SPECIAL
OPERATIONS FORCES
INTRODUCTION: Elements of Army Special Operations Forces (Civil Affairs, Psychological Operations, and Special Forces) from both the active and Army Reserve achieved significant mission success while providing support to the Hurricane Andrew disaster assistance operation. Tasked with many diverse missions which complemented the focus of the entire operation, Army Special Operations Forces (ARSOF) personnel frequently combined their activities to achieve unity of effort. Often required to first inform supported commanders about their special capabilities and limitations, ARSOF personnel were integrated into operations at the battalion, brigade, division, and corps levels.
TOPIC: Special Operations Forces.
DISCUSSION: Active and Army Reserve Psychological Operations (PSYOP) personnel and technical assets played a crucial role in lowering the anxiety and confusion of the affected population. This was accomplished by disseminating public service information through use of radio broadcast equipment, loudspeakers, and print capabilities (leaflets and posters).
ARSOF's performance, while providing support to the Hurricane Andrew disaster assistance operation stemmed directly from their training and ability to professionally execute missions which traditionally and doctrinally have supported military efforts during conflict.
LESSON(S): Deploy ARSOF early into the disaster assistance operation to capitalize on the use of their capabilities. Disaster Assistance Operations are a viable mission for Special Operations Forces, especially in the damage assessment phase of the relief effort. PSYOP technical assets (radio, loudspeakers, print) are critical for providing public service information to the victims.
TOPIC: Special Forces as Disaster Assessment Survey Teams (DASTs).
DISCUSSION: A Special Forces Company (SFOD-B) HQ(-) and six split "A" Detachments (SFOD-As) were deployed to assist the relief effort by doing damage assessment. The SFOD-As each deployed with their own vehicular, communications, medical support, and were able to quickly begin assessments of remote or semi-trafficable areas. With their long-range communications capabilities, they were able to report information at all times. Their special skills (medical, engineer) allowed them to provide emergency assistance. Also, the deployed personnel spoke Spanish, a skill acquired during their Special Forces training. This ability enabled them to work and coordinate with, or provide assistance to, Spanish-speaking disaster victims.
Although support to humanitarian and disaster assistance is a doctrinal mission of Special Forces and falls under the category of support to collateral activities, it is not a priority training issue in most Special Forces units. It is fortunate that the personnel deployed on this occasion were from a unit that had trained for DAST missions.
LESSON(S): SFOD-As are uniquely qualified, equipped and capable of rapidly deploying for the mission of providing timely and accurate information to units engaged in disaster assistance operations. Special Forces should retain the capability to provide immediate support to Disaster Assistance Operations by deploying elements capable of assessing damage on the ground and interfacing with civilian agencies and the population in the affected area.
TOPIC: Deployment of Reserve Component Civil Affairs Assets.
DISCUSSION: The majority of US Army Civil Affairs assets are in the Reserve Components. During operations when full mobilization is not required, it is difficult to alert and deploy those assets in a rapid fashion. Because a Disaster Assistance Operation is essentially a Civil-Military Operation for the military and demands extensive Civil Affairs participation, a lack of Civil Affairs assets can be detrimental to mission success. Until the Civil Affairs assets deployed into the operational area, their normal mission activities were conducted by the units' staffs and leaders.
Units did a very good job in conducting these operations. However, the staffs lacked the special skills and experience of Civil Affairs personnel. When Civil Affairs personnel arrived in the operational area, they had difficulty integrating into the civil-military relationships and operations which had already been established.
LESSON(S): DOD should develop a procedure to alert and deploy Civil Affairs specialists earlier to support civil authorities in Disaster Assistance Operations. DOD should also develop a procedure that allows Reserve Component Civil Affairs personnel deployed in support of Disaster Assistance Operations to remain in the operational area for as long as required. Until official changes are made, DOD must rely on Reserve Component volunteers for certain CS and CSS support.
TOPIC: PSYOP's Role as Public Service Information Disseminators.
DISCUSSION: PSYOP has the capability of disseminating information through multi-media (radio, print, loudspeakers). The PSYOP personnel effectively used their technical assets to establish a radio station, develop and print handbills and posters, and broadcast information from vehicular-mounted loudspeakers. In many instances, the information provided by the PSYOP personnel to the population was the only guidance or news available. The efforts by PSYOP filled a critical void, which might have ended in further hardship for the victims of the disaster.
LESSON(S):
TOPIC: Special Forces and Language Capability.
DISCUSSION: In disaster assistance operations, military forces may find themselves confronted with immigrant groups in the U.S. who have created self-contained communities in which English is, at best, a second language. The communities may have cultural values that are different from the values of the members of the JTF. This combination of language and cultural differences can lead to confusion or suspicion in a worst-case situation. There may also be a traditional mistrust that many of the new Americans may have against military and police forces due to experiences in the countries of their origin.
LESSON(S): With the changing demographic patterns present in the U.S., this problem may be present for disaster assistance planners. Due to their regional orientation, PSYOP units can provide planners with the necessary language and cultural expertise to assist planners in reaching out to these communities. On creation of the JTF, representatives from the PSYOP community should be included in the initial planning process to advise civilian and military leaders on how to reach these different communities.
Table
of Contents
The
National Guard
Appendix
A - Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA)
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