators, working to refine the SOF warrior and provide the SOF community with not only well-trained men and women at the tip of the spear, but intelligent professionals who use wisdom as a weapon as deadly as the sword. We are evaluators, analyzing lessons learned and validating training to ensure the results of that analysis are communicated to the SOF community and allow us to build on our successes and avoid repeating failed efforts. Finally we are strategic thinkers, developing new SOF and joint concepts and testing them through wargaming and experimentation to provide superb capabilities and capacities in the future. At the same time, our work in the areas of SOF language, exercises and irregular warfare is designed to refine our current efforts and ensure our people and our systems are prepared for the challenges of tomorrow.
In all of our endeavors, we strive to bring the abilities of SOKF together with other expertise and efforts throughout the command. We recognize the extraordinary operations tempo that exists within the components and Theater Special Operations Commands; our desire is to make SOKF a combat multiplier that adds to the capabilities of each organization.
Q: Do you deal with technologies and equipment-related issues, doctrine and theories of operations, predictive analysis, or a combination of some or all?
A: SOKF’s efforts address a wide breadth of challenges, so you could say we deal with all of these issues. We write future concepts, using predictive analysis which helps determine required capabilities for emerging challenges across the DOTMLPF-P spectrum. While our analysis may lead us to seek adjustments in doctrine or training, for example, ensuring cutting-edge technologies and equipment for our SOF operators has always been one function SOKF serves. The Field Experimentation Program maintains and utilizes a full spectrum experimentation capability for providing high value assessments to concept development and component master plans and provides an independent assessment capability to evaluate effectiveness, affordability and feasibility of future capabilities utilizing the Special Operations Research Support Element [SORSE] located at Fort Bragg, N.C.
The Field Experimentation Program explores the viability of new technologies as solutions for SOF concepts and identifies current and future capability gaps by providing multiple venues to rapidly assess, develop, counter and exploit emerging capabilities within an evolving, flexible, and adaptive plug-and-play network infrastructure. Through provision of multiple unique field experimentation venues on a quarterly basis we encourage innovation and collaboration between SOF, DoD, government agencies, industry and universities. The major technological focus within the Field Experimentation Program is on network communications, unmanned systems, airspace management and deconfliction, situational awareness, collaborative environments, sensors, biometrics and human systems integration.
Field Experimentation is conducted at several locations. The Camp Roberts/Fort Hunter Liggett/Camp Atterbury/Camp Dawson portion focus on urban and rural terrain; whereas, the San Francisco Bay and European experiments focus on maritime interdiction operations, port security and riverine operations. Major emphasis at Camp Roberts is on pre-requirements experimentation and rapid response to USSOCOM component command requests. Camp Atterbury emphasizes SOF soldier systems/first responder concepts, training and evaluations of newly available technologies for near-term utilization. Emphasis at Camp Dawson is on untethered biometrics collection, biometrics devices and related communications.
Recently, the Field Experimentation Program introduced mission- based experimentation [MBE]. MBE is designed to meet urgent warfighter requirements through integration of existing high technical readiness technologies. The objective of the initial MBE is to provide a flexible, tailorable force protection package for a forward operating base in a semi-permissive environment integrating network- based surveillance, defense and Blue Force Tracking to provide security inside and outside a perimeter maintained from a hardened central command center.
Within the SOKF Training Division, the Mission Training and Preparation Systems Branch deals with technologies and equipment used throughout SOF for training, mission planning and mission rehearsal. The Lessons Learned Branch deals with the technologies and equipment for the collection, correlation and dissemination of lessons learned data.
Some examples of technologies we are exploring are the Future Immersive Training Environment and OP3D Joint Capability Technology Demonstrations, which seek to demonstrate the military utility of conducting live training in an immersive virtual environment and mechanisms for consolidating and correlating the myriad of available data sources into usable and reliable virtual database information. These are just a few of the many technologies that we are helping to explore in order to more clearly define future training system requirements for the development community.
