Greg E. Metzgar, U.S. Army (Retired)
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are entirely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views, policy, or position of the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, United States Special Operations Command, or the Joint Special Operations University.
This work was cleared for public release; distribution is unlimited.
Introduction
The U.S. Army Special Forces (SF)—better known as the Green Berets—stand at a crossroads. After more than two decades of continuous conflict and evolving mission sets, Special Forces Branch faces a profound question: Who are the Green Berets supposed to be?
Colonel Edward C. Croot's "identity crisis" and the rebuttal by Sergeant Major (Retired) David Shell are not a superficial branding issue. It should be encouraging to Special Forces Branch to see two of its members debating a timely topic rather than allowing outside pundits to examine and attempt to hypothesize critically about the SF Branch. This debate, however, is fraught with risk, as it provides an inside-the-team room perspective that highlights the challenges rooted in shifting doctrine, operational demands, and the very nature of unconventional warfare (UW) as the nation transitions into strategic competition.
To comprehend what is at stake, we must account for several factors; we must examine the historical evolution of UW. These emerging, competing visions for the future of SF must not be shaped by our cognitive biases. We simply cannot close our eyes to the implications that these debates have for the Army, SF, and the nation. Let's acknowledge up front that those willing to take a stand and lay it out in writing are putting service before self while risking detaching themselves from those who safely sit on the sidelines.
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