Strategic Influence of Special Operations - Research Paper Example

STRATEGIC INFLUENCE OF SPECIAL OPERATIONS I. Introduction Special operations as viewed today have their establishment right from the Second World War. They became more significant after the war in 1945 when nations began fighting with the aim of restoring peace. Special operations became the chief substance in Vietnam and more often grew all over the world because of the evolution of asymmetrical warfare. Governments use special operations with the aim of meeting their goals at the lowest costs in the new world of the over-romanticizing that progressively surpasses for integrity in this age of twenty-four hour media. This research aims at analyzing the nature and the characteristics of special operations and the strategic influence that they have on the target population. II. Nature of special operations Special operations demand the use of special methods of employment, special techniques, tactics, procedures as well as equipment. Special operations acquire significance in harsh environments characterized by high level of hostility, denial and environments that are most sensitive politically or diplomatically. These operations are thus more time sensitive and concealed in nature. Special operations according to Derek (2006, 149) have lower visibility, work in collaboration with local forces and require greater regional point of reference as well as cultural proficiency. Special operations require very high level of intelligence and the intelligence organ must have a good understanding of the major activities. It must be capable of approving all the logistical requirements within the shortest time possible, which is usually within a span of fifteen days. The communication system has to be significantly efficient to ease collection of information from the ground as well as coordination within the staff members involved to arrive at the best solution for the prevailing situation. In operating in remote areas, according to Derek (2006, 252) special operations mostly require the use of long range and surface oriented combined firing support. III. Strategic influence With special operations, offensive actions can be either by seizing the core facilities of the people as a piece of the wide operation or utilizing a guerilla war tactic of hitting and running away to cool the chosen targets. Even though the other ordinary units are capable of carrying out such operations, special units perform with greater precision thus yielding better results. Special Forces are also capable of conducting such operations in areas where the other ordinary units cannot reach. A common characteristic of special operations is effectiveness in terms of cost because of the involvement and the support from the local forces that help in fighting the enemy. A more recent event is the war in Afghanistan in 2001 where the United States special forces, together with the Northern alliance forces provided technical as well as firepower assistance to the locals, while carrying out airstrikes ensured that the unpredictable war loads in Afghanistan complied with the strategic objectives of the United States. In this case, according to Kiras (2006, 58) the number of personnel involved was very low and success came within a short period than expected. This therefore means that special operations command measures reveal their strategic functions, since they work as companies and are well organized but manned by a cabinet of high level of command. For example, the United States airborne division tends to operate in large formations but tasked and operated in the same manner as the ordinary units. This means that there are no unique features in the management of these Special Forces in terms of the flow of command from the top to the bottom levels. The most important feature of the Special Forces is the ability to carry out operations in areas where the other forces cannot reach. The situation prevailing on the ground calls for the necessity of these forces to intervene to provide service in unpredictable environments. For example, the United States navy sea-air land divisions all saw their establishment because of the necessity to strike at naval as well as littoral areas that no other conventional units could reach. Despite the fact that the operations carried out by these Special Forces are similar to the ones carried out by the other forces, special units as put by Doyle (2006, 64) can accomplish their mission at greater range and with a much lower autograph. The training and skills of Special Forces enable them to utilize the land and the means used by the insurgents themselves to attack them and enable the local people to gang against them. However, they sometimes use special means of carrying out operations with the most significant role being the culture of rescuing innocent civilians who are in the hands of insurgents. The good feature of special operations is the utilization of methods and actions that aim at influencing a change in emotions, thoughts and more generally the behavior of the targeted people. The major aim is to influence a change that will align with objectives of the international policy at strategic, tactical as well as the operational levels. The approach used in special operations usually base on the truth that help in maintaining both local as well as regional reliability that sometimes become greater than that of the activities of public affairs. In some cases, the information availed by the special units become the foundation for the solution in the area where the problem is most serious. The main advantage of special operations as put by Adams (1998, 3) is that they assist in inducing attitudes as well as behaviors that are of great favor to the objectives of the original nation that is carrying out the operations. In addition, some of the approaches used in special operations, which find applications in all the various categories such as strategic, tactical, operational and consolidation incorporates messages that are very credible and designed to cultivate positive feelings on the targeted population. High intelligence that also sees a good study of the culture and beliefs of the target audience according to Butler (1996, 2) enable the determination of the vulnerabilities, weaknesses, major communicators, the media as well as the best methods of communications that help in influencing the elites and the various societal groups. In this way, it is easier to come up with the most appropriate means of solving the problem. IV. Explanation Special Forces operations enable the access of areas that are impossible or very difficult for the other ordinary forces to reach. With their special training and skills, they can work in unpredictable environments and impart desirable changes through proper analysis and understanding of the situation. Special operations enable the country to achieve military targets with the lowest possible costs and within the shortest time because of the application of special skills in dealing with the problem. Special operation forces achieve the most desirable solutions because of the idea of interacting and involving the local populations. V. Operationalization The measurement of the effectiveness of special operations over the ordinary operations is through an analysis of the time consumed in achieving the set target and the overall effect of the means used on the target population. The cost incurred during the operation and the number of staff used also gives a true meaning about the usefulness of the operation. In addition, the level of appreciation from the population targeted and the degree of harm caused to the population provides a good measure of the effectiveness of the strategy used. VI. Methodology Data collection will involve secondary reading of the materials that provide information about the topic. The research will aim at collecting as many examples as possible from previous experiences around the world but the recent examples will be more appropriate in understanding the future trends in the matter. Comparisons will be necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of every strategy used and the overall effects on both the nation and the targeted population. VII. Implications Special operations aim at dealing with the problem in the most efficient manner that will help solve the problem within the shortest period and with the lowest costs. Learning about the behavior and involving the locals in the affected area is a very credible means of solving a problem especially in a condition that we expect high resistance. Special operations prove to be the most effective in alleviating insurgency that earlier could not be reached. This calls for the need of enhancement and improvement in the weak areas to make the idea accepted in all corners of the world. The modern world does not need the old ways of carrying out military operations hence the need of coming up with new improved methods of carrying out operations to be able to reach all environments and achieve strategic influence on the target population. Bibliography Adams, Thomas K. US special operations forces in action: the challenge of unconventional warfare. Psychology Press, 1998. Butler, Frank K., John Haymann, and E. George Butler. Tactical combat casualty care in special operations. Association of Military Surgeons of the US, 1996. Derek Leebaert. To Dare & To Conquer: Special Operations and the Destiny of Nations, from Achilles to Al Qaeda. Park Avenue, NY. Little, Brown and Company, 2006 Doyle, Michael W., and Nicholas Sambanis. Making war and building peace: United Nations peace operations. Princeton University Press, 2006. Kiras, James D. Special Operations and Strategy: From World War II to the War on Terrorism. Routledge, 2006. Roth, Kendall, David M. Schweiger, and Allen J. Morrison. "Global strategy implementation at the business unit level: Operational capabilities and administrative mechanisms." Journal of International Business Studies (1991): 369-402. Read More