Another area of particular interest is the work our Training Division is doing with unmanned aircraft systems [UAS]. Since tactical employment of UAS is relatively new, the Training Division is intimately involved with technology and equipment-related issues as well as doctrine and theories of operations. The division’s efforts include the training of UAS operators and the employment and tactics, techniques and procedures [TTPs] of UAS. As it is a rapidly evolving capability, it is critical that we validate courses of instruction and ensure the lessons learned by our operators in the field are incorporated into our ongoing operator training as well as tactics development.
In addition, our SOF Language Office maintains visibility of language training and translation technology. Currently we are using COTS Web conferencing technology, improved via several SBIR contracts to deliver live training to SOF individuals and units during and after-duty hours. We also participate in U.S. government/DoD/ service software initiatives such as Transparent Language’s CL-150 and ALTS’s Tactical Language Trainer and Virtual Culture Awareness Training.
Our Joint Doctrine Branch has the responsibility to develop joint special operations doctrine and to integrate it with all other joint doctrine. To do this, we work very closely with the joint staff, the five services [including the U.S. Coast Guard] and nine combatant commands to ensure joint doctrine enhances the operational effectiveness of U.S. forces.
USSOCOM leads the DoD development of doctrine for special operations; joint special operations task force operations, psychological operations, civil-military/civil affairs operations, foreign internal defense and counterterrorism. Integration of special operations with conventional operations is a major focus for us. We also ensure that our doctrine provides appropriate guidance for those organizations working with DoD to include all other U.S. governmental agencies, intergovernmental organizations, nongovernmental organizations and the private sector. Our doctrine also provides guidance to future commanders and principal staff officers currently studying the subject at joint and service professional military education institutions. We ensure that our best current thinking as reflected by policy, future concepts, lessons learned, training practices, operation planning and strategy is operationalized into joint doctrine.
Q: Are you responsible for the collection and presentation of lessons learned from deployed operations?
A: The Lessons Learned Branch is the action arm for the commander’s Lessons Learned Program. It resides in the J7 and is responsible for establishing policy and procedure and executing combatant command responsibilities for the Lessons Learned Program. These responsibilities include the active collection of observations, insights and lessons learned emanating from SOF training events, exercises and operations. The Lessons Learned Program recently placed lessons learned specialists throughout the command at the O-6 level [e.g., NSWG-1, SFG-1, 1 SOW, etc.]. Additionally, SOCOM retains a cadre of lessons learned active collection teams, which are capable of forward deploying and capturing lessons learned in the field. The branch currently has three teams forward deployed, one each to CJSOTF-AP, CJSOTF-A and SOCCE-HOA, whose focus is to improve and accelerate the collection and dissemination of lessons learned from the frontlines to the SOF operators preparing to rotate to theater. In addition to its active collection function, the branch has a very capable analysis component charged with reviewing inputs from multiple sources and extracting from the data actionable information. The information is transmitted to the SOF community through a variety of products ranging from lessons learned bulletins to complete studies and analysis reports.
Q: Is it correct to assume that the USSOCOM Future Concepts Development Plan is a foundation for your efforts? How often is the document reviewed or rewritten?
A: The Future Concept Development Plan is one of many key documents that support J9 and its efforts. Other foundational documents for the J9 include the Capstone Concept for Special Operations, Guidance for Development of the Force, the National Defense Strategy, CONPLAN 7500, the Quadrennial Defense Review and USSOCOM Strategic Appreciation. Reviewing and revising the documents that form the foundation of J9 work is an on-going, continual process. We see our documents as living, surviving on a continuity of change. Our documents must change— must continue to look at future SOF needs—in order to remain relevant for SOF. Our day-to-day focus is on steady improvement for SOF, so as we keep abreast of documents that are not internal to USSOCOM and work to advance our own writing, we better understand which capabilities that SOF should develop and why those capabilities must be developed. This understanding enables us to make recommendations for changes in SOF. At the same time we are revising our foundational documents as necessary. It is important that we remain flexible to changes, whether internal to the command or on a national or global scale, in order to keep addressing those capabilities that will be most necessary for SOF. Due to continual change, our documents are nearly always in a state of revision; when one has finished, the work on the next version begins. This is the only way to be sure that our work remains contemporary in nature.
