Highly reliable intelligence sources have indicated that Garry P. Reid, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Combating Terrorism did in fact non-concur with the recommendation to designate RC MISO forces as SOF. The Secretary admitted that “..the current situation with RC MISO forces is clearly sub-optimal and must be changed” and that “Since RC MISO forces were moved out of SOF in 2006, they have experienced significant difficulties obtaining support from the Army, and the overall influence capability of the department has suffered as a result.”
Secretary Reid also said that his office “is willing to lead an effort to fully consider all options for the RC MISO force and related inform and influence capabilities and organizations or to participate as a full partner in any discussions or working groups.”
The Secretary’s action begs me to ask the question “who is in charge of fixing the problem”? As a CDR and High Tech Executive I used to thank staff for bringing me a complete and detailed description of a problem, then -- I would ask them for a recommended solution.
While I have never worked in the Pentagon, and confess I really don’t understand all the machinations of the different offices there, I believe this kind of inaction without proposing alternatives to be considered reflects a lack of organizational courage. The buck has to stop somewhere and frankly we are past the time for it do so.
Photo Source: http://policy.defense.gov/solic/soct/leadership.aspx
The SOLIC non-concur has not nixed it yet. Army is still going to have the SA send the signed request to the SECDEF.
ReplyDeleteI hope that that is correct, that the SECDEF gets the SECARMY's request and concurs it. But the original post is steel on target - who is in charge? Why isn't there a PSYOP presence making decisions for the PSYOP corps? Acknowledging failure but then failing to provide any hint of a solution (not to mention completely faulty reasoning - if the causal variable for the degradation was removal from SOF, then clearly addressing that causal variable will have the most impact on correcting the issue) doesn't sound like the sort of leadership one expects from a 20+ year veteran of special operations (Garry Reid).
ReplyDeleteRUMINT has it that several other DoD offices did concur - let's hope that somewhere in the lineup there's a voice representing the RC MISO
Non-concurrence with designating RC psyop as SOF is spot on. Its not good news but still the correct move. I agree with this article's call for SOMEBODY to step up and call for or make the "reunification." If/when that happens, it'll mean that RC 37's should do the full course of schooling at Bragg. 18D's in 20th SFG have to do the same as their active counterparts in 3d SFG. A 37 NCO in 2d POG gets the MOS because he went to a 2 week "psyop" course at Ft Dix? No wonder the secretary non-concurred.
ReplyDeleteAnon - the non concurrence prevents USASOC from taking more control over the Q&A of the RC 37F training pipeline.
ReplyDeleteSWCS was *supposed* to retain doctrine and proponency, but with CAPOC's "worst" (first) training brigade delivering sub-par training to the RC side, and SWCS watering down AIT for the RC side, its clear USASOC and SWCS have thrown their hands up and abdicated responsibility.
You're puttin gthe cart before the horse - training standards wont go back up until all PO is back under a single SOF chain of command.
As long as you have dissenters who vocalize that there is a requirement for training to be different for reserve and active Soldiers, you will not achieve synergy and effective training.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree that the two week course at Fort Dix is crap and that in no way should it award the MOS.
I have to agree with the non-currence at this time. There is no effective plan, nor even an indicator of consideration, on how to reunite the RC and AC components.