Along with an open mind toward new ideas, Votel has described a strong experimentation, capability analysis, and development process that will help American SOF prepare for an uncertain and changeable future. A robust schedule of war games and experiments will also continue to build the interoperability, integration, and interdependence between conventional forces and special operations forces, as well as interagency and international partners, that will be vital in order to effectively deal with gray zone challenges.

Technology is also a part of preparing for the future. SOCOM conducted combat evaluations that led to development of advanced weapons and state-of-the-art sensors for MQ-9 unmanned air systems. Working alongside the Army and Navy, SOCOM also developed lightweight armor protection for AFSOC’s CV-22 Osprey fleet in less than six months in response to an urgent operational requirement, according to congressional testimony. While special operations has always been about equipping the man rather than manning the equipment, SOCOM’s Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit (TALOS) program has captured the imagination of the press and the public. And while the press calls it an “Iron Man suit,” for special operators, near-term technologies are spinning off of the innovative acquisition program now.

”The TALOS task force has identified a number of technologies that are along the path to the combat suit which are candidates for transition to SOF, conventional forces, and potentially other government agencies in the near term,” Votel reported for The Year In Special Operations.

“This year the team is working on transitioning a small, individual soldier SATCOM antenna, an unpowered, loadbearing exoskeleton for reduced soldier fatigue, and a powered cooling vest to sustain body temperature and improve individual performance.”

“Last year, we developed an increased tactical data storage capability, which is currently transitioning to our forces to fulfill an immediate operational requirement. This new capability will allow for 10 times the capacity of current-day data storage with an added weight of only 6 ounces. The team also discovered a novel armor solution, and shared it with USASOC, who now uses it on their non-standard commercial vehicles.

“This year the team is working on transitioning a small, individual soldier SATCOM antenna, an unpowered, loadbearing exoskeleton for reduced soldier fatigue, and a powered cooling vest to sustain body temperature and improve individual performance.

“Next year, we anticipate transitioning five technologies, including a next-generation antenna that includes dynamic tuning, the Future Interoperable Radio Enclosure (FIRE) with current and future radio modules, a tactical radio sleeve for cell phones, lightweight multi-hit ceramic-metallic hybrid armor, and a biosensor-equipped combat shirt that can monitor a soldier’s physiological status.”

Taking care of all of those in America’s special operations forces as well as their families remains of paramount importance, Votel emphasized. “The fifth priority is the foundation, the essential underpinning, of the other priorities and everything else,” Votel continued. “We must preserve our force and their families. We must ensure their short- and long-term well-being. People – military, civilian, and families – are our most important asset. We have always prided ourselves in the way we have taken care of our people, but after more than a decade of war, their well-being and resiliency is our primary concern and focus. In order to preserve our special operations force and families, we are taking a holistic approach that focuses on human performance, psychological performance, and social performance of not just our service members but their families as well.”

Over the past 14 years, the typical service member in special operations has deployed four to 10 times, and frequently had less than a year at home between deployments, Votel told Congress. More than 50 percent of the force is married with children, so repeated deployments have put a particular strain on families. More than 2,500 SOF service members have been wounded or killed in action, and more than 7,500 are in the SOF Wounded Warrior program, many suffering from traumatic stress. While the demand for SOF appears to be a fact of life into the near future, Votel stressed that SOCOM has been striving to ease the strain on its troops as best it can with the resources it has.

“It’s important to note that we’ve always anticipated that the demand signal for SOF would remain high and planned accordingly,” he stated for this publication. “When you talk about issues like optempo and dwell time, you’re really talking about the people – military, civilian, and families. They are hands down our most important asset, and we remain committed to our efforts to take care of them, build resilience, and ensure readiness. Among those efforts, our perstempo policy is a key tool; it helps to increase predictability by establishing thresholds for dwell time – a minimum 250 days at home station [head on pillow] or a maximum of 480 days away in a 24-month period (730 days), with a 12 months back and 12 months forward window. With this information at their fingertips, SOF leaders can make informed decisions that balance training, career progression, readiness, retention, and operational demands with the long-term health of the individual, the family, and the force.”