Special Ops Openings on Horizon

With the war on terrorism putting ever-increasing demands on special operations forces, U.S. Special Operations Command is boosting its manpower and increasing its support to theater commands and geographic commanders, according to Army Gen. Bryan Brown, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command. To help meet these challenges, USSOCOM plans to increase its force strength by more than 2,300 troops in the next four years, Brown said. This increase will affect Special Forces, civil affairs, psychological operations, aviation, and Navy special warfare forces, and will include the equivalent of two SEAL (Sea, Air, Land) teams and about 500 Special Forces troops, he explained. While boosting force levels, the command is also counting on retention initiatives to help decrease attrition from the ranks, Brown said. These incentives include targeted bonuses for specific specialties and educational benefits.