Abstract
In modern day the threats facing the Unites States have changed from nations as a whole to militant insurgencies and terrorist groups. The purpose of this study is to show how does the U.S. military effectively adapt and respond to the ever changing threat of insurgencies. I examine historical examples of U.S. military conflicts from the Gulf War to Special Operations Forces current involvement against insurgencies. In doing so, one can determine what specific factors led the U.S. to switch from deploying conventional forces to Special Operations Forces. U.S. conventional forces were efficient when fighting an identifiable enemy, such as the Iraqi Army. However, once terrorist backed insurgencies infiltrate like they did in Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. conventional forces became less effective. Through the use of U.S. Government documents, newspaper articles, online articles, hearings and books, this thesis explains how the global insurgency America is fighting today has led the U.S. military to shift from conventional war fighting forces in favor of Special Operations Forces.
Advisor
Sene, Ibra
Department
History
Recommended Citation
McKinney, Stephen A., "U.S. Special Operations Forces: A Broader Role in the Battle Against Radical Insurgencies" (2016). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 7060.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/7060
Publication Date
2016
Degree Granted
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type
Senior Independent Study Thesis
© Copyright 2016 Stephen A. McKinney