Special Forces Get Bigger Role: "Under Rumsfeld, the Special Operations Command, located in Tampa, has taken on a prominent new combat role in Afghanistan and Iraq. Special Operations teams are active in the ongoing, low-intensity conflicts and manhunts of both regions, where military officers and analysts say the small, secretive units have pulled off some stunning successes.
The command also is getting generous resources to do its job - its 2004 budget is $4.6 billion, a 35 percent increase over the previous year. About $2 billion will be used to expand the size of the command to 49,000 active and reserve members, an increase of 5,000 troops.
But the move toward expanding the force carries with it special concerns for military leaders and policymakers alike.
Rumsfeld's vision for a transformed military, some analysts say, relies too heavily on the ability of Special Forces units, possibly calling on them when more conventional forces should be deployed.
The latest phase of the war on terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan has turned the force into a large man-hunting operation. And while that can be effective, some say it also can take Special Operations units away from the more subtle use of intelligence and stealth that they are trained to employ.
>>>The secretive nature of the Special Operations teams' work also means that failures and problems can be concealed from broader scrutiny and correction, even within the military.
The command also is getting generous resources to do its job - its 2004 budget is $4.6 billion, a 35 percent increase over the previous year. About $2 billion will be used to expand the size of the command to 49,000 active and reserve members, an increase of 5,000 troops.
But the move toward expanding the force carries with it special concerns for military leaders and policymakers alike.
Rumsfeld's vision for a transformed military, some analysts say, relies too heavily on the ability of Special Forces units, possibly calling on them when more conventional forces should be deployed.
The latest phase of the war on terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan has turned the force into a large man-hunting operation. And while that can be effective, some say it also can take Special Operations units away from the more subtle use of intelligence and stealth that they are trained to employ.
>>>The secretive nature of the Special Operations teams' work also means that failures and problems can be concealed from broader scrutiny and correction, even within the military.
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