Thoughts on SOF Week 2024
I recently attended Special Operation Force (SOF) Week 2024, which was not just a chance to reconnect with old friends but also a valuable platform to delve into the evolving needs of our HQ. The SOF Community’s relentless pursuit of emerging technology underscores its recognition of the competitive edge it offers to our warfighters. The SOF community is often equipped with superior intelligence, advanced weaponry, and sound government and civilian senior leadership, allowing our warfighters to execute their missions.
Attending SOF Week also allows the force to understand how the senior leadership thinks about the current state of affairs. The countless senior leadership briefs focused on partnering with our NATO partners and strengthening our relationships to counter the world’s troubles were delivered clearly. The world troubles include:
- - The ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
- - Hamas’ October 7 cross-border cowardly attack on Israel.
- - U.S. involvement in Niger
- - China’s unrestricted warfare against the U.S.
Most U.S. involvement provides advisory services or weapons to strengthen the conflicting country’s self-defense and diplomatic services to broker solutions between nation-states. With all this effort, I am stuck with a simple question: Is the U.S. focusing too much on other nations’ security than focusing on its security?
For the sake of simplicity, let’s focus on China’s ongoing threat against the U.S.
First, we have a border issue. According to Office of Homeland Security Statistics data, encounters on the southern border of those trying to enter the U.S. without authorization have increased significantly. The DHS data show 6.5 million encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border in that time frame, a figure that includes both the 5.8 million apprehensions between legal ports of entry – the number typically used for illegal immigration – and a little more than 700,000 migrants who arrived at ports of entry without authorization to enter the U.S. What amplifies the boarder issue further, is that the U.S. cannot account for who has entered the country. For example, for Year to Date (YTD), there have been 24,376 Chinese nationals encountered at the Southwest border, and 24,214 of them were apprehended illegally crossing the border, per the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security. What about the other 162 Chinese nationals not accounted for?
Secondly, we have foreign advisories contesting U.S. airspace. The five known Chinese balloon flights into U.S. territory are a prime example of U.S. air space being contested. Of the five incidents, three were under Trump’s administration, and two were during the Biden administration. The well-known February 2023 incident involved a 200-foot-tall balloon carrying a payload weighing over 2,000 pounds. It entered U.S. airspace over Alaska on January 28, then again over the continental U.S. on January 31. The balloon was eventually shot down off the coast of South Carolina by an F‑22 fighter jet. The balloon’s path included sightings in Kansas, Missouri, North Carolina, and South Carolina. It likely also traversed states such as Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kentucky, which host several U.S. military installations.
Lastly, China’s cyber threats pose a significant and ongoing challenge to the United States’ economic and national security. These threats primarily manifest in cyber espionage, intellectual property theft, and attacks on critical infrastructure. Chinese hackers, often state-sponsored, target U.S. companies and government agencies to steal intellectual property and trade secrets, undermining the competitiveness of U.S. businesses and resulting in significant economic losses. This economic espionage also extends to stealing sensitive economic and technological information, which can disrupt industries and hinder economic growth.
On the national security front, China’s cyber capabilities threaten U.S. military and defense systems. Cyber attacks can compromise national security, disrupt military operations, and compromise classified information. Additionally, attacks on critical infrastructure sectors can disrupt essential services and compromise public safety.
Furthermore, Chinese cyber operations may aim to influence political processes and decision-making within the United States, potentially undermining democratic institutions, and national sovereignty.
I am not the only one who has voiced this concern. The U.S. Northern Command (USNORTCOM) and North America Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) combatant command general, General Glen Vahherck, stated in his March 22, 2022, statement before the Senate Armed Services Committee,
“For decades, the United States has been accustomed to choosing when and where the nation will employ the military lever of influence and project power around the globe from a homeland that was assumed to be secure. Our competitors have studied this operating model for the last 30 years and have developed strategies and capabilities intended to offset our military advantage and disrupt our force flows. Quite bluntly, my ability to conduct the missions assigned to USNORTHCOM and NORAD has eroded and continues to erode. Our country is under attack daily in the information space and cyber domain.”
In conclusion, SOF Week 2024 has provided valuable insights into the evolving needs of the SOF community and its ongoing global challenges. However, it also raised important questions about the U.S.‘s focus on international security at the potential expense of its own.
The ongoing border issue, foreign advisories contesting U.S. airspace, and China’s cyber threats are significant concerns that must be addressed. The U.S. must balance its role in global security with protecting its borders, airspace, and cyberspace. General Glen Vahherck pointed out that our competitors have developed strategies to offset our military advantage and disrupt our force flows. Therefore, the U.S. must reassess its security strategy, prioritize its security needs, and develop robust measures to counter these threats. By doing so, the U.S. maintains its competitive edge and continues to safeguard its economic and national security.
May 16, 2024
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