Special Forces Research Articles

CIA/SOF convergence and congressional oversight

ABSTRACT One of the most significant effects of 9/11 on the U.S.'s national security structures has been the increasing overlap between the capabilities and operations of the CIA and Special Operations Forces (SOF), a phenomenon known as convergence. This article uses evidence from interviews with current and former congressional staffers to explore the question of how well congressional oversight has kept pace with convergence, focusing on the difficulties that it poses for oversight and exploring the cases of military covert and cyber operations which have seen some expansion of oversight, albeit limited and in the latter case, somewhat problematic.

Normative Behavioral and Psychiatric Effects of Alcohol Abuse in Military Special Forces

A Normative Behavioral and Psychiatric method makes use of focus group surveys and individual interviews rather than simplistic analyses of variance that soon becomes outdated. This paper makes use of normative behavioral and psychiatric to analyze the effects of alcoholism and alcohol abuse on the operational-readiness of Special Force (SF) units in Southeast Asia. Many such abuses occur during airborne, ranger and other specialized skills’ training. These specialized skills include Military Free Fall (MFF) courses; parachute Jumpmaster courses; Pathfinder courses and demolition courses. The paper also explains why there is a virtual absence of women in Military Special Forces (SF). The paper concludes with the prospects for the deployment and development of Military Special Forces (SF) in America, Southeast Asia and around the world. The main focus of this paper is on the behavioral and psychiatric effects of alcohol consumption among military personnel with special reference to Special Force units in Southeast Asia. There are several factors involved in alcohol abuse in the military. One of the enablers of alcohol consumption and alcohol abuse in the Special Forces (SF) is ease of access. The other factors include discounted alcohol; peer-pressure; hypermasculinity and hero-worship; and, the system of rewards.

World Federation of Athletic Training and Therapy World Congress 2022 Peer-Reviewed Track Abstracts, May 5–7, 2022, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

World Federation of Athletic Training and Therapy World Congress 2022 Peer-Reviewed Track Abstracts, May 5–7, 2022, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Investigations on Force Characteristics of Orbiting Scroll in Asymmetricsuction Scroll Compressors

Background: Scroll refrigeration compressors are the critical equipment for the refrigeration system in air conditioners and vehicles. The asymmetric suction structure can be applied to reduce the scroll compressors' size. However, the pressure difference between the symmetric working chambers becomes larger and leads to the special force characteristics of the orbiting scroll. Objective: This paper illustrates the force characteristics of the orbiting scroll in an Asymmetric-suction Scroll Compressor (ASC) to improve its stability and reliability Methods: The theoretical model has been established to calculate the force and moment acting on the orbiting scroll of ASC and the Symmetric-suction Scroll Compressor (SSC) based on the transient numerical simulation results. Results: The variations of gas force and moment in ASC and SSC are displayed and compared. Their pulsation intensities are calculated and discussed. Conclusion: The pressure in the outer compression chamber of ASC was always higher than that in the inner compression chamber, which caused significant discharge loss. Affected by the tangential leakage flow, the radial force of the compressor fluctuated sharply. As the tangential force on the orbiting scroll segments of symmetrical working chambers in ASC led to the negative spin moment, the total average spin-torque decreased by 71.3%. Still, the pulsation intensity increased by ten times. Furthermore, the direction of the spin moment reversed at 275°~355°, which indicated that the orbiting scroll impacted the Oldham ring every rotation. The noise and vibration would happen, and the Oldham ring would be damaged easily.

Measures of Lower Body Strength Associated With Injuries in Australian Special Forces Selection Candidates.

The diverse and grueling nature of activities undertaken during Special Forces selection makes it difficult to develop physical training to improve performance and reduce injury risk. It is generally accepted that increased strength is protective against injury, but it is unclear if this is evident in a Special Forces selection environment. This study investigated the effect of the rigors of a Special Forces selection course has on performance of the isometric mid-thigh pull, countermovement jump, squat jump, drop landing, elastic utilization ratio (EUR), and injury occurrence. Throughout the course, 26% of participants sustained a preventable lower limb injury, with 65% of these occurring at the knee. The uninjured had higher values of absolute strength as measured by isometric mid-thigh pull peak absolute force (3399 [371]N, 3146 [307]N; P = .022) and lower EUR (0.94 [0.08], 1.01 [0.09]; P = .025) compared to the injured. Preventable knee injury was significantly correlated with isometric mid-thigh pull (r = -.245, P = .031) and EUR (r = .227, P = .044). The selection course altered EUR for uninjured individuals only (P = .004). Findings indicate that individuals with higher strength levels may be at a lower risk of injury than their weaker counterparts.

