SOCOM has been building international and interagency relationships over the years since 9/11, recognizing the necessity of multiple approaches to today’s problems in the gray zone. Special Operations Liaison Officers (SOLOs), for example, were introduced in 2007 and have become part of building a network of international partners, Votel told Congress. SOLOs now operate in every GCC’s area of responsibility and are resident in embassies in 15 nations to advise and assist in the development of partner-nation SOF capacity, according to SOCOM. Similarly, liaison officers from more than a dozen partner nations currently work at SOCOM headquarters in Tampa, Florida.

Likewise, SOCOM’s Special Operations Support Teams (SOSTs) coordinate and collaborate with other government agencies, from the departments of Justice and the Treasury to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). SOCOM has also expanded its support to the Theater Special Operations Commands (TSOCs), realigning 800 SOCOM billets to aid TSOCs in planning, intelligence analysis, and communications, as well as building out communications infrastructure and adding operations support capacity, Votel said to Congress.

And while SOCOM continues to expand and enhance global partnerships, traditional partnerships, and international relationships through SOF missions such as Foreign Internal Defense (FID) continue to pay dividends.

“Foreign Internal Defense remains one of our most cost-effective tools, and the potential return on investment is almost incalculable due to the unpredictable nature of future conflicts,” Votel told The Year in Special Operations.

“Foreign Internal Defense remains one of our most cost-effective tools, and the potential return on investment is almost incalculable due to the unpredictable nature of future conflicts,” Votel told The Year in Special Operations. “Despite that unpredictability, we know SOF conducts FID missions at a minimal cost because SOF generally conducts these missions with a small number of seasoned operators, very few enablers, and at the length of time and training to the level that is needed to support both partner-nation and U.S. national objectives.

“There are several examples I can point to that would show the importance and effectiveness of FID,” he continued. “First to come to mind is our efforts to support the Republic of the Philippines, which began not long after 9/11. Our partnerships and engagements with the Philippine security agencies, along with other U.S. governmental agencies and NGOs [nongovernmental organizations], have achieved increased security capabilities and capacity for the Armed Forces of the Philippines [AFP], Philippine National Police [PNP], and other Philippine Security Forces [PSF], which have thwarted domestic and transitional terrorist threats to the Philippines. Some of the training provided included training in basic human rights, which has positioned the PSF to extend the rule of law for Filipino citizens to have access to an improved legal system and better governmental institutions. These successes are at the heart of the FID mission and are examples of the hard work of the Philippines government with support from the U.S. country team, USAID [U.S. Agency for International Development], DOJ [Department of Justice], and International Criminal Investigation, Training and Assistance Program [ICITAP]. Having achieved all this, Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines [JSOTF-P] will transition May 1, 2015, and U.S. support to Philippine counterterrorism efforts will transfer to rotational U.S. military units. JSOTF-P’s transition reflects the maturity of the Philippine Security Forces, both the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, and is a testament to the current capacities and continued growth of the Philippine Security Forces’ capability to handle internal security threats.

“Successes like this have led to a shift in FID strategy. Over the past decade, USSOF has transitioned from focusing on tactical-level, episodic training, and is now conducting persistent-presence engagements with professional soldiers at all levels of command. From the tactical to the strategic, including key leadership engagements up to the ministerial level, we are developing a high level of trust, credibility, and rapport over the long haul with our nation’s partners. The JSOTF-P transition exemplifies the latest shift in our strategy as we look to our operational support team construct that empowers small numbers of SOF embedded with our partners to provide operational planning support to enhance partner-nation operational capability.

“All this means that our national return on investment can be seen in important and measureable ways. Specifically, this is evident when our partners demonstrate how they’ve developed into a capable force that can go against an adversary or even when they become a regional exporter of security. Either way, our partner nation’s increased capability alleviates the strain on U.S. forces and our fiscal resources. The FID mission supports and enhances the idea that local and regional issues are best answered by a local or regional response,” Votel added.

“Fourth, preparing for the future means we must invest in SOF that will be able to win in an increasingly complex world,” he continued. “Key to this is the ability to adapt and being an innovator of strategic options. This means we will focus on developing concepts, training, doctrine, education, and research that are future oriented and challenge current operational thinking.”