[Senate Hearing 115-859]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
S. Hrg. 115-859
UNITED STATES SPECIAL OPERATIONS
COMMAND'S EFFORTS TO TRANSFORM
THE FORCE FOR FUTURE SECURITY
CHALLENGES
=======================================================================
HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON
EMERGING THREATS AND CAPABILITIES
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
__________
APRIL 11, 2018
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Armed Services
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Available via: http://www.govinfo.gov
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
43-266 PDF WASHINGTON : 2021
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COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
JOHN McCAIN, Arizona, Chairman
JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma, Chairman JACK REED, Rhode Island
ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi BILL NELSON, Florida
DEB FISCHER, Nebraska CLAIRE McCASKILL, Missouri
TOM COTTON, Arkansas JEANNE SHAHEEN, New Hampshire
MIKE ROUNDS, South Dakota KIRSTEN E. GILLIBRAND, New York
JONI ERNST, Iowa RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut
THOM TILLIS, North Carolina JOE DONNELLY, Indiana
DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska MAZIE K. HIRONO, Hawaii
DAVID PERDUE, Georgia TIM KAINE, Virginia
TED CRUZ, Texas ANGUS S. KING, JR., Maine
LINDSEY GRAHAM, South Carolina MARTIN HEINRICH, New Mexico
BEN SASSE, Nebraska ELIZABETH WARREN, Massachusetts
TIM SCOTT, South Carolina GARY C. PETERS, Michigan
Christian D. Brose, Staff Director
Elizabeth L. King, Minority Staff Director
>_________________________________________________________________
Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
JONI ERNST, Iowa, Chairman MARTIN HEINRICH, New Mexico
ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi BILL NELSON, Florida
DEB FISCHER, Nebraska JEANNE SHAHEEN, New Hampshire
DAVID PERDUE, Georgia GARY C. PETERS, Michigan
TED CRUZ, Texas
TIM SCOTT, South Carolina
(ii)
C O N T E N T S
_________________________________________________________________
April 11, 2018
Page
United States Special Operations Command's Efforts to Transform 1
the Force for Future Security Challenges.
Howell, Lieutenant General Scott A., USAF, Vice Commander, U.S. 3
Special Operations Command.
Webb, Lieutenant General Marshall B., USAF, Commander, U.S. Air 4
Force Special Operations Command.
Tovo, Lieutenant General Kenneth E., USA, Commanding General, 9
U.S. Army Special Operations Command.
Szymanski, Rear Admiral Timothy G., USN, Commander, Naval Special 15
Warfare Command.
Mundy, Lieutenant General Carl E., III, USMC, Commander, Marine 20
Corps Forces Special Operations Command.
(iii)
UNITED STATES SPECIAL OPERATIONS
COMMAND'S EFFORTS TO TRANSFORM
THE FORCE FOR FUTURE SECURITY CHALLENGES
----------
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2018
United States Senate,
Subcommittee on Emerging
Threats and Capabilities,
Committee on Armed Services,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:00 a.m. in
Room SR-232A, Russell Senate Office Building, Senator Joni
Ernst, chairman of the subcommittee, presiding.
Members present: Senators Ernst, Wicker, Fischer, Sullivan,
Heinrich, and Peters.
OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR JONI ERNST
Senator Ernst. Good morning. It is 10 hundred, or 10
o'clock. For all of the folks here, I want to thank you for
attending this morning's Emerging Threats and Capabilities
Subcommittee. We will go ahead and start.
Just to let our audience know, we will be in open session
for a period of time. We will then be required to go into a
closed session, and we'll need to move locations. The closed
session location, for our panelists, will be SVC-217. That,
again, will be at the closing of the open session. So, we'll
remind you again here in 40 to 45 minutes or so.
Good morning. I am Senator Joni Ernst, from Iowa. We will
meet today to receive testimony from Special Operations
Command, or SOCOM, senior leaders on efforts to transform the
Special Operations Force for future security challenges. I
believe this is the first time we have had all of our SOCOM
component commanders before this committee, and we welcome you
gentlemen here.
I would like to introduce all of you very briefly, and then
I'll make some opening statements, and Senator Heinrich will
also make some opening statements before we begin with your
testimony.
We have with us Lieutenant General Scott A. Howell, United
States Air Force, Vice Commander, United States Special
Operations Command--thank you, sir; Lieutenant General Kenneth
E. Tovo, United States Army, Commanding General, United States
Army Special Operations Command; Lieutenant General Marshall B.
Webb, United States Air Force, Commander, USAF Special
Operations Command; Rear Admiral Timothy G. Syzmanski, United
States Navy, Commander, Naval Special Warfare Command; and
Major General Carl E. Mundy III, United States Marine Corps,
Commander, Marine Corps Special Operations Command.
Gentlemen, again, want to thank you very much for being
here today.
The National Defense Strategy reoriented the way the
Department of Defense prioritizes its efforts in an
increasingly complex and dangerous global security environment.
A rising China and an increasingly belligerent Russia are now
the Department's top strategic priorities, while Iran, North
Korea, and countering violent extremism remain enduring lines
of effort.
Over the last 16-plus years, SOCOM has largely focused its
efforts on executing its role as a leader in the global
counterterrorism fight. As a result, SOCOM's organization,
tactics, techniques, procedures, and its development of
capabilities has reflected this mission set. While it's clear
that counterterrorism will remain a persistent mission of SOF
[Special Operations Forces], the severity of the threat posed
by China, Russia, and other adversarial nation-states demand
increased attention by our Nation's most agile and innovative
force to ensure they're postured to fight and win.
In testimony earlier this year before this committee,
General Tony Thomas, Commander of SOCOM, stated that, ``As we
focus on today's operations, we must be equally focused on
required future transformation. SOF must adapt, develop,
procure, and field new capabilities in the interest of
continuing to be a unique, lethal, and agile part of the joint
force of tomorrow.'' In particular, he identified emerging
technologies, such as, ``Cyber, next-generation, low-observable
infiltration platforms, airborne high-energy laser
applications, automation, and machine learning as capabilities
key to future success on the battlefield.''
I look to our witnesses to describe what they're doing to
support General Thomas's transformation priorities, as well as
implement the new National Defense Strategy. Specifically, I
want our witnesses to provide their assessment of the future
operating environment likely to confront their forces, as well
as provide a description of what they are doing to ensure their
forces are organized, trained, and equipped to succeed.
With that, Senator Heinrich.
STATEMENT OF SENATOR MARTIN HEINRICH
Senator Heinrich. Thank you.
Let me start by just thanking Senator Ernst for holding
this hearing on the efforts of SOCOM's service component
commands to transform our Special Operations Forces for the
missions that they may be asked to conduct in the future.
New Mexico is the proud home to a significant AFSOC [U.S.
Air Force Special Operations Command] presence. But, to be
transparent, I would welcome any of your components in the
future.
Since 9/11, the vast majority of special operations
activities have really been focused on defeating al-Qaeda and
on defeating ISIS [Islamic State of Iraq and Syria] while
seeking to prevent the emergence of other violent extremist
groups. However, the recently released National Defense
Strategy, or NDS, states that the central challenge facing our
Nation is the reemergence of long-term strategic competition
with Russia and China, and that this competition replaces
terrorism as the primary concern in national--U.S. national
security. This strategic prioritization raises some pretty
important questions with respect to the readiness of our
Special Operations Forces to conduct the most sensitive and, in
many cases, highest-risk missions tasked to the military. Our
Special Operations Forces will surely continue to play a
central role in addressing the threat posed by violent
extremist groups, but are also increasingly likely to be
engaged in so-called hybrid warfare or gray-zone conflict,
below the threshold of traditional armed conflict. The current
demand for special operations capabilities already outstrips
supply. Under the new NDS, such capabilities are likely to be
stretched even further. Just last year, the SOCOM Commander,
General Thomas, stated that, ``Most SOF units are employed to
their sustainable limit.''
In the coming years, I understand that SOCOM is on track to
grow by approximately 2,000 personnel, to reach a size of about
72,000 overall. While this growth will help ease the burden, to
some degree, we need to be thoughtful in our employment of
Special Operations Forces, to preserve the readiness of our
highest-demand, lowest-density capabilities. This will require
careful prioritization by senior military leadership in coming
years.
While Special Operations Forces retain the capability to
operate in sensitive environments, some core skills, including
foreign language proficiency, may need to be reemphasized in
their training. Additionally, new secure communications,
intelligence-gathering, directed energy, and nonlethal weapons
capabilities may also be required for our Special Operations
Forces to be successful. The growing use of social media and
other means of communication by both state and nonstate actors
to influence vulnerable populations is also a concern for the
special operations enterprise.
I note that SOCOM is the joint proponent for military
information support operations and has been directed by the
Secretary of Defense to establish a centralized global
messaging/counter-messaging capability. I'm pleased to see the
Department taking these challenges seriously, but I believe we
must also fundamentally reevaluate the training and readiness
of our military information support or psychological operations
personnel to maximize their effectiveness. Our adversaries have
demonstrated innovation and flexibility in the information
environment, and we must find a way to move beyond the
traditional leaflets-and-loudspeakers approach to keep pace.
I look forward to hearing from each of you.
Senator Ernst. Thank you, Senator.
We will start with Lieutenant General Howell. Sir, if you
would, please.
STATEMENT OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL SCOTT A. HOWELL, USAF, VICE
COMMANDER, U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND
Lieutenant General Howell. Chairwoman Ernst, Ranking Member
Heinrich, distinguished members of the committee, good morning,
and thank you for the opportunity to meet with you today.
As the Vice Commander for U.S. SOCOM, I'm honored to
represent General Thomas and your United States Special
Operations Command alongside our component commanders. We
greatly appreciate the opportunity to discuss the Command's
efforts to transform against the emerging threats and
capabilities of our adversaries, with a particular focus on
near-peer competitors.
As General Thomas testified in February, your U.S. Special
Operations Forces are relevant against all our country's
national security priorities. With nearly 8,000 members
deployed in over 90 countries, our forces are postured, ready,
and relentlessly focused on winning today's fights. From
countering violent extremism to countering weapons of mass
destruction, from rogue regimes to near-peer adversaries,
Special Operations Forces continue to provide the geographic
combatant commanders options to protect our Nation, our allies,
and our interests worldwide.
However, as the National Defense Strategy outlines, the
global security environment is rapidly changing.
Correspondingly, SOCOM is transforming at an ever-increasing
pace. Today, you'll hear from each of our service component
commanders on how their commands are meeting the challenge.
Comprising just 2 percent of the defense budget and 3
percent of the manpower, Special Operations Forces play a
critical role in addressing the Nation's priority security
challenges and provide an extraordinary return on investment.
But, as one of ARSOF [U.S. Army Special Operations Forces]
truths state, most special operations require non-SOF
assistance. The additional support the military departments
provide to each of our service components, estimated about $8
billion annually, plays an essential role in the success of our
force.
The continued support and trust of this committee to U.S.
SOCOM and our service components and the military departments
has been crucial in maximizing these dividends.
Madam Chairwoman, you've already introduced my colleagues
here alongside us. I will just say, these commanders provide
superior leadership to their respective organizations and a
clear vision for the transformation required to ensure special
operations remains at the forefront in addressing emergency--
emerging threats and capabilities.
Pending any immediate questions for me, I'll ask each
component commander to provide brief remarks to the committee.
We look forward to the discussion.
Senator Ernst. Thank you, General.
General Webb.
STATEMENT OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL MARSHALL B. WEBB, USAF,
COMMANDER, U.S. AIR FORCE SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND
Lieutenant General Webb. Chairwoman Ernst, Ranking Member
Heinrich, distinguished members of the committee, I'm honored
to appear before you as the Commander of Air Force Special
Operations Command and your superb Air Commandos. Today, I will
discuss AFSOC's efforts to ensure lethal readiness and
relevance against the full spectrum of our Nation's potential
adversaries.
As United States Special Operations Command's air
component, we continuously strive to hone capabilities and
evolve our force to remain ready, relevant, and resilient, our
three AFSOC priorities.
I want to express my gratitude for the resources projected
in Presidential Budget 2019, as these will fully fund our
current requirements and will help us turn a strategic corner
as we engage in great-powers competition. In line with the
National Defense Strategy, AFSOC has the duty and opportunity
to shape specialized airpower to accentuate both the far low
end and high end of the conflict spectrum.
As General Thomas testified before your committee 2 months
ago, Special Operations' unique capabilities are in high demand
across the globe. For 17 years, AFSOC has been laser focused on
counterterrorism operations. This has accelerated the AFSOC
operations tempo and has drawn our efforts towards the low end
of the conflict spectrum. We realize these efforts are
predominantly long-term engagements in which cumulative
tactical effects lead to long-term strategic impact. To make
such engagements successful, AFSOC must lower the resource and
opportunity costs of conducting persistent counterterrorism
operations. Conversely, AFSOC operations on the high end are
predominantly those that deliver strategic impact in a short
amount of time. AFSOC must be capable and flexible in order to
confront competitors across the range of potential conflicts
and areas. We must develop a force that is more lethal and
resilient in contested environments.
This brings me to AFSOC's first priority: readiness. AFSOC
must build full-spectrum readiness while ensuring that we are
postured to fight tonight. We are invested in virtual,
adaptive, and realistic training to build readiness beyond
traditional means. Using virtual reality to integrate live
training environments with simulators reduces training costs,
lowers personnel tempo, and engages us to realistically
exercise high-end mission sets. Likewise, AFSOC's conducted 78
joint exercises and training events with partner nations in
2017, including our capstone exercise, the recently concluded
Emerald Warrior. These events focus on providing complex
integration and realistic operational problem sets.
AFSOC remains postured to deter, compete, and win against
strategic competitors via our second priority: relevance. To
meet the challenges enumerated in the National Defense
Strategy, AFSOC must cultivate a balanced force for high-end
and low-end conflict by investing in new capabilities while
leveraging current capabilities in innovative ways. This
strategy aims to balance and expand AFSOC relevance across the
spectrum of conflict to deter and, if necessary, defeat
America's adversaries. AFSOC embraces the process of innovation
from within our formation, striving towards a balance of
incremental and transformational efforts that are cost-
effective and that extend strategic purpose.
Finally, our third priority is resiliency. What defines
AFSOC is not technology or platforms. Rather, we are defined by
our people--Active Duty, Guard, Reserve, and civilians, alike--
and the relentless application of our ethos and strategic
values. Tomorrow's fight is unknowable, but one thing is for
certain: It must be an integrated joint venture, where our
creative concepts will win out. AFSOC fervently believes a
diverse formation lends itself to this end, and we develop all
Air Commandos accordingly. The readiness and relevance of our
force is for naught if we neglect our physical, mental,
spiritual, and social fitness. Using SOCOM's Preservation of
the Force and Family and the Air Force's Comprehensive Airman
Fitness Program--Programs, we ensure that our Air Commando
community, including our brave Gold Star families, have access
to every possible tool to achieve sustained resiliency, and we
exploit every opportunity to encourage our airmen to use these
tools.