Personality traits of special forces operators: Comparing commandos, candidates, and controls.

Personality traits of special forces operators: Comparing commandos, candidates, and controls.

Perlunya Tentara Nasional Indonesia Memiliki Angkatan Siber Guna Menghadapi Era Cyber warfare

This article aims to identify and explain the need for the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) to form a cyber force, given the increasingly rapid development of technology. The problem in this article is focused on the threat of cyber crime, especially for state sovereignty and the emphasis that at this time Indonesia needs the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) for cyber forces to protect and eradicate cyber crime in Indonesia. This article uses the literature study method by taking references from various trusted sources and related articles. The results of the study show that currently cyber war is in sight, in the sense that every country must be prepared for this. For example, espionage carried out by other countries against Indonesia certainly threatens Indonesia's security. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a fourth dimension, namely the cyber army or the Cyber Force TNI for the creation of maximum and equitable national defense and security. As with various countries that already have a special military force for cyber, Indonesia must also immediately realize it.

Rapid Antigen Tests For Safe School Opening in the COVID-19 Pandemic Era.

Background:Since the beginning of the Sever Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, school closure as a mitigating measure was at the center of a public and professional debate. While the negative effects of school closure cannot be ignored, accumulating data suggested that it is necessary for reducing community transmission. Our study presents an optional strategy for safe school opening during a pandemic, implemented in selected Israeli high schools by a special task force constructed by the Sheba Medical Center (SMC).Methods:The study took place between November 2020 and April 2021. Three schools from different areas of Israel were enrolled. The participants were asked to undergo bi-weekly SARS-CoV-2 rapid diagnostic antigen tests (Ag-RDT). Those who tested positive were requested to self-isolate, whereas their school contacts were tested daily by Ag-RDT. Participants with a previously documented SARS-CoV-2 infection or who were found to be SARS-CoV-2 seropositive upon enrollment were exempted from screening.Results:Of a total of 361 participants who enrolled in the study, 12.3% were found to be seropositive. Fourteen SARS-CoV-2 cases were detected (3.5%), 12 of them in one single school located in an endemic area for SARS-CoV-2. The 14 cases resulted in 84 days of COVID-19-related absence from school, comparing with 1775 potential days of COVID-19-related absence under a strategy implementing self-isolation instead of testing.Conclusions:Safe continuation of academic routine during the pandemic is possible when using rapid Ag-RDT as a screening tool, while allowing swab collection by trained students and teachers.

Use special audit committee or task force for overseeing third‐party audits, experts say

One of a nonprofit board's core responsibilities is overseeing the organization's finances. But while many boards leave this largely in the hands of the finance committee, experts say that establishing a special audit committee to oversee a third‐party examination of the nonprofit's books is best for ensuring financial propriety.

Use special audit committee or task force—not finance committee—to oversee audits, experts say

As one of its core responsibilities, a nonprofit's board is tasked with overseeing the organization's finances. Many boards leave this largely in the hands of the finance committee, but experts argue that establishing a special audit committee to oversee a third‐party examination of the nonprofit's books is just as important in ensuring financial propriety.

