TESTIMONY
OF
GENERAL BRYAN D. BROWN,
U.S. ARMY
COMMANDER
U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND
BEFORE THE
UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
SUBCOMMITTEE ON TERRORISM, UNCONVENTIONAL
THREATS AND CAPABILITIES
REGARDING
THE SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND BUDGET
REQUEST FOR FISCAL YEAR 2005
March
11, 2004
Mr.
Chairman and distinguished Members of the
Committee, it is an honor and privilege to
report to you on the state of the United
States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).
Despite the many new and varied challenges
we face, your men and women of USSOCOM are
performing magnificently. Today's Special
Operations Forces (SOF) are the most capable
in the world.
Secretary Rumsfeld expanded USSOCOM's role
to include leading DOD's military global war
on terrorism (GWOT) planning effort, and
commanding select GWOT operations. In
addition, we maintain our world-class
ability to organize, train, and equip SOF as
originally mandated by Congress. USSOCOM's
special operators, highly trained and armed
with the best equipment possible, are
defending our Nation far from America's
shores around the world.
We are
standing side-by-side with our interagency,
conventional, and coalition partners
fighting the GWOT. SOF, in support of the
geographic combatant commanders, have
taken the offensive
against the enemy,
to strike him where he lives, to bring the
battle to him, and to bring him to justice.
Maintaining America's security and way of
life, through operations far forward,
cooperating with our allies around the
world, and planning for sustained operations
is today's reality. As we move into the
future, our priorities remain the GWOT,
readiness of our forces, and continuous
transformation to match our capabilities
with tomorrow's battlefield requirements.
Our
skilled SOF warriors continue to achieve
successes far beyond their limited number.
SOF on the ground in Afghanistan are central
to the reconstruction of infrastructure,
organizing and assisting security and
defense forces, providing critical
information to the coalition hunting al
Qaida and Taliban leadership, and helping
the Afghan people prepare for independence.
During combat operations in Iraq, two of the
three major battle fronts were led by SOF,
and we were closely integrated into the
conventional force of the third. Today, SOF
are integrated directly into United States
Central Command's (USCENTCOM) force
structure, taking the fight to the enemy,
and helping create stability and opportunity
for the people of Afghanistan and Iraq.
Global War on Terrorism
Success in GWOT - USSOCOM's number
one priority is the GWOT. SOF, deployed in
support of the geographic combatant
commanders, have been involved in nearly
every phase of the GWOT. SOF were the first
forces on the ground in Afghanistan and
Iraq, and were integrated with conventional
forces more closely than in any war in U.S.
history. The synergy from the joint,
combined, and interagency efforts produced
dynamic results on the battlefield.
Iraq
- From the onset of planning, SOF were
assigned key roles in Operation Iraqi
Freedom (OIF): to prevent the Iraqi V Corps
in the north from reinforcing Baghdad; to
conduct special reconnaissance and direct
action missions in western Iraq; to locate
and destroy Iraqi mobile missiles; to
support Combined Forces Land Component
Command movement from the south toward
Baghdad; to conduct support and stability
operations throughout the country; and to
interdict borders and lines of
communication. SOF were also assigned
missions to seize key airfields which they
accomplished through conducting airborne
parachute assaults. SOF were critical to
the capture of most of the "deck of cards"
key personnel within the Iraqi regime, and
they are still on the ground capturing high
value targets today. SOF seized and
protected sensitive areas and prevented
Sadam Hussein from creating an ecological
disaster by dumping massive quantities of
oil into the Arabian Gulf and lighting oil
fields on fire as was done during DESERT
STORM. Following the collapse of Sadam's
regime, SOF have continued to play a major
role in stability operations with the long
term goal of assisting in the building of a
free and democratic Iraqi nation.
In northeastern Iraq, the Combined Joint
Special Operations Task Force-North (CJSOTF-N)
conducted unconventional warfare, special
reconnaissance, direct action, and
call-for-fire missions against Iraqi forces
arrayed along the "Green Line." This task
force, designated Task Force (TF) Viking,
was commanded by a special operations
officer, and was under the operational
control of SOCCENT.