Chairwoman Ernst, Ranking Member Heinrich, members of the
committee, AFSOC represents our Nation's finest assets and our
enduring strategic advantage. On behalf of all Commandos--Air
Commandos, I thank you for the opportunity to address you
today, and I look forward to your questions.
[The prepared statement of Lieutenant General Webb
follows:]
Prepared Statement by Lieutenant General Marshall B. Webb
Chairwoman Ernst, Ranking Member Heinrich and distinguished members
of the Committee, I am honored to appear before you as the Commander of
Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) on behalf of your superb
Air Commandos. Today, I will share with you how AFSOC is ready to win
tomorrow's fight for our Nation if called upon, regardless of the
adversary.
As United States Special Operations Command's (USSOCOM) air
component, we continuously strive to hone capability and evolve our
force to remain Ready, Relevant, and Resilient--our three AFSOC
priorities. I want to express my gratitude for the resources projected
in Presidential Budget (PB) 2019, as these fully fund our requirements
and will help us turn a strategic corner as we engage in the Great
Powers competition.
In line with the National Defense Strategy (NDS), AFSOC has the
duty and opportunity to shape specialized airpower to accentuate both
the far low-end and high-end of the conflict spectrum. As General
Thomas testified before your committee 2 months ago, Special
Operations' unique capabilities are in high demand across the globe.
For 17 years, AFSOC has been focused on Counter-Violent Extremist
Organizations (CVEO) operations. This has accelerated the AFSOC
operations tempo and has drawn our efforts towards the low-end of the
conflict spectrum. We realize these efforts are predominately long-term
engagements in which cumulative tactical effects lead to long-term
strategic impact. To make such engagements successful, AFSOC must lower
the resource and opportunity costs of conducting persistent CVEO
operations. We must drive down the cost of conducting Intelligence,
Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), Processing, Exploitation and
Dissemination (PED), and Strike--especially in permissive environments.
Conversely, AFSOC operations on the high-end are predominately those
that deliver strategic impact in a short amount of time. AFSOC must be
capable and flexible in order to confront competitors across a range of
potential conflict scenarios. We must develop a force that is more
lethal and resilient in contested environments. We must be able to gain
and maintain advantage in the information domain. Harmonizing our
systems wherever possible will achieve efficiencies of scale and
interoperability savings along these lines of effort.
This analysis brings me to AFSOC's first priority: READINESS. For
nearly three decades, AFSOC has effectively and decisively delivered
specialized airpower around the globe, often at a moment's notice. Our
battlefield performance remains unmatched. However, the character of
war continually evolves. AFSOC must remain agile and ready to prepare
for the unpredictable. AFSOC must build full-spectrum readiness while
ensuring that we are postured to ``fight tonight''. We are invested in
virtual, adaptive, and realistic training to build readiness beyond
traditional means. Using virtual reality to integrate live training
environments with simulators reduces training costs, lowers personnel
tempo, and enables us to realistically exercise highend mission sets.
Another way to maximize readiness is by strengthening our network
of allies and attracting new partners. AFSOC stands with our Indo-
Pacific, Middle Eastern, African, European, and hemispheric allies and
partners, providing assurance and enhanced aviation capabilities
against a subversive Russia and an increasingly expansionist China.
Ensuring readiness both home and abroad, AFSOC conducted 78 exercises
and training events with partner nations in 2017, including stateside
capstone exercises like our recently concluded EMERALD WARRIOR.
Overseas-based exercises, led by our OCONUS units and occasionally
augmented with CONUS forces, play a critical role enabling Theater
Special Operations Command (TSOC) and Global Combatant Command (GCC)
regional campaign plans. Conducting bilateral and multilateral events
with the Republic of Korea, Japan, the Republic of India, the Republic
of Estonia, the United Kingdom, France, and others, our Air Commandos
bolster the capabilities of partner nations, create pockets of
containment, and ensure interoperability between American, allied, and
partner forces. We welcome hosting members of this committee at any
future exercises to see firsthand the value our Air Commandos deliver
to allies, partners, and the Nation.
Our Combat Aviation Advisors (CAA) are the vanguard of AFSOC's
Irregular Warfare force. Specializing in Aviation Foreign Internal
Defense (AvFID) operations, CAAs recently enhanced indigenous aviation
operations in the Kingdom of Thailand, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,
and the Republic of Poland. PB-19 dramatically improves our AvFID
capability by doubling our CAA capacity with 152 additional advisors,
and by adding five AvFID Armed ISR aircraft. CAA force growth ensures
engagement with Combatant Commanders' highest priority countries. As we
work to build out the full CAA capability portfolio and bring more
partner nations on board to share the security, we enthusiastically
support the Air Force's Light Attack Aircraft initiative. Using an
economically feasible Light Attack platform would allow us to scale
aviation training for our allies, expand procurement and maintenance
efficiencies, and maximize opportunities to build partner capacity.
Should a bolstered allied network fail to deter aggression, AFSOC
remains postured to deter, compete, and win against strategic
competitors via our second priority: RELEVANCE. To meet the challenges
enumerated in the NDS, AFSOC must cultivate a balanced force for high-
and low-end conflict by investing in new capabilities while leveraging
current capabilities in new, innovative ways. This strategy aims to
balance and expand AFSOC relevance across the spectrum of conflict to
deter, and if necessary defeat, adversaries in a dynamic and
everchanging security environment. AFSOC embraces the process of
innovation from within our formation, striving towards a balance of
incremental and transformational efforts that are costeffective and
that extend strategic purpose.
AFSOC assiduously investigates new and unique ways to organize,
train, and equip against strategic competitors. We promote General
Goldfein's ``current technology used in new ways'' approach to rapid,
cost-effective, and impactful innovation. AFSOC finds the way against
America's toughest enemies, dating back to daring infiltration missions
against Nazi Germany's Fortress Europe and the front lines of Imperial
Japan. This ethos endured through the decades, and is still alive and
well in your Air Commandos of today. Regardless of threats, AFSOC finds
quick and lethal solutions, understanding the shifting geopolitical
landscape and constantly adjusting our force presentation to maximize
lethality and applicability for tomorrow's fight.
Maintaining a relevant force and fleet demands that we continually
refine and modernize the force through programming priorities. By
accelerating programs essential to retiring legacy aircraft, AFSOC can
reinvest cost savings into future capabilities. For example, the MC-
130J Talon III program provides adverse weather terrain following/
terrain avoidance, radar threat avoidance/protection, and communication
networking capabilities significantly more advanced than our current
MC-130H Talon II fleet built in the 1980s. New Radar Frequency
Countermeasures technologies bring expanded capabilities, allowing
digital upgrades that protect against emerging enemy threats without
replacing complete systems. Airborne Mission Networking provides a
suite of integrated situational awareness and communication tools
providing the crew with a correlated common operating picture of the
air and ground battlespace that does not currently exist in SOF
mobility aircraft. PB-19 funding is critical to synchronize the Talon
III design and testing, thus enabling a timely recapitalization of the
Talon II fleet. Fielding of Talon III capabilities is critical to
maintaining the relevance of our SOF C-130 specialized mobility fleet
across all spectrums.
Knowing we must innovate at the speed of relevancy, we are
currently fielding our newest gunship using ``plug and play''
technology already evaluated in other AFSOC platforms. This allows for
an expedited fielding timeline, and more rapidly delivers the best
lethality to our warfighters. Additionally, AFSOC is adjusting tactics,
techniques, and procedures, and adding low-cost modifications to
current
assets. These new combinations aim to produce cascading problems for
America's adversaries, creating strategic dilemmas and buying time for
the Joint Force to act and react accordingly. The faster we can go from
concept to the battlefield, the better.
Other key emergent technologies at AFSOC include the gunship High
Energy Laser, a non-kinetic weapon system employed to achieve high
precision lethal effects on targets with little to no acoustic
signature and very low collateral damage. High Energy Lasers are a
truly remarkable and innovative technology, one that is capable of
dramatically shaping the battlefield to our advantage. Additional
gunship advancements include the use of Adverse Weather Engagement
Systems and Tactical Off-Board Sensing technologies. These systems
enable our AC-130 gunship fleet to target, sense, and engage despite
adverse weather conditions.
Looking beyond the next ridgeline, we are interested in
developments relating to Next Generation Vertical Take Off and Landing
capabilities. We see this presenting a revolutionary leap in vertical
lift range and speed using advanced turbofan technology. Additionally,
our Next Generation Manned ISR platform is going through requirement
validation. We know this capability must be operable in a more
contested threat environment than we've become accustomed to, and thus
we're looking for increases in endurance, range, speed, capacity,
payload, and advanced defensive systems. Staying relevant requires
persistence.
AFSOC is working with USSOCOM and Air Force Space Command to
increase interoperability. As the Department of Defense's lead
component for the space warfighting domain, the Air Force aims to
advance space-based technology to maintain superiority in the ultimate
high ground. The Joint Force's reliance on these space effects, such as
GPS, ISR, and communications capabilities will grow exponentially,
despite increased threats in the domain. We have adopted a resilient
space enhancement strategy to ensure these capabilities are available
for AFSOC missions throughout the conflict spectrum. Future employment
opportunities include Alternative Beyond-Line-of-Sight options during
operations and resilient positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT)
systems in denied environments.
AFSOC heavily leverages both Air Force and USSOCOM research and
development investments, but also tracks key Air Force Research
Laboratory (AFRL), Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA),
Office of the Secretary of Defense Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO),
and industry projects that align with our innovation focus. For
example, we are partners with USSOCOM, AFRL, and industry for Project
MAVEN. This Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence initiative
leverages machine learning and artificial intelligence capabilities to
free precious human capital from labor-intensive ISR categorization
work. AFSOC leverages USSOCOM's SOFWERX network to reach largely
untapped non-traditional sources of innovation in the commercial
markets. SOFWERX recently facilitated assessments for AFSOC of new
systems and technologies, like reducing the size, weight and power of
the equipment carried by our Special Tactics operators. AFWERX is a
similarly-scoped Air Force program that is relatively new, and is
beginning to work other issues related to Special Tactics.
Finally, our third priority is Resiliency. What defines AFSOC is
not technology or platforms. Rather, we are defined by our people--
Active Duty, Guard, Reserve, and civilians alike--and their relentless
application of our ethos and strategic values balanced across the
spectrum of conflict. Tomorrow's fight is unknowable but one thing is
certain: it must be an integrated joint venture where our creative
concepts will win out. AFSOC fervently believes a diverse formation
lends itself to this end and we develop all Air Commandos accordingly.
In fact, AFSOC employs the skills of female aviators in combat
operations, and has done so since 1994. The Air Force proudly promoted
our first female Air Commando to the rank of Brigadier General this
year, and over 13 percent of our senior enlisted formation is female, a
ratio that compares favorably to the rest of the Air Force. We have
benefited from the expertise of female leadership at the squadron,
group, and wing level for years, and will continue to do so into the
future.
Humans, not hardware, allow us to accomplish our mission. Our Air
Commandos, families, and relationships are our most valuable assets;
but they are also our most vulnerable. Our Nation calls upon us to
provide specialized airpower, oftentimes at a moment's notice. We
proudly stand ready to answer our Nation's call. We understand the
impact of this demanding and perilous mission. Therefore, the immediate
and enduring resiliency of our force, family, and relationships, is the
critical foundation for everything we do. We consider this an essential
task to maintain readiness of the AFSOC force.
The readiness and relevance of our force is for naught if we
neglect our physical, mental, spiritual, and social fitness. Utilizing
USSOCOM's Preservation of the Force and Family (POTFF) and the Air
Force's Comprehensive Airman Fitness programs, we ensure that our Air
Commandos, including our brave gold star families, have access to every
possible tool to achieve resiliency every day and we exploit every
opportunity to encourage our Airmen to use these tools.
POTFF enables us to deliver Human Performance Programs designed to
meet the unique needs of our warfighters. It delivers Psychological
Performance Programs to improve our cognitive and behavioral
performance. It integrates family resilience initiatives into Social
Performance Programs, enhancing service-provided programs. POTFF allows
us to deliver Spiritual Performance Programs to enhance core beliefs,
values, awareness, relationships and experiences. Our team is grateful
for your resolute support of AFSOC, as the continued funding of
USSOCOM's POTFF program is vital to the long-term psychological,
spiritual, social, and physical resiliency of the Nation's bravest
warriors. After all, the invisible wounds of war can be just as
debilitating as physical injuries.
AFSOC is on a glide path to meet the Secretary of Defense's goal of
1:2 deployment-todwell for the active force and 1:5 for reserve forces.
Currently, 17 percent of deployed AFSOC personnel have a deployment-to-
dwell of less than 1:2 and there are no individuals deployed below 1:1.
To balance the insatiable global demand for specialized airpower, we
are consistently working towards a maintainable deployment tempo for
the long-term health of our force, while enhancing focus on recruiting,
retention, and preservation of the force initiatives.
Chairwoman Ernst, Ranking Member Heinrich, and Members of the
Committee, AFSOC represents our Nation's finest assets and our enduring
strategic advantage. On behalf of all Air Commandos thank you for the
opportunity to address you today. I look forward to answering any
questions you might have.
Senator Ernst. Thank you, General Webb.
General Tovo.
STATEMENT OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL KENNETH E. TOVO, USA,
COMMANDING GENERAL, U.S. ARMY SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND
Lieutenant General Tovo. Madam Chairwoman Ernst, Ranking
Member Heinrich, distinguished Senators of the committee, thank
you for the opportunity to highlight the phenomenal men and
women of the Army Special Operations community and the great
work they do on behalf of the Nation every day around the
world.
USASOC [United States Army Special Operations Command]
provides more than 51 percent of the Nation's SOF and
consistently fills over 60 percent of SOF deployments
worldwide. The command consists of Special Forces, also known
as the Green Berets, our premier practitioners of irregular
warfare; psychological operations, who use the power of
influence to shape operational environments; civil affairs, who
conduct civil reconnaissance, mapping of human terrain in
governance and counter-governance activities; Rangers, who
specialize in direct-action raids and joint forcible entry; and
Army Special Operations aviators, who provide a unique rotary
wing and ISR [Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance]
capability.
ARSOF soldiers are deployed in more than 70 countries on
any given day of the year, delivering strategic value to the
Nation through four complementary capabilities: an indigenous
approach, precision targeting operations, developing
understanding and wielding influence, and, lastly, crisis
response.
