Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict review of United

States Special Operations Command (sec. 922)

The committee recommends a provision that would require the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special
Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict (ASD SOLIC), in coordination with the Commander ,U.S. Special
Operations Command (SOCOM), to conduct a comprehensive review of SOCOM for the purpose of ensuring
that the institutional and operational capabilities of special operations forces (SOF) are appropriate to
counter future threats across the spectrum of conflict. The committee notes that the National Defense
Strategy reorients the way the Department of Defense is to prioritize its efforts in an increasingly complex
and dangerous global security environment. A rising People’s Republic of China and an increasingly
belligerent Russian Federation are now the Department’s top strategic priorities, while the Islamic Republic
of Iran, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and countering violent extremism remain enduring lines
of effort. Over the last 16-plus years, SOCOM has largely focused its efforts on executing operations in
support of the global countering violent extremism effort. As a result, SOCOM’s organization, training, tactics,
techniques, procedures, and the development and acquisition of capabilities has prioritized this mission set.
While countering violent extremism will remain a persistent mission for SOF, the severity of the threat posed
by China, Russia, and other adversarial states across the spectrum of conflict and the release of the National
Defense Strategy represent an inflection point for the future of SOF. As such, the committee believes that the
ASD SOLIC, consistent with his responsibilities under section 138 of title 10, United States Code, to ‘‘exercise
authority, direction, and control of all special-operations peculiar administrative matters relating to the
organization, training, and equipping of special operations forces,’’ should use the review required by this
section as an opportunity to conduct a baseline assessment of the SOF enterprise and provide a strategic
vision for the future of the force in order to ensure it remains a relevant and lethal component of the joint
force to counter emerging and future threats facing the Nation.4 02:43 J

Deadline for completion of full implementation of requirements in connection with organization of

the Department of Defense for management of special operations forces and special operations (sec.
926)

The committee recommends a provision that would require full implementation of the reforms contained in
section 922 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law114–328) not later
than 90 days after enactment of this Act. The committee notes that this section included a number of reforms
designed to empower the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict
(ASD SOLIC) to act as the ‘‘service secretary-like’’ civilian responsible for exercising ‘‘authority, direction and
control of all special operations-peculiar administrative matters relating to the organization, training, and
equipping of special operations forces (SOF).’’The committee further notes that section 922 established a new
administrative chain of command to facilitate the exercise of these responsibilities that runs from
Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) through the ASD SOLIC to the Secretary of Defense,
thereby mirroring the relationship between the Secretary of Defense and the service secretaries. This reform
was, in part, intended to address the fact that the ASD SOLIC’s organization allocation within the Office of the
Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (USD(P)) has resulted in the ASD SOLIC dedicating the preponderance
of his time and resources to policy and operational issues at the expense of his ‘‘service secretary-like’’
responsibilities. The committee understands that the Department continues to consider options for
implementing this administrative chain of command but reiterates its intent that the ASD SOLIC is 2018
Jempowered to act independent of, but in coordination with, theUSD(P) in matters related to the organization,
training, and equipping of special operations forces. This administrative chain of command is not intended to
impact the relationship between the ASDSOLIC and USD(P) on policy matters relating to the employment of
special operations forces and related authorities. The committee is concerned that, despite passage of Public
Law114–328 nearly 18 months ago, the implementation of the reforms contained in section 922 remain
incomplete. According to a report required by section 1074 of the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115–91), the Deputy Secretary of Defense directed the development of
recommendations for implementation of these reforms, but no substantive actions have been taken since.
Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense, beginning on July 1, 2018, and continuing on the
first day of every month thereafter until full implementation of the ASDSOLIC reforms, to provide the
congressional defense committees with monthly progress reports on specific actions taken to institutionalize
the ASD SOLIC’s role in:(1) SOF programs and requirements, including SOCOM’s Strategic Planning Process;
the Global Force Management process; the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System; the
military construction decision process; and the process for development of campaign and posture plans;(2)
SOF acquisition, technology, and logistics enterprise, including acquisition program management; science and
technology program management; innovation; procurement; Services program management; logistics;
materiel readiness; depot management; agile/specialized acquisition management; and supporting
activities;(3) The Department of Defense’s budgeting processes for special operations;(4) SOF personnel and
readiness, including management of military and civilian personnel; readiness reporting; SOF-peculiar
initiatives(e.g., training education, warrior care); awards and decorations; and casualty notifications;(5) SOF
special access programs, including programming and budgeting, acquisition, security, and oversight; and(6)
Other matters including, but not limited to, legislative affairs, public affairs, general counsel, and inspector
general-type functions. The committee further directs that the required reports provide benchmarks for
achieving full implementation of the ASD SOLIC reforms in each of the six areas described above and an
assessment of when each benchmark will be achieved. Elsewhere in this Act,the committee recommends a
provision related to civilian staffing of the ASD SOLIC Secretariat for Special Operations.t 0