TF Viking's first order of business was
unconventional warfare. U.S. Army Special
Forces (SF) infiltrated Iraq and linked up
with Kurdish military and political leaders
to assess their capabilities and begin the
campaign. Beginning on March 22, special
operations MC-130 Combat Talons flew through
heavy Iraqi anti-aircraft fire and landed a
contingent of SF teams and U.S. Air Force
Combat Controllers. Rapidly expanding, TF
Viking grew to more than 50 individual
Special Forces A-teams (ODA) in the northern
area of operations.
TF
Viking integrated Kurdish Peshmerga allies,
with the U.S. Army's 173rd
Airborne Brigade and the U.S. Marine Corps'
26th Marine Expeditionary Unit,
all under the operational control of Special
Operations. This coordinated offensive
effort included crushing 700 entrenched
Ansar Al Islam fighters linked to Osama bin
Laden. TF Viking used close air support to
mount a successful offensive against Iraqi
armor and artillery, and took the city of
Kirkuk by force. This superb combined and
joint force also negotiated the orderly
capitulation and occupation of Mosul and
secured the northern oilfields.
The Combined Joint Special Operations Task
Force - West (CJSOTF-W) was tasked with
denying the Iraqi military their ability to
launch missiles into neighboring countries
or coalition formations. CJSOTF-W's area of
responsibility included the entire western
desert area and all of the landmass from
Baghdad south to the border of Kuwait. In
the west, CJSOTF-W controlled a combined and
joint force. In the south, SOF were
integrated directly into the conventional
force's operations.
The mission in the western desert area was
to deny the Iraqi military their ability to
launch missiles into neighboring countries
or coalition formations. SOF were flown
into the west using MC-130 Combat Talons,
MH-47Es, MH-60Ls, MH-60Ks, and MH-60
direct action penetrators.
The effect of conventional and SOF air and
organic fire support to SF teams on the
ground, particularly in the early days of
combat action, allowed the CJSOTF-W to
overwhelm the Iraqi military and dominate
the western desert.
SOF
successfully captured and controlled key
infrastructure to include a key dam, vital
lines of communication and airfields in the
west. Using Army Special Operations
helicopters, conventional tanks and mobile
rocket launchers, SOF were able to dominate
the Iraqi military in the western desert and
support conventional forces as they moved on
Baghdad.
In the
southern area between the Kuwaiti border and
Baghdad, the primary missions of CJSOTF-W
were strategic reconnaissance and
unconventional warfare. SF teams were
inserted deep into Iraq by U.S. Air Force
helicopters and quickly conducted
reconnaissance of key locations. This
information, passed on to ground
conventional maneuver commanders, was a
significant contributing factor to the speed
and audacity of the ground campaign. Other
SF teams dispersed throughout the area and
began to work with Iraqi nationals
sympathetic to the coalition cause. These
teams identified and rooted out Fedayeen
Saddam, Ba'ath party members, regime death
squads, and other terror cells.
The
Naval Special Warfare Task Group (NSWTG) was
given the task of securing strategic targets
in the Iraqi littoral areas. This area was
important because of oil terminals, the oil
metering and manifold stations, and the two
oil pipeline support valves. In addition,
this was the initial avenue for providing
seaborne humanitarian aide to Iraq.
Under cover of darkness, U.S. Navy Sea, Air,
and Land (SEALs) swept down from helicopters
and boats to secure five targets in unison.
In less than 40 minutes the critical nodes
were secured and the threat of an ecological
disaster was eliminated.
Following these successful missions
conducted on the first night of the war,
NSWTG quickly moved into position to support
the requirements of both land and maritime
commanders. They assisted in safeguarding
the waterway leading to the city of Basrah,
and helped clear the waterway and port of
Umm Qasr. NSTWG was also vital in securing
the U.S. Marine Corps' Marine Expeditionary
Force's lines of communication and
logistics, which allowed the Marines to
conduct their offensive movement toward
Baghdad.
Afghanistan - The
Combined Joint Special Operation Task Force
- Afghanistan (CJSOTF-A) is the special
operations component of Combined Joint Task
Force - 180. CJSOTF-A is working to rebuild
infrastructure, and establish a positive
rapport with the local populace. They are
also directly involved in operations against
anti-coalition forces within Afghanistan.