You have asked me to discuss what USASOC is doing to
prepare ARSOF for both the current and emergent range of
threats our Nation faces. At the macro level, our Nation's
threats can be binned in two categories: first, violent
extremist organizations that threaten the homeland and other
strategic interests; and, second, those peer and near-peer
adversaries who seek to undermine our global influence and
overturn the current international order that preserves our
prosperity.
The counter-VEO [violent extremist organizations] fight has
monopolized our global efforts for over 16 years. However, it
is clear that competing nations, such as Russia, China, North
Korea, and Iran, will continue to challenge the current
international security order to seek greater regional and, in
some cases, global influence.
USASOC is sustaining the counter-VEO fight while building
readiness for peer and near-peer threats by investing in three
major efforts. First, we are in the midst of a multiyear effort
to restore balance to the force, with the aim of improving the
health of the force and providing additional time to train
against the broader set of tasks that must be mastered to
address peer adversaries. Second, we have made significant
investments in the intellectual space to ensure that we
understand the implications of changes in the security
environment and that we find ways to maintain an enduring
competitive advantage over our Nation's adversaries. Third, the
command published strategic guidance, USASOC Strategy 2035, to
establish the objectives and framework for developing the
capabilities required to move ARSOF from the force of today to
the force that the Nation will need in the future.
Competing successfully against our adversaries is
demanding. It requires persistent engagement at points of
vulnerability around the world. It requires soldiers who
understand the political, cultural, and geographic complexities
of austere operating environments and the unique challenges
faced by our allies and our partners. It also requires an
advanced understanding of our adversaries and how they are
evolving in an effort to shift the competitive space to their
advantage. To meet these requirements and to counter hybrid
threats of the future, USASOC will continue to provide the
Nation with a balanced portfolio of complementary capabilities.
Before I conclude, I'd like to thank this Congress for its
continued support of SOF, the Army, and DOD. Your efforts to
provide budgetary relief are greatly appreciated. Your
continued endorsement of critical SOCOM programs, such as
Preservation of the Force and Family, are essential to the
resilience and readiness of ARSOF. I'd like to specifically
thank the Senate Armed Services Committee for its advocacy for
SOF in the 2018 NDAA [National Defense Authorization Act]. The
authorities provided under Section 1202 gives SOF the tools
required to impede the progress of adversary advances in the
competitive space, short of war.
Thank you for this opportunity to appear before you today,
and I look forward to your questions.
[The prepared statement of General Tovo follows:]
Prepared Statement by Lieutenant General Kenneth Tovo
opening remarks
Madam Chairwoman Ernst and distinguished members of the Committee,
thank you for the opportunity to highlight the phenomenal men and women
of the Army Special Operations community and the great work they do on
behalf of the Nation, every day, around the world. USASOC provides more
than 51 percent of the Nation's Special Operations Forces and
consistently fills over 60 percent of all U.S. SOF deployments
worldwide. USASOC is made up of Special Forces, also known as Green
Berets, who are our premier practitioners of irregular warfare;
Psychological Operations, who use the power of influence to shape
operational environments; Civil Affairs, who conduct civil
reconnaissance, mapping of human terrain, and conduct governance and
counter governance activities; Rangers, who specialize in direct action
raids and joint forcible entry; and Army Special Operations Forces
(ARSOF) Aviators, who provide a SOF unique rotary wing and ISR
capability. USASOC has the mission to man, train, equip, educate,
organize, sustain, and support all ARSOF.
I would also like to thank this Congress for its continued support
of Special Operations Forces, the Army, and DOD as a whole. Congress's
efforts to provide budgetary relief to DOD is greatly appreciated down
to the individual soldier level. Your continued endorsement of critical
USSOCOM programs such as the Preservation of the Force and Family
(POTFF) are essential to the resilience and readiness of ARSOF.
Additionally, I would like to specifically thank the Senate Armed
Services Committee for its advocacy for SOF in the 2018 NDAA. The new
authorities provided under Section 1202 of the 2018 NDAA gives SOF the
irregular warfare tools and resources required to impede the progress
of near peer advances in the competitive space short of war.
You have asked me today to discuss what USASOC is doing to prepare
ARSOF for both the current and the emergent range of threats that our
Nation faces. At a macro level, our Nation's threats can be categorized
as countering violent extremist organizations (counter-VEO) and
building readiness for near peer adversaries. The counter-VEO fight has
monopolized our global efforts for 16 plus years; however, it is clear
that competing nations such as Iran, Russia, China, and North Korea
will continue to challenge the current international security dynamic
to seek greater regional influence.
Although the possibility of a near peer or peer conflict remains a
persistent aspect of the future environment, competing nations are
challenging the stability of regions and U.S. interests through
indirect means in the competitive space between peace and conflict.
Adversarial actions in the competitive space will seek to achieve
irreversible gains at the expense of U.S. interests, as competing
nations leverage asymmetric technologies, disenfranchised minority
elements of populations, and exploit weak governance. This changing
character of war is being enabled by the hyper-connected nature of the
global environment, allowing hostile entities to influence vulnerable
populations and hijack local grievances in ways that threaten regional
security. Threats to stability in the competitive spaces will likely
emerge more rapidly, requiring the U.S. to have immediately employable
options to counter the actions of competing nations. Ultimately, these
challenges have driven, and will continue to drive, the need for
ARSOF's unique capabilities and skills. USASOC is sustaining the
current counter-VEO fight, while building readiness for peer and near
peer threats, by investing in three major efforts: restoring balance to
the force, investment in the intellectual space, and publishing
strategic guidance (USASOC 2035).
Effort I: Restoring Balance to the Force
Since 2015, USASOC has been on a path to reestablish a balance
between time on deployment with time at home station for our soldiers.
There were two purposes of restoring balance to the force. The first
purpose was improving the overall health of the force and the second
was to provide additional time for units to train on a broader range
capabilities, to address the peer and near peer threats that our Nation
faces. On a daily basis ARSOF are operating in over 70 countries around
the world, executing missions in support of Geographic Combatant
Commanders or other elements of the U.S. Government. USASOC forces have
always been in high demand; however, during the last 16 plus years of
combat, meeting operational requirements surpassed our ability to
maintain a sustainable resource model. USASOC's crucial weapon system
is the specially selected and uniquely trained ARSOF soldier. We must
carefully balance the demand for ARSOF to meet today's requirements
with the necessity to preserve the health and welfare of our soldiers,
and by extension, their families. With USSOCOM's assistance, USASOC has
implemented a sustainable resource model. USASOC is on glide path to
achieve the SECDEF's directed 1:2 deployment to dwell ratio by the end
of 2018. Additionally, we are using tools such as Defense Ready to
accurately track and manage the personnel tempo of our individual
soldiers, which gives us a more accurate assessment of the demand that
we have placed on our soldiers and their families.
Since implementing our efforts to restore balance to the force, we
have seen positive returns on investment in the health of the force.
Although there has been recent scrutiny regarding the health of ARSOF,
in my view our force is healthy and getting healthier every day. Two
positive trends that USASOC has observed are a decrease in suicide
rates and sexual assaults.
USASOC has observed a decrease in the number of suicides each year
for the last 3 years, with a total of 5 in 2017. Although one suicide
is too many, this is an improvement compared to 16 in 2013. I accredit
this decrease in suicide to the benefits of the POTFF Program and a
cultural change within our units encouraging our soldiers to seek help
when they, or their families, are having emotional issues, and
emphasizing the duty for teammates to act on if they suspect issues.
Additionally, USASOC's sexual assault incident rate across ARSOF
formations (recent assaults) is declining, while latent reporting has
increased. The increase in latent reporting reflects an increased trust
in the Command and the Army's Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and
Prevention (SHARP) program and a reduced perception of a negative
stigma associated with reporting sexual assaults.
A significant challenge to rebalancing the force is USASOC's
identified manning deficits. However, in accordance with the POM 19-23
Program Decision Memorandum, USASOC will gain an additional 1,585
manpower positions that will begin to address those manning deficits.
In the 19-23 POM USASOC will gain manpower positions for expanded
functions in expeditionary Command and Control, military intelligence,
cyber, institutional training, and aviation. A primary example of the
importance of this growth will be realized within our 1st Special
Forces Command (1st SFC). First SFC was reorganized as a deployable
division level headquarters capable of providing mission command to a
Joint Special Operations Task Force for contingency operations. First
SFC executed their design purpose by deploying to provide SOF mission
command in Iraq and Syria 2016-2017. However, 1st SFC's identified
manning shortages created significant strain on the command. First
SFC's programmed growth in the POM 19-23 Program Decision Memorandum
will provide an additional 272 (222 Military/ 50 Civilians).
A second example of the positive impact of USASOC's approved growth
is in our Military Intelligence Soldiers. The programmed growth in
military intelligence will expand USASOC's organic processing,
exploitation, and dissemination (PED) capability (+396: 250 Military/
146 Contractors), which has been an enduring challenge for our
formations. Our ability to internally conduct PED will provide a more
capable and efficient force to Combatant Commanders and increases our
readiness for peer and near peer threats in both armed conflict and the
competitive space short of war.
The second purpose of restoring balance to the force was to allow
units time to train on a broadened range of capabilities to address the
peer and near peer threats that our Nation faces. USASOC has been able
to refocus its training readiness efforts by reviewing and updating
Mission Essential Task Lists (METL) across ARSOF, and training those
updated METLs during unit level training events, at multiple exercises,
and at the Army's Combat Training Centers (CTC). USASOC's review of its
operational and tactical METL has ensured that ARSOF soldiers remain
ready for counter-VEO missions globally and also sustain readiness for
peer and near peer threats in competition and conflict.
ARSOF is now a consistent participant in CTC rotations with
conventional forces. CTC scenarios challenge ARSOF and conventional
forces to work together in complex threat environments that include
degraded communications, weapons of mass destruction threats,
subterranean complexes, cyber threats, and electronic warfare (EW)
challenges that we would expect in a peer or near peer conflict. In the
past year, 1st Special Forces Command has executed 11 CTC rotations,
USASOC's multi-state irregular warfare exercise Jade Helm 2017, and
will execute their first, ARSOF 2-star Division-level Army War-fighting
Exercise 18-04 in this month; the 75th Ranger Regiment executed four
CTC rotations, five battalion level mission readiness exercises, and 14
realistic military training (RMT) exercises; and the United States Army
Special Operations Aviation Command's 160th Special Operations Aviation
Regiment executed five CTC rotations and seven RMTs.
ARSOF aviators are now conducting annual training in anti-access/
area denial (A2AD) environments where adversaries possess robust EW
capabilities that can identify and target our aircraft. New tactics,
techniques, and procedures for operating in an A2AD environment are
being developed and proliferated across the Department of Defense (DOD)
by ARSOF Aviators in preparation for the challenges of this threat
environment. ARSOF Aviators are also completely nested with the Army's
Future Vertical Lift initiatives to develop the next generation of
helicopters and are incorporating the lessons learned training in an
A2AD environment to inform that process.
Our potential adversaries are well aware of the power of our
ability to exercise mission command through robust satellite
communications; and consequently will seek to deny or disrupt this
network. USASOC Units are exercising lessons learned from our virtual
wargaming and are training in communications denied environments,
preparing for the anticipated mission command challenges of this
environment. Additionally, we are re-investing in clandestine
communications platforms to decrease our digital footprint.
The proliferation of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear,
high-yield explosive weapons, and the means by which they are delivered
will pose an increased threat to U.S. interests and international
security in the future. The decreasing costs associated with WMD
technology make these weapons a lucrative option for both VEOs and
peer/near peer adversaries. USASOC is investing heavily in our
chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and enhanced conventional
weapons (CBRNE) counter measures, ranging from soldier protection
systems to aircraft decontamination systems and training.
USASOC is also addressing the cyber threats that are now present on
today's multi-domain battlefield, by establishing a tactical cyber
course in 2017. The Special Operations Center of Excellence (SOCoE) now
provides tactical cyber training to both ARSOF and conventional forces
(CF), with the ability to train 600 personnel per year. ARSOF and CF
soldiers are training together and procuring the requisite skills to
monitor, in a non-attributional manner, their tactical level
environment and decrease their cyber footprint, enabling increased
force protection and situational awareness when deployed.
Effort II: Investment in the Intellectual Space
Four years ago USASOC identified the need to address gaps in the
development of new concepts and capabilities in order to maintain a
competitive edge over our Nation's adversaries. In 2014, USASOC created
the G9 ``Futures'' Directorate through an internal reorganization to
fill this void in the intellectual space. USASOC's human capital
investment in the G9 was an acknowledgement of the criticality of
understanding what the implications are of the current and future
operating environment, and what would be an appropriate ARSOF solution,
particularly against peer and near peer competitors.
Silent Quest (SQ) is USASOC's virtual wargame experiment led by the
USASOC G9. SQ assesses the concepts, capabilities, and capacities
required to meet strategic and operational challenges ARSOF can expect
to encounter in the current and future operational environment. SQ
identifies existing ARSOF doctrine and capabilities that require
updating through USASOC's Strategic Planning Process. The SQ wargame
scenario utilizes a Special Operations-Centric Campaign supporting a
Theater Special Operations Command, characterized by its multi-year,
small-footprint, scalable design, nesting ARSOF operations with
Conventional Force, Joint, Multinational, and Interagency unified
actions set against peer and near peer competitors.
The G9 also leads USASOC's efforts in Army and Joint senior leader
forums. Beginning with the Modern Russian Unconventional Warfare forum
in March of 2015, these USASOC sponsored forums have explored ARSOF's
response to the changing character of warfare and are designed to
broaden strategic options for our National leaders. Our most recent
Senior Leader Forum addressed Multi-Domain Maneuver. Multi-Domain
Maneuver is the Army's concept of Joint Force employment of the
physical, cognitive, and virtual aspects of maneuver at all levels, in
and through all domains, across the operational framework, through
time, and across the range of modern warfare challenges to maintain a
competitive edge over our Nation's adversaries. The forum set
conditions for further institutional exploration of Operational /
Strategic maneuver and campaigns to prevent, deter, and / or defeat
adversary strategies below the level of armed conflict.
The USASOC G9 is currently developing the ARSOF Operating Concept
for 2035 and Beyond. The ARSOF OC addresses the challenge:
In a constrained future environment of peer, near-peer, and
non-state competitors, with technologically advanced threats,
ubiquitous surveillance, AI-enabled battle networks, an
accelerating pace of change, globally scaled and interconnected
information, and the increasing relevance of people and
populations in competition and conflict, how does ARSOF gain
and maintain an enduring competitive advantage over our
Nation's adversaries?
