1. Joint Training Challenges of Irregular Warfare/COIN and Full Spectrum Training Requirements Brief for WJTSC 02-10
LtCol John Merna, J7/9-TJ
23 September 2010

2. Overview The Operating Environment Campaign Framework
SOF Core Operations and Activities
Future IW Efforts
Concerns 2

3. The Operating Environment
(U) Adversaries will attempt to employ non-traditional means and more ambiguous forms of coercion including
Employing surrogates and proxies to exploit US vulnerabilities and oppose US interests
Employing hybrid threats consisting of diverse and dynamic combinations of traditional, irregular, terrorist, and criminal approaches against the US, its allies, and partners
(U) Fragile and failing states must be assisted to maintain regional stability or prevented from posing a threat to US interests
(U) Rogue Nations / terrorist organizations w/ potential CBRNE capability
(U) Rising Powers pose a conventional threat to US interests
(U) Adversaries will attempt to employ non-traditional means and more ambiguous forms of coercion against the US, its allies and partners. These means will include employing surrogates and proxies to exploit US vulnerabilities and oppose US interests. Adversaries will attempt to employ hybrid threats consisting of diverse and dynamic combinations of traditional, irregular, terrorist, and criminal approaches against the US, its allies, and partners.
(U) Fragile and failing states must be prevented from causing regional instability or posing a threat to US interests.
(U) Rising Powers that pose a conventional threat to US interests

4. Campaign Framework GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT Shape Indirect
Inhospitable to Violent Extremism
Stabilize
Shape
GLOBAL
ENVIRONMENT
Increase Friendly Freedom of Action /
Reduce Enemy Freedom of Action
Enable Partners to Combat VEOs
Deter Tacit and Active Support for VEOs
Erode Support for Extremist Ideologies
Indirect
Approach
FRIENDLY
ENEMY
Defeat the Isolated Threat
Isolate the Threat
Prevent
Emergence
Constitution
Re-
This slide presents the current campaign framework for our global operations against terrorist networks. It illustrates the emphasis on the indirect approach (represented by the green lines of operation) weighting the effort to activities that undermine the legitimacy and popular support of the adversary while positively influencing environmental objectives. We focus on these green lines of operation while simultaneously executing the red lines of operation to isolate and prosecute the threat.
The framework takes into account our friendly capability; the enemy’s capability and intent; and the environment in which we compete.
Department of Defense will employ its capabilities as part of a unified USG effort and as a member of a Global Counter Terrorism Network.
As part of the USG effort, we will influence the environment through shaping and stabilizing activities so that our long term efforts are more effective and create an environment that is conducive to friendly force (USG and Partners) actions - to dominate the enemy.
We need to work the “indirect approach,” placing emphasis on the root causes; the underpinnings of why terrorists are there…the underlying conditions. We must protect our friendly centers of gravity from enemy attack, while increasing our freedom of action (SHAPING) and decreasing the enemies’ freedom of action (STABILIZING).
To do this - we will act along five lines of operation:
Three lines are focused on shaping the environment and are considered the decisive effort in this campaign. They comprise the indirect approach against the enemy, requiring long term efforts, and aimed at shaping a Global Environment Inhospitable to Violent Extremism.
Two lines are short term in nature and comprise the direct approach against the enemy. They are intended to defend our friendly centers of gravity, isolate the enemy and create the time necessary for the indirect lines to take effect. These lines are focused directly against the enemy.
Global Combating
Terrorism Network
Disrupt Violent Extremist Orgs. (VEOs)
Deny access and use of WMD by VEOs
Direct
Approach
Isolate the Threat
Critical
Capability
Lines of Operation
Strategic Aims