Deployed
in small detachments throughout Afghanistan,
SOF are working directly with the Afghan
National Army, conventional U.S. forces, and
local governments. This close working
relationship allows SOF to identify problems
and work solutions with local governments.
This relationship also allows SOF to gather
information about anti-coalition efforts
invaluable to our long-term efforts.
One of
the primary goals of CJSOTF-A is to capture
or kill al Qaida and Taliban forces. SOF,
together with Afghan National Army units,
other coalition partners, and conventional
U.S. forces have conducted multiple
operations throughout Afghanistan. These
operations resulted in the capture of
numerous anti-coalition forces and the
destruction of hundreds of weapons and
thousands of pounds of enemy explosives.
Psychological Operations
- Dissemination of truthful information to
foreign audiences in support of U.S. policy
and national objectives is a vital part of
SOF's effort to secure peace. Culturally
oriented psychological operations (PSYOP)
units with selected language skills are
supporting commanders and other U.S.
government agencies in operations ranging
from humanitarian assistance to weapons
collection. Additionally, our PSYOP forces
have an aggressive program of providing
handbills to children explaining the threat
of unexploded ordinance and minefields.
These forces, along with SOF civil affairs
units, are force multipliers. They use
nonviolent means in often violent
environments to convince enemy, neutral, and
friendly nations and forces to take action
favorable for the U.S. and its allies.
Civil Affairs -
Civil affairs forces are key to our long
term success in the GWOT. Civil affairs
specialists can quickly and systematically
identify critical requirements needed by
local citizens in war. They can also locate
civil resources to support military
operations, help minimize civilian
interference with operations, support
national assistance activities, and
establish and maintain liaison dialogue with
civilian aid agencies and civilian
commercial and private organizations. They
help commanders in the field meet their
moral obligations to the civilian
population.
Civil
Affairs forces are currently working with
local governments of Iraq and Afghanistan,
other government
agencies, and
international humanitarian organizations to
rebuild infrastructure and restore
stability. They are repairing wells,
providing food to hungry children, bringing
medical care to families, and are hard at
work helping rebuild school systems and stem
the tide of radical thought through
education.
Lessons Learned -
The USSOCOM team continues to meet and
exceed all expectations and achieve
remarkable results on the battlefield.
Because of our heavy engagement in both OEF
and OIF and other significant efforts in
support of the GWOT, SOF are learning many
important lessons. We are incorporating
these lessons into our future activities in
order to ensure our joint team remains
decisive. Some of these lessons learned
include:
1. SOF training and doctrine
were proven effective. There were many
instances where our special operators on the
ground, sea, and air identified previous
training and exercise programs as the key to
their success. They were able to draw
directly from skills developed through SOF
training programs to accomplish missions.
Specifically, they commented on the "out of
the box" thinking and problem solving
required in the training programs.
2. SOF/Conventional force
integration is critical. SOF apportioned to
CENTCOM were directly integrated into all
phases of the effort. The interoperability
of SOF forces reached new levels of
performance. SOF and conventional forces
under the command of CENTCOM were integrated
at the staff level and interoperable at the
tactical unit level in both planning and
execution. This made both SOF and the
conventional forces much more effective.
3. Engage and deploy SOF
early. SOF were assigned key
responsibilities to prepare the battlespace
for conventional land forces crossing into
Iraq, to prevent the launch of Iraqi
surface-to-surface missiles, and to fix
Iraqi forces in the north. Our capability
to insert key units early allowed
coordination with coalition forces,
facilitated the security of key lines of
communication, and aided in the delivery of
follow-on forces.
4. Blue Force Tracking (BFT) is
a critical capability. We were able to
provide superb situational awareness of SOF
internally and with our warfighting partners
- on the ground, sea, and air due to
proactive fielding of BFT beacons. This
program will reduce the incidence of
fratricide and greatly enhance our
situational awareness on a fluid and dynamic
battlefield.
5. SOF logistical support needs
improvement. SOF by nature have unique
logistical requirements and a limited
organic support structure. Support from the
Services is critical to sustaining SOF on
the battlefield. USSOCOM is working closely
with the Services to continue positive
momentum on SOF logistics support issues.