It is our goal, through our investment in the intellectual space,
for ARSOF to employ empowered soldiers and integrated units capable of
delivering ARSOF Combined Arms across the range of modern warfare
challenges, as it leverages adaptive and innovative institutional
capabilities to provide the joint force an enduring competitive edge
over our Nation's adversaries. That edge comes from a synergy arising
from campaigns and operations that combine the abilities of
conventional forces and special operations forces to maneuver against
our Nation's challengers.
Effort III: Publishing Strategic Guidance (USASOC 2035)
In 2017 USASOC published its strategic guidance to ARSOF, USASOC
2035. USASOC 2035 provides guidance for the further development of
ARSOF institutional and operational capabilities needed to counter
threats across the spectrum of conflict, especially in the competitive
spaces between peace and overt war. USASOC 2035 incorporates the
previous USASOC Commander's initiatives that are still in progress and
builds upon those capabilities already established. USASOC 2035
presents objectives for developing future capabilities that will move
ARSOF from the force of today to the force of tomorrow.
In USASOC 2035 we define ARSOF's strategic value to the Nation
through four complementary capabilities--the Pillars of ARSOF
Capability: an Indigenous Approach, Precision Targeting Operations,
Developing Understanding and Wielding Influence, and Crisis Response.
ARSOF are employed throughout the operational spectrum and across all
campaign phases, including interagency- or Coalition led campaigns and
operations. Together, the Pillars of ARSOF Capability provide options
to shape or prevent outcomes in support of our national interests.
These capabilities, coupled with tailorable mission command nodes and
scalable force packages that are low-signature and employ a small
footprint, are particularly suited for employment in politically
sensitive and irregular warfare environments.
The indigenous approach is a means to address challenges to
regional stability with and through populations and partner forces
empowered by persistent ARSOF engagement. Through this approach, ARSOF
leverage nascent capability within populations, transforming indigenous
mass into combat power. Since World War II, ARSOF elements have amassed
unique institutional and operational expertise in living among,
training, advising, and fighting alongside people of foreign cultures,
achieving effects with and through partner forces. Today, ARSOF
training pipelines produce regionally oriented, culturally astute, and
language-capable personnel who can apply an indigenous approach across
the spectrum of conflict in permissive, uncertain, and hostile
environments. The indigenous approach provides low-cost, high-impact
options to address state and non-state threats, set conditions for
conventional force success, and execute sensitive activities through
minimal force commitment.
Precision targeting operations involve both kinetic and non-kinetic
direct action and counter-network activities enabled by SOF unique
intelligence, targeting processes, and technology, to include ARSOF
rotary wing capabilities, armed unmanned aerial systems, and
psychological operations. Precision targeting operations create precise
physical and psychological effects and can be used to collapse human or
physical networks through deliberate targeting of critical nodes.
Precision targeting operations are employed against uniquely difficult
target sets that may require operating in uncertain or hostile
environments, careful and focused application of force, and significant
intelligence and operational preparation. These operations are executed
by highly trained, rapidly deployable, and scalable ARSOF personnel and
formations that are employed to buy time and space for other operations
to gain traction, such as transforming indigenous mass into combat
power.
Developing understanding and wielding influence are essential
aspects of the value ARSOF capabilities provide joint force commanders
and the Nation. The SOF network of personnel, assets, and international
partnerships represents the means to obtain early understanding of
emerging local, regional, transregional threats, and/or where
opportunities exist for advancing U.S. objectives. The SOF network
provides capabilities needed to influence outcomes in all campaign
phases and especially in conflict short of overt war. Engagement
worldwide allows ARSOF to develop long-term partner nation
relationships, and an advanced understanding of complex environments.
Operating in culturally and politically complex environments requires
ARSOF personnel to be adept at interacting and coordi-nating with
multiple agencies and partners. Institutional training and education
programs unique to ARSOF, along with long-term regionally aligned
employment, provide the expertise necessary to understand complex
environments and the ability to influence people and circumstances.
Crisis response, provided through CONUS and OCONUS stationed alert
forces and persistently deployed and dispersed units, provides national
decision makers with agile, tailorable, and rapidly employable ARSOF
formations necessary to respond to emergencies. These forces provide
options to rescue people under threat, to recover sensitive materials,
to provide humanitarian relief, or to address other short notice
contingencies. ARSOF crisis response capabilities leverage the SOF
network and partner-nation relationships established before crisis
occurs. Persistent engagement develops relationships and the advanced
understanding needed in times of crisis for ARSOF to effectively employ
unilateral capabilities and those created during partner-force
development. Through ARSOF crisis response, a small number of operators
can rapidly address emergencies in an effort to enable host nation
solutions to local or regional security challenges.
conclusion
In summary, after more than 16 years of war, the operational
effectiveness of ARSOF remains high. We have acknowledged that the
future operating environment will continue to evolve with highly
adaptive state and non-state adversaries seeking to challenge the
status quo and our National interests. USASOC has refocused our
training priorities to remain ready for the global counter-VEO mission,
while also building and sustaining readiness for peer and near peer
threats, in both armed conflict and the competitive space short of war.
Preventing or deterring hybrid conflict short of all-out war is
demanding. It requires persistent forward engagement at points of
vulnerability around the world. It requires soldiers to understand the
political, cultural, and geographic complexities of austere operating
environments and the unique challenges faced by our allies and
partners. It also requires an advanced understanding of adversaries and
how they are evolving in an effort to shift the competitive space to
their advantage. In order to meet these requirements and to counter
irregular and conventional warfare threats of the future, USASOC will
continue to provide the Nation with a portfolio of comple-mentary
capabilities enabled by institutional and operational agility. We
remain committed to embodying the USASOC motto: ``Sine Pari''--Without
Equal.
Senator Ernst. Thank you, General.
Admiral Szymanski.
STATEMENT OF REAR ADMIRAL TIMOTHY G. SZYMANSKI, USN, COMMANDER,
NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE COMMAND
Rear Admiral Szymanski. Chairwoman Ernst, Ranking Member
Heinrich, and distinguished members of the committee, I'm
honored to be here today with my Special Operations
counterparts to provide an update on your naval Special
Operations Force and the maritime component of U.S. Special
Operations Command.
I have with me today my force master chief, Special Warfare
Operator Derrick Walters. We are proud to represent the men and
women of Naval Special Warfare, who are fulfilling the missions
our Nation's ask of them with courage, diligence, and
professionalism.
Naval Special Warfare is made up of sea, air, land
operators, our SEALs [Sea, Air, and Land Teams], our special
boat operators, commonly referred to as SWCC, or Special
Warfare Combatant Craft Crewman, our combat support and combat
service support personnel, such as intelligence analysts,
cryptologists, communications specialists, chaplain corps and
medical support, amongst others. We are a mix of Active Duty,
Reserve, and civilians. Our nearly 10,000 personnel account for
2.4 percent of the Navy's overall personnel numbers and 14
percent of the U.S. Special Operations personnel numbers. Our
budget accounts for less than 1 percent of the Department of
the Navy's budget and approximately 12 percent of the U.S.
Special Operations Command budget.
As you are aware, and as the National Defense Strategy
describes, and as my colleagues have highlighted, security
challenges facing the Nation today are numerous, and the
changing nature of war requires that we change with it. Today,
we have more than 1,000 special operators and support personnel
deployed to more than 35 countries, facing those challenges,
assuring partners, and strengthening alliances. I would like to
thank this committee for your support to Special Operations.
As we continue in the longest stretch of armed conflict in
our Nation's history, congressional support is paramount as we
work to maintain advantage over our enemies, protect the
Nation, and care for the health and well-being of our operators
and their families. The first SOF truth, that humans are more
important than hardware, remains our guiding principle. We have
the best weapons and technology, but our primary weapon systems
are now, and always have been, our operators. We select, train,
and sustain men and women of character, who are mature, highly
skilled, culturally attuned, and trusted to execute our
Nation's most sensitive missions. It's precisely because of
what we ask our people to do, operation after operation, that
we never lose focus on their long-term health. Preservation of
the Force and Families, our Human Performance Program, and our
latest Cognitive Health Initiatives are about operational
readiness, battlefield performance, and the well-being of our
force and families.
After nearly 17 years of operations in Iraq and
Afghanistan, we are focused on strengthening our capabilities
as the maritime component to Special Operations. We are making
progress modernizing our maritime mobility platforms that can
operate effectively in contested environments. I sincerely
appreciate the support from the Chief of Naval Operations,
Admiral Richardson, and his leaders on the Navy staff, towards
these priorities.
In today's world, adversaries are pursuing rapidly
advancing technologies in an effort to surpass those of the
United States. We, in turn, are relentlessly pursuing
innovative solutions to generate effective and lethal
capabilities to outpace our adversaries.
With our component partners and throughout Special
Operations Command, innovation is embedded in every level of
our force. Impressively, our most junior operators routinely
demonstrate the talent, creativity, and battlefield know-how to
move ideas to action. Our force on--our focus on innovation is
driven by our people, buying down risk to our force while
increasing our speed, accuracy, and lethality. But, innovation
is not just about bringing technology to bear. The National
Defense Strategy demands that we think differently, adapt to
the changing environment, look for efficiencies and ways to
increase our lethality. Optimizing our force is vital to
meeting our current operational requirements and providing
greater agility and lethality to meet future obligations.
Naval Special Warfare places priority on strengthening,
equipping, and protecting our people, outpacing our enemies in
the employment of new technologies in accelerating trends, and
adapting our force to remain agile, accurate, and lethal for
many years to come. As a command, we remain vigilant to the
resiliency of our operators, support personnel, and their
families, and remain committed to our Gold Star families, whose
sacrifice we can never repay and whose memory continues to be a
source of strength for us.
Thank you for your time, your care for all our sailors and
our Naval Special Warfare community. I look forward to your
questions.
[The prepared statement of Admiral Szymanski follows:]
Prepared Statement by Rear Admiral Tim Szymanski, U.S. Navy
Chairwoman Ernst, Ranking Member Heinrich and distinguished Members
of the Committee, I am honored to appear before you, and proud to
provide an update on your Navy's Special Operations Force and the U.S.
Special Operations Command's maritime component.
As you are aware, the security challenges facing our nation today
are numerous, and are made more difficult by adversaries who are
exploiting emerging technologies and gaining ground. We will continue
to face Violent Extremist Organizations (VEOs), while the battlefield
expands and becomes more complex and chaotic. Today, our most pressing
security concerns involve the aggressive, coercive, and disruptive
actions of near-peer competitors and rogue regimes. Exerting power by
fighting below the level of armed conflict favors these players to the
point that they are gaining advantages that threaten our national
security. We must continue to be smarter, stronger, quicker, and more
lethal than our adversaries, in order to protect our nation in a world
that grows more complex every day.
As an enterprise of nearly 10,000 personnel--2,810 SEALs; 780
Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen; 4,100 support personnel; 780
reservists; 1,240 civilians--your Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Command
accounts for only 2.4 percent of the Navy's personnel. Our budget
accounts for less than one percent of the Department of the Navy's
budget, and approximately 12 percent of U.S. Special Operations Command
(USSOCOM) budget.
We continue to have a global presence--operating in more than 35
countries on any given day. We are networked with the U.S. Navy and
Joint Forces, the interagency, and allies and foreign partners,
executing missions in support of USSOCOM, the U.S. Navy, geographic
Combatant Commanders, and ultimately, national objectives across a full
range of political and operational environments.
nsw's alignment to the national defense strategy
The National Defense Strategy (NDS) published earlier this year
charged the Department of Defense (DOD) to be more agile, more lethal,
and more innovative in order to maintain our competitive advantage. The
Chief of Naval Operations, in turn, laid out the maritime
responsibilities articulated in the NDS, focusing on increasing Naval
Power through balancing capability and capacity with readiness and
sustainment.
As the Commander, my challenge is to man, train, and equip the
Force to be better positioned to support the NDS, the National Military
Strategy and the Navy's Strategy for Maintaining Maritime Superiority,
while supporting the operational requirements of the theater
commanders. Furthermore, the long-term sustainment, health, and well-
being of our people remains my highest priority.
nsw resourcing
After nearly 17 years of war in Afghanistan and Iraq, we are
focused on reasserting our capabilities as the maritime component to
Special Operations, properly postured to meet the threats of the
future, enhancing our partnership with the Navy and exploring
opportunities for increased integration and interoperability, while
building capabilities and capacity with fleet, submarine, aviation and
cyber forces.
Acknowledging that manpower requirements have outpaced authorized
and actual growth, we have spent the last year taking a hard look at
our force structure to determine how we can best use the resources we
have to optimize the impacts we are making on the battlefield. We
looked at how to eliminate redundancy, redirect resources and merge
assets to build depth and agility and how to meet transregional threats
and provide increased combat lethality to the Theater Special Operation
Commands. Optimizing our Force is paramount to meeting current
operational requirements and provide greater agility to meet future
requirements.
We recently collaborated with the Naval Post graduate school to
conduct a maritime, multi-thread experiment in Southern California. The
exercise allowed us to explore a realistic scenario using unmanned
systems in a multi-domain (sea, air and land) environment. We learned a
lot and advanced the potential use of artificial intelligence and
human-machine teaming in current conflicts which will eventually
increase our lethality while reducing risk.
We have made necessary investments aimed at increasing our
lethality, and refining our capabilities that enable access to
contested areas.
We have made significant increases in our unmanned aerial vehicle
lethality by adding targeting capabilities, increasing the capabilities
of current sensor suites, and using algorithms and artificial
intelligence to speed up the targeting cycle.
We have modernized numerous small arms systems, including procuring
a purpose built, full-time suppressed, medium range weapons system; a
lighter weight medium machine gun that matches and, in some cases,
surpasses the effective range of a .50 caliber machine gun; a sniper
weapons system with optics and wind sensing technology; and shoulder-
launched munitions that allow for very precise engagements through
hardened structures.
We have made great strides in modernizing our maritime mobility
platforms. In fact, our partnerships with maritime industries has never
been stronger.
We have introduced high performance surface combatant craft into
our fleet to serve across the spectrum of maritime operations. They
include our new Combatant Craft Assault which replaced the NSW 11-meter
rigid-hull inflatable boat and our Combatant Craft Medium which
replaced the Mark V Special Operations Craft and the introduction of
the new Combatant Craft Heavy.
Special Operations Force (SOF) undersea mobility platforms provide
uniquely capable, clandestine means to access peer/near-peer locations.
To that end, we expect to introduce two new undersea submersibles this
year--the Shallow Water Combat Submersible (SWCS), which will replace
our legacy SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV), and the Dry Combat Submersible
(DCS), a new platform to our inventory.
