The Politics of Special Forces

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**The Politics of Special Forces**

The Politics of Special Forces is a 10-part limited series, co-hosted by Kevin D. Stringer and H. Christian Breede. The series examines the ways in which the return to great power competition might impact how decision maker think about employing special operations forces in the future. Through long-form discussions with experts from academia as well as practitioners from both Canada, the United States, and elsewhere, this series seeks to propel a conversation on the potential for a changing role for special operations forces in the context of competition between major powers. This series is sponsored in part by the Kingston Consortium on International Security through the Centre for International and Defence Policy (CIDP) at Queen’s University.

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 10 : SOF and Signatures Dec 07, 2022

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Ep. 9 : Polish Territorial Defence Forces (TDF) Aug 02, 2022

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Episode 9 - Polish Territorial Defence Forces (TDF) Christian Breede & Kevin D. Stringer

Brigadier General Maciej Klisz

In our ninth episode, we speak with the deputy commander of the Polish Territorial Defence Forces (TDF), Brigadier General Maciej Klisz. Our conversation examines what constitutes the TDF and draws connections between territorial defence and unconventional warfare, suggesting that territorial defence – especially in militaries that have focused on expeditionary operations, is in many ways a form of special operation.

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Ep. 8 : Israeli Defence Force SOF Apr 12, 2022

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Episode 8 - Israeli Defence Force SOF Christian Breede & Kevin D. Stringer

Guests: Dr Eyal Ben-Ari & Dr. Eitan Shamir

This episode serves a primer of sorts for the role of special operations forces within the Israeli Defence Force (IDF). While the episode begins with a reflection and updated of the analytic framework that the guests first introduced in 2016, it turned into an incredibly valuable discussion on the origins of IDF SOF as well as the challenges facing this organization in the future. Indeed, this episode – for those who are not familiar with the IDF – provides a unique perspective to the way in which SOF is generated and employed today.

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Ep. 7 : SOF and Narratives Jan 12, 2022

Show notes

Episode 7 - SOF and Narratives Christian Breede & Kevin D. Stringer

In this episode, our first for 2022, we had a fascinating discussion about the concept of narrative and how it relates to SOF employment concepts. Over the course of the conversation, Dave presents a working definition of narrative as a collection of ideas and concepts that codify meaning to events and behaviours. The conversation then directly connects narrative to the concept of special operations, making a cogent argument for a reconceptualization of what constitutes a special operation and even a special operation force.

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Ep. 6 : SOF and Culture Dec 06, 2021

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Episode 6 - SOF and Culture Christian Breede & Kevin D. Stringer

In this episode, Kevin and I sit down with Erin Yantzi, a graduate student from the University of Waterloo who is conducting a unique sociological and anthropological examination of SOF culture. In this conversation, we discuss both the shaping effect of culture upon SOF organizations as well as how the concept of culture can be operationalized by leaders to improve unit – and indeed individual – performance.

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Ep. 5 : CANSOFCOM: A Leader’s Perspective Sep 30, 2021

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Episode 5 - CANSOFCOM: A Leader’s Perspective Christian Breede & Kevin D. Stringer

We are back from our extended summer hiatus! In this episode, Kevin and I were blessed to be able to speak with the Deputy Commander of Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM), Brigadier General Steven Hunter. Over the course of our conversation, we do a deep dive into the question of Special Operations Forces integration. The conversation looked at how CANSOFCOM works within the Canadian context, with allies, and with partners. Several key take aways included the idea that SOF never works alone and that expanding SOF capabilities is something that needs to be done carefully and the caution that growth can come at the expense of agility.

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Ep. 4 : SOF in Great Power Competition: The Belgian Perspective Jun 30, 2021

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Episode 4 - SOF in Great Power Competition: The Belgian Perspective Christian Breede & Kevin D. Stringer

In this episode we have a fascinating discussion on the evolution of Belgian Special Operations Forces. In this episode, we pull out several key take aways to include the importance of having and maintaining a national, integrated SOF capability, as well as the idea that SOF never works alone, both in terms of working with other SOF units from around the world as well as within a national, joint context.

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Ep. 3 : Reinvention or Refocus? SOF Employment in Great Power Competition May 17, 2021

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Episode 3 - Reinvention or Refocus? SOF Employment in Great Power Competition Christian Breede & Kevin D. Stringer

In this episode we have a thought-provoking discussion on the central question of the series. Drawing on historical lessons from past periods of great power competition and the role of SOF therein, we start by asking our guests to examine what might be new about this current competitive environment. We then ask them to explore what new or reemphasized roles might be needed for SOF employment to be optimized today within the Canadian context.

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Ep. 2 : A Counter-Threat Finance Approach to Competition Apr 05, 2021

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Episode 2 - A Counter-Threat Finance Approach to Competition Christian Breede & Kevin D. Stringer

In this episode we have a wide-ranging discussion on the concept of counter-threat finance. We are joined by the US Army Special Operations Command Comptroller, COL Sara Dudley, who explains the security implications of finance and the role the SOF can play in this space. In particular, COL Dudley explains how threat finance is part of the broader intelligence function within defence and security.

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Ep. 1 : Special Operations Force in Great Power Competition Feb 15, 2021

Show notes

Episode 1 - Special Operations Force in Great Power Competition Christian Breede & Kevin D. Stringer

In episode 1 Christian Breede & Kevin D. Stringer lay the foundation for this limited series by presenting a conceptual framework for understanding what Special Operations Forces (SOF) does and how that might need be recast in light of the refocusing of security attention to great power competition.

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