The impact of security force assistance in Niger: meddling with borders

Abstract How does Security Force Assistance (SFA) impact Niger's security sector and beyond? I draw on extensive fieldwork in Niger and identify and analyse two developments taking place in Niger's security sector: the development of an expanded Special Forces Command and the elaboration of multiple mobile hybrid units. I build upon, and contribute to, existing studies related to the politicization and securitization of borders in the Sahel and research discussing the blurring of borders between internal and external security forces. The aim is twofold: first, to unpack SFA efforts and effects through a focus on both geopolitical borders in Niger, and borders between and within corps and units in the security sector; and second, to contextualize and compare the developments in Niger's security sector with broader, global security trends. I find that both of the SFA projects constitute and feed into institutional games and inter-agency rivalry regarding task division, equipment and training. The overuse of the newly created Special Forces Command mirrors global trends of the latter as an ‘easy button to push’, while the multiplication of hybrid units to secure geopolitical borders reinforces the status and power of intermediary agencies that are at the interface between internal and external security forces. On an overarching level, the two trends of meddling with borders are found to be co-constituted by external and local actors who decide which developments that should be considered threats and how they should be addressed, questions that are deeply intertwined with power and control.

The European Arrest Warrant in a context of distrust: Is the Court taking rights seriously?

AbstractDuring a time of distrust towards some Member States, the position of fundamental rights when executing a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) has been strengthened. The article considers whether the European Court of Justice (ECJ) is now ‘taking rights seriously’ as regards the EAW. To this end, it employs a theoretical and contextual approach that supports a comprehensive analysis of case‐law. First, the article borrows from a theory of rights as trumps and observes that rights are no longer treated as norms with no special force that are in the way of cooperation interests. Second, the article offers a contextual exegesis of this trajectory, by mapping drivers of distrust and evaluating their impact on the position of rights. Through contextualisation, it is argued that distrust, although limited by its circumstances, has offered a compelling opportunity for the ECJ to take rights seriously, paving the way forward for future case‐law.

Establishing Zion in the Heat of Battle

Establishing Zion in the Heat of Battle

Role of the gene polymorphic variants of the dopaminergic system in the formation of the human psycho-emotional status

The genes of the neurotransmitter systems of the brain play a significant role in the formation of the psychological properties of a person. The dopaminergic system is one of the leading systems influencing the manifestation of individual psychological characteristics and the development of anxiety and depressive disorders. The association of polymorphic variants of the dopaminergic system genes with the psycho-emotional status of a person was analyzed using the molecular genetic analysis. The study involved 1454 representatives of the Belarusian population. The genotypes of 167 employees of the special forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus and 235 highly skilled athletes were studied as the groups that were supposedly more stress-resistant. The opposite group consisted of 534 patients of the Republican Scientific and Practical Center for Mental Health with personality disorders and deviant behavior. The population control group included 518 volunteers representing the population of Belarus without known pathologies. As a result of the psychological testing, the groups with low and high emotional stability were identified by the quartile method. Genetic testing of groups with 11 polymorphic variants of 5 genes of the dopaminergic system made it possible to identify informative genetic markers of a person’s psycho-emotional status. The most significant polymorphisms were rs4680 and rs165599 of the COMT catechol-O-methyltransferase gene, rs1611115 of the dopamine-metabolizing enzyme dopamine-β-hydroxylase gene DBH, and rs6275 of the type 2 dopamine receptor gene DRD2. The results obtained can be used for preventive diagnostics of disorders in the psycho-emotional sphere, as well as for the development of programs for correction of borderline states, deviant and delinquent behavior, as well as mental illness.

Different Drummers: Military Culture and Its Discontents

Different Drummers: Military Culture and Its Discontents

Recent Developments in Ischemic Stroke Prehospital Care from Stroke 120 Special Task Forces

Stroke is an acute cerebrovascular disease caused by a local cerebral blood circulation disorder, and is the second leading cause of global human death. According to China Stroke Statistics 2019, ischemic stroke accounted for 81.8% of all stroke cases. The most effective medical treatments for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) are to offer intravenous thrombolysis (within 4.5 hours) and mechanical thrombectomy (within 6 hours) during the ultra-early period of time following the onset.

Long-Term Effects of Repeated Blast Exposure in United States Special Operations Forces Personnel: A Pilot Study Protocol.

