SOF News

SOJTF-A to Expand? The Afghan Local Police (ALP) was a program started by U.S. Special Forces in Afghanistan to provide security and stability in key districts. SOF Marines and Navy SEALs also took part. The number of ALP was capped at 30,000 and with the withdrawal U.S. SOF was pulled off the district level local police. Now the Afghan government, facing a resurgent Taliban is looking at increasing the ALP to 45,000 (with U.S. funding of course). Will we see U.S. SOF once again committed to the ALP in the form of train, advise and assist? Hmmmm.

New SOCCENT Commander. Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT) has a new commander. MG Michael Nagata has passed command to MG Darsie Rogers. Rogers is the former commander of U.S. Army Special Forces Command and has extensive experience in 10th Special Forces Group. 10th Group has spent lots of time in Iraq over the past few decades (starting with Desert Storm and Provide Comfort). 10th SFGA is known to be "Kurd friendly" so don't be surprised to find SOCCENT spending more time training up the Kurds in Iraq and Syria. Read "Special Operations Command Central welcomes new commander", Army.mil, October 29, 2015.

SF Now In Syria. This past Friday (Oct 30, 2015) President Obama announced that approximately 50 Special Forces personnel will deploy to northeastern Syria to advise and assist local forces fighting the Islamic State. A White House spokesman, Josh Earnest, says that the SF dudes won't have a combat mission. Seriously? Is he being earnest when he says that? Read more in "Obama Sends Special Operations Forces to Help Fight ISIS in Syria", The New York Times, October 30, 2015. See also "Analysts: US Special Forces Operators in Syria Not a Cure", Defense News, October 31, 2015.

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