Nearly a year ago, we piloted a deliberate effort to realize the
Secretary of Defense's guidance of exploiting Industry's investment in
technology to relentlessly pursue innovative and advanced operational
capabilities for our warfighters at a greater speed, relevant to the
pace of technology in order to outpace our adversaries. This venture
allowed us to understand and take advantage of new DOD contracting and
procurement authorities as well as maximizing the utilization of DOD
and USSOCOM outreach-to-industry platforms such as Defense Innovation
Unit Experimental (DIUx) and SOFWERX.
NSW has learned and applied how to effectively make use of these
and other new and emerging opportunities to rapidly bring future
operational concepts to the present: such as our realization of
Artificial Intelligence-Autonomy of ISR Drones. This example among
others, show promise to have exponential impacts on our capabilities to
accomplish our mission in a more agile, lethal and sustainable manner.
Our efforts--to rapidly prototype, experiment with and lead in new and
emerging technologies are aimed at delivering capabilities at the speed
of relevancy to our warfighters.
Finally, bottom up, operator-inspired innovation drives
experimentation during exercises, and training eventually equates to
relevancy and leads to greater success on the battlefield. With our
component partners and throughout USSOCOM, innovation is happening at
the unit level up and through headquarters. Our focus on innovation is
driven by our people--buying down risk to our force while increasing
our speed, accuracy, and lethality.
people: the first sof truth
Our primary weapons system remains The Operator. We continue to
invest heavily in our personnel, whether it's to train, retain or
sustain them. We select, train and maintain persons of character, who
are mature, highly skilled, culturally attuned and trusted to execute
our nation's most sensitive missions.
Thank you for your role in the preservation of our Force with the
10-year, $1 billion Silver Strand Training Center-South, the single
most important military construction effort impacting the current and
future operational readiness of the NSW Force. Once complete, the
complex will consolidate the training requirements of today's force,
creating efficiencies and synergy of improved operational planning and
preparedness, but also allow our operators to spend more time with
their families and communities.
We remain committed to the physical and mental health of our
operators, as we have a moral obligation to ensure their well-being.
Preservation of the Force and Families, our Human Performance Program,
and our most important initiatives involving Cognitive Health are about
keeping our warriors in the fight, extending their service life, and
giving them a high quality life post-service.
With strong Congressional support, the USSOCOM Preservation of the
Force and Family program continues to meet and exceed the intent to
build resilience and facilitate the long-term care of our operators and
their families, while never forgetting our fallen teammates with
ongoing support to our Gold Star Families.
Embedded professional care providers working within validated
programs have helped turn the corner on many of the negative trends
that have impacted those who have been in this long fight. Our usage
data shows an increase in service members and families going to see
clinical psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, nurse case
managers, which speaks directly to de-stigmatization and trust.
Similarly, there is a high number of cross referrals among the various
care providers that demonstrates mutual support and clinical trust and
reliance.
In regard to Human Performance, our athletic trainers, strength
coaches and physical therapists provide tailored and operationally
relevant programs have resulted in injury reduction and increased
recovery time from injuries with a direct impact to overall team
readiness.
Our Warrior and Family Support staff provide hands on, personal
touch and connection to our families and children, connecting them to
all the Service-provided and SOF-unique programs that are so vital to
the strength and resilience of our family members.
We have also learned that long-term physical and psychological
challenges may result in impacts to one's memory, attention, processing
speed, problem-solving, visuospatial function and impulse control which
can affect operational performance and mission accomplishment. Given
that we are in the longest continuous stretch of armed conflict in our
history, learning about the cognitive health of our force is a critical
initiative.
We have initiated a Cognitive Surveillance Program that will be a
more pre-emptive approach to intervention where cognitive impacts are
indicated. More broadly, this initiative will seek to identify injuries
earlier, track individual trends, and assist in developing
comprehensive treatment plans to aid in the recovery of our service
members. The end-state is to get NSW operators back into the fight
while contributing to their long-term wellness.
The Surveillance Program entails an initial baseline screening of
all SEAL/SWCC operators within NSW by 30 June 2018; and ongoing re-
testing every 2 years to assess significant change, similar to other
routine exams such as dental or audiogram.
Aggressive efforts include increasing awareness of potential issues
and not waiting for perfect solutions. Therefore, we are actively
`driving the science' through our blast exposure research efforts,
ultimately looking to create a `dive-table-like' approach to heavy
weapons/breaching exposure levels and mitigation needs.
NSW continues to seek and offer best practices as we develop our
cognitive health emphases. We rely on education, informed research
efforts, and leadership support across the continuum of care to help
mitigate the range of brain injuries and increase recovery rates for
our members.
Part of that continuum of care focuses on our transitioning
veterans, whether at 4 years or after forty, with a holistic, SOF-
unique initiative called Future Former Frogmen, or F3. F3 focuses on
ensuring the successful transition of our active duty into civilian
life by leveraging our neurocognitive science initiatives, continuum of
leadership development efforts, readiness support programs, and
veteran's resources. F3 provides structure, process and guidance
throughout the complex transition experience giving the service member
access to existing programs to ensure NSW veterans remain resilient.
SOF for Life, a powerful support network, continues from active duty
life to veteran life.
Today in Coronado, California, at the Basic Underwater and
Demolition / SEAL school, otherwise known as BUD/S, there are
approximately 100 of America's best and brightest going through
training to be part of the Navy's elite special operations maritime
force as part of the most recent class, Class 330.
Just like those seeking to be part of my brethren's communities,
those seeking to be part of the SEAL community, those who succeed in
the 63-week course will earn their Trident.
At the end of 63 weeks, each student will have swam 48 miles; hiked
or patrolled over 150 miles; and conducted at least 40 dives while
spending a minimum of 60 hours, or two and a half days under water. As
a class, at the end of those 63 weeks, they will have completed the
equivalent of swimming from Cuba to the southern tip of Florida, then
running to New York City.
That is just a snapshot of what we ask them to do before they have
taken their first step into their first operation in defense of our
country. It is precisely because of what we ask them to do, starting in
Coronado, then around the world, through operation after operation,
that we are focused on their long-term health, and the well-being of
our Force and Families.
Naval Special Warfare Command will continue to place priority on
strengthening, equipping and protecting our people; outpacing our
enemies in the employment of new technologies and accelerating trends,
enabling us to compete below the threshold of conflict. We will refine
and adapt our organizational structure to ensure Naval Special Warfare
remains relevant and lethal, and when necessary, stands ready, willing
and able to engage in combat to fight and win decisively for many years
to come.
Thank you for your time, your care for our Naval Special Warfare
community, and I welcome the opportunity today to answer your
questions.
Senator Ernst. Thank you, Admiral.
General Mundy, please.
STATEMENT OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL CARL E. MUNDY III, USMC,
COMMANDER, MARINE CORPS FORCES SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND
Lieutenant General Mundy. Chairwoman Ernst, Ranking Member
Heinrich, thank you for providing me with the opportunity to
appear before you this morning.
I have the honor of serving as the sixth Commander of
Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, or MARSOC
[United States Marine Corps Special Operations], as it's more
commonly known. I very much look forward to telling you about
MARSOC and what your Marine Raiders are doing to help protect
the American people.
MARSOC is the Marine Corps' contribution to U.S. Special
Operations Command, and it's the youngest of the four SOF
service components, having been established just 12 years ago,
in 2006. However, our roots extend back to World War II, when
President Franklin D. Roosevelt, determined to bring the war to
our enemies as rapidly as possible, considered the Marine Corps
to be an ideal organization for the President's vision of
commando operations. So, in January 1942, the Marine Corps
established two Raider battalions, with the missions of
conducting raids against Japanese-held territory in guerrilla-
type operations behind enemy lines.
In that historical mold, MARSOC today produces Marine
Raiders to conduct full-spectrum special operations to combat
complex transregional problems in support of geographic
combatant commands. MARSOC does this by building upon the
unique attributes and ethos that we already bring to the table
as marines. On top of our bedrock marine identity, we add an
assessment and selection process demanding individual skills
and realistic world-class collective training to produce agile,
enabled, and responsive marine SOF. Our Raiders comprise a
tight-knit community of specially selected and trained
critical-skills operators and combat and combat service support
specialists that are task organized for every mission.
Like my fellow component commanders here today, I execute
title 10 authorities as the MARSOC Commander to man, train, and
equip SOF, and then provide them to SOCOM for missions that
support the geographic combatant commanders. Our authorized
strength is approximately 3,000 marines and sailors along with
200 civilians. All together, we represent just over 4.5 percent
of SOCOM, and we account for 2 percent of its annual budget.
Although able to support operations globally, the majority
of our forces deploy to Central Command, Africa Command, and
Pacific Command regions. MARSOC's base unit of deployment is a
Marine Special Operations Company, or MSOC, which we provide
persistently on a 6-month rotation to each of these regions. On
average, MARSOC has approximately 400 Raiders deployed across
18 countries, performing various special operations tasks.
Currently, our special operators average 1 day overseas for
every 1.9 days at home, and our capability specialists, such as
communicators, intelligence specialists, explosive ordnance
disposal technicians, and the like, tend to have a higher tempo
that varies from between 1.5 and just less than 1 day at home
for every day deployed. While high, this operational tempo is
manageable. We continue to benefit from MARSOC's Preservation
of the Force and Families Program as a critical tool to
maintain the health of our force. We pay close attention to the
behavioral health of individual Raiders, and are always looking
to expand and innovate the individual programs and services we
provide to their families to relieve them of the strains of
ordinary life, increase their resiliency, and help them better
manage the stresses associated with frequent operational
deployments. Our people, not technology or any other particular
capability, represent our most precious resource. It's one that
we must preserve and cultivate as we look to the future.
My priorities within the command reflect both MARSOC's
commitment to its people as well as the requirement to develop
the--for the future. They are, first, to provide integrated
full-spectrum SOF; second, to better integrate the capabilities
of SOF with the Marine Corps's air-ground teams; third, to
develop MARSOC's future force; and, finally, to preserve our
force and families. MARSOC is full of supremely talented and
dedicated Americans, and I feel especially privileged to be
able to represent these fine women and men to you today.
I'll close by saying, once again, that it's an honor to be
here today and to speak to you about our mission. Thank you, as
well, for what you do for our Nation and our military,
particularly the support that you provide in terms of funding
and oversight. I appreciate your interest in MARSOC and look
forward to your questions.
Thank you.
[The prepared statement of General Mundy follows:]
Prepared Statement by Major General Carl E. Mundy, III
introduction
Marine Raiders are the Marine Corps' contribution to United States
Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). Through specialized and advanced
training, MARSOC builds upon its unique attributes and ethos as Marines
to produce agile, scalable, fully-enabled, and responsive special
operations forces (SOF) comprised of operators and special operations-
specific combat support and combat service support specialists. MARSOC
formations task organize for every assigned mission and leverage their
robust command and control capability and their ability to fuse
operations with intelligence down to the team level. All of these
factors enable our Raiders to succeed in distributed environments and
enable partners at the tactical and operational levels of war. MARSOC
contributes to the SOF enterprise and U.S. combatant commands by
providing full spectrum special operations capabilities to combat
complex transregional problems.
Established in 2006, our organization continues to address the most
immediate threats to our Nation and has become a key participant in the
ongoing fight against violent extremist organizations. Accepting this,
we are also cognizant that we must work to minimize pressure on our
force and our families as we simultaneously prepare for future threats.
We ensure preparedness by adapting our training methods using feedback
from currently deployed forces to better prepare our Raiders for what
they will encounter while deployed. Simultaneously, we minimize
pressure on the force by ensuring adequate access to Preservation of
the Force and Families (POTFF) resources. We recognize that our
operational capability ultimately rests upon a foundation of
outstanding individuals and their families. In order to safeguard and
sustain MARSOC's human capital, our most valuable resource, we
continually strive to balance operational commitments with time Raiders
spend at home station. Part of our effort to take care of families
involves ensuring that our POTFF program not only delivers responsive
and effective support, but that it continues to evolve with changing
demands and needs of our force.
background
During my tenure as the Commander of MARSOC, I have continually
been impressed by the caliber of our individuals, be they marines,
sailors, or civilians. They are well trained, well equipped, and
provide the full spectrum special operations capability that has been
crucial to success on the modern battlefield in places as diverse as
Mali in West Africa, contested areas of Iraq, and Marawi in the
Philippines. Twelve years on, MARSOC is maturing into a full and
integral member of the SOF enterprise just as it continues to provide
Raiders to counter our Nation's threats. Taking into account where
MARSOC is today, we would be remiss if we did not acknowledge some of
the formative episodes in the history of our Marine Corps that got us
here.
The United States Marines Corps' rich history is one that is
replete with expeditionary operations against what we know today as
irregular threats. These actions serve as the foundation for what is
Marine Corps Special Operations today. Although the United States
Marine Corps (USMC) did not provide a service component to the United
States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) until 2005, the Marine
Corps has demonstrated an ability to conduct and support special
operations throughout its history.
In the early years of America's involvement in World War II,
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was determined to bring the war to
our enemies as rapidly as possible. Because of the Marine Corps'
historical successes in small wars and its recent development of
amphibious operational concepts, it was considered to be the ideal
parent organization for the president's vision for ``commando''
operations.
In January 1942 the United States Marine Corps established two
Raider battalions. The mission of the new Raider units was to spearhead
amphibious landings, conduct raiding expeditions against Japanese held
territory, as well as conduct guerilla-type operations behind enemy
lines for extended periods. Marine Raiders were intellectually dynamic,
morally disciplined, and physically fit with an irrepressible sense of
duty, loyalty to one another, and imbued with a ``Gung Ho'' spirit in
the face of adversity . . . much like the marines and sailors we select
and train as Raiders today.
During the Vietnam War and throughout the Cold War era, the Marine
Corps did not formally possess a specialized unit. However, many
Marines were members of specialized Joint and certain, tailored
conventional units, such as force reconnaissance and Marine
Expeditionary Units (Special Operations Capable). These units performed
some of the types of missions we associate with Special Operations
today. The complex global environment produced by the end of the Cold
War as well as the world changing events of September 11, 2001,
prompted an almost immediate need for additional special operations
capacity capable of achieving operational and strategic effects. In
light of these events and the pressing need for more SOF, Secretary of
Defense Donald Rumsfeld called for the Marines to work more closely
with USSOCOM.
