German KSK Commandos practice hostage rescue...

Story here.

Make no mistake this is propaganda at its best but it gives a "limited" view of their force.

It does raise a question though.  Rummy believed (or seemed to) that Special Ops would be the force of the future.  That super power competition might return but that we would be involved in small wars and those would be dominated by SOCOM.

Germany for all intents and purposes seems to be following that view.

While cost effective (despite lavish spending in comparison to conventional infantry) in the overall scheme of things it does appear to limit "wars of choice".

Is that the secret sauce of special operations?  Engagement with limited risk? Being able to participate in actions with a limited footprint?

If that's the thinking then Special Ops is doing it wrong!

The pull on conventional forces to support their operations is the weakness in that argument (if its being made).  For SOCOM to achieve its goal then it must not become a drain on resources.  To achieve the vision I briefly spelled out then they must cut the tail dramatically.  From headquarters to support to the pull on conventional forces.

Its a theme I've been pounding lately but they must get back to one canteen, a grease gun and a K-bar between the teeth in swimmers shorts type operations.

They need to cut the gucci and get back to being snake eaters.

But I don't see that happening.  My guess is that we see SOCOM dramatically cut in the near future.  I have yet to see a role carved out for them in peer vs peer conflict.  I see the public and the Pentagon tiring of wars in the Middle East/North Africa. 

A smaller more focused SOCOM is in the cards.  Having given up missions to conventional forces I don't see how they claw them back.