The Regional Sof Headquarters

This monograph will present an option for US Special Operations regional force structure in light of budget constraints on manpower and acquisition programs. NATO#65533;s creation of a combined Special Operations Headquarters provides an excellent framework for the US to partner with other regional SOF in an effort to maximize burden sharing in counterterrorism and military assistance. It will first discuss the future of conflict and changes to the way America will have to do business on the battlefield with a smaller footprint. By leveraging technological and operational innovations, the US can still meet its national security requirements by presenting the right sized force with a proper mindset for the conflict at hand. Access in areas such as the Pacific remains a challenge for the US both for basing and regional public perception. NATO#65533;s newly created Special Operations Headquarters and burgeoning SOF Air Wing is a model that can be franchised to this region to bolster partner nation counterterrorism and unconventional warfare capabilities without significantly increasing US SOF footprint or expenditures. The Pacific region is but one of many that could benefit by this model.