SOCOM is no longer a force multiplier...they're pawning off the training mission to conventional forces...

via Washington Post.

A decision to send additional American troops to Afghanistan, a possibility now being considered by the Trump White House, would provide a welcome boost to Special Operations activities there, a senior military official said Thursday.

Army Gen. Raymond A. “Tony” Thomas III, the head of U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), said that while no additional Special Operations troops are currently required, the introduction of more conventional troops, whose mission is focused on advising and supporting Afghan forces, would indirectly help special operators, who are tasked chiefly with tracking down al-Qaeda and other extremist fighters in a separate counterterrorism mission.

Giving testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Thomas suggested that an expanded training mission could lessen the need for U.S. Special Operations troops to conduct dangerous missions alongside local forces.

“More conventional forces that would thicken the ability to advise and assist Afghan forces — that would absolutely be to our benefit,” he said.

Wow.  Do you get what's going on here? SOCOM has failed at the mission of advise and assist so what are they doing?  They're pawning it off on the conventional force!

SOCOM has become a one trick pony.  Raids, raids and nothing but raids.

The funny thing is that SOCOM receives all this language training, all this training on foreign weapons...all that special pay to focus on the raid mission set, a task that most conventional infantry could do just as well especially if they took the time to focus on that task exclusively.

I know they do dangerous work.  I know that they "always forward".... but if they continue down this path then all we need is another battalion of Army Rangers, keep MARSOC as is and disband the rest.  If its gonna be a nothing but raids unit then that means all we need are Rangers and Raiders....why waste money on Special Forces/SEALs/AFSOC?