“The MISOC now has the ability to deploy two groups with scalable formations – tailored to provide SOF mission command with MISO capabilities – for use in austere and politically sensitive environments in order to persuade, change, and influence selected target audiences. The 8th MISG(A) is composed of the 1st MISB(A), 5th MISB(A), and 9th MISB(A), and the 4th MISG(A) is composed of 6th MISB(A), 7th MISB(A), and 8th MISB(A). The worldwide dissemination battalion, 3rd MISB(A), reports directly to the MISOC,” Warburg said.
528th Sustainment Brigade
Col. Daniel Rickleff, USA, is arguably the most important and powerful O6 logistics colonel in the U.S. Army today. This is not because of his rank or the length of his service, but the unit that he commands: the 528th Sustainment Brigade. Nowhere else in the U.S. Army is there a unit commanded by an O6 that has such a diverse set of roles and missions being accomplished by such a small group of soldiers.
“In fact, to get back to the conventional force, I’ll give you some differences of SOF support versus conventional force support. Compared to the conventional force, the challenges that our soldiers face on the battlefield are amplified even more when you consider the small density of our formations, coupled with the long, extended lines of communication. It often takes more effort to complete many of the support requirements for our SOF units.”
“The 528th Sustainment Brigade’s mission and role is to provide enduring logistics, signals support, and medical care to the Army’s SOF [ARSOF] units and the theater special operations commands [TSOCs] worldwide,” Rickleff explained. “The 528th maintains a regionally aligned and global situation awareness of deployed ARSOF and TSOC operations, while providing a key link to conventional sustainment support structures based on ARSOF interdependence with the conventional force. The 528th is a multi-component structure, focused at the operational level for sustainment planning and synchronization, and at the tactical level for medical and signal support.”
A U.S. soldier with the 528th Sustainment Brigade, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, braces for the release of the main parachute after exiting a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter at the Luzon Drop Zone in Camp Mackall, N.C., July 11, 2013. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Christopher Freeman
Covering the full range of communications, medical, and logistics requirements for USASOC, the 528th is almost a micro version of the larger Army, providing all of the things that a larger support command might give to a division or a brigade out in the field, Rickleff said.
“In fact, to get back to the conventional force, I’ll give you some differences of SOF support versus conventional force support. Compared to the conventional force, the challenges that our soldiers face on the battlefield are amplified even more when you consider the small density of our formations, coupled with the long, extended lines of communication. It often takes more effort to complete many of the support requirements for our SOF units.
“Currently, the brigade has over one-third of its personnel forward deployed or forward positioned or stationed with the theater special operations commands,” Rickleff said. “We have logistics, medical, and signal support personnel deployed who are supporting SOF operations in every combatant command’s area of responsibility. The largest numbers of personnel are in the CENTCOM AOR, the second largest are in the AFRICOM AOR. But we have persistent demand for support of SOF forces in Europe, Asia, and South to Latin America.
“As for the brigade,” Rickleff said, “we’ve placed our focus on four areas … and these are all in line with ARSOF 2022 priorities. The first one is taking care of soldiers and families. The second priority is to support ARSOF and the TSOCs. The third is talent management. For example, our NCOs have a very good and deliberate process in managing their talent skills and pool. But with the officers it’s more ad hoc. We’re trying to make it a more deliberate process. And, then the last priority is our brigade redesign for the 528th. We’re looking at the brigade and how can we facilitate better support to our customers. So, those are the four priorities in my assessment, and we are on the way ahead for the next year and a half,” he concluded.
This article was first published in The Year in Special Operations: 2014-2015 Edition.