Casting Light on the Shadows

Casting Light on the Shadows

Author: Bernd Horn

Publisher: Dundurn

Published: 2007-02-28

Total Pages: 326

ISBN-13: 1550026941

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Since 9/11 Canadian Special Operations Forces, formerly in the shadows, have become the force of choice. This book provides a solid foundation for SOF theory, historical background, and evolution, and highlights ongoing developments in SOF.


Special Operations Forces in the 21st Century

Special Operations Forces in the 21st Century

Author: Jessica Glicken Turnley

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-08-09

Total Pages: 541

ISBN-13: 1351802674

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This book sets out the major social scientific approaches to the study of Special Operations Forces. Despite consistent downsizing, over the past two decades the armed forces of the industrial democracies have seen a huge growth in Special Operations Forces (SOF). Through increasing numbers of personnel and more frequent deployments, SOF units have wielded considerable influence in conflicts around the world, with senior SOF officers having led major strategic operations. This increased presence and unprecedented expansion for SOF is largely a result of the ‘new’ kinds of conflicts that have emerged in the 21st century. At the same time, even with this high profile in the military, policy and media and popular cultural arenas, there is relatively little social scientific research on SOF. This volume aims to fill this gap by providing a series of studies and analyses of SOF across the globe, since the end of World War II. Analysing SOF at the micro, mezzo and macro levels provides broad and diverse insights. Moreover, the volume deals with new issues raised by the use of such forces that include emerging modes of civilian control, innovative organizational forms and the special psychological characteristics necessitated by SOF operatives. It concludes with a discussion of a question which continues to be debated in today’s militaries: what makes SOF ‘special’? Filling a clear gap in the literature, this book will be of much interest to students of strategic studies, civil-military relations, irregular warfare, security studies, and international relations.


The Competitive Advantage

The Competitive Advantage

Author: Michael E Krivdo

Publisher: Independently Published

Published: 2019-05-23

Total Pages: 276

ISBN-13: 9781099805257

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Volume 8 of the Army University Large Scale Combat Operations series. The Competitive Advantage: Special Operations Forces in Large Scale Combat Operations presents twelve historical case studies of special operations forces from World War I through Operation Iraqi Freedom. This volume sheds light upon the emerging roles, missions, and unique capabilities that have forged a path for Army Special Operations Forces today. These case studies set Large Scale Combat Operations in the center and place ARSOF's role in the forefront. If a reader were to take one piece from this volume, it would be the clear understanding of the close synergy that occurs between the Conventional Force and SOF in Large Scale Combat Operations for major wars in the 20th and early 21st century. That synergy should provide a broad azimuth for military planners and practitioners to follow as the Army, SOF, and the Joint Force combine to preserve the peace, defend the Nation, and defeat any adversary.


Into the Void

Into the Void

Author: James D Kiras

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2024-09-15

Total Pages: 418

ISBN-13: 0197793932

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A critical analysis of how global special forces can and should evolve into a future-ready capability, responding to today's post-War on Terror challenges.


Special Operations Success

Special Operations Success

Author: James D. Kiras

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2024-10-24

Total Pages: 529

ISBN-13: 0198902085

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Special Operations Success establishes a new benchmark in military theory in this deeply analytic and innovative work. It answers several pressing questions: How successful have American special operations been over the past quarter-century? Are special forces fated to cycles of expansion and misuse? Will special forces invariably exceed the authorities granted to them because of they are? Is a general theory of special operations feasible given the range of activities and conditions that fall under the category? Kiras' work is based on two decades of practical, teaching, and consulting experience within different special operations communities, and its analysis and conclusions are designed to inform practitioners, policymakers, educators, and the general public. The book develops a framework, in the form of a theory comprising capabilities and control, for the comprehensively evaluating special operations success, and is divided into three parts: Part I lays the foundation for a general theory of special operations, Part II explores the two component parts of theory, capabilities and control, and Part III uses various aspects of the theory, depending on available information, to assess the success of special operations over a twenty-year period in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and the United States.


Special Operations Forces Mixed-Gender Elite Teams

Special Operations Forces Mixed-Gender Elite Teams

Author: William Knarr

Publisher:

Published: 2019-07-07

Total Pages: 136

ISBN-13: 9781079039467

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On 24 January 2013, the Secretary of Defense (SecDef) rescinded the 1994 Direct Ground Combat Definition and Assignment Rule (DCAR) that excluded women from assignment to units and positions whose primary mission is to engage in direct combat on the ground. In doing so, the SecDef directed the opening of all occupational specialties, positions and units to women; the validation of gender-neutral standards for those positions; and establishment of milestones for implementation. In a March 2013 memorandum, Commander USSOCOM directed several initiatives as a result of the SecDef's DCAR rescission. While other studies examined individual performance and standards, the JSOU Center for Special Operations Studies and Research examined the effects on team dynamics. The challenge for this study was to determine if changing the gender component of Special Operations Forces elite teams from single-gender (masculine) to mixed-gender would affect team dynamics in a way that would compromise the ability of the team to meet a mission objective.


Academic Writing for Military Personnel, revised edition

Academic Writing for Military Personnel, revised edition

Author: Adam Chapnick

Publisher: University of Ottawa Press

Published: 2023-05-16

Total Pages: 111

ISBN-13: 0776639986

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Academic Writing for Military Personnel is a manual for writing clear and effective academic prose. Authored by an experienced writing instructor and a retired military officer, both of whom teach in a professional military education institution, it is designed for members of the armed forces who are entering, or perhaps re-entering, the academic community, and having spent much of their careers either writing in the professional military context or not writing at all. The book not only teaches officers how to write convincingly, but also explains why a sound grasp of academic writing can enhance their effectiveness in their regular duties, particularly as they reach the more senior levels of service. Chapters focus on the value of written communication skills, the difference between professional (staff) and academic writing, the research process, the writing process, academic professionalism, and common writing problems and challenges. A particularly innovative final chapter discusses how officers can use the knowledge that they have acquired through their professional experiences in the academic context. Specific examples – chosen with a military audience in mind – are integrated throughout the text to provide the reader with relevant and practical guidance. The revised edition incorporates new examples from a more diverse set of authors, takes into account recent changes in communication technologies, and reflects new advancements in the scholarship of teaching and learning. As the only comprehensive guide to effective academic writing designed specifically for military personnel, this book will be a crucial addition to the libraries of junior and senior officers in militaries worldwide. Available formats: trade paperback, accessible PDF, and accessible ePub


Transformational Science And Technology For The Current And Future Force (With Cd-rom) - Proceedings Of The 24th Us Army Science Conference

Transformational Science And Technology For The Current And Future Force (With Cd-rom) - Proceedings Of The 24th Us Army Science Conference

Author: A M Rajendran

Publisher: World Scientific

Published: 2006-11-08

Total Pages: 601

ISBN-13: 9814476684

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This book provides the reader with a unique opportunity to understand the basic and applied research and technology areas that support applications to enable Transformational capabilities for US Soldiers. The research papers are in line with the theme of the 24th Army Science Conference: “Transformational Science and Technology for the Current and Future Force,” emphasizing the critical role of Science and Technology in addressing the significant challenges posed by Global War On Terrorism while simultaneously developing Transformational capabilities for the Future Force.