Subtitle E—Studies and Reports Report on highest-priority roles and missions of the Department of
Defense and the Armed Forces (sec. 1041)

The committee recommends a provision that would require the Secretary of Defense to provide a report to
the congressional defense committees concerning a reevaluation of the highest priority missions for the
Department of Defense, the roles of the Joint Force in the performance of such missions, and the capability
requirements which stem from them. The required report, due February2019, includes a series of questions
further inquiring about the specific impacts of the National Defense Strategy on the Department of Defense.
Over the years, the committee has received briefings and testimony describing the degrading state of U.S.
military capabilities vis-a`-vis peer adversaries. The reasons for this are numerous: unstable budgets,
sustained high operational tempo, as well as increased investments in military capabilities of adversaries. The
committee has been concerned about the state of U.S. overmatch for several years and believes that changing
this trend is a high priority for the Department. For this reason, the committee believes that the National
Defense Strategy correctly characterizes the leading strategic challenge facing the United States as the
reemergence of great power competition. Furthermore, the NDS prioritizes the development of a more lethal
joint force to deter, and if necessary, defeat aggression by peer-adversaries. The committee is supportive of
efforts by the Department, to implement the NDS. However, as the Commission on the National Defense
Strategy recommends, the Department must conduct further analytical work to identify the specifics of how
the NDS will be implemented. The reporting requirement poses ten overarching questions that the
committee believes are natural issues that arise from the change in priorities identified in the NDS. Those
questions include such things as an update to the roles and missions of the military services, how the NDS
impacts the military’s end strength requirements, how the military will be conducting the counterterrorism
mission, and how capability requirements and investments throughout the Joint Force are impacted by
focusing on peer-adversaries and operating in a contested environment. These questions are key for the
committee to better understand the implications of the NDS, and better facilitates the committee to perform
oversight over budgetary authorizations. As related to this reporting requirement, the committee
recommends several provisions that would limit the obligation and expenditure of authorized funding for
various programs, until this reporting requirement is met3

U.S. Special Operations Command civilian personnel (sec.334)

The committee recommends a provision that would require that, of the funds authorized in Operation &
Maintenance, Defense-wide for U.S. Special Operations Command civilian personnel, not less than $6.2 million
shall be used to fund the detail of civilian personnel to the office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for
Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict (ASD SOLIC) to support the Secretariat for Special Operations.
The committee remains concerned that current civilian manpower within the ASD SOLIC is not sufficient to
fulfill the ‘‘service secretary-like’’ responsibilities for the advocacy and oversight of special operations forces
mandated by section 922 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–
328). According to a report required by section 1074 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2018 (Public Law 115–91), an independent manpower study by the U.S. Army Manpower Analysis Agency
determined that a total of 64 civilian personnel could be required to execute the ‘‘service secretary-like’’
responsibilities required of the ASD SOLIC by law. According to the same report, only 14 personnel are
currently assisting the ASD SOLIC for the fulfillment of these responsibilities. The committee is concerned
that the number of civilian personnel assigned to U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) continues to
grow, including a planned increase of 128 civilian personnel in fiscal year 2019. The committee notes that the
establishment of the ASD SOLIC Secretariat for Special Operations should result in administrative and
oversight efficiencies and the transfer of functions that are more appropriately conducted by the ASD SOLIC.
This provision is intended to facilitate the transfer of no fewer than 50 civilian personnel from SOCOM to the
ASD SOLIC for support of the Secretariat for Special Operations.