HQ$History - United States Special Operations Command

Mission and Organization
USSOCOM’s mission, as delineated in the
1987 Joint Chief of Staff (JCS) Manual 71-87,
was to prepare SOF to carry out assigned missions
and, if directed by the President or the
Secretary of Defense, to plan for and conduct
special operations. Mission responsibilites were:
• Develop SOF doctrine, tactics, techniques
and procedures.
• Conduct specialized courses of instruction
for all SOF.
• Train assigned forces and ensure interoperability
of equipment and forces.
• Monitor the preparedness of SOF
assigned to other unified commands.
• Monitor the promotions, assignments,
retention, training, and professional development
of all SOF personnel.
• Consolidate and submit program and
budget proposals for Major Force Program
11 (MFP-11).
• Develop and acquire special operationspeculiar
equipment, material, supplies, and
services.
General Bryan D. Brown, CDR, USSOCOM
2003-2007
execute and concentrate on having SOF focus
more on their unique skill sets. Thus, not only
would Brown push for new authorities for the
command, he also insisted that budget and procurement
programs and new capabilities and
capacities be aligned with the command’s priorities
for the GWOT.
Admiral Olson took command of USSOCOM
on 9 July 2007, after serving as Deputy
Commander. He defined his priorities as:
• Deter, disrupt and defeat terrorist
threats
• Develop and support our people and
families
• Sustain and modernize the force
Evolution of the Command
The responsibilites of managing MFP-11 and
developing and acquiring special operationspeculiar
items made USSOCOM unique among
the unified commands. These responsibilities—
dubbed “service-like”—had heretofore been performed
exclusively by the services. Congress
had given the command extraordinary authority
over SOF force structure, equipping, and
resourcing.
General Lindsay organized the command
along the lines of a typical unified command “J
directorate” structure, with two modifications:
he assigned MFP-11 and acquisition responsibilities
to the J-8 (Resources) directorate, and created
a new J-9 directorate, responsible for
PSYOP and CA support, on 15 June 1988.
The command’s mission statement evolved
with the changing geopolitical environment.
With the fall of the Soviet Union and the rise of
regional instability, SOF’s capabilities were in
ever greater demand. To reflect this increased
OPTEMPO, which called for a large SOF
involvement in peacekeeping and humanitarian
operations, General Downing modified the command’s
mission statement in 1993. The revised
wording read:
“Prepare SOF to successfully
conduct worldwide special operations,
civil affairs, and psychological
operations in peace and war in support
of the regional combatant commanders,
American Ambassadors
and their country teams, and other
government agencies.”
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