After validating an initial proof of concept in 2004 known as the
Marine Corps Special Operations Command Detachment (DET One), the
Secretary of Defense directed the Marine Corps to provide a permanent
contribution to USSOCOM--what would become Marine Corps Forces, Special
Operations Command--in November 2005. On 24 February 2006, MARSOC
activated at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina as a service component
assigned to USSOCOM. MARSOC today comprises a headquarters, one Marine
Raider Regiment, one Marine Raider Support Group, and the Marine Raider
Training Center. The Command has forces on both the east coast at Camp
Lejeune, North Carolina, and on the west coast at Camp Pendleton,
California. Presiding over a total force of approximately 3,000
marines, sailors, and 200 Federal civilians, the Command is employed
across the globe executing special operations missions in support of
SOCOM and the geographic combatant commands that span the SOF core
activities. With a focus on counterterrorism, direct action, special
reconnaissance, foreign internal defense, security force assistance,
and counterinsurgency, your modern-day Raiders also have the capability
to directly support hostage rescue and recovery, countering of weapons
of mass destruction, unconventional warfare, foreign humanitarian
assistance, military information, and civil affairs operations. In
order to achieve success and provide full spectrum capability across
this wide swathe of core activities, we must prioritize our efforts.
marsoc priorities
Understanding our role as a force provider and capability generator
within the SOF enterprise, we have taken the SOCOM Commander's
priorities of ``Win, Transform, and People,'' and applied them to how
we prepare our forces to accomplish assigned missions. To this end,
MARSOC currently focuses on four priority areas: the provision of
integrated full spectrum SOF, capabilities integration between SOF and
Marine Air Ground Task Forces (MAGTF), future force development, and
the preservation of the force and families.
Priority 1: Force Provider
Our first priority is to provide integrated full spectrum SOF that
are task organized, trained and equipped to accomplish assigned special
operations tasks. At any given point in the year, MARSOC has
approximately 400 Raiders deployed across 18 countries carrying out
assigned missions. We maintain three, forward task organized Marine
Special Operations Companies; one each in Central Command, Africa
Command, and the Pacific Command areas of responsibility. In addition
to company-level deployments, we maintain one persistent O-5
(Lieutenant Colonel) level Special Operations Task Force in Central
Command and a one-third rotational split with Naval Special Warfare
Command for an O-6 (Colonel) level Combined/Joint Special Operations
Task Force Headquarters, also in Central Command. At every level, these
deployed formations bring integrated capabilities across all functional
areas and allow us to operate across the full range of special
operations missions. We believe that it is these high-end capabilities
that provide our forces with a competitive edge against the adversaries
we face.
Providing our force begins with the recruitment process and
continues through our assessment, selection, and individual training
pipeline. We are focused on recruiting the best individuals from across
the Marine Corps. Based on the results of our deployed forces and
feedback from supported commanders, our recruiting and selection
methods are working. Our training is progressive. As individuals earn
new special operations specialties, they are moved to teams or special
skills training environments. This training continues until deployment
and covers everything from individual skill sets to high-end, advanced,
complex unit collective training.
In order to assess and certify Marine Special Operations Companies
for deployment, MARSOC has created the RAVEN exercise. Held six times
each year, RAVEN emphasizes realistic decision making for company and
team commanders and provides a venue to practice the full planning,
decision, execution, and assessment cycle. Alternating between
Gulfport, Mississippi and Smyrna, Tennessee, RAVEN is a living exercise
that enables MARSOC to incorporate the most current lessons from our
deployed units as well as anticipated enemy actions inform and support
ongoing joint contingency planning. For example, our most recent RAVEN
conducted in Tennessee, featured a more robust foreign intelligence
threat that undertook both physical and technical surveillance against
our Marine Special Operations Teams. During this RAVEN we also exposed
our teams to the degraded communications environment we would expect to
encounter when facing a near-peer/emerging competitor.
The training environments we create are dynamic. Not only do they
prepare our Raiders for the current operational challenge, but they
also evolve based on emerging threats and our expected participation in
support of standing operational plans. Another benefit of the RAVEN
exercises is its utility as a venue for integrating conventional Marine
Corps resources into what is otherwise a SOF-centric exercise.
Priority 2: Capabilities Integration with MAGTFs (Interoperability,
Integration, and Interdependence)
Second, we provide a bridge for routine capabilities integration
with SOF and the deployed Marine Air Ground Task Forces to fully
maximize the complimentary capabilities of each formation; especially
in light of near-peer/emerging competitors. Given the threats present
on contemporary battlefields and considering those we expect to face in
the future, it has become increasingly important for SOF to be able to
integrate ``seamlessly'' with the conventional forces and vice versa.
Conventional forces offer capabilities and a capacity that simply do
not exist in our small formations. In today's complex operating
environment, the extent to which we, across the Joint Force, are able
to leverage one another's strengths, and thereby offset our
vulnerabilities, could determine the difference between success and
failure. Cyber and space based capabilities, intelligence exploitation,
mobility, fire support, logistics and medical support, are all examples
of capabilities that we partially rely on conventional forces to
provide- especially in scenarios involving high intensity combat.
Examples of interoperability and capabilities integration occur
every day across the globe from Syria and Iraq, Afghanistan, the
Philippines and remote locations in Africa. With deliberate efforts to
participate in each other's wargames, exercises, and training, we can
institutionalize these efforts to the point that they become routine.
Priority 3: Future Force Development
As the operating environment evolves and more complex threats
emerge, MARSOC must adapt its force to meet these new challenges.
Constant and deliberate innovation, and evolution is critical to our
success. Our concept for development is based on both a bottom-up
driven process that incorporates immediate battlefield feedback into
our training curricula, equipment research, testing, procurement; and a
top-down approach that combines more traditional capability acquisition
processes with longer-term future concept and wargaming efforts.
Regarding equipment development and acquisition, we are tightly
integrated with SOCOM and the Marine Corps and look forward to
benefiting from the ongoing efforts of SOCOM's Acquisition Technology &
Logistics, SOFWERX, and the Marine Corps' Rapid Capabilities Office.
All of these organizations offer us an expedited procurement process
for emerging technology. We have already taken steps to bring our
vision to fruition with regard to capability development in particular
technology areas. These include freeze dried plasma, semi-autonomous
seeing and sensing capability, organic precision fires, counter-UAS
rapid self-defense, unmanned cargo UAS and ground systems, rapid fusion
of big data analytics and machine assisted learning, broadband tactical
edge communications, and specialized insertion capabilities. As we
research and improve our warfighting capabilities, we must kept in mind
that our near-peer/emerging competitors are also making similar
advances and investing in emerging technology. It is critical that we
ensure that the technological capabilities we opt for are able to
operate, communicate, and self-heal in a signals degraded environment.
Likewise from a training perspective, we recognize the need to
simulate operations in a degraded/denied communications environment
that reflect what we might face when confronting near-peer/emerging
competitors. We also plan to continue to improve our proficiency in the
critical combined arms skills that both increase our lethality and
allow us to maintain a tactical advantage over our adversaries. Last,
we acknowledge that we must be able to operate in any clime and place,
therefore we are committed to training in environments that replicate
the full range of what we may experience on the battlefield.
Complementing our near and mid-term efforts at capability
development is longer term work on the development of a MARSOC-specific
futures concept. Although this concept bears a resemblance to similar
initiatives undertaken with the Department, it very much reflects
MARSOC's unique place within SOF and interpretation of what the future
operating environment might look like. We see a world overwhelmingly
influenced by a resurgence of regional competition and instability. As
these two themes collide, the complexity of the operating environment
will dramatically challenge the ability of leaders at all levels to
first, understand what is happening and, second, make sound decisions.
This is the very situation in which Raider formations of the future
must be prepared to operate; an urgent, volatile, complex, high-stakes
problem that comprises multiple actors and defies the application of
traditional U.S. strengths and solutions.
The results of our futures analysis, conducted over the past 18
months, have provided broad implications for the force as well as
options which MARSOC can use to shape future capability to meet the
challenges posed by the future operating environment. Throughout our
internal wargame series, four discrete concepts or ``themes''
consistently emerged. Each theme describes a distinct aspect of a
vision for MARSOC, but at the same time each built upon the others such
that the four are interconnected and mutually supporting. Together they
provide a strong conceptual basis for a future MARSOC force that
outpaces changes in the operating environment and remains a reliable
force across warfighting and Title X functions. Collectively, these
themes have come together to form the four, core pathways of
innovation: MARSOF as a Connector, Combined Arms for the Connected
Arena, The Cognitive Operator, and Enterprise Level Agility.
Our futures vision document, MARSOF 2030 explains each of these
innovation pathways in depth and also explores how they interconnect
with one another. I will briefly introduce them here for the benefit of
the committee. ``MARSOF as a Connector'' is intended to capture
MARSOC's facility in building cohesive, task organized teams. It is the
idea that MARSOC can be the ideal integrator and synchronizer of U.S.
Governmental capabilities with USSOF and partner nation actions. It
also acknowledges the non-military nature of many of the problems we
face and the need to look beyond for more durable solutions that
involve tools other than the military.
``Combined Arms for the Connected Arena'' aims to get at the
requirement to ``sense'' and ``make sense of'' what is happening in
diverse and multi-dimensional environments. This second pathway also
speaks to the use of cyber and information ``domains'' as potential
venues for conflict now, but certainly with increasing relevance as we
look toward the future. From our standpoint, we must become as
comfortable operating in these ``virtual'' domains as we are in the
physical.
Perhaps the most foundational of all of our innovation pathways is
``the Cognitive Operator''. This pathway touches all others. At its
core is the idea that the future requires a SOF operator with an equal
amount of brains to match the brawn; foresight in addition to
fortitude. Your future Raiders must preside over expanded capabilities
that include the ability to influence allies and partners; understand
complex problems; apply a broad set of national, theater, and
interagency capabilities to those problems; and fight as adeptly in the
virtual space as the physical.
The last innovation pathway, ``Enterprise Level Agility'',
leverages MARSOC's relatively small size as an advantage. MARSOC
possesses the advantage of being a relatively small force with its own
component headquarters--this allows the command to rapidly reorient the
organization to confront new challenges as they emerge. In other words,
MARSOC's organizational dexterity can provide SOCOM with an agile,
adaptable force to meet unexpected or rapidly changing requirements. In
this context, MARSOC's small size becomes a strength; one that can
provide both institutional and operational agility to the SOCOM
Commander.
Priority 4: Preservation of the Force and Families
Calling to mind the SOF Truth that ``people are more important than
hardware,'' our fourth priority is the preservation of our force and
families program that provide our Raiders and their families with the
access to resources promoting personal resiliency increasing longevity
in service. Although listed as my fourth priority, preservation of the
force and families is equally as important as the previous three
priorities because people are at the heart of all we do. Currently,
MARSOF special operators average 1 day overseas for every 1.9 days at
home. Our capability specialists that enable communications,
intelligence, air support, explosive ordnance disposal, and our canine
handlers, vary by occupational specialty but average between 1 to 1.7
and 1 to 1.2 days deployed as opposed to days spent at home station.
What these numbers do not reflect is the additional time that is spent
away from home while training in CONUS. Although difficult to measure,
Personnel Tempo or PERSTEMPO receives significant attention at all
leadership levels within the Command such that we aim to balance our
service members' schedules between training at and training away from
home station.
Because of this high operational tempo, POTFF has become an
integral tool for maintaining the overall health of our force through
programs that are focused on improving human performance, providing
resources for behavioral health, developing spiritual fitness, and
offering other family-oriented opportunities that are designed to
strengthen the family unit. We appreciate the continual support from
Congress on providing the funding for programs and specialized
capabilities to make these programs effective.
culture of accountability:
Closely tied to these efforts, in concert with both SOCOM and the
Marine Corps, is our command-wide push to enhance our culture of
accountability as it relates to issues such as sexual misconduct,
illicit drug use, personal accountability, and unauthorized media
release. As an example, our reported number of sexual assault cases
remains in the low single digits and we have not had any victim
reported incidents in fiscal year 2018. We attribute this low number of
incidents to our constant command level messaging campaign and our
strong Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) program. While we
believe that even a single incident is one too many, we continue to
strive to eradicate sexual and other forms of misconduct from our
force. We strive each day to provide you SOF personnel that continue to
embody the values of accountability, integrity, and commitment in
honorable service to our nation.
conclusion:
In conclusion, I am committed to providing Marine Raiders that
provide the nation with full spectrum special operations capability and
whose actions continually demonstrate our motto of Spiritus Invictus,
or ``unconquerable spirit''. Your Marine Special Operators will remain
always faithful, always forward. I thank the committee for your
continued support of our military members and their families and also
for your commitment to national security.
Senator Ernst. Thank you, General.
Again, gentlemen, thank you. Excellent opening statements.
In your opening statements, you did very briefly go through
the skillsets that are particularly unique to your own
components. If you could, just--and each of you, just briefly
answer--within those skills, those operators, the equipment
that you have, what gaps do you see, whether it's within your
own component or even between the components, that exist within
SOCOM?
General Webb, if we could start with you, please.
Lieutenant General Webb. Madam Chairwoman, the--we contend,
at Air Force Special Operations Command, that our Nation needs
us to be a full-spectrum force, with a focus on the low and
high end. As I said in my opening statement, with a--we want to
continue to hone to a fine razor's edge those low-end
capabilities that we have done over the last, you know, decade
plus. But, on the high end, it's both conceptual and
technology-wise that we need to look--What can we do with
weapons--major weapon systems that we already have today, in
new and unique ways? Also, looking out to that next horizon,
what are those technologies, such as specialized mobility for
long range, long distance in contested environments, that could
still land vertically, that I think we want to continue to
pursue, as well as ensuring that the equipment on the--onboard
our current systems measure up to the threat that is
potentially out there.
Senator Ernst. Yeah.
Lieutenant General Webb. Those are the major pieces.
Senator Ernst. Very good. Thank you.
General Tovo.
Lieutenant General Tovo. Senator, just a couple of things.
First, I wouldn't identify them necessarily as a gap, but a big
part of our challenge has been time to train. So, part of our
ability to regain balance in the force and both preserve our
forces from an OPTEMPO [Operational Tempo] overuse has been to
put more time on the training schedule so that they--we can
address that expanded set of skills we need to train against.
So, that's already ongoing.
We are always in a continual struggle, much like Rod's
force, to make sure that our air systems are able to penetrate
the variety of threats that our adversaries are fielding to
deny us access. So, that is a constant challenge. It's not a
new challenge, but it is one that we're always working to
address.
Senator Heinrich talked about the information domain and
our tools to compete with our adversaries in that domain. That
is something that we're looking at very closely, on how do we
get beyond loudspeakers and leaflets, and really get our psy-op
[psychological operations] capability to be able to wield
operational and strategic-level tools. A big part of that,
though, is not about tools so much as it is about the
authorities and permissions to use them, and how we, as the
U.S. Government, decide to divvy up the information domain in
this competitive space, and what agency and executive branch
owns what responsibilities.