Q: What characterizes the jointness of Joint SOF Knowledge, Futures & Irregular Warfare?
A: I think this is best reflected in our manning and the diverse backgrounds of the people that comprise the center. Not only is every service represented, but a broad spectrum of both SOF and non-SOF specialties contribute to our “joint” aspect. Suffice to say we are influenced in a very positive way by our collection of Green Berets and F-18 pilots.
At one point, early in OEF/OIF, when someone referred to jointness, he or she was most likely referring only to SOF being able to work together seamlessly. That definition was much too narrow and has broadened quickly over the last few years. SOF has a long history of working with those outside of the special ops community, and today joint not only refers to SOF’s work with the services, but also our ties to international and interagency partners. The task of developing joint efforts, though, is easier spoken than realized, and today’s work focuses on creating the right capabilities for SOF to operate effectively with its partners to counter a range of threats. Since our employment is both direct and indirect, building the proper capabilities among so many players is not an easy undertaking. However, the world lives and breathes in a joint manner; interdependence and interconnectedness exist today from the local to global scale. If we are to effectively achieve SOF missions, we must develop the right capabilities to work with the right partners whenever necessary. SOKF continues to develop capabilities such as advanced networking abilities, advanced cognitive abilities, and adaptive strategic communications and information activities as well as increasing our collaboration with international and interagency partners so that we may more easily work jointly. Inherent in every system are constructs such as command and control, communications, culture, language and tradition. If we add to these differences, financial abilities and inabilities, we only begin to see the difficulties of forming truly joint capabilities for both direct and indirect missions. SOKF, though, is striving to develop capabilities that will facilitate SOF’s effectiveness in such a joint environment.
One of the phrases most often used is that “SOF is born Joint,” meaning that it has always been in our culture to bring all the attributes of our collective service components to bear to best accomplish an assigned mission. While we remain trained and ready in a wide range of capabilities, when given a mission, we assemble the required force in a “tailored-to-task” manner that ensures the best mix of mobility, lethality and flexibility is applied to each specific mission. Our heritage of language ability and cultural awareness coupled with our expertise in all SOF core activities ideally postures us for success in the growing arena of irregular warfare. We have historically found innovative and resourceful ways to cobble together germane skill sets of varied and diverse agencies to bring an effective “all-ofgovernment” solution to unconventional challenges. Our challenge in SOF Knowledge and Futures is to stay out in front of the emerging changes on the battlefield and to propagate that learning and training to the force in a timely and meaningful way so that what is learned today is useable today.
Common baseline standards are one of our key contributions. We work with the services to enable language testing and proficiency pay standards common to all SOF. Additionally, we train all of our component and unit language managers ICW DLI to the same standard. Proficiency level 1 is the baseline capability for SOF foreign language speakers. This increases eventually to level 3 for experienced operators and native or heritage speakers.
Q: Do you have your own resources for the collection of the information and intelligence that you base your analysis and planning on or do you rely on data collected from sources outside the center?
A: This is an area where SOKF is definitely not an island. We rely on strong collaboration with the other centers within SOCOM through a variety of battle rhythm driven venues. Simply due to the nature of this command, there are a number of subject matter experts who reside with us every day. For example, the vast majority of intelligence and operational information we use is pulled directly from the SOCOM Center for Special Operations [CSO] and our centers and components provide us with significant input as well. Additionally, in order to make certain we obtain relevant information and a comprehensive understanding, we also engage interagency and international partners and civilian think tanks. We are routinely involved with academics and universities as well as the services and joint war fighting staffs in order to form a balanced and complete understanding that establishes the basis for well-rounded analysis and planning.
We use many resources to help collect information from which we base analysis and decisions. Internal to the J7 is the Assessment Division, which includes the functions of lessons learned and training assessments. The Assessment Division is a valuable resource that provides a wealth of information on what has worked and what doesn’t with respect to training the force and operations.
