Gojowsky, Torsten/Koegler, Sebastian Building Special Operations Relationships with Fragile Partners: Best Practices from Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan

Relationships empower Special Operations Forces (SOF) to perform as a highly skilled and reliable cadre in collaboration with local partner forces to prevent and solve shared problem sets, often accomplishing more with less. Since 9/11, however, relationships between SOF and their partners have not always been properly built and maintained. The authors trace the causal effects of constraints, trainings, and incentives and their impact on the current North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) SOF approach of building enduring relationships. Motivated by numerous deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, with recurring problem sets, we chose to conduct a structured-focused comparison between U.S. and Danish SOF supporting Operation Inherent Resolve in Al Anbar, Iraq (20152018) and German SOF during the shift of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force to Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan (20132015). The analysis of these cases finds that specific interactions of the studied factors not only cause variations in relationships between SOF and partner forces, but ultimately influence operations and objectives determining mission success or failure. With further testing of our analysis and recommendations, this research can help to identify inherently flexible and nested strategic options for SOF senior leaders, allowing them to deploy SOF elements efficiently during times of asymmetric, diffuse, and episodic conflicts.

Motivated by numerous deployments in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria with recurring problems, the authors have opted for a structured comparison between the American and Danish SOF, based on the supporting operation "Inherent Resolve" in Al Anbar, Iraq (2015-2018), and the German SOF in the transition from the NATO-led "International Security Assistance Force" to the "Resolute Support Mission" in Afghanistan 2013-2015. The analysis of these cases shows that specific interactions of the analysed factors not only cause differences in the relationships between SOF and partner forces, but ultimately influence the operations and objectives that determine the success or failure of the mission. By further reviewing the analyses undertaken and recommendations presented by the authors, this research can help identify inherently flexible and nested strategic options for senior SOF leaders so that SOF elements can be employed effectively in times of asymmetric, diffuse, and episodic conflict.