So, it's just a couple of the highlights. I'll----
Senator Ernst. Very good.
Lieutenant General Tovo. We can certainly go further if
you'd like.
Senator Ernst. Thank you.
We'll go on to the Admiral. Thank you.
Rear Admiral Szymanski. Chairwoman, I wouldn't express them
as gaps, either, but I think I've got three that I'd like to
kind of highlight.
First, I'll start with people. I think, in the people
space, this is the--you know, in places like Iraq and Syria,
we're using the virtual advise-and-assist kit. I really believe
that SOF can be on the vanguard, particularly on the near-peer
competition below the threshold of human-machine teaming. I
think that that's a growth area for SOF in this space.
Second is really returning to the unique special maritime
capabilities that Naval Special Warfare possesses, but in
concert or in interoperability with the Navy. I think, as we
look at near-peer access into AZAD or anti-access denied areas,
we have something to offer there, but we've got to be--my
capabilities have got to be compatible with the Navy's
platforms, its ships, its submarines. We're making a huge
effort to close, if there is a gap there, but ensure that we're
completely compatible.
Third, coming back to the people, one area that's of
particular interest to me is neuro-cognitive health and the
long-term sustainment of our individuals, both for the low-end
fight and the high-end fight. We're learning some things about
the brain that we haven't learned before, and exposure to blast
trauma and blast, low-level blast exposure, that I'm looking to
really kind of close that gap and drive the science.
Senator Ernst. Thank you, Admiral. I appreciate that.
Visiting your Mind Gym, that was very important to me. I'll
come back here in a little bit and we'll talk a little bit more
about some of those efforts, as well.
Thank you.
General Mundy.
Lieutenant General Mundy. Senator Ernst, just briefly. In
addition to time to train, our number-one priority is gaining
the personnel that allows MARSOC to build out to the original
number that it was supposed to be. And so, we're shy of some
critical enablers that would help us buy down the individual
readiness numbers that I articulated in my opening statement
that would allow us to be able to focus on preparing the force
to meet the emerging threats. So, our number-one priority is
people, gaining; I think the number is 368 right now.
Senator Ernst. Okay.
Lieutenant General Mundy. Thank you.
Senator Ernst. Wonderful. Thank you.
Thank you, gentlemen.
Next, we'll move to Senator Heinrich for his questions.
Then we have been joined by Senator Dan Sullivan, as well. Not
a regular member of our committee, but certainly, Senator
Sullivan, after Senator Heinrich is done, if you would like to
ask questions, feel free to do so.
Thank you.
Senator Heinrich. General Webb, I'd like to start with you.
I was at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico last week, and, as
you know, the proud airmen at Cannon and the community there in
Clovis provide significant contributions to our national
security, both in terms of the incredible personnel and also
the aircraft that they operate. They do this despite really
what has become an insatiable demand being placed on our
Special Forces and their families, by extension. You mentioned,
in your testimony, that AFSOC is working to meet a 1-to-2
deployment-to-dwell for Active Force, which means 2 months at
home for every 1 month deployed. Can you elaborate a little bit
on why that deployment-to-dwell ratio is so critical to the
long-term health of Special Forces, and what progress still
needs to be made in that area?
Lieutenant General Webb. Well, Senator, thank you for the
steadfast support to our Air Commandos out on the plains of
eastern New Mexico. The deploy-to-dwell ratio for AFSOC stands
at--I have 12 percent of my force that is below a 1-to-2 dwell.
I have none that are below 1-to-1 at this point. But, the
demands of multiple deployments, back-to-back, at this stage in
the ongoing countering-violent-extremist type of fight, you
have--it is not a rare exception at all for airmen to be on
their 12th or 13th, 14th deployment, including those at Cannon
Air Force Base. So, the POTFF [Preservation of the Force and
Family] program and the Comprehensive Airman Fitness Program
from the Air Force side, absolutely vital and critical.
One statistic I would give you, Senator, from a POTFF-
result perspective, as we track our airmen as they--before they
go out the door and as they return, using POTFF resources, we
see 98 percent of our airmen return to ready-to-deploy-again
status within 90 days of deployment. Just as a gauge of how
useful that program is.
Senator Heinrich. Twelve and 13 deployments. Have we
experienced anything like that in the past?
Lieutenant General Webb. Senator, not to my knowledge. I
mean, obviously, these aren't year-long deployments.
Senator Heinrich. Right.
Lieutenant General Webb. They're measured in months. But, I
mean, we're kind of in uncharted territory, which was really
the genesis of the POTFF Program, to begin with.
Senator Heinrich. Let me ask you a little bit about high-
energy lasers. I very much appreciate SOCOM's investment in
high-energy lasers on the C-130 gunship, but I'm quite
concerned with the sort of crawl-walk-run approach, when I
think we're reaching a point in the technology where we could
literally jump from crawl to run. Let me tell you what I mean
by that.
It's my understanding that SOCOM's current plan is to demo
a 4-kilowatt laser and then one in the 30-kilowatt range, which
really isn't operationally relevant for SOCOM's purposes, in my
understanding, and then move to a 60-kilowatt-or-higher device.
At that rate, the system won't be fieldable until nearly 2030,
from what I understand. The technology to develop an
operationally relevant laser in the 60-kilowatt range could be
ready for integration and fielding, in my view, in the next 4
to 5 years. If the technology is there, what's wrong with
skipping the 30-kilowatt demo entirely and moving directly into
something that can be used in the field?
Lieutenant General Webb. Senator, on the front of this
airborne high-energy laser, I would couch this as a semi-good-
news story. We're starting to see funding that would--could
accelerate exactly what you're talking about. In fact, I don't
disagree with your assessment at all. The--this presidential
budget actually has money from a SOCOM and an Air Force and an
OSD [Office of the Secretary of Defense] side, so I appreciate
your continued support towards that 34 million. We're 58
million short of having a full program that would get us a 60-
kilowatt laser flying on a AC-130 by fiscal year 2022. That
should be the goal. Like I said, I don't disagree with you at
all, and I----
Senator Heinrich. We look forward to----
Lieutenant General Webb.--would support you on that.
Senator Heinrich. We look forward to helping you with that
goal.
SOCOM is the joint force proponent for military information
support operations, or what we used to call psy-ops. SOCOM's
military information support teams frequently deploy to
embassies around the world, help with embassy public diplomacy
efforts. How are SOCOM's information operations capabilities
being transformed to a more effective--to more effectively
compete with the operational and strategic messaging challenges
that we see in our adversaries today? Can you talk about that a
little bit more, General Tovo?
Lieutenant General Tovo. Yes, Senator. We have invested
fairly heavily in our psy-op operators, developing new
capabilities, particularly to deal in the digital space, social
media analysis and a variety of different tools that have been
fielded by SOCOM that allow us to evaluate the social media
space, evaluate the cyber domain, see trend analysis, where
opinion is moving, and then how to potentially influence that
environment with our own products. As I mentioned, we have the
knowledge and the skills to operate in this domain. Much of the
difficulty lies in getting----
Senator Heinrich. Getting the authorities.
General Tovo.--the appropriate authorities and permissions
to do so.
Senator Heinrich. Well, and let us know what your views are
and how you think those should be organized.
Lieutenant General Tovo. Senator.
[The information referred to follows:]
Lieutenant General Tovo. I defer to the Office of the Secretary of
Defense and US Special Operations Command to provide the Department of
Defense view on military information operations authorities.
Senator Heinrich [presiding]. Senator Sullivan, welcome. We
really appreciate your interest in the committee. The time is
yours.
Senator Sullivan. Great, thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Gentlemen, welcome.
I wanted to start--and, General Howell, maybe I can begin
with you, but I guess this is a question really for all the
witnesses--but, certainly the counter-WMD [weapons of mass
destruction] mission is one of the most important and, really,
kind of, evergreen missions that our country will have. We can
defeat ISIS, we can defeat al Qaeda, but, as long as we have
the great republic that we defend, the counter-WMD mission is
going to be top priority.
U.S. SOCOM recently took over responsibility of that. I've
had a number of conversations with General Thomas about that.
How do you think it's going? It's not like your forces don't
have a lot on their plate, and now they're taking the lead on
probably, in some ways, the most important mission we have in
the U.S. military, from my perspective. Are you concerned about
integrating this top priority with other priorities that you
have? Are there other things that we need to be doing, in terms
of authorization or resources, to enable U.S. Special
Operations Command to carry out this mission, which we can't
fail at?
Lieutenant General Howell. Senator Sullivan, thank you for
the question.
As you noted, the counter-WMD mission was passed to U.S.
SOCOM a couple of years ago. We've been investing heavily in
that. We have been designated by the Department as the
coordinating authority for counter-WMD. We've been--which gives
us a--an opportunity to bring together the community of
interest to plan, establish intelligence priorities. What it
has done, thus far, and in close integration with our
colleagues from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, is
bringing together the interagency to one area to look at the
problem globally, look transregionally across the boundaries of
the GCCS [Global Combatant Commands] and kind of develop the
intelligence picture in the priorities. We're also looking at
reaching out more to our international partners, who are in
this space as well, through EUPOL [European Union Police
Mission], INTERPOL [International Criminal Police
Organization], law enforcement, as well as our military
colleagues from the alliance and coalition elsewhere.
I would say, right now, Senator, we--there's no specific
asks for us right now. We're still developing it. We're
developing a functional campaign plan that we owe back to the
Department and to provide assessment on the way ahead. I think
we're----
Senator Sullivan. A lot of that work is probably left of
launch and involves Federal agencies that aren't necessarily
military agencies, but like the CIA [Central Intelligence
Agency] and other intelligence agencies. Do you think the
coordination, particularly with regard to the networks--I mean,
it seems, as we are pressuring North Korea right now, that the
proliferation threat has probably never been higher. I also
believe it's still very, very high, regardless of the JCPOA
[Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action], with regard to Iran. Both
countries have a long history of proliferation. Do you think
that the networks that we need to disrupt those networks are in
place? Is there sufficient integration, say, between the SOF
forces and the CIA and other elements of the Federal Government
that work to defeat those networks?
Lieutenant General Howell. Sir, thanks for the question. I
think the--the short answer is yes. I think the cooperation----
Senator Sullivan. Do we have enough resources on that side,
do you think?
Lieutenant General Howell. There are so specific asks yet,
because we're still, you know, building the functional campaign
plan and building the picture. But, I would say the interagency
cooperation is exceptional in this area. As you described in
the beginning of your comment, staying well left of the shot is
our goal here. That's success for us. I think we're well-
postured with our interagency partners to be in position of
advantage to do something when the opportunity arises.
Senator Sullivan. Let me ask another question that kind of
relates to--and again, I've talked to General Thomas and
Secretary Mattis about this, but, you know, as we have a new
National Defense Strategy, which I think has bipartisan support
in the Congress, and that's focused much more on kind of peer
rivals and great-power threats, that it's a shift, of course,
from the terrorists and al Qaeda and post-9/11 focus, which, at
the time, I think was appropriate, but it's an appropriate
shift. How are your forces--and this is for any and everybody--
how are your forces starting to implement that?
Let me just give you an example. You know, in Afghanistan
or, say, in parts of Africa, we have, I would call them, more--
and maybe not so much in Afghanistan, although it depends on
the threat, but in Africa, a low-intensity threat, a terrorist
organization that, while disruptive for that region, is not
necessarily--poses a threat to the United States and our
citizens, unless, of course, they're traveling there. Yet, we
do have some of your forces that are focused on those areas and
those threats. And, of course, you have the highest-trained,
most valuable forces, in many ways, in the U.S. military.
Are we starting to, kind of, shift, in terms of the great-
power focus, China, Russia, North Korea, in the special
operations field, the way that the Secretary has laid it out in
the National Defense Strategy? Sometimes I think a number of us
worry that we have these incredible military members, that
you're all in charge of, going after, you know, targets that,
while, at some level, are disturbing, are not threats to our
country. I mean, if we have a predator feed on a low-level
Taliban guy on a motorcycle for 7 hours in Afghanistan, is that
the proper use of your forces, relative to the threat,
particularly in light of the National Defense Strategy that
says the focus needs to shift? I'll open that up to anybody and
everybody. What are we doing about it?
Lieutenant General Tovo. Senator, I can tell you. I think
what you're describing is really, how do we balance priorities
worldwide? I think SOCOM's got a pretty good process that's
fairly flexible and adaptable as the priorities coming out of
the national capital region change. We've got the ability to
kind of reevaluate where we have put our forces, and for what
purpose.
I will say, though, that if you look at our current
worldwide disposition, we are already, I think, in many places,
already doing what the National Defense Strategy tells us to
do. If you look at the SOF commitment in Europe, for example,
they are not purposed against a counter-VEO problem, for the
most part. They are there in much of the Balkans, but also all
over eastern Europe, helping partners and allies with just the
challenge you described of an adversary state trying to disrupt
our partners and allies. I think we are already in that
methodology. You could say the same about some of our work in
Korea and broadly across the
Pacific.
Senator Sullivan. Do we need 1,000 troops in Niger,
General?
Lieutenant General Tovo. Sir, that's a question best asked
of the operational commander at AFRICOM. I think part of what
we've learned in the war on terrorism is that we've got a--an
enemy that is willing and able to move his base of support
globally, or certainly regionally, between Africa and southwest
Asia. The question is, how much, as a Nation, do we want to
invest in trying to help a partner nation preserve stability so
a nascent threat or a growing threat doesn't get to the point
where it truly is a strategic challenge to the U.S. That's kind
of a daily conversation. Those conversations are happening to
try and evaluate, how much do we invest in Niger compared to,
do we shift forces to some other threat?
Senator Ernst [presiding]. Thank you.
Senator Sullivan. Thank you, Madam Chair. I have to go
preside right now.
Senator Ernst. Okay.
Senator Sullivan. Otherwise, I would stay around for----
Senator Ernst. Well----
Senator Sullivan. Very interesting. Thank you for your
service, gentlemen. To all the men and women under your
command, we very much appreciate what they're doing.
Senator Ernst. Thank you for joining us, Senator Sullivan.
We appreciate that.
We will do just a very quick round, with Senator Heinrich
and I, before we move into a closed session.
So, I do want to go back. Admiral, we talked about the Mind
Gym. Many of you have brought up POTFF, which has been really
important to me. You have mentioned the dwell time, the minimal
dwell time that your operators have, how about all comes
together, how it's affecting them. The operators are put in
very difficult circumstance. Many of them return home and have
physical difficulties.