6. Fratricide is still a
problem. Although we have come a long way
in protecting our forces with BFT, it alone
is not a panacea. USSOCOM is engaging the
Services and industry to identify technology
to further prevent fratricide and protect
our most precious asset - our warriors.
USSOCOM focus and direction
- When USSOCOM was
established by the Congress in 1987, its
primary role was to support the geographic
combatant commanders by providing them with
trained and equipped special operations
personnel. Now USSOCOM's primary focus has
shifted to the GWOT - we are at war. While
the command continues to function in a
supporting capacity for the geographic
combatant commanders, the Secretary's
guidance included an additional role as a
supported command for planning DOD's
military effort in the war on terrorism. In
order to effectively fulfill this new role
as a supported command, we have reorganized
our headquarters with the creation of the
Center for Special Operations (CSO).
The CSO
is a joint and interagency directorate with
responsibility for war on terrorism-related
operational issues. By transforming the
headquarters, USSOCOM ensures it is postured
to perform its new role as a "warfighting"
command while maintaining its Title 10
responsibilities for a world-class
capability to train, man and equip our
forces.
We are
standing up a Joint Task Force Headquarters
which will allow the capability for seamless
planning and execution of operations that
span the spectrum of conflict. This new
structure will provide USSOCOM the
flexibility to transition to a Joint Special
Operations Task Force. Essentially, our
newly created CSO serves as USSOCOM's new "warfighting"
hub. Free of administrative functions, the
Center's sole responsibility is planning,
supporting, and executing special operations
in the war on terrorism.
Supported vs. supporting
command - The
mission of USSOCOM changed to include
planning direct combat missions against
terrorist organizations around the world and
executing those missions as the supported
Command when directed, while maintaining the
role of force provider and supporter to the
geographic combatant commanders. The
designation of USSOCOM as the "supported
command" does not relieve USSOCOM from its
responsibilities to provide highly trained
and capable forces to the geographic
combatant commanders.
The geographic combatant
commanders will normally execute operations
as the supported commander in their theater
of operations. However, when directed by
the Secretary of Defense, the Commander of
USSOCOM will serve as the supported
commander for specified operations. The
designation as supported commander allows
for centralized planning, expands options
for mission execution, and permits a more
flexible command relationship structure.
Establishment of the USSOCOM
Joint Operations Center (JOC) greatly
increased the capability of the headquarters
to monitor and, when directed, to command
and control GWOT operations. Real-time BFT
and unmanned aerial vehicle feeds combined
with web-based technologies provide detailed
situational awareness. Use of the Defense
Collaborative Tool Suite (DCTS) enables
real-time simultaneous coordination with
geographic commanders, agencies, the Joint
Staff, and others globally. This greatly
reduced planning and execution timelines.
The CSO is enabling us to
meet new requirements associated with the
GWOT. Responsibilities in the CSO include
reviewing global strategies, development of
courses of action, and formulating
recommendations for operational force
employment by the Commander, USSOCOM through
the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to
the Secretary of Defense. The CSO can plan,
direct, monitor and assess combat operations
directed against selected targets anywhere
on the globe.
Intelligence
- Practical experience and our own exercises
have demonstrated the counter terrorism
problem set is, at its very core, an
intelligence based problem set. In other
words, we have to find out who the
bad guys are, where they are, and
have the right forces in the right place at
the right time to capture them.
Essential to the desired end state is
immediately actionable and accurate
intelligence predicated by expert
intelligence analysis. Unlike the Cold War
where it was easy to find the large
mechanized force that was hard to kill, the
terrorist is very hard to find and
comparatively easy to capture or kill.
USSOCOM in coordination with
the Undersecretary of Defense for
Intelligence and the intelligence community
is developing an all encompassing
intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance (ISR) strategy. This
strategy will develop the kind of
capabilities, like signals intelligence (SIGINT),
imagery intelligence (IMINT) and unattended
sensors that channel the proper intelligence
information to our analysts and operators so
we can capture terrorists regardless of
where they are on the globe. This
persistent ISR concept is a combination of
tireless analysis, human intelligence (HUMINT),
and SOF focused ISR systems that will dwell
on a target for as long as the mission
requires. We must be proficient to take the
fight to the terrorist before he has the
opportunity to strike.
