1. COL Mark D. Rosengard SOJ3
COMSOCEUR’s STRATEGIC VISION A Theater Perspective on Coalition Warfare
SOCEUR
COL Mark D. Rosengard
SOJ3

2. Setting Regional Conditions for the GWOT…
What can (should) be done:
In coordination with “Find / Fix / Finish” effort, and…
… before we swing the “Golden Hammer”
Fight globally, but PREVENT regionally
Requires willing and capable friends…
… synergistic effort
… a Coalition
Just Like SOF – capable coalitions cannot be created overnight !!
Our two operational imperatives (i.e. do two-three things very, very well):
1) Make Trans-Sahara Africa the main effort. Create synergy utilizing all SOF enablers. Focus forces, money, and resources.
2) Get our Coalition Partners involved in defending their homelands beyond their borders. For our coalition partners in Europe, stability in Africa is a matter of national security at home.
Segue for focusing on PREVENTION rather than pre-emption for achieving our strategic goal of reducing network structire and sanctuary.

3. Strategic Guidance “The SOF Lens”
7501 / 7520
AQ EXORD
NMSP-WOT
NMS
GUIDANCE
1. Theater Campaign Plan for WOT
2. Theater Security Cooperation Strategy
3. EUCOM Support to Emergent Operations
PRIORITIES
Strategic Guidance
“The SOF Lens”
SOCEUR’s Supporting Operational Strategy
DELIBERATE ENGAGEMENT
Key Tasks: Find – Capture or Kill – Neutralize
Our Strategic Guidance comes from a multitude of sources: SECDEF, JCS, SOCOM, EUCOM. We view this guidance through the SOF lens to derive our consolidated Theater Supporting Strategy.
As for Coalition Warfare: EUCOM directs SOCEUR to: … develop and maintain a flexible, enduring WOT Coalition, as well as regional, operationally-focused partnerships to support specific WOT operations … and, develop an operational reach that enables the ability to detect, exploit, deter, seize, defeat, or destroy targets throughout the AOR…
We will accomplish this through two lines of operation:
The Unconventional Warfare line of operation (the main effort) is an indirect approach to achieving the strategic goal by conducting a broad spectrum of military and paramilitary operations of longer duration, predominantly conducted through, with, or by indigenous and/or surrogate forces.
The Deliberate Engagement line of operation is a direct approach to achieving the strategic goal primarily through the time sensitive planning and targeting process to conduct short-duration strikes against terrorist targets or networks, crisis response to humanitarian disasters, or NEOs to protect U.S. citizens and interests.
) Key Tasks:
Main Effort:
(S) Enable other countries to effectively combat terrorists in their region.
(S) Improve partner nation capabilities to support WOT-related coalition operations.
(S) Deny safe havens to terrorists in the EUCOM AOR.
(S) Assure Access throughout the AOR for basing and logistics to support operations.
Supporting Effort
(S) Find Al-Qaeda and other terrorists, their networks, and potential safe havens.
(S) Capture or kill known terrorists in the EUCOM AOR.
(S) Neutralize known terrorist networks operating in the EUCOM AOR.
UNCONVENTIONAL WARFARE
Key Tasks: Enable – Improve – Deny – Access
END STATE:
REDUCED
TERRORIST
NETWORK,
RESOURCES,
AND
SANCTUARY
Build
Battalions
Joint
Air-Ground-
Maritime
Regional
Capability
Expand Zone
of Influence
INCREASE
FREQUENCY
IMPROVE
CAPABILITY
CULTIVATE
INTEROPERABILITY

4. SOCEUR’s Theater Strategy (Nested in EUCOM’s WOT Campaign)
GWOT INTEREST
PARTNERS
CENTCOM AOR
Operational Framework
Sub-regional Efforts
Coalition Partners
Simultaneous
Supporting
Efforts
Gulf of
Guinea
Eastern
Africa
Trans-
Sahara
Sequential
Main
Effort
By arranging operations sequentially beginning with Trans-Sahara Africa as the main effort, SOCEUR will sequence cycles to drive the terrorist threat south and east, away from the continent of Europe, displacing terrorist networks from their indigenous habitat while isolating terrorist operations in the Arabian Gulf Region from expanding westward into the EUCOM AOR.
The elimination of trans-national terrorist organizations and a progressive elimination of conditions conducive to terrorist infrastructure and activities.
Trans-national terrorists will be forced to coordinate new lines of operation through the denial of existing havens, lines of communication, sources of support, and the pacification of terrorist sympathies within the region exposing themselves to detection and exploitation.
Partner Nations exercise sovereignty over previously undergoverned spaces with minimal outside support.
SOCEUR transfers responsibility for existing safe havens to allies while refocusing on emerging threat regions.
Africa Statistics
Length: ~ 5000 mi
Width: ~ 4700 mi
Coast line: 18,976 mi
Area: 11,608,000 sq mi
Highest point: 19,341 ft
Population: 807,419,000
Current
Main Effort
Sequential
Supporting
Effort Cycle
Simultaneous
Efforts