I'll share one story with you. I had the opportunity to
visit Fort Bragg, just a couple of years back, and a very, very
good friend of mine was with a group there, a Special Forces
group. I had the opportunity to go to THOR3 [Tactical Human
Optimization, Rapid Rehabilitation and Reconditioning Program]
with him and do one of his workouts. I'm not embarrassed to say
I had my rear end kicked by a one-legged man as we went through
some of his training. But, it demonstrated to me how important
these programs are in getting our operators back to where they
need to be, whether they will reengage in the fight or whether
they will prepare to be medically discharged.
So, if you could, from your own experiences across the
panel, please explain to me why you think POTFF is important.
What have you seen with your operators to demonstrate why it's
important?
General Webb?
Lieutenant General Webb. Madam Chairwoman, as I said--and,
in fact, my command chief, Chief Smith, and I were just at
Walter Reed visiting one of our wounded airmen that was there,
had been shot in Afghanistan last year. You know, his point to
me was, he's got 22 months til his team goes out the door
again. He's got a left arm that he needs to get back in full
shape. His mindset is already there. That is one vignette. Of
course, there's a ton at this table that you could go to. But,
it's that kind of resourcing and that kind of mindset that's
instilled, you know, mind, body, spirit-wise, from our airmen,
in my case, that is a really--a difference-maker. That gets
driven home every time we have one of these visits.
Senator Ernst. Thank you.
Lieutenant General Tovo. Senator, I think it's important to
understand that the capability that we get out of a military
treatment facility is really designed to return an individual
to a baseline of performance, and that the--our programs within
POTFF are designed to try and not only get--to pass that
baseline, really to get to that full high level of performance
that we demand out of our special operators. From a performance
perspective, it's kind of the SOF ad, if you will. You know,
it's the P-11 slice of what the services have invested in.
But, rather than talk about, you know, kind of, the numbers
of the program and access to care and all those great things
that POTFF has allowed us to do, I would just share that, as I
go around and I talk to both soldiers and their families, what
I hear, particularly from family members, is that over their--
the course of their career, they've heard an awful lot about
support of families and how much we care about families and the
soldiers, themselves. Many of them say, ``The first
demonstrable thing we can point to that really shows you care
about how much you're deploying my spouse and how much you're
asking of them, day in, day out, combat deployment after combat
deployment, are the POTFF program aspects that have truly
focused on: How do we help our families not only survive this
experience, but really thrive as Army Special Operations
families?''
Senator Ernst. Thank you.
Admiral.
Rear Admiral Szymanski. Thank you for--for all of us. A lot
of it's about return to duty, as General Tovo just mentioned on
the performance piece. It's return to duty, it's cutting down
the recovery time. It's about extending the service life of the
individual, and ensuring they have a good transition, post
service, with a high quality of life. But, I think, in essence,
it's improved the operational readiness of the organization.
It's strengthened--your favorite word--resiliency of the
families. When the family is strong, then the unit is going to
be strong. I think that's it, in a nutshell. But, the cognitive
piece is really important, again. I maybe can talk more in the
closed session about that.
Senator Ernst. Thank you.
General Mundy.
Lieutenant General Mundy. Just all of the above. That's
pretty easy to just pile on top of that. It's important,
because of the way that it fuses all aspects of readiness
together--mental, spiritual, physical--and then the families,
as others have alluded to here. And so, I get around. And in--
I'll just say, in 35 years, you can usually find someone who
will critique a program or a process, but nobody in MARSOC
critiques POTFF--MPOTFF, in our POTFF. It's invaluable to us.
Senator Ernst. Thank you. I appreciate that.
Senator Heinrich.
Senator Heinrich. Thank you.
General Tovo, I want to ask you a little bit about SFABs
[Security Force Assistance Brigades]. As AFSOC forces have
continued to experience increased demand from combatant
commanders and particularly in an advisory role for foreign
forces, how is the establishment of SFABs as dedicated advisors
for conventional foreign forces affecting your ability to
refocus on other essential missions?
Lieutenant General Tovo. Senator, thanks for that question.
I think it's important to understand that the Army's--Chief
of the Army's design for the SFAB was really threefold. One was
to prevent existing brigade units from being essentially broken
down and piecemealed into combat advisory roles in Afghanistan
or Iraq, as well as then to improve our ability to do advisory
work as an army of conventional partners, and then, lastly, to
have a cadre of leadership--NCO [noncommissioned officer] and
officer leadership that, in the case of a national emergency,
we could add the junior enlisted members to it and we'd have
additional force structure.
So, that's kind of the framework of why the SFABs are
created. As you look at what they're doing right now--so, right
now, the first SFAB is in Afghanistan, and most of what it is
doing is trying to advise conventional Afghan formations--
formations that SOF was not partnered with--in order to better
enable those Afghan formations to fill their role in the
security environment. We are an indirect beneficiary of that.
Senator Heinrich. Right.
Lieutenant General Tovo. The challenge we had was, we were
partnering with Afghan SOF forces that were doing great work
clearing villages and valleys, and yet there was no hold force.
I think this will help that. A better partnered conventional
Afghan force will be able to fulfill a role that was missing.
At this point, I don't see it supplanting what we are currently
doing, though. We are working with Afghan Special Operations
Forces, and they're going to focus on Afghan conventional
forces.
Now, sometime in the future, in other environments, can we
see the SFAB employed doing some of the work that right now we
have SOF teams doing? That's----
Senator Heinrich. Sure.
General Tovo.--certainly a possibility. Right now, it
hasn't developed that way.
Senator Heinrich. As we continue to stand up that entire
enterprise, do you think it's going to be important for SFABs
to have the ability to regularly train in the kind of
environments where they will be in that supportive role?
Lieutenant General Tovo. Senator, absolutely. One of the
things, I think, that challenged the previous incarnation of
SFABs, the regionally aligned forces, was not having the full
authorities and funding mechanisms to deploy into the
environments that they needed to be training in. So, I think,
at some point, some kind of authority and funding mechanism,
much like we use the JSET authority for, might be valuable for
the Army.
Senator Heinrich. Madam Chair, I'm going to yield back the
rest of my time so we can get to our colleagues.
Senator Ernst. Thank you.
Senator Wicker.
Senator Wicker. Tell me--whoever wants to answer this--
how's morale, servicewide? Have our troops noticed that
sequestration is over and that things are looking up, in terms
of resources? Who wants to take that?
Lieutenant General Tovo. I'll take a stab at that, Senator,
thanks.
I'll tell you, as I talk to our operators and our soldiers
in the field, morale is uniformly very good. They are stressed,
they are working hard, but most of them are doing exactly what
they signed up to do. If you told them tomorrow that they were
not going to ever deploy again, I'd probably have some
challenges on my hands, as far as long-term morale. They are
doing what they came into our force to do.
A great indicator of that is, we have phenomenal retention
rates. People like what they're doing, they love being in the
SOF family. And so, uniformly, both the soldiers and their
families are happy with the environment that we have helped
create, and I think we're in a pretty good place, for now.
Senator Wicker. Yeah, it really takes your breath away that
they step forward, knowing they've signed up for a very
difficult task.
Any reaction to the increased resources and the lifting of
sequestration, or is that something they haven't zeroed in on?
Lieutenant General Howell. Sir, I think, from the SOCOM
perspective, we are very well resourcing. General Thomas has
been consistent. Our budget continues to rise. We're still a
small slice of the overall DOD. We still have an over-reliance
on the Overseas Contingency Operations Fund, which doesn't
allow us to modernize. That and the continuing resolutions make
it difficult to modernize the force. So, that will be something
we're interested in focusing on to improve our capability to
focus on near-peer competitors.
Rear Admiral Szymanski. Senator Wicker, I also don't think
it's completely down at the deck-plate level yet, because the
morale--because we are funded through SOCOM at the individual
level really well for the things we do. But, where it has shown
confidence--and I can indirectly talk to the fact of the
interoperability, our warfighter talks with our service
components, who, in effect, it may be more by sequestration,
because we're--people-driven organization, where often there
are platform-centric organizations. I was just talking about my
priorities for interoperability with the Navy and ensuring my
capabilities are compatible with the Navy's assets, capital
assets. We're in great dialogue, and I think it's all an
indicator of the budget, Presidential Budget recommendation.
Senator Wicker. Well, you know, I appreciate your saying
that. I would just say, you know, the--this--the Secretary of
Defense says sequestration did, really, more damage over a few-
year period than an enemy could have done. Several of us took a
pretty tough vote when it came to those budget numbers, and
there's been--I think there's certainly a lot of concern, on
the other side, of the fact that we do have a deficit and we
are adding to the national debt. I think, on balance, the
majority of Congress was persuaded by the words of our
Secretary of Defense that we need to quit doing the--more
damage than an enemy could have done. And so, I'm very
satisfied with the fact that we took a tough vote and gave you
the whole military $80 billion worth.
Madam Chair, when I came in, Senator Heinrich was asking a
specific question about Afghanistan. Who would like to take
this question? It seems to me that the vast majority of the
citizens of Afghanistan, across the tribal differences,
appreciate our presence there, think we're about to win this
thing, and want us to see it through. Am I correct there? Who
could comment? Who is able to--General Howell, if you'd take
that question.
Lieutenant General Howell. Sir, one of--it's probably more
appropriate for General Votel, the CENTCOM [United States
Central Command] Commander. But, having served in Afghanistan
as recently as last May, I can attest to what you state there.
The confidence that the Afghans have, knowing that we're going
to be there with them for the long term, really buoys their
confidence. You can see it in the way they train, the way they
come to work every day, and the way they fight. Not only the
Afghan Special Security Forces that our operators train,
advise, assist, and accompany, but, overall, the Afghans
outside of the defense structure that I came in contact with.
It's just one small picture from my personal point of view.
Senator Wicker. Taliban's on the wane there.
Lieutenant General Howell. Sir, I think they are. They're
in a tough position right now.
Senator Wicker. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Senator Ernst. Thank you.
Senator Peters.
Senator Peters. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you for--the panel, for your testimony today, and,
more importantly, for your service to our country every day. We
appreciate it.
This committee is about emerging threats and emerging
capabilities. I think an awful lot about, particularly, those
emerging capabilities in terms of new technology and new
innovation that's coming online. I'm very involved, for
example, with self-driving cars, as--being the Senator from
Michigan. This is technology that'll transform the way we get
from point A to point B, but also really transform just about
everything in our economy, as well. Certainly, the implications
for warfare are equally as transformative as we move forward.
Something that I discussed with Secretary Mattis was that
we can't just be the leader in good technology. You have to
match that with doctrine and tactics, as well. Specifically, in
talking to Secretary Mattis, as a historian, who, in addition
to being the Secretary of Defense, talked about the advantage
the French had in tanks in World War II, but found themselves
quickly outmatched by the German blitzkrieg that changed
everything, despite the technological superiority.
My question to all of you, because you are trying to figure
out how to integrate some of these new technologies in very
innovative ways, if you could talk a little bit about how
that's going, what we need to do, and how some specific
platforms you think are particularly promising that we need to
support here, from--at the congressional level. Maybe if I
could just go down the panel, it will be very helpful.
Lieutenant General Webb. Senator, thanks very much for the
question.
I would agree with everything that--as you just laid it out
right there. It is about technology, but it's also about
concepts. From Air Force Special Operations standpoint, we kind
of have a two-pronged approach, and it's, What can we do with
our current systems that we have and--from a standpoint of
additive capability, which we're still building out, some as
we've transitioned a number of our airframes, but it's also
about concepts for the usage of that. There is a concerted
effort that we are doing, in conjunction with SOCOM and the Air
Force, with Strategic Capabilities Office, DARPA [Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency], Air Force Research
Laboratory, et cetera, to look at some new concepts and new
technologies. Then there's the other leg of, what kind of game-
changing kind of technology could be applied in that next
ridge-line out? Without getting into specifics in this forum,
that's been the approach at AFSOC I'm very comfortable with.
Senator Peters. Great.
Lieutenant General Tovo. Senator, I think you hit the nail
on the head. We've done very well, I think, over the years, on
the incremental changes as new technology comes in to kind of
take on what we're already doing, and do it a little bit
better. About 5 years ago, USASOC stood up a futures staff
section designed specifically to look a little deeper in time
to understand the implications of technology, demographics, the
changing nature of the security environment, in general, and
then to understand, through a war-gaming process, how that
might apply to us, particularly with scenarios against our
current set of adversaries with the advent of new technologies,
et cetera, so that we can derive those lessons. I would tell
you that much of what we're doing in that deeper fight is
trying to stay connected to industry and to the other experts
in the field to understand where these technologies are moving
to, not just tomorrow or next year, but what does it look like
10 and 15 years into the future, so that we can develop the
operational concepts, the doctrine, the techniques, et cetera,
as the technology develops.
Rear Admiral Szymanski. Senator, it's a great question. I
think the--maybe a little different twist than my colleagues
put it, very consistent with what they said, is--most of our
organizations were founded to be innovative in concept and not
technology. You go back to the history of SEALs and underwater
demolition teams, and it was a innovative concept to how we
clear beaches to allow amphibious assaults. We would do that
much differently today, with the technology that we have.
Secondly, to--without getting into some specific platforms;
maybe we can talk in closed session--but we are making some
great progress, some promising progress in the incorporation of
AI [artificial intelligence] and machine learning, particularly
in some of our processing and exploitation and dissemination,
that will cut down analyst time. I think, as the CNO [Chief of
Naval Operations] likes to talk about, the--and two of the
rogue--or revisionist powers that are mentioned in the National
Defense Strategy, both of their leaders have talked about the
decision speed, and he who owns AI will be the master. I think
we're in a race with this incorporation. It's important, I
think, that we continue to press hard on the AI and machine
learning.
Senator Peters. Right. Right.
Lieutenant General Mundy. Senator, our approach is twofold,
kind of near term and far term. In near term, we approach it
from an additive capability, take already existing programs and
look to add some of this new technology into it. We have a very
small capability development group in our organization, and
it's one of the areas that we'd look to grow, here, going
forward in the future.
Our long-term view, I think, like everybody here, as we see
that we're on the cusp of machine learning and AI and those
sorts of things, how to get in front of that. We've also
published a futures document that looks out about 12 years.
It's conceptual and a vision right now. The next step for us
would then be to really put some meat on the bones--we've now
written a futures document--and to begin to develop innovation
pathways that allow us to take some of those new technologies
and apply them to our concept.
Senator Peters. Great. Thank you. Appreciate it.
Senator Ernst. Thank you, Senator Peters.
Now, at this time, we will go ahead and recess. We will
move to SVC-217, where we will go into closed session. Just a
reminder, it will be a closed session. You must have the
appropriate clearance to engage, in 217.
With that, we will close--or, excuse me, recess, and we'll
move to 217.
Thank you.
[Whereupon, at 11:01 a.m., the subcommittee adjourned.]
[all]