National Defense Briefs – October 28, 2013

By W. Thomas Smith Jr.
October 28, 2013

Part two of the series, NATIONAL DEFENSE BRIEFS: Each week we arebringing to readers of MidlandsBiz.com several briefs aimed at informing all with timely military and homeland security news updates, trends,and short commentaries. Defense issues are inextricably connected tobusiness. And in that we bring to MidlandsBiz.com readers the NationalDefense Briefs that matter.

•    Thirty years ago (Oct. 23, 1983), the Islamic Jihad Organization – which ultimately became known as Hezbollah – launched asuicide-bombing attack against the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut,killing 220 Marines, 18 sailors, and three soldiers. It was thebloodiest single day in Marine Corps history since Iwo Jima. Hezbollahin 2013 is perhaps the most dangerous terrorist organization on earth.They have a substantial media arm, greater resources, greater reach, and better organization and logistics than Al Qaeda. As former HomelandSecurity chief Michael Chertoff said, Hezbollah makes Al Qaeda looklike a minor league team.

•    Col. Steven B. Vitali, USMC (Ret.), former senior advisor to the201st Afghan National Army (ANA) Corps, tells us, In the beginning of2006, total Afghan Army manning-strength was 28,000. The powerprojection capability of the ANA force was limited. Currently, AfghanNational Security Force (ANSF) is 183,000 ANA forces and 151,000 AfghanNational Police (ANP) forces. This year, the numerically superior Afghan force levels enabled the ANSF to concentrate kinetic power in districts and areas before considered safe havens to the Taliban. As U.S. forcesprepare for redeployment, the Taliban’s strategy to create apsychological security panic among the population has had limitedsuccess. But tribal loyalties could shift based on the Afghan publicperception of ANSF’s ability to provide nationwide security. Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, who commands the International Security AssistanceForce (ISAF) and United States Forces – Afghanistan, said, ‘Theinsurgents have been unable to hold ground from the ANSF, despiterepeated attempts to do so. Nor have insurgents weakened the morale ofthe ANSF. Despite a significant increase in casualties, the will andcombat effectiveness of the ANSF remains strong.’ The Afghan soldier,led by experienced professionals, is a formidable warrior.

•    Since its establishment in 2006, the U.S. Marine Corps SpecialOperations Command (MARSOC) has existed as the Marine component of theU.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). Though MARSOC is composed ofapproximately 2,500 Marines, only about 500 are critical skillsoperators (in other words, the guys who kick-down the doors, though all Marines are trained to fight). MARSOC operates throughout the world;the command’s Marines already having been deployed to South America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia.MARSOC companies are organized, trained, and equipped to perform thefull spectrum of special operations, but MARSOC Marines specialize inforeign internal defense, special reconnaissance, and direct action.

•    Definition of DIRECT ACTION: Direct-action operations areshort-duration strikes and other small-scale offensive actions taken toseize, destroy, capture or recover in denied areas. Think ofdirect-action operations as fast, hard-hitting raids by small infantryunits or special operations teams.

•    USSOCOM has existed since 1987, and includes the specialoperations elements of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and today theMarines. We will look at each service’s contribution to USSOCOM inforthcoming briefs.

•    Writing for Foreign Policy magazine, Adm. James Stavridis, says,that though the likelihood of a conventional offensive militaryoperation in the Arctic is very low … There are diplomatic andecological challenges that must be addressed as competition risesin-and-around the Arctic Circle, the last frontier on Earth.

– W. Thomas Smith Jr. is a military analyst and partner with
NATIONAL DEFENSE CONSULTANTS, LLC. Visit him at http://uswriter.com.