5. Coalition Warfare Influence Spheres of Time (Generational)
Achieving Desired Effect - By, With, and Through
Intrinsic and Extrinsic Capability
Geographical Leverage Points
Main Effort
Sequential Supporting Effort Cycle
Simultaneous Supporting Efforts
1. Trans-Sahara
2. Gulf of
Guinea
3. Eastern Africa
Coalition Partners
Reducing
U.S. Footprint
While…
Maintaining Presence
And...
Expanding Influence
U.S Forces
Extrinsic
Extrinsic
Time (Generational)
Intrinsic
Intrinsic
U.S Forces
Arranging Operations: The ripple effect.
Concentrating SOCEUR forces by applying pressure on the five geographical leverage points over time will expand the spheres of influence of our partner nations, enhancing regional sovereignty.
This expansion will consequently force terror networks to develop new methods of operation in less contested areas.
The expanding spheres of influence of our regional partners will allow the reduction of the U.S. forces footprint while maintaining U.S. presence and commitment and expanding U.S. influence in the EUCOM AOR.
By developing extrinsic partner relationships with our regional, intrinsic partners early in this process, USEUCOM will be positioned to continue influencing training, advice, and assistance as U.S. SOF pursue retreating terror networks through subsequent focus areas.
Influence
Spheres of
Increasing Effort
Expanding Influence

6. Lines of Operation Center of Gravity: TERRORIST FREEDOM OF ACTION
Set conditions to attack Critical Vulnerabilities
Center of Gravity:
Maneuver (Main Effort)
Build Units
Develop joint
capability
Develop
Regional
Capability
Expand Zone
of Influence
Deny LOCs
Information
Operations
TERRORIST FREEDOM OF ACTION
Promote regional
capability
Discrediting
Islamic extremism
End State
Improve Host Nation
legitimacy
Deny Sources
of Support
Environmental
Change
Civil Military Operations IN
Shape, Key
areas for Civic Action
Unity of
interagency effort
Develop HN CMO
Capability
Deny
Sanctuary
UNCONTROLLED SPACES
Intel
Collection
With the adversary Critical Vulnerabilities, we must set conditions to attack these vulnerabilities.
We arrange and sequence decisive points in time and space to set conditions that attack critical vulnerabilities of the adversary center of gravity in order to achieve the strategic goal.
By attacking critical vulnerabilities in our adversary’s center of gravity, we force our adversary to culminate.
Our end state is how we envision our posture in the Trans-Sahara geographical leverage point once we achieve success.
PIR/
Collection
Plans
Intel
Assets
Intel
Sharing
Operational
Reach
Pacify
Population of
Terrorist
Sympathies
Develop
HN Gov’t
Infrastructure
Coordinate
Fuels Initiative
Improve
APODS
Develop
intra-regional
log spt.
Decisive
Points

7. PAN-SAHEL INITIATIVE . INTRINSIC FORCES Terrorist Area Mauritania Mali
Safe haven for extremists; borders are unable to be regulated or patrolled due to enormous size
Terrorist organizations operate throughout the Sahel .
1/10th Special Forces Group teaches mounted infantry tactics to soldiers from the Malian Army in Timbuktu, Mali
Terrorist Area
Mauritania
Nouakchott
Mali
Chad
Niger
The Pan Sahel Initiative (PSI) is a U.S. State Department funded program in the northern African countries of Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Chad designed to enhance border capabilities throughout the region against arms smuggling, drug trafficking, and the movement of trans-national terrorists.
U.S. Army Special Forces, assigned to Special Operations Command Europe, are training selected military units in Mali and Mauritania on mobility, communications, land navigation, and small unit tactics.
Bamako
Niamey
N'Djamena
Interiors are too large to enforce laws
1/10th Special Forces Group teaches mounted infantry tactics to soldiers from the Malian Army in Nouakchott, Mauritania

8. Enabling SOF Partners Initiative EXTRINSIC FORCES
Seeks to expand upon traditionally bilateral activities
Matches strengths from one, with requirements elsewhere in the coalition
Intent is to Increase:
Regional Capabilities to accomplish mutual objectives
Interoperability among SOF capable nations
Participation in WOT
Potential Future Activities:
Flintlock - TSCTI
Mediterranean
Trans-Caucasus
Gulf of Guinea
Out of AOR ??
ESPI Partners
Considering ESPI
ESPI Recipients

9. PREVENTION, before Pre-emption:
Way Ahead…
PREVENTION, before Pre-emption:
(SOCEUR’s Operational Imperatives)
Get ahead of the enemy in potential sanctuaries…
Develop and maintain strong links with coalition partners…
“To wait for terrorist threats to become clear and present is to leave the nation vulnerable to terrorist attacks.”
- John Lewis Gaddis
Our two operational imperatives (i.e. do two-three things very, very well):
1) Make Trans-Sahara Africa the main effort. Create synergy utilizing all SOF enablers. Focus forces, money, and resources.
2) Get our Coalition Partners involved in defending their homelands beyond their borders. For our coalition partners in Europe, stability in Africa is a matter of national security at home.
Segue for focusing on PREVENTION rather than pre-emption for achieving our strategic goal of reducing network structire and sanctuary.

10. COL Mark D. Rosengard SOJ3
COMSOCEUR’s STRATEGIC VISION A Theater Perspectives on Coalition Warfare
SOCEUR
COL Mark D. Rosengard
SOJ3