Emerging evidence suggests that repeated blast exposure (RBE) is associated with brain injury in military personnel. United States (U.S.) Special Operations Forces (SOF) personnel experience high rates of blast exposure during training and combat, but the effects of low-level RBE on brain structure and function in SOF have not been comprehensively characterized. Further, the pathophysiological link between RBE-related brain injuries and cognitive, behavioral, and physical symptoms has not been fully elucidated. We present a protocol for an observational pilot study, Long-Term Effects of Repeated Blast Exposure in U.S. SOF Personnel (ReBlast). In this exploratory study, 30 active-duty SOF personnel with RBE will participate in a comprehensive evaluation of: 1) brain network structure and function using Connectome magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 7 Tesla MRI; 2) neuroinflammation and tau deposition using positron emission tomography; 3) blood proteomics and metabolomics; 4) behavioral and physical symptoms using self-report measures; and 5) cognition using a battery of conventional and digitized assessments designed to detect subtle deficits in otherwise high-performing individuals. We will identify clinical, neuroimaging, and blood-based phenotypes that are associated with level of RBE, as measured by the Generalized Blast Exposure Value. Candidate biomarkers of RBE-related brain injury will inform the design of a subsequent study that will test a diagnostic assessment battery for detecting RBE-related brain injury. Ultimately, we anticipate that the ReBlast study will facilitate the development of interventions to optimize the brain health, quality of life, and battle readiness of U.S. SOF personnel.

Effect of special operational forces surgical resuscitation teams on combat casualty survival: A narrative review.

The most common cause of preventable death on the conventional battlefield or on special operations force (SOF) missions is hemorrhage. SOF missions may take place in remote and austere locations. Many preventable deaths in combat occur within 30 min of wounding. Therefore, SOF damage control resuscitation (DCR) and damage control surgery (DCS) teams may improve combat casualty survival in the SOF environment. To determine the effect of SOF DCR and DCS teams on combat casualty survival. Also, to describe commonalities in team structure, logistics, and blood product usage. A narrative review of the English literature used a Medline and Embase search strategy. The authors were contacted for more details as required. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration's ROBINS-I tool. Pooling of data was not done to the heterogeneity of studies. Weak evidence was identified showing a clinical benefit of SOF DCR and DCS teams. Conflicting evidence from less rigorous studies was also found. The overall risk of bias using ROBINS-I was serious to critical. Several commonalities in team structure, training, and logistics were found. There is conflicting evidence regarding the effect SOF DCR and DCS teams have on combat casualty survival. There is no strong evidence that SOF DCR and DCS teams cause harm. More robust data collection is recommended to evaluate these teams.

Combat exposure and behavioral health in U.S. Army Special Forces.

Although combat has been found to be associated with adverse health outcomes, little is known about the impact of specific combat exposures, particularly among specialized personnel. This study examined the association of different types of combat exposures with behavioral health outcomes, and whether these associations differed by Army occupational specialization: General Purpose Forces infantrymen (n = 5,361), Ranger Qualified infantrymen (n = 308), and Special Forces personnel (n = 593). Multivariable regression models estimated the association of combat severity, type of combat event (fighting, killing, threat to oneself, death/injury of others), and type of killing with mental health disorders, trouble sleeping, and problem drinking. Combat severity, each type of combat event, and killing noncombatants were associated with adverse health outcomes after adjusting for covariates and other combat exposures. Except for trouble sleeping, these associations did not differ by occupational specialization, though the prevalence and odds of outcomes were generally lower for Special Forces personnel.

From Campo de Mayo to Malvinas, and Back: The Falklands/Malvinas War from the Perspective of Argentine Veterans Accused of Crimes Against Humanity

Four decades after the Falklands/Malvinas War and Argentina’s return to democracy, this article explores the ways in which veterans accused of crimes against humanity remember the conflict. Before confronting the British in the South Atlantic in 1982, the Argentine military had been involved in operations of counterinsurgency and illegal repression at home. Since 2005, hundreds of former officers — including veterans of the Malvinas War — have been accused and convicted for the crimes of the 1970s. This article focuses on the narrative of ‘Malvinas’ shared by former comandos (special forces) in the prison where they are detained in the present. It questions the content of ethnographic interviews with these veterans, and the context in which they were produced, to revisit the link between the violence of the 1970s and the Malvinas War from the perspective of the military involved in both scenarios. In so doing, the article deals with some unsolved issues of memorialization in post-war and post-authoritarian Argentina.