One of the avenues for
ensuring robust intelligence is to have a
strong interagency relationship. At USSOCOM
we have over 100 interagency representatives
tightly integrated into our GWOT efforts,
significantly supporting our goal to find,
fix and finish the terrorist threat.
Readiness
Force readiness is a SOF
priority and is crucial to mission success.
People, training, and equipment are key
factors that determine SOF readiness.
People
- SOF are made up of some of America's most
dedicated men and women from all of the
Services. They are mature, high-caliber
professionals with intelligence, stamina,
problem-solving skills, mental toughness,
flexibility, determination, integrity, and
extraordinary strength of character and
will.
To accomplish SOF missions,
highly specialized skill sets are required,
including mastery of technology, cultural
and regional awareness and expertise, and
skill in both low-tech as well as high-tech
solutions. To achieve the required level of
proficiency and guarantee SOF relevance,
recruitment, accession, development, and
retention of the force must be closely
managed.
A small number of people,
carefully selected, well trained, and well
led is the key to our quality force.
However, we must have the correct mix of
active, reserve, and National Guard
personnel to meet the challenge. Our
current operations tempo is sustainable and
programmed manpower increases will improve
our capability to meet the demand on our
force. Areas of concern include our U.S.
Army PSYOP and civil affairs forces where 96
percent of the force is in the Reserve
Component or National Guard where long term
mobilization is difficult. To improve these
areas over the next five years we are adding
four Reserve and two Active PSYOP companies
, , two Reserve civil affairs battalions,
and two Active civil affairs companies.
Another concern is combat
power and our ability to move on the
battlefield. We are addressing these areas
by adding two U.S. Navy SEAL teams (Active),
and one U.S. Army MH-47 aviation battalion
(Active). We are also adding four
additional U.S. Air Force AC-130 gunships,
ten MC-130 Combat Talon II aircraft and
associated personnel to support forward
deployed and rotational requirements while
maintaining our training standard. We
believe people are more important than
hardware and closely monitor our
deployment schedules to ensure we care for
both our military force and their families.
However, adding SOF is not a short term fix.
The projected force and
equipment additions do not provide immediate
relief because SOF cannot be
mass-produced. The service members who
volunteered to join SOF following the events
of September 11th 2001, and
successfully completed the arduous SOF
selection and training regimen, entered
SOF's deployable force over the past few
months. Since competent SOF cannot be
created immediately, we must plan ahead to
create units sufficient in size, capability,
and speed of response to meet our
requirements. It is also critically
important that we are able to retain these
individuals who have vast expertise and
experience, especially as they become
retirement eligible at the peak of their
value to the Armed Services. Retention of
these highly qualified personnel is critical
and the competition
with the civilian world has never been
greater.
Budget
- Our FY05 budget request is $6,566 million
or 1.6 percent of the
Department of Defense budget
and some 48,000 personnel. Yet these
limited SOF resources greatly enhance the
effectiveness of conventional military
forces by providing essential leveraging
capabilities all the while ensuring that
"must succeed" special operations are
completed with the absolute certainty and
professionalism the Nation demands. No
where has the benefit of this powerful
investment been clearer than during
operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and
elsewhere in the GWOT. However, SOF have
been remarkably effective no matter what the
nature of the conflict.
Long
term success in the Global War on Terrorism
depends largely upon our ability to rapidly
employ a sustainable mix of capabilities
with little warning. Terrorist threats
today are elusive, pervasive, asymmetric,
and adaptive. Non-traditional approaches to
planning and tactics are required. To meet
this challenge, USSOCOM refocused resources
to address three vital challenges: planning
and directing the Global War on Terrorism;
preserving readiness of our SOF; and
transforming SOF to more agile, adaptive,
and responsive warriors.
SOF are comprised of specially selected, trained, and organized special
operations Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and
Marines from the Armed Services. Their
training, education, maturity, initiative,
and experience set them apart from all
others in the Department of Defense.