5. List of SOF Core Operations and Activities
Counterterrorism
Counterinsurgency
Stability
Foreign Internal Defense
Counterproliferation
Unconventional Warfare
Support to Major Combat Operations and Campaigns
SOF Core Operations
I W
The context within
which SOF operates
Preparation of the Environment
Special Reconnaissance
Direct Action
Security Force Assistance*
Military Information Support Operations**
Civil Affairs Operations
SOF Combat Support/Combat Service
Support
SOF Core Activities
* DoD activities that contribute to unified action by the U.S. Government to support the development of the capacity and capability of foreign security forces and their institutions. (Draft DODI)
(U) SOF’s relevance extends across the spectrum of conflict from a peacetime posture through high-intensity major theater war to the assistance needed by combatants to recover from a conflict.
(U) SOF possesses unique capabilities to operate “in the seam” between war and peace and synchronize activities between military and nonmilitary participants.
(U) SOF also possesses the capability to rapidly transition from one mission to another under a broad range of continually varying conditions. This capability supports the SOF goal of providing a full-spectrum, multi-mission force to the President and SecDef.
(U) What you see here are SOF Core Operations and Activities. (Currently pre-decisional, but expected to be signed prior to WJTSC). This classification was recently approved by ADM Olson and appropriate JP doctrinal changes have been initiated. Special operations forces conduct core operations and activities within the framework from the previous slide using unique capabilities and under conditions in which other forces are not trained to operate. The core operations represent the context within which SOF operates. Special operations forces execute core activities in the appropriate combination to achieve the desired policy and military objectives within a core operation context. The SOF Core Activity of Military Information Support Operations, or MISO, is the new term for PSYOP.
As you can see in red, the 5 pillars of IW make up a large portion of the SOF portfolio and for everything along the spectrum of conflict short of major combat operations, SOF will likely be performing some version of IW related tasks. IW activities are not new to SOF.
(U) SOF Core Operation. A military mission for which SOF has unique modes of employment, tactical techniques and procedures, equipment, and training.  
(U) SOF Core Activity. A collection of actions for which SOF has unique modes of employment, tactical techniques and procedures, equipment, and training. SOF combines core activities in various ways to accomplish core operations.
(U) security force assistance. DoD activities that contribute to unified action by the US Government to support the development of the capacity and capability of foreign security forces and their institutions. (Draft DODI) 
(U) counterinsurgency. Comprehensive civilian and military efforts taken to defeat an insurgency and to address any core grievances. Also called COIN. (JP 3-24) 
(U) counterproliferation. Those actions taken to defeat the threat and/or use of weapons of mass destruction against the United States, our forces, friends, allies, and partners. Also called CP. (JP 1-02) 
(U) counterterrorism. Operations that include the offensive measures taken to prevent, deter,
preempt, and respond to terrorism. Also called CT. (This term and its definition modify the
existing term and its definition and are approved for inclusion in the next edition of JP
1-02.)
(U) direct action. Short-duration strikes and other small-scale offensive actions conducted as a special operation in hostile, denied, or politically sensitive environments and which employ specialized military capabilities to seize, destroy, capture, exploit, recover, or damage designated targets. Direct action differs from conventional offensive actions in the level of physical and political risk, operational techniques, and the degree of discriminate and precise use of force to achieve specific objectives. Also called DA. (JP 1-02) 
(U) foreign internal defense. Participation by civilian and military agencies of a government in any of the action programs taken by another government or other designated organization to free and protect its society from subversion, lawlessness, and insurgency. Also called FID. (This term and its definition modify the existing term and its definition and are approved for inclusion in the next edition of JP 1-02.)
(U) psychological operations. Planned operations to convey selected information and indicators to foreign audiences to influence their emotions, motives, objective reasoning, and ultimately
the behavior of foreign governments, organizations, groups, and individuals. The purpose
of psychological operations is to induce or reinforce foreign attitudes and behavior favorable
to the originator’s objectives. Also called MISO. (JP 1-02)
(U) special reconnaissance. Reconnaissance and surveillance actions conducted as a special
operation in hostile, denied, or politically sensitive environments to collect or verify
information of strategic or operational significance, employing military capabilities not
normally found in conventional forces. These actions provide an additive capability for commanders and supplement other conventional reconnaissance and surveillance actions.
Also called SR. (This term and its definition modify the existing term and its definition and
are approved for inclusion in the next edition of JP 1-02.) (U) stability operations. An overarching term encompassing various military missions, tasks, and activities conducted outside the United States in coordination with other instruments of national power to maintain or reestablish a safe and secure environment, provide essential government services, emergency infrastructure reconstruction, and humanitarian relief. (JP 3-0) 
(U) unconventional warfare. Activities conducted to enable a resistance movement or insurgency to coerce, disrupt or overthrow a government or occupying power by operating through or with an underground, auxiliary and guerrilla force in a denied area. (approved USSOCOM definition, June 09)
The activities SOF
combines in each
context
**MISO is the new term for PSYOP; deleting IO avoids confusion, and IO is inherent in all SOF does
PRE-DECISIONAL

6. Future IW Efforts
(U) Foreign Internal Defense. Foreign Internal Defense (FID) will be the centerpiece of SOF’s regional and global efforts to disrupt and defeat networks of violent extremists, counter the proliferation of WMD, prevent key states from failing, and to promote stability. FID will often require general purpose forces (GPF) support to appropriately enable SOF operations
(U) SOF Intelligence Support Activities. The SOF Operational Framework is inseparable from intelligence support. SOF operations will frequently require intelligence support from GPF intelligence enablers as well as the Intelligence Community (IC) writ large

7. Concerns
(U) Synchronize all IW activities with joint force partners and OGAs for unity of effort (through GCCs)
(U) Return to Regional Orientation for SOF
(U) Improve LREC and increase capacity to assess, train, advise and assist Foreign SOF / Security Forces in uncertain and hostile environments
(U) That the US retains strategic access, specifically access to and use of the global commons (sea, space, air and cyberspace) to continue engagement with partners (BPC, SFA, FID, SA, SC) and/or effectively counter future threats
Language and Regional Expertise Capability (LREC)

8. Concerns (U) SOF / GPF Integration
Identify Enabling Capabilities and Train Together
Intel, Logistics, R/W aviation, ISR, Unmanned Systems, Strat Comms, Medical, C-IED (including aviation assets), forensics, etc
(U) Expanded Training Range Access / Range Capability
This impacts not only USSOF, but GPF as well
(U) Increase BPC with Host Nations
(U) Goal- Host Nations that provide for their own security, contribute effectively to broader regional or global security challenges, and maintain professional, civilian-led militaries that respect human rights

9. QUESTIONS?

10. The Nature of Special Operations
(U) Special Operations:
Require unique modes of employment, tactical techniques, equipment, and training
Often conducted in hostile, denied, or politically sensitive environments
(U) Special operations are characterized by one or more of the following:
Time sensitive, conducted with and through indigenous partners, require regional expertise, conducted under austere or remote conditions, involve a high degree of risk, clandestine, and low profile
(U) Special Operations Forces provide unique strategic options for complex political-military problems, enabled by SOF operators who are adaptable, mature, innovative, culturally attuned, and self-reliant
(U) Special Operations require unique modes of employment, tactical techniques, equipment, and training and are often conducted in hostile, denied, or politically sensitive environments. Special operations are characterized by one or more of the following: time sensitive planning and execution, conducted with and through indigenous partners, require regional expertise, conducted under austere or remote conditions, involve a high degree of risk, clandestine, and low profile. Special Operations Forces provide unique strategic options for complex political-military problems, enabled by SOF operators who are adaptable, mature, innovative, culturally attuned, and self-reliant.