A significant amount of our analysis and planning is done in close partnership with the other SOCOM directorates and our service components. As an example, earlier this year we chartered the USSOCOM UAS Training Working Group to identify and propose solutions to issues associated with UAS Training. Members of this group include representatives from each of the component commands and USSOCOM J2, J3, J4 and acquisition staff. Other resources that are tapped by this working group include the SOF lessons learned database [JLLIS] and input from external sources such as the Joint UAS Center of Excellence out at Creech AFB, service UAS program offices, and the Army’s Training and Doctrine Command.
The UAS Training Working Group immediately developed a USSOCOM D350-9 Implementation Plan that resulted in the institutionalization of UAS training and standardization requirements. This team has not only achieved a number of goals but their efforts have resulted in mutual support among the components. In fact, just last month representatives from the Army component [Special Forces Groups and Rangers] went to Hurlburt Field to work with the Air Force component on small UAS training.
Q: Do you focus exclusively on programs a few years removed from current operations or do you also deal with closer-to-now issues?
A: While we definitely have an eye on the future, we certainly address “here-and-now” issues. Most recently our J10 and J9 took on an initiative with the Army Capabilities Integration Center to develop planning factors to mitigate the loss of enablers and sustainers that support distributed operations in the battle space. This is directly and immediately applicable for both MNFI and I-Corps [assuming the MNFI mission this spring]. As a result we’ve put together a “functional draft” planner’s guide and are contributing to a number of other products that planners can put to use immediately.
Initially, SOKF focused on a time frame that stretches eight to 20 years into the future. This allowed us to examine SOF needs, how we could best meet those needs in the long term and how to financially plan to meet those needs. However, what we discovered as we continued to examine years so far out was that there were capability gaps in the near- and mid-term that needed to be addressed. It has been a learning process for us as we realized that looking at our long-term future really means we must change what we are doing today, next week and next month to prepare for an improved longterm future. If you equate this to the kind of planning many of us do every day, it’s easier to talk about. If, for example, we plan for our retirement 15 years from now, it means that we must begin now to make investments, choose particular saving patterns, think about living arrangements, and also plan for the unexpected. We plan, make changes, and spend or save in increments or steps along the way to achieve what we want in the long run. Of course, there will be unexpected changes along the way, so we must expect that our original plans for 15 years will be modified along the way, and that we will have near- and mid-term plans along the way. Planning for the future does not work well if we only examine a particular box of years; say 15 to 20 years out. The future comes to us as a continuum, rather than in clearly delineated years, so we must plan for it along a continuum, rather than isolating our work into blocked sets of years. Looking at tomorrow allows us to best plan for today.
The directorate invests a great deal of time researching and collaborating with those on the forefront of national strategy and futures studies. Our work with academic partners, think tanks, the services and interagency partners keeps us aware of changing world events and future forecasts and how they affect SOF. Our efforts to study the current and future operating environment give us a basis for our efforts to address capability gaps. By utilizing concept development, experimentation, wargaming and analysis, we can then develop DOTMLPF-P change recommendations for near- and mid-term changes. In sum, our time is really equally spent looking at futures that begin today and continue along a long-term continuum.
In context, SOKF’s primary focus is about a balance; specifically, the people who achieve this balance. The continuum of activities assigned to and generated by the Center for Knowledge and Futures is centered on striking that precarious balance of yesterday, today and tomorrow, the future health and welfare of our force. Once achieved, SOKF provides our customer a harmonious, constant state of irrefutable readiness. The center is comprised of a diversified, multi-dimensional group of professionals representing active and Reserve duty servicemembers from all four services and a seasoned civilian work force who strive, quite successfully, to give this balance due diligence, daily. As titled, the “Center for Knowledge and Futures” could not be more appropriate, on several levels. SOKF’s focus brings an analogy to mind: “Life, and military [SOF] operations for that matter, is comprised of 10 percent circumstances or experiences and 90 percent of how we deal with those circumstances and experiences.” Our focus aims to master the history of SOF operations, the lessons learned— and the current knowledge of our trade craft while pragmatically applying the fruits of this labor to the art and science of conceptualizing, developing and perfecting potential unforeseen, yet inevitable, future SOF operations against any enemy “unknown.” The balance lies in what we control—our span of control—and what or how, and even who, we as a trained and ready force of yesterday and today are able to influence tomorrow … a predictive analysis of our span of influence. It’s the convergence of “tested, tried and proven” with the current and future technologies, equipment, education, doctrine and theories, training the way we intend to operate, tactics-techniques and procedures, and the realm of possible. This is the balance that certainly lends itself to how effectively we, the relevant and ready force of tomorrow, are able to influence the world stage in the future—2020 and beyond. This balance is achieved by SOKF professionals for the professionals— the SOF warrior diplomats, our primary focus—who work tirelessly 24 hours a day with great sacrifice, worldwide to defend the United States and its interests.