USSOCOM's FY 2005 President's Budget emphasizes the SOF philosophy of
funding the right training and equipment for
the right people, so they can arrive at the
right objective, and most importantly,
producing mission success. Fundamental to
mission success is the readiness of our SOF
warriors and their unique skill sets,
including the reserves and National Guard
who fight side by side with our active duty
forces. Our readiness efforts also extend
to support programs for families of our SOF
warriors.
USSOCOM
faces a strategic environment characterized
by rapid geopolitical change and
technological advancement, evolving threats,
and potential emerging new roles. These
factors require innovative thinking and new
ways to shape change to provide the widest
array of options in protecting American's
interests. To meet this challenge,
USSOCOM is pursuing a holistic approach to
transformation through training,
organizational structure, and technology.
Key resourcing initiatives identified
by USSOCOM will support transformation of
special operations in the realm of materiel,
organization, training and doctrine. These
initiatives include, but are not limited to:
Naval Special Warfare's 21st
Century realignment, Army Special Operations
Aviation 21st Century
reorganization initiatives, improved Theater
Special Operations Command capabilities,
enhanced training curriculums, maintenance
and sustainment of key SOF assets, and
providing the optimum mix of gear for our
SOF operators.
The USSOCOM Fiscal Year 2005
President's Budget requests the resources
necessary to continue to provide full
spectrum, multi-mission global SOF that
provide a comprehensive set of unique
capabilities for the nation.
Acquisition
- A real strength of USSOCOM is the
Commander's acquisition authority, which is
similar to that of the Military
Departments. Among the responsibilities
assigned to USSOCOM under Title 10, Section
167, is developing and acquiring "special
operations-peculiar" equipment. SOF-peculiar
equipment is based on technologies that
enable our
operators to become faster, stealthier, more
precise, lethal, survivable, and
sustainable. With exceptional
support from Congress, the Secretary of
Defense, Services, Other Government Agencies
(OGA), and our industry partners, these
authorities have been instrumental in
equipping today's world-class SOF team to
perform a broad range of SOF missions.
Although our people are certainly SOF's most
important asset, maintaining and improving
materiel capabilities remains USSOCOM's most
difficult challenge. Our near term
objective is to continue to realign our
requirements and programs to better address
the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) mission.
We will be eliminating those systems that do
not support the GWOT and using the saved
resources to invest in future capabilities.
Our programs must be transformational, not
merely a reinvestment of what we are doing
today. USSOCOM must continue to invest in
making our SOF more capable in all tactical
environments. Our current Flagship
Programs, the Advanced Seal Delivery System
(ASDS) and the CV-22 Osprey continue to be a
very important part of SOF's future.
Additionally, our Research and Development
(R&D) activities are refocusing on
discovering and exploiting technologies in
the following areas:
Individual As A Platform
- We have always said the individual is the
indispensable element of SOF. In order to
ensure we "equip the man" not "man the
equipment", we are making the SOF Warrior
System a Flagship Program. This will create
the appropriate focus on every consideration
affecting our warfighter: budgeting,
recruitment, training, doctrine, and
equipment. We need to develop enhanced
protection, armor, lightweight sustainment
systems, night vision devices and better
weaponry. The SOF operator must be able to
manage his signature in all environments and
see the enemy regardless of concealment. We
need to do this without increasing weight
and complexity.
Power
-- Power sources have been, and continue to
be, both a major problem and critical need
for SOF. A significant amount of the weight
carried into combat is from batteries. SOF
urgently needs power sources that are small,
lightweight, and inexpensive while providing
high power, long-endurance,
interchangeability, and multiple recharging
features. These batteries or fuel cells
must give off little or no signature and
offer the SOF user an extended operating
capability without suffering degradation or
requiring re-supply.
Sensors
-- We will pursue a family of unmanned,
semi-autonomous or autonomous systems (air,
sea, land, and in the future, space) ranging
in size from tactical to micro and nano,
accompanied by persistent intelligence and
denied area access technologies to meet the
needs of SOF operators. These systems must
possess a reduced logistical footprint and
withstand the rigors of various climates and
operating environments.
Conclusion
Special operations forces
are deployed around the world engaged in the
global war on terrorism fighting for our way
of life. Your continued support of our
Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and DOD
civilians is the foundation of our success.
Thank you. I look forward to answering your
questions.