Finally, our SOF Language Office has a near and far focus. They facilitate the development and validation of the language capabilities SOF requires in the future and then they actively work policy, programming, training materials development and budgeting processes to achieve them. Closer to “now” they also conduct joint SOF language training for units and individuals as well as providing training materials and assistance on translation and interpreter issues.
Q: What are some of the critical areas that occupy the center’s time?
A: Since my arrival at USSOCOM in August 2005, I have spent an inordinate amount of time managing the growth and development of SOKF into a viable and respected center. As the newest center, at times it’s been a difficult challenge to compete for our fair share of resources. My initial focus was on continuing the stand-up and nurturing of a new organization that had been formed one year prior. My subsequent efforts have been on determining which roles SOKF should play—now, and in the future—that add the greatest value to USSOCOM, prioritizing those roles and identifying shortfalls in staff related to future missions and functions. SOKF was essentially created by transferring and compiling selected functions and their associated manpower from various organizations within the SOCOM HQs. In several instances, we accepted responsibility for the functions, but did not get the required manpower to accomplish all of the tasks that we were responsible for. Fortunately, we have received great support from General Doug Brown, the previous commander; Admiral Eric Olson, as the deputy commander and commander; and Lieutenant General Kearney, the current deputy commander. Likewise, all of the chiefs of staff—Lieutenant General Flynn, Major General Waldhauser and Brigadier General Steven Hummer—have been very supportive because they understand the importance of SOKF’s core missions and they understand the short- and long-term significance of the center’s efforts and the benefits to SOCOM and its components. That being said, SOKF has received more than its fair share of supplemental, year-end funds and money for unfunded requirements [UFRs], which has enabled us to augment our full-time staff with contractor personnel. However, in order to continue to build on our success in the long term, our full-time manpower and baseline budget need to increase.
We also instituted a strategic communications program to educate the other centers, components, Theater Special Operations Commands and other stakeholders on SOKF. We did this in order to raise awareness of SOKF’s capabilities and products and to demonstrate how we benefit and add value to the command. Most of these organizations never realized or fully understood the breadth and depth of activities that SOKF personnel are involved in. We briefed all of these organizations either in person or via VTC. In addition, we publish a semi-annual magazine, Horizons, and a quarterly SOKF EXSUM to keep the community apprised of our activities and accomplishments.
In closing, at this point in time I’m very pleased with the developmental progress and contributions of the center as a dynamic, evolving organization, and I’m even more excited at the future possibilities to better serve our SOF warrior diplomats.
Q: Is there a role for SOF in stemming, reducing or eliminating piracy operations in areas like the east coast of Africa?
A: In a global operating environment categorized by rapid acceleration of failing states, weakened governments, internal security struggles, and escalating shortages in humanitarian necessities, SOF can be of great strategic utility in any number of circumstances. Our unique abilities in such areas as building partnership capacity, providing security force assistance and intelligence, and interrupting flow of illegal financing and trade can prove to have wide-ranging effects, possibly including an enhanced ability to deal with piracy operations. Security and development are strong antidotes to major social upheaval. Interactions among SOF and our partners that enable security and development are likely to help produce positive effects that counter vulnerabilities in underdeveloped regions. It is important to remember that we operate in a world that is interconnected like never before at speeds never before experienced. Transnational movement, communication and interdependence are at an all-time high. What happens in one region of the world often creates a ripple affect across the globe. In many ways SOF is distinctively suited to employment in such an environment, but SOF will play broad-ranging roles by necessity. ♦